A STAR TREK LOVE AFFAIR

It all started as a kid … of course it did … well, I’m not THAT old to have seen the original series in the 60s when it first appeared on our screens … but in the 80s … which is very, very long ago too. And even though I have seen most episodes of the other TV series (The next Generation, Voyager, Enterprise,Discovery, …) I’m a hard-core fan of the original series. It’s so wonderfully tacky. But classic. And at those times ingeniously open-minded, current topics cushioned into an alien world. Nazis, the Cold War, interracial love … nothing was sacred. It was the first time a white man kissed a black woman on TV. Imagine that! The scandal!!!

Well, I guess, lots of thesis have been written about the psychology of Star Trek. Interpreting every single occurrence, relationship, evil rulers … what a fun project!

To me it’s just entertainment. I love the bad costumes, the rocks bouncing around when thrown, the “beaming”, the unmovable Spock with exactly two different facial expressions, the fake fighting and the Tribbles. Of course, that’s my absolutely favourite episode. Even though you could see Kirk moving his fingers in order to have the Tribble in his hand move too … it’s hilariously funny. Which is why I appreciate the “Enterprise” series from 2001 even more, explaining lots of things that happened in the original series – timed before “Star Trek” from the 60s. And the differences in make-up and costumes … just like the blue Andorians with their moving feelers. Lovely. (And the title song from “Enterprise” is my absolute favourite!)

Of course, the latest two series “Picard” and “Discovery” have crossed over my screen as well. And even though I did enjoy watching them, one can’t help feeling sorry for ancient Patrick “Picard” Stewart whose age you can clearly see. Nice to encounter his old crew and follow his new adventures. Unfortunately, I separated from my then-partner in the middle of the series and never got to sign up to Amazon Prime afterwards, never being able to watch the end of the series. Maybe one day I will. (Just like missing out on further episodes of “The Grand Tour” with Jeremy Clarkson). 

When it comes to Discovery, I managed to see the first three season and enjoyed the young Spock, Michael Burnham, her friends and crew exploring and having new exciting adventures. Waiting for season 4 to appear on Netflix. Just to realize … nope, won’t be on Netflix anymore. What a shame, but it didn’t really make much of an impact to me, since I’m more the original series junkie anyway.

Star Trek – to me it will always be the original series, which I love dearly!

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HIGHLIGHT OF MY DAY?

Ha, and I thought I wouldn’t have anything to write about! Lucky me, something did happen … and I’m not quite sure yet whether to be totally annoyed or laugh out loud due to its ridiculousness.

Let me start at the beginning! I was informed a couple of days ago that I had used an inappropriate “tone” towards the department head from this other department. Because, let’s face it, I’m faaar beneath him and that’s a no go! 

The example he used? An email I had written recently, in which I had politely requested information regarding “internal clarification about who would be able to perform the tasks”. And yes, as is my inappropriate way, I did use the words “please”and “thank you”. Anyway, my boss was quite flabbergasted because he couldn’t see anything wrong with my email. Considering that the exact same guy actually had used an inappropriate tone recently by nicely telling me on Teams when I told him to ask another colleague since I didn’t have more information either, “I don’t think you have to explain my job to me” … This exact guy dares to complain about a perfectly polite and normal email? Seriously? 

By the way, this guy who joined the company and my previous department (later than me), WAS a regular colleague at the same professional level! And by the way, since he was not the most collegial guy, who hit a wrong chord on a regular basis towards other colleagues as well as the lady from the Currywurst truck (just to name one), it was suggested he move somewhere else professionally. Unfortunately, due to restructuring he actually moved up the professional ladder – what a disaster for his new “minions”, resulting in one of them quitting soon after! (Another advantage of home office! Imagine running into this guy on a daily basis … I shudder at the thought and probably would have had to take my happy pills again if I were part of his team!)

And by the way, everyone he gets into contact with, is in a constant eye-rolling situation just when his name is mentioned. Or his name pops up in a Teams call. Or another email arrives. (In atrocious mother-tongue German or even more atrocious English. Grammar, comma rules, capitalization, spelling … non-existent, which makes me cringe embarrassedly!Particularly when I have to read English emails being sent to customers.)

And I wonder! What’s wrong with this guy? How can someone with so little social competence be head of a department not to mention land a job at all where other people are involved? Alienating everyone he comes into contact with? God complex? For sure! He definitely thinks he is God’s greatest gift! Paranoid? No doubt! An awful human being who treats other human beings like crap? Yep!

Frankly, I cannot take someone like him seriously. And I certainly cannot respect such a person. Respect has to be earned and my respect for him has gone down the drain a loooong time ago.

MY LITTLE EVERYDAY PLEASURES

With home office and my constant saving for my move back home … there’s not much going on right now. Nothing interesting enough to write about. Well, I could write about some of those annoying people grazing the news and rags. Like those Z VIPs in the “I’m a star, get me out of here” jungle or all those other trash shows. Or the government not managing to punish those climate terrorists more severely – with our tax money being wasted on those worthless human beings just like those (and yes, mostly young male aggressive) immigrants who stab and kill people and should have been thrown out of the country long ago. And then … no, I won’t go there. It’s just too annoying and I’d rather write a nice article. About those little everyday pleasures that make me happy. (Most of which make me happy on weekends! After all, weekend is a happy occasion!)

