Allo Allo! (Compilation)

Allo Allo! remains one of my favorite TV series, it always makes me laugh. It's set in France in World War 2, and the main character is Rene Artois, who is trying to please the Germans, frequent visitors at his café, and also preparing an underground operation for the "resistance". I just love it...

Sometimes we make simple things complicated. And this math test is just an example. A real one, I love it! The kid got so muddled up when he was trying to solve this exercise he felt the only way out was.... a virtual suicide :-)

Not everything you see is real...

This woman is
spectacular and I bet you wouldn't see another like her in your neighborhood. She was on a Brazillian edition of Playboy magazine, and it seems like she was "photoshoped" to maker look perfect. Such a meticulous work that they completely erased her belly button... When they realised their mistake, the magazine was alredy on the street.
I knew it, women in those magazines just don't exist.

The use of old monuments...

My MIL

She wanted to come with us to see the neurologist (Dr M). I understand, it's her son and she didn't know the doctor... but She really got on my nerves. We went in her car, and she managed to look angry, strict and concerned at the same time. I know both MIL and FIL are arranging a visit to another neurologist who works in southern France. Apparently, he's into alternative medicine or something like that. I've asked a few times what his name is, so that I can look up and try to find out what he really does, but both MIL and FIL are so secretive. So I asked again, did you find out his name?? In the end she told me, reluctantly, but the doctor's last name is so common I don't think I'll find out anything. She's loud. And sometimes has this "know-it-all" attitude I find so irritating. Like She knows the best way to get to the hospital, and don't try to tell her you know a better way. It doesn't matter that it's YOUR hometown, she knows best. Once we got to the hospital I said: "we could tell Dr M about this other type of therapy and see what he thinks..." And she just exploded: "IF YOU TELL HIM, I'LL GET VERY ANGRY!!!" I just felt like telling her to go to hell, but said: "Calm down, I thought we could talk about it..." Hubby was ahead of us, and not really interested in getting into the conversation. There was no point, really. Later I told him, "why does your mother have to be so grouchy all the time?" and he just said "when you said she was coming with us, I warned you..."
btw, went to get an appointment for an MRI, and it was kind of like a joke: the nurse asked him when are you scheduled to visit DrM again? He said October, and She said: "We'll try to do your MRI before that". ???????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ranting over. For now.

Gremlins...

This puzzle should have 1000 pieces, but 4 are missing and it took me quite some time to finish it. I wonder if the Gremlins have anything to do about it....

Speaking about my Gremlins... kids in general seem to have this ability to take the drama out of any situation. The second time their father had a seizure (last december), as I was just by his side and he was deeply asleep (it always happens after a crisis), I guess Alicia could see my worried look so she sat by me and said "You know, I don't think he's dead mom..." !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and then, one minute after that: "I'm hungry, can I have some breakfast?" Afterwards, she would tell her friends at school that his father died, "but the doctor cured him..." (sigh) In her mind, people only die when they're 150 years old. Doctors cure everything...

Again. He had another seizure this morning. I got home at 12 and called him. No answer. "Are you there??" I shouted. Nothing. I thought he must be taking a shower, since he had just gotten back from a soccer game. So I went into the bathroom, to find him lying on the floor, post-crisis, with a huge lump in his head... I called an ambulance, my legs shaking, and then I called a good friend. I couldn't bear to be alone this time, I don't know why. They arrived more or less at the same time. I haven't felt so bad since my grandmother died, and that was when I was eleven. I couldn't help thinking "is this some sort of punishment?" "Is it because I didn't keep my promise?" (you know...)
They had to give him anticonvulsionants because he had another seizure while the nurses were attending him, and then he was taken to the hospital. I've cried, I've wondered, I've felt guilty, for leaving him with the emergency staff while he was struggling to get the oxygen mask off his face. I know when he's post critic he hardly remembers anyone, so seeing me would have comforted him?? But I COULDN'T I can't bear to see someone I love so much looking so vulnerable and in pain.
He's recovering now, I've seen him and talked to him, and I'm going back to the hospital right now.
But this time I'll do what I promised, no matter what he says, no matter what I believe, which I still haven't really figured out... I still have issues with religion, but.... a promise is a promise... and a want my husband to grow old with me!! :-)
He's recovering now, I've seen him and talked to him.
PD: what we call social security seems to be working fine for us... funny I had posted about that only two days ago...
SOMEONE GIVE ME VALIUM!! (that whisky, James, would also work ;-)

I'm thinking of quitting my job and try to teach English to 12-14 year old kids. Long ago I took a test that, in theory, states that I actually can teach the language. I say in theory because I took that test when I was 19 and I was quite more fluent in English back then... but still, I have that paper that proves I CAN do it. I talked to a teacher friend and she warned me that kids are not what we used to be...
-Really? I said, you mean they don't stand up when the teacher enters the class?
(she's still laughing...)
When I went to school (in my bubble-like catholic for girls only cute school) we had to perform certain rituals. You had to stand up when the teacher entered the class. Listening, or at least being quiet was a must, and very few dared to disobey. The teachers were quite respected, but it seems like nowadays, many parents tend to automatically side with their kid when there's a conflicting situation. Their perfect child is never wrong. That was not my case!
Well, it seems now that a lot more pressure is placed on teachers, they're supposed to teach and tame/educate at the same time... Still, I might try...
Everything should be fine, since I'm perfect, according to my 4 year old! Just take a look at this "portrait of mom" done by Alice. I couldn't look better!

In her drawings, I'm always floating. Husband asked her: "So, when will you draw me?" And she said: "Well, maybe at school, when they ask me to draw the family..." ha ha ha

Sicko...

