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lockdownuk · 4 years ago

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Lockdown Diary Part 10

A personal account during the lockdown in the UK due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

23/03/2020 8:30pm Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, gives a live address to the nation to, effectively, put the country on lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain, Covid-19.

Many of us have been self-isolating for days but this latest development within the UK in reaction to the pandemic feels very serious and very scary. I decided to keep a simple diary and where better but online. Day 271: Work was dominated by Qfiniti again, including a meeting with Jon and staff from the States, where I found my self taking control to get the next steps in process (and then, Dave Stewart, the SCCM engineer fucked off and put an OOO message on Teams telling me he’s off until Tuesday (it’s Thursday)...and I am off on Monday!) But, I have to say this project does float my boat. Got a text message and then a call from PCH for another laser eye appt this coming Monday at 12.30pm. I mentioned to the lady that phoned that I will have to square it with work (I won’t, but she doesn’t know that) as I can’t afford to lose my job - it just seems the hospital, while under pressue with the admin and the clinic availability - I get it! - just aren’t seeing the issues for the patients. Plus, Peterborough has been declared a Tier 3 from Sunday under the new lockdown scheme, the highest tier. Great...I really want to travel to a highly infected area! managed to find an online booze shop that does Gordon’s and Famous Grouse and will deliver beforee Chrimbo, so I’ve placed the order for dad and Rita’s gift. I spoke with Dad today, he hasn’t heard about his vaccination yet which is a surprise (he’s in the first draft being over 80)

Day 272: Typing on day 273. Work was that manic shit at the end of the dya when I’ve got time off. I am only off on Moday but still had to tie up loose ends, complictaed further by Jon being off next week and Sueanne off this week and the Qfiniti project! In the evening I only mamaged three beers. I ate too much. Plus my sugars were all over the place and way too high! I ordered a torch a couple of days ago (£17), it arrived today. It takes rechargeable batteries or 3 AAAs. Apparently, to get the best performance (i.e. brightness) you need the rechargeable batteries in it, so i charged ‘em. Fucking hell, I’m glad I did - it’s brighter than the sun. It opens up my late walks in winter, for sure.

Day 273: While it was a very late (but sober) night yesterday (gone 4am before lights out) I was up before midday. Usual walking etc. plus gave the bathroom a clean (albeit with wipes, but I did mop the floor - and used the water to also mop the kitchen). Now I am about to stick a pizza in the oven, plus wedges (to have with microwaveable chip shop curry sauce) and watch This Is 40 which is coincidentally on telly tonight - the coincidence being clips of it are on TikTok a lot right now. I am on my second beer and am going to have a smoke right now as well. Lastly for this entry, I have been using my AudioPro speaker today, it pisses me off it’s not WiFi capable but, thru Bt, it does sound fucking good - revisiting James works very well to demonstrate the speaker’s prowess.

Day 274: I have another Paypal a/c. I have been getting emails to my standard gmail account from Paypal saying they are going to charge me £9 for an inactive account which I have been largely ignoring since my paypal a/c has a specific email address. Anyway, I tried to log in, after a password reset and, hey presto, I do have another one, with £35 in it, having just been fleeced of £9 for the aforementioned inactivity, fuckers. It’s registered with the old Market Place address and phone. When I try to transfer the £35 to my card, it wants to confim it’s me by calling the phone, which I can’t amend. Oh, and you can’t contact Paypal direct. Fuck knows what to do! Other than that, usual Sunday, a tad more relaxed since I have tomorrow off, but not that much now I have an eye appointment in Tier 4 Peterborough (it’s been up’d from tier 3)! Up at 1.30 pm (I watched This is 40 and The Guvners last night with lots of beer), feeling worse for wear but, stair climb and a 6 miler acheived!

Day 275: I was at the hospital for 3 hours. The laser clinic didn’t start until 1.30pm so, why my appointment was at 12.20, not even the consultant could understand. 15 minutes of lasering - horrible but I am used to it. It took so long it pretty much fucked my day off up completely. I got a Christmas card from Karen, in the actual post, so, a mail shot. It’s depressing.

Day 276: Back to work and it’s definitely in wind down mode. I’ve decided to compile a list of things I have done this year. It will be on the postive side, such as all the steps I’ve walked and getting an article published about my photography, but it will also include randon facts like getting bitten by a dig twice and not having a haircut. I’ll get it done so I can post in at new year, hopefully be a little inspiring, a little silly and a lot of showing off!

Day 277: Work, again, was quiet. It’s fucking pissing down now, as I type at 21:50, and has been all day. It’s causing havoc and there’s flooding everywhere. I could walk down St. Peter’s Road tonight ‘cos of it (had to go up New Road, Springfield Road, down Latham Road). Soaked a lunhtime and tonight! With a new variant of Coronavirus, France stopped frieght crossing the border. That’s now been resolved but tyeh back log has/is affecting certain food stocks in the shops, of which, fresh veg might affect me for Christams dinner (I plan to do a chicken breast with stuffing, pigs in blankets, yorkshire pud and shed loads of veg. I’ll nip to Co-Op tomorrow morning and see what’s vaialble. It’s a half day at work ‘cos of Christmas Eve, so I can nip out somewhere in the car if need be, as ong as the flooding has subsided. Or I could just get shitfaced and have burgers and pizza.

Day 278: Christmas Eve. Sueanne let me finish at 11.00am so, very shortly thereafter, off for a walk I went; it turned out to be a stop/start affair - flooding as the Nene had burst its banks, ended up doing more of a circuit round town. Bumped into Andy Smith (and his son) and, after that, Ash and Denise. Ended up doing just under 11.5km in 2 and a half hours.Knackered! As I type, I have a chilli on the stove, beer on the go, all the veg and chicken breast bought with no shortages, as feared, for tomorrow’s lunch and looking forward to eating. getting drunk, smoking, listening to music, watching telly....all over the next two/three days.

