99 and still going strong

The last few times I was working in the old peoples home, there have been few customers. Today one of the regulars came on her own, explaining that many of the other women that used to join her had gotten dement or moved on to other homes, where more care is required.

I asked her how long she had been living there, and she said nine years, "but I wasn't exactly young when I moved in, I was 90". What? 99 years old and cristal clear in her head. Looking good too.

Next time I'll ask her how one does that. Get to 99 and still going strong.

Humble, moi?

Ha! Today I was asked by a woman I met for the first time if I'm doing sports. I was flabbergasted! Until I realized that what I'm doing at home can be classified as sports.

I'm so flattered and thinking: "gosh, I must look good".

Chips

When I was at a gathering last Sunday, I noticed a bag of chips laying there on the grass (we were in a park), waiting to be opened. I was looking at it like a snake would look at a rat. A live one.

And after a subtle hint, the hostess opened it and served it on a plate. I zoomed in on it as an Israeli missile would on Palestine.

Grabbed a handful and stuffed my mouth. And then...nothing. It was like my taste for fatty stuff had disappeared. How disappointing!

But not to worry. My taste for peanuts are still there. Yes, I had to buy a bag of them and try. Got a good scare there, but I guess that living my life without chips is not such a big issue.

Except for that I am not gonna tell my cousin, who runs a chips company.

Me, me, me

You know, it's really funny with this Biggest loser on the American television. All of them, no exception, have seemingly always thought about other people and not themselves. In a whiny crying voice: "I was always taking care of other people, not thinking about myself".

I'm thinking, if that was the case, America would be a better nation than it is.

I think it's the opposite. They thought about themselves and nobody else. Stuffing themselves with fried fast-food and not thinking about their kids (raising them to be obese too!), their family, or how it would affect other people if they died.

Stats say that in the year 2015 75% of the American people will be overweight or obese. How's that only thinking about other people?

PS. I'm proud to say I always put myself first.

This bio thing

I have been cleaning my fan and part of that includes washing the three filters, that become a bit fatty now and then. Once a year is normally enough.

These filters have metal in them, and can only be run in the dishwasher at 50°C tops. My dishwasher have six different programs, but I have found that only one of them works. The one that takes the most energy, and runs at 60°C. I refuse to run another program when the dishes don't get clean.

And I have a really hard time believing that the 60°C program running for about 1,5 hours takes more energy than the "bio" program at 50°C that runs for 3,5 hours.

Correct me if I'm wrong, which is seldom, but this "bio" label doesn't do it for me.

Stubborn

I may appear as a wee bit stubborn to some people, and it made me remember a time in school when I was around 11 or 12. We had gymnastics, and were asked to "sit" against a wall, without a chair, with the knees at a 90° angle. The one who could "sit" the longest got to leave the class 10 minutes early.

Guess who won. I "sat" for 10 minutes.

Today I tried again, but not sitting against a wall. I tried bending my knees at a 45° angle for one minute. It hurt. I got this burning sensation. So this will be my new challenge, to stay for up to 10 minutes. That'll take a while...

And another thing. I can do 50 push-ups without a problem now, not involving the knees, but when I tried flexing my arms 90° outwards from my body using my 450g weights I got the same burning feeling in my arms.

This exercise thingie ain't easy.

Drunken friends

Last week I realized I was almost running out of my house wine, so to my delight I saw that there was "Aktion" on Pinot Gri this week. Placed an order yesterday, and this morning got delivery. Excellent service.

While the delivery guy and I stacked the wine boxes in my new cleaned quarter of the basement, he asked me if I intended to re-sell it. Haha. I'm probably a bit unique in ordering so many boxes of the same wine as a private person.

So I did what every sane person would do. I blamed my friends. "Oh no, I have a lot of dinners for friends and they all drink like fishes".

Arachnophobia

Today a friend of mine picked up some shelves I had in the basement and no longer had use for. I was really looking forward to this, since it meant I had enough space to clean out my basement and if not make it pretty, at least make it functional and using the space.