Should health care be a service or a business? I believe it should be a service. The two big pillars of our society should be Education and Health care. Free universal health care, in my opinion. We do have it, in Spain, but I think our country is slowly going the American way in this field. People are encouraged to pay for private health care, less money is invested in public health... I'd rather pay more taxes and make sure every citizen can be properly taken care of when sick, than have people fend for themselves... As you alredy know, we had a medical problem at home last december. My husband had a seizure (I think they used to be called grand mal). I had no idea what was going on, he never had one before, and I thought he was dying. I called emergency and had an ambulance home, with a doctor in 5 or 10 minutes (can't remember exactly). He has no medical insurance, but that was no problem, he was taken to the hospital for tests. We waited for a long time. Anyway, he was finally diagnosed as having juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Now, this is a benign form of epilepsy, and he's fine now, but I realize what we take for granted now (free health care) may be slowly drifting towards the American system...
I leave you with a scene of Michael Moore's new movie (Sicko). I have the feeling none of my American friends don't like him but I think he raises some good questions...

.......I think we both need a haircut

I don't blog much. I don't have anything interesting to say, and not much time, but I just decided that doesn't matter, really. No one, but YOU knows I have this silly blog. What's on my mind today?? My job sometimes is utterly boring and unchallenging. Nice schedule, that's true, but still... I've been thinking about trying something else, but I feel I'm old to start a new career... Anyway... Had another fight with my brother (What am I, 4 years old again?) and that's bothering me. He apologized but I brushed him off. I can be mean sometimes.
I'm having difficulty concentrating... and writing in English is challenging to me. So the thing is, Should I blog whatever silly thought I have or should I try to produce something interesting?

Back from a movie.
I learnt that almost all Americans live in huge houses with equally huge kitchens and lovely yards.
Whenever the main character (doctor... investigator.... usually a man) is awaken by a phone call in the middle of the night, his wife offers "to make coffee", or even breakfast. Well, If that was me, I'd stay in bed. He knows where the coffee is.
Journalists always get doughnuts in the middle of an editorial reunion. They usually have this box in the middle of the table and everyone picks a doughnut.!! Sounds good.
People seem to have this need to eat something noisy in a movie theater. This wasn't in the movie, but it gets on my nerves. All that "scrunch scrunch" Are people here to see a movie or to eat???

How's your handwriting??

I'm so used to typing I think I no longer know how to use a pen. Here's a sample of my handwriting, which is usually chaotic and hard to understand (in a few weeks I'll have no idea what it says)... I know people who still have neat handwriting, like they did in primary school. Mine seems to have evolved into... well, into this mess... So how's your handwriting? I'd like people who see this post to post some handwriting too... James, WM, Cairogal...

Best ad of the year?

Her first essay!!

Alicia likes to practice handwriting in capital letters. Yesterday she came to me and showed me this paper. I'd call it her first essay, it reads:
"I'm inviting Marina to my party because she is my friend. Kisses for everyone, I will not come back until saturday. I won't come back until the sun comes out again I can't go out at night and pick pretty flowers. Marina, good bye, good bye to all the kids in school"
Of course, it's in Catalan, without any comas or punctuation signs and no separation between words. But she's 4 years old!! I'm so proud (she'll be 5 in august)

New camera... same girls

I finally bought a decent digital camera, and took some nice pics of my girls...
Alicia:


Cristina...

We have the smartest drug dealer in Spain. You see, he distributed these leaflets to prospective customers, and a map so that the kids would find him easily. The police found him easily too... by the way, his Spanish is so bad I guess he never went to school... but he sure does know a lot about marketing...

Mr silence

Some days ago I went to my nephew's birthday party, along with my daughters. Alicia (the 4 year old) has this irrational fear of uncle JM (she has two other uncles and everything's fine), so I had to keep kind of close to her, and watch her play. It's not as bad as it used to be, but still she's never comfortable when he's around. Apparently, nothing has ever happened even though I went to a psychologist once and she said he probably scolded her once or did something that scared her (not that it had to be something awful)... I guess I'll never know. I find him so strange, though. During our regular saturday family lunch at my in-laws he never says a word. He acts like a ghost. You never know when he's there, because he doesn't even say hello. He arrives with his wife and children, sits down to eat, gets up, sits down on the couch with the newspaper and eventually leaves with his family. Not a word. Not a sound, nothing. He's changed a bit in the last year, though. At his son's birthday party he did say something. I took a picture of his daughter coming down the slide with my little one and showed it to him. He said "mm". Well, to be precise, he said "m". Or was it more like "m"? I guess that meant he liked it.

Look what he found in the Saharian desert!!

The story of this house began yesterday, when I got this text message from my husband. He was about to board the plane in Morocco, in a military airport. So he couldn't fulfill his promise to the girls that he would bring something from his trip. "No ponis, no dolls, no nothing, please buy something for them and save my skin!" (does that sentence work in English?) Well, since he didn't mention how much I was supposed to spend while "saving his skin", I bought this playmobil house.... er... I'm spoiling them. AND, I should be ashamed of accusing my father of buying gifts for my mom he wants for himself... I DO THE SAME THING! I admit I spent hours assembling the house, and loved it....

Some people give others what they want for themselves, right? I admit sometimes I've bought presents for others I liked, it's a bit like Homer Simpson in that episode where he gave his wife a bowling set. Well, my father is the highest exponent of this type of present-giver. He has alredy bought for my mother a tv set, a DVD, and, not long ago,a Thermomix. Needless to say, He is the one who watches more tv and records programs on the dvd. He just loves to explore new appliances, and the more buttons, the better. Now he's exploring the Thermomix, and has alredy made 100 variations of the same cake, playing chef and driving my mom crazy...
On another note, I'll be alone with the girls for 5 days. My husband left for this race in Morocco (he doesn't take part in it, he'll be just reporting from there). I wish I could go too!