The view from my window

The view from my window
The view from my window

Thursday 1 July 2021

Plodding along!

Things haven't exactly been quiet here but nothing particularly interesting has been happening either. The weather continues to be pretty crappy - moderately warm but with daily rain and even violent storms several times a week! I went to my Italian lesson the other night and as we walked out the most god-awful storm started so my teacher and I hung back for a while to see if it would pass over. When it didn't we realized we had no choice but to make a run for it - but man was that an interesting 45 minute drive home! It was lashing down rain and between that and the darkness it was really hard to drive. The person in front of me was going particularly slow and the eejit behind me was getting his knickers in a twist, revving his engine like crazy, obviously convinced that was all that was needed to make everyone go faster! It's not like he had to wait more than about five minutes before he could pass anyway, but I guess that's one person who has never heard of hydroplaning!

I usually take the low road home but even when I was on my way to my lesson it had already started to flood so I stuck with the motorway all the way. Damn, I hate those kinds of storms - and I hate eejits like the one behind me even more! I mean, you don't only have to worry about floods, what about the trees they bring down huh? Crikey, what happens when you find this thing in the middle of the road as you're roaring past overtaking everyone - you'd end up with a pretty severe headache right!

One of the uprooted trees in town!

At yoga on Monday she told us we were going to work on "our abdominal muscles" - all the while trying desperately not to look at me! It didn't feel too bad while I was doing it but I definitely knew about it later that afternoon. Damn, it's amazing how quickly you lose momentum when you take a break from exercising isn't it. On the way out Sylvie, who does the Monday and Tuesday yoga classes with me, mentioned that she was thinking about organizing a hike this time next year to cover the Traversée du Jura! The Jura mountains are to the north of Lake Geneva (the alps are to the south) and while they are very different to the alps and not as high, they are still very beautiful. So thinking "oh that might be something to look forward to" I asked her how long the "hike " was. When she said 400 km I nearly fell off the bench where I was sitting putting my shoes back on! My first reaction was "well that's a definite no then", but in the spirit of not saying no right off the bat, I think I'll save that for next week! I just know I could never get fit enough to do that in a year but ..... never say never, I guess!

One of the routes for the Traversée du Jura!


I have also been back to the gym trying to get back into the swing of things but damn, is it hard work at the beginning. I made a fool of myself last week though because I went in the afternoon instead of the morning and as I walked in I called out bonjour to the guys behind the desk - only to realize that a group of ladies were in the middle of a yoga lesson right there and I hadn't spotted them! Then, since the changing rooms have opened back up, I thought I'd go use the bathroom before heading upstairs. I thought something had changed when I went in, but only discovered what it was when a young man from the front desk came running after me to say I'd walked into the men's changing rooms! Damn, I may be getting older but I hadn't thought I'd reached that stage just yet! They have an expression in French which basically translates to "I hadn't taken the straw out of my clogs yet" - or, as we say in the UK, "you can take the girl out the country but ...."! I told André that on the programme of machines/exercises my trainer had set for me when I initially joined up, he had asked me to start doing a plank to see how long I could last. Frankly anything longer than a minute I count as a success, but André said I could easily cheat if I just rested up on my belly and boobs!!!! Hell, I reckon I could take both my arms and my legs off the floor and someone could just "spin me around" if we wanted to make things a bit more interesting. Still, I'm doing more than Mr. Critical over there aren't I. Actually he said once he gets settled into his apartment he might come with me and enrol at my gym, but since this is someone who considers exercise to be taking a bath then pulling the plug and fighting the current we'll see how that goes, I guess!

On Saturday some really fit people will be coming through here again as the Tour de France will be heading down from le Grand Bornand to Cluses through the local town of Bonneville - and clogging up the traffic quite nicely again, I would imagine. I saw in today's news that a local sheep farmer has nighttime footage of a wolf attacking his sheep so if Mr. Wolf shows up at the Tour de France that could make things interesting. Farmers have always claimed that there are wolves in these mountains (well something is attacking their livestock), but it is usually denied by the authorities, who probably don't want to admit it. Doesn't make sense to me since if there are wolves and bears in eastern Europe what's stopping them from moving in to western Europe also? Nothing right!

