TEASING DAD

My son loves to tease his Dad and most of the time with success.
Actually he is with his family in Italy at the Lake of Garda, visiting Mr. G.'s family and friends.

He called me to tell us that everything was OK but if Dad could text him all the cities of the way back, we used to take when we returned from Italy. I found this a little strange because he has a GPS.

Mr. G hates sending texts and it takes him hours to find the letters on the little keyboard of his mobile, but for his son he was ready to type. He sent all the city names in German, because the way was through Germany. München, Würzburg, Frankfurt, Köln etc. and while he was concentrating on the keyboard he swore in Italian because he often made a mistake. When finally it was done he sent the text with a sigh or relief. After a while he got an answer from dear son "could you please text the city names in French". Mr. G without thinking typed the city names in French : Munich, Wurzburg, Francfort, Cologne etc. and pushed on "sent".

Then he got another text : " Could you please sent me the city names in Italian ?" There Mr. G. became suspicious and said "Your" (in bold, each time he does something wrong it's not our son anymore but only mine) your son is crazy ! now he wants me to write all that in Italian !" I started to laugh and couldn't stop and then I said to him "don't you realize that he makes fun of you ?"

Mr. G. started to laugh too, and put his mobile aside !

FOLLOWING A MAP

I had always wanted to see Stonehenge (my post here). Therefore I took the Eurostar to arrive very early in London. This time I wanted to make sure that I got the right way to the coach stop, as it was not the usual one due to the Olympic Games and closed streets. I was very well prepared. Thanks to Google map, I had a map and this description which I had printed out. I was sure that I would find it immediately.

Suggested routes
350 m,(0,2 mi) 5 min
A202
400 m,(0,3 mi) 6 mins
Wilton Rd
Walking directions to Evan Evans Tours London, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, Greater London SW1V 1BS, United Kingdom

Unfortunately I was sure, but my brain apparently not. As soon as I walked out of the station, and looked at my little map, I didn't know where I was ! Which exit had I taken ?? I asked one of the countless tourist guides hired for the Olympic games, and he looked at my map and said "I think you should take this way". That's what I did. But the name of the street wasn't the same as on my paper. I asked 3 soldiers armed with machine guns, I thought it would give a nice picture, unfortunately these once were not from London and apparently didn't know themselves where they were. I continued my way and asked a woman in uniform for tourist information. She told me that I am completely wrong should turn around and take this way, then turn left and then turn right and then I would arrive.

Of course I did what she said. Fortunately I had enough time left to find my bus. Still I couldn't find the stop. Finally I saw from far a sign "Evans" I went over there but it was a key and shoe repair shop. Nothing to do with excursions to Stonehenge.

My very doubtful orientation sense told me to go back from where I came. But this didn't work either, now I was completely lost. Suddenly I saw Victoria Station again ! Was I happy. There I had the good idea to ask a sightseeing bus driver. He looked at my map and said "Look behind you, see the street ? It's there at the end ! " With a sigh of relief I went down the street and .... there it was ! My bus stop to Stonehenge !

Indeed it was only 5 min walk but I had turned around for 45 minutes ! I realized again that in my brain there is no orientation sense ! I should have taken my GPS along which also has a pedestrian feature !

I entered the next available restaurant, ordered something to eat and a tea, sat outside and kept an eye on the bus which would take me to Stonehenge ... I didn't miss my bus and had a nice trip through the for the Olympic games decorated London before we got on the highway.

FIGHT AGAINST THE CRISIS

It's the crisis in all countries and everybody should participate to get out of it. All TV stations remind us this every day ! The Belgian Bart De Wever, a ferocious Flemish nationalist and politician who is the president of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), a Flemish party, strives for an independent Flanders in a united Europe, probably then only under his leadership. 

Of course he is not at all appreciated and rather hated by the Belgian Waloons. I have to say that when he speaks he me makes think of a guy who did the same speaches in Germany in the 1930th !

But now he is admired from all Belgians ! He did something for the economical crisis ! He lost weight ! and not a little bit, but a big mountain of grease, he shrinked from 142 kgs (312 lbs) in December to 92 kgs (202 lbs) in May. He has lost 50 kgs (110 lbs) in 6 months ! Now he became an example not for his politics but for his diet ! It was the Pronokal method which is certainly not for poor people. Don't ask me what that is, I don't have any grease to loose with a special diet, but rather with a diet of my wallet. That's my way to fight the crisis !

I am sure he still earns enough to feed his family, drive a big car and go on holidays, unfortunately it looks as if he has no money to go to a good hairdresser ! It's probably his wife who cuts his hair.




Before



Now !

A CUTE LOVE STORY

My neighbor Vivi "inherited" after nearly 16 years her daughter, a granddaughter, a dog and a 16 year old cat named Wodka. The daughter's partner had left her and she had nowhere to go but home to mom for a while. For the granddaugther and the dog there was no problem, but the cat, what to do with him ? Vivi had already a cat and a special one who would never tolerate another cat in the house. Besides that her other daugher is allergic to cats.

And then they found the ideal solution ! Vivi's boyfriend 92 year old Jack who is also my neighbor, (I wrote about the couple In Love at 70 here) always complained that he felt lonely so the idea to adopt a 75 in human years old cat and give him a new home, he found simply great ! He prepared an own room for Wodka, bought the best cat food, basket, litterbox etc he could find, called the vet for a general check up and kept him inside for 2 weeks until he got used to the house. Wodka, who had to lived outside the last few months and wasn't fed correctly by the bad partner in question, was suddenly feeling in heaven. Now they watch TV together, Wodka sleeps on Jack's bed and they "talk" together from morning til evening. Vivi joked that she is jalous now.

