The lyf so short

Much as I hate when my 6th or 7th graders behave like preschoolers, I hate it even more when fully-fledged grown-ups do it. Even when they're reaching an age when, supposedly, they begin to enter a second childhood.

The mother-in-law is in hospital again. Yesterday morning, she had a strange tingling sensation in one leg, paired with the feeling that the leg was lame and wouldn't carry her, which lasted for about an hour. She found that alarming, as well you might, so she called her neurologist and described what had happened. The neurologist also thought it sounded alarming, so he told her to come to his practice so he could take a closer look; he'd squeeze her in somehow.

So she came over (I'm on sick leave) and asked if I could drive her there, since she shouldn't be driving after her leg had behaved so strangely. Up to this point, this is all very reasonable and good.

Then we sat in the neurologist's waiting room. There was another friendly old lady sitting there, waiting for her appointment. So it was clear that the MIL might have to wait a bit. I had my own doctor's appointment two hours later, but I figured that if it took too long, I'd just have to leave the MIL here and come back to pick her up later. I mean, it's a waiting room. There's reasonably cushioned chairs, something to read, a water dispenser and a restroom. It's warm, too. Nobody likes waiting rooms, but there's definitely more boring and less comfortable places to hang around in. But somehow that idea seemed to stress her out terribly.
"I hate waiting," she complained. "I thought he'd take a look straight away."
"He's going to squeeze you in," I reminded her, "you can't expect him to cancel his previous appointments."

Long story short, the doc managed to take a look just in time so we could make it back to [home town] for my doctor's appointment. Neurologist still found the situation alarming after taking a closer look. He said that it might be a minor stroke or possibly the onset of a major stroke, so he sent the MIL to hospital for more tests and medical observation. So after my appointment, she packed some things and I dropped her off at the hospital. So far, so good. The MIL was understandably agitated about the fact that she might have suffered a minor stroke or that a "real" stroke might be approaching, so I tried to console her that it was 100% better to notice it at this point and go to hospital pre-emptively, as opposed to it happening unobserved, possibly at night, with us finding her ten hours later or something.

Then she was in hospital, and she later called us, full of complaints. The hospital was overcrowded, as badly funded hospitals occasionally tend to be, particularly in winter, so she'd been put in a room with two(!) other women and one of them was coughing all the time. Possibly because she was sick and had been hospitalised for that reason? But the MIL treated it as if she'd been put in a room with a coughing woman as a personal offense. How was she supposed to get rest? It was so annoying! She would come home from hospital sicker than before!

(As a side note, I absolutely get how constant coughing is annoying. It sets my teeth on edge, too. Somewhat ironically, the mother-in-law is prone to nervous coughs and will cough all the way through an evening's movie unless you tell her three times to take her meds or just plain drink something because she doesn't want to get up and/or doesn't want to need to pee at night. So she's a major offender, without the excuse of whatever illness that other woman had.)

And she's been paying for the private insurance upgrade that pays for a single room*! She complained to the nurses (within the hearing of the coughing woman, I have no doubt) until they put her into a different room. But there were no single rooms. They'd already been forced to turn all the single rooms into double rooms because people get sick in winter - I mean, they get sick all the time, but they get especially sick when they spend all their time in over-heated, badly ventilated rooms with other people, not counting all the people who happen to injure themselves during season-related activites such as Slipping On Ice, Cutting Your Leg Rather Than The Christmas Tree, or Burning Your Hand On A Candle. It's a busy time. Anyway, the only room with only one person in it was apparently in the observation unit, but alas! that one person happened to be a man. Gasp!
"Conditions like in ancient Rome!" the MIL complained.
When Jörg visited her in the evening, she was still worked up about the coughing woman. By that time, she had been in a different room for several hours, but she still hadn't gotten over how she! had been expected to share! a room! with two other people! one of whom coughs! all the time! She didn't even remember what tests they've done and what results she'd been told because she was so offended about the coughing woman.

