WordPress Daily Prompt: Circle of five

A writer once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” If this is true, which five people would you like to spend your time with?

I have a new friend. His name is crow. Now and again he sits in the garden. I think he is trying to tell me something like “just because I happen to be photo No. 5 in your vast selection, it does not mean that I have to take part in this silly stupid prompt”. I always heard that crows were very intelligent and have a perception that carries into untold realms.  Now that was a good sentence, must remember that for my book when I write it. 

“Ok crow, you can go now, no I will not write about you, I have to write about the five people I would like to spend my time with.” 

I know I did it before in December 2012 and it is astonishing to find that the five living people are still alive and the dead ones are still dead. No-one returned from that place they moved onto and Mr. Swiss and Tabby are still here. 

So now we have to find five new people if we are doing this prompt again, which I am. Do not ask me why, I am probably too stupid and dumb to find something else, and on top too lazy. Here we are altogether, I, me and myself, which makes three. Mr. Swiss who is now doing something on his computer - a daily prompt? No, I do not think so. He is mentally preparing himself for an errand. I need tea, two sorts, english breakfast tea and Lady Grey tea and the tin is down to the last three tea bags. He has ridden down his computer, is now putting on his winter jacket, his Andy Capp and will be departing with our faithful car to places only known to him and me: the local co-op supermarket in town and the doctors. Our tablet supplies are also down to a minimum. We both take the same ones for cholesterol control and he will pick up a fresh supply.

So now I, me and myself are alone, he just said “Ciao”, but I still have my Apple Computer as company (No. 5) and that’s that. Now I hear a knock on the door. I really have no room for No. 6, it does not stand in the WordPress about six in the inner circle. Oh, no, not that.

“Hello Mrs. Angloswiss, any chocolate cake.”

“No. Wordy, you are being very cheeky, I am your customer, not your chocolate cake supplier and what are you doing here?”

“Well, it seemed you were having problems with your inner circle, so they sent me to complete the group.”

“Well it just so seems that my circle of five is now complete, so you can go again. No Wordy, I am not giving you a slice of chocolate cake wrapped in aluminium foil to take with you.”

“Well the powers that assembled me thought I could help you out. You have counted yourself as three and you are only one. Mr. Swiss is OK, you can keep him, but a computer is not allowed. That is a thing and not a person. I would be a person.”

“No, Wordy, you are no more a person than my computer. You were assembled somewhere in a factory and if I would hit you on the head with my computer, which is a thing, you would need a new head which would be very easy to replace in your Do-It-Yourself centre somewhere in Silicon Valley. Just a few screws and metal hinges and a couple of glass eyes would do the trick. I believe brain parts do not exist.”

“Mrs. Angloswiss I only wanted to help. Of course I have a brain, the best technology available and my eyes are an advanced form of modern developments in the synthetic department.”

“Sorry Wordy but no, you will not be No. 5 in my inner circle, I prefer my computer, it works all the time and does what I tell it. You may go. No, wait a minute. Tell the higher level of intelligence where you were fabricated that I am sick and tired of these warmed up prompts and you are definitely not one of the five people (or things) that I want to spend time with. I would be happier with my crow in the garden. At least he doesn’t hover around for chocolate cake, he just collects some lost souls for the local cemetery. 

Crow come here, I have a customer for you.”

Now where has Wordy gone. He seems to have disappeared and left his little aluminium foil parcel with chocolate cake. I wonder what scared him?

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WordPress Daily Prompt: Pride and Joy

What’s your most prized possession? GO!

Most prized posssesion? As usual I asked Mr. Swiss as I did not know which possession to tell you about, and as usual he came with his carefully thought out solution – where would I be without his wisdom and uncanny knowledge? Now you know the secret behind my blogging success, without this support I would be lost.

Mr. Swiss was having a discussion with Fluffy, my Selkirk Rex and they were sharing a joke in the photo (he can even speak meow). So now for the answer: Is it Fluffy or Mr. Swiss? Mr. Swiss found that the solution was Mr. Swiss. Fluffy only functions by instinct and tuna fish meals. Mr. Swiss said he was free, cost nothing (at the beginning) and where would I be without his support and knowledge of the Swiss way of life. This is true.

I still do not have a clue about how to fill out a Swiss Tax Form and the television with its mysteries of DVD manipulation is still a problem, but he knows all the answers. He also supports me with his thorough knowledge of the Swiss German dialect, although I must admit without my cockney English instructions he would have been lost on our visits to London. He was only taught the Cambridge English at school.

Of course, the whole theme of this blog is more to find out the valuables I have stacked in my humble Swiss household, but I realised that on the way through life I lost a few, could not remember where I put them, and objects do not have the same value as a person. Without Mr. Swiss I would be in dire straits. He drives the car when we go to strange places where I have never been. I am not so good at driving on motorways or through strange unknown Swiss villages with unpronounceable names. He also influences my choice of the daily meal plan and if I do not know what to cook, he always has a solution (although perhaps not always to my taste).

