pronounce

Sunday 31 October 2004, 09:12 am

For all of you who've always wanted to know how to pronounce Dutch:

go here!

pain

Friday 29 October 2004, 07:49 am

I was down with a killer headache yesterday. Hadn't had one of  those in a very long time. Does that mean all resident pregnancy hormones have now left the building? After 10 months, I finally feel like myself again, but could do without the headaches...

Anyhow, here I am. It's still dark outside, hardly a soul is stirring. But Olivier's wide awake, doing baby things in his playpen. I don't think I'll get dressed just yet. I kind of like this half-dark. Coffee is ready, there's a roll in the oven. I think I'll start up my Sims 2.

P.S. For great Sims 2 custom hair & make-up, visit Simphora!

bike the baby

Monday 25 October 2004, 4:19 pm

We bought Olivier a bicycle seat this weekend. He loves it! He's like a maniac when he's in it. Arms and legs flailing, yelling and giggling. How I'm ever going to ride my bike with him wriggling like that, I do not yet know. Time will tell, I suppose.

tapas

Friday 22 October 2004, 1:10 pm

I'm too busy. I wanted to write a number of times this weekend week (see? totally lost it). About the way to work being quiet & beautiful - schoolkids have autumn break this week, so it was just people like me (with a kid too young to go to school) and those without children. About the light hitting the trees just so. About the morning mist. The ducks and the coots.

But alas. No time.  

And even now, I can't stay, as my sis and me will be saying goodbye to our old appartment here in Amsterdam tonight (we're both moving to Haarlem soon - sis sooner than me - so we sold the flat), which requires a good number of tapas to be prepared. Sis does the sangria, I do the tapas. Quick! To the kitchen! Olivier's asleep and hopefully will be for another hour at least, so I've got to make the most of the time that's given me. Bye!

back from being me

Monday 18 October 2004, 1:36 pm

Back again! And was I happy to see my little mite again! I think I almost kissed and cuddled him to death yesterday.

But the past days have been great. Of course, I missed Olivier so much it hurt. But at the same time, I felt so ... free! So me! Shopped like crazy, had lovely German food & beer, slept in late, went to a wildpark, saw an amazing Dutch a capella band play. They were really good - visit their website here: Rock 4 

Plus, they're from my hometown, Maastricht! Must go see them there sometime too.

Now excuse me while I struggle with the Laundry Monster. See you later.

away

Thursday 14 October 2004, 1:04 pm

We're almost off to Munich for three days, visiting Pieter's sister and her husband. Without Olivier.

Wish me luck!

kitchen

Saturday 09 October 2004, 7:30 pm

Today, we did something I'd never thought I'd do: we bought a kitchen. I feel terribly grown up now - and slightly decadent.

It's a very beautiful kitchen. Simple, but beautiful. A replica of a Dutch kitchen from 1937. Perfect for our new home! See picture. We haven't got the fancy stove and our kitchen isn't L-shaped either. And it's pale blue instead of cream. Oh and we've got a light work top, not a black one. Ok, so our kitchen looks almost completely different, but it's the same design.

read

Thursday 07 October 2004, 8:43 pm

I'm almost falling asleep here at my desk. And it's only 8:45 PM!

I think I need some tea, a nice book and some time away from the computer. My Sim is doing fine, she finally found a mate (after I created one - what can I say, bookish type, social skills somewhat lacking, not unlike someone I know ) and is climbing the corporate ladder. Tomorrow will be just fine to check in on her again.

Olivier is sound asleep. Pieter's away at a company dinner. There's nothing and no one to keep me away from my book.

I hope you'll all have a lovely evening!

new!

Monday 04 October 2004, 09:19 am

Look! It's all new & shiny! It's my (pardon, our) new PC!!!

It's HUGE. It's got a 3.2 Ghz processor & two hard discs of 200 GB each. It's got a DVD player/burner and a CD-rom/burner, tunercard & remote control for T.V. (I can actually watch T.V. on this thing, it's almost surreal), an ATi Radeon X 600 Pro 256MB videocard and we also bought a 19" TFT screen. I'm probably forgetting all kinds of technical specifications here, but if you'd like to know more, ask. Just know that I'm in heaven! (And the Sims 2 on this machine... it's fabulous!)

dead

Saturday 02 October 2004, 09:40 am

Bugger. I killed my computer!

It's gone. Just like that. The screen suddenly went black and it wouldn't come back. And when it finally did, it was (O-o) the Blue Screen Of Death. Windows Protection Error, it said. Restart. So I did. Windows Protection Error. Restart. Ok! Windows Protection Error. Restart. ---> repeat. And then I gave up.

So I'm now surfing for a new PC. Which is much more fun, really! I saw a number of good deals. But since I myself am going clothes-shopping with sis and friends today (who won't really like it if I suddenly make a run for the nearest computer store), I'll have to convince dear hubby that it really is of the utmost importance that I get a new machine a.s.a.p., i.e. today.

Jonathan Strange

Friday 01 October 2004, 12:06 pm

Have any of you heard of / read this book? It's massive and it's supposed to be really good, so I ordered it at Amazon.co.uk. Glowing reviews for the most part, and I'm very eager to know more about it!