Madrid

Today's troubleshooting agenda includes solving my backpack problem. First I checked out new backpacks to replace the one with the severed grommets (the airline baggage guerillas accidentally ripped them out in transit!). That route was much too expensive. Then I went to a tailor/cobbler shop, but they couldn't fix it until Thursday &#mdash; too late. Then I decided to sew the grommets on myself. I'm a sailor from way back so I should be able to attach a metal hole to a canvas bag. So — I went to a women's dry goods shop where I got personal attention from the women clerks trying to buy heavy duty thread and a 4" curved needle. The women wanted me to have yellow (amarillo) to match the pack but I wanted just plain black (negro). I didn't care what it looks like. (Dennis, it really looks pretty good and it's stronger now. (The borrowed pack belongs to my friend Dennis. Guess I'll have to get him a new one when I get back!) ¡No soy un sastre (tailor) pero soy un marinero (sailor)!

Jeremy, my phone connection guy, finally came about 10:00 p.m. to deliver my European-compatible cell phone and get my electronic equipment set up. (I found Jeremy on the Internet. He's a New Yorker conducting business in Spain for about seven years. He was very accommodating and a very funny fellow. We really hit it off.)

We tried to set up my electronic stuff, but couldn't because the disks he had were 3-inch floppies while my computer only has a CD reader! I had left the floppy attachment at home because usually these days software programs is on CDs. Everything is on CD! — except in Spain. He left promising to return tomorrow with the CD to set up my temporary internet connection.

Today has really been frustrating!! I can't reach my home phone due to Verizon's Call Intercept service — it uses the # key after the PIN number to facilitate long distance calls. This # key on this phone isn't working here for some reason.