Absolutely Anything Else

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....

I once cut a ladies hair and asked where she was from. She said, "Alaska".
I told her I hear it was easy to find a husband up there.

...

Haha, Alaskan philosophy.  Very nice. 

I watch a lot of these Alaskan wilderness TV shows where people do these land rush things or gold mining or living off the land etc.   Some of them seem just plain loons but others seem to genuinely want to get away from the hustle and bustle and get a simpler existence. 

I kind of admire them for their can do and get up and go.

Yes,I met some of the nicest people and some of the strangest when I was doing hairdressing.
People will tell you things when sitting in your chair that they would never even tell their priest.

About going to a ZZ Tp concert,well my sister might of been the first to go topless at one of their concerts... No, not really she would of done something equally insane but more orginal.
....
She was defo a ton of wild fun but not someone I'd ever know or hang with if not related to me.
Wish it wasn't so windy outdoors today.
I can't risk something blowing into my eye right now and getting an infection.

Your sister sounds like she was a blast.   Another character for your third volume of memoirs.  We're all still waiting for the 1st and 2nd volumes!

I've heard that hairdressers, massage and beauty therapists are often hearing confessions from the clients.   I think if one would spend enough time getting worked on it wouldn't be a surprise. I guess it's kind of neutral ground with someone who is not judgemental.   Bit like going to the confessional (I'm not of that persuasion so only seen that going on in mafia movies and TV).

In the UK barbers used to supply condoms and there was this expression "something for the weekend Sir?" which has of course passed into legend now as joke for all sorts of things.  Somewhat of an intimate thing to discuss with someone but of course now one can buy condoms anywhere - yay for that but that relationship with the barber/hairdresser person lost forever perhaps.

Mrs Fluffy gets confessions all the time but she's the kind of person who is very sympathetic but neutral, a great listener and incredibly discreet.  I am sure she hears all sorts and never tells me and I'm loathe to ask.  I don't think she'd tell me anyway.  My Dad on the other hand will tell people everything - he'd be a hopeless spy.  He cough it up voluntarily in the first 5 minutes.  I never really understood spy dramas - why don't they just say, "offer me money and a new identity and I'll tell you everything".  No real need for the drama of torture.  They wouldn't know if you were lying if you were long gone with the bag of cash.

I don't think there will be much wildness going on here this weekend.  The sun is shining but that breeze is going. I am thinking of finishing some metalwork  I was working on for Balaton, some basic gardening, bike riding, car repairs and dog walking.  Seems a shame to be inside working when the weather looks so good.  Good to make the most of it as looks like rain Monday.

Yes, the weather seems nice enough, best if I protect my eye for now.
Could wear some glasses I suppose to go outside.
I was very confused about tipping my surgeon or not.
I heard it was frowned on since Jan. but still wasn't clear.
My family doc had no problem last week excepting a tip just for signing a release for surgery paper.
My eye doc refused my envelope yesterday and acted like we will not talk about it again.
Still not sure if the new law is in effect yet or not about tipping.
The ordealy at the hospital was super nice like he wanted  a tip, didn't even think about it as I was just not thinking at all pre surgery.
Would be nice to know what's up with that topic.

Yes, I miss my crazy sister all the time.It's hard thugh to think of her as an old lady if she was still around.
She double crossed me and used me so many times but it's all good.
At least she taught me how to know a sammer and after all it was all in the family.
I remember once she told me I was free to use her VW bug when she went to Canada for a week.
I had my old school friend Holly, my husband and one of his friends all join me to the movies in Hollywod. Sort of set his friend and mine up since they both were brainy sorts and thought they would hit it off.
Drove the VW to Hollywood and parked it on one of the main blvds. Hollywood and Vine maybe?
After the movie when we were to all go out to eat and talk we noticed the car was gone.
What?
We walked to their apt. to pick up his friends motorbike so he could drive me to the police station to report it missing.
Found out the handbrake was bad and the car had rolled into the intersection where it was hit from behind, just a tap really, a bit of damage to the bumper.
I got the car out of the wrecking yard , paid for the towing.
The couples date night was a bust.
I told my sister I would pay weekly to repair her bumper.
Well I seemed to be paying for months on end, must of paid her enough to buy herself another car! She never did fix the bumper either.
She also had me pay half the bills although I never saw or asked to see a bill. I think I was paying all the bills on our shared flat.
It's OK though she was a single mom and I could afford it with my job.
Funny though how she would tell me about how someone like our first cousin scammed her. Bad blood?

fluffy2560 wrote:

anns wrote:

Less of the Great then in Great Britain. Who calls it that anyway?  We all call it the UK.   I've never heard anyone call it Great Britain in normal conversation.  Obviously direct translation issues.

At infants school it was called great Britain and the atlas pages were pink. Seemed weird even then .

Best to use the quote button and there are always italics.   

Old school geography and history books maybe but not now.  I had a text book that referred to Rep. Ireland as the Free State.  I also remember phone books with Dublin having a UK telephone area code!

I often hear (from non-UK people) asking why it's called Great thinking it means wonderful or super but of course it's not that at all.   

They don't think about Brittany - as in Lesser Britain. 

Maybe we should be asking for it back - like the Spanish do over Gibraltar.

When I worked in Derbyshire years ago the locals in Ilkeston would never go to Nottingham or Derby for anything. It was like a little Independent State.

anns wrote:

....
When I worked in Derbyshire years ago the locals in Ilkeston would never go to Nottingham or Derby for anything. It was like a little Independent State.

