I just don’t understand it!

About four years ago, I met this woman on the Net and we really connected. We started mailing each other on a regular basis and we became pen palls or email-palls, I guess that’s the more modern word for it. We have shared problems, laughter, fun stuff, break ups, death, tears and joy. Actually we shared all the stuff that goes on in our lives.

Recently she got diagnosed with leukaemia. It is not the worst kind you can get. She’s on medication for now and hopefully she will not need chemo and maybe she still has a whole life ahead of her, but the news was a big shock. So I tried to call her the moment I got her email. How weird, the number was disconnected, so I had to mail her instead and I did. I told her how I felt, that I was thinking of her and that I would be there for her. I also told her about my phone call. She replied immediately (she was at work). She had problems with her cellphone but we could still send mail to each other.

But there was a little problem with that, too. For the first time in ages she had no computer at home and no internet hook-up. She could only mail me from work. Hmmz…that is soooo strange. This girl practically lived via the Net. So I read the remainder of her last mail and soon enough it became all clear to me.

About a year ago she met the “new love of her live” via the Net and this guy is a real jerk. I know this, because she told me all about it. Only she does not see it that way…she still sees everything through her pink lovey-dovey glasses. Okay to be honest, he is not a total jerk, he is good to her (sometimes) but he is extremely jealous. From the moment he entered her live he has taken over her live. He decides who she sees, talks to and have contact with. He sabotages her cellphone sometimes; he makes sure she can’t access the Net and regulates who she meets but most importantly who she not meets. She has lost a lot of friends this year and will probably lose a lot more of them because this guy wants to move to another city, away from all her friends and away from the place she has lived for the past 20 years or so.

And this is the part I don’t understand. She needs all the support she can get right now. Why does he want to isolate her? Why is this guy so insecure? Dude, wake up….. let her chose her own path, her own friends and let her enjoy the rest of her life, who knows how short or how long (hopefully) it’s going be.

Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really like it (and I’m a bit surprised by that fact). The plot is great, the action is fast and hilarious and the characters wacky. From the start the heroine Alex a.k.a. Barney is believable and appealing.

From the backcover:

‘Alex Barnaby isn’t in Miami for the humidity or the huge bugs. She’s trying to saver her brother, “Wild” Bill Barnaby. Hard on Bill’s trail through the bars of South Beach, Key West and Cuba she meets Sam Hooker, the man Bill “borrowed” a yacht from. Hooker, stock-car hero and hot stuff, figures Alex is his link to scumbag Bill- besides, she’s a sweetie. The race to finish takes Alex and Hooker into international waters, exposing a plot to grab Cuban gold and a sinister relic of the missile crisis.

It’s a high-octane misadventure with hot nights, cold- blooded murder and a woman built for speed. Cussing and sexual innuendo included.’

Oh and I liked the title of this book too although it took me a while to figure out where the author got that from. It is all explained in the end when one of the characters says ‘Just look at you in your brand new little pink skirt and adorable blond hair. Who would think you smoked cigars and overhauled carburetors? It’s like you take metro-sexual to a whole new level. It’s like you’re Metro Girl.’

Conclusion: great, fast-paced and funny read!

Happy Halloween!

Sometimes weekends are packed with too much fun!

It is now somewhere between 2 and 3 in the afternoon and I’m still not, what certain people call, awake! I guess that’s quite normal if you are a wake till 3 and then only sleep 6 hours or so. But I had a great time and that’s what counts. Having fun is important!

Friday I went to see Boom Chicago but I’ve already told you about that. Saturday I went shopping with a friend. That was fun, but it was actually a total waste of time. My friend needed clothes for a special occasion, the only problem was that all the clothes were not special enough. Oh, she tried on some very outrageous or exaggeratedly creative designs but it was nothing like the thing she had in mind. On Sunday an old friend of mine came by. He had called me out of the blue on my birthday and promised to take me out to dinner one evening and yesterday was that evening.

It was a bit difficult to book a table in advance so we had to pick a restaurant at random. The first restaurant was fully booked. The second restaurant had a free table but we had to order right away and eat, drink and have fun in less than 50 minutes. That is no fun at all. So we continued our search and finally found a new restaurant with an available table. Time to sit down, relax, enjoy the evening and catching up. Chill! We were in no hurry at all but for some reason the waiter thought we were so every couple of minutes he came over to tell us that the food was on his way. In the end we just said to guy ‘hey man, relax, we are in no hurry at all’ and that helped. The evening was filled with nice food and wine, great music, tons of laughter and fabulous conversations.