Day 279: I don’t even remember going to bed last night. As a direct result I got out of bed at 2.30pm. I couldn’t even be bothered with Christmas dinner, let alone anything else like exercise. I’m just about to have chilli for dinner (it’s 8.10pm). Watch some telly then try an go to sleep before midnight. No booze! I did talk to dad earlier. Day 280: Typing on day 281. A better, more productive day. Up @11.00am exercise and walk as usual, although the walk was a different route due to flooding. In the evening I could hear ‘storm Bella’ raging, so windy! I cooked a christmas dinner of sorts, chicken breast with Thyme, all the veg, roasted spuds and parsnip, stuffing (a first for me, albeit co-op stuffing mix), Yorkshie and pigs in blankets. It was smashing! A few beers and The Hitman’s Bodyguard, alays a fun watch. A better day, as I say, but I am feeling particular deflated this Christmas. Day 281: Typing on day 282. I realised, about mid afternoon, that Monday (tomorrow) is a bank holiday so no work. It was a great realisation but, also, worrying that it dawned on my like I’m an old person! Nevertheless, a nice long walk - bumped into Baz & Kate and had a nice long chat, then El & Camila, Aaron and Eva for another, shorter chat. I also saw Denise & Ash along the way. Fog video called later in the evening for a chat too (he told me how he fell asleep at the dinner table, fuck he makes me laugh - unwittingly - when I need it most!) A regular social fest! A repeat of last night’s dinner and a few beers - it was a good day albeit I am in a proper low ebb.

Day 282: Up at midday after a 4am-er. A very long walk (1.75 hours) and a hodge podge dinner (remaining chilli, roasted spuds and peppers, steamed cauliflower and runner beans, grated cheese) - it’s nearly ready, I’ll type the review tomorrow. I realise that this is the first time in 21 Christmases that I have at least talked to K. Is that connected to my mood slump? I reckon so. So, as that fact dawned on me, I then considered, should it be the case next Christmas, it will not be the first in along time and, as such, more manageable....fuck knows how I manage to accentuate any little positive but, thank goodness I do. Day 283: Work was a sedate affair today, fuck all to do really. Sueanne is now follwing me on Insta...I shall invetsigate on how to exclude posts to individuals, methinks. Tea, last night, was fucking lovely. More of the same tonight-ish - currently I am roasting spuds, peppers, garlic, chillies, tomatoes - it’ll all go with left over pigs-in-blankets (5) and a burger. I’ll have bisto beef with mustard on it. I can’t wait! Day 284: Typing on day 285. That meal was fucking lush! Checked on the car todfay and it would not start. Something is draining the battery so I will have to give it a run every day until I can get Julian to sort it. So, I WhatsApp’d Karen to borrow the portable starter. She dropped it off for me. We had the briefest of chats at the doorstep, first time we’ve spoken in weeks. She mentioned my hair! Day 285: NYE. I have just got back from walking to Cottersock and back. I would not have been able to do so without my new torch! I finished and published my double letter quiz on FB, including to the Virtual Pub group and the Oundle Chatter. It’s had some good feedback, I’m rather proud of it. I am going to make chicken casserole now (with dumplings - a first for me, I even bought some flour), have some beers and get a bit stoned. Before that, I am going to finish off my list of things I’ve done this year, including steps wlaked and hours listening on Spotify. I am quite proud of that list too.

Day 286: I fucked the dumplings up, added too much water, so that didn’t happen but the chicken casserole was good, just about to finish it for tea tonight. I also had pizza last night and went to bed at 5am. I have had a lot of good feedback on my list of 2020 achievements. I proud of it. K sent a happy new WhatsApp last night, around 00.30.

Day 287: No booze last night, so I was up before the alarm today (about 10.00am) Two walks, one on my own, another with Fog with a couple of beers. I fucking loved it! Watching datrts (World champs semi finals - been texting Dan while the first one has been on). Going to watch The Aviator later...I’ve not seen it before which surprises me. Why it surprises me I do not know, since I know I haven’t seen it. How the fuck can I be surprised by a fact I’m completely aware of? Day 288: I didn’t watch The Aviator ‘cos Logan Luck was on at 11:55pm on ITV4. Great fildm...I can’t believe that I very nearly paid for it (rent from Sky or Amazon). A late one last night and quite pissed. Thinking about it, having afew beers with Fog in the afternoon made it quite a long sesh for me! Up at just gone midday today, nice long walk (Cotterstock) which was mde long by a painful right ankle - I must have turned or twiested slightly sometime. Still, it survived. Back to work tomorrow - Chrimbo and New Year all done and dusted for the 55th time in my life!

Day 289: First day back at work of 2021. Boris announces another full lockdown in England (there’s a new strain of Covid19 which is seeing huge numbers of infections every day, over 50,000 per day).

Day 290: Something is up with my right foot, the little toe pad. It’s bloody sore. If it gets any worse it’ll affect my walking and exercise. I phoned Anne Bennison to talk about it, she just wants me to go and see her which i donlt want to do if poss, pandemic and all that.

Day 291: Wearing my sandals instead of the M&S slippers and my foot/toepad is already feeling bteer. However, I did inspect my Merrell boots, just in case, and the sole on te right is really worn down, in just three months. I have sent a WhatsApp to CotswoldOutdoors, where I got them from....let’s see what they say! It’s all kicking off i the US - pro Trump protestors have storm the Capitol Building, where congrees was being held. Only in ‘Merica.

Day 292: Busy at work with rolling out Qfiniti - all that project work was pretty much for fuck all since the SCCM package has to hand held. It’s feckin’ freezing today, below freezing, slippy af on my walks. I have been shopping tonight, £106 in Corby Tesco. That does include 8 cans of sapporo.

Day 293: The fracas at Capitol Hill on Wednesday left 5 dead, it looks like Trump will be impeached. He’s already said he’ll not attend Biden’s inauguration. In a fucking world gone mad, it’s another level of madness. It’s really cold -3℃ tonight, more of the same tomorrow. Makes for brisk walks. I’ve just had chicken balti pie and chips for tea. It was so nice that I burnt the roof of my fucking gob. I’m on the Sapporo and about to have a smoke then watch Jack Reacher. I’ve (kinda) earnt after the first 5 day week for a while.

Day 294: Well, last night saw another late one...5am by the time I :went to sleep. Up at 2pm today with no instention of any exercise or walking or housework or fuck all, really. But, I did my exercises and a 9 mile walk. While I walked I came across Banners, quick 15 min chat and listed to Stage by David Bowie. He’s all over the radio right now as it’s his death’s anniversary tomorrow and his birthday yesterday. It’s a fucking good live album. A few beers tonight, eating trash, watching FA Cup highlights then End of Watch later. Posh played today (first time in a while due to Covid infections) drew away to (shitty) Lincoln 1-1. Good point as Posh were down to ten men after 67 mins for a second yellow for handball in the area. Lincoln missed the pen. Fucking funny. Chorley, the non leaguers who knocked Posh out in round 2 of the FA Cup, beat Derby in round 3 today (albeit derby fielded an academy side of 11 first timers due to Covid ) - a great day for them!

