FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

On Monday I started calling the banks again, because you are no longer allowed to just step in and ask a question, now you first have to make an appointment. It's easier to get into Alcatraz then in a Bank !

After having been  on the phone for 2 hours and listened to the different options, I realized that there was nowhere an option to make an appointment  but only via the Internet.

Finally I pressed a number hoping to get an appointment. The lady on the phone asked me what I wanted. I said I would like to open a saving account. There was a pause as if I had asked her to send me some gold bars and then she snapped at me : we don't do that anymore, it's too much work (!!!) Now I really had enough! Too much work ?? I asked her,  Then a good night and sleep well !  I'll go to another bank, they certainly will be more polite to deal with customers  ! I rather put my money under my mattress! 

That was really the last thing, in the past Banks laid out a red carpet, the director came personally, you got a cup of coffee, etc. and now .... it's too much work! 

Finally I called the last Bank which was on my list and which was just here at the end of my Boulevard. Fortunately I was sitting, because a human voice answered me !!! No option menu ! I was so surprised that I asked the girl if she was a real person, she laughed and I got a friendly man on the phone who even proposed me to come immediately ! Fortunately I had taken all information about the banks before contacting them and we fixed an appointment. I couldn't believe it. 

I just had the force to do my weekly shopping and then I fell on my sofa and relaxed !

 

I need to go to the hairdresser so I went to Carrefour but apparently I was not the only one who had this idea and there was no room for me. I returned home and did some computer work.

Rick was quite well when I visited him, he even went with me to the salon where a "quiz" was taking place about French chansons. Nothing for us but for me it was interesting to see that some people who could hardly speak still knew everything! 

 

I ran out of cat food and had to go out only for that, but of course I couldn't starve Miss Rosie. The seller gave me a little bag of Catnip for her. Normally Rosie has a stuffy nose because she doesn't care about it. But this little bag had an effect on her as if she was tipsy! Adeline who was here for coffee  laughed her head off !

This morning when I opened the curtains the houses behind the trees had disappeared ! 

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

HODGEPODGE JANUARY 27

1. January 25th is National Opposites Day. 'They' say opposites attract...do you agree, and if so is that a good thing? Or do you subscribe more to a 'birds of a feather' philosophy? 

I never heard of an opposite Day and had to google ! What I learned is perfect for me because very often I do the opposite of what I should normally do, by saying something and then doing the opposite of that, or by doing nothing… or doing everything! Yes, that  suits me !

The birds of a feather means of the same kind or nature : very much alike —usually used in the phrase birds of a feather Those two guys are birds of a feather. Note: The expression birds of a feather flock together means that people who are alike tend to do things together. That's the explanation I got, and really that doesn't fit on me at all ! I couldn't stand a girl who is like me ! We would fight all the time I think ! That would be like two volcanos exploding together !

2. Something you're glad to have behind you? Something you're glad is ahead of you? 

Believe it or not but banks are the kings and you are just a little nothing ! Before Covid times if you wanted to open a new saving account the bank nearly put a red carpet out for you and offered coffee and a seat and smiled from one ear to the other ! 

 

Today you have to deal with a telephone and listen to X menus, my question : I want to have an appointment was not in the menus but I could tell that my card was stolen or have a credit. All things which I didn't need. Finally I don't remember which nr I pushed  I had a human female on the phone. I asked her friendly for an appointment. The answer was FOR WHAT ? I esplained that it was to become a new client and open a saving account. Instead of giving me a date or hour, she told me that this is too much work and I should do it online. I told her to go to hell in more polite words and called another bank. There only robots existed and no human being. After having listened to all menus I gave up ! As they all have now the same interests or other advantages I tried the little bank here at the end of my Boulevard and a miracle happened ! There was a friendly man on the phone and I got an appointment immediately ! On top the bank has excellent reputation ! So now I am happy that it is behind me !

Something nice ahead of me  ? For the moment nothing then the daily routine. I would like to go on holidays, yes !

3. Your favorite hot food? Cold food? Are you a fan of breakfast for dinner? 

I have several fafvorite hot foods, and as cold food I like salads of all kinds. I am no breakfast fan, not in the morning, not at noon and not in the evening ! I just have coffee

4. Are you someone who always arrives to appointments/events early or do you tend to run late? Last thing you were late for?

