Absolutely Anything Else

My mom said I was special too but my older sister dropped me on my head!
I know she often had to remind me to come down to earth as she said," You are not the Queen of England" no idea where she got that favorite line from.

Vital statistics:

Absolutely Anything Else has now reached 4 pages, > 700 views, and > 120 posts.

Quite an accomplishment.

So: Everyone spin your noise makers, toot your horns, and yawn loudly.   

That's cool but why is it only the 3 of us doing all the heavy lifting? Amusing as we are...

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

is it only the 3 of us doing all the heavy lifting?

Then it is perfect. The most stable stool on an uneven surface has only three legs. 

Are you saying we are "stable" what a relief!!

klsallee wrote:

Or that over half voted for the Brexit? The US electorate is not the only "problem".

....... But science and government, I'm not so sure about.”

You're not wrong.  It was a marginal result at best.

So is there really a mandate (either in Brexit, US election or whatever)?

I work a lot with government personnel and while individuals are mostly fine, somehow there's a communal intellectual deficit and certainly no surplus of common sense.   

It's either pay peanuts get monkeys or lack of attention, interest, innovation, joined up thinking etc. 

It's definitely something but what specifically I am not sure. 

I have a theory that production (in government) is not interconnected. i.e.  the civil servant does his/her work, outputs whatever output is desired and passes it to the next person in the chain.  What happens next is not their problem. No-one is responsible for ensuring it all makes sense.

klsallee wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

is it only the 3 of us doing all the heavy lifting?

Then it is perfect. The most stable stool on an uneven surface has only three legs. 

Let's put the cat in with the pigeons....

I think I am the only one here who actually has a job which I should be doing  but I am resisting while writing this at my desk.

The vineyard works itself and keeping watch on the neighbourhood with hubby leaves plenty of time for posting stuff here. 

Not that I am complaining.

But yes, we need more legs for the stool.

fluffy2560 wrote:

The vineyard works itself

Wait. What?

You mean I have been doing it wrong all this time? That the vineyard will spray, till, mow itself? As well as plant 3,000 new vines, dig 150 new cordon posts holes and put in the posts, then wire it all up?

I am shocked... Shocked I tell you. I am going right out and wag my finger at the vineyard and tell it that it needs to pull is fair share of work from now on!

But seriously....  In the modern world, many times one is best to consider diversifying their business interests to spread around risk. For me, a vineyard is just one of those business interests. I also only come here when I am procrastinating on other projects that I should be otherwise doing. 

My entire  life has been one big long procrastination of one sort of the other.
Turning 62 at the end of Dec. and still waiting to grow up.
I have heard from many people that I seem to be a big child, all good with me.
I think I got stuck in my growing years at age 15, 15 forever!!
I once really , really listened to my mother when she related some old tales to me and her reaction to events.
I think my mother really did get stuck in her teen years emotionally.
In my mid 30's I sometimes felt I was the mom emotionally when I heard some of the problems my mom had.
It was "super creepy" to be the adult with one's own parent.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

The vineyard works itself

.....You mean I have been doing it wrong all this time? That the vineyard will spray, till, mow itself? As well as plant 3,000 new vines, dig 150 new cordon posts holes and put in the posts, then wire it all up?

I am shocked... Shocked I tell you. I am going right out and wag my finger at the vineyard and tell it that it needs to pull is fair share of work from now on!

I did say the cat would be in amongst the pigeons but obviously I was careless. I obviously caused a cognitive dissonance there.  Sorry about that.

We have to face the facts. Plants are just plain lazy.  Sorry, I've said it.  I tell my plants to pull their socks up and get organised.  It's no good asking them nicely.  They don't listen. But no, they are just there, covered in weeds.  It's a problem of discipline in nurseries.  The young have no experience of life. What can I say? Triffids anyone?

klsallee wrote:

.... come here when I am procrastinating on other projects that I should be otherwise doing. 

Sitting here waffling on using my multiple years of experience to deflect possible interference in my personal activities. So in the office I usually think, "...never do today what you can do tomorrow" although I change my tune when it gets closer to pay day, monthly reports and the possibility someone will ask what I've been doing all month and panic sets in.  I usually grab a report from some time ago and change the dates. It's worked before.....

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Turning 62 at the end of Dec. and still waiting to grow up.

You are not alone Marilyn.

I'm the wrong side of mid-50s and my Mum and Dad (yes, still around), ask me sometimes when I will get a proper job.  Errr...been doing this one about 30 years....and boy do I know it.

