Old friend

When in pain the best thing to do is to well...do something, so today I met up with a friend who was in town. We don't meet very often, since she's now living abroad, but it's always fun to catch up.

However, both of us aren't getting any younger, so nowadays it's a lot of catching up on diseases since last time. We had to laugh about it, what else can you do?

I have my current problems with a swollen cheek and the causes of it, and she has gotten eye problems. But I told her no worries, when she'll have her operation next year, I'll buy her a white cane.

We took a walk up the hill to the top of Zürich and had a lovely lunch at a restaurant. I do not often eat out, so I very much appreciated it. A wok with sweet/sour duck which tasted delicious. And I managed to eat half of it, on the left side, and got a doggybag with me. No point in wasting food.

A great afternoon which cheered me up, so much that I've only taken one painkiller today. I think the penicillin is starting to kick in, third day now. I only hope the swelling will go down. Now!

Football cheek

So finally on Monday evening the anaesthetic wore off, and I stopped looking like a stroke patient, but yesterday morning I woke up with a swollen cheek instead. The pain is now bearable, and I'm taking penicillin, but the cheek is still swollen and stiff.

There are other disadvantages too. I can only sleep on my left side or on my back, and I can only chew on the left side.

From all the pills my stomach acts funny, and my body retains water, which means that a few days I feel bloated, and then I spend a whole day doing nothing but peeing.

This better be worth it!

Telepathy?

A friend called me this evening. She's one of my best friends here in Switzerland, even though we don't see each other or talk that often. She has a busy life which I totally understand. I was there once myself.

So she called me 'cause she had a dream that I was unwell. How weird is not that? And I responded, that I thought she had read the blog. "Oh no", she replied, "I don't have time". Ah, ok, feeling that I don't write interestingly enough for even my good friends to read. A humbling experience.

But seriously, I'm not offended. Not a lot anyway :). And it was good to talk to her.

Toothless?

I believe that today will be a chapter in my history book about the worst pain I've ever experienced. Fucketyfuck!

This morning, after five days of constant pain and sleepless nights, I went back to the dentist. During this period I have been able to localize the pain, which I couldn't do when it started. It's still painful all over the right jaw, but the most sore point is a tooth. Surprise, surprise.

So the guy gave me two anaesthetic shots which numbed a part of the mouth, but not the actual spot. Another two and I could still feel the tooth, which didn't stop him from gearing up the drill. I cannot tell you how painful it was when he drilled straight into the nerve. My body twiched, I clenched my fists and couldn't stop myself from screaming (electric chair-like). And I am normally quite resistant and consider myself having a fairly high pain threshold. At one point he asked me to lower my hands, perhaps he was afraid I was gonna punch him.

And this went on and on. I think he hit the nerve maybe 5-6 times, each time equally painful. And he had the nerve (!) to say: "yes I know it's "unangenehm"", i.e. uncomfortable. That's the understatement of the century! I cannot decide if I like that he has no empathy and got on with the job or not.

And the explanation I got about not getting enough anaesthetics, was something about PH value acidic and basic working against each other. Hmmm??

Turns out I have a crack in that particular tooth with an infection. Last and only time before that happened in 1996 or 1997 (due to an unfortunate chicken bone in a pizza) it ended up with the tooth being removed and replaced with a crown.

Anyway, so now he has attempted to mend it and given me antibiotics and more (useless?) painkillers. If it doesn't work in 3-4 days that bloody tooth has to come out.

After the whole ordeal I felt dizzy, so the more empathic nurses had me lie down and put a wet cloth on my forehead, and offered me a glass of water. I ended up sitting in the waiting room before I felt stable enough to walk home.

I guess the only positive factor is that it's the tooth next to the wisdom tooth, so it cannot be seen. Still, losing a tooth means I ain't getting any younger! Which indeed would be a miracle :).

Think before do

Sometimes I could slap myself for being stupid. Today in the nice afternoon sun I was cleaning my balcony. Took out all the stuff from the "wintergarden", which is the corridor part of the balcony under a roof, hoovered and showered everything with my hose connected from the bathroom. Which btw works excellent.

Then I noticed that there were yellow spots in the white roof. I have no idea where they came from, pollen? And why in spots? So I started to hose them down too. But I didn't do it from the outside moving myself towards the balcony door while doing it, so I ended up having a shower myself. Including yellow drips. Yikes!

Downhill from here?

I cannot believe it! I am poorly again. It started yesterday evening with toothache. Not much mind you, but enough to be irritating. I went to sleep around midnight and woke up an hour later with severe pain. Between one and five in the morning I took four painkillers, which are supposed to be strong but helped nada. I didn't get any sleep last night, and was up at 5.30 am.

