Double-Half or One Ten without ham: January 2021

Sunday, January 31, 2021

A Walk In The Dark

Saturday > market day. Or, morno, rather, other you wanna queue up like forever!

Yikes, snow again!!

The old fashioned way, made me smile...

Actually a nice, crunchy walk (for the most part - try not not to slip and "fly"... to the ground).

So, let´s party, it´s all...

And icy cuties.

Me...?

... boring ones! Others....

Our market stall was not even there, but I found another to get Ingo his tomatoes.

Then for bananas and water (...!) I went to the grocery and tried to take pics for Nicole.

Mind you, stupid Germany, I got "the looks"...

So, I politely explained I´d like to take pics for a friend in the States, if that´s OK - private!

I have to ask the boss, he´s right over there. Did. He was not the real boss and said that one would be around somewhere, oh, really, come on, next time I go later and when there are other customers I just secretly snap away.

Cams are in phones, watches and what do I know - you have no control anyways!

So, this is all I came out with - I was too early in the day!

I´m officially disappointed with the new cam - no flash, no quality, sorry, this is all I got from far away...

You want something that´s not on display or not enough?

No worries, they make it fresh for you, they have it in the background, in the coolhouse.

On the way home...

And here is why...

Never knew dogs walk through their own pee!

Henry 🦁....

Into space, rather (Henry, that´s cold, also!)

Saturday, January 30, 2021

LITTLE things

The other day at the grocery an elderly, tiny lady asked me (!!! I am not even 1,60m anymore, thanks scoliosis) to give her something from a shelf high up.

Yes. Laugh. I tip-toed, but managed.

Three (!!!) darn bottles of water.

Why? Why didn´t she ask a tall person??? (there were others)

LOL!!!

And also: We have healthy, great water from the tap here, too, but, well, I was happy to help, of course.

Like a comic, a tiny asking a little...

THEN.

Later I came out of our main door and BOOM!

Our maintenance-guy doing his work, looked at me (or my happy hat) and gave me the BIGGEST smile :-)

It´s the little things, too, that make life worthwhile, right.

Off to the market.

Last time the lady who gave me tomatoes only ONCE before remembered me even, thanks to Gurri and my Happy Hat and knew which tomatoes Ingo likes, hence.

It´s a small world 😃

To a happy day!

Henry 🦁

Funny enough... Henry is even topped by his big Brother, the so-called Long Henry, the chimney of our power station, in the background 🤣

And no, the tiny lady could not have asked Ingo as he was not with me - you know the stupid one trolley per person-thing... I still shake my head and if the Nieces have children some day and I´m an old lady I´ll tell them of Corinna and the stupid that came along with that in 2020/2021!

So. Long underwear? Check. Thick clothes, cam, check. Yikes, snow outside. Off to the market now really...

Friday, January 29, 2021

Hi Back! Also For Men...

No ad here, I wanted to share anyways and then Lisca even asked about it so here goes 😀.

That week I was feeling so down I did no training.

Stupid self-pity, but then I got it out here on the blog and I got your help, your kind, encouraging words (thank you BIG) and got my sh##. together again and... WOW.

There are four programs on the "Shape´n Dance"-DVD by Detlef Soost and I´m fit enough to do them in a row, one RIGHT after the other, BOOM, just like that, no break, I can even breathe normal, LOL. (One DVD) - not after that break!!!! One week made my body go down the drain! A break after each session. Heart pumping, sweating....

The first course... mostly legs, second: mostly arms (they do not fall off, promise, and I got a weird one... arm), third... girly stuff, you might think (Latin dance), forth: HECTIC (break dance. I´m too young for that, haha)!

No. If you have back problems and are interested, feel free to ask me.

Nearly each one.. it´s like:

4 on 4, 4 times... 8 times, 4, 4. 8 ,4, done. (You´ll even love the "burpees" - a milder form, not like the marines do, no worries!)

Not even two hours

And in each.. I skipped ONE week and felt my back, it screamed THANK YOU! ... when I got back to the training!

