General Witterings -
TV Stars on Rosy

Puff ...

It is the middle of the night on the good ship Rosy.  Although a blustery, easterly, chilling wind is blowing, Rosy remains rock-steady, trapped in the grip of the ice that lies four inches thick on the surface of the canal.

Puff ...

Despite the coldness outside, it is warm and cosy inside.  Fanny, the Faithful Hound, sleeps in her bed on the side bed of the back cabin.  Her Lord and Master sleeps soundly on the cross bed.

Puff ...

But wait.

The nose of the Lord and Master twitches ...

Puff ...

...  and a few seconds later twitches again.  The Lord and Master wakes.

Puff ...

There is a pause of a few seconds.

The Lord and Master speaks ... LOUDLY.  "FANNY!!!!!"  The Faithful Hound is in a state of full wakefulness in an instant.  The Lord and Master continues.  "If you fart ONE MORE TIME you can take you and your bed up onto the roof to sleep.  GEDDIT!!"

The Faithful Hound tightens the appropriate muscles, and assumes a look that she hopes signifies remorse, sorrow and a determination to improve her manners.  Being not only a Faithful Hound, but a diplomatic one to boot, she refrains from reminding her Lord and Master that his anal gaseous outgoings have, in the past, won prizes in all four competitive classes - volume, frequency, toxicity and flammability.  She idly licks her bottom to check that all is well, but, as it is dark in the cabin, the Lord and Master doesn't see her do this.  Hence, when she submissively moves over to lick his ear, he doesn't realise the full awfulness of the gesture.

They both go back to sleep.

This all took place just over a week ago.  Later in the morning, when it was barely light we got up, and Fanny had a short run out.  Then I walked down to the station and caught the early commuter train into Berlin, where the Airport express whizzed me down to Schonfeld airport to meet Veronica, who came over for a long weekend.

What to do with someone for a weekend on their first trip to Germany?  We walked down the Unter den Linden (Under the Lime Trees) from Alexandra Platz to the Brandenburg Gate, seeing the sights on the way, and had a coffee in Starbucks (a first for me).  Viewed the Reichstag and the controversial Jewish Memorial.  Then onto a museum complex to see the wonderful collection of paintings.  Then by bus back to Alexandra Platz, and train down to Eisenhuttenstadt - riding on the upstairs seats.

Interestingly, three times during the day we were faced with problemettes - like where are we, which platform does the train leave from and which bus do we need.  Each time we were approached by passers-by with offers of help.

The next day we went for a walk round Eisenhuttenstadt to see the place, and to exercise Fanny.

Then we went down to the shops and the local supermarket whilst Veronica tried to sort out my diet.  A few months ago I was diagnosed with high blood sugar, and I'm trying to reduce it by getting rid of sugary foods, and foods that stimulate the body to produce sugar.  This is all a bit of a mystery to me, but Veronica is a whizz on such things.

I've mentioned the Aerobie before.  It is a bit like a frisbee, but with the centre cut out.  It flies extremely well.  A flick of the wrist will send it 40 or 50 yards.  Fanny loves them, but the standard Aerobie is a bit too big (in diameter) for her.  Aerobie have started to produce the 'Sprint' which is a bit smaller, and Veronica brought a couple across with her.  They are excellent.  To save her blushes, I won't tell the story of Veronica launching the new Aerobie into a wide open space, a getting it lodged up the only tree within a two-mile radius of us ...

Sunday was a cold, crisp day, so we went on 4 or 5 km walk down to the nearest lock (over 15 metres deep) and back.  Then in the evening, life was a bit flat as Veronica was on her way back to UK.  So both Fanny and I felt a bit down.

Monday would also have been a down day, but ...

Early on I went to the internet caff to check for e-mails.  One was sent last Thursday and was from a radio reporter asking if she and a TV crew could visit on ... Monday - today!!!  Back to Rosy, arriving just as they arrived.  Rosy looked like a bomb had hit the inside, but they spent all morning filming the back cabin, and me making breakfast, and me pulling the curtains and pretending it is night and settling down with a good book.

(The piece was broadcast later in the week in a three-minute slot.  It was very much better than I had feared it might be).

Wednesday was coal delivery day.  I spend quite a bit on heating and cooking.  Just under 10 Euro a week goes on coal, 6 Euro on electricity and one or two on gas.  The killer is the diesel, which is now some 30 Euro per week.  As I've mentioned previously, this is about twice as much as it should be.  My Kabola drinks about one third of a litre per hour at its very lowest setting.  It should only drink 0.1 or 0.2 litres per hour.  Most frustrating.

We also cured a diesel leak - an annoying drip that has been going on for some time.  The cause was the on-off tap.  The mating surfaces of the tap were scored, and we couldn't grind them down.  Luckily, I have a spare tap, so I fitted that, and the drips stopped.

Over the weekend the weather got a bit warmer, and the four inches of ice in the basin melted.  The early stages were most uncomfortable, as the melt started around the boats, leaving us floating, but surrounded by ice.  When the boats moved in the wind, they bumped up against the ice, making sleep difficult.

We now have the difficult decision as to when to go.  Too early, and the cold and ice might come again.  Too late and the rivers could be too low for our return trip in the summer.  We have our fingers crossed!!

Toodle pip!!

Bill