My friend spend the night at my place (because he lives in another city) and we talked, laughed and talked some more. It was almost like a pyjamaparty! We had a great time…. funny how you can feel so at ease with certain people. It almost feels like coming home, everytime I see or talk to this guy again. I can’t really explain the feeling. I met him five and a half years ago, he was my b-friend for 3 of those years but although we loved each other dearly that didn’t work out and now we still love each other but on another level and we get along great and that’s an understatement.

Well, this morning we had breakfast, talked again and then it was bye bye time. I don’t know when I will see him again (he has a very hectic job) but I know I’ll see him again (for sure) and that we will have just as much fun as this time. Goodbye my friend, see you soon!

Boom!

Or to be more correct Boom Chicago, but that is not a catchy header, is it? And NO, I don’t suddenly dislike Chicago or feel the urge to blow up the windy city. I went to see Boom Chicago yesterday and I had a blast (so to speak!) For those of you who have never heard of them, here is a short introduction (shamelessly stolen from their site).

Boom Chicago is an Amsterdam institution. For twelve years, they have mixed good writing, quick thinking and high production values to create sharp, funny shows. They tour the Netherlands -- and the world -- performing at theaters, festivals and corporate events. Most people see Boom Chicago in Amsterdam at the 300-seat Leidseplein Theater, where they perform almost every night. The audience is seated around tables, and people eat and drink as well. Our menu changes with the seasons, and we serve great drinks and cocktails.

I went to see the new comedy show yesterday which takes a look at the world today. It's easy to get pessimistic. The economy is weak. Bombs are exploding. Integration and Islam are at the center of an exhausting debate. In the post-Theo (van Gogh) world, Dutch traditions of tolerance and freedom of speech are changing. The facts aren’t pretty, but there are answers. You just have to take the bull by the horns and get ready to laugh.

Boom Chicago is not exactly stand-up comedy it is a combination of improvisation, sketch comedy, music and video. I liked the improvisations best. But I liked it even more when I noticed that the people of Boom Chicago had so much fun themselves.

Well, if you ever go to Amsterdam (or if you see announcement in your area) go and see them, I can highly recommend it!

For more information about Boom Chicago or the Real Amsterdam (or if you feel a desperate need to laugh, see the new video section!) check their site. Oh and most members of Boom Chicago are American so the site is totally in English.

Time!

How did this happen? I’ve been so busy with answering mail, sorting out my finances and responding to comments, that I don’t have time to write a post for my blog. Well that is a first! No not really, I know, but it is just fun to say that! I’ll probably be back tomorrow, or not. I have a pretty busy weekend ahead of me! So I guess you will something new here, when I post something new here! Have a great weekend; don’t forget to enjoy it and smile!

Smile, it makes people wonder what you’re up too……

Other news: McDonald’s to put nutrition facts on packaging

Mindlessly eating a fat burger is going to be a thing of the past!

Customers soon will know that the Big Mac they just bought contains almost half of their recommended daily fat intake by just looking at the wrapper. Information including calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates and sodium will be on all their products. McDonald’s is introducing this new packaging style in the Netherlands (of all places) at the beginning of 2006. By the end of the year all restaurants will be using it (at least that’s the plan).

This all is part of the new campaign McDonald’s has undertaken. Now they (want to) promote a balanced, active lifestyle. They already eliminated the “Super Size” menu option.

Just so you know: a Big Mac contains roughly 510 calories and 26 grams of fat. When you also add a medium French fries, ketchup and a medium vanilla shake it comes to a grand total of 1308 calories and 56 grams of fat.

I’m lovin’ it…….. NOT!

Don’t you just hate it when that happens?

This morning I decided to skip my usual work out and I went for a swim instead (note: I don’t hate that). The water was warm, the sun was shining through the large windows, and it almost felt like summer. Well, actually it is a bit like summer over here. The temperatures should be down to 53º F by now, but today its 68º F. I guess the climate is changing after all (note: I do hate that) but that’s not what this little piece is about. Well, go on then… what’s it about? Okay, I’ll tell you!

After my swim I met up with an acquaintance of mine for coffee. I could call her a friend but I don’t see her as much as I used to and we don’t have that much in common, so acquaintance is probably the right word. We started talking about life, love, work, music, movies and other fun things and it was quite nice for a while. But then I started noticing something. Every few sentences she said this: ‘Well, I know you, you said……’ or ‘Well, I know you, you did that… or ‘I know you so well, you would never do that’.(note: Now that I do hate) I could give you a lot of other examples but I won’t bore you with those.

So here I was, sitting opposite of someone, who said she knows me sooooo well, but actually don’t know me at all. All the things she said didn’t make any sense. Was she confusing me with someone else? No, that couldn’t be it! We chatted some more and she kept on saying all these annoying things about me. I started to ponder: ‘Should I confront her with this, or is that a bad idea?’ To be honest, I didn’t need to think long about that, because my mouth sometimes has a mind of its own. Before I could answer my own question, my mouth blurted out ‘Actually, you don’t know me at all. You still think I’m the same person as I was 10 years ago, but I’m not!’ She was totally gobsmacked and uttered words like ‘But you still swim, don’t you? Okay, you lost some weight but you are still the same person in that new body, aren’t you?’