I'm always punctual  ! After me you can set your watch. If I'm not on time, it's not my fault. I'm not too early and certainly not too late, I am simply on time. I find it very rude to keep someone waiting, especially if it's outside on the street. You can apologize a bit if the person is in a restaurant. 

If I know that the person I invite is always late, I simply invite her half an hour earlier! Some people are unable to be on time.

 

5. "What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?" John Steinbeck....Your thoughts? 

Since at least 20 years we didn't have real winter with cold temperatures and snow ! I can't remember when we really had snow until my knees ! It's mostly just above freezing point and very humid or rainy. Today there is such a thick mist that I can"t see the house on the opposite side. So there is no sweetness between the seasons, because the summer is more or less the same, except that we don't reach the freezing point. No necessity to seperate winter and summer clothes, you can wear them the whole year !

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Look into an empty hole it looks like my random thought

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

An  exposition of modern sculptures in the ruins of the ABBEY OF VILLERS LA VILLE, Belgium 

more participants here, and Image-in-ing

PARKS IN BRUSSELS - PARC DE WOLUWE

Brussels and its 19 municipalities is a very green capital city that gives each of its inhabitants 28m² of nature: historic parks, pleasant little public gardens, broad tree-lined avenues, a wood, a forest and even farms and vegetable gardens! ... 

When I moved with my parents to Belgium, we lived very close to the Woluwe park. As a teenager it was the place where we met, and as a young mother I walked my baby in his pram along the ponds. 

In winter if we had snow, the park was full of children descending the hills on their sleds or skating on the frozen ponds

 

 

  

more participants here

AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND JANUARY 22

 Good night, wake me up when winter is over !

Linking to AWWW MONDAY

 

WEEKEND

Saturday I almost found my "normal" life back ! During the third lockdown and my miseries with Rick our groups had split. No news anymore from the painting club, neither from our Facebook meetings, where we met "life" several times per year. 

But on Saturday I was invited by a Facebook friend who is also such a cat fan like me ! I had already been at her home years ago to admire a new kitten she had adopted. This time I was greeted by a ginger cat with a round friendly face ! He rubbed it against my legs and purred when I petted him. When my friend opened the door he ran in the house. Then she told me that it's not a her cat but a visitor who lives a few houses farer ! All her cats had passed away, she had 3 and two of them were killed by a car. It had happened just 3 month ago and she and her husband were still very sad. There was another lady too and we chatted the whole afternoon about our Facebook group friends and what they had become.

I deplored that we didn't have our Waterloo Facebook meeting anymore and she told me that it is because the founder of this group refuses the vaccine and can't go in a restaurant. I never had thought that from him  ! He also had changed, we hesitated between the 3rd puberty or a Covid crisis, because now he has his hairs until his shoulders and looks like an old Hippie. I hope the crises will not last too long anyway sooner or later he will be forced to be vaccinated or stay in a cavern.

Others had surgeries of broken legs (mostly stairs) some broken relationships and other gossips. With that we had a self made apple ccake which tasted delicious. When I returned home I was feeling good, it's a long time that I hadn't laughed so much in one afternoon !

When I came home I found a picture of Toby with his new sweatshirt, this time the right one ! It was Basket and not football ! (soccer)

And when I opened the terrace door because Rosie wanted to drink her rainwater, the sky looked so special

I watched a nice movie and went to bed followed by Miss Rosie

On Sunday it was time to visit Rick. He was not very well and it was not so easy to understand what he wanted to say because he mixes up the  words, his television can become the telephone and I have to change the channel. He is still very agitated and can't sit or lay down for 5 minutes, then he gets up and wanders around. I stayed an hour and then I took his laundry and returned home.

I made this selfie to send it to our son. Rick tried to smile but that's all he could do ! When I arrived home Adeline came over to know if it went well and how Rick feels, she also wanted to say hello to Rosie who she really loves. If ever I have to go away I have no problems to find a kittysitter ! Rosie loves her too !

SUNDAY SELECTIONS

I have seen quite a lot  of mountains in different countries. I love mountains. Amongst those which impressed me the most, were the Scottish Highlands, they were very special, couldn't say why !

   

Linking to SUNDAY SELECTIONS