apparently, today is national pancake day. i just realized i never had those thick american pancakes. something must therefor be missing in my life. i plan to set matters straight in april.
i'll be all over this cinnamon thing. yumyumyum
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
joey zoey
i know i'm very pregnant and about to be married, but i'm afraid i still have a little crush on someone else. someone else being joey cheek.
who?
joey cheek - another u.s. skater who won a gold medal. duh.
anyway, joey is my hero. not only is he a great skater and not only did he win on the 500 meter, but he donated his medal money ($25,000) to right to play, an organization that helps kids in warzones and an initiative of johann olav koss.
who?
koss, maybe the best skater ever, from norway. he won 3 gold medals in lillehammer in '94. he's retired now. seriously - if you don't know who koss is, i don't know what to tell you.
anyway.
forget bode miller and his empty complaint that the olympics are only about money these days. forget chad and his grandmother and forget shani, who is just plain weird. it's all about joey. joey who didn't tell about his donation to be the hero of the day, but to use his 15 minutes of fame to put a great cause in the spotlights.
joey got invited by the dutch skating team to come along on the train ride back to the netherlands. and he accepted. instead of flying back home and getting praised for his achievement in his own country, he stood at the sideline yesterday and watched the dutch medallists getting celebrated in rainy, cold, bumf*ck zwolle (trust me - it's the last place you want to be). and y'all know i have a soft spot for americans visiting the nl (hint). so i have a little crush. and rumor has it that joey has political aspirations. so let me be the first to say:
joey for president!!!
(clicking is fun)
who?
joey cheek - another u.s. skater who won a gold medal. duh.
anyway, joey is my hero. not only is he a great skater and not only did he win on the 500 meter, but he donated his medal money ($25,000) to right to play, an organization that helps kids in warzones and an initiative of johann olav koss.
who?
koss, maybe the best skater ever, from norway. he won 3 gold medals in lillehammer in '94. he's retired now. seriously - if you don't know who koss is, i don't know what to tell you.
anyway.
forget bode miller and his empty complaint that the olympics are only about money these days. forget chad and his grandmother and forget shani, who is just plain weird. it's all about joey. joey who didn't tell about his donation to be the hero of the day, but to use his 15 minutes of fame to put a great cause in the spotlights.
joey got invited by the dutch skating team to come along on the train ride back to the netherlands. and he accepted. instead of flying back home and getting praised for his achievement in his own country, he stood at the sideline yesterday and watched the dutch medallists getting celebrated in rainy, cold, bumf*ck zwolle (trust me - it's the last place you want to be). and y'all know i have a soft spot for americans visiting the nl (hint). so i have a little crush. and rumor has it that joey has political aspirations. so let me be the first to say:
joey for president!!!
(clicking is fun)
Monday, February 27, 2006
the dress, part two
seriously - the hormonal hurricane? soo much fun.
in more exciting news: the hunt for the dress went well! my mom and i behaved splendidly, and we managed to find a dress! however, i needed to order a larger size. the belly (even in 2 months) is/will not (be) the problem, but the milk factory...
okay, let's move on.
so my mom suggested that i would draw a picture of the dress (done that before, won't be a problem) and we would have it made. best idea ever! this way, whether i shrink an inch or gain twenty, it's just a matter of adjustment. unless the ready-to-wear version in a larger size is so big that my belly won't possibly become too big for it. because i have decided that the milk factory has stopped growing. enough's enough. here's to mind power.
anyway, the dress:
few comments: way too much wind blower in this picture (outkast, anyone?) and the green organza bolero will be wrapped tightly around my 'waist' (as in 2 inches above my regular waist - but we're not dwelling on that fact for too long), not hangin' about like here.
if i'm going to have the dress made, i'm thinking that the top could be strapless, or with a really big collar - if that makes sense in my poor english. anyway - i'm thrilled i survived this saturday and i came across something i really like!
in more exciting news: the hunt for the dress went well! my mom and i behaved splendidly, and we managed to find a dress! however, i needed to order a larger size. the belly (even in 2 months) is/will not (be) the problem, but the milk factory...
okay, let's move on.
so my mom suggested that i would draw a picture of the dress (done that before, won't be a problem) and we would have it made. best idea ever! this way, whether i shrink an inch or gain twenty, it's just a matter of adjustment. unless the ready-to-wear version in a larger size is so big that my belly won't possibly become too big for it. because i have decided that the milk factory has stopped growing. enough's enough. here's to mind power.
