The view from my window

The view from my window
The view from my window

Tuesday 8 December 2020

This and that!

There's not much going on here of course as we're still in lockdown. Hopefully that will be eased a little on 15 December but who knows. If not, it'll just be me and André for Christmas dinner I guess. I already told him it'll be baked beans on toast (and he's fine with that)! Actually that's a real treat as we were never "allowed" to eat that because my ex thought anything "beans" was disgusting. My answer was "just don't eat it then" but nope, it had to be banned! When I was walking with my neighbours last week we got onto the subject of "beans on toast" and they were horrified at the thought of it - and this from a nation that eats frogs' legs and snails. Each to his own I guess. André and I are invited to Jen's mom's for Christmas eve and I seriously hope snails and frogs legs are not on the menu. What the heck do you do? I don't even particularly like seafood so I sure as heck am not going to eat snails! 

My new oven was delivered yesterday but they didn't actually install it because it needed a "female" plug rather than just the wire-in domino that I had. So I ran down to the DIY store and asked what kind of plug I needed and the guy sold me a rather sturdy plug, suitable for an oven. Trouble is, he sold me a male plug, so I had to run back down there and get a female one. But now I can't open the bloody thing to get it hooked up so I'm hoping someone (Dave, I'm looking at you) can enlighten me. I took the screw out of it but I'll be damned if I can get the thing open in order to hook it up! I guess I'm looking at another trip to the DIY store tomorrow! At least the bloody thing is delivered, but it does bring home to me how little I actually need an oven, except maybe for cooking the Christmas turkey! When I got home André told me that my gardener had stopped by as I had told him I had an envelope for him (over €500) so I guess that's a nice sum for him to pick up before Christmas. I'm not sure how much is declared but that's not my problem I guess. He used to come by about twice a month when I was working so I never actually saw him and just paid him when I caught up with him and we seem to have continued that tradition. But good for him, it's a tough job and I'm glad I found someone willing to do it!

Then today I got news that a former colleague had died aged 72. I worked with JM when I first came to Geneva in 1980 and he was a nice guy. We had our "moments" later on when I worked in HR and asked him to fill out paperwork that we needed (he was definitely onto a scam) but all in all he was a nice guy, and I was so sorry to hear of his death. And then today I read that former England rugby player, Steve Thomson, has been diagnosed with dementia at the young age of 42!!! Damn, it makes you wonder what all that trauma to the head does doesn't it! I'm a big rugby fan and those guys wear very little protection so it makes me think is it worth it? What with that and "Nobby" Stiles (England footballer) being just the latest sportsman to have died while suffering from dementia!

Just now I received a text message from my friend to say that he had passed 1,500 miles. I told him it would be hard for me to make up another 400 miles between now and new year but after that we could plan on walking together out my way when this damn lockdown is lifted (he lives in another département/state/county) and he said he would look forward to that. Damn, I haven't seen him for how many months now!

And finally, I see that tonight's euromillion lottery is worth over €200 million. I've played, but damn, I wouldn't want all that money. I reckon it would be better to have 200 winners but then I'm not making the decisions am I. We always used to joke about winning the lottery with my family, and I actually dreamt the numbers (believe it or not) when the UK lottery started up. I had got all six numbers and saw the last number as 42 or 49 so it would have been no problem to play either, but then I just poo-poooed it. Never again I tell you. But it's nice dreaming about what you'd do with that money isn't it. My brother, Phil, who died two years ago, told me once, after I had got into it with him, that he was knocking another "0" (zero) off the amount he would give me if he won so I was now down to £10!! Ha ha, it's a fun dream isn't it. If I ever did win a large amount of money I would sort out my family first but not so much that my kids could ever give up work. I believe you need to work to appreciate what you have - which is why, I believe, so many who are born into wealth are unhappy. I have about seven UK-based charities who would be first in line for my "Secret Santa" donations - RNLI (life boat), air ambulance, Red Cross, Sally Army, The Anthony Nolan Trust, Help for Heroes, The Battered Women Refuges, but I would need to find more charities in France. The local food bank is an obvious choice but other than that, I'd need to find more. Actually, I don't need to win any money because I have everything I need and most of what I want, but I sure would enjoy giving it away!


23 comments:

  1. Wouldn't being a secret Santa be fun?! I just watched one of those cheesy Christmas movies about a Secret Santa, LOL.

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  2. I think if a basket full of money dropped into my lap I'd use it to paint and fix up this old house I live in. It needs attention. It deserves attention.
    I certainly have everything I need.
    Check out Youtube for videos on how to hook up your stove. They have videos on everything. Just a suggestion.