Of course this works in the other direction. I taught him how to iron shirts perfectly and the bed linen. He constructs a perfect salad dressing. Here I must be honest. In the early days of our “getting to know you” situation Mr. Swiss realised that his chosen mate was only accompanying the meals with vegetables, not that he did not like vegetables, but now and again his Swiss heart was missing a healthy salad with the accompanying French or Italian dressing. Unfortunately his chosen mate was English and English salads were at that time (we are talking about 46 years ago) covered with a splodge of 57 variety Heinz mayonnaise. I realised that this was no rival to a real genuine continental salad sauce, so I avoided the Angloswiss confrontation and constructed no salads. Probably we were suffering from vitamin difficiency so one day the crucial question was uttered “Why do you never make a salad?” I had to confess I did not know how it worked, but no problem. Mr. Swiss produced the necessary ingredients and demonstrated. Success, and since this day I have spoilt him with my salad dressings in many varieties. Now and again we have a slight disagreement whether to use fruit vinegar or white wine vinegar, but this obstacle has also been overcome. I make it and he has to eat it.

Of course his political knowhow is boundless. There is no Swiss government problem that he cannot solve, better than the government can. For this reason I allow him to complete my voting papers when they arrive, although I usually ask him what it is about before he fills out the form, just to be sure that his decision meets with mine. It generally does, but there are always exceptions to the rule.

Yes, we are one heart and soul in our marital life. Today I am a little late with my daily blog. It is Tai Chi day and I was with my golden oldie colleagues this afternoon for an hour spiritual and physical preparation. Whilst I was away, Mr. Swiss took a walk on the local country paths, he does not do Tai Chi, he is more the action man. At the moment I am sitting on my own writing my daily prompt (in praise of Mr. Swiss, my most prized possession) and in consideration of my need for ethereal contemplation he has disappeared for a practice on his drums in the cellar , action pure – yes I can thank Mr. Swiss for my boundless knowledge of the modern bebop mainstream jazz etc. etc.

I am running out of words of praise, so will complete this laudation to my most prized possession and hope that tomorrow’s daily prompt has something more realistic and down to earth like “Do You Prefer Bruce Willis or Tom Cruise?”

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Lazy Sunday

Well it must be a lazy Sunday if I make this bloke the subject photo of today's blog. His name is Stephan Weiler and he has become Mr. Schweiz (Mr. Swiss) 2008 voted by a jury and television public. I was not a member of the television public as while this programme was running I was watching a German criminal series. More exciting and interesting. I did watch the Mr. Swiss contest last year, but is was more by coincidence than purpose, although my choice last year (well you have to take interest in seeing so many "good lookers") was the winner. It seems even in my old age I do have a bit of good taste. I would not have chosen this one this year. He is a student (arn't they all) and apothecary. Now ladies, wouldn't you like to be served by him in the local chemists shop. I suppose it depends on what you are buying. Apparently he nearly lost, as he fell out of the game, sorry voting, and got back again on a so-called "wild card".

If you want to see what the rest looked like then click here. To be quite honest they all look alike to me.

Deutsch: Es muss ein faule Sonntag sein, wenn ich diese Photo zum Thema meine heutige Blog mach. Er heisst Stephan Weiler und er ist jetzt Mr. Schweiz, gewählt von Jury und Fernsehpublikum. Ich war kein Mitglied von der Fernsehpublikum wenn diese Programme lief, ich schaute die Fernsehkrimi auf die deutsche Fernsehkanal. Das war viel aufregende und interessanter. Ich schaute die Mr. Schweiz Wettbewerbe letztes Jahr an aber es war mehr Zufall als geplannt, aber mein Wahl letztes Jahr (man muss sich interessieren mit so viel gut aussehende Männer) war der Gewinner. Es scheint, dass sogar in meinem Alter hätte ich gute Geschmack. Ich hätte zwar diese nicht gewählt dieses Jahr. Er ist Student (sind sie nicht aller?) und Drogist. So Frauen, möchten sie nicht von ihn bedient werden in der Apothek. Es kommt natürlich darauf an, was man kauft. Er hat fast verloren, und hat nur gewonnen durch ein Wilde Karte. Das hat ihn wieder in der Spiel (entschuldigen Wahl) wieder zurück geholt.

Wenn sie die Reste sehen wollen, denn klicken sie hier.

Roschti, the neighbour's cat, seems to be forming part of our outdoor life at the moment. He has found our garden to be a comfortable place to have a lay down - he even squashed one of my tulips. My cats still don't like hime, but there doesn't seem to be such a panic any more. Fluffy doesn't see him as he is blind and Nera just watches him from a safe place.

Deutsch: Roschti, der Nachbars Katze, scheint ein Teil von unsere Leben zu werden am Moment. Er hat unsere Garten als angenehmen Platz gefunden zum schlafen - er hat sogar eine von meine Tulpe zerquetscht. Meine Katze haben ihn nicht gern immer noch, aber es scheint keine Panik mehr zu sein. Fluffy sieht ihn nicht, weil er blind ist und Nera beobachtet ihn von ein sicherer Ort.

The weather was not so inviting for a trip outside over the week-end. Actually I came home from work on Friday evening and have not been further than the garden since. Up to now no snow, but anything could happen until tomorrow morning. Sometimes I wish I was one of my cats - just get fed, have a lick and curl up somewhere for a day's sleep. Fluffy decided to do me a favour and let me take one of those studio portraits.

Deutsch: Das Wetter war nicht so einladend für ein Ausflug über das Wochende. Eigentlich wenn ich zu Hause war am Freitag, bin ich nicht weiter als das Garten seit denn. Bis jetzt keine Schnee, aber alles liegt darin bis morgen morgen. Manchmal war ich gern eine von meine Katzen - das Essen wir gegeben, mann muss nur ein Wasch selbst machen und irgendwo verschwinden für ein Schlaf. Fluffy hat mich ein Gefalle getan und machte ein Pose für ein Studioportrat.