Changing the subject....
According to Internations, Hungary is moving up in the world! (Quality of Life Index for Expats)

Trying to link to the report....
<a href="https://inassets1-internationsgmbh.netdna-ssl.com/static/bundles/internationsexpatinsider/images/2016/reports/quality_of_life_index_blur.jpg"><img src="https://inassets1-internationsgmbh.netdna-ssl.com/static/bundles/internationsexpatinsider/images/2016/reports/quality_of_life_index_blur.jpg" alt="Quality of Life Index 2016" /></a>

Vicces1 wrote:

Changing the subject....
According to Internations, Hungary is moving up in the world! (Quality of Life Index for Expats)

I cannot believe that survey.  No way Austria can be higher than Australia or Canada. 

Unless you measure QoL by boredom.

I think it's quite believable that Austria has a higher life quality. North American life isn't as cracked up as it made out to be. I live in Toronto currently and we're only just getting certain things that the rest of the world has had for the last 10 years!

By the way (and this is for anyone who reads), where in Hungary do you all live? Where did you live before you decided to become an expat?

If the Hungarian representation is anything to go by, Internations should be renamed "Intercapitals" as they don't have the slightest interest in anything that goes on outside of Budapest.

We , my HU husband and I have lived "everywhere"
We now live in Budapest.
As a couple we have lived in allot of places, I won't even list where we lived before we met or it would be a very long post.
Cal,   Colorado, New Jersey, New York City, Mass. Calif. Maui,
Cal. New Mexico, Hawaii, New Mexico again, Las Vegas.
I am an expert at packing, have only had 2 crystal wine glasses broken in all those moves! I pack everything myself.

VeeBee wrote:

By the way (and this is for anyone who reads), where in Hungary do you all live? Where did you live before you decided to become an expat?

Location is marked under the posts we make.   We lived in Austria for 9 years.  Hence my comments on Austria.  Nice scenery and it's safe but it's rather boring.  We lived in a village outside Vienna.  Dullsville. Hungary is a lot better.

I've visited many countries, for work, some for extended periods (multiple trips over  years and some longer periods like 14 months) including what would be called holiday destinations and some odd ones like Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.  Too numerous to describe here.  I've even lived in Syria with Mrs Fluffy and a very young Fluffyette (before the war of course!).

The easiest foreign land to live in  for English speakers is The Netherlands.  A major downside is the weather.

fidobsa wrote:

If the Hungarian representation is anything to go by, Internations should be renamed "Intercapitals" as they don't have the slightest interest in anything that goes on outside of Budapest.

Not a fan of that survey.  It is indeed city-centric.

It doesn't describe the criteria by which those countries are scored.  Taiwan as No. 1, now come on, that's ridiculous.  I'd have thought somewhere like Switzerland would easily top that, or Hong Kong.

Can't trust surveys much.
My hometown is rated the "safest city" in the USA.
They must of taken into account that every other house is lived in by either a cop or a fireman,everyone is armed to the teeth.
My own mother used to walk around with a 2 shot Derringer stuffed in her bra!!! Talk about stuffing ones bra! No one messes with anyone or breaks in because they know the homeowner is armed, scary really.
The Rodney King trail was held in our local courthouse. It was never spoken of on the news but the police stopped every car during the trail weeks before they were allowed to get on the highway even close to our small city. My younger bro is a biker, long hair, tats the whole "look" he was stopped on his bike, showed his ID with his address on it and even so they almost didn't let him go home, he looked to "rough" to be a local. No rights at all.
New meaning to "Heading them off at the Pass". Such a old cowboy town.
Of course being a super Republican city, even holds the Ronald Regan museum, there was no way they would allow "race riots" in Simi.
Growing up there we often were harassed because we dressed "differently" then average as teens.
Safe for one person is unsafe for another.
What also is not common knowledge is the big nuke accident in the foothills of our city, the labs at Rocketdyne had a melt down in 1959 and a smaller one again in the early 1960's. Half the cancer illnesses have to be coming from the melt down, much worst then 3 Mile Island but not much news about it, have to look it up online. My mom worked there and never knew pre hiring that she was exposing herself daily to so many rads. She got breast cancer and so did many others in our city, the whole area of Cal. ,Vince Neil the rocker, his young daughter developed cancer. They had a pricey house up in the foothills not far from the old lab and spill site.
It was an experimental lab so many safety regulations were not followed, legally they could do almost anything they wanted in 1959 because of their gov. contacts.
Many people I know got cancer, one friend now has brain cancer and she lived in our town for most of her childhood, another has nerve issues from playing in the wash area as a kid with her bros.
Safest city, for what, roaches?!

VeeBee wrote:

By the way (and this is for anyone who reads), where in Hungary do you all live? Where did you live before you decided to become an expat?

Click on anyone's avatar image with their post, then once on on their personal profile page, scroll down to the "My expat path" section.

The details will vary for each person of course.

For example, mine shows the last city where I lived in the USA, the last Canton where I lived in Switzerland, and the current village where I now live in Hungary. Others may just list their last country (-ies) of residence without city or regional details.

fluffy2560 wrote:

We lived in a village outside Vienna.  Dullsville.