In the morning hours it got a bit better, and it was strange, 'cause I couldn't locate the pain. It was aching all over the right jaw, but not in particular in a tooth. So I waited to see if it got better. It did. At first. Then I had a pain attack like no other. Thought I was gonna faint. So at midday I went to see a dentist. I say a dentist, 'cause the old one sold the clinic to new owners, and it was a first encounter.

This guy, who btw wasn't very light on his hand, thought the pain was muscular. He checked the teeth and couldn't immediately find a cause. I was told to massage the area, and take the painkillers he gave me and come back on Monday for a check-up.

But I don't understand where it has come from. I have no stress, so no biting teeth in my sleep. I live a mucher healthier sporty life since about 1,5 years. Why do I get sick all the time?

This year it's been acute gastritis, that colonoscopy followed by a baboons ass and the operation and now this!

I can only see two positives in all of this. One, that I get to post all the bills to the insurance company in the same year, only paying the fixed amount once. And two, the cats are healthy.

Sweet wine

Last week Denner again had a sale on my house wine, so I placed an order. And as usual the delivery was quick and efficient. However, when I opened the first bottle, I felt something was wrong. It was sweet. Not dry as it usually is. But I persevered. To be honest I wasn't sure whether it was a bottle from the new delivery, or something I had from before.

Anyway, after checking it out, I realized it was true. It was sweet, and sugar collected in the bottom of the glass.

So I wrote an email to Denner, and it only took them a couple of days to investigate. The answer: "Sie haben recht, der Monte Castello Pinot Grigio hat beim 2014er Jahrgang neben den typischen Pinot Grigio Aromen auch etwas Muskat. Das ist scheinbar wetterbedingt im 2014er weit verbreitet und macht sich bei längerer Lagerung bemerkbar. Wenn Ihnen der Pinot Grigio 2014 nicht schmeckt, können Sie Ihn in jeder Filiale zurückbringen."

Meaning I was right, having to do with the weather in 2014 (previous bottles from 2013) and that it now contains also 'Muscat' grapes. And that I can bring all the bottles back to my nearest Denner.

Haha, they will be surprised if I do, considering the quantity. So now I wrote back asking if I can change the 2014 bottles to 2013, awaiting an answer.

Squirrel

I saw a squirrel the other day in the forest. One of these cute as a button little brown ones with a fluffy tail, not those big grey ugly ones in Hyde Park. When I was telling a friend later on he remarked that squirrels have become more scarce, and why is that.

Yeah, why is that? I have seen very few squirrels in the last years. One or two outside my flat, but I have a feeling there were many, many more when I was young. Are squirrels becoming extinct?

Fresh figs

I love figs! So when I today received a whole box of fresh figs from a friends tree, I jumped with joy. But there were so many, and some of them were really ripe, so I decided to take half of them and make marmelade. Fresh figs, brown sugar, some dessert wine, a little apple vinegar and a cinnamon stick.

Mmmm. A cheese tray, some crackers and homemade fig marmelade. Nothing better I say.

Paint in a corner

It's amazing what difference one liter of paint can make. Until now they two catshelves have been painted in this silver grey, as well as my own ladder and the cats ladder, and now also a bit of a wall. And I'm not done. I did the mistake of not taping the walls, using only a sheet of paper as protection, and some of the colour "travelled" to the sides. But that will be fixed by painting the sides as well, using tape.

The reason I didn't use tape was that the white paint very easily comes off with the tape (experience from when I painted the bedroom wall).

Anyway, I think it does make a difference, gives a bit of depth to that corner. And the only reason I decided to paint it, is that the balcony door is almost always open and makes that bit of wall quite dirty with the stuff coming in from outside. Only, that depth reason sounds nicer :).

The limit

I think I have reached my health limit with my current lifestyle. I don't seem to get any further. I jog (slowly), I bike (according to display burning 300 kcal in half an hour, biking 9 km's), and today I was riding again. But I tell ya. Two rounds of galloping around the hall and I'm beat. Then I have to slow down, take a break, before I can go at it again. And it bugs me, 'cause today I had my fav.

And even though I got a compliment from a neighbour this morning, "you're skinny", I am still 3 kg's away from my new goal. The reason we met in the morning was that I was in my basement getting a delivery of wine, while she and her family were off to school and work. And maybe that's my answer.

But I'm not willing to give up everything for these 3 kg's. Still, it's irritating!

Good news

When I work I like to be busy. There is nothing worse than being bored, not having enough to do. There were times in my working life when I experienced that, however strange it might sound. Some people complain all the time that they have too much to do, but seriously, when I watched them they seemed less than busy. And even it they did long days in the office, it seemed to be a lot of facetime.