And then she complained, "And now they're all judging me just because I spoke up."
Yeah, MIL, you know what? I'm judging you, too.

It's not about the annoyance. I absolutely understand getting annoyed. I get annoyed easily. I get annoyed by silly things, too. I may even vent about them. Privately. To my husband or my mum. Or maybe on my blog.

You know what I don't understand? Whining to already overworked nurses about things they can't change. These people work 24 hour shifts around people who cough (and worse) and complain all the damned time. What are they expected to do? Throttle the coughing woman? Kick out other patients so you can have that single room you crave? They're already doing what they can. They've already accomodated you by giving you a different room. And you're still whining? Of course they're judging you. You're making their already stressful day more stressful - and you're doing it unnecessarly. An emergency patient can't help having to be rushed in on top of a full schedule. They know that that kind of thing can happen. But the MIL is not (currently) an emergency patient.

Like. I don't think "She should be grateful that she's being treated at all" is a good attitude, but I can definitely see where it comes from.

Incidentally, my doc said I shouldn't be talking at all. Instead, I got to reply to questions and complaints from the MIL all day. (Also from my kids, but in their case, I see why they don't quite understand that mum doesn't answer their usual barrage of questions.) Yeah, that worked well.


And now I'm feeling like a bad entitled age-ist bitch for ranting about this on my journal.


- - -
* if available. "If" being the key word.

In accordance with the prophecy and year-long planning, we attended the big Lower Rhenian trade fair last weekend. There, although I may be one of the biggest Luddites of my generation, I was finally convinced of the usefulness of tablets. I know I know, everyone uses them but I just didn't see the point so far. But now I finally acquired one.

( Cut for pics, rambling and silliness )

Man, I'm not someone who believes in using all-lowercase in order to express depression and exhaustion, but if I did, this entry would be written in all-lowercase. And without punctuation.

We visited Julian's godmother this weekend. On the drive back, we succesfully circumvened most of the traffic jams and drove through heavy snowfall with the utmost care. Only so some FUCKING STUPID BELGIAN ASSHOLE WOULD CRASH INTO US.

I mean, there are two types of car crash, the kind that's unavoidable and the kind that's just brainless. In heavy snowfall, you'd expect someone to skid on ice, or brake too hard or too late. But noooo, it was some idiot to be distracted by his passengers (IT'S DARK AND SNOWING, WHAT ARE YOU DOING) and NOT CHECK WHETHER THE LANE IS FREE BEFORE PULLING INTO IT.

I know I should be grateful that our car is heavy enough to be shaken but to stay in its lane, rather than turning into a 90-km/h billard ball on a rather crowded highway. And that nobody was hurt, aside from overdoses of adrenaline (and a young policeman was hit on the hand by Felix, who did not appreciate the intrusion. I have really polite kids.). And that the idiot actually followed us onto a lay-by and gave us his name etc. And that the police arrived in a timely manner and explained to the idiot's elderly passenger that no, they didn't believe that we had in fact swerved into them, and no, the damage didn't look old, either. But aaaargh, more repairs and money we don't have and struggles with insurances (internationally, woo hoo) and HONESTLY, YOU BASTARD, WHAT KIND OF IDIOT DOESN'T CHECK WHETHER A LANE IS FREE. ESPECIALLY IN FOUL WEATHER AND ON A CROWDED HIGHWAY. (It was not a "blind area" thing, either. We had almost overtaken him when he pulled into the lane we were occupying.)

If this is a general trend for 2015, I want a new year, please.

