Ranting and Raving: This Time Smoking!

Okay, I'm a smoker.

I'm not proud of it, but it's a fact. I want to quit, and soon, but I don't know when. Okay?

Way back when I lived and worked in Maine, it was okay to smoke in all bars and in the smoking section of all restaurants. Later, it was illegal to smoke in all restaurants. Well, okay, after eating, people went to the bar to smoke. For about two years, it's been against the law to smoke in bars in Maine. Guests and profits went back (according to an article in the Bangor Daily News) about 30%.

In Germany, it's legal to smoke in all restaurants and bars. Up until a few months ago, there wasn't even one restaurant in Munich that even had a smoking and non-smoking section!

This has changed, as non-smokers (mostly American tourists) wanted to have a smoke-free environment to enjoy their meals.

Which I understand! Most restaurants here have more than one room, and it would be easy to designate one room to the smokers.

But no, the politicians are thinking about banning smoking from all restaurants and bars. Just like that! One minute, you can smoke everywhere, the next minute, nowhere!!!!! No: "Smoking section," no: "just for bars." Cold Turkey!

The German government takes Euro 2.20 from every pack sold. Restaurants and bars in Munich supply almost 30% of employment here. Isn't this step just a bit too drastic for the economy?

As I've said, I want to stop smoking. And I plan to stop soon. But: a drastic stop, a ban, would be fatal for the economy.

Just my thoughts...

No news!

Yes, ladies and Gentlemen,
there is absolutely nothing new here. Same old, same old, but I thought I'd write something to keep you all occupied!
I'll try again to do the Photo-thing on this blog soon, and Amazon excerpt from my diary will be on-line Tuesday at the latest!
See ya then!

Shoes

I know that many women love to own 1,000,000 pairs of shoes.

I don't belong to that category.

But . . . 8 to 10 pairs is okay, right? Two pairs of boots, two pairs of sneakers (the old ones to mow the lawn, the new pair to walk or jog), black sandals, white sandals, black high heels, dark blue high heels, flat black shoes and flip flops. That's enough?!!!

But imagine you're in Munich, Germany. And you want to replace your black high heels. Because they're old and you can't really walk in them anymore. No problem, you think. There are only about 3,000 shoe stores in this huge city.

Problem: the fashion is shoes that are pointy. Shoes that are four inches longer than your foot! Shoes where you trip and fall at every step.

Pointy sneakers! Sneakers with high heels! HELLO!!!!

Unless you want to buy "Grandma's" shoes, you're stuck with the above. No normal shoes in sight.

I guess the old (four years) shoes will have to do until my next visit to the States. Or I'll have to wait for the next - rational - fashion trend!