The usual, and then the not so.

Is it already Friday?   Not sure where that week went.  Possibly something to do with Travelling Companion working late hours.   It certainly didn’t drag on.

Had some minor issues with the gas card the other day,  so I was happy to hear that T.C. had given it to whomever to get sorted out.  The danged thing had been acting up,  and by that I mean not working on the first swipe on the last few occasions, (or even the second or third)  so I was a little nervous when I fuelled up the car on Tuesday.   The attendant was kind enough to punch all the numbers into the register and have me sign for the fuel,  since the darned thing just wasn’t going to work at all.   I had the cash on me just in case,  but I didn’t want to use it if at all possible.  Normally I have to remember my “Geheimzahl”  which we’d probably call a Pin Code,  and then it’ll ask for the number of kilometres on the vehicle. 

 

Too many numbers to remember,  so just having to sign the receipt was OK with me.  Sometimes I look at the “mileage”,  and proceed to forget it within the next five seconds!   I think Leaseplan (these are the people who actually own the vehicle) want to keep track of the number of kilometres on their vehicles,   since they don’t like them to go over a certain amount for one thing,  but other than that,  I really have no clue.    Hey, as long as someone else is paying,  I’ll play along.  Part of the “deal” man.

I was going to say though,  there’s a good chance I may have “de-magnetised”  the card.   Happened to me in a hotel once upon a time,  and I’ve since tried to be careful with those sorts of things.   Apparently a person’s cell phone is not good company with credit cards.  In my case,  I have a beat up old glasses case that has a magnetic closure.   That’s how I managed to find myself locked out of my hotel room.  I had put the card in the same pocket as the case and it would no longer work.  Back to the front desk!

 

Now for the “Usual”:

 

These things pop up from time to time.

 

Heehee!

No idea what he’s looking at,  or even if he can see anything.

 

Then of course there was the “Man on the street” interview which I just missed.

You may have to study that one,  but the hairless dude on the right there had just been talking to the film crew.

Just pretend I got there five seconds earlier.

 

And then,  it seems that “crane season”  is in full tilt.

 

So now I have to stop here for a minute.   I THOUGHT I had a couple pictures of them putting this thing up the other day.  (The one to the right has been there for a couple weeks,  but you knew that)  

Apparently though,  if you have your Nikon set to “M”,  which stands for “Manual”,  since you were taking     trying to take pictures of the Moon and Mars,  and then forget that it’s on that setting,  anything that’s taken in broad daylight tends to be just a tad over exposed.   Take a blank piece of white paper,  hold it up in front of your face and stare at it for a few minutes.  Kind of like that. 

*crap*

There are a few things at play here:   1)  I’m getting old and stupid.  2) I’ve been using cameras on the “auto” setting for far too many years,  and 3)  I need to put on my glasses and actually look at what I’ve taken,  rather than think everything is just hunky dory.  *sigh*

But whatever,  it was just the usual guys up there putting together yet another crane.  There will be others I’m sure, not that you really care. 

 

So, *ahem* back to the usual.

 

Yesterday I took another little jaunt up to the Westbahnhof (west train station),   the evidence of which I would like to present here:

I do think the building is pretty awesome,  which was the reason for the photo.   The little canon was on “auto”….by the way.

 

I did have a plan in mind,  since I was headed for the new Merkur that is now open in the shopping area of the station.   I usually go to the one in the other direction way,  way down on Mariahilfer Straße, but thought it was time for a change.   Change is good.

 

Of course,  as usual,  what do I see?

Can’t walk 100 metres without seeing a beggar.

Pretty sure I’ve seen this chick before,  but this time she was up a little closer to the train station,  but on Mariahilfer Straße.  Gotta go where the action is I suppose!  Or where there are more fresh tourists.   She has a little sign down there in front of her that says something about having multiple children,  she’s on the street (yup)  and could you spare some dough?  That’s a lose translation.

I think you know my opinion when it comes to this sort of thing.  We won’t go there again.  I just want to know though.  Who’s looking after the kids?

 

 

Now for the “unusual”.   And I have to say,  I’ve never seen this so far,  and that’s going some,  considering where we’ve been living and what kind of crazy sh*t we’ve seen in the last few years.

 

Don’t worry,  you won’t have to avert your eyes,  it’s actually kind of awesome.

 

So there you go.   She’s out on the edge of the street,  doing a little painting there.   I think that’s kinda cool.

I haven’t gone down to check on her this afternoon since, 1) I don’t care,  and 2) That street down there right about now (Friday afternoon,  Mariahilfer Straße on a sunny day?)  is just NUTS.   I don’t go down there unless I have to.  Too many elbows.

 

I suppose that’s about it for today’s offering.  

Oh,  and the good news is,  I don’t have to take back the grinder.  It “will do”.   OK,  I don’t think T.C. actually said that,  but I did have to do another demonstration just so we were sure it would be OK. 

Had to grind up some of me nuts. 

I really and truly don’t want to call it a “Nut Grinder” though.   Something about the sound of that that just doesn’t work for me. 

OK then.

 

Keep it between the ditches!

 

Thanks for stopping in.

 

 

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