Monday, October 20th

This morning, Luke and his Aunt Bri (Steve’s sister who flew in on Thursday from her travels to Ireland) went home. We were sad to see him leave. He and Bryce entertained each other wonderfully, now the task is given to all of us big kids.

Brent decided to make his paella for his parents on his own. He did a remarkable job, and it was fun to see him go through the process on his own. We will have you over for Brent’s paella, you bring the drinks – he might kill me for the suggestion!!!

That night, the electricity went out. You should have seen the panic in the house. I looked out the window and realized that it was city wide!!! We are sooo getting used to chaos – an understatement.

Ana and Alfonso have been wonderful to us. They have lent us her car when ever we basically needed it, like for the parents visiting. She has even said that we can continue to use it until we go home!!!! Our little gifts that make our hearts sing HUGE songs!!!

Tuesday, October 21st.

Today, Grandpa and Grandma took us to a last hurrah lunch at our favorite Sandwich shop. After that, they went with me to get the girls from school for the last time. There was something wrong. As soon as Bryce’s class came out of the door, she was dragging behind the class and not making eye contact with us. Apparently during English class, they were making spiders for Halloween. For whatever reason goes through her mind, she literally opened the scissors on her nose and sliced her nose!!!! The teacher had put iodine on it. Brent said she wanted to “smell” the scissors to see if they were the same as in AZ!!! My child!!!

For dinner, Jim and Gayle made a fabulous Midwestern Stew for everybody. We invited Ana and Alfonso over as a thank you. We had a fabulous time drinking, eating, visiting, and enjoying everybody – is there anything more in life?

We got Grandma and Grandpa off to Minnesota on Wednesday. They spent two weeks with us, where I literally exhausted them. Then they had a week in Minnesota with Brent’s Grandma before flying home to their daughter Julie and her five girls!!!!

Thursday was Pedro’s Dissertation Defense. Pedro was Alfonso’s PhD student who came out to AZ and studied with Brent’s former student Matt at AT Stills University. He was in AZ for a year. The bummer was that he lived by himself on campus and was completely driven in his research. We kind of forgot about him when our students went home!!! Bad!!! It was soo good to reconnect with him.

The cool thing about Spanish Dissertations, is that the student has his Dissertation published in hard back in the beginning to give to the professors, versus after everything has been defended in the US. There is a formal panel “Court” that the student defends to. They try and get professors from other universities and other colleges from the home university. There was a professor from the Medical College of the UEM, a professor from the same department as Pedro, Brent from ASU/USA, a professor from another university in Madrid, and another professor from Valencia. We told that professor that we LOVED his city.

The professors sit on a formal podium, as the student presents to the panel and then to us sitting in the audience. I was able to thumb through Pedro’s defense, because his abstracts were in English to be published in the official periodicals/journals. Pedro even included several patents that he had from Spain of the equipment he designed in order to do his research – Very Impressive. Pedro did an excellent job defending. Brent was able to understand a bunch, or he is a real good BS’er!!!

After that, Pedro took his “Court” to dinner. Brent told me to come as well. I was the only woman and not a PhD!!! His girlfriend wasn’t even there. I felt bad, but am so glad I didn’t get to miss out of the incredible meal. He was sooo cute. He called his dad while holding the wine list, so he could order the perfect wine!!! They brought their rendition of a chili relleno for a start – which is a stuffed bell pepper smothered in cheese. Nobody was eating. I took my spoonful. When the waitress went to take it away – I grabbed it from her!! I totally made her laugh. After that, she brought any plate by me before heading to the kitchen!!

The dinner was a lifetime favorite. They brought cork trivets to each of us. Then they delivered platters of thinly sliced beef. Then they gave us terracotta plates that were more than sizzling hot. We were instructed to take a piece of meat and literally cook it to our desired consistency on our plate. When the plate chilled, they brought out new plates. I think I ate rarer than usual meat and burned my tongue because I was so excited to eat it!!! Phenomenal!!!!

Friday, October 24th

We pulled the girls out of school after a half day. We then went to the UEM to pull Ana out of her Physical Therapy School. We then headed in the car to Leon in the north of Spain. Alfonso had left that morning with his boys. His parents live up there, and he was going to drop the boys off at his parents’ home. They had a weekend alone!!!! We were headed to Leon because Alfonso and Brent had a conference.

Alfonso is a mover and a shaker, just like Brent in his research. There are people from the “Old School” who aren’t too keen to change – crazy when they are scientists and isn’t science research and change!!!! Well, they uninvited Brent to present, but Alfonso still wanted him to come. He was either uninvited due to being an American, or being affiliated with Alfonso. Oh well, their loss!!!

Leon has a wonderful shopping district. I would equate it to Rodeo Drive, except no cars drive through. At the base of the shopping district is a Gaudhi Palace. They have a statue of Guadhi on a park bench admiring his work – I totally touristed that photo out. At the end of the district is the Cathedral. This is literally the sister to Notre Dame with the flying buttresses!!! Is AMAZING becoming cliché?