Stupid Weather App

I have seen dark clouds outside and checked the default app. No warnings, no clouds, no rain, clear blue skies and nice warm temps. Yeah right!!!?? I heard this weird noise from the outside and before I could realize,  huge hailstones came down from the sky and all I could think was "Oh F...! My car!" I had to wait of course because, I figured my head is a bit more precious than my car.

I ran out when I could and checked my car. There are 4-5 dents which I hope can be fixed easily. Also, I will probably end up using this car till it falls apart. So, it is OK. With the current taxes, it is no longer possible to buy a new car anymore, anyway.

A car with a 2.0 engine which has a base price of TL 170,000 is sold at TL 650,000 How do you like that? Would you pay USD 83,300 (total cost of ownership) for a car which is only USD 21,800 (without any taxes)? 

Oh and BTW, that sort of car is considered a luxury car here which is probably a mid-level car in the US. I understand there should be taxes but, 382%? 

As a country we are getting poorer and poorer. Here are the excange rates over time

                   July 2008...............     September 2017    September 2018    September 2019

USD 1           1.16 TL                         3.55 TL                 5.99 TL                    7.82 TL

Euro 1           1.81 TL                         4.19 TL                  6.95 TL                   9.15 TL

Great job in 12 years! I do not think this country ever saw a worse government than this one.

I was writing about the inaccurate weather app and the hail storm right? Ugh... How did I get here?

Mamma!

 

Love this song.

Knew it was coming

My tenant called me last night to tell me that he and his wife are getting a divorce so, they will be moving out. They have only been married for a year. 

I kind of knew/suspected this was coming. Last April, they were supposed to increase the rent  according to our contract but, the young woman called me to say that her husband had lost his job due to COVID-19 and I let them keep the rent the same. I asked for her husband's CV to send to my friends in Ankara. When I looked at the CV, I found that he started at a bank, a pretty good job but then he left and kept changing his jobs frequently. It looked like he did not have any skills developed over quiet a few years and I thought he would never be able to find a job during the pandemic. She is still working for the same bank where they apparently met. I cannot know the real reason for their separation of course but, that is what I suspect.

I called my real estate broker and told him the news. If I can sell at a good price, I would like to sell. If not, it will be rented again. We'll see what happens. All I know is; I need to go see the apartment before I return the deposit. 

I must be in Istanbul till October 4th. Then, I was planning to go see my uncle. However, I may go to Ankara first, see the apartment, hand it over to the real estate guy and head South to Antalya. It is a shorter drive anyway. My uncle may want some Fall clothing items if he is not planning to go to Ankara anytime soon. On the way back, I should go through Ankara again since I must get my tyres changed with winter tyres. I have them changed and stored in Ankara. 

Seems like there are busy days and a lot of traveling ahead. Well, I guess that is a good thing before winter. I have a feeling, we will be stuck at home more.

Ouch!

 I took my car to the service today. It was a routine 45K km maintenance. Apparently, it is one of the expensive maintenance steps or so they say. Anyway, the damage is done. I had budgeted half the amount based on previous maintenance jobs. My car has a diesel engine. That's another factor for the expensive maintenance.

Then I went to get my meds from my pharmacy. Some of my regular meds are provided by Social Security at no cost to me. However, I bought additional meds and vitamins to last at least for two months. That was pretty expensive too. Next time I go see my doctor, I will try to get a medical report for some of the others so that, I will not have to pay as much.

I was planning to go and buy some fresh fish but, I stumbled upon a very good price for a roaster chicken and some turkey wings. So, I grabbed them. A roaster gives me lots of meals. 

I spoke to my sister today. She told me they found a new caregiver for my BIL's mom and will be going to Ankara this weekend again. The old one will be leaving by the end of October. The new one is a bit younger and had been an excellent caregiver for one of my sister's friend's grandma who passed a couple of months ago. Both ladies are from Georgia (the country). During October both will be together so that the old caregiver can train the new one. BIL's mom is bedridden and she cannot talk. It is so sad. I do not think she has much time left because last time I saw her, she was super skinny and although she ate well, she cannot gain weight. I had even bought some liquid food supplements but, they did not help at all.

