tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85230567003956329742024-03-13T12:14:29.772-07:005371 Miles AwayLibbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-57088494338598923602011-02-03T02:20:00.000-08:002011-02-03T02:20:36.396-08:00Piece of Me: You I think I'll miss most of all<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Two days ago I left my family and Fien. And yesterday I arrived in the UK not having shed one tear. It hasn't hit me yet. And when it does I'm going to be a mess...<br />
<br />
<strong>This month</strong> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February">February</a>)…<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>I like:</strong> um...without sounding pathetic, it's really hard to think of something right now.<br />
<strong>I don't like:</strong> realizing how hard it is to say goodbye (more on that story later)<br />
<strong>I want you to know:</strong> that I think I'm going to keep the title of my blog even though it won't really make sense anymore...and that I <em>really am</em> going to blog about all the things I said I'd blog about it...now I'll have more time seeing as I'm unemployed.<br />
<strong>I've planned:</strong> six weeks in the UK and Ireland...Edinburgh, Dublin (where Mags is joining), Liverpool, Stratford Upon Avon, Nottingham, Cork, Isle of Skye...you name it...I'm seeing it...if I can afford it...<br />
<strong>I want to say to someone special:</strong> Dear Holland, Fien, Suzan, Rogier, Sket, Mags, Lily, Kim, and everyone else: I miss you already.<br />
<br />
<strong>Picture of the Month:</strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxz15liRPl1qzwldso1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxz15liRPl1qzwldso1_500.png" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
Woord of the Day: Sprokkelmaand - Gathering Month (or February)</div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-32200743102416389982011-01-26T14:24:00.000-08:002011-01-26T14:24:01.535-08:00He's Perfect<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So as promised...I'd like to present to you...<br />
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<div style="color: #0b5394; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Sket Stijn Duindam</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TUCeIBHCoDI/AAAAAAAAC8c/NaqSwrvZ28Q/s1600/101_2402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TUCeIBHCoDI/AAAAAAAAC8c/NaqSwrvZ28Q/s400/101_2402.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Born the 24th of January, 2011</div><div style="text-align: center;">Time: 18:44 </div><div style="text-align: center;">Weight: 3860 grams</div><div style="text-align: center;">Zodiac: The Waterman (Aquarius) </div><div style="text-align: center;">Adorableness: Off the Charts</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mama and Baby are both doing well. Rogier is a proud Papa. And Fien is immensely enjoying her roll as "big sister."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Let's see how things are going shall we?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's Fien ridiculously excited to be in the playpen with her brother. Big Sister/Little Brother shirts courtesy of Kaiser Permanente in California (thanks Mama and Papa!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TUCeAL1DGgI/AAAAAAAAC8U/wketVsnyryw/s1600/101_2404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TUCeAL1DGgI/AAAAAAAAC8U/wketVsnyryw/s400/101_2404.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's me with the Munchkins...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TUCeCl4AkEI/AAAAAAAAC8Y/TUEWtvZ5fXk/s1600/101_2407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TUCeCl4AkEI/AAAAAAAAC8Y/TUEWtvZ5fXk/s400/101_2407.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's Mags with the munchkins. Romper has been switched to show off the Red Sox accompanied by matching B/Minnie hat (I'll allow this non-A's gear just only because it's so darn cute!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TUCejIq3ZxI/AAAAAAAAC8g/maIBddF8z2w/s1600/101_2409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TUCejIq3ZxI/AAAAAAAAC8g/maIBddF8z2w/s400/101_2409.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And here's the crowning glory...the greatest moment of my day...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TUCemwYnAfI/AAAAAAAAC8k/WxoZkxZat_0/s1600/foto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TUCemwYnAfI/AAAAAAAAC8k/WxoZkxZat_0/s1600/foto.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">LOOK HOW TINY HE IS! AND HIS HANDS! AND FEET! AND HE WEIGHS NOTHING!!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sigh...what a wonderful week. I'm sure more pictures will follow. I'm going parent-camera-crazy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Word of the Day: zoon - son</div></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-84278559410641787972011-01-24T14:19:00.000-08:002011-01-24T14:19:12.564-08:00WELCOME!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">My two text messages for the day:<br />
