The good, the bad and the ugly

G8 in Germany is getting closer every day, people are demonstrating online and in real life since a few weeks already. See for yourself on the government website, the attac website,the ver.di-Website and the Website on the alternative summit. Careful though: they're trying to spy on you and your computer...
The big action will start this weekend, with a demonstration in Rostock and a camp. There's a huge concert on the 7th in Rostock, with famous musicians, for free. Try to get some tickets in time. If you can't make it: The concert will be live on the internet as well.
Police and government seem eager to stop the protests with means never heard off in Germany before. I wonder what they are afraid of.
Yesterday I saw a group of about seven bikers in Berlin main station, with flags and signs showing they are on their way to Heiligendamm. At least ten policemen and women were surrounding them and running behind them. Unbelievable!
They can't stop the demonstrations though. There's one online tonight in "Second life", starting at 8 pm, for about one hour in front of virtual Paulskirche in virtual Frankfurt.
Tomorrow is children's day. And UNICEF is calling for action to remind the G8 of their duties and promises. You can join as well, even online. I did so, check for Annette in the crowd of online demonstraters, and then do something small to make this world a better place as well! For the people, not the big money!

I'm gonna be a moviestar! yeah!

If I make it into my favourite pub this week. It's closed for the public, and the street is blocked by trucks: the award winning company "Xfilme" is doing its new movie "Märzmelodie", a musical love story. Read more about it here.
Crellestraße will be seen and admired worldwide! And my favourite pub will be famous and - crowded!

Clever Gustav

Whilst I was off to the festival grounds once more in the afternoon (no rain at all, lots of great music, a pair of shoes from Thailand for me), Gustav sneaked into the bathroom and managed to open the tap to drink from it. So much nicer than being served water all the time. More adventurous and cooler!
When I was back home and noticed the signs of his trip, I gave it a try and opened the tap in the kitchen for him. He loves it! Duh...
He seems to love his tree as well, climbing up to the top and sleeping there when there's somebody in the livingroom with him. Randy and I did so last night, after he had come from the Beach Camp. Yesterday had been the last day of this long weekend. He was full of stories. And maybe of a tick, as well. So we go to the doctors now to check. Hopefully he's fine.

Ta-daaaaaaaaa!

Here they are, the longed for pics of me and my new glasses. Do you like the lime green ones better, or the brownish?

Carneval in Berlin

A lazy morning with lots of coffee, reading a bit, having some breakfast, playing with Gustav a bit (he discovered it's fun to climb onto the tree and look down on me from his high platform), phonecalls to arrange meetings at the carneval with Hanne, Bert, my neighbour Karen and Patrick who had stayed at my place after beachcamp 2006, and whom I had met ever so often since then all over Europa. This time he came from Warsaw with his girlfriend. He'll move there to stay with her soon - looks like his trip to Singapore is postponed some.
It took me a while to decide what to wear, since it was hot, but heavy rain was expected later in the day. In the end I chose a dress and comfortable sandals plus a raincoat and an umbrella. Everything was soaking wet a few hours later, so I had to get home and get changed whilst Eric was feeding Gustav with titbits placed on the tree. He had meant to do that since Friday, anyway.
The festival was great, as always, but even bigger than the last years. We had fun strolling around, browsing through the exotic shops, watching smiling and laughing people dancing to the bands (five stages with life music!), having some snacks and drinks on the way. They had Augustiner from Munich and Schumacher from Düsseldorf, both fresh on tap, unbelievable!
And african, autralian, belgian, cuban beer as well. Drinks from all over the world - you name it, they've got it.
And the food! Those delicious smells! Would you prefer a bolivian dish or a russian? I had to have african fish balls, baignets, beans and hot sauce and fish pastry (5 Euro). I loved it! And was not angry at all we could not have this great pizza Bert had invited me to at "12 Apostel" in Mitte. Lars was a tick tired, and Eric always had to be the older and sensible one and was fed up with that. Yeah well. Another time, when Bert is back at work in Berlin without the boyz.
I never met Hanne after all, but all the others, and we had a wonderful time. Until about 4 pm, one hour after the rain had started, when we were all dripping wet. Luckily it was not cold at all. But all those poor dancers and musicians at the parade! Smiling and giving their best all the same! The group in my picture had been careful to choose the right costume. :)
The rain started when the parade had, and stopped as soon as the parade had finished. Not fair, is it!
Today's the last day of the festival. And there might be some sun. I might go again. We'll see.

