Hey Olga, sell your handiwork on line! What is it by the way??!!
What is that a picture of, Piffka? It's a very attractive looking sight.
Sorry for the gap between my correspondances; it has been a very strange couple of days, most of which was spent on the road. Ever since I left Germany, it has become increasingly hard to connect to the internet. I had a wonderful last full day in Berlin; I was dragged along the Kulturforum was excellent, and I got to see both original Rembrandts for the first time. I was intending to see something, but most shows were sold out. I mainly walked around, trying to see as much as possible; historical Moabit, Pariser Platz, loads of places that- when I have more time- I will detail.
Then it was off to Munich; we set off early on December 31st, so that- if any little nook in the vasts of Bavaria took my fancy, we could stop. We stopped at Nuremburg, spent a few hours looking around the Kaiserburg and the vivid Hauptmarkt, the Marktplatz (where the famous blazonish fountain is), and the Handwerkerof, where various tradespeople make wonderful woodcarvings and model glass. I would have liked to have seen the courthouse in which they tried the (remaining) Nazi leaders, but we had no time- we had to get to Munich.
There was to be a party, down in Munich, that we were going to attend, at the house of of my friend's friends, but unfortunately they had contracted influenza and so had called the whole thing off, without telling us until we had gotten to Munich (she said that she could not get through to either of our mobiles, which wouldn't surprise me.) She did, however, give us a place to crash for one night: the floor. We wanted a quiet night, but nothing like whispering in the corner, making sure that the malade was not awoke. So we decided to try find something interesting that we could attend; surely a city as big as Munich would have parties! We were right; the problem was, everything was so extortionately expensive. We tried the Hard Rock café, and they were charging something like £70-80 for a three-course meal. Not bad, you might say, but three-course meals are what they were selling, and we could not afford it. It was the same story in all the clubs, pubs, and venues; we should have known from England that businesses make the most of mass-drunkeness, which was rife! So we ended up on the Olympic hill, watching the fireworks, occasionally looking around for something to drink, whilst singing Bob Dykan songs and talking about random people and things. At midnight Munich-time, we both phoned our mothers, both of whom sounded rather anxious. At midnight Birmingham-time, my uncle phoned up, telling me how awful it was in the pub where he was. In a way, the night worked out well.
(I will tell you all about my misadventures in the Eastern bloc when I have more time! Currently in... some Czech train station.)
Hi Drom -- Happy New Year! I'll BET your moms were glad to hear from you! I tried to find the blazonish fountain (following along with google) and found this instead. Is it the same?
Quote:the Schöner Brunnen (or "Beautiful Fountain"). A gold ring was set into the railing by an apprentice carver. Stroking the gold ring is said to bring good luck.
Your adventures remind me why it is good to travel like that when you are young... after 30 or so, nobody can handle sleeping on a floor! I hope you don't catch the influenza from your friends. Be well!
I watched a Czech film on DVD last night. The title in English was "Autumn Spring" -- It dragged a little, I liked most of it but it was particularly interesting to me because it was Czech.
The picture? My new avatar? It is from a stone circle on the Isle of Lewis. I lost my other... I could probably find it again but thought it was time for something different. Very hard to find jpg files that are small enough to be avatars, but I like this one. I think the cloud in the middle looks like a dialog balloon from a cartoon.
I'd like to hear more about your trip!
Clary wrote:Hey Olga, sell your handiwork on line! What is it by the way??!!
Hand made vests for fat cats?
Then Margo should be one of your best customers with that Possum monster, Olga. Funny, I know another enormous cat in Australia called Possum. Are any possums called Cat?
Horoscopewise - just after I have made some big disciplinary NY resolutions, I got this today
Your Daily Horoscope for January 05, 2004
Dear Clare,
Remember that you are put on this Earth to have fun, and that happiness is your true destiny, Clare. Keep this in mind today, as forces may tend to pull you off track from the fun you've been having. There is likely to be a sobering tone to the day that is stubbornly working to rain on your parade. Recognize the need for structure and stability, but don't let it bring you down.
Hell, I was congratulating myself on putting A2K aside, and settling down to write the book that should have been finished by Xmas - and now I have to reverse this efficient behaviour?! Too ghastly! Secret of success = finding fun in my work, maybe.
Haha, Clary. Have more fun!! My first resolution!
margo wrote:Clary wrote:Then Margo should be one of your best customers with that Possum monster, Olga. Funny, I know another enormous cat in Australia called Possum. Are any possums called Cat?
Clary - in the gallery, there's a pic of Possum - with my aunt trying on his hand-knitted jacket. It's not pretty. He was not appreciative 
margo
So someone's beaten me to this get rich quick plan? Dammit!