But after hoovering like a quarter of it, I caved in. There were so many dead spiders I couldn't take it anymore. I have a severe case of phobia for spiders, so even if they are dead, I felt ill and stopped.

Now I'm gonna have to get encouraged and doing the rest. Might not be tomorrow, but I'll get there in the end.

Cash is king

Oldfashioned me? Haha. Today I ventured out of Zürich to join some friends in a park and I needed to buy an extension ticket for outside of zone 10 where I live. The cost was 8.40. I didn't have coins, and the machine only gives change on a 20 bill. I started to walk to a kiosk to change my 100 francs bill before I realized the machine actually takes cards.

I think I'm probably the only one not immediately thinking that credit cards mean payment.

Anal issues

I know, I'm being a bit obsessed with this weight loss thingie for the moment, but bear with me, all of a sudden it's gonna change to something else.

However, one thing I didn't count on getting healthier was the shitting. I've more or less always had a stomach that worked, and that was releasing what it needed when I wanted. Now it doesn't.

And it rendered me a hemorrhoid. Painful! Like when you're shitting (or like the prude Swiss like to call it "Stuhlgang") it doesn't want to come out, and it always feels like there is something left. Plus it hurts and you have blood on the paper.

But I guess it's a relatively small problem, and I now have my cupboards stucked with prunes and figs. I'm feeling like a friggin vegetarian!

Another three?

It is funny. For the first time I was under my goal weight this morning. Not the first time I've been this "skinny" but haven't been at this weight in eleven years. And that was because my Mum died and I lost my appetite, and was skinny for a while.

I always thought that when I reach the goal I'm gonna treat myself to something. Like getting my hair done or similar. Thing is I hate people touching my hair, but I know that after it looks better.

So am hesitating. Especially since I now want to set another goal, another 3 kg's would be nice. But it's getting harder and harder, 'cause I don't want to sacrifice everything. Like if a friend brings chocolate, you can be sure I'm gonna eat it. My wine in the evening is a no-no touch. And I'm not willing to starve myself, or am suddenly feeling a need to run a marathon. So not my MO.

So we'll see. I've given myself to the end of the year to lose these 3 kg's, and if I don't, I'm not gonna lie sleepless. Life is too good to fret about little things.

I drink too little wine

Some years ago I hooked up with a wine deliverer, which was great. The sales guy used to stop by my place on Friday evenings after a weeks work, bringing all the leftovers to whatever party I had that day. And he used to stay and join the crowd.

Over the years I on and off bought some wine from them, but then I realized that I rather stick to white wine (which is much, much, MUCH cheaper in Denner) and that I have enough red wine to last me the next few years.

Since these first few years they have changed sales people many times, and every time they call me I have said no, thinking they would give up. They haven't. Until today. One guy called asking if I wanted to stay a customer or if I wanted to be removed from their list. Excellent!

We had a little chat, and he wanted to know if I had a bad experience from their company, but I kept a calm face and told him "sorry, I don't drink too much wine and still have some left".

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

PS. Actually have some of their red wine bottles still in the basement!

Protection for adults

Was up at the crack of dawn this morning (6.10!), had signed up for a course. It turned out to be really interesting. It was about...and here it gets difficult to translate....but from guardian to protection for adults. I know, it's difficult to understand but it's about people who cannot take care of themselves and need somebody to help them. Various degrees of course.

And as always in Switzerland things take time. The new law that was effective from January last year, replaced a law from 1907.

The current law began to be discussed in 1998, and it took 15 years to bring it through all the authorities it needed here in Switzerland. But still, all the 26 cantons have interpreted it differently and consequently the law is not the same in all cantons. I guess you could say that direct democracy has its disadvantages.

There are four stages, and I cannot explain them in English, but it goes from somebody who needs a little help with decisions to somebody who cannot make any decisions themselves at all.

I think the main change was that earlier it was a bit too easy to say that somebody wasn't "sane", and now it takes more to declare a person "insane", and also that now it requires professionals to make the distinction. Plus that there is a cantonal body to oversee any irregularities.

And I learned a lot. Now I know what nZGB is for example :).

PS. nZGB = neues Zivilgesetzbuch.