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Suzan: Libby, Sket is part of us!! We will be home tomorrow if nothing goes wrong. Love, Suzan<br />
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Rogier: Wat een prachtig mannetje. Wat een schitterend nieuw leven. Hij liet even op zich wachten maar ligt nu lekker in zijn bed. Zijn naam is Sket!<br />
<i>Translation: What a wonderful man. What a wonderful new life. He took his time but is now comfortably in his bed. His name is Sket!</i><br />
<br />
(He was eleven days late)<i> </i><br />
<br />
Welcome to the world baby Sket! Can't wait to meet you tomorrow!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TT36d3lvSyI/AAAAAAAAC8I/-DlkIu5-vNg/s1600/little-brother-shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TT36d3lvSyI/AAAAAAAAC8I/-DlkIu5-vNg/s1600/little-brother-shirt.jpg" /></a></div><br />
More pictures tomorrow!!!<br />
<br />
Word of the day: See above text.</div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-87607904760977839492011-01-20T14:38:00.000-08:002011-01-20T14:45:43.541-08:003.5 Years<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;">Well seeing as it's almost Fien's half birthday, I figured Day Three of Fien-a-palooza would be...</div><div style="color: magenta; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fien's 3rd Birthday!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So Fien turned 3...back in August...here's what happened...</div><div style="text-align: left;">First Fien got her presents from the family...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi22ptcjOI/AAAAAAAAC7k/KBXUrxiYJPY/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi22ptcjOI/AAAAAAAAC7k/KBXUrxiYJPY/s320/DSC_0012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(princess name plate made by Libby not pictured...must remember to get one of those)</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then we got everything ready for the party complete with the strawberry Dora cake I made her...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi37URQQ9I/AAAAAAAAC8A/qbng3a-Lyfo/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi37URQQ9I/AAAAAAAAC8A/qbng3a-Lyfo/s320/DSC_0025.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then the Guests arrived! My job was to lead the craft...we made Princess (or Prince) Crowns...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi3LUuQRtI/AAAAAAAAC7s/MbPt2nB1xvU/s1600/DSC_0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi3LUuQRtI/AAAAAAAAC7s/MbPt2nB1xvU/s320/DSC_0028.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(with some help in the translation department from Oma)</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then it was time for cake. Everyone sang (not Happy Birthday), and of course the Dutch THREE CHEERS!...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi3sAgL4TI/AAAAAAAAC74/IA7KSX1Jmrw/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi3sAgL4TI/AAAAAAAAC74/IA7KSX1Jmrw/s320/DSC_0041.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">But at the end of the day, once everyone had gone home, we just sat back, and used the rest of the arts and crafts to our hearts content... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi32y3L8yI/AAAAAAAAC78/dN2ipKog7Lw/s1600/DSC_0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi32y3L8yI/AAAAAAAAC78/dN2ipKog7Lw/s320/DSC_0060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Of course, like most three year old presents...one of the gifts she recieved would soon be deemed the most annoying toy in the world...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi5WEYxTlI/AAAAAAAAC8E/tf4wZDcFBCA/s1600/DSC_0342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTi5WEYxTlI/AAAAAAAAC8E/tf4wZDcFBCA/s320/DSC_0342.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>At least she's singing Lady Gaga and Katy Perry</i></span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So Happy Belated Birthday munchkin. You're adorable. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Word of the Day: Hippidapip, Hoorah! - Hip Hip Hooray</div></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-41148965665120731262011-01-15T09:55:00.000-08:002011-01-15T09:55:51.111-08:00Day at the parkHey! It's the second day of Fien-a-palooza!<br />
Today I don't have much to say about it. I think the pictures will speak for themselves.<br />
<br />
So today is Fien at the playground by our house in Noordwijk being adorable and doing everything "BY HERSELF!"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Word of the Day: speeltuin - playground (literally play garden)Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-72931077008446364402011-01-14T10:29:00.000-08:002011-01-17T15:33:44.247-08:00No animal should require Eight LegsDude, I'm back (don't call me dude.)<br />
