Torrejon (10/18/1981)

Sunday, October 18, 1981

I noticed it was getting light outside, but couldn’t see my watch well enough to tell the time. I heard a buzzing sound, which continued until Gary picked up the phone by his bed. Apparently an alarm. It was 7:30. Passed through arid country with very little that was green. Then some makeshift homes and apartment buildings. I had wrongly assumed we were going to the Atocha station, but we arrived at 8:20 at the modern Chamartin station in Madrid. We were able to catch the 8:40 train to Guadalajara which would pass through the Atocha station, which was where Gary was headed, and continue on to Torrejon where I was headed.

Once in Torrejon, I now knew where to catch the bus in the center of town.

Torrejon bus ticket

Paid the 27 ESP/28 cent-fare and sat down for the bus ride that wound all around Torrejon. Finally I recognized the crossroads of the community where Kathy and Rod J live. I crossed the street and found the apartment buildings, at first going up the wrong front steps. The next steps were the right ones and I met Kathy at the door. Rod had duty that day. It was about 10:00 when I arrived. Kathy and I did a lot of talking and Mikayla (22.5 months old) seemed jealous of the attention I was getting from her Mommy. Little Angela (3 months old) was very pleasant.

Kathy is my friend from junior and high school days in Buffalo, NY and her husband is stationed here in Torrejon at the U.S. Air Force base.

Monday, October 19, 1981

Awoke late at 9:00 after a very good sleep on sofa cushions laid out on the floor. Rod had the day off, so he could stay with the girls when Kathy and I went for a walk. Checked out the souvenir shop, Cuco’s, with wicker and rattan items. We met a friend of Kathy’s, Joy, to go jogging. On the walk to and from the jogging track, every car that passed beeped at us. Mikayla could be heard up on their balcony!

For dinner Rod cooked steaks which he said he marinated in olive oil to make them tender.

Tuesday, October 20, 1981

I’ve been doing dishes and today I hung out the laundry. We all went for a walk to the grocery store, meeting the pastor and several acquaintances along the way. Stopped at a playground so that Mikayla could “slide-swing.”

After lunch we made a couple orange tea cakes to have a tea party. We tried manzanilla/chamomile tea, but it was too musty for us. However, Mikayla loved it and drank all of our cups of that tea. We switched to regular black tea.

Before going to bed, I read a Nancy Drew book, “The Mystery of Crocodile Island.” Kathy has nearly the whole collection of Nancy Drew books!