First cruise of the year

I was loading pics from my phone today, when I found this beauty. A tiny bush that was planted outside "my" house almost five years ago is growing into a beautiful tree. I believe I took the pic some months ago. Is it a magnolia?

Then we went on the lake today for the first time this year. Not bright sunlight, but like 28°C at 6pm and a great first cruise.

Self defence

I was just watching a tv-show featuring women trying to do self defence, and how weak they were when kicking back. That reminded me when I took driving lessons way back, and was asked to brake. Like put your led foot down heavily and brake in an instant.

I did just that, and the teacher looked at me and remarked that I was the first woman to it. Doesn't surprise me.

And I can seriously tell you, if I get threatened, I wouldn't hesitate to put a knee in the bullocks of any attacker.

5 star asphalt lady

I have a friend who refers to me as the "5 star asphalt lady". I don't get where he gets the lady epithet from, but I do get the others.

Yes, I have been known to say that to get me into staying in a hotel it must be a five star at least, and I do like asphalt. The lady-thing I dunno where he found. But we've only known each other less than a year, so maybe that's why.

And yes, I used to love to travel and didn't mind (much) to stay in shitty hotels and cheap accommodation but with the years I've gotten more picky. Now I cannot think of a hotel which can provide more comfort than my own bed, my own things, my cats and my belongings.

Plus I love living in a city. Asphalt, people, things happening, yes even the ambulance sirens and the vicinity to shops, pharmacies, trams or whatever you need, I like.

And if that renders me the epithet "5 star asphalt lady" I take that as a compliment. Apart from the lady bit :).

My body is my temple?

You know, this losing weight business is tricky. Since months I have done sports 25 minutes in the morning and most evenings another session of 25 minutes. However, lately my knee has started to feel a bit funny, so on Friday I decided to skip the evening session. Had absolutely nothing to do with the food and wine consumed :).

The result was that I lost 600 g the morning after. What? Ok, so on Saturday I decided that I had discovered a new way of this getting-healthy-business and thought, wtf, I'm gonna miss the evening session once again.

Lost another 300 g.

However, I have a funny feeling that this won't go on forever. Especially after today, when I spent the whole day with friends in the sun eating and drinking, and then later on my balcony keeping on doing just that.

And another thing that is strange. I am like 100 grams away from my ideal weight, but I cannot seem to get under it. One day I'm almost there, the next day I'm up half a kg or more.

This losing weight business is all about endurance. Good thing I have it!

Cleaning help

One of my friends was visiting today, and I asked him to help me clean a few windows. Reason is the sofa needs two people to move, and I wanted to prepare for my cleaning lady. He not only helped me to move the sofa, but also helped me clean more windows than I was planning to do today. Including the two that have never been cleaned, since they need to be screwed open.

Then we were sitting down for a well-deserved ciggie, and he remarked that the thingie under my armchair was dusty. My response? "Feel free".

He then asked if there was something else needed to be done while he was in the mood. Haha, of course. Next up was the fan.

I then started to feel a bit bad, so he only had to do the thingie in the ceiling in the shower...you know where the air goes out. Hadn't been cleaned since I moved in.

And then of course he got fed. Chili chicken wings with baked potatoes and salad with homemade dressing. Plus he got home with six lunchboxes that I prepared for him earlier in the week.

Win-win as we call it.

My "garden"

I cannot believe my two strawberry plants are bearing fruit! I mean, I love strawberries. From March to October I always have them at home, sometimes feeling bad 'cause they are imported, but always making sure it is from a country close to Switzerland (usually Italy or Spain).

Also my other plants are being happy. It's like I developed these green fingers, but I'm gonna put it down to a friend helping me and giving me advice how to manage greenery.

Coop joke

Found a photo from a friend cooking in my kitchen the other day. He had a paper bag from the shop saying "Dein Appetit hat fernweh". I know many words in German, and all of these, but still I couldn't get it to make sense.

Dein (your) Appetit (appetite) hat (had) fernweh (hmmm...fern means away from and weh means pain). My friend explained it like it is better to buy food from local suppliers than from ditto far away. Which I agree with. However, Coop certainly provides food from all over the world so I fail to take this so called marketing as serious.