I gave up on my "rebel" NaNo on Friday -- at 46K and with almost three days to go. 4000 words are doable in three days (or one for that matter) so this annoys me, but there was no way to steal enough computer time without neglecting the household and the Advent preparations (one wreath, two calendars) even more. Also had to attend the birthday feast for my brother, who turned 30. TBH the feast would have been better held some other time. Thomas was absent-minded and tight-lipped because he had an observation lesson to prepare. (Only two of those left and he'll be properly qualified as a teacher.) My parents had nothing new to tell. Thomas' girlfriend (he has a girlfriend! Whom he actually introduced to us! Who was present for Julian's baptism and will be present for Christmas!) made what little conversation there was. She's nice and she had interesting things to tell. I just hope she won't be too frustrated when she realises that Thomas' "stress-induced" lack of interest in things like looking at pics of their holiday, or preparing an Advent calendar for her in turn (she prepared a very loving individual one for him), isn't actually due to stress but due to simply not thinking about it.
(Jörg immediately says "because he's a bloody egotist". This from the man who never in our relationship made, or even just bought, an Advent calendar for me, even back when he actually had spare time. No wait, this year I actually got one because OBI was giving free Advent calendars away to all customers, and Jörg happened to be a customer this year. And yes, Jörg is under a lot of stress so it probably isn't egotism. But Thomas is also under a lot of stress because he takes this observation lessons - or really, his entire Staatsexamen, because this started while he was still at university - extremely serious. ("Too serious", quoth the girlfriend, "because let's face it, he really only needs to pass these things, not deliver perfect model lessons in every single one."))

So, anyway, no Winning this year. It's bugging me a little, but not as much as it would have a few years ago. I do hope I'll manage to finish the "novel" nonetheless, and soon, because Germany currently loves travel literature and it would be a pity not to at least try to get something out of it while it lasts. (Yes, this time I really was writing with the thought of "is it going to sell" at the back of my mind. I guess that comes with the level of broke-ness that we've achieved.)

The kids are coughing, on and off. Whenever Felix has battled down one cold, he drags the next one home from Kindergarten. For the first time, Julian caught his cold too. He's still mostly cheerful but no longer low-maintenance. It's a mix of many things, I suppose: The sore throat, the teething, and the development of a keen interest in the world, particularly everything that's within sight and (should damn well be) within reach. He tries to grab whatever he sees, so it's no longer possible to do simple tasks one-handedly with him on one arm because he'll lean over and try to grab whatever I'm doing. He has absolutely no interest in pureed food, but he wants to "chew" on whatever we're having. So more or less by force, we're doing baby-led weaning this time, because the traditional way simply won't work with Julian. He's no longer happy on his own or in his cot for those blessed 30 minutes I used to get when he was younger, nor does he fall asleep so easily. So even when Felix is in Kindergarten, I very rarely have my hands free.
(I'm also increasingly frustrated with the Felix and Kindergarten and psycho stuff situation, but that's a long rant that'll probably not be written because NO TIME.)

I have absolutely zero patience with the mother-in-law at the moment. It's a miracle Jörg has only mild Burnout symptoms rather than actually breaking together, yet she's whining whether her living-room will be done by Christmas (IT DOES NOT ACTUALLY FUCKING MATTER) and she can't sleep at night because The Situation (her unfinished living-room) is making her worry. So whenever Jörg isn't working at work, he's working next door. A few days back I almost lost my temper (again). She was all "But I just really want to have it finished, I'm sure you understand". And I snapped "No, I'm sure I don't understand. I've been living on a construction site for seven years now and guess what? It hasn't killed me. So no, I don't understand what's stressing you." That shut her up, but she's probably really offended again. Too tired to care.
Anyway, she still thinks her effing living-room has to be the top priority for everyone. We had a wall to finish outside - before the winter weather sets in, ideally? - and still have a fence to do, but when Jörg actually "stole" the time for the wall at least, she was all miffed. Also miffed that a lot of wood had to be chopped and moved out of the way so the folks who put their caravan into our barn every winter could, you know, put their caravan there. Yes, they're silly about it, but it's a hundred bucks per month. Not that a hundred bucks are going to get us far, but maybe a little less further down? So yes, that was a priority. Even if you OMG SO DESPERATELY need to unpack your boxes.

