OH DEAR AGAIN...

Perhaps someone else is more able than to explain why this comment is so full of bigotry and offence. I don't get people like this, who blithely continue to insist they are neither bigots nor offensive, despite all evidence to the contrary. I am stumped for words here, or maybe I just can't be bothered cos I feel it would be waste of time trying to educate a closed mind.

I am disappointed. I just wanted to know the reasons why non heteros feel they need to find labels for themselves all the time. Why do you all feel the need to "come out", explain (and defend) your orientation? I have never had trouble accepting non heteros, my brother in law is one, has never had to "come out", as we always accepted him for what he was. He lives with a lovely partner and we regularly socialise with him and his friends, all of whom have accepted what they are without feeling the need to explain, label, demand equality or anything else. I love these people for that very reason. We meet on an equal basis, sexually, mentally, socially and any other way.

Sorry Susan, but you judged me, you are all judging me. I wanted to non personalise the discussion, being as it was about words/labels, not whether people are/are not gay or whatever. Will it make any difference to know who I am? Are my views any the less legitimate?

As for "marriages", the marriage ceremony clearly states (among other things) it is an institution first ordained for the procreation of children to be brought up in a Christian environment. As the Church still sees homosexuality as illegal, why can't gays just accept that, instead of trying to turn everything on its head for their benefit? Most people have absolutely no problems with civil partnerships or unions, which takes out the religious complications anyway.

If I accept you as gay, why can't you accept me as normal - why does using this label for myself immediately mark me out to be a bigot?

I am not being bigoted, biased, against you or anything, I just really find it difficult to understand why you can't live life without making so many issues out of things. I really feel very sad for you at times (and please don't take this as me being patronising or anything, feeling sad for someone is a perfectly legitimate human emotion!)

I remain,
Anon.

WONDERFUL DAY / VIENNA

Yesterday was a wonderful day. One could almost have believed I was cured. Yes, a relatively pain free day and no pain drugs. The sun shone all day, the patio doors and lounge windows were left open all day, the dogs wandered in and out as they pleased.

I bathed Nechung, Luque, James, Carly and Little Dorrit. I almost stuffed the day by losing my balance and falling head first into the bath much to Nechung's displeasure judging from the disdainful look she gave me. Thankfully I have only bruised my right forearm slightly.

Jane and Lia arrived late because of a train malfunction, ( typical UK train) and I picked them up at 6.30pm and took them to their hotel from where they called me once they had freshened up.

I hadn't really thought about it, but of course they wanted to see my yarn and machines. Yes, they will confirm I do indeed have an enormous stash. I demonstrated the various patterns one of my machines could do. This got all of our juices flowing. It made me realise how little of the capabilities of my machines I actually use and I started to form ideas for garments.

We all decided that today all we would do is pay a visit to Storey's and then hang out at my house with the yarn and machines.

I made a chicken casserole in the slow cooker for us and Jane and Lia enjoyed that. Phew!

I am knitting the toe of a new sock even though I have two pairs going already but I had an idea I wanted to see. I am only increasing on one side of the toe, as this is how my foot is shaped. So the side that would be over my big tow is the side I knit straight, and the other side is the side I am increasing on. Once I have knitted enough rounds after the toe, I shall put it on and see what I think.
I was disappointed with Vienna. I took plenty of photographs, more to come, of art, but the city itself was dull. I expected something much more like Paris. It always seemed to me to be a romantic city, with wide avenues and beautiful old architecture . It was pretty much like many other places we have seen, complete with MacDonald's and your usual chain shops.

Oh Dear!!!

ANONYMOUS left the following comment to the 'Oh That's Okay Then ' post:

But many people object to the fact that the word "gay" has now been taken on board by that fraternity, having totally lost its original meaning. Why was the word gay adopted in the first place as it bears no relation to its true meaning??
Why not just use homosexual? Calling myself "normal" is deemed as offensive to those of a non-normal disposition, so I have to describe myself as hetero.

Why would anyone object to the use of a word that is not offensive? In fact it is G.A.Y. , an acronym meaning Good As You.

You write as if you have a problem with us and your use of the word 'normal' suggests you don't see us as being of equal value , especially when you describe as non-normal. Given a little thought one could easily realise why that is offensive, if one cared enough for others to think it through. There are more of us than people with red hair . Are they too 'non-normals'? Thankfully, by your definition, I am not normal. I cringe at the thought, if your thinking is a representative example of 'normal' thinking.

