Thursday February 17th 2005
The heating specialist came today and said the whole sytsem had been set up as if it were for under floor heating and that's why George and his poor old mum and dad were freezing their buts off. It's all fixed. The radiators are now hot. Hoorah.
George is going through another spate of sleeping badly, we know not why, and his mum and dad are shattered. I can just about get through the days. Tonight I am going to sleep in the single bed downstairs, away from baby's screams. Then Graham will get his turn for a good kip tomorrow night. He is having a nap now. George is over the road at Yanik's, playing with his only mate (who is about 6 months older than him). Jin has announced she is leaving at the end of March. We think we may have to get another au pair for more flexibility.
Yesterday I interviewed one of Switzerland's top plastic surgeons, inventor of liposuction, Dr Ulrich Kesselring. He numbers Hollywood stars among his clientele, and knows the surgeons who fixed Michael Jackson, Cher and Liz Taylor. I have a sneaking suspicion that he did Liz but he couldn't reveal his patient list. He said she complained about the return of saggy skin not long after the job was done, and was promptly told it was because of her alcohol and weight gain problem. Dr K told me MJ was not in his right mind and insisted on many many nose jobs against his surgeon's advice. And Cher, apparently, never appears completely naked although she may seem to be naked. She wears a tissue thin, skin coloured rubber suit that ends at the neck!
I have been trying to help fix up Alan with a translating job. Cioma Schönhaus wrote a great book about how he managed to escape persecution at the hands of the Nazis by forging passports, including his own, before fleeing to Switzerland by bicycle. Cioma said he would love to see an English version. (I interviewed him in December 04 after the German version was published). Alan contacted Granta and now Granta are in touch with Fischer Verlag, the publishers of the German version. Fingers crossed.
I put a little bird feed box outside the back door and the birds love it. There are bluetits and wagtails and a beautiful little fella that looks like a smaller version of the robin, but with a brown crest. Must find out what it is. There are also many fantastic, majestic birds of prey all around this area.
Weather is sunny and snow is melting. I hope spring comes soon. Still, even if it doesn't, at least we can look forward to warmer nights with our HOT radiators.
George is going through another spate of sleeping badly, we know not why, and his mum and dad are shattered. I can just about get through the days. Tonight I am going to sleep in the single bed downstairs, away from baby's screams. Then Graham will get his turn for a good kip tomorrow night. He is having a nap now. George is over the road at Yanik's, playing with his only mate (who is about 6 months older than him). Jin has announced she is leaving at the end of March. We think we may have to get another au pair for more flexibility.
Yesterday I interviewed one of Switzerland's top plastic surgeons, inventor of liposuction, Dr Ulrich Kesselring. He numbers Hollywood stars among his clientele, and knows the surgeons who fixed Michael Jackson, Cher and Liz Taylor. I have a sneaking suspicion that he did Liz but he couldn't reveal his patient list. He said she complained about the return of saggy skin not long after the job was done, and was promptly told it was because of her alcohol and weight gain problem. Dr K told me MJ was not in his right mind and insisted on many many nose jobs against his surgeon's advice. And Cher, apparently, never appears completely naked although she may seem to be naked. She wears a tissue thin, skin coloured rubber suit that ends at the neck!
I have been trying to help fix up Alan with a translating job. Cioma Schönhaus wrote a great book about how he managed to escape persecution at the hands of the Nazis by forging passports, including his own, before fleeing to Switzerland by bicycle. Cioma said he would love to see an English version. (I interviewed him in December 04 after the German version was published). Alan contacted Granta and now Granta are in touch with Fischer Verlag, the publishers of the German version. Fingers crossed.
I put a little bird feed box outside the back door and the birds love it. There are bluetits and wagtails and a beautiful little fella that looks like a smaller version of the robin, but with a brown crest. Must find out what it is. There are also many fantastic, majestic birds of prey all around this area.
Weather is sunny and snow is melting. I hope spring comes soon. Still, even if it doesn't, at least we can look forward to warmer nights with our HOT radiators.
darwin - 17. Feb, 16:26
