HODGEPODGE SEPTEMBRE 3

1. What's something you wanted to do this summer that you never got around to doing? 

Don't laugh, but after having traveled around Europe and the States until St. Petersburg in Russia, I only had a rather modest wish for this summer, to see the renovated Zoo in Antwerp (Belgium). But so far, my pump or COPD ...threw a wrench in my plans; the rollercoaster weather we had this summer was anything but good for me,  I felt like I was at the North Pole one day and in the desert the next. I had hoped to take the train to Antwerp one day to see the new zoo, but it never worked out. Maybe there will still be a few nice days at least as far as my health is concerned this autumn. It would be so easy as the train station in Antwerp is just besides the zoo.

 I love elephants !

2. Were you the student who sat in the front row or hid in the back of the class? If you could go back and take one high school class again just for fun, which would it be? 

I hated school, in primary school just after war, we were 80 pupils in one room with a dragon as a teacher, sitting on wooden old school benches which they had recuperated from the ruins The benches were meant for two students, but three of us sat there because there weren't enough. The school was hastily cobbled together out of metal; it was hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter.

 

Those were my first years of school. We had to sit where we were told, I was in the back because I was tall. Anyway front or back I didn't care, I protested anyway for everything and was the enemy of this old wreck who spit when she talked. I defended all these little sheep who were so afraid of her. 

 

In Brussels high school until the end, it was nice and I had a lot of fun, but I don't want to go back in no school ! 

3. What characteristics do you think are essential in a good teacher (this can be applied to anyone who teaches, not just classroom teachers)? 

 

I really don't know, in my childhood teachers were a catastrophe, but all teachers my son had were nice, I became even friend with one.  

4.  September 2nd is National Grits Day. Have you ever eaten grits? Are you a fan? If so how do you like yours? Would people describe you as 'having grit'? 

 

I had never heard about Grits and had to google. I even learned a recipe and also that it can be compared to Polenta. Polenta I know very well and I made it from time to time. But I still don't know what grit is ?  Wheat ?? Polenta is corn. In one dictionary I found "the structure of a stone that adapts it to grinding " Difficult to think that this is made out of a stone !

 

 

 

5. What's something you're never too old or too young to enjoy? 

 

Landscapes and skies 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Maybe you have noticed that I was absent for 3 weeks ! The reason was rather stupid. I lost the link to my dashboard, so I couldn't write a post. That was really awful. During all this time I tried to get into Blogger. I always ended up in my "reading" list and an empty Blog with a header I never made. I had to change my Google account so I was told, because they had made an update ! Updating means to make things easier. I found it rather more difficult. They had invented a lot of security things which in my case were completely useless, what should a hacker do with my information about "Grit" for example. It came to a point that when I got up I sneaked around my computer like a cat around a bowl of food. It kept getting worse; suddenly, I was receiving links to all sorts of companies. Eventually, I gave up and took a break, and every time I walked past my computer, I stuck my tongue out at it.

I only used it for making my photos new with the help of AI. 

I made this picture only with instructions ....

But yesterday evening, I thought I will try again and raked my brain who could help me. Here around nobody. So I tried to go to the Dashboard of my old Blog and .... oh miracle it worked ! From there I could go easily to this Blog. Was I happy ! I immediately felt better. I never had thought that blogging is such a big part of me ! 

PS. If there is anything which doesn't work or seems strange please let me know

 

OUT OF WORK

 After an update my computer refuses me the access to my dashboard, that's why you have no news from me. Hope I get it settled asap !!

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

On Monday it was so hot, that even moving the little finger was to much. I had left my two windows wide open all night to let the room cool down. In the morning, I closed them and drew the heavy curtains. 

So, I spent almost the entire day sitting with the light on, sorting photos, playing around with AI, and watching TV. I didn't go to our activities because the A/C there was either set too cold, blowing freezing air right onto the back of one's neck, or the doors were all left open, including the ones leading outside, happily letting the hot air pour in. The unit is ancient, and only a few people know how to operate it.

After all, eight people had been hospitalized with pneumonia, and I’m certain that A/C was what made them sick. I did go to the restaurant for coffee, though, to catch up on the latest news. But there wasn't any, besides some of the sick people were back. 

The weather cooled down and went crazy, it did exactly the opposite of what the weatherman had said !  Instead of returning to normal temperatures as forecast, it suddenly turned chilly! So, we changed our plans and played a fun letter game indoors.

These constant temperature fluctuations seem to affect people too,  my neighbor who spends all day in bed yells at the staff and drinks red wine. His wife isn't any better but she doesn't yell at anyone,  she makes fun of her husband and laughs loudly, which naturally makes him even angrier. 

The worst part is that he refuses to be washed and smells terrible, he has already been kicked out of the dining room twice much to his wife’s delight, because the stench was so awful. I really don't know what kind of people they are; they certainly have no manners at all, but a lot of money ! They get their ration of wine delivered almost every day from a man coming from outside, and I see the results the next morning when they simply leave the empty bottles outside their door. 

Here is his double, only the double looks "cute" !

The man is also incontinent and refuses to wear protections, so the room and unfortunately the hallway, too stinks. I have nicknamed him "the skunk." I don't know what medical condition the two of them have, other than the fact that they are both alcoholics that's for sure and they both sit in a wheelchair !

A friend told me they order five glasses of wine in the dining room every day on top of their room delivery ! I had already informed our manager and told her everything because it’s really embarrassing for us when visitors come, and  the hallway smells so bad. 

The maid scheduled to clean the room today is Tunisian a tiny handsome girl, looking rather frail ! But she has character !! Where others were running away crying, she shouted at the skunk forced him to be washed by taking his bottles of wine away and telling him that he will only get them back when he is clean !

I got out of my room because the guy made such a fuss and shouted insults ! He became hysterical and wanted his bottles back ! I laughed, she had found the weak point ! She could wash him and after that she probably gave him his wine back. In his room he can do what he wants. Apparently. I think our manager must first find out what they can legally do, before taking action and changing them to another floor or kick them out. They really don't belong here ! I pity the staff who have to deal with these two ! Jeanine and I are directly concerned too, because I have my room beside them and she just opposite, so when they open their door and we too, we almost faint. I think monkeys in a zoo behave better and smell less !

We ended the week with playing "Hangman". As I was never a friend of games of any kind, I didn't know it. I have to say that now on my old days I learn playing ! "The Hangman"is a guessing game or two or more players. One player thinks of a word, phrase, or sentence

 

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.