Anyway, I was working today again in the old peoples cafe, and even though there were only seven customers the whole afternoon, it certainly wasn't boring. I was talking to the regulars, one is a 101-year-old with all her brain cells still active. She is the only one who remembers to switch to high German when speaking to me. Otherwise it's "öppis", "alytte", "schaffe" and I dunno what. I get to practise my smile a lot when there, not wanting to always remind them that high German is my preferred language (that sounds funny!).

One of the other oldies (who looks older but is about twenty years younger) asked how she became so old. The answer was surprising. With hot tea and rum. Turns out she had a lot of colds when she was a child and the cure back then was just hot tea and rum. Very good news indeed. Plus the fact that her family had a small wine field, and they made their own white wine. Even better!

The two oldies I've gotten a bit closer too than the others, are really very sweet, and very openminded despite their age. Tolerant, open to new things, and worried about the state of the world. It's quite daunting to think about that they grew up when there was no electricity and no running water.

Sweet dreams

Was having a picnic tonight at my mountain again. However, this time we didn't go into the forest but stayed on a bench in the sun. It is getting colder and darker, but this year I am not complaining. This summer was amazing in many ways, but too hot, so I am actually feeling I had enough and am now looking forward to colder temperatures.

And to sleep not waking up in a pool of sweat is nice!

Newbies

Sometimes I forget that people aren't like me. This evening I went downstairs to welcome the new neighbours with a bottle of wine and some homemade cookies. Awaiting to be welcomed in, and have a chat.

I ended up standing in the hallway, while the wine and cookies were whisked away. We had a brief chat, and I felt like an idiot, just standing there. I just don't understand people who are not welcoming. Even if I'm in the middle of moving in (which I was six years ago) I always invited people in. Who cares if there are boxes everywhere? That's to be expected when you move.

First impression is important, and this time I don't have a good feeling. But considering the time the renters in the house stay, I'm pretty sure they won't be here for long.

Ladder

A productive day. Amongst other things I had an idea when I was looking through the Ikea catalogue, and so decided to paint my ladder. The ladder was made by a company, that employs people who otherwise have difficulties getting a job. About ten years ago I saw a picture of a ladder, went to this company and asked them if they could make one for me. We had a lengthy discussion about the design (I remember even being asked if I wanted a drinkholder attached to it!), and then they went to work.

It took almost two months for them, but in the end they delivered a very sturdy ladder, that I have used a lot. And yes, I paid more than I would've in Ikea, but I got my own design, and I believe, better quality.

But it's always bothered me a bit that it was wood-coloured. I'm not big on wood. I like steel, shiny things and of course purple. However, I have enough purple in my home so when I realized there was paint left from the cat-shelves I decided to match the ladder.

I think it looks great, now on the balcony to dry with the door closed, so no nosy little furry ones can check it out. And I'm very pleased with the metal untouched by paint whatshammacallit thingies on the side, that took almost as long to cover as to paint the whole ladder.

Bowling with the bar

The first time I bowled I got alcohol-poisened. It was almost 20 years ago, and my company back then had a do for about a thousand employees. And no, it wasn't their fault I drank too much, but the red wine they served was a cheapo, and I had too much. Plus I had to wear ugly shoes. That was the only time in my life that I didn't get to work the next day.

But forget the alcohol poisoning, that's a whole different story. This evening I was invited to an evening with some people I don't know too well. We were bowling. So I signed up, got the (still ugly) shoes and started to play. Since nobody else signed up on my team I thought "the bar" was nice enough to play with me, and because of that I kept on playing until I got to "the".

Aha, Theresa and Barbara just signed up. The bar. I get it. And...drumroll please...guess who won! And it's funny, the only time I thought about it, and got a lighter bowl designed for women I shot a zero. When I decided to just go for it, I hit a strike. Well, at least once.

Hair

I lose a lot of hair. This is nothing new, it's been like that my whole life. And I understand that if you have baby-hair like I do, i.e. thin strands, you lose more than if you have thick hair. I have always been jealous of those people. Thick, glossy hair that you can do something with.

If I try any gadgets forming my hair, it holds for about 5 minutes and then goes back to....nothing. Mousse, spray, nothing works.

However, lately I have discovered that if I don't wash my hair, and it becomes slightly dirty, it kinda holds together better. But these days I don't care. I put it up with a hair-clip and that's it. Even if it's dirty. Besides, I've never been interested in grooming.

And on a daily basis I find hairs on my floor. Mind you, most are from the cats, but when it's blonde I realized I cannot blame them. And today I found a long (almost 40 cm!) hair. I quickly had to think about my visitors today, but the only one have short black hair, so it must've been mine.

Didn't realize my hair was that long, but since I cut my own hair, I guess it's not even. But hey, nobody complained so it's all ok.