What's On Your Mind Atm??

[Ulrich]

March 22nd, 1886".

Ah, I like such "coincidences". It happened now and then, e.g. when I watched a documentary about someone, they showed his gravestone - the date (day/month) was the same as when I watched it!

[Ulrich]

So I took another turn with the "time machine"! 

This time I "travelled" to 1993/'94, I knew a girl back then, but she moved away and I lost her out of sight, sadly.
So now I had a dream (!) about her and decided to look for her on the internet, found her fast (she has a name which is not too common) and wrote her, things went smoothly and we decided to do what we should have done 29 years ago: meet up for a coffee (in the town where she's now). I had something to do nearby. We met and it was like "everything has changed, but nothing's changed", we went for a walk to a man-made lake and chatted almost as if not time had passed. She's been through a lot (cancer, stroke), but from what I can tell she is still the same person she used to be. What a lovely day that was. We wanna make sure that we'll meet again sooner than later (not wait another 29 years)! 

Almost needless to say I had some old cds with me in the car and listened to music from '92-'95. Also, a song came to my mind with the line "a woman now standing where once there was only a girl"... however, somehow she is still more like a "girl" to me.   

[MeltingMan]

addressed to someone outside the forum

EXPOSING HIRAM PARKS

Thanks, at least you're talking about it. Other tarot experts disappear without a word (after finding a more lucrative source of income). Putting up with an older man, how common is that in our time?! This guy is actually too old for a "classic" stalker. Keep going...

[MeltingMan]

What a lovely day that was.

I also had a visit (from Hippiecat), but something didn't fit. We would have better spent Easter Monday alone. In the meantime, the landlord has announced that they want to sell the house and another property. At the same time, I am forced to write a noise protocol because the neighbor's dog is constantly barking. Sequel follows...

[Ulrich]

We would have better spent Easter Monday alone.

You never know, it was well worth trying.

Anyway, I'm planning to meet above-mentioned person again within the next few weeks/months. We can't wait another 29 years. 

[Ulrich]

Still stuff to be found in unexpected places...

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/258316/crusader-treasure-unveiled-medieval-altar-found-in-jerusalems-holy-sepulcher

Researchers have unearthed a Crusader-era altar in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulcher in a serendipitous discovery that sounds straight out of an Indiana Jones plot.

The find, announced by the Austrian Academy of Sciences, offers a marble-clad window into medieval Christian artistry and papal power projection.

The altar, consecrated in 1149, is an impressive 3.5 meters (about 11 feet) wide, according to the academy, making it the largest known medieval altar to date.

[MeltingMan]

That brings me to the Austrian pilgrim hospice in Jerusalem. On their website you can also marvel a ceiling painting with crusaders (www.austrianhospice.com).

[Ulrich]

crusaders

In Germany you won't find many places of the famous "Knights Templar", however their "cousins", the "Teutonic Order" had many places in south Germany (and elsewhere), I've been looking out for them (palaces, castles, churches...), there are still quite many around (even though after secularisation in 1806 many of them were given to the state, church etc.)!
The most famous is the Island Mainau.
https://www.bodenseewest.eu/attraktion/barockschloss-mainau-c0c937a2e2

The least famous is probably a ruined castle near Weingarten/Ravensburg (nothing left to see but rests of a wall in the wood).

[MeltingMan]

60 Sqn [South African Air Force] accidentally photographed Auschwitz when they went to photograph the rubber plantation next to the camp. This was first done about 4 April 1944. When the photos were analysed, they found rows of people lining up in the camp. Photos also showed chimneys and all the other characteristics of a camp for prisoners. This, with other intelligence, brought them to the conclusions that extermination camps existed.

[MeltingMan]

First the good news: I didn't need to send the noise protocol. The situation improved at the beginning of May. The house and apartment visits began a month earlier, initially without prospective buyers. Nobody likes to buy "the cat in the sack". So I hope the interested parties who have been there so far were attentive enough to see what stands/lying around in the hallway and in the veranda. Surely you have to say that not only the house but also its residents are getting old. Because of my neighbor, the next inspection must take place in the evening. I hope that we will come to a result before the 1st Advent. However, the purchase price seems to me to be far too high. Wouldn't an appraiser be advisable? And one more thing: I think the idea of a "landlord license" is good. 

[MeltingMan]

(see also post #712)

Miss Graticolato Romano 2023

This beautiful event saved my Sunday evening. Of my favorites, six and eleven, only number 24 made it to the shortlist. Number 7 looks somehow familiar to me. Was she number 6 in 2019? The smile of lady number 20 is so winning, it even outshines the bright light. Was she happy about "only" second place? One positive thing to note is that there were no annoying insects buzzing around. The fog and smoke machines may also have contributed to this. 

[MeltingMan]

A class reunion is coming up. It was actually supposed to take place in April and I had already resigned myself to not hearing anything more. Now I have verbally agreed, but the whole thing has a few "flaws" that I cannot ignore.

I still remember the meeting in 2008. It was loud, stuffy and when alcohol was served the gossip started, even about people who were present. At some point I suggested that we could meet every 12 months. "Well, we don't get on that well either" was a devastating comment from the side. After two hours I thought it was appropriate to leave. My eyes hurt from the smoke.

Afterwards I suggested that we could meet at a different time of year and not in November(!). Well, you can see to what extent I was heard...

... and not only that. Now I find out that a former classmate lives outside of the EU. I had guessed correctly, but the person who provided details about him was someone I once gave my address too - without any feedback. 

Now the ranks have slowly started to thin out, and perhaps a light has actually dawned on some people, but whether this will have an impact on the next meeting is questionable.

[Ulrich]

A class reunion is coming up.

At some point I suggested that we could meet every 12 months.

We had tried that as well (like between 2013 and 2017), but it didn't work out, interest was going downhill from year to year. So we decided to meet in a smaller circle of about 6 persons and that worked very well!

They are (were) people I had no big interest in meeting again after school (didn't have that much in common). But from 2013 onwards, I enjoyed seeing them and enjoyed their company.
We used to meet every 6 months or so (sometimes more often, during pandemic much less of course), so we always found something to chat about.

Last meeting in September didn't happen (timing didn't work out), but someday we'll meet again (maybe soon).   

[MeltingMan]

So we decided to meet in a smaller circle

We have a smaller group as well that meets every two months, but they live locally and arrange to meet via Wh*ts*pp. That's what I understood last Saturday. Of the people I would really like to see again, one is already dead and the other (in Switzerland) probably won't come (again).

I think I need to have another conversation with the organizers, because the way things are going now is unsatisfactory. I'm also not the type of person who goes to two or even three locations in one evening. The "official" meeting is enough for me. 

[Ulrich]

I'm also not the type of person who goes to two or even three locations in one evening. The "official" meeting is enough for me. 

Same here, we just meet at one location (mostly for dinner or a few drinks).

Gotta say, "bigger" meetings (like we had when we became 50) are more difficult, too many people at once, can't talk to everyone you wanted to... and some of the "difficult" people hadn't changed...