I had the same opinion about Switzerland. The entire country was a sleeping pill. Everything worked, which some may consider an asset. But for me, it made life there (and IMHO --- the people too) so terribly boring.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

We , my HU husband and I have lived "everywhere"
.

So, like the Hank Snow song:

I've Been Everywhere

Side note: I have not only been to Winnemucca, I lived one summer nearby that city in Paradise Valley NV..... 

My mom was heading out to Winnemucca where my step-dad had some land, their RV made it up to Santa Rosa and they stopped.
good move on her part, Winnemucca?
Paradise Valley, sounds like it's near Apple Valley, gosh somethings about S. Calif. still mess with my head!
How about Barstow, how in the world could anyone ever pick that place out as a dream destination?

Looked up more online about Rocketdyne,one article called it,The China Syndrome Town.
Really scary stuff, they sold homes to people by the thousands knowing the whole time that the land was not fit for humans or any living thing.
I think just about everyone I know from Simi has at least one relation who developed cancer.
A few of my friends kids have passed from it, both of my parents as well. Something else really, real corp. greed at the highest levels.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
How about Barstow, how in the world could anyone ever pick that place out as a dream destination?

I've been to Barstow. 

And I've been to Pahrump NV. 

Think we drove through there on the way to/from Death Valley.  Don't remember. I think the latter might win the stupidiest town name competition. But I think either of those two places are just a  bit too dull to get any enthusiasm to enter such a competition.  Although Pahrump did have mountains if I remember correctly and was better of the two.  It was a very long time ago.  Might be  the hippest place out West now.

Pahrump is the mobile home park capital of NV. or so it seemed to me.
Only been there 3 times, the first time was 100% by accident, we took a wrong turn!
The other two times was only to use their cheaper then Vegas car storage units for 6 months.
There is a good rib place out there , the name slips my mind ATM.
Barstow, what can I say? What a dump!
My best friend for the past 46 years came to visit me 4 months back in Las Vegas.
She hates to fly and didn't want to drive alone to Vegas from Cali.
She took the bus, this is the second time she did this in2 years to visit me, a real friend to go through that just to see me.
Anyways on the bus, a long 6 to 7 hour ride to Vegas there was an "incident" on the rideover.
A man apparently stole $65. out of the wallet of another rider, A women.
They were fighting on the bus, the driver called the cops in Barstow and held everyone on board, wouldn't let anyone off the bus until the matter was settled by the police!
After a delay of 2 hours they let the bus go and only held up the 2 people actually involved! Smart move!!
Barstow, what a bunch of brains there!

fluffy2560 wrote:

And I've been to Pahrump NV.

What can I say..... Nye County.....

I love the area geographically. But....

When I worked for the USFS in Nevada we received training and had to carry a card with the phone number to the US Attorney General's office because a sheriff of Nye County at that time threatened to arrest any federal employees "trespassing" on Nevada state property.

Same types of groups that occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

klsallee wrote:

..... US Attorney General's office because a sheriff of Nye County at that time threatened to arrest any federal employees "trespassing" on Nevada state property....

Ah well, the left and right hands. 

The business about medical cannabis seems to be very strange. As far as I understand it, the Feds raid people for that even though it's legal in some states.

That's just weird.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Ah well, the left and right hands. 

The business about medical cannabis seems to be very strange. As far as I understand it, the Feds raid people for that even though it's legal in some states.

That's just weird.

Yes and no.

There is more Constitutional and Federal law that gives rights to the Federal government over regulating something like cannabis (such as interstate trade, etc.), compared to state rights regulating what happens on Federally owned land.

It is complicated. Which is why the USA fought a civil war over federal versus state rights. And just to make it clear, the state rights activists lost.

All I can say is as soon as I go back for good, if
that happens to NV, I am making a appointment ASAP with Dr. Reefer!
His billboards are everywhere and I want me some edibles!!
I hate  to not keep up with my friends, they all have the legal scripts, nice thing about being an old lady!!
Old people have some of the best "connections!!"

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

His billboards are everywhere

Billboards? As in you Better call Saul...

No, wait, that was in New Mexico.

Never mind. 