A day at the beach

After the thunderstorm friday evening, Berlin was heating up again on Saturday. So to go to the Hospitality Club beach camp was the thing to do. Holger met me around noon and took me and his friend by car to Grünau. Big surprise: The camp was almost empty! Everybody had gone downtown to Berlin center for the world's biggest hugging session at Alex.
We enjoyed a few quiet hours with about a hundred others, if that, reading, chatting, swimming. Early in the evening, they started coming - lots of them. Around 1000 had subscribed, quite a huge friendly crowd. Enjoy more pics here and here! And Maikel's pics with Lari f. e. here!
So many of the people I had met last year were there. Some I had known about they would come and was sure to see them, but some I was astonished to bump into: the guy from Venezuela I know from Riga, f. e., and Lucy from chat.
Lari and Evecooper I did not meet yesterday, Maikel either. Nor Patrick. Hopefully I will today at the Karneval parade.
I left when the rain and the band started, by tram and train to Berlin station to collect my new glasses. Wow, didn't they look great! I'll have to have a picture taken today to show you.
And now off again to a day of sun and rainy spells at the Karneval der Kulturen! Looking smashing with my new lime yellow spectacles! :)

Adventures of a cat in a flat

Quite some exciting day for Gustav and Emil! Dr. Dolittle came and checked their health (it was fine), and gave them injections against the cat flu. He and his assistant were sweet with the cats, even Emil was moaning only slightly after they had managed to catch him behind the couch.
In the afternoon, I met the Stach family (but Jana, who is on a vacation with Mika) at the hairdressers Cutman (how comes everybody I know goes to see this hairdresser first thing when in Berlin?), to go to the post office and collect the new tree for the cats. Anna and Alex had decided to give it to me as a birthday present, and a gift for Xmas as well.
The parcel was huge, and the work we all did to set the tree up as well. Everybody had to lend a hand, even 3-year-old Lars. Gustav was a bit suspicious first, but this morning, when I had hidden a few titbits on the platforms, he crawled up and down his new toy. See for yourself here and here.
I invited the working crew for some great nepalese food at "Buddha Haus" as a treat afterwards. We went through rain and storm, but were lucky it stopped soon. Spectators at the soccer fan mile and the Multikulti festival in other parts of Berlin were less lucky, got soaking wet, and even hit by hail and falling branches!
Seems like all weekend there's going to be some weather like that. So sad for the Beach Camp! But I'll go there anyway today and meet my friends.

Berlin Beach Camp started!

Yesterday was the first day of Berlin Beach Camp, the traditional meeting of HC-members at Strandbad Grünau. Last year I had a wonderful time there, even though the weather was awful, cold and rainy. This year the sunny weather is just perfect for some days and nights at the beach, but I have to work. Today at least.
Yesterday evening though some thirty of us (or even more) met at the Berliner Dom to enjoy an evening in the museums, and later at the beach bar in Monbijou park.
So many friends that hugged me hello! It was incredible!
No problem if I can't come to Helsinki, Helsinki will come to me! ;)
And Mexico, Italy, Spain, Estonia, Bavaria...
Today even more will arrive, and tomorrow I'll join them all at the beach. But for now it's work again. So on we go with energy and joy!

Working, working

On new websites, finding old, long lost websites (on backup cds or servers nobody remembered about), thinking of how to make our websites better...
And all these ideas I have to put in words and impress others with, so that we can make them come true. Well, I'll have to do most of the work after we agree, as well. Sigh!
Anybody snoopy and curious? Look here, f.e. But don't criticize it too much: it's not finished yet, I only started yesterday on that one.

Still on strike

All day today whilst I was working in my office, the strikers were discussing in the courtyard of the ver.di building underneath my windows. Telekom still doesn't give in or offer any solution to the problem. So the answer is "NO". Tomorrow will be a special action day all over Germany. The german parliament will have to discuss on its responsibility for the employees: the state owns quite some part of the company. How to support the workers, and more on the strike see here, more on the actions on May 23rd here.