Homosexual, btw, is perfectly fine. And whilst you might be right to call yourself heterosexual, I doubt very much that you ever are in a situation when you have to, unless you frequent gay bars. And you certainly do not HAVE to at all, as what you are is clear.

VISITORS AND THE ALPS

Lia and Jane are in London about to meet John for lunch in Covent garden. After that, they will get the train up here. I am looking forward to meeting them.


These pictures are of the Alps. I can't now recall if they were on our way to Salzburg or on our way to Vienna. I think the former. I know we drove thru heavy snow for a couple of hours and got up high.

THIS N THAT

On Thursday we went into Peterborough to return the coffee machine. We are most impressed with John Lewis who replaced it with anew one, no quibbles and no receipt! We thought they would just repair it.

We also went into Marks and Spencer as I was hoping to get some more coloured gloves. None in stock. However, they have clearly been reading by blog where I bemoan the lack of colour in men's clothing. They had a series of polo shirts in bright colours. I got a red one, a blue, a green, a purple, a yellow (all primary) and a paler pink one.

I also bought Kaffe Knits Again from John Lewis. In the knitting department the Rowan rep was impressed by my knitting and so was an enthusiastic customer. Janet, who works there too, knows me as a customer and she introduced me to them.As result I was asked for my telephone number and asked if I would attend the workshop on the 14th May because the 'ladies would love to meet you and have you teach them'. I am flattered but not sure about attending yet.

On Friday, I flipped at John. I had been having a nap and he was busy doing stuff downstairs. Now we have lived with dogs and puppies for 28 years together, so he really ought to know by now that if he is occupied he must put the puppies away. he didn't and they chewed up my new Kaffe book which he put within their reach.

Now I can sit and knit and watch tv and still know what the dogs are up to and where they are. Not John. If he is watching tv or reading or doing his tapestry, the dogs don't exist. I was just so annoyed with him for letting the destroy my book which I had ummed and aaheed over buying, with him persuading me to, because it was a lot of money just to look at pretty pictures of knitwear. He made it worse by saying it was 'just a book'!!! And he is an historian and librarian and archivist and I doubt very much if I allowed the dogs to chew one his precious tomes he would think was just a book!

On Sunday I went to a dog show with Micah and Whitney. Whitney won her class of 12 and Micah was 2nd of two in his. That was a surprise but it just goes to show you can never tell what will happen.

Tomorrow, Wednesday. Lia (Kushnir Nord ) from Germany and Jane Schade from Eindhoven, Holland are coming to visit for a couple of days. We met via the Sicknitters list. We all spent Xams 07 together and we have now visited with Lia and Lui 3 times and Jane twice (though always at Lia and Lui's German home). Jane and Lia are American but I don't hold that against them. Someone has to be and at least they aren't RR! ;-)

I have two pairs of socks on the go, one for me and one for John. A preview below. I don't need to tell which are for John, though I was surprised at his colour choice. Perhaps he is getting adventurous?

Swimming is still proving to be painful though not so much so today and I did a few more than I have since I got back for Hungary.

The morphine is not for me. At first it did make me feel quite nice, and sleepy, and I was aware of little else and just enjoyed the relaxation and sleep. That wore of very quickly, by the third dose. I then noticed it wasn't dealing with the pain and certainly wasn't lasting all night. So I took 20 mgs next time and that was a disaster. Agitation, fitful sleep and waking with sever gut pain. Guess what? All common side effects and still I had the usual pain on top of it. So bye bye Ms Morphia. I am so glad I did not take it on our holiday. I wonder what will happen come the day I need very strong pain relief? Is there an alternative to Morphine? I was under the impression that morphine was the top of the ladder.

SALZBURG

This was on the 3rd day of our trip, en route to Budapest.
This was the view we had from the hotel room on the night of the 23rd.
This was Salzburg on the day of 30th March.
As you can see, it was still snowing, though less snow than the first time on the way to Budapest.
Salzburg was very nice. The people friendly and helpful. We want to return here and spend longer, a few days.

Access not brilliant but people helped.

We were rather annoyed with our hotel room as it was just not suitable at all. All they had done was put bars in the bathroom. The room was too small for a wheelchair user.

OH, THAT'S OKAY THEN!

I think I have mentioned here before that I object to the term 'queer' to describe gay people. I was lambasted elsewhere for my objection. Yes, castigated by own kind and rejected for not thinking the same as them. One justification for attacking me personally as being stupid was that 'academia' use the term, in that there is such a thing as 'Queer Studies'. I kid you not. How offensive is that!?