Day 295: Up at 2pm swearing blind I’d not walk or exercise (again!) but, of course I did. I’ve done over 25 miles this w/e! End of Watch was brilliant last night. Well worth a rewatch, so emotional. I am making butter chicken as I type. I’ve added extra onion, garlic and, of course, chillies. It’s the spiciest butter chicken I have ever tasted!

Day 296: One of those frustrating days at work when no problem of request I try to resolve goes without a hitch. After a 7km walk in the evening, took the car for a spin and cleaned the bathroom. Fucking knackered. It’s 11:30pm and I’m in bed typing this on the iPad! despite getting up so late, I feel knackered. 11pm bedtime for me, I reckon.

Day 297: Fucking busy at work, the States rolled out a new Okta trust policy and it caused mayhem. Meant my evening walk didn’t start ‘til gone 6pm. When I got back, clened the hall and stairs, made chilli (which I am about to have for tea (gone 10.15pm!) and showered. I’m, again, fucking knackered! Posh played Portsmouth in the EFL Trophy 3rd round at home. Won 5-1. Nice.

Day 298: Had an electrician rouind for the EICR cetrt. He was here until 2pm and it was a pain in the arse, having to work upstairs plus, with having to cut the electricity, all the smart devices lost their settings. And it was freezing up there.

Day 299: Work was impossibly infuriating. Not one pc remote session went to plan! It was pissing down a lunchtime during my walk but, I have to say, the cheap TargetDry coat copes fine in heavy rain for short periods. Everywhere is flooding again even though the rain turned to sleet. By my evening walk, it was dry but bloody cold. Then, when I got in I cleaned the kitchen and mopped the floor and the bathroom’s as well. I fucking done in! Chatted to dad today - same as ever!

Day 300: What a fucking work at week! I am so glad it’s Friday. To celebrate, I ordered new walking boots: Scarpas £121!

#diary #Tumblr diary #lockdown #COVID19 #lockdownuk

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mmjjbbaannkkss · 5 years ago

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2019 July 16-21 Rotators, Delts and Ankles

“To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it” ~ Charlie Chaplin

#xv31 monday, Heavy Push Treadmill warm-up -/110 >> Incl DB Bench 4x 6 3540455050- >> BB Flat Bench 4x 6 100*4 >> Dips 3x 8 4*6 >> Incl DB Neutral 3x 8 35404545 >> Shldr Press 3x 6 50507070 >> R/Delt 3x 8 5,10,15,20,25,30 >> Front Raise 3x 8 15202025 >> Pullover Press 3x 6 35353535 >> Tric Pushdown 4*6 3535355 >> Twist 4x 10 507090110 >> Treadmill cooldown

Nagging trouble w front delt, could warm up rear delt first, shoulders/chest are working better with volume or slow, no train, no gain, dips same fascia tension, could do myofascial stretching of arms/shoulders, neutral hold db was worst, shoulder press better, rear delts targeted with an archer cable pull/draw was THE BEST thing even if just this stage of delt gains, front raise weak, hi red/blonde team, ...that pullover was a skullcrusher once my double dips in its place, tric-push might’ve benefited being diamonds instead, explosive twists high resistance only one shoulder on machine taps obliques w/o mentally bombing //

#xv32 Tuesday, 7x7 Pull Treadmill warm-up -/? >> Palms-In pulldown 7*7 100*7 >> DB 1-Arm Row 35,505050,656565,80- >> Wide Lat pulldown 70,9090,11111111 >> Straight pulldown 35,5050505050,6565 >> Shrug 100*3,150*4 >> Row 607590105120135150 >> Delt Deck 90*7 >> Preacher Curl 80808080,959595- >> Straight Bar Curl supine 20303040405050- >> 1-arm cable curl 2020,25252525,30- >> Treadmill cooldown

Aminos, beet juice, hot green tea, getting some good body temp w/o caffeine pwo, has made sleeping better; avoiding carbonated anything; the 32oz hot tea, scoop aminos, splash of beet and/or orange juice, helps keep a sweat going, at about an hour there’s a need to pace myself, could be the music slowing me down and then my repping too fast; slowing down and lightening up and steady state has been worth it; 45lb plate fell 1-2ft onto my foot, in a good way

#xv33 Wednesday, Slow/Heavy Legs Treadmill warm-up -/? Plate Squat 4x 6 0,454545 >> Horizon Press 3x 8 90,130,170 >> Hack Squat 3x 8 203040 >> Deadlift+Curl 3x 8 404040 >> Leg Ext 3x 8 101010(4ct.iso) >> Leg Curl 3*8 LR/ F@30/16:13:10 >> Heel Raise 4x 8 LR /f@70/25'20:25 >> Side Bends 4x 8 plate LR 45454545 >> Rev Crunch 4x 12 121212-12- >> Rope/Crunch 4x 12 arm-chair 110,110,130-150- >> Treadmill cooldown 10min

Un-broke foot? Yesterday, bench locked into chair, plate balanced like a wheel, tumbles dives onto my foot, 15 years ago I rolled the ankle, and it was like brb google...ok that didn’t help, so like, the actuators and hydraulics, top left of foot into ankle were rusted, then smack, years of fascia stretched, hydrated, cracked, idk, a masseuse could’ve brunt their hand b/w ankle/foot and forced the fold methinks - am kind of numb even before ever going to the gym, so it didn’t register, but almost instantly pimp step was gone (google it), straight lines then/there, NBD right? even popping my knee is easy with foot... flexibility that’s the word, would’ve never known planting left heel first was so essential, go figure, count your lucky stars /// need to compose a heavy leg day with more mule kick and deadlifts, compounds, one-leg deadlift is hard,

No bruise, some residual morning stiffness, even sleeping and sitting has changed. Damn you, Achilles!