Fun in the sun

This weather is getting more like summer everyday! Blue sky, lots of sun, temperature rising. 23 on Saturday, 26 on Sunday, 32 on Monday.
Everybody enjoys being outside, like these people at Alexanderplatz fountain. There's a festival as well: "One world village". All week and for free!
So much nicer than working inside an office, like I have to. Hopefully I'll find the time to go and see the evening shows. (But it looks like I'll be dating doctors again instead...)

Picknick at the opera

After a lovely sunny day strolling around Schöneberg (I bought 5 kg of asparagus at Winterfeldt market!), early in the evening I went downtown to Bebelplatz, the square between opera house and university, to see "Manon" - open air and for free.
More than 20 000 Berliners had the same idea, bringing foldable chairs, blankets, sandwiches and champagne for a picknick at the opera. Whilst those who had been lucky (and rich) enough to get tickts for this last show, we others enjoyed the public viewing, the warm evening and the music. We even took over the streets in front of the screen! Unter den Linden had to be closed for the traffic! Ahhhhh, they should do it more often than only the promised once a year, it was fun and an "opera for everybody" for sure.
Next time I'll bring a chair as well, I could hardly sit after five hours. I'm the one quite in the middle and in front, by the way, with red curly hair. ;)

The second day of the long weekend

The sun woke me up, it's out early now, not strong as in summer yet, but already lovely to start the day with. Breakfast for me (müsli, juice and coffee) and the cats (royal canin renal plus fresh water from the tap), then a few calls to doctors and my new optician Krass I had discovered at Berlin main station the day before and ordered two (2!) pairs of glasses with the weirdest frames you can think of, and off I went to explore the day.
It was everyday shopping for food and drinks first, but I also went to see Dr. Dolittle to talk him into visiting the cats next Monday, and to get some very expensive special catbits for Emil (which healthy Gustav would eat up, of course). And I had a look into one or two or three second hand stores and alike around Eisenacher- and Grunewaldstraße, and found this cute skirt by a Berlin designer. Size 44, unbelievable.
In the evening I dressed up for the opera, went downtown in a bus full of teenagers goin to party, and enjoyed a very special evening in the basilica of the Bode-Museum. Dancers, singers, and musicians did a great show, and the atmosphere and acoustic in the beautiful rooms of the museum was so special with the music. I was lucky to sit right in front and middle of the stage, so had a great view as well, very close to the dancers and singers. Quite a difference to standing in the middle of a huge crowd at Bebel square to watch an opera on a screen, like tonight.
Back home by 2 am, reading a bit, and then a nice long sleep until Gustav woke me up by trodding over my face to jump onto the table. Emil had joined us for the night, sleeping underneath the bed. I wonder when he'll stop being afraid, poor kitty.

A weekend of operas and museums

Thursday is the day to visit a museum in Berlin. Each and every thursday evening from 6 pm to 10 pm, you don't have to pay entrance fee, and there are interesting guided tours. Yesterday one of them was on Egypt and Nofretete, and since I will show a few friends from HC around this famous exhibition next week during Berlin Beach Camp, I felt like learning some facts from a guide. But, alas, I was too tired! At 6:30 pm! Unbelievable.
Must have been my constant cold. I went home and straight to bed, and fell asleep at once. That's why I missed to watch the iceland tv crime based on a book I read a few weeks ago, as well.
I had been to the island of the museums before 6:30, though, and had bought a ticket for the opera shown in the Bode museum tonight, at 11 pm. All the other shows of "Apollo and Hyacinth", Mozart's first opera, and a very special performance with Ismael Ivo dancing the Apollo, were sold out long ago. The ticket was almost 50 Euro, but it will be worth every single cent.
Saturday night I'll enjoy another opera, open air and for free: "Manon".
And to top it all there will be lots of special events on the "International day of the museums" on sunday.
Holger had asked me to go to the Poznan meeting this weekend, but what with the cats and these cultural offers in Berlin (and my cold, last but not least), I can't make it. I sent greetings to Radek and Florian and all the others I met last year. We'll meet at BBC anyway. And for now I feel more like enjoying operas than partying. Even though there will be a long night of the museums in Poznan this weekend, too. ;)