Yes, she's old, and apparently it has been ingrained in her that Only Homeless Slobs And Compulsive Hoarders Live Out Of Boxes, or that You Need To Have A Presentable Living-room As Well As A Sitting-room (which is already finished and useable). There are a lot of tendencies that have been ingrained in her that I just don't get, that's the problem. She's terribly insecure. I mean, next to her, I'm bursting with confidence - and you know how unconfident I am. But seriously. If she wants to cook a Hokkaido pumpkin, she'll ask me what to do with it, then google ten recipes and ask the greengrocer about it. That'll give her at least 15 opinions (because both I and the greengrocer have more than just one idea about Hokkaido pumpkins). She might choose the wrong option! So she'll ask me again and I'll repeat what I told her before. Then the matter will rest for a week, and then the pumpkin is staring at her so accusingly that she'll want to get rid of it and ask me again for the exact same thing I said a week ago. Then she finally gets around to cooking it, but not without asking me to season it because she can't do it correctly. GOOD LORD ABOVE, IF YOU THINK IT'S TASTY, IT'S DONE CORRECTLY, WHERE'S THE FRIGGING PROBLEM. And three days later she'll asks whether it was OK to eat it with rice. WHO CARES. IF IT TASTED GOOD WITH RICE, IT WAS OK TO EAT IT WITH RICE, NO?
...
And so it goes with everything. She asks a friend who's done a Domestic Economy class (fourty years ago, so I'm sure her knowledge is really up to date and everything. She calls her friend the "master housewife". Without wanting to downgrade the skills and efforts of housewives, I just can't take that seriously.) before she'll wash her bloody tablecloths. She asks a friend who's a florist before planting the most unexacting of plants because OMG SHE MIGHT DO IT WRONG. She has zero confidence in JUST BLOODY DOING IT, she's convinced that if she doesn't get a professional opinion, she cannot possibly do it right. She's incredibly submissive to authority, and now that she lives next door, it really grates on my nerves.
Especially when I see the sort of people whom she takes to be authorities. Like me, on cooking. I never formally learned cooking. I make shit up as I go along. Most of the time I end up with edible, even delicious food, but that's not because I'm an Authority, it's because I don't generally experiment outside of my comfort zone. Formally, I bet she can cook way better than I can (she can certainly bake better than I can), but she just doesn't believe she can. OK, she really can't make lasagna. But that's because her recipe is for meat, onions, pasta, period. No sauce, no cheese. And she follows her recipes! She feels she can't do anything without instruction, really. Meanwhile, I don't like to be an Authority on something that I haven't actually trained. Her friend the florist doesn't mind, she loves to give her opinion on anything and all and believes she's an authority on gardening and landscaping and everything because after all, she's a trained florist. But that's not how I roll. I don't even feel confident in correcting the M-I-L's English homework because I'm not an English teacher. (Besides, back when I was in school, you weren't supposed to deliver perfect homework, you were supposed to make your own mistakes so the teacher knew what he had to work on in class.) I certainly don't want to give her instructions on cooking, since I myself only picked it up on the go. Also she's fourty years older than I am, who should be teaching whom? More's the pity because she must have been (at least slightly) different, and because she does have good ideas, she just doesn't trust them unless some Authority confirms them.

I don't know shit about gardening, either, but most of the time "dig a hole, put plant in (roots first), put earth back in, water generously" can't be wholly wrong. She's lacking that basic trust in her own guidelines. If I'm uncertain about something, I'll look it up, sure, but I won't bother three people about it, then forget what they said and do something else anyway! But I guess that's why she's so stressed out (and stressing everyone out) about the living-room, because she's so desperately dependent on other people's opinions and she's terrified that they'll think she can't get her act together. Or she can only like her flat when all her friends have seen it and say "Oh, very nice!" instead of "It's going to be lovely once it's all done" or something? Whatev. I shouldn't care except it's affecting me, too. And it's wearing down what little resilience Jörg still has left. (Good lord, how did he ever turn out so independent and "eff-what-people say, I'm doing my own thing"? How, with this model (and from what I hear, his dad was also rather impractical as well as dependent on other people's opinion), did he turn into a teenager who tried to create Roman armour all by himself (and did a pretty good job of it)? Into a guy who's confident that given a little time to practice, he can acquire every practical skill needed? (And into a guy who, believing that, is correct?) It's a miracle. I guess that was his pubertal rebellion?) And God, yes, I should cut her some slack because she's never been as privileged as I am. And I'm a terrible snob. And we all turn a bit complicated when we grow old, presumably. And, and. But I can't, I just can't, I can't even, I can't anymore.