Hmmmm...Bakewell Tarts....

So many places like that.  When I worked in Germany, they always said Bavaria was very independently minded.  I rather liked it there. 

The Isle of Wight was at one point thinking of making itself into a quasi-independent place like the Channel Islands or Isle of Man.  I've been to the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands but not the Isle of Man. 

I have lived on small islands and there's a chance of going bonkers there, especially in COVID times. Only so much fish you can eat.

fluffy2560 wrote:

I have lived on small islands and there's a chance of going bonkers there, especially in COVID times. Only so much fish you can eat.

I lived in Jersey, I was only going for the summer to work but ended up staying 2 years. That was long enough. I am not sure if I would have been able to have coped with COVID. I guess I would have had to go back to the mainland and stayed with my dad?

SimCityAT wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

I have lived on small islands and there's a chance of going bonkers there, especially in COVID times. Only so much fish you can eat.

I lived in Jersey, I was only going for the summer to work but ended up staying 2 years. That was long enough. I am not sure if I would have been able to have coped with COVID. I guess I would have had to go back to the mainland and stayed with my dad?

I wasn't on such sophisticated islands.  One of them was in an Islamic country and there was literally nothing to do.  Not even drinking was allowed without special permission.  At that time I was drinking so it wasn't that great.  Mrs Fluffy was however with me.  We had movie channels but they were constantly interrupted by the call to prayer.  We did a lot of swimming, snorkelling and diving.

The other island I was on I could drive around the entire periphery in 2-3h going slowly.  It was survivable.  They had rubbish beaches. But we did have excellent Internet.   

Both were tropical but there's only so many bananas and pawpaw you can eat.   The one thing I really missed was fresh fruit and vegetables.   The supply ship came in about once every 14 days  so there was a run on it when they knew the boat was in.

COVID would really have done my head in.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Yes, the weather seems nice enough, best if I protect my eye for now.
Could wear some glasses I suppose to go outside.
I was very confused about tipping my surgeon or not.
I heard it was frowned on since Jan. but still wasn't clear.
My family doc had no problem last week accepting a tip just for signing a release for surgery paper.
...

Yes, I miss my crazy sister all the time.It's hard thugh to think of her as an old lady if she was still around.
She double crossed me and used me so many times but it's all good.
At least she taught me how to know a sammer and after all it was all in the family.
I remember once she told me I was free to use her VW bug when she went to Canada for a week.
...
Drove the VW to Hollywood and parked it on one of the main blvds. Hollywood and Vine maybe?
After the movie when we were to all go out to eat and talk we noticed the car was gone.
What?
We walked to their apt. to pick up his friends motorbike so he could drive me to the police station to report it missing.
Found out the handbrake was bad and the car had rolled into the intersection where it was hit from behind, just a tap really, a bit of damage to the bumper.
I got the car out of the wrecking yard , paid for the towing.
.....

I don't know about the tipping now.   I suppose they are all worried about being caught out by health authorities spies checking on this kind of thing.   We still know docs who will take a tip but we've known them forever so they are pretty clear we're not up to no good.

Best to keep out of the wind.  It's pretty dusty out there today although the wind has died down a bit.   It's more like proper weather now although I found it chilly this morning when I was in the garden tending to the menagerie at the Fluffy Farm.

VW bugs are notorious cars.  They are very popular as an icon of that era but I always thought they were very noisy, extremely hot, very slow and terrible handling with all the weight at the back.  The engineering was a bit suspect too although of course the engines were forerunners for 911 Porsche sports cars. The air cooling was interesting. 

The electrics were dire on the one I had most contact with - positive earth, now there's stupid and 6 volt electricals, jeez get with the programme! No four or five door models, no airco and nowhere to put the kids' pushchairs either. So not very family friendly. I never quite understood why they thought they needed cars to float or rather sink slowly.  Seems to have been or became a feature. 

Who ever did the marketing was a genius.  Think the Herbie movies.  Strangely the original Beetle is having a bit of a come back - they are relatively easy to convert to electricity.   I've been reading about the conversion process and quite a few people have changed them to battery power.  I thought about a newer model New Beetle to convert to battery power but it's an entirely different car to the original and not quite as easy to convert.  I was considering it as a kind of project and getting the project's designated driver/test pilot - i.e.  HU Fluffyette No 1 to help out.   Motivation to help is being the person who can drive it. 

It does sound like your sister was living it large.  Maybe she was in some kind of continuous rebellion or perhaps just the times.  The 60s in California must have been a happening place.   I love all that hippy stuff - free livin' and free lovin' and those groovy psychedelic outfits.   My impressions are from the movies of course.  I was just a little bit too young for the height of flower power.  The 1970s were horrible as much as I remember it.   

I watched a 1968 spy movie called Hammerhead yesterday and it was absolutely atrocious.  The hippy angle was dire.   Wasted 1.5h+ of my life. I would have had more fun digging in my compost heap.