Only some neighbors are wondering why sometimes Jack suddenly stands in the middle of the night in his pajama in the garden and shouts for Wodka ! They certainly worry now about his state of mind. Nobody of course couldn't know that it was only the cat's name.





at the beginning



Now

HOPFULLY THE LAST FLU DAY

I am still hanging on my nose drops, or they are hanging from my nose, I don't know how many tissues I have already used, but I certainly helped to increase the production !

So it was another boring day, but tomorrow even if I am half dead I have to go out otherwise you can visit me in a madhouse.




I read some more pages of my book, I wished I could read more, but I fall asleep ! Now David woke up in an unknown place, prisoner of a guy who wants to blackmail his business partner and ask for money to free him. To prove that he is serious he cut off David's middle finger and sent it to his partner. Mike the partner got the bloody finger per mail and was horrified that David is still alive.

If I have nothing interesting to report for tomorrow, from my actual rather boring life, I will continue to report on my book.

A CITY GIRL AND THE FISH MARKET

I had never been on a real fishmarket along the sea where the fishes were fished early morning and sold as soon as they were ready and displayed on a table.

I had never lived at the sea either and I have always been a city girl. So when I discovered all these fishes in all shapes, I found them rather ugly and thought that I prefer them already cleaned and cut into handy pieces and if possible without bones. I certainly didn't want to see a smiling fish head in my pan.

When I went to the fishmarket in Sanary at the French Riviera I certainly wasn't prepared to see how a dead fish looks like, the once I know were swimming in acquariums mostly in waiting rooms of dentists ! They think it calms your nerves looking at swimming little fishes. We even had once two mini fishes, a black and a red one swimming in a round bowl, which belonged to my son and which one of our cats had catched, played with them and I found the corpses under the table !



The market started with seafood. I saw the first urchins of my life. As they are called "Oursins" in French which means little bears I thought little hedgehogs would be more appropriate ! They looked quiet funny but the spikes were very sharp when I touched one.



Next came oisters, mussels and shrimps. All this I knew nicely wrapped from the Supermarket. The fish eyes looked quiet cross at me.



Claudie bought one, which was a female we have been told because it was full of eggs. Fortunately it was cleaned for us but everything the woman took out of the fish was rather disgusting and as a last gesture she cut the head off and throw everything in the bin, except the fish of course, which was wrapped in paper.



I saw another fish who had been busy to swallow a smaller one, when it was surprised by a fisher's net I suppose and killed. Now I don't know if you eat them both or not. Canibals under fishes ! A horror movie.



These charming looking calamars (I suppose they were) were certainly fresh, but honnestly if I imagine them in my kitchen, I think I would escape, although I like to eat them but already cut into pieces and breaded and not looking like monsters from another world.

I must admit that the fishes we ate were phantastic and very tasty, but still I prefer to see spices, vegetables and potatoes on a market !

Fortunately I didn't have any nightmare where a big fish swallowed me and I was sitting in its stomac !

POOR MEN !

Men also can be inventive if it's necessary !

THE RIGHT ANGLE

I got this per email from a friend. See, if you are in the right angle, you can make perfect pictures !

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE !

We haven't got a postcard "From Russia with love" but immediately their temperatures ! In Brussels we reached - 11°C (12 F) in the Ardennes - 20°C (less than 0 F, my converter refused to go further down).



So when Ilona arrived in this winterly outfit in our painting class, we all laughed, but not for long because the next day



it snowed too. And if it continues like that, I will send you an S.O.S. to dig me out !!

THE ECONOMICAL CRISIS

I have no time today (Sunday) to write a new post because we have to downsize for the reasons listed below and move into a smaller house.



I am visiting this house today, and I hope it is small enough !

******

Everybody knows that we live in a time of an economical crisis !



We have to eat rotten cheese



dried meat


drink very old wine



take our bath in the yard



and drive a roofless car !

EXCUSE LETTERS FROM PARENTS

- My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him.

- Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick, and I had her shot.

- Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating.

- John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.

- Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.

- Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

- Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea, and his boots leak.

- Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.

- Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.

- Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.

- My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent a weekend with the Marines."

- Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well."

- Please excuse Susan, she has been sick and under the doctor.

- Mary was absent December 11-16, because she had a fever, sore throat, headache, and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever, and sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night."

SATURDAY FUN - Maxine

I have the "white page" syndrome, that's why I let Maxine speak, we have the same opinions !

THE TRUTH

I got an email today showing pictures of the ferocious debates in the Belgian Parliament

WC, TOILET, RESTROOM ???

Since I wrote the post English versus American I learned a lot about this very commun place which everybody in the world, even Kings and Queens, Princesses and Princes use .... a toilet.

According to Wikipedia , a toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory.


The WC refers to the initial letters of Water Closet, which, despite being an English language abbreviation, is not in common use in English-speaking countries - but is widely used internationally.

It depends where you are in the world. You have to know what to ask for :

"The washroom, restroom, bathroom, lavatory, toilet room, toot or loo, comfort station, necessary room, John, ladies' room, men's room, latrine, lavatory, powder room, privy ...

Honnestly why would I ask for a comfort station, when it is not comfortable at all to sit there in silence or a restroom unless the toilet is incorporated in a bed, or for a John, when I don't have one, and a powder room, when I don't use powder anymore or at least not there, where it is used for babies.



Follow these signs ?

But if there are none, for what should I ask ?? I want to be polite and not make a mistake when I only have to go for a little wee-wee ?