I have TWO WEEKS left with my munchkin. That's right. And since there's so much to catch up on, the next fourteen days are going to be dedicated to her. Because you can hear about everything else later.<br />
<br />
Here we go...Fien-a-palooza day 1... <br />
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Spiders FREAK ME OUT! It's no secret that I have an extreme case of arachnophobia.<br />
I was totally fine with them until that stupid Jeff Daniels movie...what fifth grade substitute thinks <i>that's</i> a good movie to show your class on Halloween? <br />
Here is me overcoming this fear in the summer of 2008...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCVnanln7I/AAAAAAAAC6s/sYKDZPUmOek/s1600/n6000677_39357061_8686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCVnanln7I/AAAAAAAAC6s/sYKDZPUmOek/s320/n6000677_39357061_8686.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>See that twinkle in my eye? Nope that's just me on the verge of tears. That smile is not real.</i></span></div><br />
In the fall, there is a type of wood spider that comes out and decides that the entirety of Holland deserves to be it's new home. You find them everywhere. You tear down the web and a minute later you are watching it rebuild. They are over your head, blocking doorways, under bike seats...it's not fun. And since they're small and you can't see the webs from a distance, you just look like a crazy person running around ducking and avoiding and being altogether INSANE.<br />
<br />
Well Fien and I enjoy walking and taking pictures and since I had an awesome zoom, I decided I could take pictures of them from a safe distance. As my sister would say (when confronted with Mickey Mouse) "I can see them from here."<br />
So here are the creepy arachnids (the small pictures don't really do them justice, but if you feel like it, you can click for a larger image)... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCT5uMA9CI/AAAAAAAAC6U/NTpHoZvQahw/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCT5uMA9CI/AAAAAAAAC6U/NTpHoZvQahw/s400/DSC_0005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>In the backyard.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCUARv55fI/AAAAAAAAC6Y/TFqQe-MRFuI/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCUARv55fI/AAAAAAAAC6Y/TFqQe-MRFuI/s400/DSC_0007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Above the gate leading to the backyard (and threatening to come down on your head AT ANY MOMENT!) </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCUJ1TLMXI/AAAAAAAAC6c/XkcK0GfnwAA/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCUJ1TLMXI/AAAAAAAAC6c/XkcK0GfnwAA/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>In the walkway to the gate.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCUfHJuH7I/AAAAAAAAC6k/sqKCo__SqGg/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCUfHJuH7I/AAAAAAAAC6k/sqKCo__SqGg/s400/DSC_0012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Doorway right outside the walkway</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCUnr4VkFI/AAAAAAAAC6o/WypkmzzhTec/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCUnr4VkFI/AAAAAAAAC6o/WypkmzzhTec/s400/DSC_0014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Window next to the doorway</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Notice I haven't even walked 200 feet yet...</i></span></div><br />
And then as I stood from a distance, snapping pictures... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCUTx8n0lI/AAAAAAAAC6g/01Q4mEo8Ifs/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TTCUTx8n0lI/AAAAAAAAC6g/01Q4mEo8Ifs/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
There's nothing like being made to feel a wuss by a three year old who doesn't even like when I turn on the vaccuum cleaner.<br />
<br />
Well winter came, and they all seem to be gone. And I'm thankful I'll be gone before they decide to return.<br />
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Word of the Day: spiner - spiderLibbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-41231043738892262992011-01-03T14:31:00.000-08:002011-01-03T14:31:51.083-08:00Piece of Me: the month when there's always snowI know I already did one for 2011, but I still have to do one for January.<br />
Since I've already been dong this for a full year (!!!) I'm not going to repeat the word of the days. Instead I'm going to give you the literal translation of the descriptions of the month. Enjoy!<b><br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>This month (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January">January</a>)…</b><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"> <b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>I like:</b></span> that Suzan's baby is due this month!!! So exciting!!!<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
<b>I don't like:</b> that it's my last month with my munchkin. I'm already tearing up thinking about it.<br />
<br />
<b>I want you to know: </b>I did not go crazy for the end of Christmas sales. Not a single skirt or shirt was bought at H&M. And my credit card is thanking me.<br />