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    1. I'm with you on that Ms Moon. I don't need anything. Oh and I've looked on Youtube but I still can't open that plug up so it's back to the store tomorrow!

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  3. I must be honest, I hate beans on toast too! I've only recently started to eat beans at all, but only with steak pie! Even at that, its only a spoonful. I don't really like tomato ketchup either so clearly I had a disadvantaged childhood in some way!!
    Funnily enough, my son in law and I were talking about the lottery tonight too. He was rushing off to put his money on after he picked up his daughter from us. I said that much money was obscene and would change anyone who won it, he said it wouldn't change him then proceeded to tell us how he'd buy a big new house and get people in to 'do' stuff for him and we all laughed and said, see, you've changed already!! x

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    1. I don't really like ketchup either so I get it, but just occasionally beans on toast is bliss. As for the lottery, I agree, it's an obscene amount of money and I wouldn't want it, hence I'd want to give it away. The lovely couple in Scotland who won the biggest (?) draw in the UK had the right idea - give most of it away.

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  4. The departments I've never worked in are plumbing (don't want to flood you house) and electrical (don't want to burn it down either),so I can't help on this one. Oh, and I've had frog legs... there is not a lot of meat on them, so I guess they're considered more of an appetizer then anything else.

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    1. For anything plumbing related I can call my son, but this damn plug has me beat, so I guess I'll be having to trot back down to the DIY store. As for frogs' legs I understand they're ok, but more and more I'm turned off by meat in any form so I certainly won't be partaking!

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  5. 1500 miles! that is a lot of walking. I'm glad your oven came and is installed even if minimally used. I can't believe Christmas is not less than three weeks and it already feels so different. I get annoyed with Christmas movies rather than wistful-envy.

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    1. Oh he's done a lot of walking (and lost quite a bit of weight from what I see). I guess it's his way of staying sane during lockdown. And I agree with you on the Christmas movies. There was one on the other night and I just find it annoying (am I becoming Mrs. Scrooge)?

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  6. I would love to win that much money, but other than stashing a bit for retirement, I would give it all away. Obviously a lot to charities, but it would be a blast to be a fly on the wall and secretly pay for folks groceries, or medical bill, or college tuition or whatever

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    1. My feelings exactly Anne. If you look on Youtube, Nate Eaton with East Idaho News, does a lovely segment where he gives money/gifts away from a secret Santa. Not necessarily enormous amounts, but to people who are struggling. He's got the best job in the world in my opinion!

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  7. I'm with you on the lottery distribution. Better to have 200 winners than one with an obscene amount.even 400 half million winners could be life changing.

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    2. I agree absolutely. Can you imagine what you could do with €500,000!

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  8. I think we are headed for another lockdown here after the idiots gathered for Thanksgiving. I wish people would learn that if we just isolate ourselves--ALL OF US--for a short time, we might get through thus.

    But Americans are entitled and lazy.

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    1. What's so sad I reckon if people had gone into a hard lockdown everywhere, just, say, for three weeks, this damn thing could have been over and done with. But no, now it gets to go on and on and on. I reckon the US is looking at at least 400,000 deaths by the time of the inauguration - and Trump couldn't give a shit. He's still out playing golf!

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  9. My mum was English and loved beans on toast. Can't say as I really like them. She loved curried eggs on rice too.

    We're heading into another lockdown thank goodness. Covid is raging on in Alberta and people still aren't taking precautions so the government has to make them. A lot of selfish, immature people around for sure.

    I always enjoy imagining what I would do with a lot of money. Giving it away would be so enjoyable.

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    1. Where was your mom from? I love beans on toast but can't say I've ever had curried eggs. Regarding the pandemic, isn't it sad that people can't do the sensible thing and then they have to be made to do it. We're allowed out now but not 100% free but if that's what it takes then let's do it. I don't have a problem with it. And I get what you mean about giving the money away. Isn't it nice not to actually need/want it!

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    2. Mum was born in Wimbledon but grew up in Guildford.

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    3. I'm from the midlands so I don't know the south. I hope you get British humour!

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  10. We did actually do beans on toast one year when the children were little and guests were coming to enjoy dinner with us the next day instead. It was a wonderful, frazzle free, family day.

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    1. I am totally with you. I absolutely hate having to cook a set meal!

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