z e e b o d e m

folded ivory brompton open after the bus had unexpectedly stopped in the middle of its way and biked fifteen kilometers to my work (on monday morning, of course)

photographed hairy cows next to our garden in the early morning mist

finally made it back to pilates (twice) after almost a month break

got back a cd i didn’t know i had “lost” (it had been in steve’s box and he gave it back via S)

found out that recht van uitweg exists

washed clothes of a woman i’ve never seen (brought them back to acec on friday)

had lunch with colleagues in wakame

received a translated nausicaa in the mail

watched television at home via eyetv hybrid that S had bought us last week (we’ll need an old-fashioned antenna on the rooftop to avoid hassle and receive channels across the border)

made a phone call to wish happy birthday

talked with an unknown drug addict while waiting the bus at the station

sorted out the bills with S

* * * * *

Yesterday i was shopping in a hurry and bought angus beef when i thought i was buying lamb. It was delicious anyway, with creamy mushroom sauce and rice. Fresh thyme!

We had two invitations for this weekend, one from our previous neighbors and one from our new neighbors. Due to circumstances we could only accept the nearby option. Tonight.

S just got up and made me touch his cold and wet shirts. He’d been sweating out the fever all night long. I think i’ll just hang the blankets out in the sun today. Yes, it’s still shining. :)

Vierailimme viikonloppuna tulevalla kotiseudullamme ja paluumatkalla mukaan lähti kymmenen kilon säkki “super-perunoita polderin mullista” (mainostivat jotakuinkin näin) hintaan 3,75. Tästä johtuen ruokavaliomme muuttui hetkellisesti hyvinkin perunapainotteiseksi; pottuja on nyt syöty muussina, uuniperunoina ja viimeksi tänään perinteisessä lihaperunalaatikossa. Seuraavana vuorossa kalakeittoa. Polderiperunoiden maku ja koostumus ylittivät odotukset: kuohkea & mehevä sisus ohuen kuoren alla suorastaan sulaa kielelle. Ikävä myöntää mutta voittavat kaupan luomuperunat mennen tullen.

Kotimaan uutisia: lähin olutravintolamme, kulmakuppilamme, kesäterassimme “humalapiru” on heittänyt hirttosilmukan kaulaansa. Virallisen lehtitiedon mukaan ovet suljetaan lokakuun ensimmäisenä päivänä. Vaan jo tänään eivät ovenpielen lyhdyt palaneet ja nyt arvuuttelemme miten käy S:n syntymäpäivien ensi lauantaina. Oli aikeissa mennä kadun poikki “viimeiselle illalliselle”. Pysyttelemme toiveikkaina.

We received the official papers today! The final signing will happen about two weeks from now and exactly three months after the first signing. An old house doesn’t come without “surprises” and we got the first one served in the papers. The electricity installation in the house is old and we already knew some work should be done to make it match with our equipment, but we wanted to do renovations in our own pace. Apparently the law changed in july and the official inspection claimed a lot of things outdated. As result we’ve been given a specific time for having it all fixed. Only the actual time is still a question because one paper says one thing and the other paper says something else. We’re hoping for the eighteen months.

Off the main road we drove a long time in a forest where the trees were not planted in rows and lines. Such a random grown forest made me want to step out of the car and walk into the “finnish” nature. But we were approaching the military zone and had already some other plans for the afternoon.

The airplanes were cool but they were in minority. Various types of cars and other land vehicles dominated the field. Even a few swedish examples! We visited a czech tent which contained camp beds, table, cooking corner, portable telephone, two huge “mobile phones” and – of course – a sort of altar with crucifix, bible and candles.

As we were crossing the lane to get us cones filled with traditional vanilla ice-cream we saw uncle Freddy approaching from the other direction on his black brompton. He’d been driving around for couple of hours already and said he’d come for a full day next year.

There was a giant yellow and black spider next to the tent of zendamateurs.

I was surprised one more time when i found lots finnish war stuff in one of the kraampjes. It was mainly navigation equipment. Long merchandise lane back to the cars was a bit tiresome though. All of them selling similar stuff, real and reproduced (fake) often at similar price to fool the ignorant. We saw one german uniform hanging for sale but the symbol on the sleeve had been temporarily covered with a piece of “jesus-tape” to make it appear less provocative, i guess.

To balance the military dose we drove home via the hippie-camp at the parkkaffee. They had flemish stoverij on the menu and that was our dinner then. Lekker!