Shopping at Alex

After work I went by bus to Alexanderplatz. This square is not, never has been and never will be beautiful. Or even finished being rebuilt and changed. (Remember Alfred Döblin and his famous book?)
Anyway, the departmentstore "Kaufhof" looks prettier and posher than ever, and huge malls will open later this year along the square. So it's just the place to stop and shop.
No bikini for me yesterday, they're the kind I used to wear when I was 17. So they still look pretty, but not on me. Same with trousers. Luckily, high waists will be the fashion later this year. Slightly disappointed, I went on to Friedrichstraße and "Strauss", where I found this cute bright orange dress. Size S, and it fitted perfectly! Just the right shape for me: sleeves below the elbow, but not too long, small shoulders, (not too) small waist, wider round the hips, perfect length. But: wrong shade of orange. :(
A visit at "Dussmann" across the street made me spend the amount of money I had planned to, though on books instead of clothes. A few by Alexander McCall Smith. I'm especially fond of his series on the Botswana woman detective: The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. It shows his love and deep understanding for Africa, the people and the nature, in every sentence. And it's fun to read.
Getting out of the bus at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz, I was just in time to buy some food for the holiday today at the Özgida Supermarket. I couldn't stop with the indian dishes, but had to have some Ben and Jerry's icecream Anna had discovered last saturday they sell.
Now wasn't that a great start into a great idle evening! With icecream and books on my couch, and Gustav the cat beside me!

We're on strike!

From my office I saw the strikers, debating and worrying about the future of 50 000 workers at Telekom. The company wants to outsorce them, they are supposed to work a lot more and accept a cut of their salary by 15 %. New workers in this company will get 40 % less for doing the same job. This will be below European minimum wage levels!
So they decided to go on strike to keep the jobs and the working conditions. The first strike ever for most of them. They're fighting all over Germany. We hope they will win.
Most germans do as well: 78 % said so, german magazine "Stern" found. And the international trade union organisation UNI supports the strikes as well.
More information on the strike you'll find here and of course on the ver.di-website.
To support them, click here!

Dates, lots of dates!

What a way of spending my time! Besides working, my health was the topic of the day. Going to my physiotherapists (shoulder is still getting better), and a doctor to check my bones for osteoporosis, calling my dentist, calling the AOK in Stuttgart (my health insurance) to check for new health programs, even meeting Dr. Dolittle to ask for a date to check my cats.
They're all rather close by, so I took the chance to walk a lot and found lots of great new shops, pubs and restaurants. A few with suebian cuisine, if I fall homesick by any chance.
By the way: My bones are quite fine, but I'm supposed to work out more. I payed 41 Euro to hear that. Sigh!

Sunday in the park

Since the weather was so lovely, I couldn't resist, and took a walk to the Schöneberg Rudolph-Wilde-Park. They celebrated a family festival with fresh asparagus from Beelitz, wine from Rheinland-Pfalz, and the usual Berlin streetfair trade. But lots of entertainment for children and quite some good music as well. We had missed the best though: Damenorchester Salome and the fireworks last night.
I had a snack and a beer at the "Hirschbrunnen" and found there is a small lake close by, perfect to sit at the shore and enjoy the sunset. Something to do in warm summer evenings - it's only a ten minutes walk from my place.
It was mother's day today - the first had been celebrated 100 years ago. The woman who had promised her mother she would make it a day to commemorate her and all mothers' love worldwide, was disappointed how fast it became a day to buy flowers and sweets and nothing much more. Well, in Schöneberg we had special offers for all women, like a glass of prosecco for 0,50 Euro or a brunch for free at "Robbengatter". Pity, Anna and I couldn't have it!
Another birthday of 100 years: Katharine Hepburn - she had been born on May 12th 1907. She's one of my favourite actresses, I especially love "Bringing up baby" with Cary Grant. It's not her best, she didn't get an award for it (like for so many others), but I just love the wit and fun in it. Screwball comedies for me any time!
Oh, and of course "African Queen" is great. And "Woman of the year" with the love of her life Spencer Tracy. And... and... and... Duh, have to watch a few of them again soon.

