In midafternoon, I went over to Dora's office and software-installed a security camera connected to her smartphone over the internet.

Late-evening Zoom call with my siblings in USA. Had 3 cats, 2 dogs, and 1 baby on the call with us at various times. After noon, over to Dora's new office to get it ready for her first patient, coming at 5. Then somehow it changes and the patient is coming at 2:15.

Session with patient went well.

In evening, Dora off to old apartment; I didn't feel like going. She ended up staying the night there. Dora at old apartment all day and into the evening, administering medicines to her son (flu) and her mother, and I think cooking.

Met Dora at bus stop at 9:30. Cold out, and the building front door was open and letting a cold wind make the whole building cold. Out to a shop, then to Dora's office to arrange some things, and she had a meeting with a pharmaceutical rep.

Phone call from landlord; Dora hasn't paid the rent again, she still wants to fight with them. I pay the rent directly again, as I did last month.

Dora home for dinner, then back to office for a patient at 4. I set up more security cameras, to ATM, to supermarket. Dora out early, but not before dragging me out of bed to print some last-minute paperwork. She was out all day. I met her in early evening at the bus stop. Then I was out to office, ATM, supermarket. Took stuff to office; we're starting to get a little clear space in the apartment. That won't last long.

Out in the evening to try to go to ECI to look at furniture, but they're closed, it's a holiday (Three Kings, I guess). Stopped in at mass for 10 minutes, but I was nervous being around so many people.

In late evening, doing more Christmas cards. Dora out all afternoon at medical appointments. Raining steadily. Most of the north of Spain had lots of snow in the last day or two, so I think we're getting it as rain. Stopped later; I went out to supermarket. Raining steadily again. Madrid has been shut down by huge snowfall. Dora out to errand and then a couple of medical appointments. Later I was out to mail a big load of Christmas cards, stop in several shops. Home, start dinner, then out to supermarket and back. Out briefly in midday, then nice dinner, then found that refrigerator/freezer has stopped working. I fiddled with the buttons and eventually managed to get it back to life, I think. But 20 minutes later it was stuck again. Messed with it, eventually got it going. This time it stayed running. Fridge/freezer still running, although fridge part is too cold, I think. But I don't want to mess with it, for now.

Messed with fridge later, and it stopped working. Found that unplugging it for 5 minutes helps, sometimes. Not sure. Got it running again. But it's either on all the time, or unplugged, and after plugging in, sometimes it will run and sometimes not. Late-night Zoom call with my siblings in USA. Filed my Spanish ETE (wealth declaration) tax form for 2020. As usual, had to use Dora's Windows laptop to fill out the PDF file. Refrigerator wouldn't start in mid-morning, and nothing I did would get it going. So when we left to go to other apartment after noon, we took all the frozen meat with us to give to them. Picked up Peruvian chicken on the way, had dinner with family at old apartment. Dora's mother is weaker, her son is recovering after a bout of flu, her father is sick, niece is a teenager who doesn't talk much to us. Boring. I did sit in the park in the sun for a bit, and collected some books I'd left in the apartment. To bus stop and home by 6:30. Found that in my absence, refrigerator started running (non-stop, I think) again. Refrigerator guy sent by landlord came, looked at situation, will consult landlord. Later the news is that they'll bring a replacement tomorrow afternoon.

By late afternoon, the refrigerator is totally dead, indicators not lighting up, not running at all. Our third wedding anniversary !

Around 6:15 in the evening, a couple of guys came with a new refrigerator/freezer for us. At 9:30, high wind and torrential rain. But reasonably nice the rest of the day.

Package delivered, but instead of being the keyboard I was expecting, it was expensive medicines for Dora and I had to pay for them.

Got some life out of a phone-app I've started developing using Flutter: BillDietrich / fake_contacts High winds for an hour or so around 7:30.