1.) The free Saturday newspaper (usually arriving around 10 a.m.) with ad inlays from my favourite stores to browse through. Usually enjoyed while sitting in one of my comfy reading chairs, accompanied by a cup of Tassimo Latte Macchiato or Cappuccino and my cat sleeping on my thighs. When done with the paper and ads – having made notes which groceries to buy the following week – I continue my pleasurable Saturday morning with one of my mysteries.

2.) Watching an Austrian show. Even though not everything can be watched from Germany, at least there are documentaries and cabaret shows I can watch. At least once or twice a week. My absolute favourite? “Was gibt es Neues?” (What’s new?) A show where cabaretists have to guess what very weird words or expressions might mean. Or “the thing of the week”. Even weirder items for everyday life and their use the guests have to find out. Incredibly funny because those famous Austrian entertainers are just awesome. (Luckily, I also have some of their Best of DVDs to get through the week …)

3.) Taking a bath. Which I might have mentioned once or twice in one of my previous posts. It’s still something I enjoy immensely and due to rising energy prices, I have reduced this pleasure as well. A bath tub will definitely be on my must-have-list for my next apartment. There’s nearly nothing more pleasurable than sinking into a hot bath after a long day to relax and warm up. Especially in winter. Especially when one tends to reside at a piping hot 18-19°C.

4.) Afternoon tea on rainy days with cookies or cake. Nothing new there, either. And especially rainy fall and winter days are perfect for cuddling up in one of my comfy chairs with tea or hot chocolate, cookies and a good book. Small pleasures …

5.) Homemade lunch. Yes, I consider homemade lunch one of my everyday pleasures. To be able to quickly put together something for home office lunch, in my own kitchen, freshly cooked or freshly defrosted from my darling freezer (home-cooked as well), is pure luxury and something I treasure as long as I can. Since close to 100% home office surely won’t be an option in my future job.

6.) My cat! Yes, definitely on my everyday pleasure list. He makes me happy, calms me down and makes me smile on a daily basis. It’s very rare that I have to scold him, mostly he makes me laugh and cuddling him – poor darling, he doesn’t quite like it that much – instantly makes me feel better when I’m in a bad mood.

7.) My books! Well, what did you expect? Of course, they are part of my everyday pleasures – and even more so on weekends. But on a daily basis? Every day I’m looking forward to my big comfy box spring bed and the three or four bookswaiting for me that I’m reading in parallel. At the moment, it’s another “Murder, she wrote” mystery, “A shot in the dark” by Lynne Truss (very funny 50s Brighton mystery), an Austrian mystery (for the homesickness) and a historical book about Vienna’s inner districts. Thrown in with some French to brush up my language skills.

Alright now, it’s Saturday, 8 a.m.! Time to upload today’s post, get some household chores done and THEN my books, Latte Macchiato and my Saturday paper are waiting for me! Have a great weekend, you all!

IN EXTREME SAVINGS MODE

Been there, done that! And now I’m at it again! It’s so frustrating. Sometimes it’s so frustrating! Prices are rising everywhere and sometimes I don’t know where else I can save a few Euros. Remember the time when my car court suit was hanging above my head like a sword as I didn’t know how much everything would cost just to receive my right and punish the evil car dealer? Now I’m kind of feeling similar. Just without the depressive episodes, thankfully. But knowing how much the move back to Austria will cost me (the move itself, security deposit for the new apartment, importing my car and paying an extra tax that only exists in Austria, some new furniture and all the other small stuff piling up …) it’s especially frustrating with costs climbing higher and higher for everyday life. Not knowing whether the worst is still to come in the winter months.

How do I do it? Well, I can’t change the fixed costs, of course. But I try to live cheaply when it comes to everything else. Like barely going grocery shopping, checking offers, barely going out – once a month dinner with a friend, once a month getting take-out – and trying to reduce my Amazon book orders. But well, this really is my biggest vice and considering that others have kids with monthly expenses of sports training, musical lessons and whatever costs there are with kids around … I’m getting off cheaply with my picky cat and my book (especially used book) orders. 

Which doesn’t change the fact, that saving money is always on my mind and top priority. Sometimes it seems as if the past ten years were nothing but me in extreme savings mode. Trying to build up an emergency fund, the car issue, vacations, the move-in together move, the move back to where I started move (which cost me a big bundle of what I had saved on costs by living together with someone), recouping my losses and now my even bigger venture just to get back to Austria. It’s a dilemma, really. Sell most of my furniture and buy new in Austria? Bite the bullet by taking as much as possible and paying the additional transport costs? After all, even though Ikea furniture can be sold quite well, I’m lucky to receive half of what I paid for it. I’m trying to find a compromise by selling some and keeping the rest. For now. Until I know the layout of my new apartment and what I can actually take. And until everything is settled in ways of a new job and new apartment, I’ll keep putting away as much as possible into my savings account so that I won’t have to use up all of my emergency funds or take out a loan just to get back home.

Happy savings and better economic times for all of you!