So I answered truthfully ‘Yes, I swim occasionally and no, I’m not the same person anymore. I’ve been through a lot these last couple of years and that has changed me considerably.’ And there was that gobsmacked face again. She said she didn’t know that, and she doesn’t because not everybody knows all the ins and outs but still most people see the positive changes in me. She is just sooo self-centered; she never completely gets what’s going on in other people’s lives. My mouth almost said that but I could control it for once.

Needless to say, we didn’t part on the best terms and that’s okay. But I still can’t get my head around to it. How is it possible that there are people out there who think that people never change? That people just stay the same from the moment you’ve met them? I think it’s fun to discover new things in people, new interests and changes. Well, I guess not everyone is like that, so that’s another lesson learned today.

Golden leaf!

Golden leaf!
Originally uploaded by Dakota_.

Pick a fight!

Keep the fire burning!

I got inspired by something I’ve read on 43things. People lose their way in life or lose the passion for the things they used to love (been there, done that!). It’s important to have love and passion in your life. And with this I don’t mean only in your love life, but in your life in general.

Lost your way, energy, positive flow? Don’t worry, you can change this all by yourself and it is way easier then you think. Stir up your inner flame. It’s important that you keep the fire burning. If the fire already died just ignite it again. You, yourself need to do this. No one can do this for you.

Ways to stir up your inner flame:

say NO, if your heart/mind tells you to,

spend time with people you love,

sympathize with others

rest if you need it (or even if you don’t need it)

take some YOU time

exercise

eat healthy

think about the future, pursue your dreams

spend time with people that inspire you

have a good time, do things you enjoy or inspire you

take care of yourself

make love

keep promises

be honest to yourself and others

appreciate yourself

be charitable

be intimate with people you love

tell others what they mean to you

dance

forgive

take responsibility

let others help and inspire you

do all the things you love doing.

Do all these things, or try just a few… soon enough you will noticed a small flame, that will grow into a blazing fire.

Just finished: Split Ends by Zoë Barnes and….

I didn’t like it. The story is soooo predictable. Read only the backcover that saves you a lot of time :) The very short version of this book:

Girl meets boy - Girl gets pregnant – Boy leaves her – Girl finds another boy – Marries him – After 8 years they separate because they didn’t marry out of love – Boy gets mistress – Girl gets toy boy – Both relationships don’t work – Girl and boy meet up again and live happily ever after.

Of course there are few other storylines in the book but they are not really worth your trouble. All in all, it is not a very creative story. Sorry!!

So is it a ‘bloody good read’ like the cover suggest? In my opinion NOT!

Kara-okay!

Give your vocal cords a little exercise!

Creamy Pasta with Mushrooms

Italian, Main course, serves 2, pasta

Preparation time in minutes
30

Contains per single serving:
Energy 1065 cal, - protein 32 g
Fat 69g – carbohydrates 79 g

Ingredient’s:
200 g penne pasta
2 Portobello mushrooms
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
6 slices (rashers) of bacon
125 ml whipping cream
75 g Rucola
50 g Parmesan cheese in thin slices or grated.
Salt, freshly ground (lemon)pepper

Method:
Cook the Penne according to the instructions on the package.
Clean the mushrooms and cut them up into slices.
Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan.
Put the garlic in and fry for one minute.
Put the mushrooms in and fry them over high heat for 4 minutes (let the moister evaporate).
Season well, with salt and lemonpepper.
Put everything on a plate and let it rest.
Put the rest of the oil in the same pan.
Bake the bacon until they are crispy and brown.
Take the bacon from the pan and put them on a piece of kitchen paper.
Strain the penne; reserve some of the hot water.
Put the penne back in the pan.
Add some of the cream and some of the reserved water.
Stir and put the rest of the cream (and water if needed) in.
Re-head it slowly.
Add the mushrooms, garlic and Rucola, stir lightly/slowly
If it’s hot enough, take it of the heat.
Divide the pasta over two plates or bowls sprinkle the bacon and the cheese over the top

Enjoy!!

Shouldn’t you be working?

I just found out that a lot of people are reading blogs during working hours. Are you one of them? Shame on you! ;)

At the moment 25 % of the American workforce (roughly 140 million) visit blogs during working hours, this according to new statistics. These 35 million workers spend approximately 9% of their time on blogs, which makes a total of 3½ hours per week.

