MANIC MONDAY - I WILL SURVIVE

Pookie also dances on the table

When I read the word for Manic Monday I immediatly thought of a young man whose brain had been nearly distroyed by drug abuse.

One of my friends daughter was hospitalized for anorexia. The day where my friend was allowed to visit her, she asked me to come with her, because she hadn't the courage to go there alone and facing her skeleton like daughter. She was full of reproaches for herself and felt so guilty that she didn't know what to say to her daughter and she thought with me being there it would be less stressful.

When we arrived it was visitor day and the sick girls and boys were all in a big room to wait for their families or friends. There were all main deseases represented. Depressions, Anorexia, boulimia and very heavy drug addicts and all of them hoped to survive or not.

The first thing I noticed in this room was a young man of around 20 who had climbed on a table, singing the song "I will survive" with all his heart and danced. On the table was also a big birthday cake with candles and at least 8 people sat around. Of course I became curious about what happened there and asked. A woman told me the very sad story of this young man. His problem was to be too intelligent and he had an IQ far above the average. Nobody had noticed that and as school became so boring for him because he learned too fast, he had started with a few coke lines, which had been offered to him probably during parties. From there it got worse more and more until he reached the state of heroin and crack and everything what could get him out of his boring world. Until the day he almost died from an overdose. Hospitalized here, he suddenly realized that he wanted to survive and start a cure.

In some way he was very lucky that his parents never gave up on him and tried to get him out of this hell by all means. Later on another visit I had the occasion to discuss with him and I was really amazed about the general knowledge of everything he had in litterature, painting, science etc. But he wasn't healed yet. In the middle of a conversation he just would walk away, start singing or doing something else. He was such a friendly and loveable guy.

And when I think about him dancing and singing on this table, with his whole family around, I sincerely hope that he had survived.

Each time I hear this song I see him dancing with such joy and hope for a new life.

I will survive song

and the same song but only for people with humor don't blame me afterwards ! I warned you !

Jesus will survive

MANIC MONDAY-SILENT

Want to participate to a humorous story contest "This Blog Blows My Dress Up") ? It's here : at Shelly Kneupper Tucker's blog "The Eclectic Life"

The word silent is rather a sad word because it often discribes negative situations. If you are a silent witness, you probably have seen somebody killed. The expression "silent as a grave" means that deads don't speak. If you are silent about something, that means that you have something to hide. A priest has the duty to remain silent whatever he hears, even crimes. Therefore quite a lot were murdered by torture during the middle age because they remained silent. At court too you have the right to remain silent and that's also probably something bad you can't speak about. Silent minutes are observed to honor a tragedy etc.

The only positive "silent" is the silent movie. It must have been quite an event when the first films were shown. It usually took place in all kind of places wherever they could put a screen. Movie theatres came later. The movie was always accompagnied by a piano player on an old piano and the more it sounded false the more it was fun.

Especially in dramatic scenes he hammered on the piano as if he wanted to brake it. The actors had to overact and express their feelings or fear by exaggerated mimic. To us today it really looks too funny. There were a lot of famous actors and they were all adored. But when the sound film came out, most of them didn't find any role anymore because they had an awful voice ! What a disappointment.

Here are a few pictures and how the actors where categorized.

This Lady was considered a "Vamp" I think there are a lot of "vamps" running around today which is probably not the case anymore for "Virgin". Charly Chaplin with a virgin (I have my doubts)

A nude was represented like this and made already a big scandal. If the producers would see the "nudes" today .....

Buster Keaton also "posed" nude. Today a topless torse is not considered as a nude but at this time it was.

Believe it or not, but this is Gary Cooper, he also was an actor in silent movies but could switch over to sound films. He filled in the category "Cowboy".

The famous Valentino played "Sheiks"

The movies of Laurel and Hardy are still liked to be seen.

movie posters

Animals played in the silent movies too and probably the piano player hammered some notes to make the piano bark.

For those who are silent today I just repeat a comment I have got from an American woman :

"I don't think anyone should have a gun. The founding fathers wrote that into the constitution so people could protect themselves against the indians and against insurgents by the goverment. There was no thought given at that time to assault rifles that could fire 1000 bullets per minute!!!! Good lord already!!!"

MANIC MONDAY - THE SUN

Pookie looks at The Sun, nice place to nap on !

When I stayed in London at my son's house I took everyday the "tube" (subway) to go to the City Center. And each day the seats where covered by "The Sun" a newspaper which people had left behind. There were not a lot of people in the tube when I went to the city because I always tried to avoid the rush hours. 

So I could read "The Sun" in peace and found it very interesting !