Wow, long ramble turned long and it could be longer. Suffice it to say that I currently have very little patience, for anything. And very little time. I haven't managed to clean the flat for three weeks, good grief (aside from occasionally sweeping the floor). And no money, and no room. But she can't sleep because she's got two bathrooms, a bedroom, a study, a sitting-room and a kitchen, but NO USEABLE LIVING-ROOM AND EVERYBODY WILL SEE IT AND THINK I'M A HOARDER BECAUSE I STILL HAVE CARDBOARD BOXES AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO PUT MY STUFF.
("Did you sort your stuff before you packed it?" - "No, I thought I'd do that when I unpack it." So we lugged twice the boxes around. And guess what, she doesn't sort it when unpacking it, either, because she's so desperate to get it out of the way first. It all really makes sense. But I'm getting worked up again, and there's just no point. I'll try tidying some stuff up. With Julian balanced on my arm, unless he falls asleep.)

Oh right, and my car's windscreen wiper is broken. It only functions when it is absolutely dry. The tiniest bit of moisture and it freezes up and won't budge. Very useful in a windscreen wiper, that. Grouch, grouch.

Ignore this post, I think there's nothing valuable in here.

You know, the book covers for the most recent Temeraire novels might actually make me cave in and get myself an e-reader at last.

See, the thing is, I like series. And I sort of do judge books by their covers. That is, I'll infinitely prefer books that have covers that please my tastes. If I have a choice between different editions of books, as I almost always have considering the differences between American and British editions, I'll choose the one with the least appalling cover. Yes, that's the sad truth: I don't give a damn about the variety of English - I want the book to look attractive, both while I'm hiding behind it and when it sits on my shelf. (Attractive to me! I know this all amounts to de gustibus.) So if I can choose between this book and this one, oh dear, am I ever going to take the latter. So it's a book by a British author and I take the Americanised version? HELL YES. I'll even take the German translation if all English editions look horrible.

Anyway. You know what pisses me off even more than ridiculous book covers that really have no place being that ridiculous?
Series book covers that don't match.
I mean, seriously, what kind of idiot publishes a series of novels without consistent covers on the first editions? You can always re-release them with different covers, that's fine, but switching in mid-series? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY BOOKSHELF?!

In the case of Temeraire, they first had very stylish, recogniseable book covers and then, just after Tongues of Serpents... stopped producing those. Instead, they went for generic dragon fantasy cheesy computer-generated images. OK, some people like those, perhaps. But still, why switch in mid-series?

I quite honestly don't want to mix and match on my shelf. I haven't yet bought Crucible of Gold because I'm waiting for a better cover to come along! And now Blood of Tyrants is in sight and they have... YET a different cover design. I could despair. I want to read these books! But I don't want to have to put them on my shelf with the rest of the series if they look all pointlessly different!
(And no, library books are not an option, because getting English-language books from the local library isn't as easy as you may think, unless it's Harry Potter or an older "staple".)

I could despair! Or go for e-books, I guess. :P

(Yes yes, I know, my first-world problems. Let me show you them.)

OK. Homeland time.
(I recently had a Homeland/Silmarillion crossover dream. BRAIN, SRSLY.)
Anyway.