#xv34 Thursday, Lite Push fst7 Treadmill warmup, -/hot >> Shoulder Press 7*7 10,3030,5050,7070,90 >> Front raise 7*7 30*7 >> Lat Raise 7*7 5,10,1515151515 >> Incl BB Bench 7*7 60*7 >> DB Flat Bench 7*7 2(45)*7 >> Crossover 7*7 10152025252525 >> Pec Deck 7*7 70,85,100,115,13,145,16,175,19- >> Pullover 7*7 35,505050,656565 >> Tri-bar tricep 7*7 50506060707085 >> Twist 7*7 100100100,120120120,140- >> Treadmill cooldown 10min

Better start with delts push day, would've liked to do lite volume delts-only day, shldr press good warm up progressive, front raise cable ropes better but lighter, lat raise leaning outward is better for me and "stimulate not annihilate" merited, bench yet felt weak/deflated but tender at coffee, inner delts front cable cross low new target, pec deck better, tricep same/oof, twist good but could've angled obliques raise maybe,

#xv35 Friday, Slow Pull Treadmill warm-up -/? >> Lat Pulldown 3x 6 507090110 >> Sit Row 3x 6 607590,105,120,135,150,165 >> High Row 3x 6 35506580 >> Chin Up Palms In 3x 8 887-1- >> «Bow pulls LR 3x 8 101520 >> Smith Shrug 4x 8 60,160,160,160- >> EZ Curl 4x 10 2030405060- >> Cable Curl 1-Arm 4x 10 1015 → rope curl 15202530 >> Preacher Curl 1-Arm 4x 105050658095 >> Twist 4x 10 7090110130 >> Treadmill cooldown 10min

Right afterwards, great for now bow draws, but stretched left rear delt and wrung/wrought it in smith shrug so couldn't proper cable curl, did ropes curl instead after seeing it in a Hany Rambod vid last week, breezy night is good >> doing pulls at the same speed up/down has really felt healthier the next day. Should run from the treadmill to pullups and get those fucking things over-with first. Might make bow-string pulls new rearmost delt iso, across the chest.

#xv36 Saturday, lite legs overslept, skipped leg day, did mow the lawn in a 90 fog Sunday, soaked. It’s like I have a new ankle, have been moving/flexing it in (awe?) when just thinking about it. Might test lifter’s sprints Wednesday.

////

Notes/tips

> Wide stance, knees locked, alternate opposite hand to foot touch 1 minute, incorporate some pushups again for chest volume training; shoulders > full “CAN RAISES”, no shrug, straight arm raises lite wide, targets “supraspinatus”

> external rotation, open the sliding door lite, targets posterior rotator cuff, infraspinatus and teres minor > external rotation press, cable pull lateral, then open the window, then press

> if you do low weight high volume, you’ll get some muscle size increase and some definition, and eventually plateau until the reps are done with resistance, and that could mean isometric holds or bodyweight pauses (called calisthenics), because the slow (to warm up) twitch muscles, like delts or biceps, some of the chest, will begin to need slightly more recovery time, and continues until either muscle memory is learned (gymnastics, crossfit) or slow eccentric or deep concentric/eccentric can train/gain the inner muscle (bodybuilding, powerlifting), slowing reps can extend hypertrophy while making strength gains, but requires more rest and more nutrition considerations,

instagram.com/swehttamxam/

#workout #training #program #routine #goal #guide #schedule #fitness #exercise #6day #ankle #shoulders #rotator cuff #rotater cuff #mobility #flixibility #quotes #quote

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cloudedwrath · 5 years ago

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all the symbols for caroline :3

✚: a song that reminds my muse of your muse

LIKE A PRAYER by madonna - when you call my name, it’s like a little prayer, i’m down on my knees, i wanna take you there. ( remember when they lit went to a madonna [ pls tell me it was madonna and my braincells are just short circuiting ] concert like the legends they are ? ‘cos i do ! )

✪: a song that represents our muses together

YOU ALREADY KNOW by bombay bicycle club - the moment we forgot we were just good friends i moved my arm, her face went red again, one more bus home, another silent weekend. ( pulling the one of two songs on the playlist i forgot about .. still works and still snaps though ! )

❤: a song that represents my muses feelings toward your muse

SOMEONE NEW by hozier - would things be easier if there was a right way, honey, there is no right way, and so i fall in love just a little ol' little bit every day with someone new. ( listen .. this was hard cos he Crushin, which made me think girl crush by harry styles but that was a lil bit too extra .. i feel like this is the perfect amount of extra, falling in love - but just a lil ! )

⚯: a song my muse would sing to your muse

DANCING IN THE DARK by bruce springsteen - you can’t start a fire, you can’t start a fire without a spark, this gun’s for hire, even if we’re just dancing in the dark. ( plays this song on repeat at the old diner jukebox that miraculously still works, a lot of white guy dancing, a lot of caroline getting second hand embarrassment, lovs it )

♡: a song my muse thinks your muse would like

JCB by nizlopi - and we’re holding up the bypass, me and my dad having a top laugh, and i’m sitting on the tool box and i’m so glad i’m not in school bus, so glad i’m not in school. ( the softest song to ever exist methinks, it reminds him of his dad sm so the fact that he shared it with her ‘cos he thought she might like it .. wow ! )

✑: a song my muse would play on a road trip with yours

FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE by the cure - i don't care if monday's blue, tuesday's gray and wednesday too, thursday I don't care about you, it's friday i'm in love. ( oh yes this is a roadtrip bop and a half .. i have no other comments it just Fits ! )

#stvnknny #JD / CC.#big Cute

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theretirementstory · 6 years ago