News is that Dora's mother is doing worse today. We went over there around 2, picking up Peruvian food on the way. I didn't even see Dora's mother; she was lying on her bed all day, too weak to get up much. In the evening she was worse, and Dora called the medical service, but they offered paramedics and she held out for a doctor. We probably could have had the paramedics within half an hour, but we waited 3+ hours, no doctor, and then went home. Doctor saw Dora's mother at 10 last night, increased oxygen supply, but she's about the same this morning.

In early evening, word comes that Dora's mother was taken to VDH hospital by ambulance around 4. Dora didn't hear until almost 5, and told me around 6. Out to metro and to hospital. Wait in emergency room, and they won't tell us anything, just someone will call Dora on her phone sometime. We wait.

After 45 minutes or so, we start to leave, but then Dora has a word with one of the main doctors and gets to go back and see her mother. Turns out there's a long line of patients waiting to be examined, they're parked in hallways. COVID and non- are supposed to be separate, but we've been sitting in a waiting room for both kinds. Almost 5 hours and her mother has been triaged and given a full oxygen mask, but is sitting in a wheelchair in a hallway waiting to be examined and maybe put in a bed. Of course she wants to go home, but we think she has to be processed and official decisions made. No point in us waiting here all night, maybe getting infected. And we couldn't even wait with her. We go home, arriving by 9:45.

I'm a little shocked that there wasn't separation of the two kinds of patients (although of course everyone was wearing masks). A young woman came in with bad stomach pain and a bit of a cough, and sat 5 feet across from us for a couple of minutes until they took her in as a priority. Likely a COVID case.

At 11:10, the hospital called. Dora's mother is in a bed in the Emergency area. They think she got worse because of a respiratory infection, maybe. No blood test results yet. We'll see tomorrow. I'm relieved that she's in a bed. At 9, the word is that Dora's mother has tested positive for the virus. I assume they did a rapid-test, which has a low accuracy, and I tend to disbelieve the results. The only symptoms she had were her normal symptoms of being on the edge of lung failure. It's a miracle she didn't get the flu that a couple of others in old apartment had; maybe what she has now is a touch of that ?

But now the others at the old apartment should be tested, and Dora and I should stay home for 10 days because we were exposed to her. Not to mention being exposed to everyone else in that waiting-room last night.

Dora out before 11:30 to go to old apartment to pick up a bag of stuff and take it to her mother at the hospital. A long trip with no chance to visit at either stop.

Dora home before 3. She wasn't able to see her mother, who still is in a bed in the Emergency dept, hasn't been moved to anywhere else. Her mother is feeling a bit worse today.

I didn't want to have a PCR test, but Dora went ahead and scheduled tests for four of us for tomorrow. I'm out after 10. To metro, to old apartment. Picked up Dora's father, and we went to medical clinic. Gave samples for PCR test, and it wasn't as bad as I'd expected, just a brief discomfort. Dropped him back near home, I'm to bus. To near home, to supermarket, home before 1.

Not sure how Dora's mother is today; our news is secondhand.

I started cooking, but then Dora was out at 1:45 to take things to mother in hospital, then to have PCR test in the evening.

Dora home after 8. The news on her mother is mixed, apparently she's stable but has some pneumonia. If she really does have COVID, and with the pneumonia and her pre-existing lung condition, I'm amazed she's still alive. Dora's mother about the same today, still on oxygen, still tired.

Starting watching the Biology section of some cool educational videos on YouTube: Crash Course. Getting PCR test results online. I'm negative. Dora's father "preliminary" result is positive. No result yet for Dora. Can't get result for niece (we've never had online access to her records).

Also, Dora's son had a rapid-test (antigen) today and it was negative. But I don't trust the accuracy of those tests.

Got a notice that my new laptop has been assembled and is in the testing phase. Late afternoon, notice that it has been shipped.

In midafternoon, online it says Dora tested negative.

By late evening, no one has called to inform us of niece's test result, so that means it must be negative. We received several calls about Dora's father's positive result, telling us to isolate, asking who he's had contact with, etc.

Late-evening Zoom call with my siblings. After noon, received a message that implies Dora's niece tested positive for the virus, wants to know her contacts.