anyway, the dress:
few comments: way too much wind blower in this picture (outkast, anyone?) and the green organza bolero will be wrapped tightly around my 'waist' (as in 2 inches above my regular waist - but we're not dwelling on that fact for too long), not hangin' about like here.
if i'm going to have the dress made, i'm thinking that the top could be strapless, or with a really big collar - if that makes sense in my poor english. anyway - i'm thrilled i survived this saturday and i came across something i really like!
i want my dad
he needs to give me away and he needs to become a grandfather.
it's freaking not fair -
i don't care i'm whining, this is my blog. so there.
it's freaking not fair -
i don't care i'm whining, this is my blog. so there.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
rock
without me knowing, sarah wrote an e-mail to alo, asking if there was any chance if they could help me get a ticket to the amsterdam jj show. yesterday she told me that dan (of alo) wrote back saying there was a chance he could have a ticket put aside for me. couple of things:
- sarah rocks
- there still is hope
- sarah rocks
- keep your fingers crossed for me
- sarah rocks
seriously - when people do that for you, unasked, that totally rules. thank you, sarah!
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
the dress
this saturday, i'm going shopping for a dress for our wedding. because although i'm going to zap my way through that day, that doesn't mean i can't look pretty (with a 6.5 month gut). i'm going shopping with my mom, which will be highly interesting in itself. my mom and i haven't been shopping since the last time, two years ago, when she stormed out of the store and didn't speak to me for an entire month. needless to say, my mom and i shouldn't really be shopping together. we were never any good at it.
it probably started as soon as i started to develop my 'own' taste. 'own' is exaggerated, because i was at that age where you and all your peers want to look the same. anyway, the way i remember it, my first shopping drama with my mom was when i was 14 and i needed a new winter coat. it was the eighties and i wanted a coat that i could zip the arms off of, so that it would transform into a body warmer (i told you it was the eighties!). my mom on the other hand wanted me to buy this incredibly dull and in my eyes childish, blue, plain coat with a horrible hoody on it (so not what you wanted back then), with a fake fur lining. we argued about this dilemma, until my mom started crying really loud in the middle of the store. my mom has no shame. which is awesome, except when it's not. so she won the first battle.
a gazillion battles later, with wins and losses on both sides, we haven't gotten any wiser. my mom just threw my boots in the trash when i wouldn't, in return i wore a skirt that barely covered my ass to her uncles funeral, just to piss her off. this was all well past my eighteenth birthday.
the thing is, my mom thinks that one style only is good for me: the cover it all up style. she wants my skirts far below the knee, my blazers over my ass, same for sweaters, tops should have a high neckline and definitely not be too tight - apparently i have boobs for nothing - and to make the picture complete, everything should be blue, grey, brown or black. but that's not the worst part. the worst part is, is that she will tell me that i'm too fat for anything that doesn't fit the cover-it-all-up category. in the middle of the store. loud enough for others to hear. i love my mom, but i have always resented that. i mean - she said this when i was actually fat, but also when i actually absolutely wasn't. yes i have hips the size of china and no, my ankles will never be ballet dancer material. that doesn't mean i have to put on a freaking burka. get over it!
ANYWAY.
i sent my mom a picture of a dress that i think would be appropriate for the wedding. nothing white (because really, the whole virginity thing is so not going to fly), but i was thinking green velvet and silk, strapless, with an organza blouse/coat/dressy kind of thing over it. in the same color. totally not too sexy, because hey, i've been sexy enough considering i'm going to deliver a baby. but not something that makes me look like i'm on my way to the market in the center of bagdad either. something nice, or so i thought.
because according to my mom, i 'have to be realistic' and wear nothing that you can 'see through' (the organza thing). a 'business-like but festive suit' would be 'far more appropriate'. "but mom, i would like something that says: let's celebrate". "but you're pregnant, honey". apparently, now that i'm pregnant, it's not appropriate to celebrate.
are you still reading this? really? my compliments.
to make this long story a little shorter: next saturday will be interesting. very interesting. because frankly, now that i'm going to be a mother myself, and now that i'm a hormonal time bomb, i really don't feel like getting what she wants, just to make her happy. I'M getting married. and i plan to do that only once. so i'd like to wear something that I feel good in. i'll keep you posted...
it probably started as soon as i started to develop my 'own' taste. 'own' is exaggerated, because i was at that age where you and all your peers want to look the same. anyway, the way i remember it, my first shopping drama with my mom was when i was 14 and i needed a new winter coat. it was the eighties and i wanted a coat that i could zip the arms off of, so that it would transform into a body warmer (i told you it was the eighties!). my mom on the other hand wanted me to buy this incredibly dull and in my eyes childish, blue, plain coat with a horrible hoody on it (so not what you wanted back then), with a fake fur lining. we argued about this dilemma, until my mom started crying really loud in the middle of the store. my mom has no shame. which is awesome, except when it's not. so she won the first battle.