In other news, France has dropped pretty much 99% of its covid restrictions as from today - everything except masks when in indoor public places, and it's a nice feeling, I have to admit. I watched the England/Germany football match the other night in the Euros and surprise, surprise England actually beat Germany 2-0! Now that doesn't happen very often I can tell you. I'm not that bothered about football, to be honest, but it made a nice to change to watch England actually win something. I didn't find it to be the most exciting match though, but then I guess that would make me just one of thousands of expert couch potatoes wouldn't it, lying on the sofa eating crisps while doling out my opinion of where they went wrong!

Couch potato!

Prince William and Kate took Prince George to Wembley Stadium to watch the match - which was nice - but I do wish they would dress him like a little boy occasionally, and not like some young schoolboy in starchy knickerbockers. Still, again, I don't suppose they care what I think do they!

And finally, I'm really moving on with sorting and decluttering - and it's now getting quite motivating. I'm still going through loads and loads of linens, sorting what's decent (and even still in its package) in case my son wants it, putting stuff in the recycling bin and ripping up more stuff for rags. I would say over 50% of it is what my ex left behind when he hightailed it back to the US in 2015 and left me to empty his rental. One thing I can't figure out though is how he had three beds and seemed to need 85 sets of bed linen for them!!! Damn, it's no wonder I had my work cut out for me!




19 comments:

  1. I think that you would do well, even on a 400 km hike. How long is the hike? Could you hike 20km a day for 20 days?

    The weather has been the opposite here. Hot as hell and now wildfires burning.

    I looked up wolves in France. Apparently, they came through the Alps in the 1990s from Italy. There are approximately 530 they estimate, so not a lot, unless of course they're killing your sheep.

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    1. I haven't walked 20 km in one day since I was a teenager and even if I could work up to it, there's no way I could do it consistently, up and down hill, for 20 days. Even if my legs could do it my hips couldn't - but it's a nice idea, all the same. And I've seen the temperatures in North West US and Canada and feel so sorry for you. Problem is they are regions that are not used to those kinds of temperatures and so are not equipped for them are they. Stay safe and cool. It can't last forever! And yes the farmers have always said there are wolves around here (I believe you're not allowed to shoot them) but even one wolf is too many if it's killing your livestock isn't it!

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  2. Good luck with your decluttering project! We are going to work in the basement during the long weekend. I hope we can get rid of at least some things.
    Oh the aches and pains of starting to exercise. TheHub and I are swimming laps, increasing the number every day. I love to swim but by the final couple of laps my arms feel like jelly. The upside is that I am swimming faster. The downside is that I swim faster than TheHub and as competitive as our natures are ,it bothers him (and might motivate me to swim even faster)

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    1. When I was using the machines at the gym yesterday, in particular for the arm exercises, I had to really push myself to finish the repetitions - I was a quivering mess - and believe me the weights were on the lowest settings. If my boobs don't hoist themselves back up to somewhere near my shoulders after all this I'm going to give up!

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  3. I just got around to folding clothes and sorting out winter vs summer today :O (but I have the day off) so good on you for continuing to declutter the junk from your ex! I would say no to a 400km hike too. Meet me at the chalet for hot chocolate LOL. Gyms are not open here yet in Ontario, but I will most likely go back too (I am feeling super lazy)

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    1. I like your idea of a kind of "après-ski" (après-hike) meet up because I'm pretty sure I couldn't do a 400 km hike, but I'm not prepared to say no just yet! And do go back to the gym when they open up. I love the weight machines actually. Love yoga, hate aerobics, love the gym and hate pilates! Each to his (her) own, I guess!

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    2. I love the machines, but I also dislike cardio - so you will find me doing weights, and the stairs only, haha! i think you definitely can handle part of a 400km hike, and good on you for not saying no just yet! :D

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  4. Do you think the royals let their kids get dirty, like really mud pies, grasstained from rolling down hills, dirty? Do they have play clothes picke dup at thrift sotres or garage sales? If you get to see the Tour, make sure you don't step out with big sings and cause a huge crash and pile up-now that was an ejit! I am gettig those same old vibes time to time as well. I doubel check bthrooms as I mistakenly walked in the worng one once as well!