Around 6, received news that Dora's mother seemed to be fading, we'd better go see her, there was mention of putting her on morphine. So we somewhat-rushed to the hospital, and up to her floor. It's a COVID ward, so I didn't go inside, but one at a time Dora's sister and son and then Dora were able to go in and see her. Apparently she seemed weak but stable. Eventually we headed out, long Metro ride, home by 8:30.

The COVID ward (one of many) is specially-dedicated, signs at the doors warning you to stay out. But all the workers going in and out are wearing just normal facemasks. I think the ones going into the rooms are wearing a lot more PPE, but still there didn't seem to be full precautions. Hard to tell, just looking through the little windows in the doors at the end of the hallway, from a respectful distance. Windy and cool during night and morning.

Out around 4 or so. Long metro ride to hospital. But then son spent so long with Dora's mother that when Dora got in, her mother was falling asleep and Dora couldn't hardly at all with her. Her mother is on morphine and doesn't have long to go, I think. We did get a chance to talk with Dora's sister and son. Long metro ride home, back after 7. Windy morning.

At 0930, new laptop delivered ! Pics. Worked on it all day, exploring and testing things.

Dora's sister from the North made a one-day trip down to see her mother in hospital.

At 1730, delivery of a new keyboard for another laptop we have. In early evening, Dora went to the hospital to see her mother. I was feeling a little sick, stayed home. Her mother was awake and they were able to talk.

Completely re-installed the operating system on my new laptop, and results were not good. I think I know what I did wrong (wrong OS image), but I have a message to Support to confirm it. Have had a low-grade headache for a couple of days; tired.

Installed Kubuntu 20.10 on my new laptop, all looks good, started transferring everything across from old laptop.

In late afternoon, out to medical, pharmacy, shop, supermarket.

On TV, watched Barca beat Granada 5-3. A thrilling game, and it's been a long time since I've seen a Barca game. In early evening, to hospital to meet Dora's sister, and the two of them went up to see their mother.

Received my US stimulus check ($600), dated Jan 6, and deposited it through US bank's phone-app. In late evening, my nice new laptop froze solid, just the way the old laptop does. Mouse stopped moving, no keys worked, had to power off. Must be an OS problem; both laptops are running Kubuntu 20.10. Old laptop has overheating and RAM problems, but new one doesn't. At 0415, a call that Dora's mother has passed away in the hospital.

Groaned out of bed before 9, out to a taxi by 9:30 or so. To hospital, and met Dora's sister. Soon to the funeral home offices on the hospital grounds, which are side-by-side, a guy waiting to invite us in to each one. I have read that there are only two funeral homes in the whole city, it's a bit of a monopoly.

We got a quote from one of them, walked next to to the other, and got a much cheaper quote there. The first guy was adding a couple of optional things, I think.

Took a while to do the paperwork, then down to main building to collect her belongings, then taxi to old apartment. Day has turned colder and rainy.

Hung around at the old apartment all afternoon. Finally home by 6:45, cold and tired and wrung out. Out at noon, to a viewing of Dora's mother's casket. Raining. Out around 10:40, to metro, to church near old apartment. Into a mass where they mentioned Dora's mother name as a memorial. And today would have been her 81st birthday.

Afterward, wanted to buy flowers, but the flower shops had long lines (it's Valentine's Day). Fortunately I bought flowers for Dora yesterday.

Weather has turned cold. To old apartment, had dinner, Dora and her sister and son went out to vote. Home before 5. I have a slight sore throat. Dora out to a couple of medical appointments. I'm out for groceries. Still slightly cold out. Online, filed my US federal income tax return. I use Free File Fillable Forms. Dora out early, to medical association, and later to church to donate stuff. Glad to see her doing some stuff, she's been just watching TV far too much.

Kept hearing a pump or washing machine running over the last few days, and finally realized it's our gas water-heater. Maybe we have air in our radiators. Pressure gauge on heater reads zero. We have heat in most radiators, but the system does not shut off properly, we have to run the hot-water faucet briefly to get the heater to shut off.

