The view from my window

The view from my window
The view from my window

Saturday 7 November 2020

God I think this guy's great!

It's like a bloody roller-coaster here at the moment, but not for the reason you might think. Jordan and Jen phoned last night and Jen mentioned that Jordan had been off work for three days with dizziness and vomiting and that she was "glad she'd got her ob/gynae appointment tomorrow" because she was again having contractions! She's not a panicker by any stretch of the imagination (and thankfully neither am I) but I was moithered last night I reckon because she's only 18 weeks pregnant! Bloody hell! Anyway, the good news is that Lily's covid test came back negative, Jen's midwife wasn't worried about her or the baby and the work's doctor saw Jordan and confirmed it wasn't covid either, but did not make a diagnosis. By Thursday he was better and back at work but - and I'm not sure if this makes sense since I'm not a medical person - but his symptoms sounded to me like some of those that can be associated with problems of the inner ear. So then I got to thinking about the (frankly god-awful) music they play in their band at heaven only knows how many decibels and even though they all wear ear plugs I was wondering if that could have similar effects at some point. My ex would be in the living room playing music with his headphones on, I would be in bed with ear plugs in and I could still hear it and he is most certainly pretty deaf, although of course he denies it. Thankfully that is no longer my problem. His gf can enjoy the delights of constantly having to repeat herself and listening to the TV at full blast. Anyway, all that to say, at least we had somewhat "calming" news today chez moi!

Since the weather was glorious I decided to take Monsieur Macron up on his kind offer of a one hour walk. I walked along the railway line down towards the church, but very conscious of making sure I didn't go over my one-hour limit or further than 1km away from home as the crow flies, (but since I'm not a crow I can't be sure I totally conformed there)! As I was walking I noticed a man a little further down on the other side of the tracks walking his dog about 10 metres one way, turning round and walking back 10 metres and so on, so I reckoned this business about "not being more than 1km from home" was definitely getting to him. Ha, when I got up closer I saw that he was mowing a strip of grass running along the side of the railway line! Methinks I might be overdue a new pair of glasses! When I was about 50 metres from home I bumped into the neighbour whose garden backs onto mine. Well, basically most of the field you can see in my header picture belongs to her. So she asked me in for a coffee. When I explained to her that Monsieur Macron said I only had another 10 minutes of exercise time left she just laughed and said "have you seen the size of my garden, we can keep a distance of about a km between us and then you can skip through the hedge back home". So I stayed and had a coffee with her and guess what, I didn't get caught! Talk about living dangerously - a bit like the Englishman who eats his After Eights at 7.30! Since I don't have French TV she was telling me that there was a more than likely possibility that the French would extend the state of emergency until mid-February! I was horrified but then as my son explained to me, it simply means that the possibility of maintaining or imposing covid-related restrictions remains within their remit, not that they would necessarily be doing so! Still, at least when Macron spoke to the nation he reiterated that it was his decision and j'en accepte pleinement la responsabilité! Now this is pretty difficult to translate into English because you hear it so rarely, but basically it means "it's my decision and I take full responsibility"! See what I mean about it being "difficult to translate"!

André is getting excited about the possibility of getting his own place and has another meeting at the bank next week. So tonight he's been rattling on about furnishings and decorations and I convinced him to start looking at various stores online to get an idea about what he might need and how much it would cost. Of course what he might like and what he eventually gets will be two different things but it's good to see him so happy. He's been bobbing up and downstairs getting himself a beer, then another one, and then ..... so last time he passed me I told him I'd had a lightbulb "time and efficiency" idea and suggested that if he just took the bottle of beer and poured it directly down the toilet it would cut out using him as the middle man. It doesn't look like he was too impressed though!

And finally, because I couldn't sleep again last night (bloody elections - like everyone else I wish they were over), I got to listen to Trump's verbal diarrhoea at the press conference. I hadn't realized that all but two networks actually cut away from him after about 20 seconds, but I heard the whole 17 (I think) minutes and lord was it terrible. It was also very noticeable that he referred to Joe Biden as "Mr. Biden" and "Joe" - I wonder whatever happened to "sleepy Joe"! He then stormed out like the coward that he is and I think it was Jim Acosta that shouted after him "are you such a sore loser"? After that Donny Jr tweeted something about "daddy it's time to declare war" (not sure if that tweet is still up) and then I heard about Bannon "musing" about the possibility of beheading Dr. Fauci!!!!!!! Don't those tweets constitute incitement to violence? Dear god, what is this election coming to! Buuuuut shortly after that I saw Anderson Cooper describe Trump as "an obese turtle on his back flailing in the hot sun realizing his time is over" and my anger at what I'd just heard just went up in a puff of Anderson smoke. I've always liked him anyway, but now? God I think he's great!