a gazillion battles later, with wins and losses on both sides, we haven't gotten any wiser. my mom just threw my boots in the trash when i wouldn't, in return i wore a skirt that barely covered my ass to her uncles funeral, just to piss her off. this was all well past my eighteenth birthday.
the thing is, my mom thinks that one style only is good for me: the cover it all up style. she wants my skirts far below the knee, my blazers over my ass, same for sweaters, tops should have a high neckline and definitely not be too tight - apparently i have boobs for nothing - and to make the picture complete, everything should be blue, grey, brown or black. but that's not the worst part. the worst part is, is that she will tell me that i'm too fat for anything that doesn't fit the cover-it-all-up category. in the middle of the store. loud enough for others to hear. i love my mom, but i have always resented that. i mean - she said this when i was actually fat, but also when i actually absolutely wasn't. yes i have hips the size of china and no, my ankles will never be ballet dancer material. that doesn't mean i have to put on a freaking burka. get over it!
ANYWAY.
i sent my mom a picture of a dress that i think would be appropriate for the wedding. nothing white (because really, the whole virginity thing is so not going to fly), but i was thinking green velvet and silk, strapless, with an organza blouse/coat/dressy kind of thing over it. in the same color. totally not too sexy, because hey, i've been sexy enough considering i'm going to deliver a baby. but not something that makes me look like i'm on my way to the market in the center of bagdad either. something nice, or so i thought.
because according to my mom, i 'have to be realistic' and wear nothing that you can 'see through' (the organza thing). a 'business-like but festive suit' would be 'far more appropriate'. "but mom, i would like something that says: let's celebrate". "but you're pregnant, honey". apparently, now that i'm pregnant, it's not appropriate to celebrate.
are you still reading this? really? my compliments.
to make this long story a little shorter: next saturday will be interesting. very interesting. because frankly, now that i'm going to be a mother myself, and now that i'm a hormonal time bomb, i really don't feel like getting what she wants, just to make her happy. I'M getting married. and i plan to do that only once. so i'd like to wear something that I feel good in. i'll keep you posted...
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
useless information
i just found out that the woman who founded in 'n' out burger with her husband, was named esther. ha - i laugh in the face of coincidence.
Monday, February 20, 2006
#4
on the totally ippity up side: i'm going to my first american baseball game in april!!!!!
how stoked am i?
how stoked am i?
and she rambled on.
on third thought, alo should really play their own gig as well. like in the small room of the melkweg or at the paard in the hague.
i mean, if sci can do it, so can they. and i'll bring all of my friends if they play at the paard.
it's an excellent idea.
i mean, if sci can do it, so can they. and i'll bring all of my friends if they play at the paard.
it's an excellent idea.
uhm yeah
on second thought, i don't think i'm ready to accept that i'm going to be sitting at home, while alo is playing 60 km's from my house.
there is a 90% chance that i'm just going to drive up there and try to score a ticket on the spot.
there is a 90% chance that i'm just going to drive up there and try to score a ticket on the spot.
can i get a wha wha?
there are limits to everything, including my budget. i'm experiencing that i cannot have it all. and i need to choose.
- i really, really detest scalping. i actually resent supporting that phenomenon, even indirectly
- i love live music, but i love my friends more
- i love music in general, but i also really love and miss the united states
so i'm not going to see alo opening for jack johnson, unless i find a ticket for face value. sigh. can you believe i just made that decision? neither can i.
but there is a big band-aid for my hurtin'. i'm flying to california in two months!!!
WOOOT
WOOOT
WOOOT
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
nightmare scenario
so jack johnson is coming to amsterdam march 24. i tried to get tickets back in november when they went on sale, but was too late. i figured i'd seen jack in a gym hall, i'd seen him at the melkweg, i'd seen him at bonnaroo - each of those events would easily top his upcoming performance at the heineken -"we love event marketing"- music hall.
but now i just learned that alo is opening for him. my second favorite active band in the world is coming to my country, and i don't have tickets. NONONONONO this is not happening. it can't be. i can't be missing out on alo because of the current jack craze over here. because of a bunch of trend hoppers.
so i found tickets on e-bay for 90 euros. that's three times the original price. what'd ya think? should i do it or not? not because of the money, but because of the 'principle'? you think about that, give me an answer, meanwhile i'll be panicking and continue the search for tickets.