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    1. I have no doubt William and Kate love their kids but no, I don't think any of them have ever made mud pies, nor do I think they ever will. Sad really, but I guess they won't miss what they've never had. As for the changing room, I just couldn't figure out where the toilet was, but luckily there was nobody in there anyway. I doubt anyone would have cared too much though - people just don't seem to get too worked up about that kind of thing here!

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  5. The last time I walked into the Gents under the illusion I was in the ladies, I sadly found myself approaching a urinal to wash my hands, all the time thinking that the basin was a weird shape! Great thing about going doolally when you are still actually in control of your faculties is that your behaviour does at least give you a good laugh.

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    1. Oh I did the same thing once in Disney in Florida - thought the hand basins were a bit weird looking (until some guy said "honey, you're in the men's")!!! In my defence, I was a bit flustered after having completely disturbed the yoga meditation ten seconds earlier!

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  6. That is one big tree! We don't have anything close to that size where I live. Oh, and don't worry, I go into the men's room all the time. 😏

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    1. Luckily for me no-one was in the showers - but really, even if there were, it's not exactly the end of the world is it!

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  7. I'll never forget once I was in an airport near a ladies' room and saw a custodian push his cleaning cart right into the room and immediately back out, completely flustered, saying, "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! Excuse me! Excuse me!" Poor thing.
    It happens, doesn't it?
    That sounds like a lot of linen! My word! It must feel good to get rid of some of it.
    And what a stressful drive through the storm. I'm glad you made it safely.

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    1. I remember going out walking one lunchtime when I was working. It was hot and since I knew my female colleague was in the shower I waited in the changing room until she got out and then got in myself (we only had one shower at that point). As she finished dressing she opened the door and left, but didn't shut the door properly and it came open (opening up into the work's corridor) while I was still in the shower. I think everyone got an eyeful that day!

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  8. Mixed feelings here about 'going restrictionless' here on the 19th. I *think* masks will be optional (honestly? I've kind of stopped paying attention at this point...) and most of me is really pleased, but part of me, seeing people sneezing and coughing, snotty-nosed children touching everything in sight, will be quite happy to forever continue! :P Could you perhaps do a portion of the hike, rather than all (gulp!) 400km? Meet your friend somewhere and tackle, I don't know, 40 or 50km over a few days? A modestly challenging portion, of course. ;)

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    1. I think I agree with you about masks. My friend and I were just saying yesterday that at this point - rightly or wrongly - masks feel somewhat "protective". At the moment we still have to wear them in shops anyway, but I may carry on even when they are optional. I also have no interest in going anywhere crowded either so I don't see my life changing an awful lot for the time being. As for the hike, I think your suggestion is more than sensible because I know in all honesty I could never do that hike. We'll see how I feel nearer the time and IF (and that's a big "if") I get proper training!

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  9. It sounds like you've got into the decluttering good and proper, I wish I could too. That said I popped into a charity shop yesterday to see if they would take the millions of dvds I want rid of and they said thanks but no thanks we already have millions! I've tried selling them on Ziffit etc but they don't want them either. I'll have to throw them out but it seems such a waste.
    I can relate to your eejit driver behind you scenario in fact I've used your experience on my blog today! Hope you don't mind me copying!
    400km is a long hike! Yikes. I think a previous comment of perhaps joining in occasionally is a good one and maybe you will manage more than you think you can? I've been going longer walks with our dog lately and strangely its my bum that hurts! Is that normal?? lol.
    Sounds like you'll never need to buy any linen again in your lifetime lol. x

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    1. I'm currently plodding my way through all the CDs I have here, picking out any songs I like and uploading them to Amazon Music (my son said he would take the CDs and keep the ones he wanted), so that's one way to get rid of the 100s that I got landed with by my ex. As for DVDs - that's tough. Could you put an add on Freecycle or Amazon Marketplace? It's tough to throw stuff away isn't it. As for the hike, if I am seriously going to give it some consideration I have to get off my backside and start walking again. When I was walking fairly consistently during lockdown I felt so good. Keeping the momentum going is something else though isn't it!

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