Personal note

Interestingly, the day after my birthday I suddenly found myself in the intensive care unit of the nearest hospital. Without going into detail: Three days later back home again, thankfully I do feel considerably better. It seems I've escaped death for the time being.

When I come to think of all the unread books, my death would have been a shame, anyway ... ;-)

 

Laughing Lhursday*

Night and Dreams

Having helped her to sit up on the edge of the bed, he says while kneeling in front of her and putting on her slippers:
- You look like I was again causing you nightmares.
No response. No smile. No eye sparkling.
- Did I again offer you tea all night until you were fed up with me?
- ...
- Hm, do you think you are ready to fly into my arms?
- Yes.
- Alright then. ... Ready?
- Yes.
- You know that you will never ever fall when the strongest of all sons-in-law's with you?
- Yes.
- Good. So let's do it, Mylady. One ... two ... three! Done.
A little scream. Her head leaning against his left shoulder; he feels her shivering.
- Did it hurt?
- No.
- You say when you are ready for the marathon?
- I am ready.
- Good. So give me your hands, Mylady.
Slowly, step by step, they cover the three metres to the bedroom door, its threshold.
- And now we are climbing Mt. Everest. ... Good.

Minutes later. The old woman sitting on the toilet, he sitting on the rim of the bath tub.
- Don't you feel well?
- No.
- Any pain?
- No.
- So, w...
- I'll tell you when I've the teeth in my mouth.
- So be it.
He smiles. Their eyes meet. She does not smile.

Half an hour later, having another marathon behind her, with climbing Nanga Parbat and Popocatepetl, surviving a breakfast containing of three tiny bits of bread - one with egg and fleurs de sel, one with walnut cheese, one with chaumes -, a cup of tea and three pills, she says:
- It was so horrible! Wearing white runners, on arriving with my bicycle at the grocer's suddenly there was a sandheap. I fell. While getting up, fortunately Mickey appeared. Mickey, I said, could you please pick up my bike? He did, and I asked him: Mickey, would you now, please, be so kind and slap me? - But, why should I slap you, Eireen? he asked. Oh, Mickey, I said, Sean's told me by no means to get up without him. I could call him at any time of the day and the night, and now I am here. He will ... In the next moment I awoke ... ah ... and so relieved I felt to be in my bed. Still, I was shivering with horror.
- White runners? Did you ever wear white runners?
- No.
- Did you really ask Mickey to slap you?
- Yes.
And he laughed and laughed and ... both they laughed.

 

 

* [For first time visitors]: 
Typo in the title? Nah. It's just that 
I would not let a tiny T spoil an avantgardistic alliteration.  

Unity?

After 37 years, almost an entire generation knows, at best from hearsay, what life felt like in the two Germanys (in the decades) before 9 November 1989.
No doubt this has to do with education. And therefore with stupidity.
If Hamlet lived in these climes, he would probably say with respect to the German Unity Day:
Something is rotten in the state of Germany.

And who were I to disagree?

Personal note

Tens of thousands of data thieves have finally succeeded: 
I've had enough! 
Until further notice, from now on, Omnium will only be accessible to friends to whom I sent an invitation last night.
The peace of the night.
* *
Desenes de milers de lladres de dades finalment ho han aconseguit: 
ja n'he tingut prou!
Fins a nou avís, a partir d'ara, Omnium només serà accessible per als amics als quals vaig enviar una invitació ahir a la nit.
La pau de la nit.

Monochrome Monday

Almost supermoon ...

Same procedure as every year

If I've counted correctly, Germans can/could watch Dinner for One (The 90th Birthday) 23 times today on different TV channels, between 11:40 and 23:40, and also in different German dialects, including Schwiizerdütsch.
Very strange folks, the Germans. Well, judge for yourself.

Tiny tip-off: Be absolutely determined not to laugh.

Dinner for One

"Gentlemen's" agreement

"You take Ukraine and, for all I care, annex the rest of Europe, which is INCREDIBLY STUPID, into a Holy European Empire of the Russian Nation. In return, you keep BEAUTIFULLY QUIET while I LIBERATE Greenland, Canada, and the southern remainder of the American continent. DEAL!?!?!"

"Согласованный." 

Fuck you, Singapore & Co.

Fuck you, Tencent Cloud Computing (43.173.xxx.yyy)
Chrome 126.0
Win7
1280x1200

You may choose to make your miserable lives by stealing intellectual property. 
What you don't realise is that in the end, you will die a miserable death.

Stragglers

Stragglers on their way south-east.

On the road

Misty morning.

Laughing Lhursday*

The loveliest of all daughters and booksellers allowed me
 to 'make' a Laughing Lhursday of her mishap.

As title, she suggested two and a half weeks ago:
Tanzen ist doch schädlich. / Dancing is harmful after all.

Now, while sitting in Hogwarts
with her torn ligament, 
the cook's name is Sean,
for a couple of weeks
carrying pots and pans across the road
for four hungry mouths.

* [For first time visitors]: 
Typo in the title? Nah. It's just that 
I would not let a tiny T spoil an avantgardistic alliteration.

Balcony views with red moon

Whilst this afternoon sitting with Antonio Molina Muñoz, 
I enjoyed this view.

Five and a half hours later
I took a shot of today's lunar eclipse...

Thirty-one minutes later, Ms Luna
had reappeared from the Earth's shadow.

Balcony view

This afternoon, whilst sitting with Mercé Rodoreda
and a cup of coffee on the balcony,
when looking up, once again I felt privileged.

On the road

10:43

20:29

August ending

Great effort, even greater delight for the palate ...

Pretty cool it was

Eilean Donan Castle ...
around half past four in the morning,
when the pub had closed its doors.
*
Memories of morning freshness 
on a very hot day 27 years later. ;-)

Little dead swallow

Granddaughter sitting in the courtyard, observing three swallow nests and looking around. Suddenly a small cry. ‘Grandpa, oh no! A little bird.’ – On my way to the garage, I return and glance into the drain: ‘Ah, no, it's but a leaf.’

To cut a long story short:
Granddaughter's eagle eyes were right.
So I advised her to find a leaf.

We place the little swallow on it.
When I return from shopping, I hear
the little creature has been given a solemn burial.

Laughing Lhursday*: Irish Metamorphosis

Early this morning spake Tetrapilotomos:
'Until Wednesday then.'
'Oh, trip to Tibet?
'No, march to Mayo.'
'Ah, next Sunday celebrating once again that St. Patrick worked wonder by climbing Croagh Patrick on your bare feet?'
'What wonder?'
'Expelling all snakes from Hiberna.'
'It was no wonder, at all.'
?
'All Old Paddy did was quasi expemplifying a metamorphosis.'
?
'Sean, did you ever notice that since there are no serpents the esmerald island is swarming with priests?'
And with the corners of his mouth twitching, off he went.

* [For first time visitors]:

Typo in the title?
Nah. It's just that I would not let a tiny T spoil an avantgardistic alliteration.

Bridge ...

... over untroubled water.
This creek is getting thirsty.

34°C in the shadow

Whilst I was sitting
on the bench before the house
enjoying the shade