I've never seen or heard a dog sleep as happily and contentedly as the Überhund is sleeping now. He is gone from this world completely and is sprawled on his blanket under the coffee table in full length with one big ear covering his face completely. He is snoring a little bit and it makes for a nice background noise. Of course, everything the Überhund does fills me with adoration, so it doesn't take much, but he is especially adoring now.
I have that weekend feeling today, since it is Saturday, although I could have had that feeling just as well yesterday. But no, I had my evaluation yesterday, so it wasn't really a day off. I went in there feeling like spit and vinegar, but came out of there a little bit humbled, because I did not fill out the questionnaires as positively as I had anticipated, which sort of disappointed me. It was a bit of a downer.
There were ratings from 1 to 5, 1 meaning you never had that feeling and 5 meaning you always had that feeling. Of course, I wanted to have only 1's, but did not manage that and it was probably unrealistic, but it burst my balloon.
Never mind. After that, I had to ride my bike all the way to the pharmacy, straight into the stormy wind that was coming from the west and it was very hard peddling and sometimes I was almost blown into the traffic. I peddled very hard and made it there just a little bit out of breath, which goes to show you what good shape I am in, and on the way home, I had the wind in my back and I rode my bike effortlessly.
The Überhund wagged his stubby tail when I got home and thought I had brought home treats instead of medications. He always thinks that. He thinks every outing on my part ends up in me bringing home good things for him. Not to disappoint him, I gave him a bone to gnaw on and he was happy.
I bought the cats a 2 kilo bag of a different cat food the other day that was a bit cheaper than what I had been buying and they like it just fine, so for a change they aren't being finicky. It seems as long as Toby eats it, the other two will also. I don't buy the cheapest kind, because I do want them to get some sort of quality, but some of the food is very expensive and I wonder at the sense of it and if it is really worth it.
The wind that has been blowing is of the hurricane style and it whips the hair right off your head. It takes quite a bit of hairspray to keep your hairdo intact until you reach your destination. I have hurricane strength hair. It gets whipped about, but stays in place no matter what the wind does. You can imagine that no man can run his fingers through my hair, but seeing as though there is no such man in my life, it is not a problem. My hair is only to look at. It is very difficult in a country like this to have a decent hairdo, unless you have long hair or have it cut short like a boy's. It will be a horrible day when they start making bicycle helmets mandatory. All those woman with all those hairdos!
The smoking laws aren't being very successful. There is much rebellion against them and in a quarter of the cafés people are still allowed to smoke. There is a court case coming up about it that would allow small café owners to stay smoking cafés, because they are loosing their customers to the cafés that have a separate smoking section. We don't like government to dictate what is good for us and people can choose to go to a smoke free café. Most of the people who work in the cafés are smokers themselves and have to go outside for a cigarette. There are arrangements like this in Germany and Denmark and it seems to work fine. Now you have the problem of people standing outside the small cafés at night on the sidewalks with their drinks and cigarettes creating noise in the neighborhood.
My ex brother in law, the cardiologist, singlehandedly managed to get rid of the one smoking room in the hospital where patients could go and have a cigarette. He is so proud of it. Now the patients have to go outside in their bathrobes in front of the hospital if they want to smoke a cigarette. It is a big hospital and it is a long walk to the front of it and it is very exposed. I don't know what his point was. He is not going to forcibly create non smokers, but only have many poor frustrated patients who already are ill at ease. I find this a kind of fascism that really riles me.
Oh well, before I really start getting on my high horse, I better stop writing and leave these issues for someone else to discuss. The Überhund has had his breakfast and is now sound asleep again at my feet with a full belly. And I will go and make myself another mug of coffee.
Have a very good day, everyone.
Ciao...
9 comments:
Had to laugh about your remarks about your hair........ No man can run his fingers through it on account of the lacquer!
My hair is far from hurricane proof, being fine & fly about! I also look to the lacquer can! However, I don't seem to get a problem with men wanting to run their hands through it though!
Dear Uberhund sleeping soundly and snoring, conjures up a very cosy picture.
Hospitals and no smoking areas! I have noticed very sick people standing outside one hospital with drips attached to their arms, dragging away on their cigarettes. That can't be good for them. I don't approve of smoking in a hospital but hope that staff could give them some real help with giving up the habit. This is the crux of the problem...... the need for help to give up.
I have noticed that pubs over here, tend to be almost empty when my friend & I go in for an occasional drink. However we are both delighted to be in a smoke free environment. I can see all sides of it.
Have not ventured to look outside yet, as I still have the bedroom curtains tightly drawn & have not ventured away from the computer yet. However, there is no sound of a hurricane or anything. Maybe I can get out for a bit today.