but now i just learned that alo is opening for him. my second favorite active band in the world is coming to my country, and i don't have tickets. NONONONONO this is not happening. it can't be. i can't be missing out on alo because of the current jack craze over here. because of a bunch of trend hoppers.
so i found tickets on e-bay for 90 euros. that's three times the original price. what'd ya think? should i do it or not? not because of the money, but because of the 'principle'? you think about that, give me an answer, meanwhile i'll be panicking and continue the search for tickets.
boohoo
TURIN, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Marianne Timmer from the Netherlands, a former double-Olympic champion, was disqualified on Tuesday from the women's 500 metres speedskating race after a second false start.
South Korea's Choi Seung-yong had the first false start seconds earlier.
Timmer, who won both the 1,000 and 1,500 metres at the Nagano 1998 Olympics but struggled in Salt Lake City four years later leaving empty-handed, skated off the ice disappointed when the flag of her false start was raised as hundreds of Dutch fans whistled and jeered.
Only two false starts in total are allowed in speedskating.
South Korea's Choi Seung-yong had the first false start seconds earlier.
Timmer, who won both the 1,000 and 1,500 metres at the Nagano 1998 Olympics but struggled in Salt Lake City four years later leaving empty-handed, skated off the ice disappointed when the flag of her false start was raised as hundreds of Dutch fans whistled and jeered.
Only two false starts in total are allowed in speedskating.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
marika's comment on previous post made me realize that although we're 'all' watching the olympics, we're probably not watching the same sports, at all. at least, until speed skating is done... speed skating is the big thing in the netherlands, as far as winter olympics are concerned. i love to watch it, mostly because i grew up with it of course, but also because the dutch crowd at speed skating rocks. they applaude and yell for everyone, not just the dutchies. they just love to go to a race and watch the best man or woman win. like this guy
that's chad hedrick and he's american. i wouldn't be surprised if you never heard of him. anyway, he won the men's 5000 meters and beat our 19 year old sven kramer. and the dutch crowd was throwing orange items on the ice rink, as a token of great appreciation for his accomplishment. stuff like that makes me think there is still hope for us all.
that's chad hedrick and he's american. i wouldn't be surprised if you never heard of him. anyway, he won the men's 5000 meters and beat our 19 year old sven kramer. and the dutch crowd was throwing orange items on the ice rink, as a token of great appreciation for his accomplishment. stuff like that makes me think there is still hope for us all.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Friday, February 10, 2006
love baby
i miss you all so goddamn much it's freaking killing me!!!!!!!
(i cried at a commercial yesterday. need i say more?)
(i cried at a commercial yesterday. need i say more?)
Wednesday, February 8, 2006
went to the obstetrician this morning and everything is fine. we still have a heartbeat (both me and the fetus) and the thing was very much alive and moving around its current home like crazy. an awesome thing to hear. yes, you can actually hear it moving.
i need to give the fetus an english name. 'fetus' sounds too clinical. we have a dutch work name, 'fritsje', but that name will probably kill you guys. anyone have a suggestion for an english work name? oh, and the name of the baby, whether boy or girl, can be pronunciated in both english and dutch, rest assured. (poor thing, already caught up in mom's obsessions).
i'm not reading a lot of books and magazines on being pregnant and giving birth. i figure nature will do what it has to do and as long as i don't smoke and drink and eat healthy, i can't do much wrong. but last night i woke up at about 4 am, as per usual, and couldn't get back to sleep, so i did some reading in a pregnancy magazine my mom gave me.
i read that 91% of american women give birth on pain killers, opposed to 7% of dutch women. holy wow. i don't know whether to be happy about giving birth on this side of the pond or not. i did decide however i will give birth in the hospital and not at home (the latter is very common over here). women say they want to give birth at home because it's more 'comfortable'. comfortable? are you insane? the last thing i associate with giving birth is 'comfortable'. i just want to be in a hospital where there are plenty of people that know better what to do than i do, poop out the kid, go home and then be 'comfortable'.
okay, enough baby talk.
i forgot to tell you what we did this weekend. we went to the zoo. always a strange thing, because on the one hand it's great to see they are preserving for example the last giant turtles on earth (did you know they've been here since the dino age?), but on the other hand, it's not so pretty to look and gasp at flamingos with their left wing cut off, to keep them from getting away.