BTW, latest VW bus (sort of Beetle Bus replacement) looks nice (and all electric):

I learned to drive manual shift on a VW van.
Loved driving that thing.
I think I had 3 bugs in my lifetime.
I like them although they suck in desert temp.
Once an old BF and I drove his bro, the guys wife and their toddler from S. Ca. to Las Vegas. About 50 miles from Vegas the dang bug just over heated.
We waited on the side of the road for a tow, checked into a super low budget motel.
I was 18 at the time and the young couple was paying for the shared room because we drove them to Vegas where they had jobs waiting for them.
It was miserable with the baby crying, the summer sun beating on our heads and waiting for that tow to arrive.
Checked into the budget motel only to find out the A/C was broken in our room!
I remember just walking into the shower with all my clothing on and soaking up the cold water...Every 15 mins or so.
My sister was a trip for sure.
She knew some dude who sold her a porsch engine and tanny with all the racing tires and all.
The body of the car was a beat up old VW bug that looked like junk. She actually had a headlight duct taped on.
The car could move though.
She loved pulling up to a new Mercedes or other exotic car and exchaning glances with the other driver. They looked all snooby and full of themselves.
Well, when the light turned green she would hit the gas and leave them in the dust. She said she could see in her mirror the look of shock in their faces.
Once her boyfriend ordered a brand new pink custom painted BMW for her. She told him to stick it and dumped him?
OK, guess money was not her motovation.
Too cool for school.

Got out and about yesterday by wearing sunshades to protect my eye.
Not sure what's up with all this wind lately?
Grew up in a town, later a city called, Simi Valley, in the native language of the Indians Simi meant land of the winds.
It was always windy there, hay fever city or as we used to call the place, Cesspool City...Before all the homes were connected to the city sewer line.
Heard now there is a new and not exciting variant of C-19 coming .A mix of the UK and Indian one, some sort of Vietnam mix of fun.
These vax shots will be useless if they don't come up with one that is a one vax does it all shot.
When will this end?
Saw a short clip on U Tube where different short clips avout C-19 were being discussed.
Out of the blue a 10 second clip of Mick Jagger singing something about allowing Bill Gates into your veins... The thought of that is worst then C-19!!

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Got out and about yesterday by wearing sunshades to protect my eye.
Not sure what's up with all this wind lately?
Grew up in a town, later a city called, Simi Valley, in the native language of the Indians Simi meant land of the winds.
It was always windy there, hay fever city or as we used to call the place, Cesspool City...Before all the homes were connected to the city sewer line.
Heard now there is a new and not exciting variant of C-19 coming .A mix of the UK and Indian one, some sort of Vietnam mix of fun.
These vax shots will be useless if they don't come up with one that is a one vax does it all shot.
When will this end?
Saw a short clip on U Tube where different short clips avout C-19 were being discussed.
Out of the blue a 10 second clip of Mick Jagger singing something about allowing Bill Gates into your veins... The thought of that is worst then C-19!!

Yes, looks like the Viet Nam variant is going to go....err....viral.    But hardly unexpected.  This will be with us a long time.

I don't really get it.  All these travel restrictions and yet plenty of vaccinations going on.  We're supposed to be getting more freedom to do stuff because we got vaccinated.

I read on the BBC that the Australians are considering keeping their borders closed until 2022.  I hope this doesn't catch on elsewhere.  Maybe just close the borders everywhere for the next 5 or 10 years?

Mick Jagger and Bill Gates - now there's an unlikely pairing.    If we're going to have conspiracy theories why not someone like the North Korea guy and say, Trump?  Some vague plausibility there - they did meet.  I cannot see Mick and Bill getting it on myself.

I can't see them getting on either but maybe they have a secret vice that they both share?
Just not wishing to break my bubble and think they could have anything in common.
Mick looks so much like that actor Don Knotts that it is disturbing really.
Believe it or not when my friend and I lived in Hollywood in the"Sleaze" Hotel with our gay friend, he looked like a mind western version of Don Knotts and Mick Jagger, like their ,"love child" his name too was off, it was ,"Christopher Robin" just like the Winnie the Pooh story.
My nieces cousin who I also write went to Disneyland today.
I used to love that place. Asked her to ride the tea cups for me.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I can't see them getting on either but maybe they have a secret vice that they both share?
Just not wishing to break my bubble and think they could have anything in common.
Mick looks so much like that actor Don Knotts that it is disturbing really.
Believe it or not when my friend and I lived in Hollywood in the"Sleaze" Hotel with our gay friend, he looked like a mind western version of Don Knotts and Mick Jagger, like their ,"love child" his name too was off, it was ,"Christopher Robin" just like the Winnie the Pooh story.
My nieces cousin who I also write went to Disneyland today.
I used to love that place. Asked her to ride the tea cups for me.

I've been to Disney world (Orlando Florida) and Universal Studios California.  I couldn't think of anywhere worse to be during a pandemic.  All those people! 

Last time we were in a theme park was in Europa Park on the French/German border.    The park was OK but the place we stayed was full of difficult people. 

One guy - from the Middle East I think - reversed into our car.  He'd hired a minibus from Hertz.  And oddly the local people in the town were really awkward and resentful of us foreigners willing to spend money in their town.  Decided not to visit again - ever.   

Feel too old anyway to be thrown about and scared to death on a  rollercoaster.   Mrs F and the F'ettes were on some tea cup thing at Balaton.  I didn't go on.  They all seemed to have headaches and sore necks.  Looked like whiplash to me!

Don Knotts is one of those actors who regularly appears in stuff as a supporting actor but you never know who they actually are and they never seem to be in the lead.  I suppose it's good to have some steady work even if you're second fiddle.  Don Knotts seems to have the same kind of pop-eyes as Peter Lorre.  I used to think Susan Sarandon was like that but now I'm not sure - I liked her when I was younger.  She made a great vampire. Maybe they all had thyroid problems like Marty Feldman.