Most vertebra / bones ... muscles certainly too, get moved.

Left, right, veeeery left/right, up, down.

Plus you have fun music AAAND!

He gives you smiles or makes a funny face OR becomes a girl himself (real men can do this and no, no silly tutu or such) or a Hulk and MOTIVATES you.

My back wants to run over and say "thank you!"

I have another (more than one) of his programs but he´s a dancer and I have two left feet, it took me AGES and FRUSTRATION to manage this one already.

Cha-cha-cha I get but that pluie-thingy, by golly (I can do it now and even this is good for your back!!!).

If you alter the program a bit as in "do more", your back will just love 🧡 you! (he lives in Berlin and my doc´s Sis met him - he is tough!!! She said "all four in one piece - respect!" Haha, YES! - Oh, come on. It was hard work and I´m a wee bit proud on this, if I have not much else..)

My back (or yours?) may shout, "HEY!!! You could´ve done this long ago - but better late then never."

Mine hurt a bit, but then it´s probably the scoliosis that was mad for me going against it 😉

(Really. I "lost" 6 cm that I know of, and I´m small already and Ingo just refuses to shrink)

A clever, a VERY clever program - and all the smiles etc you get on top!

If you´re a more into women - TWO sexy women do the program with him, here´s one!

And then! My health insurance does not accept this, they want me to go to a stinky, icky fitness-center. THAT they accept.

Where I .... oh, boy, I´ve been there! Guys... ICKY.

And have you ever seen a woman taking a shower... in.her.undies??? YES (ok, saw that once only).

Clipping her nails (another one) or shaving whatever?

No, I have my program(s) at home, my own shower (no undies or any of that craziness, really, I mean, hello!! Wanna call the plumber each week?!)

Tried the next DVD of his, "Tanz dich fit" and loooove it.

At first you can choose explanations. They´re in German only, but actually you don´t need the words, he just shows you step by step, slowly, how it goes.

And says: Keep your back straight. So, now I´ve said it just go ahead 😁

Henry 🦁?

He mostly sleeps through it. Oh, come an a) he´s a lion, b) he is old. "Born" around 1166 is not really an age to dance like crazy, or... is it?

"I feel good!"

OK, sorry, I leave you with this!

Thursday, January 28, 2021

The Ocean Is Here

So I went off to get the ocean from Packstation. Bear with me! We´re stuck here!

Pic: Esperance, the museum where they have parts of the Skylab that came down there. The United states still owe them a sum for dumping it there, LOL!
(very cool link - shower/sexy man included, have a look and also see where Esperance is)

No, really, I parked our big Nissan there and when we came out... HUH, What is this?! A green Holden Commodore, just like the one we had in 1995, right beside our "new" one!

Crazy (wasn´t ours, I had a look, no rip in the driver´s seat).

The Packstation is maybe a 5 minutes walk, bet you have an idea what happened?

Well, biiiiig dog in the way. I went onto the other side of our lille street.

Then. Red jacket - W!

How??? How can that be I meet this one neighbor all the time, LOL!

He came over and - masks on - we chatted for at least 30 minutes. To my Aussie friends: It´s winter over here, 2 to 3 C.

He is not allowed to meet his wife in the nursing home at.all. Shit#y Corinna.

So he walks there, stands in the cold, she comes to the window and they cheer at each other, but the meds made her "silent", no talking no more, it is sad, and yes, I repeat myself, but it´s just not fair. He is "tested" negative, so why not let him inside. They destroy people´s lifes for no reason.

Next time I meet him I´ll invite him for a game of billiard, maybe he´s better than Ingo (who is better than me).

When he was here for the onion-cake he saw and thought it´s great we have a (small) billiard-table, so... some fun-times ahead?

Really, it´s crazy, I never meet other neighbors, party of 14 here, just W!

When I finally after... what... way over half an hour later... came home with the ocean (that Ingo had to take care of, sound-wise, thank you BIG, Hubby), he just said:

"Met W again? Was about to look out for ya.... but the weather..."