<br />
<b>I've planned:</b> to run around Holland and see all the things I should have seen when I lived here for the past year<b><br />
</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b><br />
I want to say to someone special: </b>dear Fien: I hope you like San Francisco because I'm taking you with me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Picture of the Month:</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TSJNFYiI6cI/AAAAAAAAC6M/qmhBAAj5FW8/s1600/heinie08a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TSJNFYiI6cI/AAAAAAAAC6M/qmhBAAj5FW8/s320/heinie08a.png" width="294" /></a></div><br />
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Word of the Day: Louwmaand - Louw (Dutch version of Lawrence) month (better known as...January)Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-37008445478052723412011-01-02T08:38:00.000-08:002011-01-09T14:27:35.979-08:00Piece of Me: The New YearI figured since I did one of these at the beginning of every month, it was only appropriate that I do it at the beginning of the year as well. So here is a very special, annual, <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/search/label/piece%20of%20me">Piece of Me</a>. <b><br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>This year (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011">2011</a>)…</b><br />
<br />
<b>I like</b>: what this next year has to offer. It will be possibly lonely, probably challenging, and definitely different.<br />
<br />
<b>I don't like</b>: that there can no longer be New Years glasses where the eyes are the "00" in the year.<br />
<br />
<b>I want you to know</b>: when I get home, I'm going to see how long I can go without driving a car...I'm buying a bike...maybe a moped if necessary.<br />
<br />
<b>I've planned</b>: to apply to grad schools and get my teaching credential!<br />
<br />
I<b> want to say to someone special</b>: 2011 - Bring it On!!<br />
<br />
<b>Picture of the year:</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TSCpy1JgxhI/AAAAAAAAC6E/u37__d_aRlI/s1600/2011-new-year-wallpaper-image-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TSCpy1JgxhI/AAAAAAAAC6E/u37__d_aRlI/s320/2011-new-year-wallpaper-image-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Word of the Day: tweeduizend elf - Two thousand eleven.<b><br />
</b>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-6866288437557376332010-12-31T14:35:00.000-08:002010-12-31T14:35:23.146-08:002010 Year in Review: The travel editionI realize I could write a lot about this last year. How my life has completely been changed by a three year old. Or how it's been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Or something along those lines. But it's hard to put 365 days into words. So instead...just like last year...I'll stick to pictures...<br />
What's funny is, I haven't even blogged about some of thiese things yet. But eventually you will hear about them. I mean, I ahve to write about something when I'm back home and have no life right?<br />
<br />
Anyway...enjoy...and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SLb1-U5I/AAAAAAAAC4s/eURx4FsP0CE/s1600/month+january.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SLb1-U5I/AAAAAAAAC4s/eURx4FsP0CE/s1600/month+january.jpg" /></a></div>In January went and visited my friend Mark in <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/01/copenhagentoday.html">Copenhagen</a>. There I saw my first international city outside of Holland, as well as <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/01/copenhagen-2-this-time-were-not-drunk.html">The Little Mermaid</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5Se4H4IHI/AAAAAAAAC5Q/Zyu3LqDl-JA/s1600/18458_848711338571_6000677_47059561_6817072_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5Se4H4IHI/AAAAAAAAC5Q/Zyu3LqDl-JA/s320/18458_848711338571_6000677_47059561_6817072_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SF5f4aoI/AAAAAAAAC4k/Jh4n1XsaDGQ/s1600/month+february.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SF5f4aoI/AAAAAAAAC4k/Jh4n1XsaDGQ/s1600/month+february.jpg" /></a></div>In February I went on my first big trip - <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/02/long-day-and-long-blog-in-berlin.html">Berlin</a>, <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/02/czeching-out-prague.html">Prague</a>, <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/02/there-are-no-kangaroos-in-austira.html">Vienna</a>, <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/02/chocolate-labels-and-whole-lotta-money.html">Zurich</a>, Bern, Cologne, and Muenster. My trip including falling in love with cities, making new friends, and ending up on my butt for the majority of my ride down a <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-dare-you-letter-to-my-swiss.html">Swiss Alp</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5Sfgf5HeI/AAAAAAAAC5U/5c7cQ7dkVgk/s1600/24545_862954929301_6000677_47512135_5841447_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5Sfgf5HeI/AAAAAAAAC5U/5c7cQ7dkVgk/s320/24545_862954929301_6000677_47512135_5841447_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SRDDgypI/AAAAAAAAC44/rA-6NxeeNrc/s1600/month+march.