I stopped in at my neighbour's yesterday to see if she needed any help. Her hand was operated on on Thursday and she has to keep it dry for around six weeks (I think), so life's a bit difficult for her at the moment, all the more so since her husband was taken in to hospital on Sunday. She said at the moment she's all set but might need some help tomorrow so she'd let me know. When I asked about her husband she said his operation had gone well (putting more stents into his groin), but he was apparently being pretty obnoxious to some of the nurses, so I guess he's not going to win any popularity contests. He told her he was cold the first night in hospital and when the nurse found him all dressed up in extra clothing the next morning she asked why he didn't press the call button, to which he replied that they should have thought about that and made sure there were extra blankets in the cupboard. Strangely, for some reason I don't think it's a good idea to be rude to people who are either going to be operating on you or taking care of you post-op, but that could just be one of my little foibles. It's odd really because he has never struck me as someone given to being overtly rude as, superficially at least, he is always charming (narc much?), but maybe he's forgotten that he's no longer the director of a big bank and is now just another retired "nobody" like the rest of us! Anyway, I told her to just give me a call and André and I will be only too willing to help!
Then my friend who lives opposite sent me a message to say that she'd been inspired to get going with the walking again but damn it if she hadn't slipped and fallen on the ice and now has knees like two black and blue basketballs! Luckily for her a passing couple stopped and helped her to get home, but while she says she's ok I think I'll be popping over there too tomorrow morning. I actually like the winter but snow - or more precisely, ice - can be lethal can't it!
Then today I got a weird FB message from my sister (apparently). I figured it was a bit suspicious as "she" just sent a Youtube video with no message and that was it. So I gave her a call and of course she'd been hacked. They must have done a pretty good job of it because they'd apparently managed to post a "boob" photo on her home page - which she took down pretty quickly - and she has now changed all her passwords. Bloody hell! I don't intend to get off FB (well not yet anyway) because it's the way I keep in touch with my family, but it does make you think twice doesn't it. So then she told me that on Sunday my brother also had a fall and while he wasn't injured he got completely soaked because he couldn't get up and was just lying there in the snow until they found him. This brother is autistic and every Sunday he goes to my sister's for lunch and, as she says, you can set your watch by him. He arrives every Sunday at 10.10 a.m. and when it got to 10.20 and there was no sign of him she knew something was wrong. For whatever reason she walked into the bedroom that looks out over the back garden and that is when she saw a pair of legs sticking out from behind the garden fence - and there was my brother lying like a beached whale in the snow! As I say, thankfully he wasn't hurt but he couldn't get up as it was so slippery and if she hadn't gone in to that bedroom when she did goodness knows how long he would have laid there. Actually, not long I suspect because him being a creature of such regular habits I'm sure they would have headed out to their car quite quickly to go off looking for him, so I guess being "predictable" does have it's good side!
On Sunday I again drove down to the lake at Passy just to get a bit of walking in and while it was glorious - freezing cold but sunny - I also started having a few regrets when I got over to the far side of the lake in amongst the trees because the path was treacherous. I did think about doubling back but in the end I waddled on like a pregnant penguin and was so thankful when I finally made it back to "dry land"!
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| The lake actually froze! |
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| Messing around with my new Peakvisor app! |
On a happier note, Jen is doing fine but absolutely respecting the doctor's orders and spending her time lying on the sofa. To save Jordan from having to come home from work and start cooking I've been either taking food over or having André take it when he stops by. Yesterday I sent over sweet and sour pork and today it was lentil soup, followed by chicken curry, naan and raita, with cream cheese cookies for dessert! Don't tell anybody, but I'm thoroughly enjoying myself!
I mentioned a few posts ago that I follow a FB group that I joined when my husband left. It's kinda sad to see people still going through this crap but a sort of solidarity has seemed to evolve amongst long-time members of the group. I know a few have met up in the US and in Australia and there is even talk about having a larger group meet up and maybe even some solos travelling. Now that sounds right up my alley! I mentioned that I have done 12 solos trips since my husband left and so many people were asking who I went with, what was it like and so on so there is obviously a real interest. Who knows, maybe we can form our own international Meetup group. Anyway, later today someone posted a "karma" post about a police chief from a place called Stinnett in Texas whose fiancée found out that he had been cheating on her with another "fiancée" which, as it turns out, was news to his wife and four kids. As far as they know he had two (maybe three) "fiancées" and potentially a couple of girlfriends also, each of whom were busily planning their weddings and buying rings and so on. These ladies became aware of each other because a friend of one of the ladies knew the guy's daughter and let it be known that he was very much still married, despite producing a supposed marriage annulment document to show to one of the fiancées. So these ladies started working together to piece together his lies and began bombarding the Stinnett police department's FB page with comments (there were nearly 500 comments when I looked). I feel so so sorry for his wife and children, and for the ladies he lied to, of course. They didn't ask for any of this. But sorry for police chief Jason Collier of Stinnett, Texas for the hammering he's getting? Nah, not so much!