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The river looks rather high. Scaffolding at St Maclou Church Some weeks I feel as if I have difficulty fitting everything in. This has been one of those weeks! Apart from my own French lessons three mornings a week, there’s my volunteer class with Monique on a Friday afternoon. After that I have to fit in meeting friends, housework, shopping, cooking – get my drift? Ok so when the weather is warm and the nights are lighter it makes all of that so much easier BUT when it is cold and damp all I really want to do is snuggle up and keep warm. That is why I sometimes have to skip class to fit in some other activity. Monday saw me heading off to the Tourist Information Office after class to return a book to the Book Club “bag”. As I was close to the Bar I decided to call in for a coffee. All well so far, drank my coffee, read the paper and went to pay, only to find that I had left my purse at home. Was Christophe going to make me wash up or worse still do some cleaning in the hotel? No, he just laughed and said to pay later. Of course I returned in the afternoon for another coffee and to pay for them both. I also prepared yet another letter for the Prefecture in Troyes and as luck would have it, having printed out the final item for them, the ink ran out in the printer. At least I got that packet posted off and await, with baited breath, her reply. The car and I had a little drive on Tuesday to buy new printer ink, then I came home and found a site where I can buy it much cheaper, so when I need the colour ink cartridge I will be using that site. Suddenly you wake up and it is Wednesday, that means I can have a little sleep in as I don’t have a class that day. However, I did have Tricot this week, it was lots of laughs, cake and juice, but the best part for me was that when people were talking I understood what they were talking about. The lady who sits next to me was totally amazed at how well I was understanding and said that my French was improving really well. I had spent a lot of time in the morning preparing a copy of my dossier applying for my driving licence (I had not kept a copy originally) and taking it to the Sous-Prefecture in town. The person on the desk kept trying to give me the papers back, as I had been asked to provide them so that they could chase up the application I must admit I was getting rather angry. After asking for the name of the “nice gentleman” so that I could contact him again if needs be, the “person” kept them and said someone would call me (idle promises methinks). Thursday saw me skipping my French lesson as I was going to meet Monique and we were going to the sales in Troyes. I had another little job to do in town so thought I would do it before I went. Unfortunately, Jack Frost” had been performing his “wonders” on my car and so I spend half an hour undoing his work. When I got to Monique’s it turned out Jean-Claude was going with us and so we had a lovely day, lunch at Buffalo Grill, bought a dress and two cardigans but didn’t get the glasses I had gone for. My goodness spectacles are such a price here! To have my prescription filled, lenses and frames, comes to 650 euros!! These are for the cheaper (non-designer) frames and for one pair of glasses. I was busy Friday morning preparing the lesson for class on the afternoon. We had another new person so Monique spent time with him and I did the lesson with the other 4 people. Afterwards, we adjourned to McDo for coffee and then she drove me home. I had seen Robert in McDo although he had kept his head down, anyway as we were approaching my apartment I saw him lurking about outside. I got out of the car and went over to talk to him. He had forgotten his phone so couldn’t ring me but had wanted to say he would not be at the Pomme d’Or as he is still struggling with his finances again. Who doesn’t at the start of a New Year? Wow then it was Saturday, I needed shopping, I needed to bake, I wanted to cook a roast dinner……. Well I did head off for the shopping, buying more than the items on the list (again). I got home put the shopping away, ate my lunch, made a couple of phone calls and sat down for half an hour. Oh yes then I woke up just before we lost the daylight. Did I want to start cooking a roast dinner (yes) did I want to start baking a quiche (yes). Got all of that done and then even managed some knitting while watching the tv. The quiche was made as today I am attending the Fete sans Frontiere in town. It is a sharing meal so I used my new rather large quiche tin. Well, it looks ok, and I am sure it will taste good too. Marie-Therese had messaged in the week to say that she was going to see the puppy she is looking to buy. On Friday we were due snow and I wondered if she would put off going to see him. However, when I messaged in the evening to ask if she had seen him she was pleased to say that she had gone and had had lots of snuggles and kisses. I am so pleased for her, she will soon have a little friend at her home again. Ooh, almost forgot to say, looks like some of the scaffolding is being taken down at St Maclou Church. The roof at one side appears to be finished and watertight so they will be moving on to another part of the church if funds are still available. Well time is pressing on and I don’t want to miss the Verre de l’Amitie at noon, so I had better get ready. Until next time ......

#barsuraube #aube #troyes #france #palm trees #nature #churches #fetesansfrontiere #livingthedream

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glass-closet · 7 years ago

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So I'm new here, so forgive me for still being slow on the uptake, but I have a question! Did I miss something? Why do we think the Js aren't in Austin? Or where do we think they are instead?

Hello, dear @wandererfromyearone!

Welcome to my special inferno! Here we read in between the lines quite a bit and that is what made me, among others, assume that the J’s were not in Austin during the Father’s Day weekend and early this week. It started on 15th of June, Thursday, when one of the J’s were last seen by fans.

(x)

Then came the unconvincing social media bearding, starting with Jared “flirting” with G on Friday…

Followed by Jensen posting a picture with D on Saturday, eating some frozen American delicacy I have no idea of.

Psst, pay attention to the helpful timetag provided by Jensen. This happened on Saturday according to him and the surroundings appear to be from Austin.

Then came Father’s Day and both of the wives posted their instagram posts. D’s had a picture of Jensen with the children, but wait… How did his beard grow so much overnight?

G went ahead and copied her peers with her caption which lead to Jared responding to her on Twitter.

So, Monday comes and this social media train choo-choos onwards. D posts a picture of her and Jensen going to a spinning class, helpfully hashtagging the location so that nobody could miss out on the fact that it took place in Austin.

So, this was the weekend and Monday. Once Tuesday rolls in, Jared is reportedly in Austin with friends and Jensen is seen out and about with D and friends on the next day.

An old Shakesperian saying comes to mind; the lady doth protest too much, methinks! We have never seen this many J/D outings in such a short period of time and the insistence of implying these people were all in Austin made me and many of my friends consider that it was not the case.

The hiatus is drawing to a close and the J’s probably wanted a little getaway, so perhaps they arranged for suitable material to be posted over the weekend to conceal their absence. Or perhaps they didn’t? Obviously we can’t know for sure, but it sure is fun to speculate. They definitely made sure to announce their actual presence there when it was possible.

Oh, and fun fact - there is a person on the community that was able to track the plane’s movements, but it appears that they have been blocked from the source now. What an awfully convenient timing to get us off of their tracks, don’t you think?

Ah well. I apologise for the very long and screenshot heavy post, dear! I wanted to explain the logic behind our speculations. This was an unusually bearding-heavy weekend, and that tends to put the wheels in our hat-decorated heads in motion. Whether they were in Austin or somewhere else, I hope they had a very good time. Thank you for messaging me and have a lovely weekend!

#seraresponds #wandererfromyearone #lovely people #tinhat talk #j2 tinhat #june 2017 #speculation #timeline #bearding #2017 #j2 sm

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prototyp013 · 5 years ago

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Fun fact, if you look up Elsa and Anna’s date of birth, Frozen imdb trivia page states that Elsa's birthday is at December 22, 1817 (Monday), and Anna's birthday is at June 21, 1821 (Thursday). In other words, winter and summer solstice of those years. Since they are three and half years apart (even though they look like a year apart in the movie because Disney have this way of drawing children a lot shorter than they actually are for some mysterious reason), Elsa would be 21 and half in the first Frozen movie (it is also written on wiki somewhere, methinks). We know from Wandering Oaken that it is July in the first movie, so Anna barely turned 18. It might seem weird that Elsa’s coming of age was more than half a year before coronation, especially since the random woman on the street said to her son that it’s coronation day because the Queen has come of age, but in fact, it is a common practice that ascension to the throne is not the same day as coronation. Queen Elizabeth, for example, was crowned a year and a half after becoming ascending to the throne.