Imagine these academic courses:

Nigger History

Kike Cooking

Rug Munching for The Over 50's

Reading for Retards

Fashion for Spastics

Bull Dykes and Feminism

Advanced Shirt Lifting

Fashion For Cross Dressing Perverts

Physics for Faggots

Poofs and The Bible

Or why not a tv show, Nancy Eye for the Str8 Guy ?

I don't suppose they will get it whilst they are too busy being 'right on' and disenfranchising the likes of me for daring to object to having my dignity swiped by my own kind.

Stuttgart

We arrived late to Stuttgart, the sun already down. We went to Stuttgart's pride and joy, SI Centrum. A huge modern centre which is NOT ACCESSIBLE for wheelchair users!!!! We had to go out, across roads, in order to get to where the restaurants were. There were escalators, no lifts. Bloody stupid. (If by chance there were disabled facilities, they were not obvious so still bloody stupid!)

I thought these aquaria were a nice touch.

LXEMBOURG

Various views of Luxembourg. These were the evening of Saturday 21st March, our first stop over on the way to Budapest.

We couldn't get in here to eat as it was not accessible for the wheelchair and not easy with my sticks,and it was too cold outside. We ate in a restaurant opposite here. The waiter was as camp as tits and very amusing. He was very helpful to us, served us well, and made us laugh. He also spoke English. He knew from the outset we belonged to the same 'group' as he did, you could tell how he summed us up very quickly and it showed in his smile. Not everyone we meet realise we are a couple which I find odd as after 28 years we have melded such that it is clear, I think, if you know anything about body language.

A view from our hotel. Luxembourg City is upon a hill, a fortified city.

BLAMING THE VICTIM

I am getting really fed up with the remarks about me writing on my blog about my holiday. This is NOT why we were burgled. It is NOT my fault! Who reading my blog, apart from friends, knows where our home is?

Why when something happens to a person is there always this subtle blame the victim thing ?

Writing on my blog is just that. It isn't an open invitation to rob me nor is it to be used by anyone to blame me for anything that may befall me.

Are you really so scared of misfortune that you must simply the blame the person that misfortune befalls in order to make you feel safer?

EDIT: It wasn't so much a comment on here that had me snap. Quite a few people have said it and it has been the first thing they said. I told both sets of neighbours we were away and no dog sin the house. Normal to do so. We were robbed and clearly by people who knew we were away and no dogs were in the house. It has nothing to do with what i said, wrote or thought. Nothing to do with me whatever. Bad stuff happens. One gets a similar response when one tells of someone dying of cancer (an acquaintance just has) and people always ask 'did they smoke?'. Or if a gay man dies 'did he have AIDS? They do this because if they can blame the death on something the person who died did, it makes them feel safer, like they won;t die if they are good. It's that old lie of if we are good nothing bad will happen. So I believe unintentionally people look for reasons to blame the victim in order to themselves feel better and less fearful and it hurts those on the receiving end.

Thomas

The yarn is Sweet Feet, an 80% Merino 20% Bamboo which I bought from ARTISTS PALETTE YARNS. This yarn is beautiful to knit with and to wear. I very much like the way the yarn has distributed the colours during knititng.

I used the Andersson Method for construction with the Mach II heel, and I knitted them using Knit Pro (Knit Picks) 2mm circular needles. Knit simultaneously, each on their own needle.

TAKING THE PLUNGE

It is John's 62nd birthday today.

I was up at 5am and in the pool by 7am. I didn't do many laps, this being the most painful swim I have ever had. However, I am very glad I did it and feel better now for it.

I had a difficult night's sleep. I also had the most odd dream. I dreamt I was speaking to someone whom I had hurt 30 years ago. I didn't know at the time I had nor did I know I had done anything wrong. I do now. I still find it very odd that I should dream this. It was a very logical dream, as if it were real. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. Just me talking with the person and apologising for the pain I had caused them.

We have received a huge bill from some company that were called out, but then cancelled, to come and secure our house. This was done by the Police. I wrote and told them I did not authorise it and besides which they did no work and I was not going to pay £180 for nothing. Or rather John isn't. We need to get the times from the Police of the call and of the cancellation.

The damned coffee machine has broken down. This is the third bean to cup machine we have bought. This one worked fine until today. It was only bought in October. These machines cost 000's and are just not reliable. Really pisses me off.

I am almost done with my merino / bamboo socks. I really like the way the colour has distributed and the handle of this yarn is very good.