Then, after 8, the heater quit completely, blinking a code E9, no hot water or heat. We're out at 12:30 or so. To metro, to old apartment. Had a nice hot shower there; we still don't have heat and hot water at our apartment. Dinner. Loafed. Home by 7:30.

Forgot that we DO have a couple of built-in electric heaters at the apartment; we think of them as air-conditioners, and we've never used them, but they do heat too. But of course they don't do hot water. Heater guy will come tomorrow.

A little Android app I created (my first) finally appeared in F-Droid store: Fake Contacts app.

Headachey and tired all day. As planned, building electricity out from 9:15 to 12:35.

Water-heater guy came after 1:15. He said the system was neglected and calcified, he replaced the main pump and motor. Done by 2. He said €179, but supposedly the landlord has a service contract, so we didn't pay anything. Took a nice hot shower. All but one radiator is working. Online, found that a friend I'd lost contact with in the last month or two has died, as I'd feared. He'd had cancer for several years and was 73 years old. I first met him in 2003 or so, on my boat when I was passing through Norfolk VA.

Out at 2:30 or so. Metro to old apartment and had dinner. Then everyone vanished to their computers and phones as usual. Eventually left, home by 7:30.

Time to take down the Christmas tree. Opened up my new laptop to see what was inside. Didn't see any clear markings identifying the motherboard, which was my goal. Pics. Finally got rid of two bottled-water machines that Dora had signed up for.

In the evening, watched on TV as Barca beat Sevilla in a thrilling tie-breaker game that went to an extra half. Seems they're starting to vaccinate all 80+ people here. And there was a chance that Dora and I could slide in somehow, but it was at a place near old apartment and I'm cooking dinner.

But her father did get vaccinated, first dose of Pfizer vaccine. So that's good. Over to old apartment for the afternoon and into early evening. Dora's sister was up from the South. Online, filed my Spanish foreign assets declaration form (720).

We had been planning to move back to the old apartment, now that Dora's mother has passed away. But it turns out that the niece especially likes the extra space and lack of supervision, and they like having the extra room and privacy, so they don't want us back there. So I guess we're staying here. To Dora's office in mid-day, and returned the big expensive new machine she bought a month or two ago. Trying to reduce the financial bleeding a little. Dora out much of the day, at medical appointment and then visiting old apartment.

Late-night Zoom call with my siblings in USA. Heating system acting up again; I think air and gunk in the system and maybe leaky pipes outside. Landlord's guy stopped by after noon, said "yup, you need a heating system technician", and left. One will come tomorrow afternoon.

But then a technician showed up 15 minutes later, took one look, and said "you've got a broken pipe, of course the system won't work".

In the evening, workman came by to leave a ladder to use tomorrow morning, when they will come to do the pipes. Plumber arrived at 10:45, did some repairs, by 11:15 he was bleeding air out of radiators. Done by noon. Moving-guy came at 12:30. We moved all the stuff from Dora's office into our apartment, giving away a desk and a junky cabinet in the process. So now we've vacated her office.

I've been fighting headaches for several days now. Dora thinks I have a fever today. Later, started taking antibiotics. Dora is approved to go back to work, but has 2 weeks of accrued vacation she didn't take last year, so it will be another 2 weeks. In the evening, received an SMS from the health service saying I can schedule a vaccination for COVID. But the web site offers no sites in Barcelona, which I assume means no available appointments at the moment. Rules say I have to be less than 65 years old, which I think means it will be the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Tried again later, citas available in Barcelona, but by the time I pushed the button there were none left. And of course their web site is written in some non-standard way, so I have to re-type all the info each time I want to check. But on about the 4th try, I got a cita, for Friday at noon at a health center pretty easy to get to from here. In the evening, Dora got a call to schedule her vaccination, because of her job. Tomorrow about the same time as mine, different place. Dora out to get her vaccination, I went out after 11 to get mine. Longish bus ride, walk, then stand in line for half an hour. Pretty confusing inside, I think half the time they were speaking Catalan to me. But got injected with a dose of AstraZeneca. Message from Dora saying she'd gotten Pfizer. Bus ride back, to supermarket, home tired at 1:45.

