8 September 2025

It’s been a while since I posted. When I slow down like this, it’s usually because I’ve been home sick and not doing much to talk about. Such is the case. However, I’m doing much better.

After x-rays, blood tests, etc, etc, they determined I had a respiratory infection. It just left me coughing a lot and very tired. I went to school every day and came home and rested, read, watched TV, and did as little as possible. I’m not fully recovered. But I was able to go to choir tonight.

My friend Milo is here visiting this week from Barcelona. He came to see a friend that he knew from our days at Oral Roberts University who is thinking of moving to Valencia. And Milo has been a godsend! He’s been cooking, cleaning, and taking care of me while I convalesce. It’s nice to be spoiled when you’re not feeling yourself.

Choir is getting back into full swing, after the summer hiatus. You may remember, I took a personal break in the early Summer. Then there was the usual August break. And tonight was the first night back. They’re doing some remodeling in the auditorium and there was no air conditioning tonight. So, after a meeting, handing out our music for this Fall and a brief session singing, we left about 30 minutes early. Our first concert (if nothing changes) will be a collection of Broadway show tunes. It should be fun

Last week, I met with a potential new attorney. I really like him. He speaks good enough English that I can ask more complicated questions, talk about my goals and explore more options. The really good news is that he believes he can help me start towards my permanent residency much quicker and easier than I imagined. If I continue my student visa into 2026, he will help me change it (from here) to the non-lucrative (aka NLV or “retiree” visa). But the really good news is that 50% of my time as a student will apply towards that residency and I won’t be starting from scratch when I get that NLV.

I have quite a bit of travel coming up. This weekend, I’ll go to Lugano Switzerland for the weekend, to see my friend Jim who is spending a month there, studying Italian. At the end of October, I’ll meet my friend John from Denver for two weeks in Portugal and Northwest Spain (Galicia). And with the visa process mo

And just for fun, here’s a quick video of Cooper playing with a chew toy that I bought for him.