NOT BRILLIANT

I have yet to deal with the holiday photographs. All 360 of them. I have yet to deal with anything much. I left the house for the first time this evening, briefly. Other than that I have only been to the Doctor. I feel unsettled and unsafe and somewhat angry. This place has felt like home and secure. Now it doesn't. It's worse knowing that someone close by screwed us over and is friendly to our face. When I took the pups out earlier, I suspected everyone I saw and did not smile or greet anyone. I now feel I want to move whereas before this we both felt this would be our last home. I have had much more pain today and have had several acid attacks.

I am getting up early and going for my swim tomorrow. And the next day. Probably unable to Friday and Sunday and Monday due to Easter.

OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN

I got a nice compliment today. I was sitting in the Chemist waiting for my drugs. I was knitting my sock. Someone I knew came in and calle dout to me' what are you doing, colin?'

Trouble is, I had taken my glasses off to tink a couple of stitches and I couldn't see who it was. So I called out 'who is it?' and when Sherilee said it was her I said: 'Oh, Hi. Sorry I couldn't see your bush without my glasses.' What I meant was that Sherilee has huge bushy hair but as I was concentrating on my sock, I just didn't say it right. Everyone in the Chemist laughed, including me.

The lady sitting next to me said to Sherilee, after I had explained to her what i was knititng,'and he's knitting them very well too. My mother used to knit socks.'

I felt rather complimented that a total stranger would bother to say such a thing.

The the Chemist gave me my drugs and siad 'oh and the extra Morphine is in there too' so i turned and said loudly ' and that's why I say the wrong thing easily....'

GOOD FORTUNE

We are home.

More stuff was taken than we thought, which is not really surprising. A Minolta camera 35 mm, no lenses! A 30gb Ipod. Thankfully I had taken the 160 gb Ipod with us. The Ipod docking thing.

On the good side we were incredibly lucky. We managed to get the exact same tv model, now not made, the exact pc screen (okay the surround is white rather than my preferred black although having said that, this one doe snot have a reflective edge cos of the white).

It made us laugh to realise they had also stolen the Dyson full of dog hair! We got a better version which had a third off the price!

Have to deal with insurance etc on Monday. Have to speak with Police again to inform them of what else we foudn missing.

John's drawers were gone thru, not mine, yet mine are closer to the door.

We also got a bill from a company who were called out by the Police but then cancelled within a very short time and they expect us to pay £180! What planet do they live on?

It is clear that the thieves left through the front, round the side, through our passageway as they cleared it of our junk in order for them to get out. Thus their vehicle must have been parked outside. The whole thing seems very suspicious. If they were heard by neighbour, as we have been told, and she called the police, why did our neighbour, or anyone else, not see them leaving with all our stuff? Mmmmmm.....

The dogs are delighted to be home and us to have them home. Whitney did not eat well whilst away and has lost weight which she will gain back now she is back with her man. Margaret will be returning James, Carly and Little Dorrit to us tomorrow.

One of our friends, Marilyn did a really nice thing. There was a welcome home card waiting for us when we returned today.

TV DINNER

I might have thought that today might not be so good since yesterday was. It seems my bod decided to wait until today to react to the long drive. We stayed in pur room until almost 2pm and are back again within 2 hours.

We have food to eat in our room tonight. I shall watch tv and knit.

HOMEWARD BOUND

I am typing this on a tiny keyboard and my 'pc screen'is the TV.

The drive yesterday was 435 miles. It took only six hours. The roads were clear. I was niether tired or in pian. We had forgotten that the service stations in Belgium were bad and the so called service rude if it existed. Driving in Belgium is the bulk of the drive. Food is okay iof you are happy to eat potatoes, froes or potatoes. If not you can eat bread, sandwiches, rolls, or bread.

After we did a little shopping for supplies in the huge Carrefour supermarket (oh how I wish the UK could get it's act together about supermarkets) we went to eat at Flunch. This is a cafeteria style restaurant. Again, the UK could learn from this place. We both had roast ham. Carved in front of us. We then help ourselves to hot vegetables. All cooked right and not dry or watery. I had spinach, cauliflower, courgette (Zucchini), carrot. John had chips (fries). All for seventeen euros, including a beer for John and a coffee for me. This is beyond the wit of the UK service providors. Our service stations on the motorways are truly awful ( worse than Belgium ) and they are expensive.

Today we are just lazing around, resting. I am sore. Last nights dreams incorporated the pain so it took a while before I responded by getting up and moving around a bit.

Later, we will wander around Cite Europe, eat at Flunch again and then back here to bed as we have an early start home tomorrow.