Anderson Cooper!



22 comments:

  1. I am so sick of that orange man!

    Many people in my neighborhood were having their Biden/Harris signs stolen, so I decided to paint a rock that's in a small garden area in my front yard (right by the sidewalk). It mimicked the usual Biden/Harrris 2020 sign (red, white and blue). I painted it in September. I have since repainted it FOUR TIMES. Someone would spray paint it in the middle of the night!

    After the second time I bought a trail camera, and finally caught the guy in the act. He rode his bike up at 1:30 in the morning. He wore a hooded sweatshirt, gloves, and a face mask! I got a great shot, but he's basically unidentifiable. The police put his picture up on their FB page, but said no one called in any "leads."

    The jerk struck again last night, and this time he also spray painted my camera, but not before I got his picture (same guy). Too stupid to just take the camera ("hidden" in the rocks - he must have seen his picture on FB and knew where the camera was).

    tRump has emboldened these horrible people - and Connecticut is a blue state! I'm sick over this.

    Today I painted the entire rock white, and in red an outline of a heart. The second Biden is declared the winner, I will put "President-Elect Biden" in the middle of the heart.

    I will say I've met more neighborhood people while repainting my rock, and they're all lovely and encouraging. To think that millions of people voted for that man a second time disgusts me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think what you did is BRILLIANT although I doubt you'll ever catch the coward. I'd be tempted to rent a ruddy great dog by this point but I take my hat off to your persistence. Whatever happened to "let's agree to differ"?

      Delete
  2. I don't like Trump and never have, but I take exception to Anderson Cooper. This only adds fuel to the division our country is experiencing. Say it privately to your friends but have some degree of decorum on air. It's that old thing we tell our kids 'Two wrongs don't make a right"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Normally I would agree with you but as Trump has spewed his hatred over everyone - over the whole world in fact - I think the elastic only stretches so far before it gives. And sure Anderson Cooper probably shouldn't have said it but .... Narcs genuinely do think they are the best thing since sliced cheese and are probably stunned when someone gives them a taste of their own medicine because "what did I do to deserve that". But then this guy threw crap at a 16 year old climate change activist at the UN (who has since volleyed it expertly back at him) so no, I can definitely live with what Anderson said. You're a better person than I am there!

      Delete
    2. If Anderson had left out the word "obese" I wouldn't have had a problem with what he said. I read a response in the NY Times (I think) about fat shaming tRump (and everyone else). Words do hurt.

      Delete
    3. I agree it was fat-shaming but I think after so many years of Trump thinking he can insult whoever he wants and get away with it (he did) I'll give Anderson a pass on this one (as someone who could do with losing 40lbs myself). In my experience, these jerks can dish it out but they sure can't take it. The expression "if you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen" springs to mind (referring to Trump obviously)!

      Delete
  3. I, too, read what Anderson Cooper said and laughed for a loooong time and kept rereading it to Tommy. Bannon got into trouble for that remark about beheading. I think there will be legal problems for him over that. T actually said Biden or Joe instead of sleepy Joe? I have not heard that.

    I laughed at the man walking his dog/mower.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope Bannon (and Jr.) get into BIG legal trouble for what they wrote - but I doubt it sadly. And yeah, it was 1 a.m. here and I was half asleep and Trump referring to "Mr. Biden" woke me right back up again!! Say what? Might be angling for a future pardon d'ya think? As for the guy with the lawnmower, I was on a lower level than him and the grass around the railway line was long so I couldn't see that well but - well that's my defence and I'm sticking to it!

      Delete
  4. I am interested in teh US elections only slightly because, we have a worse problem that we cannot get rid of. The economy is in it's worst shape since 1920 when the country was founded right after a huge War of Independence. I like to watch what Stephen Colbert says about him. Oh and BTW, I just challenged you on my blog. Lol!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think what happens in the US affects the world (which is true obviously), but putting aside the politics it is my pure loathing for the Orange Turd in the Punch Bowl that keeps me coming back to it. I want to see him and that toxic family of his get their comeuppance!