So we watched Episode I/7 (yes, we've only now started, shut up). Which has the big cliffhanger question towards the end when Aileen describes the man who's been on the roof, and now the big question is WAS IT BRODY, WELL, WAS IT?
( OK I guess it's time for a spoiler cut in case anyone else hasn't seen this series yet )

I actually enjoy Homeland so far, but that... was kinda cheap. :P
And I'm still wondering whether I'm missing something, or whether it really isn't nearly as ambiguous as all the articles claimed. *headscratch*

So is anyone on my f-list actually experiencing any of the LJ fuck-ups that get reported all over the place? Or personally knows someone who does?
Because I find myself slightly puzzled. And (amusingly enough) the only people on my f-list who have so far signal-boosted about the trouble predominantly use other platforms anyway...
(Not that I'm not trusting you, or mean to imply that you want to damage LJ, or something... I'm just wondering whether anyone I know actually noticed anything untowards, or whether it's mostly an hearsay-and-dramatisation avalanche thingy. *headscratch*)

No. I'm gonna quote fileg:
I know- any one could be THE one.
But, so far, LJ has never actually screwed me, but the "leave LJ NOW!" scares have......

And it's true. And then I'll have to either run after yet more people who migrated to where-ever. And let's face it, that only happens when I remember to do it. Or even if I am dedicated enough to check a variable amount of journals in other places every day, I may not be able to read stuff there because not all platforms allow easy Open-ID access, or the people often can't be, I dunno, bothered to friend their LJ-ex-friends' Open-ID ID. So in effect, you loose touch. Or you're forced to migrate as well, which I personally am loath to do - not just because of my permanent account here (although that is totally part of the reason), but also because I already have a nice network here that I for my part don't want to loose. So no, if you leave, I won't follow. I'll just stand on the pier, waving sadly, and hope you'll x-post to LJ (as some people on my f-list fortunately do), or otherwise allow us sorry folks who are not members of the sanctified other blogging platform to read your entries anyway...

I have to admit that by now I actively despise Dreamwidth. The Germans among you will probably know the commercials for the ERGO insurance company: That's what Dreamwidth reminds me of. "WE'RE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING AS ANY OTHER INSURANCE/BLOGGING PLATFORM! BUT WE'RE DIFFERENT! BETTER! BECAUSE WE CARE! WE UNDERSTAND! LOVE US! FOLLOW US!" Makes me automatically suspicious.* For the non-Germans: Um, I've never actually seen an episode of V - The Visitors, but from the trailers, it looks like the same principle.
On a smaller scale, naturally. I'm not that paranoid. Just slightly irrational. ;)

- - -

In completely different and MUCH more positive news: OMG zorn made fanart for me. (Disclaimer: Contains harmlessly naked Elves. Yes, skinny-dipping is actually canon. If you count The Lost Road, anyway...)
I sniffled. And I hearted. <3

- - -
*I'm still trying to figure out how ERGO can afford being as nice as they promise. Either there are a lot of loopholes in the small print so they don't actually have to deliver when push comes to shove, or else the whole insurance thing is just a front to win followers in order to take over the world or something. No, seriously. Who said "If it appears too good to be true, that's probably because it is"? Whoever it was, THIS.

After the office hour with my third examining professor, I have come to the conclusion that the purpose of the Magisterexamen in English philology is to make the examinee hate the English language and all literature ever produced in it. Thanks for nothing.

Taking two hours for the 45-minute drive from Cologne back home didn't improve my mood. Also, clowns everywhere. Fucking fifth season. Lantern-bearing kiddies, on the other hand, are rare, presumably due to the storm going on outside. Poor kidlets missing out on their treats. ;_;

In this sense, I hope you have a bloody great carnival and an even better Martinmas. Anyone coming by with a paper lantern singing a nice (or even a stupid) Martinmas song will get candy. Anyone coming by with a poppy and a pathetic poem will experience firsthandhead the ballistic qualities of The Riverside Shakespeare. Yes, the hardcover edition.

B'r'lady HELL.