Okay Frozen nerds, I can’t believe I haven’t found any mention of this yet.

So Frozen 2 just gave us a definitive DATE when this whole universe is set.

Up until now, it was vaguely assumed Frozen takes place in the 1810s-early 1820’s.

This is on the map Anna finds on the ship that claimed the lives of their parents.

1840.

Anna & Elsa state in the movie that they lost their parents at sea 6 years ago. If this map was brand new when their parents set off on their voyage-to-the-Southern-ocean-but-actually-no, that would place Frozen 2 in 1846 at the earliest.

Elsa & Anna lost their parents when Elsa was between 15 and 18 (as it’s not explicitly stated in Frozen 1 how old Elsa is when she Comes Of Age 3 years later to be crowned. Could be 18, could be 21) so that places Elsa’s year of birth between 1822 and 1825.

(Personally, I’m incliiiined to go with the older age, as that puts Anna (2-3 yrs younger) at an appropriate ‘legally an adult’ age in the first AND second movies for the romantic subplot (Kristoff looks to be more Elsa’s age))

That 1840 map date ALSO explains why photography exists in Arendelle in 1846. Daguerreotype photography was a healthy industry in Europe AND America in the 1840’s.

#Frozen #Elsa #Anna

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carolcooks2 · 4 years ago

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Welcome to this week’s edition of my weekly roundup of posts…I hope you are all staying safe and well…and social distancing…I know many of you are on further lockdowns once again as cases are in many places well on the rise again… a second phase…It really is not going away just yet unless those who haven’t now decide that wearing a mask and social distancing really is the best way out of this, stay safe and strong peeps and observe all the do’s and don’ts…The quicker you do the quicker it will all disappear ( not) forever methinks…This virus is digging its heels in just like so many people are with regards to social distancing and masks…

Here’s something to take your mind of what’s going on…Take a pew and have a read… I hope you enjoy it!

Monday always starts with Climate change as there is always something new to discover…This week was no different…WELL, it was just a tad…The Story of Plastic Part 2…3rd August 2020…

Part 2 covers how some parts of the world are actually drowning in Plastic…how cleanups are admirable but not the solution…This beautiful drawing by Rishika perfectly captures my mood and I am sure the moods of many others including this talented artist…

To read the full story please click the link below…x

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/08/03/the-story-of-plastic-part-2/

Tuesday:

I was a bit down in the dumps and couldn’t think of anything to write…so I wallowed…

Wednesday:

I was over at Sally’s with my A-Z of the Culinary Alphabet…The letter O…

The letter O goes from the common Oats or Oranges to the more exotic Octopus and Oysters…Enjoy!

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/08/05/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-food-column-carol-taylor-a-z-of-food-o-for-oats-offal-octopus-oranges-and-oysters/

Thursday: It was over to Sally again for her Health Column…The Medicine Women’s Treasure Chest of Herbal Medicines.

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/08/06/smorgasbord-health-column-the-medicine-womans-treasure-chest-herbal-medicine-stinging-nettle-and-scorpion-stings-by-sally-cronin/

Fruity Friday is back...revamped and updated…

This week it was the beautiful exotic Dragon fruit…I was also very lucky that my Thai inlaws came to visit us bearing gifts of some lovely dragon fruit the red variety which a really beautiful colour, lots of limes and a huge box of beautiful red bananas…we are so blessed…xx

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/08/07/fruity-fridays-pretty-dragon-fruit-2/

Saturday well early Sunday …Saturday Snippets was a day late…Oppps I just couldn’t get myself in gear this week…wrestling with the laptop just got too much…

I did manage to find after a struggle with the laptop some great little snippets which I hope you enjoyed…The Indochinese Tiger has been sighted in Western Thailand which is great news and the Pine Martens who were introduced into the Forest of Dean in England have produced baby kits…how delightful is that…it means that they are happy in that environment…

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/08/09/saturday-snippets-10/

I hope you have enjoyed this roundup…See you tomorrow with a further update on the Story of Plastic…Part 3

God bless you all in these turbulent times…be safe and stay well…

My hopes…for the future…

When this is all over my hope for the future is a cleaner world… I do want to see communities, and caring for your neighbour becoming the new norm…WORKING TOGETHER INSTEAD OF WORKING AGAINST EACH OTHER…Being kind to each other…Loving someone whatever their religion or skin colour…Can we make this happen? We have to but in the right way…Are we willing to make a stand? Personally, I would love to see lessons learnt ..realistically I have my doubts…

Thank you for reading be well and stay safe xxx

About Carol Taylor: Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and well being.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…Then, I will be happy!

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all stay safe and healthy xx

CarolCooks2…weekly roundup 2nd August -8th August 2020…Climate Change, Recipes, Health, Whimsy, and Tigers…

CarolCooks2…weekly roundup 2nd August -8th August 2020…Climate Change, Recipes, Health, Whimsy, and Tigers… Welcome to this week’s edition of my weekly roundup of posts…I hope you are all staying safe and well…and social distancing…I know many of you are on further lockdowns once again as cases are in many places well on the rise again… a second phase…It really is not going away just yet unless those who haven't now decide that wearing a mask and social distancing really is the best way out of this, stay safe and strong peeps and observe all the do’s and don’ts…The quicker you do the quicker it will all disappear ( not) forever methinks…This virus is digging its heels in just like so many people are with regards to social distancing and masks…

#blogging #Indochinese Tigers #Music #Pine Martens #Recipes #The Dog Days Of Summer #Wuchazi Bridge

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filosofablogger · 4 years ago

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Yes, friends, it’s Monday … again … already. I don’t know why it seems to always come back so quickly, when it takes Saturday forever to come back ‘round. Still, there is always one bright spot to Mondays and that is getting to see all of you! Did you have a fun weekend? Jolly has returned home after his three-day absence, and with a rather sheepish grin on his face … best not to ask him where he was or what he was doing, methinks. Well, grab a snack and a cuppa and let’s find something to put a Monday morning smile on our face, okay?

Benjamin’s juice boxes — but he’ll share if you ask nicely!

Shoe size WHAT???