Anna's visit

After a looong day of building a new website, I went to Spandau at 11 pm to meet my daughter Anna. She needs a break from working for her exam, and is curios to see the cats.
The cheap ticket for 59 Euro meant taking a very late train, which was even later than expected. And it was freezing cold in the ICE and at the windy station in Hannover where she changed trains. I brought her a sweater and a scarf, and when finally at home at 2 am, some woollen socks. She had caught a cold all the same, so Saturday was a lazy day with lots of dozing and getting better. The weather was nasty as well, grey clouds, lots of rain. Just right to stay at home and play with the cats.
Anna had brought some presents: a lovely necklace for me, nougat hearts (no chance of losing weight), and great toys for Gustav and Emil. Gustav enjoyed jumping up and down to catch the birdie and the huge mouse for hours on end!
Even Emil liked Anna (of course!), and allowed her to come really close, touch him and caress him even. Anna and animals! :)
When we felt a bit better in the evening, we went for a small stroll to Ku'damm and Winterfeldtplatz, for a pizza and later to the new french restaurant at Akazienstraße to have some galettes (me) and crepes with icecream (Anna). It's a lovely place, and the food is delicious. And there's life music as well!
This morning we had to get up early to take the bus to the main station. We were in time to have a nice breakfast, and admire the cakes they sold for mother's day. We hugged each other goodbye, then she left by train, getting out her books to learn some more for her exams, and I went home through the sunshine to my empty flat. Not that empty, with my nice cats awaiting me! :)

Busy days...

Work has got me in its grips... Whether it's sitting alone in my office in front of the computer, working on the website, sorting books and files with the others at BEHALA, meeting collegues to figure out how to best build the digital archive, or going for a lunch or coffee break and even then have great chats and get new ideas and hints for projects.
In the evenings I'm either a couch potatoe or going out to even more meetings. Like yesterday, when I was invited to join the senior members' boat cruise on the Spree. And chatted with all those collegues I haven't seen for almost two years, since my last project finished. Great to shake hands and hug so many friends! And whilst cruising Berlin into the night!
Work kept me from going to Düseldorf to celebrate my father's birthday. He was 85 on the 8th. Hopefully I can make it next year.
I called, of course, sent a greeting card and asked Cathy to get a huge bouquet of flowers for him. No birthday present yet, we will sort that out with his wife Uschi later.
His best birthday present ever, he once told me, that will never be topped, was when he was 23. That was in 1945, Germany had to surrender, and the war came to an end. Even though he was taken prisoner of war in France, and only managed to escape years later, it was still the best that could have happened to him, he said. Peace is the most wonderful present, for sure, and we should cherish it a lot more.

High noon at ver.di

At 12:30 h it's lunchtime for our archive team plus friends. Since a long time, and I joined them. From left to right: Hartmut, my boss, Susanne, lucky pensioneer since a few months, Hertha who will leave us next month and enjoy her pension as well, Hanne, waiting for her last day of work next february to start travelling on a bigger scale, and Kurt(i), master of guineapigs and mice at home and files at work - he'll stay another two years. A great crew, and always having a good time together, working or not.

Come sunshine, come rain

Sunday was a sunny day, indeed, just perfect to take a walk around the northern parts of Berlin, like the village in the fields, Lübars, and the luxurious garden town in the middle of the woods, Frohnau. Hanne and I were looking for the yellow blossoms of rape, but no chance. Instead lots of horses and a forever-crying cuckoo (should have asked him how old I will get, like we used to do when kids - might have made it to 100).
A coffeebreak in the old village pub of Lübars, and in Frohnau no icecream, though it was tempting.
Then back home by bus, passing the famous Schiller Park Houses built for workers by Bruno Taut in the 20s of last century. They well deserve being world heritage, as asked for by the German government.
Today it was my first day in the office after having been sick for a week, and of course it had to rain. A lot. Just a drizzle when I was working on our website. Cats (!) and dogs when I was outside after work, doing some shopping for the cats on my way home.
Gustav greeted me as always, and showed me where I had to do some cleaning. Emil was hiding, as always. No news from them.
More friends answering my stupid tagged-spam, telling me I can well be assured of their friendship. Come sunshine, come rain, they said. :)

Emil? Why Emil?

Did you know why I renamed Garribald and called him Emil? Because of the Emil Gustav chocolate from Riga? Nice guess.
It's because of "Emil und die Detektive", one of my favourite books by Erich Kästner, the author who saw his books being burned by the nazis 1933. It's a children's book, and I read it about ten times when I was a kid.
Emil is a boy from Dresden, travelling on his own to Berlin to visit his aunt, living in Berlin-Mitte. He's supposed to meet them at Friedrichstraße station and give them 140 Mark his mother has saved for months, but since all this money is stolen, he leaves at Zoo station and follows the thieve by tram through Berlin to Motzstraße and Nollendorfplatz. There he meets Gustav, who becomes a friend and great help with all the boys from the neighbourhood. They spy on the thieve, to get back Emil's money. Read on for yourself...
The story and characters are done wonderfully, and now I found it's all playing around the corner from my place, I have to read it again.
Check more on the book, it's history and Berlin here. Enjoy the first 40 pages online here! And then buy the book in your local bookstore. If in Düsseldorf, do it at the main station bookstore and say hello to my niece Cathy.