Marty Feldman RIP:

Poor Marty, he had some serious throid issues going on.
My son the little ,"beast" had photos of himself with around 3 or 4 differnt ladies in Tokyo the first time he flew over to do his in house meet ups with his online ladies.
He took them each to Disneyland Tokyo.
What can I say, I love him and he also makes me madder then a hatter at times.
My little dog...
Funny but I suppose sad story about Disneyland.
My parents called us children together and told us we were all going to Disneyland the upcoming weekend.
I was 7 years old and over the moon.
Got the Mouse ear and all.
The next weekend after the trip we again were all called together to learn our parents were getting a divorce.
Have mixed feelings about Disneyland.
It was horrible, one Sat. over the moon and the next Sat. down in the dumps.
That's life I suppose, can't count on the good times or bad times lasting long.
No wonder it was no fun in Germany, I will not even do a 5 min. lay over with a flight that has anything to do with Germany.
Sorry, got burned there way too many times for no reason.
Not my fave country to say the least.
My great-grandparents came from Frankfurt but dang that place really burns my bottom.

I am happy for the middle ground.
I have made it my lives mission to not get excited one way or the other about anything. I come off as hard at times but it is to protect myself from the big let down.
What goes up must come down!
My first cousin Sydney was a child actor and was in a group shot with Don Knotts in a 1960's film. The Reluctant Astronut.
He started out as an infant in films.
Shot himself in the head in my aunties living room when he was 21 years old.
She came home from grocery shopping to find him.
She cracked up aftert that and never went anywhere and kept his room like a shrine.
My cousin Frank in Las Vegas was his half bro.
We really didn't speak much about Sydney when I went out with my cuz in Vegas. I didn't wish to open up any wounds.
In the film they have a part where there are several school children in a group, he is the cute little blonde boy looking all shy.
Just  a stupid film but it must of effected my cousin more then anyone could know.
He was around 8 or so and Frank who was older and on the football team happened to jump over a hedge in their yard. Frank didn't know Sydney was playing under the hedge and by accident kicked him hard in the head.
He had brain issues after that and lost his Hollywood roles plus he had grown and no one wants a gangly 12 year old in films.
Sad it totally destroyed my auntie.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....
Got the Mouse ear and all.
The next weekend after the trip we again were all called together to learn our parents were getting a divorce.
Have mixed feelings about Disneyland.
It was horrible, one Sat. over the moon and the next Sat. down in the dumps.
That's life I suppose, can't count on the good times or bad times lasting long.
No wonder it was no fun in Germany, I will not even do a 5 min. lay over with a flight that has anything to do with Germany.
Sorry, got burned there way too many times for no reason.
......

I am happy for the middle ground.
I have made it my lives mission to not get excited one way or the other about anything. I come off as hard at times but it is to protect myself from the big let down.
What goes up must come down!
My first cousin Sydney was a child actor and was in a group shot with Don Knotts in a 1960's film. ....
...
Just  a stupid film but it must of effected my cousin more then anyone could know.
He was around 8 or so and Frank who was older and on the football team happened to jump over a hedge in their yard. Frank didn't know Sydney was playing under the hedge and by accident kicked him hard in the head.
He had brain issues after that and lost his Hollywood roles plus he had grown and no one wants a gangly 12 year old in films.
Sad it totally destroyed my auntie.

Wow, so much life drama intertwined with Disney and the movie industry. 

Such a fickle thing to be in when one is on the front line - i.e. making a living out of acting.    I was reading yesterday about Macaulay Culkin - the child actor from the Home Alone movies.   I've never seen those movies and I thought he was out the business but apparently he has worked. I thought after his drug bust he was out of it completely.    He's going to be in the latest American Horror Story (AHS). It's a pretty good series - mostly the same actors  each time, different stories but interlinked.   Some stories are better than others - the one with Jessica Lange (season is called Asylum) is surprisingly good and her performance is excellent.

Fluffyette No. 1 has started putting hair in bunches.  Said it's styled after the Mickey Mouse ears.  I wasn't sure if it was space age Princess Leia's giant hair plaits.  People would kill to have such lush bushes on their noggins.

Incidentally  "The Last Kingdom" is filming near Paty again.  We drove past and saw they had built what looks like a castle on a hill out in the sticks and there are lots of trucks there. It's very visible from the road although at least 1km away.   We're going to creep through the forest while walking with the pooch and see what we can see.

Never mind all this stuff about TV programmes and Film stars; the hot news here is that "WE HAD SUN YESTERDAY!!!!!!".  We got so much done outside and we're really looking forward to the Summer now.

Cynic wrote:

Never mind all this stuff about TV programmes and Film stars; the hot news here is that "WE HAD SUN YESTERDAY!!!!!!".  We got so much done outside and we're really looking forward to the Summer now.

Didn't you hear that summer will be cancelled due to COVID19?  Due to the Indian...oops....Delta variant.

Mrs Fluffy says that Hungarian weather is being transferred to the UK and UK weather is coming here.    We're suffering rubbish weather. 

One of the good things about this place was the nice summer weather. Winter was never that attractive.   

It was about 7 C during the night.  That's nuts.  Normally we'd be at 25 C easily during the day on what would be the start of summer 1st June (wow, that's today!).

Mrs Fluffy said she was reading a long term climate report the other day and said it was predicted it would be desert here and like the South of France in the UK. 