however, the penguins from peru (penguins in peru? that was news to me) were so incredibly cute. i had to think of gina, she would have been all over them. they had built a 'natural habitat' for them and you could also see them under water. those creatures swim fast! another nice thing to know, is that peruvian penguins store their crap all winter, and survive the summer by digging holes in that huge pile of dung. awesome.
we also went for a walk in the woods and visited megalithic grave. it wasn't as exciting as the penguins, but maarten is a walking history encyclopedia and always has a story to tell, so that was nice.
what else, what else.
oh right! we're getting married may 19. and now i need my morning snack.
i need to give the fetus an english name. 'fetus' sounds too clinical. we have a dutch work name, 'fritsje', but that name will probably kill you guys. anyone have a suggestion for an english work name? oh, and the name of the baby, whether boy or girl, can be pronunciated in both english and dutch, rest assured. (poor thing, already caught up in mom's obsessions).
i'm not reading a lot of books and magazines on being pregnant and giving birth. i figure nature will do what it has to do and as long as i don't smoke and drink and eat healthy, i can't do much wrong. but last night i woke up at about 4 am, as per usual, and couldn't get back to sleep, so i did some reading in a pregnancy magazine my mom gave me.
i read that 91% of american women give birth on pain killers, opposed to 7% of dutch women. holy wow. i don't know whether to be happy about giving birth on this side of the pond or not. i did decide however i will give birth in the hospital and not at home (the latter is very common over here). women say they want to give birth at home because it's more 'comfortable'. comfortable? are you insane? the last thing i associate with giving birth is 'comfortable'. i just want to be in a hospital where there are plenty of people that know better what to do than i do, poop out the kid, go home and then be 'comfortable'.
okay, enough baby talk.
i forgot to tell you what we did this weekend. we went to the zoo. always a strange thing, because on the one hand it's great to see they are preserving for example the last giant turtles on earth (did you know they've been here since the dino age?), but on the other hand, it's not so pretty to look and gasp at flamingos with their left wing cut off, to keep them from getting away.
however, the penguins from peru (penguins in peru? that was news to me) were so incredibly cute. i had to think of gina, she would have been all over them. they had built a 'natural habitat' for them and you could also see them under water. those creatures swim fast! another nice thing to know, is that peruvian penguins store their crap all winter, and survive the summer by digging holes in that huge pile of dung. awesome.
we also went for a walk in the woods and visited megalithic grave. it wasn't as exciting as the penguins, but maarten is a walking history encyclopedia and always has a story to tell, so that was nice.
what else, what else.
oh right! we're getting married may 19. and now i need my morning snack.
Monday, February 6, 2006
operation tent
i forgot - i bought my first maternity clothes this weekend! cargo pants, jeans skirt, a top and a blouse.
those cargo pants put the bag in baggy trousers. holy cow, with the emphasis on cow. they really are beyond huge. but so much more comfortable than pants with zippers and/or buttons!
just sharing ;)
those cargo pants put the bag in baggy trousers. holy cow, with the emphasis on cow. they really are beyond huge. but so much more comfortable than pants with zippers and/or buttons!
just sharing ;)
for the love of god
i would really like to spend one morning, one only, where i can actually focus on my job, instead of not throwing up.
OKAY???!!!
hi!
i had a wonderful weekend. we went on a little trip for maarten's birthday. i think i slept 10 hours a night, without waking up every hour. and we walked. a lot. i wish i could tell you more about that, but i need some herbal tea with ginger right about now.
OKAY???!!!
hi!
i had a wonderful weekend. we went on a little trip for maarten's birthday. i think i slept 10 hours a night, without waking up every hour. and we walked. a lot. i wish i could tell you more about that, but i need some herbal tea with ginger right about now.
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
shayna's four survey
Four jobs I've had in my life:
pr assistant
event coordinator
business development executive
communication officer
Four movies I can watch over and over:
the sound of music
the cook, the thief, his wife and her lover
steel magnolias
the breakfast club
Four places I have lived:
den haag
utrecht
voorburg
amsterdam
Four TV shows I love to watch:
lost
friends
the 4400
little britain
Four places I have been on vacation:
greece
italy
south africa
usa
Four websites I visit daily:
mail.yahoo.com
various blogs
www.vliegwinkel.nl
our intranetsite
Four of my favorite foods:
chicken alla sienna
pork shop's b.l.a.t
in 'n' out burger
fresh pasta with smoked salmon sauce
Four places I would rather be right now:
new york
boston
tahoe
minneapolis
seattle
athens
miami beach
san diego
san francisco
charlottesville
havanna (for variety's sake)
Four people I tag to do this survey:
robbi
meeks
sarah
annemarie
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