Late-evening Zoom call with siblings etc in USA.

In early AM, had fever and chills, I assume from the vaccination. Chills soon went away, but fever stayed, and I didn't sleep much. Stayed in bed half the day, slowly getting a bit better. Paracetmol and Nolotil. Fever ended around midnight; slept okay. Out after 12. Metro to old apartment. Had dinner, chatted, watched TV, put together an exercise machine. Long day. Home before 9:30, tired. 6:45 in the evening, doorbell rings, there's a water leak in the building and they think it's coming from somewhere inside the walls of our apartment ? Apparently it's in some big, old main pipe of the building, I don't know if water or sewer. Dora out in late afternoon to do an errand, so of course building president picks that time to ring our bell and tell me workers are coming at 0530 tomorrow to fix the water. Pretty sure I got that time right, and she apologized, saying the company picked the time.

And of course when Dora gets home, she's outraged, says she won't open the door at 0530, etc. Apparently it's a main sewer pipe going through the tiny balcony outside our kitchen, where the washer/dryer are. I just want to let them get on with the work.

But Dora goes and finds out I got the time wrong, they'll be here 4:30 to 6 tomorrow afternoon. And then she says this leak apparently has been a longstanding problem, it's not a sudden emergency.

Online, started my Spanish income tax return. Someone came at 5:30, but apparently it was just an insurance person to inspect the damage (nothing to see from our apartment), and Dora handled it. Over to old apartment and spent afternoon there, sort of in honor of some coming birthdays. Dora went to other apartment, sort of for birthdays. I skipped it, and was glad I did, she was over there for about 8 hours. Apparently Dora's father got his second dose of Pfizer. Online, filed my 2020 FBAR with US govt. Forgot about it and almost missed the deadline.

Online, filled out my 2020 Spanish income tax, but didn't submit it yet. Want to see if it's better to file separately or jointly with Dora. Dora out to get her second dose of Pfizer. No idea when I'll get my second dose of AstraZeneca. Originally I had thought after 3 weeks, but now I'm reading it could be after 12 weeks. In late evening, watched on TV as Barca won the Copa del Rey, 4-0. Saw a news article that Spain is re-evaluating the AstraZeneca vaccine (the one I got). Going to do a 28-day study and then decide if people like me will get AZ or some other vaccine as our second dose. Dora out early to take niece to medical appointments. She brought back mail from other apartment, which included another stimulus check for me ($1400). Used my US bank's phone app to deposit it. Dora out all morning and early afternoon, at beauty parlor. Dora out before 2:30, to work 3-11. She's been off sick since mid-September; I thought it was longer than that. Today is a holiday; worker setting up canopies in the park outside our window. Music starting at 5, but the only acivity seems to be kids doing drawing or paper-cutting at tables.

Late-evening Zoom call with my siblings. Dora home after 11:30. Dora out to work 3-11. Dora out early to a medical appointment.

Went out at night after 10 to see if I could catch a glimpse of the "super-moon" (which was supposed to be last night). But, like last night, we're totally clouded over, and surrounded by tall buildings and bright lights. Couldn't even figure out which direction to look. Installed Linux Fedora 34 KDE on my laptop. A bit of a rough start, having mouse/touchpad problems, Wayland issues, more.

Dora out in evening to work 8-1. Raining steadily. Dora out to work 11-11. Dora out to work 11-11.

Online, filed my Spanish wealth tax return (form 714). Dora out to work 3-11. In the evening, Dora out to work 8-1. I went with her in the metro, and went a couple more stops to the base of La Rambla. First time I've walked around as a tourist in more than a year. Forgot to bring my phone with me.