Conclusion is: say what you mean and act thereafter.

Fat knees

I've always said that sports gives you injuries, and as it turned out I was right. Again. My knee has started to hurt, and when I took a good look at it (I mean how often do you look at your knees more closely?) I realized I have fat knees. How weird is not that?

It's not swollen or anything, just gives me a bit of discomfort when using my stepper, but fat knees? Come on. This is just not on.

I'm 300 g away from my ideal weight, but now I have to reconsider. I mean, who wants to hang with somebody who has fat knees?

Cars and pain

Had a friend over for lunch today. Hadn't seen him since last year, so it was a lot to catch up on.

That he is a fan of cars is an understatement. Today, again, I had to oh and ah over all the pictures he'd recently taken of his own cars. Me, who has never own a car in my life. But it was ok, he only has like ten cars so pretty quickly done. I was more interested to hear about the new speed-boat he just transported to Zürichsee. I even offered to help him clean it when the weather gets better. Of course with an ulterior motive :).

Then we talked about illnesses and he got an in-depth description of my recent root-canal :) and I was informed about the shoulder problems he has and that he has decided not to do a shoulder op, since it would prevent him from driving a car for weeks. For me it was the pain that was the reason to do the op. For him car driving is more important than pain.

I guess we're all different, even though the guy in the car downstairs seems to be a little bit more different than the rest of us.

Freak magnet

My Mum was a freak magnet. That means that everybody a bit odd was drawn to her. Maybe because she never judged, and was kind to people in general. I don't think I can be accused of that.

However, since yesterday a car is parked almost in front of our house, on the side of a driveway belonging to the neighbouring house. I of course thought they had visitors, even though nobody ever parks there. Only I thought it odd to see the man still sitting there after several hours.

Didn't think more about it, until this morning when the car was still there. And so was the man. Just sitting there in the drivers seat. Once in a while going out and digging in the neighbours garden. Hmmm.

An hour later I looked out again, and saw him sitting there masturbating! WTF so to speak? Not that I saw the wurstli, but I saw the movements and him taking a napkin and drying himself off after.

I hesitate to call the police, since they should be busy with more important things, but on the other hand I'm thinking the man is dement or psychologically ill or something. Living in a car doesn't seem normal to me. Especially not in my hood.

Nah, I'm gonna wait until my neighbours come home and then talk to them about what to do.

Just shoot'm?

It is interesting with new friends. Like there isn't enough time to find out about them. Talk, talk, talk and wow, you're surprised 'cause you (read I) thought they were gonna agree with you and then they didn't.

Among many other things today we talked about the upcoming vote in Switzerland. Which I had no friggin clue about, 'cause I cannot. Vote that is. One is about Switzerland buying fighter planes from Sweden. We both agreed that's a no-no. Big f...ing waste of money.

The second one was about pedophiles. This is where the conversation got a bit hairy. I was taking the stand of that they should be shot, or at least castrated, whereas he (a friggin lawyer!) thought there were degrees of pedophilia.

And ok, I read about this young guy, 16 or something in the US, who were having sex with a minor girl and his name got posted as being a pedophile on the internet as they do in America. Not what would qualify as a pedophile in my mind.

My friend thinks that pedophiles are to be compared to heterosexuals or homosexuals. That is you don't choose your sexuality. And we agreed that they cannot be treated. It's not a disease.

But, I still want to shoot people who abuse children, even if I don't like them myself. Children that is. But I do see the difference of a disturbed man who shows his "manhood" versus one that rapes a child.

And then we discussed the cost for the society to either keep the man in custody, the chances he would have to adjust to a normal tax-paying life after the sentence is served, versus keeping him there for a life sentence.

Seems like an odd conversation to have on a Saturday evening, but it was very interesting. And my friend cooked a really good curry.

What are friends for?

Had a friend over tonight. He was gonna help me change a water filter in my freezer. But I had to also visit the neighbour who had birthday, so I left him alone for half an hour. In that half hour he not only changed the filter, but also cleaned my oven.