I remember many, many "moons ago" when my own mom would hand out her "little blue pills" whenever I got too excited about anything going on as a teenager.
She would say, "You're making me nervous, have a pill, they are in my handbag, just help yourself!!"
Weird thing was my mom was on valium and I was  at the time a "speed freak" jive and all.
I was always,"over excited" and her purse was always handy.
Her doctors  seemed to hand out those "blue bombers" like candy.
My good friend lived with her grannie and her mother, all 3 in a house together.
Both her grannie and her mom had some major back issues so they had huge bottles of both percodan and placidyl in the bathroom cabinet.
I LOVED spending time at their house!!
I often would go over for a visit and find the 3 of them plastered in front of the tv set.
We were allowed to smoke cig's in the house and help ourselves to the booze.
Horrible thing was her mother was a high level employee at a pricey private school. too pricey for us to go to!
Of course this was way back in the late 60's early 70's when parents didn't know what on earth they were doing.
Who needed pot when we had a full pharmacy at our fingertips?
Mothers little helpers were everywhere in our town, thinking back on it, it actually was a pretty cool town to grow up in, everyone was high on something.
Once I woke up in the back of a Willy's Jeep a friend own, some jerk was using a flashlight and it was hurting my eyes , I was passed out cold on "Reds" from a party.
I soon realized it was the towns Police using a flash light, seems my friend had just got himself arrested because he had run over 3 US Mail boxes.
I was  yelling and swearing in a bad mood at the local cops and they didn't do anything to me. They actually drove me back to a underaged friends house party, her parents were not home. I suppose I grew up in a cool town after all.
My friend did get arrested  .not for drugs but for trashing the mail boxes, some things are just too Federal to get away with doing.He later jumped the fence of the police impound to pick up his "stash". Wow, how weird now at my age to think about this stuff!
Sometimes the local cops would even attend our house parties, small town not much else to do.
Wow, so strange now to think as an adult how bad that is/was.
I wonder now if our little town was really so "white bread" that there was no way on earth they would haul in little "white girls" to jail for being wild.They had an image to maintain.
Where we lived was called by the media a "bedroom community" meaning all white nice middle class /working class Americans. Later we heard tales of wife swapping parties going on every weekend , all sorts of sorrid events happening and everyone getting away with it!
Did I share too much? I wonder, small towns often hide big problems.

We lived in New Mexico for a number of years, yes, I found Breaking Bad to be very believable, not much of a stretch! Better call Saul, have met people just like him in fact!

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

My friend did get arrested  .not for drugs but for trashing the mail boxes, some things are just too Federal to get away with doing.

My first job with the State of California. I was required to sign a loyalty oath.

Now, I had zero plans to rebel against that State of California, but the *idea* that I *had* to sign a loyalty oath just set wrong with my libertarian/liberal self.

So I did all the legal research, and found that in case after case the courts upheld the right of the state to require that a state employee signs the oath. I was annoyed. Really, really annoyed.

Then in a vision it dawned on me.... in a court trial like environment if I was to come before a court and the prosecuting attorney for the state laid out the case against me:

"Your honor, we know that the defendant has committed grave and serious crimes of treason and militant action against the State. He caused grievous damage to the State. But we press no charges on these grounds. We only ask the court to look at this document (holding up what I signed), where the defendant said he really promised, really, really promised, to do none of these things! And for that, and that alone, we ask for the maximum penalty!!"

Then, laughing inside, I signed the loyalty oath.

What can I say, we were Stoners!

I should add a disclaimer: Don't want anyone doing some lamo investigation on me!
All these "events" happens many years ago,when I was a minor. Don't think I am legally responsible for anything now.
My good friend who had the open home pharmacy has since passed by her own hand.
Mental issues were most likely behind her early demise.
Her extremely high IQ and family issues were at the heart of her short life.
I had some serious health issues as a teen. My overuse of recreational items caused some damage to my reproductive system.
My mother freaked out on me, I didn't even think to cover myself before she got crazy on me.
I seemed to have stopped my normal female cycles for well over 6 months at age 16. My mom had the nerve to think I was even pregnant! No way, never even had a date at that time.
Don't do drugs... So Nancy Regan of me to say!

klsallee wrote:

....
Then, laughing inside, I signed the loyalty oath.

Did you have your non-writing fingers crossed behind your back?

In the UK, it's the Official Secrets Act. 

So widely drawn, even revealing the type of coffee available this week in the government canteen would violate the statute as state secrets. 

Just about everywhere you go in "officialdom", you have to sign this, never mind if you've signed it umpteen times before.

But only in the military do we have to say we'll follow (Queen) Liz.

BTW, BCS (Better Call Saul) is pretty good.  There's a  new show called "Queen of the South".  Slow start but getting better. Useful for learning some Spanish and learning to avoid being involved in the drug business.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

...Don't do drugs... So Nancy Regan of me to say!

When I was studying we used to have the occasional spliff or two. Last time I tried it was in about 2000 and I should have known better.  Mrs Fluffy and I were living in Amsterdam and you can just get a joint in the coffee shop.  It was skunk.  Worst experience of my life with this kind of thing.  Never touched it again.  The problem with many people coming to Amsterdam is that having a joint is part of the tourist scene so we were pushed into it by (Hungarian) visitors. 

I think the problem now is this skunk.  When I had it in college it was just leaves off the plant and mildly entertaining. But skunk is another thing. Far too strong.  Best to just say "No".