Hungary could be the Las Vegas of Europe.  It would certainly liven it up but I don't think the politicians could take that level of open pleasurable hedonism.  They would all be laden down with religious guilt.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Cynic wrote:

Never mind all this stuff about TV programmes and Film stars; the hot news here is that "WE HAD SUN YESTERDAY!!!!!!".  We got so much done outside and we're really looking forward to the Summer now.

Didn't you hear that summer will be cancelled due to COVID19?  Due to the Indian...oops....Delta variant.

Mrs Fluffy says that Hungarian weather is being transferred to the UK and UK weather is coming here.    We're suffering rubbish weather. 

One of the good things about this place was the nice summer weather. Winter was never that attractive.   

It was about 7 C during the night.  That's nuts.  Normally we'd be at 25 C easily during the day on what would be the start of summer 1st June (wow, that's today!).

Mrs Fluffy said she was reading a long term climate report the other day and said it was predicted it would be desert here and like the South of France in the UK. 

Hungary could be the Las Vegas of Europe.  It would certainly liven it up but I don't think the politicians could take that level of open pleasurable hedonism.  They would all be laden down with religious guilt.

I stopped reading weather reports years ago and replaced it with my tried and tested piece of string; it kind of works like this; if it's:

moving - it's windy
wet - it's raining
stiff - it's icy
shadow - it's sunny
white - it's snowing
missing - bloody cat again !!!

Anyway, have to go, need to teach a bunch of nurses how to use a computer properly, which I guess will be a lot more fun than waiting for the bus full of nurses to turn up.

p.s. I worked a couple of Red Flags at Nellis, you don't want Vegas anywhere near your town.

Cynic wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Cynic wrote:

Never mind all this stuff about TV programmes and Film stars; the hot news here is that "WE HAD SUN YESTERDAY!!!!!!".  We got so much done outside and we're really looking forward to the Summer now.

Didn't you hear that summer will be cancelled due to COVID19?  Due to the Indian...oops....Delta variant.

Mrs Fluffy says that Hungarian weather is being transferred to the UK and UK weather is coming here.    We're suffering rubbish weather. 

One of the good things about this place was the nice summer weather. Winter was never that attractive.   

It was about 7 C during the night.  That's nuts.  Normally we'd be at 25 C easily during the day on what would be the start of summer 1st June (wow, that's today!).

Mrs Fluffy said she was reading a long term climate report the other day and said it was predicted it would be desert here and like the South of France in the UK. 

Hungary could be the Las Vegas of Europe.  It would certainly liven it up but I don't think the politicians could take that level of open pleasurable hedonism.  They would all be laden down with religious guilt.

I stopped reading weather reports years ago and replaced it with my tried and tested piece of string; it kind of works like this; if it's:

moving - it's windy
wet - it's raining
stiff - it's icy
shadow - it's sunny
white - it's snowing
missing - bloody cat again !!!

Anyway, have to go, need to teach a bunch of nurses how to use a computer properly, which I guess will be a lot more fun than waiting for the bus full of nurses to turn up.

p.s. I worked a couple of Red Flags at Nellis, you don't want Vegas anywhere near your town.

Weather string is so old school.  I am sure that string is not digital or WiFi enabled.   

One of our defunct contributors had  a weather rock, previous version of the more portable weather string.   

LV is just one weird place.  No idea about Nellis although I know it's nearby.   What they could do here is build LV here in a remote area and then build the Hungarian version of a fundamentalist community around it.  Be like the lights of West Berlin in the darkness of the DDR.  Gilead and the Jezebels even.

BTW, I saw a BBC Panorama (?) programme on them bringing Indian nurses to the NHS and going through an orientation and training exercise.  Previously it was Filipino nurses.  My Mum was in hospital when the Filipinos were working there and they were just so nice.  My Mum was well impressed!

fluffy2560 wrote:

Cynic wrote:

Never mind all this stuff about TV programmes and Film stars; the hot news here is that "WE HAD SUN YESTERDAY!!!!!!".  We got so much done outside and we're really looking forward to the Summer now.

Didn't you hear that summer will be cancelled due to COVID19?  Due to the Indian...oops....Delta variant.

Mrs Fluffy says that Hungarian weather is being transferred to the UK and UK weather is coming here.    We're suffering rubbish weather. 

One of the good things about this place was the nice summer weather. Winter was never that attractive.   

It was about 7 C during the night.  That's nuts.  Normally we'd be at 25 C easily during the day on what would be the start of summer 1st June (wow, that's today!).

Mrs Fluffy said she was reading a long term climate report the other day and said it was predicted it would be desert here and like the South of France in the UK. 

Hungary could be the Las Vegas of Europe.  It would certainly liven it up but I don't think the politicians could take that level of open pleasurable hedonism.  They would all be laden down with religious guilt.

I am still waiting with baited breath for them to say all the lakes and rivers are too contaminated this summer for visitors.
At this point I'm ready for anything.
Yes, Hungary is heating up.
My husband said the Danube used to freeze solid every winter in his youth.Not any longer.
I was ready to run outdoors today but the wind and my recent eye issues made me decide to chill out instead.
Really not in the mood to pick up an eye  infection right now.
I'm in a rather upset mood ATM.
My first cousin wrote to tell me he has stage 4 throat cancer.
Related on mom's side.
He just came home from the Phillipines a couple years ago with his wife from over there.
She works and was waiting to spend enough time in the US to become a US citizen.
They lived over there for over 10 years where he set up a NGO to collect school books and clothing for needy children. He never had any children of his own.
Now, not sure what the future will bring them.
He isn't in the best of health anyways.
Very obese and has sleep apnea.
It's a shame he never took care of his health.
When he visited me years back in Vegas , I remember he smoked like a chimney.
He is a few years my jr. Age doesn't matter it's how you life your life that makes it long or short.
He is a cool guy though, very funny like his younger bro.
Lived on an Native American Indian res for 10 years and learned under a healer, maybe he should return to the res for treatments?
He also learned native drumming and learned to speak Iroquoian languages.
He was also very active with AIM and was a personal friend of Russell Means.
Sounds like I've already written him off, no but it doesn't sound too good either.