Hope your day is good, Irene. X
I have very fine thin hair that looks full, luscious, and stylish, but like you it only happens with a ½ of can a lacquer each morning!...LOL my husband tries to run his fingers through and it is as if his hand gets stuck in cement.
I spoke have for many years and have attempted to quit many times but only once did I pause for 5 years. I can see both sides of the issue as Marie does, but in my eyes, we the smokers are addicts, our government knew long before I began smoking the dangers of it and still kept it legal, so now when I need help to quit as the medications, patches, and gum is so expensive, they are no where to help except to throw us to the street with our cigarettes in hand. It is sad that insurance will pay for drug addicts to go to fancy clinics and get cured, but us smokers are looked upon as second class citizens and get very little support….no wonder we just keeping light up!
I love to watch our dogs sleep, especially when they dream!
Here in Ireland the smoking ban is actually working very well, contrary to what I had expected. No smoking allowed in any kind of workplace. That's it. Considering that every kind of public building is a workplace for someone this is very simple.
I only managed to quit smoking after the smoking ban came into place here. For me smoking went hand in hand with having a drink. And if smoking had still been allowed in pubs I would've never managed to give it up.
Regarding people smoking in hospitals or outside the doors, well, that's a tricky thing. I remember when Felix was sick in hospital a few years back (still in Germany) he was having a hard time not smoking (no smoking allowed in German hospitals). His surgeon told him that now, after a big operation, was not the time to add more stress to his system by trying to quit smoking. Basically, his surgeon told him to go out and have a cigarette if he needed it. That was while he had his jaws wired shut after the OP.
While not smoking would make things easier for many patients on account of wounds healing a lot better if you don't smoke etc, we don't live in an ideal world. And quitting the cigarettes can be very stressful. Adding more stress into an already stressful situation can be worse for people than the effect of nicotine on your body.
The smoking ban is being openly rebelled against here, too. Many places are going out of business because people would rather stay at home to smoke. In a place that is a port with a largely working class population it is not very realistic.
I smoke, but periodically give up, and definitely did not smoke when I was carrying my kids and when they were little. To do anything otherwise would not be fair on them. I now smoke outside, but only eight a day low tar.
Everyone knows the risks and it is something that you choose to do while knowing those risks. It is hard to give up but I would not expect any paid help to give up because NHS funds are for sick people I think.
Your smoking comments are drawing us all in....no pun intended!
Here in Canada we have been smoke free for quite a while now. Some places it's been years.
Every public building is smoke free including the bars. Everyone screamed that they would go out of business - but none have.
And yes - even the hospitals. Smokers must go at least 25 feet away from the doors to have a smoke. At hospitals you see them out in the parking lot in their wheelchairs with their IV's - smoking away.
I personally have no sympathy for them as I've already had cancer from smoking so I quit.
I don't want to have to go into the hospital through a cloud of cigarette smoke. It's nasty. And I don't want to breathe any in second hand.
I've lost friends because of this Irene. I respect your right to smoke but I also expect you to respect my right to not inhale your secondhand smoke.
When we travelled in the States I was appalled to have to eat my breakfast next to two smokers whose smoke blew over my food. It made me gag and I couldn't eat. It still cost me $9 for my food that was wasted. If I had known they were both going to light up I would have sat somewhere else if I could have found a spot that was smoke free. Gag....
It's quite a controversial subject and as I've said it can undo friendships. Hope that doesn't happen with us!
irene. commenting about women's hair is not my thing, as you know, but I love the way you write about the Uberhound, always with such affection. x
I speak from both sides of the aisle, Irene, being an ex-smoker who had a filthy heavy habit.
I chose to quit and it hurt very badly for a while but it was worth it. I keep losing friends from smoking and now my brother (one of 6 in my family, all now ex-smokers apart from him) has got cancer and may have his leg off because of smoking. I just lost another friend, her bones so brittle from smoking that when she went to hospital for a hip replacement, her pelvis shattered and pierced her bowels and she bled to death in 30 minutes.
I am so anti-smoking and second hand smoke inhalation as I see the destruction all around me. I could go on. I won't.
You know the dangers and no one is immune and I would hate to see you sick from it, Irene, you have so much to offer.
Stay well my friend, and I love the description of your hair!!!
XO
WWW
Sorry your questionnaire results were a bit disappointing. There's always next time.
I have to use hairspray, too, but I am trying to use less, as I have become conscious of the amount I must accidentally inhale, when I spray it on my hair.
The last time I was visiting someone in hospital, there was a lad outside, with his drip, who was smoking and wearing his hospital gown. He didn't seem to mind in the least about his gown not covering anything much at the back. I really didn't care much for his patterned underpants. They had obviously seen better days. ;0)
My hair would be an unruly mess without my hairspray. But the stuff I use is hard to get, so when I see it on the shelves, I buy up as many as I can! I use it everyday!
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