The old one has decided to go to Germany for work and we are surprised. Due to COVID-19, this cannot be easy. We suspect somebody is scamming her. However, she has been very persistent. She has told my SIS and BIL that she will be going to Germany with a Greek passport! What!? How? This cannot be legal. She said she had already spent 4500 Euros. Well, that is a lot of money for someone who has to go abroad to work. If the German police finds out what she is up to, she will be in a lot of trouble. My sister warned her about this but, hey, she is an adult, right? You cannot help someone who does not want to be helped. 

All these years, she was legally here. My BIL did everything by the book and spent tons of money on insurance and work permits. Most people take shortcuts but, as a family, we will never resort to illegal business.

Staying Home

I consider the people who have houses with a yard are lucky during this pandemic. Apartment dwellers like I am are not so much. Although, I can spend time all by myself perfectly, I sometimes long for going out just to window shop or walk at the waterfront. I can do these things but then I must wear a mask, keep my sanitizer on hand, constantly be alarmed to keep social distance from other people. It is exhausting. 

If I had a little yard, I could grow veggies and flowers and sit outside in the sun. Or so I think. Lol! Given human nature who knows what I would want then?

Long time readers know that I am a landlady of a two bedroom apartment in Ankara. Few days ago, management sent a notice that there were 3 COVID-19 cases and everybody should wear masks in teh buildings and in the garden. There are 7 buildings and a large garden in that apartment complex with basketball courts and play areas for kids. Today, the management sent another notice with big bold uppercase letters that, the security guards will report everybody without masks to the police. All over my country, masks are mandatory for everyone. There is a hefty monetary penalty too but, not a lot of people care and not all can be penalized. I am sure some people will take this as a threat to their rights and start talking about the legality of this but, the fact of the matter is, COVID-19 is now their neighbor. Hope, my tenants are taking precautions and keeping safe and healthy.

On another note, I found out that I ordered spare heads for my electric toothbrush twice. Not a bad mistake. I will use them but certainly, I am not as organized as I like to be.

My grocery order will be delivered in a couple of hours and I will walk to the Pharmacy afterwards to pick up my meds. My pill boxes need filling. 

I really would like to go out to the seashore to the fish market and buy some fresh fish but I am too lazy to do it today. Tomorrow, I will be taking my car to the service so, on the way back, I can go get my fish. Bonitos are in season and I love to cook slices of bonito over a bed of sauteed onions and tomatoes on stove top or in the oven. 

Laundry, Cooking and Amazon Prime

Today, I washed the last load of laundry and hung them up. I put away my beach stuff and re-arranged my towel drawers. 

I cooked some navy beans that I had soaked last night. Here is the simple recipe:

2 cups of navy beans soaked in hot water the night before

1 medium onion

2 small carrots

2 tablespoons of tomato sauce OR 1 tablespoon tomato paste OR 1 medium tomato diced

3-4 tablespoons of EVOO

2-3 small garlic cloves

Salt

Dice the onions and slice the carrots. Add salt, garlic cloves and sautee them in the EVOO till the onions are translucent. Add the tomato product you are using. Sautee for another 2 minutes. Add the beans and some water. Cook on stove top with the lid on, till they are done. You need to check the water as you cook. Ideally, the beans must be cooked and there must be not much liquid left. This dish is served cold but, if you like, you can eat it warm too.

I cleaned my kitchen, arranged my pantry and made a list of groceries I need to get.

I sat down to order spare heads for my Oral-B toothbrush and decided to join the 30 day trial Amazon Prime Turkey.  I think, I will keep it after the free offer expires since, I have decided to ditch my cable subscription in December. It comes with internet but, I am sure, I can find a similar internet service for a better price.

Gotta go and fold laundry to put away. Tomorrow, I intend to dust and vacuum. 

At the Beach

 I am so glad I took my friend up on her offer. They are in such a secluded place that I felt totally comfortable spending time there.

Here are a couple of pictures from Cesme.

I am back home now dealing with the laundry. 