I'm telling you, not many people have friends like that.

Before he left, I reminded him I have two ovens.

Fashion

One of my relatives is busy opening up a clothing shop. She was enthusiastically talking about which brands she will have, and haha, I didn't recognize one of them! That's how interested in fashion I am.

But when my niece was visiting the other day (she's almost two), she and I were dressed similarly, so maybe I'm more in touch with fashion than I thought?

Sauce!

I cannot believe I made it! But I did. For the first time in my life I made a sauce! Or gravy or jus or reduction or whatever the masterchef people call it. For me it's a sauce.

And it was delish!

The reason I tried was that I saw a food show and watched somebody make it, and it didn't look too difficult. And it wasn't.

Too bad I'm not a fan of sauce. But I actually might change my mind, however strange that sounds!

New bar stools

Some time ago I asked somebody with sewing skills to have a look at my bar stools, in order to see if anything could be done to save them. The actual structure is fantastic, even though the stools are...hmmm...lemme think...probably 23 years old, but the fake leather on top has broken.

She came, looked at them, ate, gave me a number of different options, all with various problems, and I decided to let it be.

Today I had a friend over with a nail pistol, and voila! As good as new.

And the best thing, it only cost me 27 francs for the fabric covering all four chairs. 'Cause the work was for free :). Plus a few homemade pizzas.

Blood is thicker than water?

I can safely say it's not. Yesterday I gave half a liter of my precious blood, and this morning I was expecting a huge leap downwards on my (tiny) scale. Not. The exact same as the day before.

I was thinking about it, since half a liter of water weighs something. Why don't blood?

And it wasn't like I ate like a maniac and didn't do my daily sports. Something ain't right in the land of Switzerland.

Bloody mess

It's not like I'm a stranger to giving blood, I have done it since 2005. But today I really messed up.

After the actual half liter of blood had gone out of the body, they take the needle out and you get a dressing to press on the spot. Holding the arm in the air helps. Today I got tired of waiting for them to come back, so decided to put a band-aid on myself. They are placed on a tray next to the chair you're sitting in.

Reaching for the stuff, I stopped pressing for a moment and whosh! Blood kept spurting out all over the place. Oh dear, how embarrassing. Must learn to be more patient, waiting another half minute and it would have been fine.

Masterchef

As you may have heard before Masterchef is one of my fav shows on telly. Not that I'm aspiring to be one, far from, but I like the way the show is set up.

Of course the American version is a total drama. It's tears, it's bitchiness, it's anger, it's a lot of feelings all the time but the judges are my favs. In the Australian and New Zealand shows it's a much nicer atmosphere, and even though there is the odd outburst of feelings, it's pleasant to watch. You know, that people can be nice to each other even though they compete. Plus I like the accent.

What I don't like with these three shows on the same theme, is that they seemingly have a lot of commercials, so a lot of it is repeated. The ads are omitted on youtube, but you know there's been a break when they repeat the same thing.

Masterchef UK is like the country. A bit bland.

Just started to watch Canada, and I like when they have a third judge which is a real character. A flamboyant type, who scares the shit outta the competitors.

Ireland has two hunks as judges, first of all, it is difficult to get that a country like Ireland has hunks, and second, it is difficult to focus on the actual competition when they get a lot of camera time. And I like that the episodes are half the time, no repetition, and very few feelings. A person gets elimininated, says "thank you" and leaves. No tears, no outbursts of any kind. Much more like myself. And I love the way they say "teyist" instead of taste. Reminds me of my northern Irish friend.

So I guess cliches have become just that for a reason.

Shopping ain't for me

Haha, it happened again today. I needed to go shopping in the city, went into one of the department stores and managed, once again, to get out at an exit other than the one I entered. Totally lost.

Fortunately Zürich isn't a big city, so after a while (and after walking a street in the wrong direction) I got my bearings.

I don't know the gene that navigates (!) the sense of direction, but it is pretty clear I haven't got it.

It's a very good thing I don't drive a car anymore, 'cause I would never be able to find it again in a car park.

Now I gotta think about all the other good qualities I have...