We cannot get to the ocean - FB just reminded me 2019 we really were in Perth NOW, in fact we enjoyed our very first Australia Day.

I had to get the ocean to us, somehow, huh.

Please, turn on the sound, if you like, you´ll even hear happy seagulls!

(Someone might even recognize the painting at the beginning and end,yes, you made me a big fan of Wendy´s, Grace!)

Henry 🦁... He looks at his siblings in Cottesloe at the Indiana and says:

Wish we were there. At least I have Penguin (thank you, Sami!) to read about, right, always look on the bright side of life. Oh, sorry, LOL!

Here goes! (oh, come on. We need to keep our humor, right.)

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Signs... Of Friendship ... And Of Being Honest ... And a Penguin

To say it first: This is for Tom´s signs 2 - but not only!!!

Define the word "sign" - Tom is clever leaving this up to us!

I made myself a pressie. You know, that guy who made cooking and baking fun for me after I was banned from the kitchen my entire childhood/teenage-years due to a tantrum I threw after a fresh ale - in pieces - jumped out of the pan in front of me, dancing?

I was maybe 5 years old and screamed my heart out - kitchen-ban, never learned to cook, also cause I´m afraid of anything hot.

This man taught me to let my fear go and that cooking is FUN!

Actually I don´t "need" this book and he puts so much (everything?) online, too.

But... I owe him, kinda. I simply love to sit down and have a real book in my hands, flipping through to decide what to cook.

Oh, I wish my Mum could read this.... Yes, I cook. Me! And it´s fun, I enjoy it!

Well, so I got an e-mail with the code for Packstation, Jamie had arrived 😀

BUT! What is this?! TWO mailings? I didn´t order anything else!

OK (push the button) - click, another cell opens.

Now what is this?

Hey, what!!! I know "that happy guy" (my other, secret Brother, as in... he must be, we´re too much alike in our souls)!!

Oh, "Corinna", you ugly girl, you kept these Christmas-wishes away from me till end of January!!!

28C. We have 26 less than that! 🥶
The person waiting behind me saw my huge smile, as masks are only mandatory in shops and he kept the proper distance, of course.

But I was not done yet!!! Noooo.

There was more!!! From... Sweden? I was and am clueless. Maybe Great Britain?

What?!

I waited till I was home, of course, so the dude was able to put in his parcel (you can also send via Packstation).

Trinity college?! Australia after all?

Belated Birthday wishes??? Please, who are you, you gave me another very big smile but I find no hint!!! Ingo had a close look, too - nothing!

Well what is it?

Awwww.... one of my fav birds it is!

I remember one time I "lost" a can of veggie-juice.

OK, clumsy Hathi 🐘 dropped it, what else...

I started walking around our car, getting down, looking under it to retrieve the can and heard a noise behind.

A magpie! In the Outback, not afraid of me, copying me!!! Small as she was she ducked and looked too, all around the car till I got the - to her very boring - can.

I love magpies (if not in season, then they attack people to make sure their babies are safe).

And now to the honest part... And I think it´s not bad and no disappointment AT ALL!!!

... I know this bitter sweet story. A woman fell on a nice day and ended up in a wheelchair and was in so much pain but Penguin came into her life and saved her.

How I know this?... I have this...

I checked, it´s the same, just in another format.

I feel sorry as I know how it is - I bring a pressie and Niece´s Grandma´d just given her the very same 5 minutes earlier, BUT!!!

This cannot have happened this time, right?

My Niece hates "English" at school, as she has a (insert the word for... people) German teacher.

Also Ingo had to go through this.

Mine, I was lucky, was from Great Britain and FUN.

Ingo´s teacher said - no offense - you can go to England and talk, true.

You can go into THE WORLD with this!!!!

(I´ve been in England! Twice! Loved it and bought my first English-books there, post to come).

And so I try and make up for such dumb teachers.

Niece loves horses, I brought her a horse-comic from Perth.

I found an English cook book in the street (people share here) - Ingo had a look and said it´s still too complicated for Niece.