Half an hour overtime with a huge load of excel files. At least it was sunny again when i biked home. Evi was busy with the kids on our street: they were attaching colourful plastic straws in a line as long as our street. Some time later our next door neighbour (and his children) got locked out of his house but he managed to get back in through an open kitchen window that could be reached from our patio. We had some ravioli’s for dinner.

S did some paper work and found out his Happy Days points were already supposed to be outdated. Yet he could find them on his account online. We’re 19 points away from an electric footbath! ;) He said we’d try to get those missing points anyway, then materialize them and dump the system. There’s nothing to dump for me though ’cause i’ve lost my card already long time ago.

Last friday’s chocolates.. i had a green duvel in zebra before cc opened. One of us got her back stolen during the night. Mine was with me all the time – you live and you learn. Last train home. Last train from work. All over at last.

Took me more than two years and everyone was amazed about the fact that i could keep up with it so long / at all. Thinking back i’m surprised myself.. The answer: by growing numb, i guess. Knowing it could have been worse. Awareness alive on the background at the same time. Knowing this was not living and there must come a change.

Change. Just like many events in my life, it sort of happened on its own, when the time was right for it. No sooner – although it could have.

Today i had a cup of green matcha tea in the afternoon and while i was half way drinking it i saw that the green dust at the bottom formed a bird with an open circle as it’s nest. Phoenix rising. It looked like.

S had come home early. Said the reason was being depressed. He’s sleeping now under the cover of green fairies.

Next to me.

After that i will only have 7 train days left! The moment when i can switch from C to Y – or from D to G – is now confirmed. It feels so strange though, to think of how long this has been going on, since the end of january and i’m still waiting..

I’m still waiting for trying out the wide angle converter for my G7 which was delivered on monday.

I’m waiting for building my kitsch 1000-piece puzzle that i bought last weekend.

The cats are waiting for the rain to stop. Me too, it’s terrible.

S is waiting for the bathroom to heat up for the bath he was going to have on tuesday.
We’re both waiting for things after the bath.
And the weekend!

Wat is er immers fijner dan wakker te worden voor een nieuwe ochtend? – - – Vreugde is een duur goed, bedacht ze opeens. Verdriet is goedkoper, alleen tranen kun je zelf produceren.

“Ik weet niet meer wat ik moet doen,” zei ze, uithuilend bij haar zus. “Ik vind het zo moeilijk met hem. Soms denk ik dat het misschien komt door een verschil in mentaliteit. Door de verschillende opvoeding die we allebei hebben gekregen.” Maar haar zus zei dat dat volgens haar niet de reden was.
“Wat is dan wel de reden?” vroeg ze aan haar zus, die zei dat hij volgens haar gewoonweg haar tempo niet kon bijhouden.
“Jij lost problemen razendsnel op en je hebt eigen initiatief, terwijl bij hem alles traag en moeizaam verloopt en met allerlei problemen gepaard gaat, en dat maakt jou woedend..”

- -

Hoewel ze nog altijd voor haar geestesoog zag hoe in de film het hotel in gruzelementen uiteenspatte, vroeg ze zich af of het niet veel eenvoudiger zou zijn een nieuw hotel te bouwen dan te proberen de over de gehele stad verspreide brokstukken te verzamelen.

#source Rina Frank mijn zusje en ik

#blogged with Leopard

Three good things about today at work: it was not busy at all; i received twenty-two meal vouchers (worth six euros each) which i had “earned” during a payed holiday; i got to leave the place at three o’clock.

And it doesn’t matter if i now have a (fading) headache for the lack of morning sleep (i got pills for that) and my neck is stiff from having to sit in front of screens all day (i can do yoga for that) because it’s sunny and i’m at home with my dearest. He came home just in time – when i was eating pizza with champignons and fresh basilicum while reading today’s newspaper. I gave S the (almost) half of it (pizza) and now we’re both happily facing our leisure screens.

Naturally there had been a lot of changes at work during my absence. When it comes to staff members it’s constantly changing there.. this time one left, one got fired, some will leave, some are and will be re-positioned. So far none of those applies to me. Not that i know at least.

The last dry summer day of this week.. starting from tomorrow it will be rain for (at least) five days. These less promising weather conditions made us drop our second camping plan in Maka and switch to plan-b. With very few clicks we reserved a Paris weekend from our bongo giftbox. We chose a hotel in Clichy because it also offers free access to caribbean space – in case it rains there too.

This evening we’re invited to D&I to eat mossels (mytilus edulis) in their garden.