Lower end of La Rambla was very empty, I've never seen it so empty. So was Placa Reaial. More people in Placa Jaume and in front of the cathedral, but still maybe 1/10th normal. Upper end of La Rambla had a fair number of people.

Sat on La Rambla for a while, then up to Placa Catalunya. Soon after I crossed the street, heard screaming on the other side, and looked over to see a guy lying on the sidewalk knocked out cold. Another guy was walking away cooly as people pointed at him. I looked around for police, but none to be seen.

Eventually into metro, connected at Espanya but construction forced a long walk to outside and paying for another ride. Home by 9:15, tired. Dora out to work 3-11. Dora out to work 3-11.

Dora calls me after 10, there's Pfizer vaccine going to expire at her work, she can bring home a dose for me. We decide to do it. She's going to log it in the system, it will be legal and registered.

Zoom call with family from USA.

Dora came home, and no vaccine. Apparently it's for 50-59 and 70+ ages, and I'm in the gap. So it gets thrown away ! Out after 1, to metro, and to old apartment. Dora's sister is in town, and we had a birthday party for Dora. Nice dinner, quite nice dessert. Warm enough now to sit out on the balcony and watch everyone in the park while listening to audio programs. Came back fairly late, on the bus, arriving home at 10:15. Tired.

Found out later that curfews and other restrictions were lifted tonight, across most of Spain, and tens of thousands of people went into the streets to drink and party and not wear masks or keep distance. Expect more infections in a week or two. I'm glad Dora wasn't working tonight. Dora out to work 3-11. In evening, Dora to work 8-1. For dinner, got take-out from an Indian restaurant just around the block from us. Nice. Dora out to work 11-11.

Out at 4:30 to the free "Night of the Museums", and it turned out to be a bust. CaixaForum had only 2 exhibits open and they were bad, and apparently now MNAC requires advance tickets for the free night. At least I got out and got some exercise and fresh air. Dora out to work 11-11.

Spent some time whittling Dora's Yahoo Mail inbox down from 8800 messages to 5150. Then got her GMail inbox down from 750 to 0. Dora out to work 3-11. In evening, Dora out to work 8-1. Dora out to work 3-11. Dora out to work 3-11. Over to old apartment for 6+ hours to see everyone there. In late evening, online, filed my Spanish income tax return. So I am done with all filings, US and Spanish, for 2020. It's a holiday here today, but Dora out to work 11-11. And she had a busy day, non-stop patients. Dora out in evening to work 8-1. Dora out to work 11-11.

Dora has a new schedule from work, and it's bad. Over a two-week rotation, she'll have one shift 0800 to 1500, another 0800-2000, many 1500 or 1600 to 2200, one 2200 to 0800. So it's the bad kind of shift-schedule, where you sleep/wake at several different times during the rotation. She didn't have shifts starting at 0800 or 2200 before. Dora out to work 11-11. Dora out to work in afternoon 4-10. Dora out to work in morning 7:45 to 3.

In the evening, had a small birthday celebration. Dora out to work 3-10. Late-evening Zoom call with my sibllings in USA. Dora out to work 8-8. Visiting at the old apartment from 1 to 8 or so. Tired afterward.

Suddenly Dora has to say when she'll take vacation this year. We think about various travel possibilities, and I want to go to Istanbul in late September. So I'll start arranging that. Dora out to work 3-10.

Collecting information about Istanbul. Dora out to work 3-10. Dora out in evening to work overnight, 10-8. Dora home at 8:30, and instead of going to bed, she's mopping floors and doing laundry and doing exercise etc.

Apparently there were few patients after 1 AM or so, and she was given time to sleep from 4:30 to 7:30, but she couldn't sleep.

In late evening, online, bought tickets for us to go visit the family in the north of Spain, in last week of June. In the morning, there's some kind of "dance studio" event on a stage in the plaza under our window.

Starting to get hot enough to run the AC a little in the afternoons.

Dora out to work 3-10.

In USA, one of my sisters donated a kidney, with no specific recipient designated, just whoever is next on the list and a good match. Pretty amazing !