Another public holiday today, can't do much as I haven't got an up to date test. We have to show a negative test in order to go to the pub, restaurant or cafe. I will be happy when I have had all the jabs then I will have more freedom to do things. I have the first one on Saturday.

SimCityAT wrote:

Another public holiday today, can't do much as I haven't got an up to date test. We have to show a negative test in order to go to the pub, restaurant or cafe. I will be happy when I have had all the jabs then I will have more freedom to do things. I have the first one on Saturday.

Walked on Vaci utca. yesterday .
Slow, a few people eating and drinking outdoors but the walkways were mostly clear, loved it.
We went by the Vigado, some museum  is located inside. Need an immunity card to enter. Not interested in going in but it was werid to see the notice outside.
My 2 doctors have asked me 5 times now between themselves if I had my jab yet or not.
We are hold outs. My husband is waiting for a shot that is also good for dog bites.
I really don't understand it , immunity to what? I thought the jab only made the symptoms of having C-19 more mild but it isn't a cure all.
If my husband was ready for a shot then I'd probably get one with him. In the mean time little good does it do me to be jabbed while he isn't?
Not going anywhere without him .
I was the hold out first, now he is. The more he reads the more he isn't interested in it.
He is 73 and thinks the shot might be more dangerous to him then the ,"cure".
We'll just have to see what happens.
He always brings up the story about a healthy HU guy in S.Ca. who was a senior but super active. Played hard core tennis all the time and ran.
His GP told him he could do with heart surgery for a tiny blockage.
He wasn't into doing the surgery but his wife pushed him to do it.
Well, he died in the hospital post surgery.
Maybe it's best to leave well enough alone?

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

SimCityAT wrote:

Another public holiday today, can't do much as I haven't got an up to date test. We have to show a negative test in order to go to the pub, restaurant or cafe. I will be happy when I have had all the jabs then I will have more freedom to do things. I have the first one on Saturday.

Walked on Vaci utca. yesterday .
Slow, a few people eating and drinking outdoors but the walkways were mostly clear, loved it.
We went by the Vigado, some museum  is located inside. Need an immunity card to enter. Not interested in going in but it was werid to see the notice outside.
My 2 doctors have asked me 5 times now between themselves if I had my jab yet or not.
We are hold outs. .....
I was the hold out first, now he is. The more he reads the more he isn't interested in it.
He is 73 and thinks the shot might be more dangerous to him then the ,"cure".
We'll just have to see what happens.
He always brings up the story about a healthy HU guy in S.Ca. who was a senior but super active. Played hard core tennis all the time and ran.
His GP told him he could do with heart surgery for a tiny blockage.
He wasn't into doing the surgery but his wife pushed him to do it.
Well, he died in the hospital post surgery.
Maybe it's best to leave well enough alone?

Hard to say.  Medical science has changed so much.

My Mum was always short of breath due to a dodgy heart valve.   She had open heart surgery to repair it.  She lasted more than 10 years after that before it failed again.  If she hadn't had the surgery the outcome could have been worse and maybe she would last only a few years. It's hard to know.   They now replace valves in just a few hours without the big chest surgery and they are home within a few days!  The technology has reduced the risk.

My grandfather died of a stomach ulcer rupture.  That was 40+ years ago. They now know that antibiotics are a potential treatment for the bacteriathat cause them.   Could have fixed him if they'd known.  Instead they operated on him to sow it back up and he didn't recover from the operation. 

It's all about risk.  It's more risky not to have the jab than to have it.  It's like seat belts and air bags in cars. People could (and did) complain about them but now everyone just accepts it as the norm.   The chances of dying from putting on the seat belt is so low no-one worries about it.  But the chances of dying in an accident because of not wearing a seat belt is much higher.   The vaccines are your COVID seat belt.

SimCityAT wrote:

Another public holiday today, can't do much as I haven't got an up to date test. We have to show a negative test in order to go to the pub, restaurant or cafe. I will be happy when I have had all the jabs then I will have more freedom to do things. I have the first one on Saturday.

We went to Burger King last night and no-one checked our vaccination status at all. 

The staff were togged up with gloves and masks but the customers were mostly masked but some not.

We sat outside as thems the rules.

Looks to me like the enforcement is very lax here in Goulashland.

I think you can go in and rder almost anywhere if you wear a mask  but you can't sit inside to eat.
Haven't had an fast food in a few years now, not even my gyro's.
I could do with a Taco Bell burritto.
I'm sure we will get jabbed at some point, if we ever wish to travel at least.
A HU immunity card doesn't seem to come with many perks, at least in the US you can have a chance at winning a million dollars, Ca. is making it a cool.1.5 million.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I think you can go in and rder almost anywhere if you wear a mask  but you can't sit inside to eat.
Haven't had an fast food in a few years now, not even my gyro's.
I could do with a Taco Bell burritto.
I'm sure we will get jabbed at some point, if we ever wish to travel at least.
A HU immunity card doesn't seem to come with many perks, at least in the US you can have a chance at winning a million dollars, Ca. is making it a cool.1.5 million.