And finally, President Macron was supposed to speak to the nation tonight to update us on measures regarding the current covid situation. Anyway it now turns out that he will speak "in the coming days" but there are mixed opinions as to what he will say. Maintain the current rules or new lockdown? Who knows, but I think there is seriously little appetite for a further lockdown. God knows the thought of having to download permission slips in order to go out and being confined to within one kilometre of home again fills me with dread but what can I say, que sera right!
I once fell on a icy step and slid down all the steps. I hurt so as I lay there like a bug on its back. There were no neighbors in the houses around me. Fences and the snow would have muffled my voice. I feared I might freeze and it was getting dark! I managed to turn my damaged body over and crawl to the steps and crawl up, pulling on the railing supports to get onto porch. I then crawled in the back door. One more fall would have left incapacitated and it was all so slippery. In my defense there were about two feet of snow that fell in the South where we barely get flakes for years.
ReplyDeleteI am glad your brother had someone to look for him even if accidentally.
Be careful or you could freeze to death if you fell where you walk. You have had a lot of people needing you, and I am glad you can help feed Jen and make you happy!
The fall and the potential injury are bad enough aren't they, but lying there with no-one to help is even worse, you poor thing! I had a colleague who slipped in the parking lot one lunch time and since she was hidden behind the cars she lay there for quite some time. It turns out she had cracked a bone in her back and couldn't move. Thankfully someone spotted her or goodness knows what would have happened!
DeleteDays of treacherous footsteps, hospitals and lockdowns. Were nightmares always dressed in sheep’s clothing or are they amplified by the virus?
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point. I certainly feel like there's so much cr*p going on at the moment independent of the virus but that might just be an impression. I was conscious of the snow and ice when I was working (driving in it of course but also walking) and there were some particularly nasty falls along the lake in Geneva, but everything just seems worse now for some reason!
DeleteI've had a couple of friends who've had their FB accounts hacked in the last few weeks, and the hacker has sent out videos. Luckily, these friends of mine almost never send videos through private message, so I was wary and didn't open them.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't the first time my sister's FB has been hacked but I found it odd that there was no message so I was suspicious immediately. That's just not like her at all. I've also had a few strange "friend" requests recently but I just delete them if I don't know them! First world problems eh!
DeleteWell don't you join the ranks of the walking wounded. You have a mission! To feed the pregnant mama!
ReplyDeleteHaving gone through broken ribs last year I can tell you that falls can lead to horrible outcomes.
I can't afford to break anything really. I'm very aware that I (normally) live alone so I'm usually pretty careful, although goodness knows these things happen don't they!
DeleteGosh, what a lot of 'broken' people. Take care! It's nice you're able to look after your daughter in law, she'll be very grateful I'm sure. I hope the baby decides to stay put for a few more weeks, its very worrying when they come early. I've not heard how your lockdown went, is to continue? We're in this at least till mid February I believe. Although, even then we'll probably only go down one level which means non essential shops can open but not much else, so it won't really make much difference to us. Oh well, nothing for it but to get on with it. xx
ReplyDeleteIt seems like Jen's doing well now (touch wood). She's at 30 weeks so hoping for at least 36, but obviously every day that passes is a plus! We're still under curfew here and there are border controls but they don't apply to us as we live in the Schengen area. That being said, with a British passport and no resident's permit (as yet) I won't be travelling too far afield. What it feels like to be a leper huh! The thought is that we might end up in another strict lockdown from this weekend (for two weeks? a month?) which will play havoc with people's finances, not to mention their mental health. Our R number in Haute Savoie is back down to 1.02 but who knows how it will play it. I'd be up for a damn good lockdown and then let's get it over with, but of course when you get idiots who think it's all a hoax or a bad case of the flu, and/or who go out partying (not round here - more the Paris region), we all get screwed over don't we!
DeleteWorking as an Immmigration officer people were often extremely rude because questioning was predominantly personal. I would take so much before having a quiet word about what I needed to establish and the fact their attitude wasn't helping. Often I had to say there is nothing to be frightened of, just answer my questions honestly, provide proof where necessary and you'll be on your way. Anxiety/fear often leads to rudeness.
ReplyDeleteYou may be right. I know my neighbour hates to be told what to do and I think deep down he may have some worries about his health that he won't admit to. He's starting to go rather deaf and snaps at his wife when she tries to get him to have it looked into. He also has a pronounced "tremor" in his hands which she thought was just normal but his daughter agrees with me that it's anything but normal. Who knows what that could be - but whatever it is, I think he would just rather bury his head in the sand and pretend it's not there!
DeleteSo many falls! Hubby tripped yesterday on our carpet and fell and I had visions of him breaking something but fortunately he is just bruised. He is in good shape so he fell on the muscle on his arm versus bone. I can't imagine having him hurt right now based on everything that is going on but we would deal either way. Stay safe (and off the ice lol)
ReplyDeleteGosh I'm sorry to hear about your hubbie but at least it sounds like it's just his pride that was hurt right! It does make you realize how dependent we are on each other though doesn't it!
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