Please, whoever sent me the Birthday-book... leave me a note at flaviakaiser@gmx.de - that is my real address. With blogger being so naughty I do not dare to change it there.

It was a wonderful surprise and my Niece will (maybe later) enjoy this immensly and if you´re lucky leave a note to you, too 🥰.

Also... you can follow Penguin(´s kids) here on Instagram 😘

Signs. In these darn times signs of "I care about you" are so important, don´t you think?

I felt spoiled yesterday!

And Henry 🦁?

Thank you all and sorry for being honest. But I´d felt bad if I lied and said "thank you, awesome!!!" - it is awesome - just in another way and, yes, I´ll keep your book and will always smile and Niece gets the other.

Let´s take care of each other,always.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

T Stands For BreasTs - Please Laugh

So. There I am.

Gurri, happy hat (here you see them both, if you like), scarf, mask, foggy glasses.

Yes, just me.

If Ingo was to join me he would have to take an extra-trolley.

In bed we cuddle up, we touch, we kiss in "normal" life, these days but at the grocery we have to take a trolley each to make sure we keep the distance.

I´m not even kidding.

At the butcher. "I´d like 200 g minced beef, please".

She does, THEN - speaker: "...

"WE REMIND YOU TO KEEP THE DISTANCE AND WEAR YOUR MASK!!!"

Meanwhile she asks If I like anything else.

Whilst I said, "140 g chicken breast, please".

"WHAT?!",

she yelled at me due to the speaker´s noise and the plastic shield (boy, we sure will remember these crazy time) she didn´t understand but the 140 g.

At other stores it goes on "THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!!!"

But not here. How was I supposed to know?

And certainly hence... the speaker was done the moment I loudly under the mask "yelled" at the woman that I like "BREASTS!!!"

Now, Germans are cool in sex-things and I at least didn´t yell "TITS!", but the other sales girl started laughing out loud, as the other two customers.

We joined in. It was 07:10 am or such.

Why do these stupid things always happen to me?

OK, to make a fool of myself and make people laugh, OK, funny hat, we´re a clown 😉

More "food": We were at Gummy-bear-country - the owner had to fight to say he´s essential and may open twice a week ("Chancellor" Merkel you kill all the small stores for NO REASON!!!),

He said, "Ahhh, known faces!" - which is funny as we were wearing masks. You see but eyes.

And he went on, "ohhhh, I LOVE your hat!!!"

Really - the only good thing about winter.

I wondered on the way... why is that woman staring... and smiling later! at me. Oh, sure, happy hat.

You are arty people. Any idea for a summer-happy-hat??? It must give shade, though...

I have a sewing machine (but am a beginner).

Art-wise... I was asked to try again. I never had real lessons, but Henry sure made a soothing sound splashing water into his lille fountain, hence:

And here the real one...

Here´s my journal-page. Hmmm, not improving, I have the feeling, but then... I have no patience.

Tips are welcome. Really.

The heart stamp stands for: I made it to burn 2000+ calories and the number is the proof - 6 out of 7 days ain´t that bad, is it. (Post to come on the fun)

And to join Elizabeth and Bleubeard´s "T Stands For Tuesday"...

The other day I met neighbor W .. AGAIN (how come?! Always just him! )

He told me - in the street! in 3C - around Christmas time he looooooves Stollen and gains some 3-4 kg every time, LOL. (Click the link, if you like and learn about the "Butter-Letter" from Pope Innocent VIII in 1490. And who knew there even is a "Dresden Stollen festival"?!).

W is a (too) skinny 81-year old from 4th floor who is sad and exhausted as he´s not allowed to visit his wife in the nursing home due to the darn virus we call "Corinna" ("Corona" in German and WhatsApp turned it into "Corinna" on auto-correct).

Imagine... 60-year anniversary and there he stands, in the cold, outside, looking up at his wife who is under meds and not talking anymore.

Did she recognize him? Did she know what a special day it was?

Henry 🦁, well pic above :-)

Thank you for your wishes and understandings on last post - you helped, you truly did.

To another laugh in all this crazyness!