Mrs Fluffy mentioned Tacos for lunch. I'm not really a fan of them.  We went to BK because we were very lazy and couldn't think of anything interesting to make.  We were also short of time. I really wouldn't want to make a habit of it.

It makes perfect sense to  encourage the masses with free prizes.  $1M is very nice, $1.5M is even better! I hope it's tax free.

In some countries, they pay parents to send their kids to school. 

I think they should pay me for something - don't know what but I can try and think of something.

I'm quite good at time wasting - looking out the window or watching You Tube videos. Or writing on...err.... here.

My fave fods are prbably Thi, Mexican or Italian.
Never really eat anything other then my own cooking lately so nothing fancy going on in our kitchen.
Did finally purchase a clay baking dish, made some killer baked chicken in in,comes out very moist.
One little chicken can do us for 3 or 4 meals plus a pot of soup.
If it was BBQ chicken then perhaps it would be gone faster.
Seems like we are always shopping but we don't eat much either.
Tons of salads and veggies though.
Only way I can think of to fight of any illness.

fluffy2560 wrote:

SimCityAT wrote:

Another public holiday today, can't do much as I haven't got an up to date test. We have to show a negative test in order to go to the pub, restaurant or cafe. I will be happy when I have had all the jabs then I will have more freedom to do things. I have the first one on Saturday.

We went to Burger King last night and no-one checked our vaccination status at all. 

The staff were togged up with gloves and masks but the customers were mostly masked but some not.

We sat outside as thems the rules.

Looks to me like the enforcement is very lax here in Goulashland.

The Police do spot checks here and give out fines.

SimCityAT wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

SimCityAT wrote:

Another public holiday today, can't do much as I haven't got an up to date test. We have to show a negative test in order to go to the pub, restaurant or cafe. I will be happy when I have had all the jabs then I will have more freedom to do things. I have the first one on Saturday.

We went to Burger King last night and no-one checked our vaccination status at all. 

The staff were togged up with gloves and masks but the customers were mostly masked but some not.

We sat outside as thems the rules.

Looks to me like the enforcement is very lax here in Goulashland.

The Police do spot checks here and give out fines.

Interesting.  Spot checks on restaurants and venues.  I don't think they'd do that here.   The logistics would horrendous.  If you are in quarantine, they do come around to make sure you are there but they don't get out the car.  They just shout at you and hoot their horn -  they don't want their coffee to go cold or their cigarettes to go out.   God forbid you are working in the garden or in the loo and cannot come to the door right away.

BTW, today we're due to find out what happens to the UK green list. I hope Hungary is boosted to green.   Those required PCR test costs are absurd - LBC said the highest price was £380 or summat!

When the pubs first opened in Vienna, on the first day a total of 40 venues were given fines, and two places were closed permanently.

SimCityAT wrote:

When the pubs first opened in Vienna, on the first day a total of 40 venues were given fines, and two places were closed permanently.

That's a bit aggressive.

fluffy2560 wrote:

BTW, today we're due to find out what happens to the UK green list. I hope Hungary is boosted to green.   Those required PCR test costs are absurd - LBC said the highest price was £380 or summat!

No new countries added to the Green List

SimCityAT wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

BTW, today we're due to find out what happens to the UK green list. I hope Hungary is boosted to green.   Those required PCR test costs are absurd - LBC said the highest price was £380 or summat!

No new countries added to the Green List

and Portugal removed!

Cynic wrote:

SimCityAT wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

BTW, today we're due to find out what happens to the UK green list. I hope Hungary is boosted to green.   Those required PCR test costs are absurd - LBC said the highest price was £380 or summat!

No new countries added to the Green List

and Portugal removed!

Dire isn't it?

I suppose if this is what it was like living in a Communist country behind the Iron Curtain. Instead of stopping people travelling by building guard towers and threatening them with machine guns, just make sure they have nowhere to go and no way to get there.  Then manipulate their minds to make them all frightened.  Must be almost like old times for the bureaucracy.  Soon (after 100 years or so) we'll believe our neighbours to be evil and less than human.

The people of the North East of England know what I'm talking about.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Cynic wrote:

SimCityAT wrote:

No new countries added to the Green List

and Portugal removed!

Dire isn't it?

I suppose if this is what it was like living in a Communist country behind the Iron Curtain. Instead of stopping people travelling by building guard towers and threatening them with machine guns, just make sure they have nowhere to go and no way to get there.  Then manipulate their minds to make them all frightened.  Must be almost like old times for the bureaucracy.  Soon (after 100 years or so) we'll believe our neighbours to be evil and less than human.

The people of the North East of England know what I'm talking about.

I'll let you know when I feel frightened.  As for LBC, I wouldn't believe all you hear on that station - £135, including fit to travel document is the going rate (my daughter uses it regularly).  I've got a box full of the tests upstairs, Mrs C has to test every other day and as part of the ZOE testing group (link), I test weekly.

Here, having spent billions keeping the country going, what they can't do is accept it happening again, so they are being ultra-cautious.  If the cost is some people can't lay on the beach for a few weeks, then so be it; I suspect you know where my sympathy lies.

Cynic wrote:

...
I'll let you know when I feel frightened.  As for LBC, I wouldn't believe all you hear on that station - £135, including fit to travel document is the going rate (my daughter uses it regularly).  I've got a box full of the tests upstairs, Mrs C has to test every other day and as part of the ZOE testing group (link), I test weekly.