A cobbler in Romania has crafted a unique sort of shoe … the social distancing shoe! That’s right … he was concerned that people weren’t following social distancing rules, so he created a shoe to try to solve the problem …A pair takes around two days to make with 10 square feet of leather and will set you back around $115, or £101.

youtube

Now, he claims the shoes are each two-and-a-half feet long, but … looking at them, I don’t think so. Either way, though, I would trip over them, fall and break my bloomin’ neck, thus catching the coronavirus would be the least of my worries! I’m not, shall we say, the most graceful creature! In fact, yesterday I had to wear socks just to wash pillows!

Opportunity of a lifetime …

A Virginia brewery, Devil’s Backbone Brewing Co., announced it is seeking a “Chief Hiking Officer” who would be paid $20,000 to spend five to seven months hiking the Appalachian Trail and drinking beer. The Lexington, Virginia company is accepting applications from people who “love hiking and beer” to take on the unique job.

The winning applicant will be granted the “Chief Hiking Officer” title and be flown out to the trail head in 2021 for a 2,200-mile hike. The hiker, who would tackle the trail between May and September 2021, would be outfitted with equipment by the brewery, as well as being treated to “some big ol’ beer parties along the way.”

The application on the company’s website consists of some personal information, proof of social media or blogging savvy, and a video explaining why the applicant should receive the position.

Now, my friend Herb, aka Beekeeper, is a hiking enthusiast and an Appalachian Trail section hiker, so I was sure this would really appeal to him … new hiking gear, a chance to thru-hike his favourite trail, beer, and $20,000! But no, ‘twould seem he’s lost his sense of adventure, for he merely laughed and informed me that beer and hiking don’t mix!

Not the brightest moment …

The headline read …

Woman, dog rescued from Massachusetts sewer

Well, naturally I had to check it out to find out just why a woman was languishing in a sewer!

Roberta Ingham said she was outside her home in Nashua on Thursday when she heard someone screaming for assistance …

“I’m laying on my chaise lounge, and I hear what I think is someone yelling, ‘help’, but also wonder if it’s an animal. I look around and, I said, ‘Something’s wrong.’ So I got up to make sure I wasn’t crazy.”

Ingham and her next-door neighbor investigated the shouting and determined they were coming from underground.

“She was at the manhole, and the culvert is in the back of my house. So she must have been yelling down the pipe and we could hear her, but she couldn’t hear us. We called 911, and we’re trying to explain there’s a woman underground.”

Imagine the look on the dispatcher’s face, listening to this call! Turns out that the unnamed woman was out walking with her dog, apparently not on a leash, when the dog got away from her and went down a culvert and into an underground pipe. The woman followed the dog, and next thing she knew, they were both stranded about 150 feet into the pipe.

Both dog and woman were brought to safety by Nashua Fire Rescue firefighters and neither were injured, though I imagine both needed long, hot baths afterward.

I stumbled across something kind of cool the other day called an “Amazing fact generator”, and I thought I’d share just a few of the ‘amazing facts’ it generated with you:

In the late 1800s, residents of Corinne, Utah could buy divorce papers from a vending machine for $2.50. (They had vending machines back then???)

Andrew Jackson’s parrot was kicked out of his funeral for swearing.

In 1939, Hitler’s nephew wrote an article called “Why I Hate My Uncle.” He came to the U.S., served in the Navy, and settled on Long Island.

Viking men wore makeup.

Like casinos, shopping malls are intentionally designed to disorient visitors. The feeling of losing track of time and geography inside a mall is called the Gruen Transfer. (The longer you stay inside, the more money you throw away!)

People didn’t always say “hello” when they answered the phone. When the first regular phone service was established in 1878, Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering the phone with “ahoy.” (I never say ‘hello’ … it’s either “Hey” or “Yo”)

Honey hunters in Mozambique use special calls to recruit the services of birds known as honeyguides. The birds lead the humans to bees’ nests and in return, they get the leftover beeswax.

And now, what would Jolly Monday be without some cartoons!

And, as always, I must end with a cute animal video, yes?

youtube

If only my furry babes would act that way! Well, Oliver does, but the rest are just strange!

Okay, friends, let’s get out there and make this week something special, shall we? Remember, we’re not getting any younger and it’s time we took the reins and left our mark on the world! Me? Well, today I plan to change the sheets on my bed, clean off the kitchen table, clean the front of the refrigerator, and vacuum the downstairs. And write a no-doubt scathing post for the afternoon. Remember to share those smiles … I just love seeing them, and I know others will too! Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!

Jolly Monday Full Of Smiles … Yes, friends, it’s Monday ... again ... already. I don’t know why it seems to always come back so quickly, when it takes Saturday forever to come back ‘round.

#Amazing facts #Appalachian Trail #cute animal video #Devil&039;s Backbone Brewing Co.#hiking & beer #social distancing shoes

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bleatinginpolish · 6 years ago

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Dismembered Arms & Wonderful Humans

Most of my students knew how I felt about Kołobrzeg. They knew that, for a variety of reasons, it was about as much fun as having an assailant violently rip my arms from my body and use them to beat me whilst mockingly asking "why are you hitting yourself?".

As such, I was often asked why I would subject myself to such barbarism. The answer was simple: I adored my students. With very few exceptions, they were lovely, open-minded humanoids and I wanted to get to know them, their culture, and, of course, help them speak English like weirdos.

While many students came and went for one reason or another, there were some who I saw essentially every week for the duration of my time in Kołobrzeg. Here they are, based on the day of the week I had them:

Mondays

My "Business English" class was an intermediate-level group of 7 adults who all worked for the same company. With an 08:00 start time -- and on Mondays, no less -- it wasn't always easy for everyone but they were a fun group. For the most part, they were engaged, asked questions, and were clearly interested in improving and learning what sorcery brought a guy from southern California, of all places, to a small city in northern Poland. To my delight, by the end of our time together, we were having more spontaneous conversations than using the book, which was good for everyone, methinks.

Dawid, an 11-year-old boy, came to me after school and was always a pleasure even though he couldn't even put a sentence together, let alone have a conversation. Every week, I'd start our class by asking him what he did over the weekend, and his answer never waivered; he "played his console". XBOX, that is. That little brain-melting machine was his pride and joy. In time, I came to recognize when he didn't understand what I'd said or asked but acted like he did. Occassionally, he'd say "yes" with all kinds of confidence even though I hadn't asked a yes/no question. He was a smart kid who was able to laugh at himself and was always willing to practice.

The "Teens" class was next. They were an interesting bunch of high school students with varying levels of English, though all of them were conversational.