Istanbul is much colder than where I was. I took out a cotton blanket because, I was cold last night. I also took out my fluffy and thick bathrobe instead of the thin pestemals I was using as bath towels.

I brought back egg sized fresh walnuts, melons, a watermelon, some very sweet white omions along with some other veggies from the nearby farmer's stand in Cesme. I also bought gigantic kalamata olives. 

I spent a ton of time in water. Must have been a sea creature in a past life.

It is amazing how the weather has turned in just a week. In a few weeks I will be heading to Antalya which is always warmer. I think, I have another few swimming days ahead of me.

Cats!

 I am not talking about the musical but, I have seen it on Broadway twice actually.

For 50 years I had ailurophobia to the point that eating a meal out with me in the summer would be a nightmare for mom and sis. As most other nations do not have so many stray cats and dogs roaming the streets, it might be difficult for most of my readers to understand. People like cats and they feed them on the streets. Real pet lovers do of course have animals at home but, they also feed the strays. My sister carries cat and dog food in her trunk. 

The municipalities try to collect the stray animals and have them neutered but, it is a job fit for Sisyphus.

Anyhow, at my last workplace few weeks before I left it, I actually petted a kitten and held her and got over my phobia. With that said, I still do not try to pet a stray cat. I am not jumpy anymore when they brush past me.

I live in an apartment complex and my apartment is located at the entrance level. My windowsill is about 6 feet high. Up until last week, I have never seen a cat jumping up there and look inside. Well, last week a youngish cat jumped as I was watching TV and meowed her/his heart out. I had a can of tuna so, I put it on the windowsill and she/he gobbled it up. The next time it showed up, I gave it some lunch meat. I then bought a bag of dry cat food and poured some on the corner of the windowsill. It showed up again but, decided that cat food is no good and kept meowing. I caved in and gave it some more lunch meat.

A few days later, another one jumped up. This one is a black and white cat. He eats the cat food and always comes back to check to see if there is any more. I think, they are friends although they never show up together.

Today the first cat showed up, ate some of the cat food and came back looking at me so, I gave it a big piece of turkey ham. Then the other one showed up and ate the leftover cat food. This time I felt guilty and fed it some turkey ham too. I do not dare to open the window all the way and pet them but, I think I will keep feeding them as long as they come to visit. There are two cat houses at different locations so, I am sure they can get to food and water all the time. 

A lot of people tell me to get a cat but, I do not think I will ever be a true cat person. Although I am not deadly afraid, I am not ready to be chums with one. 

Going Away Plans back on the Agenda

 This coming Friday, I am going to Izmir to be with my SIS and BIL over the weekend. On Monday I will move to Cesme to visit a friend who had been self-isolating with her best friend and husband. I do not know how long I will be there. May be till the weekend.

I intend to go to Antalya afterwards but, my uncle will be spending time with his friends between 15th and 20th so, I am a bit worried about that. I may end up coming back home and go to Antalya after he spends two weeks on his own. That sounds like a better plan but, it will be twice the driving. We'll see.

I took out the sewing machine to keep busy. I have some projects along with some more mask making in my mind. 

Yesterday night I was talking to one of my childhood friends and she mentioned that she wanted to buy a certain table for her balcony from IKEA. I told her I have the same exact table that I am not using. It is disassembled since 2012 and packed in my underbed storage. I had two and I am using one of them in my balcony too. She is happy and I am happy that I will be able to get rid of something that I do not need. 

There are a few other things I would like to get rid of. Let's see if I can find new homes for those.

Day at the Lake and Cooking

 On Friday, I went to visit my friend at her dad's home by Iznik Lake. Iznik is a small town with a lot of history so, here is a link for anyone who who would like to know more.

My friend preapared a picnic basket as I chatted away with her two daughters and her dad. It was a very windy and cloudy day so, swimming in the lake was not possible. We tried and got ourselves wet anyway.

It was a fun visit and I came home by 10 p.m. 

Today, I went to the grocery store and came back with four 2 liter bottles of EVOO. I am all set for a whole year I think. The young lady at the cash register told me I could buy six 2 liter bottles of EVOO because it was a real good price. I bought only four because I already had a 2 liter tin can at home. I cook exclusively with EVOO. I use butter only in rice and some sauces. Never use margarin or any other oils.  May be I will take one of the bottles to Ankara on my next trip. I had used the last of it while I was there.