      Delete
  5. Ver these last four horrible years, I have found Anderson Cooper to be a breath of fresh air. He is a great commentator, love his NYE show and would be someone I would love to have dinner with since I think there would be great conversation. We have had 4 years of hell and disgusting behavior with almost no one standing up to Trump as they are afraid of their position in the party. Americans have seemed to have had enough since Biden has gotten a high majority of votes. I hope this is over soon and we can start on to a calmer and more civil attempt to heal our country. Good for Anderson.....got a small giggle from his comment. It it’s not over.....continue to pray for the US. If and when the Biden team is considered the next president....it is scary to think what Trump will and can do in 2+ months. I imagine he will try and trash this country out of spite. Definitely he will pardon all his crooked friends and family but I’m sure he will do much more as he never cared about anything but him from the beginning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I knew Anderson Cooper a little before all this but have watched him more and more lately and I agree, I think he would be a great dinner guest! While it's looking highly likely that Joe Biden will be the next president, who would REALLY want the job of trying to kill the pandemic, pick the economy back up off the floor and reunite the people. And I do pray for peace and calm but I think that will only come after Biden is sworn in - and then not quickly as there is so much to heal!

      Delete
  6. The man walking his lawnmower made me laugh. I’m trying extra hard to be civil and not gloat, particularly on social media. Twitter I struggle with. We have to figure out what this country can do to bring common good back. Health care workers, school staff, and retail workers no longer get the applause as COVID fatigue is hitting as cases and deaths rise. It cares not what party a person is or who they voted for. I’m glad Biden is forming his Covid team now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah I thought "lawnmower" man was weird too (but obviously it's me that's weird). You're right about what a hard task it's going to be for Biden but I agree covid has got to be top of the list the way things are going! Good luck to him!

      Delete
  7. So happy it is sort of over (recounts recounts recounts) and that Joe won. I am not sure he is the best to bring the country and the world back to normal - even in a time of covid - but anything is better that that stark raving lunatic. And now people have hope again which is really what everyone needs right now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right, I would have thought there was other potential "talent" around to run for president - younger definitely - but it's a stinking job he's got ahead of him so I wish him luck. As for the Donald - good riddance!

      Delete
  8. I'm glad it's all over. Only time will tell whether Joe can do the job. He has made some dreadful gaffes recently and he's not getting any younger. Let's hope his team have a good command of the situation. I'm particularly pleased I don't have to hear that awful monotone voice that is Donald!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think everyone's glad it's over and I agree, Biden's no spring chick. That being said I think he's more than capable of surrounding himself with competent people and bloody listening to them, which is already a plus. And I agree - not having to listen continually to Trump's voice will probably be one of the best things about him losing!

      Delete
  9. As you know by now- it is OVER. Not in Trump's head, of course but who the hell knows what goes on in that head? We are so thrilled.
    I hope all is well with your daughter-in-law. Perhaps both she and your son got a touch of food poisoning. Glad to hear it wasn't Covid, at least.
    And I'm sorry that you're locked down again but look at what's happening here- more and more cases and deaths and hospitals are being overloaded again. It's terrible. We just can't go on like this.
    Anyway, thanks for being an informed and interested person of a different nationality during these crazy times.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought of you when I heard the news and thought "if I can bet just one person will be relieved it'll be Ms Moon" (well you and millions of others actually). And you're right, this lockdown is necessary because now we're all beginning to know people who have it/had it/died from it. It is absolutely ESSENTIAL that covid gets tackled and I think Biden will sincerely do his best on that. Good luck to you and yours and stay safe!

      Delete
  10. Glad you are able to get out for some fresh air - so important to keep your sanity during these times.
    It is exhilarating to know that the world rejoices with us in that the Tangerine Toddler will soon be gone & replaced with a man having grace & integrity. It's been a long 4 years, and a long 2020. But I'm glad to see this transition, & will do my part to spread kindness & compassion in the days, months & years ahead.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good luck to you. This transition I feel will be hard and of course nobody can fix all the problems even with the best will in the world, but I hope America can pull back from the brink. You have the right attitude.

      Delete