Here, having spent billions keeping the country going, what they can't do is accept it happening again, so they are being ultra-cautious.  If the cost is some people can't lay on the beach for a few weeks, then so be it; I suspect you know where my sympathy lies.

I wasn't referring to those in the UK who want to travel elsewhere for holidays.   It wasn't about going to the beach from UK to somewhere else.  It was something else. 

The frightened bit was about here - many Hungarians do not speak English or another language and the government controls all the media.  So they can spoon feed them any old nonsense.  It's a recurrent problem.

Anyways, I was actually referring to people here who want and need to travel there and come back here.   The costs and number of tests are ridiculous in the UK - the PCR tests cost a maximum of HUF 20K here (about £50).  The price is mandated by the HU government.   UK government could easily set a fixed price for it but they choose not to.   The LBC quoted numbers are from the government's own web site! Last one on the list is £390!

At the moment, it's 4 tests and 10 days quarantine from HU to UK and 10 days on return here.   So that's just looking absurd.  It's going to cost north of £500 just to take a round trip and waste huge amounts of time even if the traveller and all the people in between have been vaccinated.  I could live with £200 but £500 and stuck inside is just taking the mickey.

The rate of vaccination here is very high (albeit some with Chinese and Russian vaccines but also with AZ and Pfizer).   It's almost as high as the UK.  And Malta was short changed on being green.  Let's not talk about Portugal's flip flopping colours.

I actually want to go to to see my Dad.  He's 97 and was in hospital with an infected hand. I haven't seen him since August 2020. At that age he could drop dead anytime and I might not see him again.  I was volunteering to look after him but it's a PITA with the overbearing PCR and quarantine requirements at each end.   I'd have to take care of his shopping, arranging his appointments, drive him around and so on.   He cannot drive his own car as he cannot change gear (due to his dodgy hand).  Yes, he's still able to drive at 97. I couldn't afford to hang around waiting for 10 days to be over.    If I've been vaccinated and he's been vaccinated and we stay together in a bubble, avoid everyone else, use masks and hand sanitiser, I am sure we'd be golden.   With proper precautions, UK is looking far too OTT.

They should never have put Portugal on the green list. Was it really just for the football? I have to feel kind of sorry for the holidaymakers trying to rush back before Tuesday.

I would love to go and visit my dad (he is 80), but that will happen next year. I just can't afford to quarantine 10 days each way. There are no direct flights which isn't too much trouble because I fly to Amsterdam then onto Cardiff. But you see stories of people being denied boarding flights.

The whole situation is a complete mess. 5000+ cases in the UK, so even tougher measures could be put in place.

I am just thankful that I can still call him on the phone and able to do Zoom.

Well, I guess we are lucky to be in the EU, so if we wish to have a holiday  we can travel to Italy or Germany etc.. without any trouble.

COVID-19: Michael Gove receives coronavirus app alert following Portugal visit for Champions League final

SimCityAT wrote:

They should never have put Portugal on the green list. Was it really just for the football? I have to feel kind of sorry for the holidaymakers trying to rush back before Tuesday.

I would love to go and visit my dad (he is 80), but that will happen next year. I just can't afford to quarantine 10 days each way. There are no direct flights which isn't too much trouble because I fly to Amsterdam then onto Cardiff. But you see stories of people being denied boarding flights.

I don't get why the match wasn't held in England.  Makes no sense whatsoever.

Exactly, that 10 days each end is a killer. HMG has to sort out the costs of those tests.  They are just ripping people off.  If they can make money here for £50 test, they can do it in the UK.  I personally think this kind of test should be in the £10 price range.  If there's a family of four, it'd be £2K for a round trip.  It's unsustainable.

SimCityAT wrote:

The whole situation is a complete mess. 5000+ cases in the UK, so even tougher measures could be put in place.

I am just thankful that I can still call him on the phone and able to do Zoom.

Well, I guess we are lucky to be in the EU, so if we wish to have a holiday  we can travel to Italy or Germany etc.. without any trouble.

Unfortunately my Dad is more or less technologically illiterate.  One of my lot has set up a tablet with Skype on and set it to auto answer.   However, as he lives alone, and he's almost completely deaf,  he cannot hear anyone until he puts his hearing aids in.  But getting his attention is hard work and because of his hearing he doesn't always know who is on Skype unless he can see them.    He's unable to put the camera on (this is not possible on auto answer).  I don't think he can see the screen that well - he's got cataracts.   Luckily his mind is working very well, his memory is very good and he's got no signs of dementia or anything like that.   He's able to engage in political discussions with some passion! 

I don't think there would be any reason to go to Italy or Germany.  Our closest seaside would be Croatia and that's too much COVID hard work.  We'll be sticking to Balaton this year.

Bring your sunscreen because everyone is planning on Balaton this summer, unless they come up with a media blast of the water having black algee !
I'm thinking the best is to just buy a weekend house and spend my money on a pool.
I've already have done it if up to me alone.
Or better yet, just go home for good and move to a building with a built in pool only for the residents. Usually those old floks homes have zero people swimming in their pools. Wonder why they even put a pool in at times.
More of a luxury feature of if the grandkids visit once in awhile, even then they are resricted in hours of useage, residents only mostly.
Heard the open air pools will be alright for those without an immunity card, just cant use the indoor areas.
We are all being tested.