Getting better

After seeing two doctors on Thursday (virus, eyes) and my physiotherapist on Friday, taking medicine and exercizing regularly (hmmmm, yeah, that was a lie), I'm almost my old self again. Even shoulder and arm seem a tick stronger and hurting less. I went for a walk in the sun to check for cat food and other goodies, and to get some movies from the video shop. "Little Miss Sunshine", "Night at the museum" and "The holiday". Of course I loved "Miss Sunshine" best. No wonder it got so many awards.
Gustav is following me whereever I go and whatever I do. This morning I woke up from a purring sound in my half-dumb ears. Emil is still a cave-cat. Maybe he's afraid of his friend? Looks like they're doing some heavy running around at night, and I'm not sure it wasn't Gustav who ate up all the tasty food behind Emil's couch.
Hopefully Anna will come next weekend to take a break from learning hard for her exams in June, she's curious to see the cats she had chosen for me on the web. She might be a great help with the dears. And with looking for some new glasses. It's hard to pick the right frame when you can hardly see your face in the mirror. Getting older, am I? ;)

Friends! Lots of them! :)

The internet and windows offer the perfect way of spying your computer! Caesar, my good old indian prince from HC, tagged me, an e-mail said yesterday. Are you his friend? Of course I am! I signed in to tagged, another one of those internet communities, and joined.
One click later messages were sent from my mail account to all (all!) the adresses I had safed in gmail. Oh noooooo! Even people I knew from work only! Blush!
Anyway, a few seconds later the first answered: of course they are my friends! My boss and collegue Hartmut was one of them. And even people I hadn't met or written to for ages. Nice to know I have friends everywhere, from as far as China and Canada. Go figure!

A boring day at home

Being sick is soooo dull. In the office, a lot of work is waiting to be done.
Collegues had some busy days. The ver.di-campaign for wages to live on started a great truck tour round Germany. It's all over the news. Read more about it here.
The sun is shining brightly over Germany, and everybody enjoys being outside, maybe going to one of the many spring festivals. But me.
What lightened up my day a bit was the graffiti above the bell pushs at our house. And Gustav following me everywhere, even eating when I eat, and watching tv with me. Emil is still afraid and hiding, poor darling.

Ever shy Emil

He must have left his hiding last night (to desperately look for a toilet), and he ate up all the food I had placed behind the couch. This morning he left his cave in search for another one - most probably because I had visited him too often with fresh water and supplies. Luckily he found the couch in the livingroom with a soft and cozy blanket to hide underneath. It's a bit closer to where we are having fun together, Gustav and me.
When I woke up last night, Gustav was sleeping on my bed! He's a quiet, but very trusting tomcat. He liked my collegue Doris a lot, the catlover, who came to visit us yesterday afternoon. She liked him, too. (Who wouldn't?)
Today I'm not going to work, this virus is still holding me in his grip. But I'll try to get some fresh food for the cats. And myself. All dry biscuits are gone. And the sun is shining like in summer. Stupid cold!

"This is my home" Gustav says

Whilst Emil is hiding behind the couch, Gustav explores the flat and declares it his new home. Despite his eleven years and heart problems, he's curious and a darling. Purrs a lot and follows me everywhere (even outside the flat, he's that fast!).
Emil got his special kidney food placed at his favourite hiding place. It took me a long time of searching to find him there. It will take a while until he might dare to leave his cave.
I'm staying at home with the two cats, still feeling too bad to join the May 1st parade and festival at Brandenburg gate. No chance of seeing "Ton, Steine, Scherben" at Myfest Kreuzberg either. A great rock band from the early 70s, still supporting protests against a capitalistic world with their songs.
Sigh! Instead I'm living on dry biscuits, vegetable broth and hot tea. Well, we'll have a nice day all the same, the three of us.