Gossips...

Have often mentioned how I love living 'out on the square'. Everything I need is nearby.

BUT... you often get very vulnerably exposed. Everyone knows everyone else's business. It reminds me of the intro to 'People' in Funny Girl.. So... my heat is still off, despite however I wanted to tinker with the radiators. They remain stubbornly cold, and the heating system got fully renovated last summer. Go figure. Until yesterday, the apt. was tempered a nice 21 degrees Centigrade, the way I like it. And then the thermometer over my 'desk' started to fall. And is hovering at a mere 17.

That doesn't sound like much of a difference, but there is a chill on the air which makes it very uncomfortable. So I got out my second duvet, and igled into them for the afternoon. An Igel is something like an echidne, and hibernates under leaves in the winter. Looks like a tiny porcupine, and has teeny-weeny feet. W. wanted to come over and inspect what is wrong.

But I had to go out to the tobacconist across the way, and recently, had overheard her talking at the beginning of the heating period that her heating system was defective, and she was on the horn with a repairman to have someone come and fix it. She has one of the fancy systems that run all over underneath the floorboards, and they are awesome. But the regulator had died.

So I was over there, sniffling and sneezing, and grouchily said, 'Now MY heat won't work. Is it an epidemic?'

And then came the 'hammer'. 'I know, the entire two houses went cold yesterday, and they are hoping to get it fixed.' So she knows where I live. I never friggin' told her. And was amazed. Asked, 'You mean over there, across the way? I thought it was just mine.'

'No, the entire two houses, and they hope to get it fixed soon.'

Everyone around here thinks they know everything about everybody, believe me.

So let's learn a new German word today. 'Tratschbasen' Lady gossips. Tratsch is gossip. The rest isn't so flattering. I never want to know what all else she supposedly 'knows' about me.....

And just hope they get it fixed before the weekend....

And for the record... when I go get my sniggarettes, with her I never engage in small talk.... Ever. This was a fluke, begun by something she had said a few weeks ago. And had said something like, 'Oh, too bad, but on the other hand, who would check out their heating system in the summer. Isn't it always the way, when you NEED it, something goes wrong....' Otherwise I am monosyllabic.

Never impolite, just quiet.

Today I added, 'I used to have a friend who used to say "living in Europe is like camping out." I used to laugh at her, but sometimes I wonder.' She laughed.

Yeah, am grouchy and sort of put out.

After checking on the news the past few days, am still really pissed off about the Stupak ammendment, the implications are just not acceptable for me. (That is the one where poor white women won't be able to abort even tho they have health care... Neanderthal men assholes who feel threatened.)

And a few days ago, Keith Olberman went nuts with the newest wingnuttery, and the meme had been out there during the fight for Prop 8 in CA. And I thought it was a bit absurd at the time, but no... the 'defense of marriage' people want a referendum to ban divorce.

He had a moment of glee about it, and then threw his papers at the camera.

What sort of 'defense of marriage' is THAT? Making people who turn out to be miserable with one another MORE miserable? Because of some religious belief? And that book of Horrors, the old Testament 'says so?'

I have really been trying to find the moment when any sort of rationality went out the window over there. It seems to be a sneaking-up, creepy-crawly... dare I say the word?... agenda by some very unhappy people, who want everyone else to suffer because of their beliefs.

And NOW... I'm going to go back under my duvets, and snuggle and stay warm. And hope that the neighbors across the court in that 'Rear Window' sort of setting aren't using binoculars or a zoom lens watching what I do...

W. is coming over and lend me a space heater for the duration.