Shoes - Paris 2009.



Sissi was chipped today and is now wearing a collar with to which is attached a little capsule with details inside of her name and address and our contact details. This was kindly sourced by Rozalin who knows where to buy everything.

It was harrowing experience for us all at the vet. The vets – just like the Doctors –do not make appointments - on the basis that the time of anyone who comes to see them is of no value whatsoever.

Moni had to go to have a check up so I took them both in the one (small) cage. After an hour Moni became very restless and after two hours was totally loopy.

I had to take Sissi out of the cage and hold her so that Moni would not kill and eat her.

The main problem was a giant dog (the biggest I have ever seen) who went in and did not emerge for an hour. I thought at one stage that it had probably eaten the vets and the owner and would soon break through the door and devour us all.

However it emerged finally and bounded out into Salesianergasse dragging its owner behind it. He should ride it – it is certainly big enough.

Sissi did not enjoy having the chip inserted and yowled loudly.

Moni is well and is recovering from the infection she had on her back legs.

I helped the vets hold Sissi while she was being chipped and the vet says that I don’t need a blood transfusion and that my wounds should heal in a week or so.

If your are really desperate you can watch a video of my vet getting married in Vienna

He is apparently quite a celebrity and is the vet to the stars. This could explain his prices. One of his clients was Elizabeth Taylor – no I don’t know why she would be going to a vet in Vienna and it may be best not to ask. At this point I am not going to make any Michael Jackson jokes even though the paragraph is screaming out for one.

I am not important enough to see him and get to see the other vets – although I must say that Doctor Kellerbecker is pretty good (she was the one who attended to Bill when was knocking on heaven’s door).

In researching the good Doctor I discovered a study on Elephant Knees and the acknowledgments list him as providing an Elephant Knee for the study.

You may – as I did – wonder where a vet in Landstrasse would get an Elephant Knee – but it may be best not to ask. (Another opportunity for a Michael Jackson joke flies by untouched).

The study reached the stunning conclusion that "It is likely that in elephants and mammoths the distinct structure of the knee joint is closely related to the enormous weight of the animal."

Annie and Michael are on their way on the rest of their holiday (10 Weeks!) and are currently in Salzburg. They then go to Italy where they are going walking and climbing in the Dolomites. They are apparently going to climb ladders left behind when the Italians we farnarkling around during WWII. Not my idea of a good time – but everyone is different.

On Friday we went to

Ein Wiener Salon

where we had one of the best meals we have ever had.

As the restaurant was fully booked – and we added Annie’s friend Penny at the last moment – we got to sit in the kitchen so we could see Sven doing his stuff.

I mean IN the kitchen. Right there amongst the pots and pans and stoves. We were close enough to Sven that he could flick cigarette ash onto us.

We also had the benefit of Laura the very large dog who lives in the kitchen and spent some time under our table. Laura has quite the biggest bottom I have ever seen and is clearly not a jogger.

She occasionally stands up to shake off some of the cigarette ash but this exhausts her and she collapses again quite quickly.Top night.

I read an article in the International Herald Tribune that looked at a recent study about why so many Americans don’t think that President Obama is a legitimate President.

There are of course many who think he was not born in the USA at all and that it was a Muslim conspiracy to make him President.

Many however believe that he was born in Hawaii – they just don’t believe that (wait for it) Hawaii is a US State.

I wish they wouldn’t keep doing these scary surveys.

Incidentally Newt Gingrich, one of the most divisive, deceitful, spiteful, dishonest and corrupt politicians in the history of the USA, has converted to Catholicism. That should drive a few more away. Would the Pope really want to belong to a Church that would accept Newt Gingrich?

Oh Dear – Really?