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Sunday, January 25, 2015

Life with Sickness


For my New Year wishes for my family and friends I chose good health as my number one desire for each and everyone of them. I even did that for business colleagues. However, I never got to wish the same thing for myself, so I got sick. It seems like every second person in Spain, is currently suffering with the flu, or as it is known here, El Gripe, probably because once you are within its grip, you simply have to go along with whatever it demands.

As I noted in a previous blog, I came down with it on Christmas Day, as some kind of perverted gift, and I have now suffered through for one solid month. Having ventured out into society I am discovering that we are in the midst of a pandemic of flu. I also discovered that this time last year the country was undergoing the same thing. I sailed past all that, but not this time.

At first you put up a bit of a fight. You try to carry-on and keep up with your routine, and you keep smiling, but the time comes when you have to admit to everyone that you can do no more, and hopefully you have a nice warm bed to crawl into where you'll perhaps do as I did, just sleep for the next forty or fifty hours. That part was quite pleasent for me. I hope you all were as comfortable as I was. I occasionally heard that it was cold outdoors. The only thing I had to do, because no-one was going to help me otherwise, was to get up and go pee. Other than that you get to feel like you are on vacation.

The flu is the great common denominator. It seems in the midst of such illnesses such as the Big C, or Ebola, to be something small, but the flu does kill, and if it doesn't actually do that you can be made to wish for the sweet sting of death.

I was actually one of those persons who tried to guard against it by maintaining good hand health, and quickly covering my nose in enclosed spaces where people might have sneezed or coughed. But, it got me anyway, and as the original thing gone viral, it has got everyone else as well.

So, for next year I will remember to wish myself good health, but I had better do that in November.

Copyright (c) 2015
Eugene Carmichael   

Sunday, January 18, 2015

No Pants Day! Where have I been?

Sorry!
I can't download a picture
Ahhhh!

For fourteen years, twice annually, January and May, a day is set aside for anyone who cares to do so, to go through the day without pants, slacks, or skirts, wearing only under pants. It only came to my attention this year, in spite of the fact that my own city is one of the sixty around the world engaging in the practise.

What has the world come to?

This, of course, is a young person's game whereby they choose to shock their parents. I was once part of that game as I tried to make an impression on my parents, without getting my head slapped off. Like the time I was running and I fell onto an upturned tin can and cut my nose open. Instead of yelling and crying I quietly walked into the kitchen where my mother had her back to me, and I walked up to her and tugged on her dress. She turned, took one look at me and screamed. Oh wow! That was good. She got the dettol bottle and a cloth and drenched the wound with pure dettol. The pain was so intense I simply passed out. That was not what I had in mind.

A No-Pants day is the sort of thing I expect of my city, Valencia, where, once a year, the local cycling club apply for permission to ride around the city completely naked. That's what they did to protest the cost to the city of the Pope's visit. So, I think had I happened onto the subway on that day and found myself surprised by a car full of pantsless people, I think I would have simply dropped my pants and simply stood there with my pants around my ankles for the ride.

Now, let's be clear about this from a man's point of view. To be in the company of a lot of other guys wearing only under pants would be no big deal. But to have lots of girls in their panties would be absolutely fabulous! However, having said that, apart from the fun of it all, it does not tend to be sexy. It's like being at the beach in the midst of all those uncovered pert, and not-so-pert boobies. After the first two minutes we all settle down and relax.

One thing is not in dispute: beats standing and staring at the trees!

Copyright (c) 2015   Eugene Carmichael

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Who is the Pet?


I was reviewing my routine with our animals: We have two cats and a dog, none of whom we deliberately decided we wanted to care for. Blanca, our pure white cat is a beautiful cat to behold, but she is absolutely anti-social. She wants to be fed when she is hungry and thereafter she just wants to be left in peace.

Lnyx is a rescued male who would have been torn to pieces by some dogs had our son not picked it up and saved it. However, our son has gone to live elsewhere, so for the time being I look after Lnyx. He is my idea of a cat. Very affectinate and purrs wonderfully. The problem is that he keeps himself to the downstairs  apartment while he awaits the return of our son. Blanca keeps herself to the upstairs living acommodation, so we have an upstairs cat and a downstairs cat. When they do meet they usually have a short fight before going their seperate ways.

Then there is Max, a very small type of dog. Max just showed up one day, completely out of breath, pleading with me to feed him. He has been here ever since.

So, I was thinking about my routine with these animals. Feeding times I usually start with Blanca upstairs. I give her half an envelope of food in a gel substance, then I go downstairs and likewise feed Lnyx.Lately, I have been treating Max, who is suffering with Leishmaniosis, a deadly virus introduced by mosquitos. The treatment is quite complicated, and by the time I have finished with Max, Lnyx is calling for the rest of his envelope, and from upstairs I can hear Blanca doing the same thing.

I attend to each when they are hungry or sick. Blanca is our bulimic, sometimes throwing up her meal. I come along behind her and clean it up. I make sure they have clean water and a warm place to sleep.

I talk about them as our pets as though I were their proud father, especially when they do something cute. Hearing myself speaking about them in that manner it suddenly dawned on me, what if I have things completely the wrong way round?

Do they boast about how well trained I am? Do they say that I am always there with whatever they need, and that I am cute and manageable? Lnyx can even say that he has a large double bed in which to sleep and he never has to worry about where his next meal is coming from.

At the end of the day I am rewarded by Max and Lnyx with a show of love and appreciation. Blanca just gives me a look that says, Yea. thanks, but I'm going to nap now, so leave me in peace.

They say that animals choose us, rather than the other way round. I might have said to Max when he showed up, Max, I don't want a dog. However, Max would have said to me, Man, I need someone to feed me and give me a warm place to sleep, and to take care of me when I get ill. You'll do nicely, so get on with it.

No wonder the cat in the picture is having such a good laugh. I would too if I were in their place!

Copyright (c) 2015   Eugene Carmichael

Sunday, January 4, 2015

It's a New Year Everyone! Happiness and Good Health for All!

A New Year, but I got the most unwanted, non-returnable Christmas Gift of all.

I got, on Christmas Day, when the British community usually exchanges presents, a case of influenza. I should say, a case of the flu, but I don't think it makes any difference. Once the virus decides to take up residence you will give in to its wishes. Fortunately, it just eased it way in on Christmas Day, not interrupting our celebrations at all. However, after a couple of days I just collapsed into bed where I happily stayed for a continuous period of more than 40 hours, sleeping away the worries of the world.

New Year's Eve found me in bed and New Years night I was still there, nicely wrapped up in my warm blanket. Fortunately, there was none of the real nasty stuff that the flu can bring. I just had to contend with shaking as though I was freezing in the cold north one minute, then suddenly sweating as though I was in the midday sun of the desert the next minute.

Today, its just a memory and it's time to look forward with moderate expectations from 2015. I intend to continue my usual practices toward my neighbours, treating them with courtesy and respect. That seems to have worked well over my 75 years, so no need to change now.

I hope to make some people happy this year by helping them to return to work by becoming new product promoters with FGXpress, a new career option. I will continue to work on keeping my health in order. For the first time in my life, I joined a gym last year and I am sticking to a routine and feeling pretty good about it. I became a Great Grandfather for the second time in December of 2014, so one of the must do things for 2015 will be for me to get to meet my newest great joy.

All of these things I will do in this current year, but none are resolutions, because resolutions are breakable.

My wish for you, dear readers is that this year will be kind and agreeable in everything that you intend to accomplish.If you do have any surprises let's hope that they are of the very best kind!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael