Back here for now
So, yeah, I bailed. AGAIN. For like, A REALLY LONG TIME. But I'm dipping one toe back into the blog pond today. I'm sure I'll regret not using this blog to write all about my pregnancy. I'm a tad ashamed that I couldn't get my act together enough to write everyday about what's been going on with my body and this litle person I've been growing in it. I remember a lot of it and I might just try to put it all down in one long and incredibly windy blog entry. But today isn't that day. Today, I'll just say that I darkened my hair in preparation for the busy days of new motherhood ahead of me (outgrown roots just aren't pretty) and geez... I think I look kinda awful. I mean, it's not completely disasterous, but it's not terribly sassy. In fact, it's a tad dowdy. And dowdy is NOT the vibe I was going for. Sorry no pics, as hubby has the camera with him in Japan. And, oh yeah, I don't feel the need to display myself quite yet.
testing, one two, one two. Anyone out there?
I have been trapped in my house for almost 3 days now because of the weather. (So, yes, I've resorted to blogging.) Normally, we just have drizzley rain here in Holland but some mother of a storm is raging through and the wind is OUT OF CONTROL. I'm afraid of being blown away if I step a foot out the front door. So, anyhoo, I thought I'd relate this nice little story from my first days here in Den Bosch:Martijn had returned to Enschede for a few days, and I was left alone to wander around my new city. I didn't know a soul, so on Friday night, I decided to step out and see if Carnival had officially unofficially started. (Officially, it doesn't begin until the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, but excuse me, you can't really stand between people and their need to get rip-roaring drunk, now can you?) I was strolling around the pretty downtown area, taking in the revelers and brass bands already whooping it up in the street, when I saw two young guys in suits walking my way. Oh, ah ha! I thought. Here comes the infamous drunken flirt that I'd heard was a major part of Carnival. These guys must already be lit. They swerved over to my side of the street and said to me in Dutch, "Hallo. Wij zijn van de Kerk van Jezus Christus van de Heiligen der Laatste Dagen." I'm sorry, WHAT? You're WHAT? Mormons. From Utah, no less. Out of all the people I could meet in my new city, I get railroaded by two young, fresh-faced boys on their missionary trip. And they'd picked me as the sinner they needed to save.
THIS is how I will one day control my children
So I was on one of my favorite blogs -- dooce.com -- and her latest post is about just how awful the grocery store can be when you 1) must use an automated checkout system and 2) have a three year old who wants to touch everything and/or run away from you. It was a great post, as usual, but I laughed out loud when I saw this woman's comment on how she keeps her children from misbehaving in the grocery store:Also I bribe my kids and if they do not do what I want I eat their cookie or donut in front of them. I eat it staring into their little eyes with a look of intense steely confidence that says you "will not act that way again in the grocery store - I command it" Then the next time I mention how good the treat was and how much I enjoyed it and how I do so hope that they misbehave so I can eat their cookie again.
Absolutely Amazing Footage
If you haven't seen this on Youtube yet, you gotta go there and watch it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM
Tami and Moochie
This is my friend Tami and her cat Moochie. This is a typical Tami "I make weird faces" picture and so I thought I'd post it here for all to enjoy. I've known her since I was 15 and I have hundreds of pictures like this where she's contorting her face into odd and disturbing shapes. :)
Disturbing Moment in Hengelo
I met a friend for lunch today and after a nice, post-lunch cup of tea and a chat, I left her apartment and headed for the train station. On my way there, I saw a little girl -- she couldn't have been more than 8 or 9 -- walking her big yellow Labrador Retriever. My attention always focuses on animals when I'm out and about so I was watching them when the little girl suddenly stopped. Her dog dutifully stopped beside her. (Dutch dogs tend to be very well trained.) But this is when the disturbing part began. The little girl started walking again, and even though her dog also began walking, she grabbed his leash and yanked on it with all her might. Then she smacked the dog. Then, she used the leash as a whip. Then she grabbed the dog's collar and roughly pulled the dog after her. Meanwhile, I'm yelling at her from the opposite side of the street. I quickly crossed over and called out to her. She glanced behind at me and continued to abuse her dog. I yelled again and told her to be nicer to her dog. She barely glanced at me and picked up her pace -- all the while smacking this poor dog and pulling violently on his leash. She turned a corner and I stopped to call M (to ask what I should do... Do I find a policeman?) He told me to confront her and ask her where she lives (so I can talk to the parents) or find a cop. But of course, when I entered the street where she'd gone, she had disappeared. I have to say, this is one of the most upsetting things I've seen in awhile and it immediately raised all kinds of questions for me. Is this how her parents treat the family pet and so she's just mimicking their behavior? Is she being treated this way and so she takes things out on the dog? Or was it just fun for her to abuse this poor animal? And finally... why was I the only one that said anything to her? There were dozens of people on the street who must have noticed what was going on.