For those who don't know, "The Sun" is a tabloid daily newspaper and is published in the UK and Ireland. It has the highest circulation of any daily English language newspaper in the world and publishes about 3.107.412 copies daily ! Their readership is just over 7.800.000 and it has more than twice as many readers as The Times. With me as reader now it makes 7.800.001. 

Thanks to The Sun you know everything about politics, celebrities, crimes, weather and global warming.

You can sleep without worry because Tom Cruises daughter has no diarrhea any more and eats well. You are informed how often Mrs. Bush goes to the beauty center, which she badly needed I agree. All marriage fights between Victoria and David Beckham are described in details, you even know the brand of the plate that she had thrown at him. 

Today I learned that Britney Spears prays for her Dad and that her hair is slowly growing, if she doesn't shave it off again. 

Prince William has at least one new girlfriend per day it depends on the edition time of The Sun. You will increase your general knowledge every day ! You now know that Hillary is using pink toilet paper (with white spots) and that Madonna will adopt a little chinese and not to forget that Elvis is still alive.

Titles such as : 

- Judge frees women who forced tots to fight

- Men bit his dog

- Bush boozed found in a bush

- Bratt and Angelina are they drug dealers ?

- Woman found in a deepfreeze

- George Clooney visits center for abandonned pigs

 

attract of course a lot of people, me included. If you put all the titles together you could make a bestseller ! If you wish to read more just go to The Sun !

(Note from the author : the Titles are invented !)

MANIC MONDAY - TAXES

Pookie fainted after looking at her tax bill for her litterbox !

The theme today would make all treasury secretaries of the world very happy. If in normal life they are quite boring and unimaginative and usually not creative at all, when it comes to invent taxes, they suddenly devolp an extraordinary phantasy ! With hungry eyes and pointed ears they look and hear everywhere where they could get some more taxes to collect ! 

I suppose it's in every country the same, and in this one our treasury secretary, hasn't slept either ! After taxes on house, ground, car, bykes and motorbykes, heritage, income, pensions and fortune (yes even that, it's better you remain poor !) he now saw his chance in air pollution, world warm ups, smogs and ozon.

He happily rubbed his hands and his heart was full of joy ! What kind of taxes could he create to also profit from our sick globe ? The garbadge ! Yes ! that's a good idea but how ? He thought it over and over and then had the idea of his life ! Just banning the heavy metal garbadge bins and only allow special colored plastic bags. The garbadge men also would be happy (and then vote for him) because it's less heavy to carry. But what color ? He looked to the sky and choose light blue for cans and plastic bottles.

He looked at the white (short) skirt of his secretary and choose white for household trash. Of course you have to buy these bags in the city hall and if ever you put another "ordinary" plastic bag on the street, it is not taken or you even can get a fine.

But what to do then with paper and cartons ? So he added a little tax on the house tax and allowed the garbadgemen to pick them up twice per month. To make the tax again a little bigger, he also added a little bit for street cleaning.

He racked his brain and hurrah ! he found something else ! Pollution caused by cars and trucks ! Little more taxes to pay on the trucks and some more fine to pay for car owners if they don't respect the speed limit when there is smog.

Finally he thought, it's not so bad. With the VAT (value added tax) on all bills and invoices there is also some money coming in. And then last but not least, as it is so warm already why not invent a tax on barbecues ? It pollutes the air too ! To watch over all the culprits who make a barbecue in their gardens he would create a special police unit who should overfly the gardens by helicopter and by walky talky send a special agent to this house to collect a barbecue tax.

But there was a problem. Sausages do more smoke then steaks, and porc and beaf is also different so what to do ? Easy ! For sausages it will be 40 € and for steaks 30 € tax on barbecue, payable immediatly. For porc he is not sure yet, he has to try it first himself when he makes his next barbecue !

The last tax invention was reported to the population in the news of April 1st. It created hot phone lines, overcharged internet and almost riots !

JEALOUS ?

No jealousy between them !

- SNAP

From time to time a drama takes place in this house ! Old cat Lisa decided to squat my bed and Pookie (who consideres herself as my personal cat) had to move out, because Lisa is convinced that she is the master of the house. I cannot interfere as I am supposed to love them both the same way. Of course I do, but each one in another way. Now they are jealous and hiss and snap at each other and I the poor subject of this jealousy is sitting here and got the inspiration of writing about jealousy ! Have I ever been jealous ?

Many women are jealous or even abnormaly jealous. When you talk about jealousy you automaticaly think it concerns a woman being jealous about another because she is afraid that the other one would snap away her man.

