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Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Paella






























I got lucky this weekend!

Some hot babe flew in from the states and decided to spend a few days with me before she jetted back off to Asia. I had meticulously planned my three days with her, trying to maximize every minute of our time together.

Unfortunately, the first day was lost to jet lag…hey, I said she was hot, not young. But we made up for it on Saturday and Sunday, acting like a couple of hormonally overcharged teenagers who's parents are out of town for a few days.

It was a great weekend by all accounts. But it is kind of funny to compare notes between us. I think that I've been as clear as I can in expressing what my favorite part of the weekend was. Remember, my parents (and Beth's) read this blog. I'm a guy. We're easy to figure out, right?

With Beth, it's not always so easy. We were out walking the dog in the park on Sunday evening and ran into a good friend of ours. During the course of our conversation, this friend asked Beth what the best part of her weekend home was. I expected her to get a little red in the face and maybe let out a girlish giggle or two of embarrassment. But instead, Beth looked our friend right in the eye and without hesitation answered: “The Paella”.

Ok. It’s true. I make a mean Paella. But c’mon. You’d have thought she could have at least acknowledged the innuendo and maybe thrown my ego a little scrap of recognition. Well, I guess that I’ll just have to try harder next time.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

The Dog Days of Winter



February turned into a heavy travel month for Beth. She is on a marathon three week business trip that takes her across 13 times zones and a 35 degree Celsius temperature difference (that’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit folks!). She started out in London last week then headed over to Philadelphia to conduct interviews for one of the two positions that she is hiring. Then she spends the weekend with her parents down in Delaware. On Monday she goes up to Boston for the week. Luckily she gets to stop over in Haarlem the following weekend for a much needed conjugal visit before making her way to the other side of the globe – Singapore.

So, this week I’m just going to put out a few pictures of Sage and her friends. It’s where most of my “out of house” time is spent while Beth is away, so it feels appropriate. Cheers!

Three Amigos


Sage, Peepaw, and Jollie. These three are best buds in the park. It’s a constant swirl of activity and was impossible for them to stay still for a photo.

Rough Day


Sage and Sebbie after a hard day at the park. Seb is probably Sage’s best friend and when he spends the night she has no problem sharing with him.

Rosie


...or Rosarita. She answers to both. Rosie is probably the only dog that can take apart an indestructible Kong toy. She is the sworn enemy of children’s balls in the park. When she sees a ball, it is amazing how quickly she can sprint across the field, grab the ball and have it flattened before anyone knows that she is even gone. We’re talking under 30 seconds. Frank has to carry money with him on every walk in case he has to purchase a new ball for the kids.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Sunny winter days



It has been a very mild winter here in Holland. We’ve actually seen quite a few sunny days and have been able to enjoy more outdoor activities than is typical for this time of year. Now that Beth has a new bike, we’ve been doing a lot more riding…even more than we used to do with the old beater that she brought from the states. And with her sporty new blue helmet, she’ll even hit the single track with me. She’s still not screaming down the hills, but she holds her own pretty good and she is almost able to climb “The Wall” at Kilometer 16 in Schoorl….affectionately named after the steep grade up 8th Street back in Boise.

I still want to do my solo trip along the Rhine river to Switzerland this year, but I think that the more she rides the more interest she has in joining me on a few overnighters with the bikes…as long as I’m hauling her stuff in the panniers.

The Payoff


A view like this makes a day of riding extra special. This spot is at the top of a hill after a steep climb out of the thick pine forest. We usually take a break here because you are out in the sun and can see for miles beyond the dunes to the North Sea. on the far side of the the hill, the trail drops down a long hard-packed screamer of single track and plunges back into the woods.