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SRDDgypI/AAAAAAAAC44/rA-6NxeeNrc/s1600/month+march.jpg" /></a></div>In March I celebrated my <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/03/lets-just-say-i-finally-recovered.html">birthday</a> in true Californian style - with Mexican Food and Margaritas.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SgtCssCI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/7ft_iwwrYlg/s1600/25750_869555606491_6000677_47711312_8380973_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SgtCssCI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/7ft_iwwrYlg/s320/25750_869555606491_6000677_47711312_8380973_n.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5R-28qzTI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/JjF2XzLwo64/s1600/month+april.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5R-28qzTI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/JjF2XzLwo64/s1600/month+april.jpg" /></a></div>In April I went with my munchkin to <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/04/once-upon-dream-you-were-our-guest-in.html">Disney on Ice</a>. Yes it was in Dutch. But that didn't stop me from seeing Disney for the first time through a child's eyes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SrBU2fYI/AAAAAAAAC50/rFhfPsxqZIc/s1600/69323_987917777751_6000677_51814621_3886772_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SrBU2fYI/AAAAAAAAC50/rFhfPsxqZIc/s320/69323_987917777751_6000677_51814621_3886772_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SVe-PmdI/AAAAAAAAC5A/0cEMb8Z_vjo/s1600/month+may.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SVe-PmdI/AAAAAAAAC5A/0cEMb8Z_vjo/s1600/month+may.jpg" /></a></div>In May I did probably the most Dutch thing there is to do - visited the <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-flowers.html">Keukenhoff</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SiOkmS-I/AAAAAAAAC5c/6mV7gvQvpo0/s1600/31514_900985575581_6000677_48762485_7278321_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SiOkmS-I/AAAAAAAAC5c/6mV7gvQvpo0/s320/31514_900985575581_6000677_48762485_7278321_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SOwFzT8I/AAAAAAAAC40/Indp3xazuRY/s1600/month+june.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SOwFzT8I/AAAAAAAAC40/Indp3xazuRY/s1600/month+june.jpg" /></a></div>In June my sister came to visit. We started off our Europe adventure with a trip to <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/06/some-guadi-some-markets-and-far-too.html">Barcelona</a> and <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/07/we-were-allowed-to-relax-right.html">Southern Spain</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SkBQuCWI/AAAAAAAAC5g/_3XxsUIJM90/s1600/40612_952023634901_6000677_50770416_4201808_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SkBQuCWI/AAAAAAAAC5g/_3XxsUIJM90/s320/40612_952023634901_6000677_50770416_4201808_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SMp0AiBI/AAAAAAAAC4w/26eXCWCku_4/s1600/month+july.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SMp0AiBI/AAAAAAAAC4w/26eXCWCku_4/s1600/month+july.jpg" /></a></div>In July, Nina and I continued our travels ending in an amazing long weekend in Paris.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SlcyOoAI/AAAAAAAAC5k/iQWWblZYRAQ/s1600/48045_960922950601_6000677_51088131_7875547_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SlcyOoAI/AAAAAAAAC5k/iQWWblZYRAQ/s320/48045_960922950601_6000677_51088131_7875547_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SBXG3REI/AAAAAAAAC4c/V0BjiNfxWM0/s1600/month+august.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SBXG3REI/AAAAAAAAC4c/V0BjiNfxWM0/s1600/month+august.jpg" /></a></div>In August I went to London to hang out with one of my best friends, Kate, and see Sister Act the musical...magic.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5V3BlMCgI/AAAAAAAAC54/aekXRSEd0qs/s1600/DSC_0056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5V3BlMCgI/AAAAAAAAC54/aekXRSEd0qs/s320/DSC_0056.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SbNiqIoI/AAAAAAAAC5M/rqtXEXf0tC0/s1600/month+september.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SbNiqIoI/AAAAAAAAC5M/rqtXEXf0tC0/s1600/month+september.jpg" /></a></div>In September I took advantage of my last few days living on a beach and ran around in the sand among the <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/09/sandcastles-in-sand.html">sand castles</a> with the little one.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5Sn7PQO6I/AAAAAAAAC5s/OVoELtUDocA/s1600/66018_987951450271_6000677_51815426_3605164_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5Sn7PQO6I/AAAAAAAAC5s/OVoELtUDocA/s320/66018_987951450271_6000677_51815426_3605164_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SZIh6ddI/AAAAAAAAC5I/6bj4ivnqns8/s1600/month+october.