On borrowing books
Don’t do it if you’re planning to move house any time afterwards. Make sure both you and the person you’re borrowing from write down what the book’s called.
Musings / ideas / thoughts
On unwanted news
Today I learned something I didn’t want to know. Today I found out something about myself which I’d rather wasn’t true. Today the doctor produced the paperwork to show me what I didn’t want to see. …I have lactose intolerance… (and maybe gluten intolerance as well, but that needs more testing). Okay, so it could […]
On leaving in the middle of a conversation
I usually like talking to people. One of the people I talk to most these days is my work colleague. He has interesting viewpoints and is knowledgeable about subjects I’ve never considered finding out about. It makes lunch breaks more like lectures, but it’s fascinating and I’m learning a lot. 🙂 Today, I had to […]
On Advent decorations – part 4
<- part 3 You can’t just be traditional, you have to do some outlandish things sometimes. My Christmas box had been ignored. This is the result: The dark bit in the middle is the skylight, and the light isn’t the moon it’s a handblown*, handpainted*, hand-put-together* glowing bauble. My curtain stars are hanging away from […]
On Advent decorations – part 3
<- part 2 ….Then I moved in with DB. DB is German. DB’s parents are German. All of them were born and live in [former] East Germany. There is a lot of tradition involved in a German Christmas, and a whole lot more in an East German one. I’m not sure why, or even if […]
On Advent decorations – part 2
<- part 1 ….Then I moved out. I also had a Christmas box, though mine was decidedly smaller – my flat was also smaller than the house ;). My treasures consiated of 3 or 4 strings of fairy lights, red, gold and silver stars outlines to hang on the curtains, home-made glass baubles and icicles […]
On Advent decorations – part 1
Once upon a time I lived in a house where we didn’t think about Christmas until all the birthdays were over (mid December). We had a huge (to a small child) box in the attic marked “Christmas”. It was brought downstairs a few days in advance, so we could walk round it and my parents […]
On winter proofing the garden and other acts of busyness
Today was a busy day. I would most have liked to stay in bed, but there were Things that needed doing. My list was a very indoorsy kind of list, things like finally unpacking the computer and pottering around in my corner, but DB said the outdoorsy things on his list were more important because […]
On temperature
Temperature is a funny thing. Winter has just about reached Berlin. It’s something like -1′ in the mornings when I walk to work from the station. I spent most of the day shivering. The workshop was freezing, despite the flames and the fact thatthe window was newly wedged shut with a borrowed door stopper. The […]
On brand new computers v clean hair
I have 2 jobs. Both are part time, but I always work full days, if that makes sense. One of the companies I work for bought me a brand new computer today. I’ve never had a brand new computer before, unless you count my first laptop, which I suppose I do, and even that was […]
On napping before dinner
Sometimes I feel like a little kid. Sometimes I don’t care. Some days can be saved by an hour or so of undivided attention from a duvet. Today was one of those days. Having been undividedly attentioned by my duvet I am now ready to get up and make polite conversation over dinner. 🙂 Thank […]
On parking in Berlin
If you want to park in central Berlin, you’re better off with a Smart than a VW bus… especially if you want to go to a concert 🙂
On receptionists and telephones
Why is it, that some days the phone doesn’t stop ringing?? I think it rang every 5 minutes on average all day. Also, why don’t doctors make it a priority to employ friendly receptionists?
On early Christmas presents
DB bought my Christmas prezzie today. I am usually against early presents, but this year I think it’s a good thing. I can now use it to make other peoples’ prezzies. Win-win.
100 visitors…
… in November 🙂