Hot, hot, hot!

No surprise there but it's bloody hot. Yesterday I thought I'd finally better get in my "pool" (ha, ha) in order to clean the bottom of it. I've kept up with the chlorine and ran the filter but there were still a few leaves and things that needed scraping off the bottom so in I went - and very pleasant it was too. Pleasant, if not pretty! That being said, it was hot and I can definitely feel the heat on my skin now, even though I was only in there about 30 minutes. When I got out I sat on my sunbed (in the shade) to read (more like nod off actually) when all of a sudden I heard a whoosh and a small bird had fallen into the pool. He was struggling to get out so I very gently reached in, lifted him out and sat him down under a bush - and the frickin' black and white cat that I bloody hate screeched in and ripped his head off! Bloody thing - I hate that cat! I don't hate all cats, in fact next door's adopted feral cat is gorgeous, but there's something about this one that I didn't like from the beginning, and ripping that poor bird's head off did nothing to endear him to me!

As for the rest of this post, it's just a mish-mash of thoughts because that's the way my brain is working at the moment! I see the troll/bots are out and about again. Just in case, no I do not want to join the illuminati and as for Mr. "Die Boomers Die" - just piss off you inadequate little twat. I've said before I imagine him to be a 40 year old virgin sitting in his underpants in mommy's basement spewing his venom as and when. It won't get through anyway but keep on truckin' sunshine!

In other news, did anyone else see the lovely news item about the female teacher in a slum area of Brazil who was going round visiting/checking up on her students and bringing them bags of candy? What a lovely lady, but you know, when you see how these children live and what children in wealthier parts have without necessarily being any happier, it puts things in perspective somewhat doesn't it!

I was reading on CNN the other day about the horrific murder of three friends out fishing in Florida. I guess it caught my eye because it was in Polk County and that was where our home was located. It's hard to imagine the cruelty of the three perpetrators isn't it, but when you consider that the 26 year old ringleader already has 260 felony offences against him maybe it's not so hard to imagine after all!

The local bus company I have done so many trips with seems to be up and running again and organizing outings, but so far most of the trips are places I've already been and/or am happy to drive to anyway. I'm looking forward to booking a vacation at some point in the future but don't particularly want to do it just yet as (a) it's lovely here in summer and relatively uncrowded, and (b) I'd rather give this pandemic "thingy" time to calm down, so maybe next spring. Who knows! And talking of this "pandemic thingy", I'm currently reading a book called Eating Animals by Jonathan Saran Foer which was written in 2009. I'm not sure if he's a vegan or a vegetarian but it's a very well-researched book making the case against factory farming (of course) and for going meat-free - which is something that interests me more and more. Check out this one sentence which, as I say, was written in 2009:

"The second public health concern is the more particular one: humans are setting the conditions for the creation of the superpathogen of all superpathogens, a hybrid virus that could cause a repeat, more or less, of the Spanish flu of 1918."

More and more I'm becoming convinced that going meat-free is the way to go, both from a health point of view, an anti-cruelty point of view and in order to help heal the environment (as much as that can be achieved at this point). I'm not ready to go vegan yet but I'm very interested in and somewhat convinced by the arguments for it so who knows. So to that end, for the last 10 days I've been eating 100% vegetarian. I've done it before on a couple of occasions many years ago and felt so good that I wonder why I ever went back to eating meat. More to the point, I feel like meat today - even organic meat - tastes like nothing unless jizzed up with sauces, because of the crap that is pumped into the animal and the stress caused due to the inhumane conditions in which so many of them live. I love fruit, veg and pulses anyway so skipping the meat hasn't been difficult, although I've gone off the idea of making my own "burgers" out of black beans and what have you. All that combining stuff just ends up looking like different coloured mush to me, so every day I've been making a different vegetarian dish and just adding it to the fridge downstairs. Black bean and garlic tofu, sweet and sour braised aubergine (really good), dry potato curry, garlic mushrooms. It's working out quite well at the moment, although there's quite a preponderance of garlic so it's probably just as well I live alone right? I'm not going to be really strict about whether, or for how long, I continue eating like this, but I'm certainly having no difficulties at the moment so we'll see!

The lady at the Mairie was as good as her word and hand-delivered both André and my attestations of residence the other day so that's one more thing crossed off André's list. He dropped his car off at Ford on Friday because it's going to need some work for it to pass the contrôle technique (roadworthiness certificate) so he asked to borrow my car to go into Geneva on Friday night. I tell ya, I was so glad when my kids moved out because I finally got to sleep properly without having one ear out for them coming home. Not that he slept at my place of course, but since he was out in my car I didn't turn my phone to "do not disturb" that night just in case!! I know, how daft is that? He moved out 10 years ago and I haven't worried about him since, but once a mother always a mother I guess!

In other news I'm dead impressed with my medical insurance. I submitted my gynae and dentist bills, plus a bill for prescription medication on Wednesday morning via phone app and by Thursday morning I'd received the reimbursement in my bank account! Gosh that's efficient!

I'd also like to do a shout out to Cheapchick and Ms Moon, both of whom are going through health difficulties at the moment. Sending you both good vibes ladies!

And finally, on checking my walking log for 2020 I've actually gone over 1,000 km walked in 2020 so far despite the lockdown. Now 1,000 km is not 1,000 miles of course (I need to add another 600 km to get there) but I'm quite proud all the same considering I didn't go out walking at all during lockdown. Today I decided to take a drive over to see André at Jordan's place as I had made a 7-layer salad that they all like and then planned to go up to a place called les Brasses. But, it was 37°C (98°F) when I left André so decided it would be pretty stupid to head up to the mountains and almost certain sunstroke in that heat. Instead I drove up to a pretty little lake nearby called lac de la Tour and walked round that instead as half of it is in the shade. After about an hour's walk I got back to the parking lot and spotted a little drinks stand so decided to sit there for a while. So over a glass of white wine I sat and read my book or watched the people playing crazy golf or boules. It's a lovely little spot because it's out of the way and not exactly touristy. So I'm pleased to say I got 12,000 steps in today towards my next 600 km all the while feeling like I was actually on vacation. Who knows, maybe I'll have a shot at going on a different walk every day this week to try to make up for missed opportunities!

Playing boules off to the left

Lac de la Tour