This trip has been good. Apart from the new sights and cultures, we have both been more relaxed. We have figured out how to handle Daniel. I have been much less snappy. I have done very well in learning how to pace myself. I have also been more generous with the drugs but still not needed to take a full day's allowance.
Both Lia and Nana paid me the biggest compliment, independently of eachother. They said how different I was to when they first met me. More relaxed.

I am excited about seeing the dogs. I miss them. I did not at any time on this trip feel a need to go home nor have I felt homesick. I am very surprised how I, and we, have handled the break in news. Yes, I am nervous about getting home in case more has been taken than we think. I am most concerned about my storage devices. I think though that these things are cheap enough to buy so I think they probably are safe. I hope so as they are my backups for photographs and stuff.

I have not done as much knitting as I expected. I have knitted the gusset and heel on both one pair and part way up the legs on boht. That is it!

HEIDELBERG TO PANAMA

Lia, John, Diana, Daniel and I went into Sandhausen, had a coffee and also a quickish look around the local yarn shop which is very good. Yes, I bought a little yarn.

Later we went to Heidelberg minus Lia. Had a good time. Sunny day. Bought a hat.

We will leave after another good meal cooked by Lui as we have a very long drive of 450 miles tomorow to Calais. We will sleep there tomorow night and Friday and we will cross the Channel to drive back home on Saturday morning.

This has been a very good trip. I am apprehensive about getting home becasue of the burglary although quite why I am not sure. I kow it really bothers me that someone we know did this to us and that makes me feel unsafe in a place I have always felt safe in.

IN SANDHAUSEN

We are at Lia (Kushner-Nord) and Lui's home. Diana (Nana) is here staying too.
Our drive here was okay although we had trouble finding a decent place to eat, most unlike Germany. However, when we arrived at the Ibis in Heidelberg we were met by a rather sour receptionist who at first denied having a reservation for us and said we should have told them we needed a handicapped room(we can't get Daniel or our stuff in a normal one). I told her we had booked one and she inisted we hand't. THEN she said we could have the handiapped room but the toilet overflowed! So in other words they knew what we had booked and didn't care to be honest.

We always use Accor hotels and this trip they have let us down twice. At the Ibis in Heidelberg and the Mecure n Slazburg. The Mecure becue it was not in the centre but 2.5 miles from it and also the room was not big enough and not a handicapped room except for the addition of bars in the loo!

We have now booked into a very nice tradtional German hotel in Leimen, just 2.5 miles away. Now we know where to stay next time we visit here. We could stay at Lia and Lui's homes but I get get up two or three times in the night etc

We just ate a really good meal of pork tender loin and salad and spaghetti squash (pumpkin) and the others also had wine, though notNana or me.

Don't know what we shall do tomorrow yet.

BRILLINANT!!!! (Thanks Marilyn)

Far far away in the tropical waters of the Caribbean , two prawns were swimming around in the sea - one was called Justin and the other called Christian.



The prawns were constantly being harassed and threatened by sharks that inhabited the area.Finally, one day, Justin said to Christian, "I'm fed up with being a prawn; I wish I was a shark, and then I wouldn't have any worries about being eaten."A large, mysterious cod appeared and said, "Your wish is granted."Lo and behold, Justin turned into a shark.



Horrified, Christian immediately swam away, afraid of being eaten by his old mate.Time passed (as it does) and Justin found life as a shark boring and lonely.All his old mates simply swam away whenever he came close to them.Justin didn't realize that his new menacing appearance was the cause of his sad plight.



While swimming alone one day, he saw the mysterious cod again and he thought perhaps the mysterious fish could change him back into a prawn.He approached the cod and begged to be changed back, and, lo and behold, he found himself turned back into a prawn.With tears of joy in his tiny little eyes, Justin swam back to his friends and bought them all a cocktail.(The punch line does not involve a prawn cocktail - it's much worse).



Looking around the gathering at the reef, he realized he couldn't see his old pal."Where's Christian?" he asked."He's at home, still distraught that his best friend changed sides to the enemy and became a shark," came the reply.Eager to put things right again and end the mutual pain and torture, he set off to Christian's abode.



As he opened the coral gate, memories came flooding back.He banged on the door and shouted, "It's me, Justin, your old friend, come out and see me again."Christian replied, "No way man, you'll eat me. You're now a shark, the enemy, and I'll not be tricked into being your dinner."Justin cried back, "No, I'm not. That was the old me. I've changed.........."(You're going to love this...............................) ..................

"I've found Cod. I'm a Prawn again Christian!"