Weronika was the one I mentioned in a previous post that loved pups and volunteered at the local animal shelter weekly. She and her friends Ola and Oliwia were very quite in the beginning. Eventually (read: a month before I left), Weronika and Ola opened up because the class size got smaller, so we were able to actually get to know each other in a way that wasn't possible with a larger group. That's when Weronika invited me to walk some doggos with her! They were the only two who showed up to our final class, and even got me a tear-jerkingly thougthful gift!

Asia and Iden, who were aunt and nephew respectively despite being the same age, were the talkers of the group. And I mean that in the best way possible. I could always count on them to keep the conversation going! Asia, in one of the most spectacular acts of kindness I experienced in K-rzeg, invited me to spend Christmas with her and her family. They were tremendously warm and welcoming, the food was lovely (except the "gelly fish" - nie dziękuję!), and they taught me a ton about Poland and Polish Christmas. It was a truly heart-warming experience that I shall ne'er forget.

They also initiated "food lessons" (or "potlucks", as I call them). Everyone made food, brought it in, and we had the lesson in the dining room while sharing a meal. Another time, we all chipped in and bought a pizza and drinks (no, it wasn't Vodka!) to celebrate Iden's birthday. That was a glorious day!

Oliwia P. kept me on my toes with her depth and insight, though I think there was more to her than I got to see in the context of our group lessons. As someone who has done a gaggle of volunteering, I was impressed when she went to the Dominican Republic with her parents to do some volunteer work. Her friend Klaudia came to some classes but I think she said about 31 words all year, so I didn't get to know her too well.

A guy by the name of Jacek was the last to join the group. He didn't make a good first impression (he stared at his phone for 90% of his first class), but he ended up being quite engaging.

Next up was my "Adults" class, which was 5 low-level, working adults ranging in age from 25 to 45, I think. They were lovely people that were eager to learn but it didn't make sense for them to have classes with me because they were so low level that we could barely communicate. For that reason, I had to use a book that, thanks to Terry, wasn't appropriate for them so I was constantly simplifying or completely skipping entire sections. Those folks needed to be practicing the basics, not learning the nuance of cynicism (true story!).

Karol, a first year high school student who was in an IT-focused program, was a bit of a wild card for me. I never really knew what to talk about with him, but somehow we kept the conversations going. Whenever I got into a pickle in terms of having nothing lined up to talk about, I would use my admittedly outdated knowledge of IT to spark a conversation.

Tuesdays

A few months into my stay, I got a new student named Magda. She was beautiful soul in her mid-20's who wanted to improve her English, partly just for herself but also to feel more confident while traveling. Like me, she had grown tired of the routine of "normal" life and was looking to change things up. As I had walked down that same road, I was perfectly suited to not only help her with English but also to give advice related to backpacking and how to get over the mental barrier of letting go of the things we're so used to having. It was quite exciting to be a part of her journey! (Update: She's backpacking in the Philippines as I write this!)

Initially, I met Monika in my "Business English" class. Her level was a bit lower than the others, which is why she wanted to have individual classes as well. She was a Kołobrzeg native that had lived in Spain and Argentina for many years, so she spoke Spanish fluently and handled the Spanish-speaking markets at her job. Whenever she couldn't explain something to me in English, she'd swtich to Spanish and I understood more often than not, so that was handy.

Natalia was Monika's 13-year-old daughter. At first, we could barely communicate. That was nerve-racking, but as she got more comfortable with me and gained confidence, it got easier. Her mom told me that was enjoying our lessons, which was the first time she'd been even remotely excited about English, so she was thrilled. By the end of my time in Poland, we were able to understand each other well enough to maintain (simple) conversations.

Wednesdays

Borys, the tallest 16-year-old in the universe, was an incredibly nice kid who lived and breathed basketball. For the NBA playoffs, he stayed up all night to watch the games live. In 8 months of classes, I don't think a single one went by without us talking about basketball. That's quite a feat for me considering I could not care less about the sport. A few times, I tried to mix up the topic but we almost always hit a dead end and turned into awkward turtles. Luckily, it was easy enough to quickly Google "basketball news", then let him run with whatever headlines I found.

A second year high school student, Kinga, was one of the hardest working people I'd ever met. As arguably my highest level student, our lessons covered a multitude of topics ranging from dance class (hers, not mine) to traveling to the daily struggles of having long hair. Given her high level, she was hoping to refine her knowlegde of the simple things that don't come up conversation very often, such as "windowsill". We got along so well that she wanted to continue our lessons after I came back to the US. (Update: We have indeed started having lessons via Skype.)

Łukasz had a wife and young son and was probably in his late 30's. They owned a local business that catered to the summertime tourists, so he was taking advantage of the off-season and improving his English. While our conversations frequently drifted towards the depressing side of life, such as politics, climate change, and social media addiction, they were always thought-provoking and enjoyable. And when the laptop I had borrowed from the school decided to stop working, he lent me one of his! That was a life-saver because I had just started teaching online and couldn't continue without a laptop.

Even with a 20-year age gap and wholly different upbringings, Kasia and I had an extraordinary amount in common. She was one of the few students with whom I never worried about running out of topics to discuss because we were both able and willing to talking about anything and everything. Our conversations seemed to always boil down to our shared fascination with human nature; why people do what they do. In fact, we were often so deep in conversation that we'd lose track of time and go over by 10 or 15 minutes. I was (and am) genuinely excited to see where she goes in life as she needs and deserves more than Kołobrzeg can offer.

Thursdays

Another second year high school student, Ola, came to me twice a week because she had signed up to go to New York for an English course during the coming summer. For a while, her friend Roxanna was coming with her but she got a job and had to stop. Anywho, even though she'd traveled a fair amount, Ola was a bit nervous about living in such a big, busy city. I assured her she would adjust and provided as many tips as a I could considering that I'd only been there once. She was incredibly smart, though I don't think she'd admit, and I think she'll go on to do great things! (Update: She's currently in New York, making oodles of friends from all over the world, and loving it!)

Fridays

My only class on Fridays was with Marek, a 14-year-old who played soccer in a club, loved to ski, and was a big fan of movies, especially ones with superheroes. We spent many a class talking about the myriad of superhero movies and characters, and watching trailers for upcoming releases. We talked about what might happen in "Avengers: Infinity War" more than I'm comfortable admitting in writing. Coincidentally, it was released the weekend before I left Poland, so our last class was a real geekfest.

Each of the people mentioned above -- and a few other non-students who I'll write about in another post -- played a part in my decision to stay in Kołobrzeg, and I'm thankful for every one of them!

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