bubbleobillo

Excellent post!

Had no problems with the link at all.

In spy films, back in the day, this was known as eating the evidence! Less messy than burning it and leaving evidence behind!

Well-spotted!

Smokers' cough, most probably

A 'homely' girl might be a better description. And I think a homely girl is probably exactly the kind of girl that Alberto would feel happiest with these days. She seems pleasant enough to me and a good mix of down-to-earth and liberated. At 30 years old she's probably the right age for our resident gardener.

Equipped to the Max?......

And my computer froze at the exact moment Martina started to say 'Ladies and Gentlemen' After that I couldn't get back in to watch until they were all leaving through the hall. Terrible timing!

Pulo writes brief, succinct summaries of what happens in the apartment, with a touch of whimsy. His off-beat takes on the two of them are delivered in a light-hearted way. They bring a smile to our faces, or at least most of us, I think. Utterly harmless and I'd imagine if the couple read them they would be smiling too. Completely inoffensive, even if it seems like nonsense occasionally..

It's as plausible as any of the other suggestions being made, so why not! In a nutshell Martina may have, unfortunately, 'burned her bridges' There may be no way back and the troubled waters are too deep to cross

Stranger things have happened, but it's far more likely that a few home truths and confidences will be shared, if anything. If they are on speaking terms, that is. So don't hold your breath, to avoid disappointment!

The concern I'd have is that if Martina already lent money to Alberto towards his property purchase deposit, he still owes her money, even now and the RLC income he gets will surely be shared with his new partner. It could be some time before he has enough to put towards the property he wants to buy and I wonder how long the vendors will wait for him to find the money? The whole deal could fall through entirely if things drag on for months. It seems a lot more complicated than simply having him earning money from RLC to fulfil his financial obligations. Martina must have been very understanding to give him so much time to repay her and may be less patient now that she's quit the apartment for good and left him on less than amicable terms.

Always thought snakes preferred the long grass, not the scorched earth! Looks like a crocodile in the background at the top of the photo but I'm sure it's not. They prefer to be up to their neck's in water!

Yes, it's been up and down, or on and off like a bride's nightie, much of the day. As long as we can get back in again sooner or later I can live with that.

In your dreams! LOL But Paradise may have to be postponed!

There seem to be an awful lot of dwarves in these two buildings. I wonder why that is? Are there perhaps seven of them, as I've lost count of the number of males employed around here who appear to be vertically-challenged in the eyes of so many tall types on this forum.....

Absolutely! We just need to be patient and see how it all unfolds. I don't for one moment see Alberto as heartless, and in the circumstances, which are surely very trying for all of them, I think they are both doing well to make the best of an extremely difficult set of circumstances.

They do say be careful what you wish for. And you can't put the genie back in the bottle, either Sad to say Martina wanted to have her cake and eat it and probably didn't think Alberto would strike it lucky the way he did. He may still have been satisfied with the status quo, but now things may have gone too far. Maybe.

The plot thickens! I'm sure that there will be many more twists and turns in this saga over the coming days and weeks, as everything unravels in the lives of these two and their respective love interests. Nothing is off the table at this stage. The arrivals and departures on a daily basis make the place as intriguing as a busy train terminal!

The soap opera continues! Characters come and go but the audience remains loyal. For now.

Ships that pass in the night! Or the day shift taking over from the night shift to keep the home fires burning!

Just curious: Was that Eastern Europe, Southern Europe or Northern Europe? And was that in restaurants or around family members, in the home?.... I think you answered that earlier. Hadn't read your 'no further comment' post at that stage.

Not exactly! Leora is often seen reading serious literature at home and always has done

That's much the impression I formed too. The fact that Alberto and Martina are still sharing a bed tells us a great deal. The way both of them are showing maturity in their modified relationship speaks volumes.

Curious to know what 'probably pushing 3 bills plus' means, exactly? It's not an expression I'm familiar with. Is it some kind of American slang? Or a topical comment of some kind? I'm always coming across and learning new terms on here, maybe due to my advanced age and not keeping up to date with new vocabulary, but it's always fun to learn!