The blogs people visit are not work related; they just read blogs to satisfy their own curiosity.

But is this really a bad thing? Is this really a waste of time? Or in other words: are people spending more time on the internet or are they just substituting surfing the web with reading blogs? The work still gets done, isn’t it?

Maybe blogs are just another way of social interaction, which might improve the wellbeing of workers. Maybe this is just a modern variation of people hanging around watercoolers talking and sharing the latest news and gossip.

And now back to work…. ;)

Today’s special

Phil had some great news yesterday. To celebrate this occasion I have

decorated my house today ;-)

Novastar

My favorite CD at the moment is Novastar by Novastar. I guess most of you have never heard of Novastar so maybe a little introduction might be nice.

Novastar is the stage-name of the Flemish/Dutch singer/songwriter Joost Zweegers. In 1996 he won the Humo Rock Rally and in 2000 he released his first CD Novastar. Joost went to the United States to write new songs for the next album but couldn’t find the inspiration he needed there. Washed out he returned to Belgium and he considered quieting the business totally. Luckily he met Piet Goddaer (Ozark Henry) and together they started writing song for the new album. In 2004 that new album was finally released and is called Another Lonely Soul and I love that one too.

Favorite tracks from the Novastar album: - Wrong, - Lost and Blown away, - The Best is Yet to Come.
Favorite tracks from the Another Lonely Soul album: - Never back down, - Rome, - When The Lights go Down on the Broken Hearted.

43Things

I wrote a few pieces in the past about this site and I like it, but I guess that’s pretty obvious by now.

Lately, however, I see more and more people just posting (mediocre) goals up there just so they can tick them as completed just a second later. I thought the purpose of this site was to write down your goals and share your progress. And when you see a goal you’ve achieved, you can click on the “I’ve done this” button and share a story about how you did it so others can be inspired or learn from it.

Can you win a price when you have the most completed goals, or something? If so, I can post a few average goals too: use a French bathroom (the hole in the ground kind) - not worth it, board a train that’s going nowhere – not worth it, remove the fallen leaves from the grass – not worth it (if there are still leaves on the trees) and so on and so on.

This doesn’t mean I think it’s wrong that people add completed goals to their list, but let them at least write something about it so people can be inspired or learn from it.

Weird coincidence, sign from above, fanatic religious group?

How strange is this? I just checked my blog on another computer and made a typing error. I typed http://www.dakotashabitat.blogpsot.com.... And there it was, a whole site dedicated to Amazing Bible studies. That is so not me! Is this just a weird coincidence? Or is there a fanatic religious group that makes alternative sites as soon as you post an anti-religious comment on your blog?

The hills are alive with the sound of music…

With songs they have sung for a thousand years,
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music,
My heart wants to sing every song it hears……

Okay, you get the picture… been there, done that… last night was the sing-along-a-Sound of Music-night, and I had sooooo much fun! If you ever want to do something completely different, try this. I can highly recommend it!

My friend and I didn’t dress up but a lot of others did… mostly as nuns, but there were also captain’s Von Trap, Maria’s and Von Trap children. In the foyer was a MAX DETTWEILER MERCHANDISING oulet, were you could also buy stuff to dress up in. We could not totally resist so we bought goatherd hats and some additional stuff to supplement the free goody bag.

When we entered the theatre there was Austrian music playing and the host was dancing an Austrian dance…..I don’t recommend doing that :) The evening begins with a little show in which the host will lead you through a vocal warm-up and he will show you how to use the free goody bag throughout the movie and suggest some appropriate heckles and accompanying actions (such as hissing the countess, barking at Rolf, yell ‘mountains’ when you see them, wave a piece of fabric when Maria sits in front of the curtains, yell ‘you can do it, Maria’ when Maria hesitates, shine with the flashlight to blind the Nazi’s, and, of course, cheer for Maria/Julie ). There are lots of these instructions but by the time the movie starts you just have to improvise because you simply forgot a lot of them.

Then, you sit back and watch the original 1965 (it was a good year ;)) movie in glorious Technicolor ™ with the lyrics for all the songs on the screen, so you won’t miss a chance to sing your heart and lungs out. The audience takes over as the star of the show from this point and almost anything can happen – the first rule of Sing-a-long-a is THERE ARE NO RULES! You can even leave your cell-phone on so you can tell your friends what a wonderful time you are having.

After the intermission there is a fancy dress competition and there are prices for the children Von Tramp, best dressed “whatever” and of course best nuns. The nuns I liked best. There was one group of 18 nuns and they had rehearsed a song just for this occasion. But the best part was the Whoopi Goldberg look-a-like. All of a sudden we were transported to ‘Sister Act’. Fun… with a capital F!


I had a great evening…. I’m sure I’m going to do this again.... sometime!