I found perfect marbled steaks and bought some to freeze. I also bought about 3 pounds of chopped meat.

When I came home, I first stuffed most of the peppers with a rice mixture (rice, EVOO, chopped onions, pine nuts, currants, dried mint leaves, cinnamon). While that was cooking, I stuffed the leftover peppers, tomatoes and zucchini with a meat mixture (chopped meat, rice, chopped onions, parsley) and cooked them in a tomato sauce.

I sauteed odd peppers and insides of the tomatoes and zucchini for tomorrow. I will have that with garlic yogurt. It is more of a meze than  dinner dish. Besides, it helped me waste nothing.

Some of the chopped meat became meat patties cooked in tomato sauce. I had a few of those over a bed of eggplant mash. There is another portion for tomorrow. I cheated and used canned grilled eggplants for the mash but hey, who cares?

I sauteed the rest of the chopped meat with onions for later use. Soft tacos

I will be freezing most of what I cooked so, whenever I feel lazy, I will know I have food in the freezer.

This was a productive day so, I am happy. 

To feel like living

I had a Zoom meeting with my colleagues about the company web site this morning. It took about an hour and a half and I totally enjoyed it. I miss being busy in a meaningful manner. I wish there were more business since it certainly helps me. It felt like I was living yet again. Mostly, I feel I am at a standstill these days so, that little meeting was good.

Today I am feeling blue. Need to keep busy. There is plenty of stupid house chores. Planning to make penne a la vodka and a side serving of sauteed veggies for dinner. 

On Friday, I am going to meet with a friend who is visiting her dad at a small town by a lake. She told me to bring my bathing suit along. It is going to be a day trip.

I am hoping to buy some vegetables on my way back. There are plenty of farmers along the road.

Here is a video that always makes me smile. Love the lyrics, love the singer more. Please pay attention to his face. So much fun!

Tuesday Things and Changes After COVID-19

I went to my dentist to have him take out the stitches for the implant this morning. He also repaired a filling. I did not need anesteshia this time. Till mid-November, I am done with dental work. 

I then went to IKEA for all of 20 minutes to get what I needed. I haven't been in IKEA for almost a year now, I think.

I also  needed to go to the Post Office but, the line outside was too long. Hopefully, tomorrow I will do it early enough so that, I will not have to wait in line. After that, I will do my grocery shopping. 

I do not feel like doing anything else today but I actually do have chores to do at home. Oh well...

Life is certainly not what it used to be and it doesn't look like we shall be normal again. The number of cases are rising rapidly. It is actually worse than March/April/May but, the government isn't taking the same precautions for economy. I guess the economy is more important than human life. 

I hate this government of ours. First and foremost, they are thieves. They have no clue as to how the run the economy. They upped the taxes on the cars yet again. So, if you are buying a new car for yourself, you need to buy THREE of them for the government. Taxes are that high! They have no clue about running relationships with other nations so, it looks like the war we had fought and won 98 years ago will have to be fought again. I don't think it will be won this time because there is no genius like Ataturk running the country now. They are dragging the country to chaos having alienated every former ally. 

On top of this the stupid virus affected us in many ways. My grocery spending is significantly higher but my dining out/takeout/delivery spending is very very low. I must say, grocery prices are much higher compared to the last year too.

I run the dishwasher almost daily now since, I am preparing my meals. 

Laundry seems never ending despite the fact that I am home most days. 

I do not get to see my friends as much as I want to. I cannot hug and kiss my SIS when I see her. 

I have decided to buy a mixed bag of frozen vegetables to stick in the fridge this year. I like to have fresh veggies but, now, I really do not want to go out much and it is difficult to buy fresh, consume and go buy some more for just one person. So, I will still buy fresh but, when I am out, I will not have to rush to the store.

I usually do not like canned food but, I have bought some canned vegetables just in case. I also now keep a more dry goods than I normally do.

Ugh... I am not liking my life anymore...