Carrie K

Ever feeling a bit tired? Try to put such feelings into perspective. You can simply never be as tired as a cat who has just been doing absolutely nothing, for as long as you can remember.

And you don't do all the "interesting things" because you hold off until you have guests to do them with. And then you have guests and they are visiting you, not the "interesting things". Rinse. Repeat. (Nearly 8 years, now.)

I totally get the argument. But the Isar through Munich for eg, the beavers _there_ aren't going to help with that industrialized water system. But the woodland on either side of the river that acts as a corridor right through the centre of town, there ain't gonna be much left of before long...

Here in Germany it's not even _a thing_. And it's not that it means that you can drink while children are around that's good. It's the fact that ordinary life for all grown-ups (with/without kids) just inevitably includes children. The approach feels so much more inclusive and balanced.

Very celebrated here in Germany. But it turns out they absolutely _trash_ your riverside woodland when they come back after a 100 year absence. Komplet Katastrophe.

There was the friend who was trying to trace a water leak. Ended up having to cut into the wall. Found said leaking pipe that had been bricked in, after having been cut off and blocked, by havinga cork rammed in it.

That was, in fact, my explanation to myself at the time.

Nice guy is really very nice about the fact I got him on the wwrong train. Ely is the first stop. We find a taxi driver who is awake and will meet the train as it arrives at Ely. 120mph the whole way and _he_ at least makes his flight. He's on a work do and shouts the taxi fare. 🫣2/

Early flight from Stanstead. Train is going from that long _bidirectional_ platform at Cambridge. Talking to a nice guy while hubby buys tickets I get on. He follows helping with bags. Hubby jumps on. Train pulls away. Northwards. Southerly direction train is further down the same platform. 1/

Uh. That's even worse than the "or, maybe, not giving the benefit of the doubt" version of my take above.

He surely doesn't write his own speeches, right? So I'm going to give his speechwriting team the benefit of the doubt and say that I think they know exactly what they are writing.

To be fair, you do get a pretty good idea at the Freilichtmuseen when you read the dates on the signs saying when those buildings and contents _were still actively in use_. "You mean, including the hand powered milk churning mechanism?" "Yes."

Found out from our landlady the other day that when our house was built (at a guess, early 70s) that the roads here were not yet paved and wouldn't be for another few to come. We're 25mins outside of Munich...

I didn't think it was possible anything in privacy to be so dramatic as to deserve a phrase like that. "Cautiously readjusted subject to multiple safeguards..." is usually the more relevant vibe.

Thank you. I'd only.ever _heard_ this and thought it was "Gleichweis" that was beinsaid back to me... only about 8 years to have learnt. Nobody corrected me🤦‍♂️.

I learnt from my sister that Santa didn't exist because she had had to have it explained to her that, no, it's ok, random strangers can't actually just get down the chimney at night and wander unchecked around the house while everyone is asleep.

Oh wow..I help as Schulewegdienst infront of a school here. I am telling my Burgermeister about this _tomorrow_. Thanks for the Hinweis.

Uh uh. Sunday is eating bread* day. Not eating potato day. *Which in Germany of course actually translates as "more-bread-than-any-other-day day"

My mum's dad dredged B'ham canals by hand and dad's dad did what pretty much every other fit man in S.Wales did at that time (although was always grateful that he was above not below ground). The grammar school system got them both to Uni. Is that an argument for or against? Honestly, I don't know.

Or indeed take one look at the decades old heating system, which along with the rest of the building is crumbling/rusting/leaking and recommend a mate who can give em a good quote.

Yeah. But the the electricity for using the kettle becomes tax deductible, right?😉

This resonated with me partly because of the walking but more generally the _not being alone in the car_. Where we live in Germany most people just get around by walking or cycling (sometimes to get to the station). It makes a massive difference to human contact because _you are not alone in a car_.

Indeed. But it's still kinda like him getting done for his tax returns, right? How can it be that is it not for what he/they/anyone did to the women and girls?

Muppets Know What You Did Last Summer

And, having seen it up close and very personal, learning to use poles (because it does take a _bit_ of learning) sooner rather than later can actually be a really beneficial thing. Without being morbid about it, it's much harder to learn how to use them post stroke than pre...😕

Yup. Identify activities where you are dependent on sideways shifts in your upper body centre of gravity. Forwards/backwards stuff is all good. Sideways 🫣. Hence running is a no-go because you are much more dependent on upper body balance than just walking. (And use poles walking.)

Ha. Just seen I've crossposted. I'm the wife who tore both (referred to elsewhere😆). It was falling sideways into a heap getting off a non stationary bike (with about 20kgs of shopping on the rack, oops) that then mullered my meniscus. So definitely don't do that.

From experience, walk. Provided there's no meniscus damage you'll quickly be able to walk. Then walk and walk and walk and walk. You get the gist. And yeah, weights stuff. Bike trainer. If it is _just_ the ACL you should be able to get enough support from the rest of the knee pretty quickly.

Chemistry of climate change and how democracy is really _not very good_ at dealing with that kind of problem.

I came here to say exactly this. But you said it better than I would have done.