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SZIh6ddI/AAAAAAAAC5I/6bj4ivnqns8/s1600/month+october.jpg" /></a></div>In October I went on a seventeen day vacation including Muenster, <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/10/so-theres-this-festival-in-munich.html">Munich</a>, <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/10/city-of-bridges-and-boats-masks-and.html">Venice</a>, <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/11/paintings-and-popes.html">Florence</a>, Rome, and Athens. Some of my favorite cities by far.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5Sp7XW9iI/AAAAAAAAC5w/SDhTxmOO9hc/s1600/69131_990482887251_6000677_51863856_2351524_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5Sp7XW9iI/AAAAAAAAC5w/SDhTxmOO9hc/s320/69131_990482887251_6000677_51863856_2351524_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SXCJEWvI/AAAAAAAAC5E/ilRse51390E/s1600/month+november.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SXCJEWvI/AAAAAAAAC5E/ilRse51390E/s1600/month+november.jpg" /></a></div>In November, <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/12/i-did-not-get-shoe-fruit.html">Sinterklaas</a> once again arrived in Noordwijk. And this time, Fien ad I were ready for him!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5Wwjfx75I/AAAAAAAAC58/NXj3-XRMDZU/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5Wwjfx75I/AAAAAAAAC58/NXj3-XRMDZU/s320/DSC_0020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SDctrT-I/AAAAAAAAC4g/V_7AxbaKhK8/s1600/month+december.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5SDctrT-I/AAAAAAAAC4g/V_7AxbaKhK8/s1600/month+december.jpg" /></a></div>And this past month I spent my Christmas sadly, away from my family. But happily, in my favorite European city...Prague with a bunch of fellow orphans.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5XN9dLrtI/AAAAAAAAC6A/5nZ2ZXKJTiw/s1600/167172_1655619402070_1584633818_1453740_7720789_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TR5XN9dLrtI/AAAAAAAAC6A/5nZ2ZXKJTiw/s320/167172_1655619402070_1584633818_1453740_7720789_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I can't imagine aother year of my life being more exciting than this...seriously. <br />
I promise that <i>one</i> of these days I will get around to blogging about these things. Until then...enjoy the pictures... <br />
How was your year? Are you looking forward to the next one?<br />
<br />
See you in 2011!!<br />
<br />
Word of the Day: Oude en Nieuw - Old and New (New Year's)Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-6300605493588572252010-12-26T07:39:00.000-08:002010-12-26T07:39:43.960-08:00MERRY CHRISTMAS!Just a little pre-recorded video that still turned out to be late.<br />
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!<br />
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<iframe class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OsfwTN9NSXU" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="425"></iframe>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-85981026206679498242010-12-19T14:51:00.000-08:002010-12-19T14:51:47.920-08:00Better than Catching a FootWell it’s been pointed out to me (because I hadn’t noticed) that there are several things that I have yet to write about.<span> </span>But if you are anything like me, if you <i>have</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> to write about something, you usually don’t want to.<span> </span>So I was putting it off.<span> </span>But because I knew I had to write about it, I didn’t write anything.<span> </span>Until eventually, once I assumed enough time had passed, I just completely forgot about it and never wrote about it.</span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Well I’m going to fix all that.<span> </span>On the weekends (or whenever I feel like it,) when I’m playing catch up anyway with the rest of my life, I’m going to catch up on this blog.<span> </span>With stories that I hinted at but never actually told you about.<span> </span>I could come up with a name and make a nice picture for it…maybe I will.<span> </span>I like those…they distract me from actually writing. :-P But not today.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For this first one we’re going back…way back to July when Nina was visiting…WHOA!</div><div class="MsoNormal">So Nina and I decided to take a little weekend trip down to Belgium for the weekend.<span> </span>We started it off with a quick stop in <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/08/its-where-queen-lives.html">Den Haag</a> and ended it with an outrageous crowd of Orange in <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/08/month-later-and-im-still-upset.html">Amsterdam</a>.<span> </span>But between those two things, we did manage to make it down to another country.