I don't think that I have ever been jealous of another woman because she would try to snap away my man. Not because there were no occasions there surely were but it isn't part of my nature. Anyway if the guy wants to look elsewhere and thinks that he would be more happy with somebody else, let him go, there are so many mothers having nice and handsome sons.

Sometimes when I hear "don't tell this or that to my wife, she is very jealous" just because I had seen him in a Café having a drink with a female collegue, I really pity him. Some women are standing every day in front of the office to pick up their partner not leaving him alone for a minute. That's not for me, I would feel like a prison warden and anyway if I cannot trust somebody he is not interesting for me.

Once I had a boyfriend who watched every step I did and called me several times a day to check if I was there, office or home. That made me feel like having a boa around my neck strangling me slowly until I could not breath anymore. So I had to say good bye to the guy, but he wouldn't give up for a year even when I was busy with my wedding preparations.

If you come to the point to borrow your friend's car put on a wig, black sunglasses and a raincoat and follow your partner to snap him with another women, then it is time to look for a psychiatrist.

But there are also other ways of jealousy. You can be jealous about the neigbor's bigger car, or the jewlery hanging on a woman like decoration on a Christmas tree, or because somebody has more money, travels a lot or has a better job.

These are things I am not jealous of, but I could be jealous when I hear that this or that friend had a family party with aunts, oncles, nephews, grandmas etc and I have none. When I do a family party we are just the four of us and the cats of course, I almost forgot ! Or I could be jealous when I hear that a mother has a very special relationship to her child, and I just had a fight with mine.

But I have very good friends and that compensates the lack of family. When I hear sometimes what happens in families between brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, uncles and aunts so that I could write a whole book about family meetings, then I tell myself you can choose your friends but you inherit your family.

Are you jealous ?

Jealous because he looks at another woman ?

MANIC MONDAY - BRANCH

Pookie was so proud of me that I have won the first price in the hat parade (see below) that she closed her eyes full of emotion and offered me a little present

In 1964 I had started to work for a company which made letters for subtitles on movies or for games. It was a very small company in Belgium but a branch from a big one in Germany. To present the new letters which were magnetic the German company had rented a stand at International Toy Fair Nürnberg, in Nürnberg, Germany for its Belgian branch.

My Boss decided to take me with him as decoration and interpretor, because his german was not so good and somebody had to talk to the clients at the stand.

So I kept the stand, showed our letter boxes and how it worked and we had quite some success. "We" is a generous word, because he always left me alone to shop for his wife or do other things and only showed up from time to time to check if I had made some contract prospections. Then he could say that he had found the customer and the Company would be proud of his work.

One day I again was alone and very hungry. I looked around if I could eat something so that nobody saw me eating, but the hall was fully packed. Finally I put my sandwich on the floor so that nobody could see it and from time to time I bent down to take a bite swallowed quickly and sat up again with a friendly innocent smile.

A few stands farer I heard people laughing and laughing and told myself that there must be something very funny going on and that's why probably nobody was at our stand. Suddenly I noticed that one of my nylon stockings was loose (there were no panties yet) and had to be fixed, otherwise, getting up I would have lost my stocking.

As the desk covered my legs from curious looks I pulled up my skirt and fixed the clip. This time a real explosion of loud laughter reached me. I became curious and as my stocking was fixed I walked over there to have a look and to find out why people were laughing so much and evidently were very amused.

When I approached the laughter even increased and I didn't understand a thing. And then I saw what had happened ! The subject they were all looking at was a video camera (very uncommun at that time) directed right to my stand and you could see everything even behind the desk ! Now I understood, everybody had seen me eating under the desk and also my uncovered legs while I fixed my stocking !

Today that's not very shocking anymore but in the 60ths people were still prude and it probably looked to them as if I had done a striptease behind my desk !

Now what should I do ? Getting a red face, be ashamed and run away ? That's not what I have done ! I laughed with all of them and admired the camera ! Unfortunately my boss didn't show up and scratched himself under the desk !

And here is the big surprise I have got yesterday !!!  Sir Arthur and Lady Pookie my companions on the Cruise

I got the first price for this hat, which I had worn for the Crazy hat Parade at our Cyber Cruise !!! And I was sooooo happy when I read : "Gattinas hat were choosen because of it’s both craziness AND creativity, no one can’t say that this hat not is like an artwork! I mean, this cruiser has a whole garden - or world - on her head! Just look at it - there is even a tree! I symbolize it with this crazy world cruise we’re doing too. "

But I want to thank especially Melli who finally had the idea with the hats. She took 20 hats on our cruise and they all were wonderful. So I have to share the honor with her and think she merits the first price for the hat IDEA !

WHAT HAPPENS IN SPRING ?

