I'm late...

I can't believe I've slept until 7:30 AM. What is the world coming to? I woke up during the middle of the night coughing and trying to catch my breath. I think I was not breathing and that my sleep apnea was acting up, because I was sleeping on my back. I got up until I was breathing normally again and then went back to sleep on my side. That happens every once in a while, but I had not put two and two together.

Now I have had my first mug of coffee and I'm about to have my second. I took my medication as soon as I got up, because I did not want to wait for it to do its job until later. I notice that the antipsychotic works about 30 minutes after I take it and I get a great sense of well being and whatever stress I feel disappears. It is a melting tablet that I put on my tongue so it works very quickly.

Today is Second Christmas Day here, so it is still a holiday and everything is still closed. We always have that second day added to a holiday. I don't know why that is. The cafés will be open though, otherwise the tourists would be bored to death, but the stores are closed. Just when you want to get some good shopping done. Well, not I, but the public in general.

Yesterday morning my sister and I had espressos and pastries of which I could eat half and even then I got in trouble and ate too much and had to make an emergency trip to the bathroom. But it tasted good going down. My sister planned on cleaning house the rest of the day, because her cleaning lady would not show up, of course, and my sister had to work so much this week. What a way to spend Christmas, huh?

I spent the day doing nothing that required any effort. I watched the Queens Christmas speech, that she writes herself, and it amazes me what she thinks are the important issues that are alive in our society right now, because I could have thought of a whole bunch of different things to address the nation's people about, making me think she is not quite in touch with the reality of the situation. I think she is too far removed from the lives of the ordinary people and what we worry about. There was not a peep about the economic crisis and the havoc it is creating everywhere. Some solidarity would have been in place there. It makes you question the value of having a queen who is supposed to be the mother of the people. I think we may just as well have a republic.

I got a gift certificate from my sister to spend on books and I ordered two of them. The Curious Incident of the Dog at Midnight and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. It will take about 4 days for them to get here, but it will be something new to read. At the moment I am reading James Baldwin, If Beale Street Could Talk, but it is a little dated and I am reading it in a Dutch translation which takes away from the rich language that is being used by the black people of the book and that I can imagine as I read it.

I just made myself my third mug of coffee, decaf this time, and it sure tastes good. I love these first hours of the day behind the computer, when the Überhund has piddled out back and he is not yet in a hurry to be walked. It is freezing outside, as was predicted, and I will have to dress warmly. I told you that there has been talk bout skating on natural ice in about a week. Brrr...

Well, I am postponing the inevitable and that is getting dressed and taking the Überhund out in the cold. I won't close this post yet, but be back in a jiffy...

There is a cold wind blowing from the east, although the sun is shining. But the sunshine has no warmth, unless you happen to find shelter from the cold wind. It's not the kind of day to go outside for your pleasure, unless you are a die hard and have very specific Nordic clothes. I suppose it would be nice to walk in the woods where you are sheltered from the wind, but out in the open it's no fun. If you look outside through your windows, you'd be fooled into thinking that it's a nice sunny day outside. If the wind comes from the east in the wintertime, it's always cold, because it comes from Russia, with love.

I am finding shelter inside the apartment today. I'll go out to walk the Überhund, but that is it. The other problem is, that you get an extremely snotty nose when you are out in the cold and you have to have Kleenexes in every pocket of every jacket you are likely to wear.

It always amazes me that the Überhund doesn't seem to be the least bothered by the cold. I always expect him to shiver, but he never does. It's all the same to him, the only thing that bothers him is the heat and he pants too much.

Well, even though it is still a holiday, I have postponed housework to do. I can't get around it, not even if I squint my eyes and look at it that way. It must be done. First, however, there is breakfast. Oh yum, hot porridge in a big bowl. It's high time that the New Year comes along, so I can make some resolutions. My hips are expanding.

Have a lovely day, all of you. I'll be by to read your blogs shortly.

Ciao...