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since I had already been to Brussels, and Brugge is apparently the city for lovers, Antwerp seemed like the obvious choice in this situation.<span> </span>Antwep is an artsy, multi cultural town in the north of Belgium.<span> </span>Here they speak Flemish, no French, which came in handy until the locals actually heard me and then said in English “oh you must be Dutch.”<span> </span>Which I guess is a compliment to my Dutch, but I don’t think they meant it that way.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, our first night there we indulged in some Belgium fries…mmm mmm mmm.<span> </span>And by first night, I mean, first night, the following lunch, accompanying dinner, and a late night snack.<span> </span>What can I say? They were cheap.</div><div class="MsoNormal">But other than that, we didn’t do much our first night…just made friends in the Hostel and discussed all our world traveling plans before going to bed in a ridiculously hot room only to be woken up by sirens outside the window and the itching of a bunch of mosquito (at least I hope) bites.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, it was time to wander the city.<span> </span>It’s a fairly small city, so I planned out our own personal walking tour and we set out.<span> </span>First we stopped here…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KFs4PZKI/AAAAAAAAC3U/l7nGDMZS_kQ/s1600/41140_954732710891_6000677_50885611_6179838_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KFs4PZKI/AAAAAAAAC3U/l7nGDMZS_kQ/s320/41140_954732710891_6000677_50885611_6179838_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">The towns first bakery, over 100 years old and home to some DELICIOUS pastries.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then we continued to the Old Church...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KQO7B3aI/AAAAAAAAC38/NBn0iLsgJDo/s1600/45899_954733140031_6000677_50885642_2204787_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KQO7B3aI/AAAAAAAAC38/NBn0iLsgJDo/s320/45899_954733140031_6000677_50885642_2204787_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Because every European city has an “old” church even if there isn’t also a “new” one.<span> </span>This one had a clock tower…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KKl5SiKI/AAAAAAAAC3o/mcWnxG4LTDc/s1600/44625_954732441431_6000677_50885581_4289811_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KKl5SiKI/AAAAAAAAC3o/mcWnxG4LTDc/s320/44625_954732441431_6000677_50885581_4289811_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">We also visited the City Party Hall where they have epitomized the word “boujie” by creating a Champagne Bar…shaped like a Champagne glass…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KOqt40yI/AAAAAAAAC34/A93bpa1w0Nw/s1600/45795_954733179951_6000677_50885646_3749669_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KOqt40yI/AAAAAAAAC34/A93bpa1w0Nw/s1600/45795_954733179951_6000677_50885646_3749669_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KOqt40yI/AAAAAAAAC34/A93bpa1w0Nw/s320/45795_954733179951_6000677_50885646_3749669_n.jpg" width="238" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KLtiienI/AAAAAAAAC3s/qYmwrPsDPBI/s1600/44823_954733204901_6000677_50885651_4200346_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KLtiienI/AAAAAAAAC3s/qYmwrPsDPBI/s320/44823_954733204901_6000677_50885651_4200346_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fancy huh?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span></span>We also got lost in the shops, not only name brand stores, but also fun thrift stores down allies.<span> </span>We also saw some street art…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KEQirNrI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/rzuGqr3t2_4/s1600/41011_954732541231_6000677_50885594_6805930_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KEQirNrI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/rzuGqr3t2_4/s320/41011_954732541231_6000677_50885594_6805930_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">And some statues…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KIPCmyqI/AAAAAAAAC3g/64eHaJulnXY/s1600/44468_954733010291_6000677_50885630_3402587_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KIPCmyqI/AAAAAAAAC3g/64eHaJulnXY/s320/44468_954733010291_6000677_50885630_3402587_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">And what is soon to be the entrance to China Town…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KMt75cHI/AAAAAAAAC3w/kpxXiZsvieQ/s1600/44870_954732651011_6000677_50885602_3704410_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KMt75cHI/AAAAAAAAC3w/kpxXiZsvieQ/s320/44870_954732651011_6000677_50885602_3704410_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then we went and saw the major tourist thing…the town hall…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KGex6ujI/AAAAAAAAC3Y/loxNUjjGN20/s1600/41171_954732411491_6000677_50885578_6427970_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KGex6ujI/AAAAAAAAC3Y/loxNUjjGN20/s320/41171_954732411491_6000677_50885578_6427970_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">And in front of it is this…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KNkFofwI/AAAAAAAAC30/mcbeZ1ZsN3c/s1600/45043_954732221871_6000677_50885552_1979590_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KNkFofwI/AAAAAAAAC30/mcbeZ1ZsN3c/s320/45043_954732221871_6000677_50885552_1979590_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Yes that is a man with a hand.