Ich soll am Donnerstag ein Referat halten.

Deswegen muss ich morgen eigentlich ziemlich dringend in die Sprechstunde beim entsprechenden Prof.

Ich zitiere bei dieser Gelegenheit die amtliche Vorwarnung zur Unwetterwarnung für den Rheinisch-Bergischen Kreis:

gültig von: Dienstag, 02.02.2010 00:00 Uhr

bis: Dienstag, 02.02.2010 08:00 Uhr

ausgegeben vom Deutschen Wetterdienst

Dienstagmorgen kommt von Nordwesten her Schneefall auf, der bis zum Abend andauert, im Flachland aber zum Teil in Regen übergeht. In Westfalen und vor allem im Bergland über 300 m sind Neuschneemengen um 10, im Stau der Eifel, des Bergischen Landes, des Sauer- und Siegerlandes und des Weserberglandes 15 bis 25 cm zu erwarten. Da es sich um nassen Schnee handelt, besteht die Gefahr von Schneebruch. Bei Böen um 65 km/h (Stärke 8) muss zusätzlich in freien Lagen und in Kammlagen mit Verwehungen gerechnet werden.

Dies ist ein erster Hinweis auf erwartete Unwetter. Er soll die rechtzeitige Vorbereitung von Schutzmaßnahmen ermöglichen. Die Prognose wird in den nächsten 14 Stunden konkretisiert. Bitte verfolgen Sie die weiteren Wettervorhersagen mit besonderer Aufmerksamkeit.

Das kann ja lustig werden. Ich wohne "im Stau des Bergischen Landes". Huzzah.

Das besonders Schöne ist ja, dass in Köln wahrscheinlich wieder mal bestenfalls zehn Flocken fallen und "ich bin eingeschneit" folglich nicht mal geglaubt/akzeptiert werden wird. Hahahah. Hah. Hahah.

Vielleicht mach ich mich besser schon mal zu Fuß aufn Weg?

Ach was. Die Hauptstraßen werden bestimmt toll geräumt und die Busse fahren selbstverständlich alle planmäßig, nicht wahr? :p

Dies ist keine Beschwerde über das Wetter. Das Wetter als solches finde ich geil. Dies ist nur eine Beschwerde über den Mangel an Flexibilität. ENTWEDER, es ist dafür gesorgt, dass auch bei schwersten Wettern alles normal läuft - ODER man muss Arbeitgeber und sonstige Heinis dazu verpflichten, zu gestatten, dass die Leute dann eben ganz flexibel mal zuhause bleiben dürfen. Ohne schlechtes Gewissen, Abzug von Urlaubstagen oder "dann kann ich Ihnen aber kein Feedback geben!".


Und mein vierter Weisheitszahn drückt sich durchs Zahnfleisch, das hebt die Stimmung auch ganz ungemein.

EDIT:

Sie haben die Vorwarnung "konkretisiert".

gültig von: Dienstag, 02.02.2010 10:00 Uhr

bis: Mittwoch, 03.02.2010 00:00 Uhr

ausgegeben vom Deutschen Wetterdienst

Es tritt starker Schneefall mit Neuschneemengen von 5-10, in höheren Lagen um 15 cm auf. In Verbindung mit wiederholten Böen um 65 km/h (Stärke 7 bis 8) sind zunehmend auch starke Schneeverwehungen zu erwarten. Zudem besteht hohe Gefahr von Schneebruch durch Nassschnee. Am Nachmittag und Abend steigt die Schneefallgrenze vorübergehend auf 400 m.

ACHTUNG! Hinweis auf mögliche Gefahren: Straßen und Schienenwege können unpassierbar sein. Bäume können unter der großen Schneelast zusammenbrechen. Vermeiden Sie Autofahrten!

Köln liegt wie erwartet außerhalb des Warnbereichs. Köln hat "Wetter", Leverkusen hat "markantes Wetter", und wir haben "Unwetter".