Clary wrote:Hell, I was congratulating myself on putting A2K aside, and settling down to write the book that should have been finished by Xmas - and now I have to reverse this efficient behaviour?! Too ghastly! Secret of success = finding fun in my work, maybe.
A book, Clary! Tell us more!
Piffka wrote:Haha, Clary. Have more fun!! My first resolution!
So how's the fun going, Piffka?
Gallery? Wot? Must go investigate.
MsOlga -- I regret to say that so far there has not been a total increase in daily fun over last year, but I'm trying, I'm trying.
The problem is we're having this stupid arctic front sitting right on top of us and it is miserably cold (-3 at the warmest point of the day -- totally unheard of!) and so, not so much fun. I don't like to drive in it... neither does anybody else. There have been lots of emergency measures like bringing buckets of water to the horse, thawing out the bird bath, quick trips to get more bird seed.... stuff like that. I have taken nice hot baths everyday and have been good and lazy, but I could use some real fun.
Well, I found the Gallery and found Possum. Must say, Possum does not appear to be having fun either! But what a lovely, lovely cat. <sigh> I wish I had a cat, I do, I do.* Have decided though that it would not be fair to the doglets and mostly the cat who would have to put up with them.
*That would be fun!
Aw, what a shame, Piffka, a kitten would bring MUCH fun into your life!
But keep enjoying your wonderful dogs. At least they won't have their noses out of joint!
You're right, MsOlga. Someday, though... someday and then I'm hoping to get TWO! It is really fun to watch two kittens playing together.
Pisces Horoscope for week of January 1, 2004
After having dined at the Urasawa sushi bar in Los Angeles, I'm prepared to give you advice about your love life in 2004. It should have a lot in common with the sake I drank there: delicate yet potent,
so unique as to be almost (but not quite) strange, enjoyed most when sipped slowly, and made from individually polished grains of rice grown next to sacred groves of sakaki trees and fed by an ancient underground spring.
so unique as to be almost (but not quite) strange ...
WaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaH, I want
normal for a change! Enough of this unique Pisces stuff!
I think it is a little creepy that he/she was at a sushi bar... eating FISH no doubt!
(I like that unique, almost but not quite strange... sounds much more interesting than normal.)
Piffka wrote:I think it is a little creepy that he/she was at a sushi bar... eating FISH no doubt!
Hey, yeah! Now why didn't I pick that up? Most likely because I feel very s-l-o-w today. No energy/no brain.
But how COULD he do a pisces horoscope AND mention eating fish in the same breath? Insensitive cannibal!
Here's one for you Saggy folk:
Sagittarius Horoscope for week of January 1, 2004
Thirty-six-year-old Dale Peck is an author with an extremely high sense of self-worth. He has written several novels that he describes as "among the best books published in the last ten years." He has also penned many book reviews replete with caustic and derisive dismissals of modern literary giants, including Faulkner, Nabokov, DeLillo, Barthelme, and Pynchon. He calls James Joyce's Ulysses "diarrheic flow," and rips Rick Moody as "the worst writer of his generation." I bring Peck to your attention, Piffka & Clary, because I believe you should study him as a model of both what to do and what not to do in 2004. Aspire to achieve his abundant confidence, yes, but root it in self-love, not a contemptuous sense of superiority towards others.
Yep, I thought it was quite insensitive of him. But this Saggy one is particularly weird! PECK? Those are my initials! (now I am feeling creepy!) Never heard of this PECK fella as an author though. Sheltered, that's what I am.
Here's the week's scoop I rec'd:
Quote:Mercury begins to move forward again in your sign, Piffka. This is cheery news if you have been trying to arrange important business, and have found yourself up against a brick wall in recent weeks. Now it will be full speed ahead, which is great for business affairs and heartfelt conversations. On Wednesday, Venus aspects Pluto in your sign, and this gives you the necessary determination to reach out to someone you may have been trying to avoid. But you can also bring about a rather wonderful healing, if you want to. On Wednesday there is a Full Moon in Cancer, which occurs in one of the more sensitive sections of your chart. You may find yourself getting emotional about certain relationships, especially those of the more intimate variety. Things may come to a head, and you could be tempted to react on the spur of the moment. So take it easy around this time, and chill out if necessary. The Sun trines Jupiter in Virgo, which is great news for your overall career advancement and development. There is good money to be made by investigating a new possibility. There is also a tangible aura of goodwill around that is encouraging everyone to take life a little less seriously - which can't be bad.
Wednesday is the tenth anniversary of my dad's death.
Maybe this is the year my siblings will put the estate arguments behind them??? Nah, prolly not.
Maybe this is the time we'll finally bury his cremains??? Oh, probably not.
At least I'll light a candle for him on Tuesday night.
