stink

you all know that the worst flight i ever had, is the flight to dallas for shayna's wedding. and y'all know why. if not, you're a guy or i don't know you well enough.

i have to say though, at random and completely out of the blue, that my flight back home from msn was second to worst.

i had the middle seat of the seats in the middle. on my right was a severely overweight woman (even less space for me) that had the. worst. breath. ever. she fell asleep (breathing through her mouth) with her face turned to me.
on my left, was the sweetest and oldest man (so old i was afraid he might turn into dust right there), who farted continuously when he was asleep. and he slept a lot.

all this for 10 hours. SUCH FUN!!!

these are yannick's 'school' pictures. the left one was taken last year, the right one this year.

okay - i think somebody stole my kid. the only thing that these kids have in common are their ears.

p.s.: no, these were not taken back in the fifties and i apologize if the bright colors have blinded you.

what i learned in the twin cities

1. nature in holland is a big fat joke






























2. people care enough about politics to make their own signs














3. no ice. no plates. great company. juicy lucy.














4. i miss this couch. so much.














5. dutch baseball is a big fat joke

























6. pipi longstockings is not from sweden (and this is my next home)














7. i finally understand that oprah truly is uneducated. i finally do. i couldn't shake the whole matter and i kept thinking about it and watching old shows, searching for the answer - and i finally understand. someone is laughing hard right now :)

8. if i had to choose between st. paul and minneapolis, i'd pick st. paul in a heartbeat. in fact, someday i'm going to live there. maybe not in this life, but some day. the best thing about st. paul? that it's right next to minneapolis.

In the honor of childhood heroes, when good was still good and the suffering conquered in nobility.

On the Island (fragment)
Cement-grey floors and walls
cement-grey days
cement-grey time
and a grey susurration
as of seas breaking
winds blowing
and rains drizzling
A barred existence
so that one did not need to look
at doors or windows
to know that they were sundered by bars
and one locked in a grey gelid stream
of unmoving time

Dennis Brutus - 1963

He emerged, walked free
looking like an ordinary, sweet grandfather

Lynne Bryer - 1990

in the land of the freeeeeeeeeeeeeee (part I)

so i went on a plane on may 14 and suddenly july is here and i finally have time to exhale.
who is interested to hear why i've been working day and night ever since i got back? nobody, and rightfully so. i'm not even interested and supposedly, this is my life.
so let's get back to the states, shall we? going back to saturn where the moonbeams glow, cause that was my first stop.

(i LOVED LOVED LOVED the new system on the plane where you could select and play your own movie/show/music whenever you wanted - AWESOME! especially for someone who simply cannot sleep on planes; = me).

(oh, how wonderful it is to not go through nicotine withdrawal on a 24 hour trip)

whoops and mrs. whoops were gracious enough to have me as their guest for a couple of days, in sucky sacramento. i say 'sucky', because they don't live there anymore now and hopefully they won't be offended. so, my third time in sucky sac and the "sparrows were falling off the roof" (dutch expression for "holy mother of god, it's hot").

after whoops picked me up and i picked up a burger at in 'n' out, i finally (well, four weeks after his birth) got to meet the mini-whoops. the mini-whoops is very lively (whodda thunk) and very adorable. i got him an orange poloshirt with the dutch lion on it and a navy blue rugby jersey (# 08). i hope he likes those colors.

suddenly we're all grown up. married, babies, respectable jobs... thank god we could still discuss everything and anything and thank god i had to tell my dear friend to shut up and let me talk for once, at least once a day. i hope that never changes.
what was really great and in hinsight not surprising, is that mrs. whoops is someone i could see myself being friends with. i don't know if that makes any sense, but it's one thing to like your friend's spouse, but another thing to genuinely like them.

(i'm not in good form today and my english sucks. stay with me people).

anyhoo, due to the heat we spent a lot of time outside sucky sac, enjoying the sceneries of for instance marin county and napa valley. we had lunch by the by on the terrace of this cute little place with the most spectacular view ever. i'd put up the picture if it didn't have any people in it. now you'll just have to believe me.

all in all, i had a great time but the visit only lasted two days. having an 'intergalactic' best friend has its perks but sometimes, it really sucks that you have about five minutes to catch up 'in real life' and then not see each other again for god knows how long.

i'll be posting about minnesooootah asap. with pictures!

i need a break

i actually need a break from not posting. something's gotta change. i miss my blog. it's insane that i haven't had a lunch break at work since.... forever. that i'm too tired to call, e-mail, write or talk to anyone after i get home. that i either have a shooting pain in my back or my head.

something's gotta change and the first change is me starting to post again. i miss this here blog. i miss at least kidding myself that i'm keeping in touch with y'all.

LOVE!
BABY!

P.S.: i'm starting tomorrow.

LAME!!

i know