SPRING

Pookie suffers from severe spring fatigue the whole year !

On March 20 spring began officially and lasts until end of May, at least here in the Northern Hemisphere. Our Australian friends now instead settle down for their winter sleep.

But what happens so special in spring ? We all wake up or should at least and realize that the days are longer the sun comes out and the nature gets crazy !

Some humans are feeling depressed and retire in their deep black hole and call it (spring) seasonal depression others are coming out of their holes because their's is finished (automn-winter depressions). Some others are suffering from strong spring fatigue and feel weak, tired and without any energy.

Floodings, hails and thunderstorms happen in spring.

But then trees get leaves and the flowers come out, nature begins to take color.

Boys begin to look even more as usual at girls and men discover that there are other women to look at in streets and parks than their own one.

Girls do the same but more discreet. That's called sexual equality.

Cats are laying in the sunshine and sing operas during nights looking at the moonshine

Dogs try to climb over the fences to find a partner especially when she smells so good. Dog owners are doing skateboard on the street pulled by their dogs running behind a nice looking (and smelling) dog girl.

Horses forget that they have a human to carry and ran after a horse lady, while the human gathers his limbs and gets slowly up. (mostly swearing)

Cows are laying in the grass and leak each other tenderly until a bull springs over the fence

Windows are cleaned and you suddenly realize that a new neighbor has moved in. Curtains are washed and the room looks much brighter. Housewives get crazy and clean from morning till evening the home from top to bottom.

Men suddenly discover that their car has to be cleaned from the winter dirt and salt. They cut everything available in the garden and dig holes for flowers and plants. Women too of course again equality.

Shops and boutiques are full of the new spring collections and women look for new feathers and claws.

Birds are arriving from far and settle down to built their nests. The once which stayed here do the same.

Early mornings you wake up and spring (or fall) out of your bed because of the bird's singing. In town of course less, but there is the traffic noise coming through the open window.

Hairs are cut and shaved off the whole body.

Babies are created Couples get married (not necessarily in this order) Spring feelings are in the air !

Don’t miss our fabulous cyber cruise which started on Friday 16 March. Today we are in the Dominican Republic at Sanni, other destinations will follow !

schedule here

WATERLOO RESTAURANTS - CHIPS (Manic Monday)

After yesterday's cruise and too much drinking, Pookie today is on diet.
And I forgot to lead my guests to the Waterloo' Restaurants ! This is really unforgivable of me ! Fortunately today's word for Manic Monday is "chips" and this reminded me that we also have Chips in Waterloo ! Very good once and even Fish and Chips in our Irish Pub, which would please our Irish Church Lady.
This is our Irish Pub, very appreciated by young men but also by me for example. It's very nicely decorated inside and you really feel like being in an Irish or for me more English Pub, as I have never been to Ireland, but have been in about 60 pubs in London ! Of course not to drink but to draw the people. Drinking was in second place, I love Cider and this I can only find here !

There are so many Restaurants in Waterloo, that bad people pretend that there is one Restaurant per family ! Maybe that's not quite true, sure is you have the choice !

This Restaurant is located in a very small street and when it is warm enough people are sitting "on the street" and can have a sandwich or chips with something. Inside is a beautiful Restaurant.
A lot of very old houses or farms have been transformed to Restaurants, which is a very good idea. It keeps the ancient style where nobody wants to live in anymore and at the same time keeps the patrimoine occupied.
All these Restaurants have beautiful gardens were in summertime people eat outside of course. The "Green Roof" is my favourite Restaurant. It's 2min from our house in front of the wood surrounding Brussels. They have a huge garden and the food is very good. During lunch hours you only pay 7.50 € for a "plat du jour" which changes everyday. Of course you get very good chips here too ! The traditional belgian plate : Steak, frites (chips) salad ! Or this little Snack bar kept by two Waterloo girls. You can see the chips !!

Of course hamburgers are not missed either, besides the American Mc Donald's we have the belgian group "Quick"

In Waterloo you can find every kind of kitchen, morrocan, Mexican, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Italian and I am sure that I forgot some.
There is another thing I want to mention here. Why does the English language use for chips "french fries" ? Very much to the anger of all Belgians, because France has nothing to do with the "fries" they are not french at all, but were a Belgian invention. There are a lot of jokes about the Belgians and their "frites" !
And before you leave and go to Barcelona

to Mar here please taste the Waterloo beer, especially brewed for Waterloo. Belgium is famous for its beer and the total number of types of Belgian beer exceeds 1000.

If you wish to continue or participate to the Cyber Cruise, go to our Capitain Mrs. Lifecruiser here