The Rain in Spain...does not Drain

Well i'm sitting in my little 10' x 8' foot room on the floor with my suitcases still packed. Yesterday was SUCH a long day. packed my things and by noon Silvio came in his Jaguar to pick me up. but first I had to take my purse, messenger bag, giant back pack and 2 big suitcases down 5 flight of stairs. Silvio actually ended up bringing the 2 suitcases down. then we loaded up the jag and went to my house! if you want my address let me know I'll send it to you so you can write me letters and send me things ;)
Parking was difficult to find. After a few rounds around the "block" we found a spot. it wasnt extremely close but it wasnt impossible. we brought everything to the apartment and dropped them off in my room. I met one of the other girls Eva, she is VERY nice, and she has an 8 month old Yellow lab named Pililo (which apparently means "wiener"). then Silvio kindly drove me (pretty far) to IKEA...I hadnt been there in SO LONG and i was getting so excited and wanted to buy a million things. but managed to only buy the necessities: a mattress (90cm x 200 cm) which cost 90 euros, a full length mirror for 15 euros, and a side table (50% off for 10 euros). (oh and i bought a little blanket for 2 euros.) then we loaded up the car. and drove back to the city. Found a much closer parking space, and took everthing up to the flat. dropped everything off. then went to get some lunch! then I went to elena's house to watch a movie. and I ended up spending the night there because it was late and I was exhausted and my room in my flat was not set up and the cleaning lady was going to come in the morning anyway.

It rained ALL NIGHT! and its still raining. Madrileños HATE rain! everyone gets so upset about it and it only rains here for like 1 month out of the whole year, the rest of the time its sunny. i was enjoying it because 1) i think its really cleaning the city 2) its refreshing 3) it reminds me of Eugene and my college days
I went to a grocery store on my way to the metro from elenas house and this tiny 4' 95 yr old man comes in and hes "yelling" because he is SO UPSET that its raining,  he was shaking and turning red and I thought he was going to have a heat attack. when the lady at the counter saw him in the door way  she exclaimed "DON PEDRO!" (don is a formal way of addressing someone) and she helped him down the 3" step. and set his umbrella in the corner for him and was saying "well, is fall Don Pedro, its going to rain..."  then she explained to me what he was so upset about. she also told me he is 95 and lives alone! i cant beleive after 95 years he still gets so upset about the rain! haha! I think I might know why Don Pedro, and other Madrileños are so upset about the rain though, it does not drain. at all. the streets are paved, the side walks are all uneven and dented and cracked and the water just POOLS and it does not drain! the Principe Pio metro stop across from my house was leaking! it is an old glass building, but You need an umbrella in it! then as i exited the building, i walked onto a plaza that was just filled with water. and the stairs were also pooling with water. I'm surprised they dont know how to properly shed water and drain it here. Looks like I will be using my Golashes (wellies) a lot here when it does rain! ok my computer is about to die so i should go. LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU TONS!
xo

Don Pedro walked in as I was checking out. Before the check out I wanted to buy some fruit and vegetables, i was groping some kiwis, and smelling some apples, and squeezing some persimmons when a man came up to me and said "yes? can i help you?" and i said "um, no, i dont think so, i'm just going to buy some fruit and vegetables" and then he said "yes, tell me what you want and I will give it to you". i was so shocked that I was not allowed to pick out my own produce that i just said i wanted 2 persimmons. he asked if i wanted something else and I said no, because, well i hadnt looked all the way down the aisle, and i wasnt sure what else i would want. Then I watched a spanish lady come up to him and asked him to give her some tomatos and spinach and...and... and... etc. I couldn't beleive how inefficient it was...people had to wait in a LINE so the man would pick out their produce, weigh it, and then print out a receipt for it. I dont know if its like this everywhere in spain or just in this one super market. I'm going to ask elena today when i see her for lunch. I think we are going to Oishii, this japanese sushi/RAMEN place. i've been really craving ramen lately, i hope its good there.