<span> </span>Not just any man though – Brabo.<span> </span>Because the legend of Brabo, based on a <a href="http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/5412/">Dutch fairy tale,</a> is how Antwerp got its name.<span> </span>There was a tyrant giant who was ruling over them who would cut off the hands of men who wouldn’t pay the toll.<span> </span>So in a delicious act of irony, the hero Brabo cut off the Giant’s hand and threw it into the river.<span> </span>And the giant went on his way…I’m assuming… Anyway, Antwerp in Dutch (yes Dutch, not Flemish) can be derived from “hand werpen” – Antwerp…see?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well, it was getting late and we were getting hungry (fries not being a suitable form of sustenance surprisingly) and we made our way to a little sidewalk café for the traditional Belgium sea food – mussels…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KTMcg39I/AAAAAAAAC4E/ZFmBRKZYfv4/s1600/47052_954733135041_6000677_50885641_6197267_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KTMcg39I/AAAAAAAAC4E/ZFmBRKZYfv4/s320/47052_954733135041_6000677_50885641_6197267_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Nina stuck with soup…with fries of course.<span> </span>And I introduced Nina to the wonders of Belgium beer – Kriek Cherry Beer – or as I like to call it, Candy Beer.<span> </span>Seriously…tastes like candy.<span> </span>Anyway, she liked it...<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KHHwGxKI/AAAAAAAAC3c/qfRaWythBak/s1600/44308_954733030251_6000677_50885634_6635759_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KHHwGxKI/AAAAAAAAC3c/qfRaWythBak/s320/44308_954733030251_6000677_50885634_6635759_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">But then it started raining…no not raining…<i>pouring</i>.<span> </span>And while we were quite fine under our umbrellas, I was not fine when people decided that standing under our umbrellas right next to us (and I mean RIGHT NEXT TO US) to escape the rain while we ate was a socially acceptable thing based on the current state of the weather.<span> </span>But eventually, we were escorted inside.<span> </span>Not because we were wet, but because they couldn’t be held responsible if an umbrella fell down and killed us.<span> </span>But it was fine! We had our own little balcony with one other table where we enjoyed some hot drinks and listened to the rain fall.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">And then it was time to go back to the hostel.<span> </span>But not after dancing in the rain…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KJRuYIzI/AAAAAAAAC3k/Qthz-15q5MU/s1600/44471_954732895521_6000677_50885625_1384723_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KJRuYIzI/AAAAAAAAC3k/Qthz-15q5MU/s320/44471_954732895521_6000677_50885625_1384723_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The next day (dressed in our Dutch colors) we headed back to the train station (the third prettiest train station in the world apparently…)<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KSCftVEI/AAAAAAAAC4A/s0Tvd7tQFHk/s1600/46853_954732890531_6000677_50885624_5675241_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQ6KSCftVEI/AAAAAAAAC4A/s0Tvd7tQFHk/s320/46853_954732890531_6000677_50885624_5675241_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">And squished onto an already packed train car full of people dressed in Nederlands colors heading to the city…just like we were.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Antwerp was a cute little city.<span> </span>It wasn’t the coolest city I’ve been to, but I’m glad to have one more culture stop to cross of my list...oh and also we ate chocolate...lots and lots of chocolate!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Word of the Day: hand werpen – throw a hand<o:p></o:p></div><!--EndFragment-->Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-65831311137683575512010-12-14T15:50:00.000-08:002010-12-14T15:50:10.079-08:00Top Ten: 30 minutes of Holiday CheerBeing once again in the Christmas mood, I decided to do another themed...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TH1-hlPyXqI/AAAAAAAACjs/aWgrikNjuMY/s1600/top+ten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TH1-hlPyXqI/AAAAAAAACjs/aWgrikNjuMY/s1600/top+ten.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And this one also ties in with my...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TJZwmhPxxqI/AAAAAAAACqQ/za2wlbmRGSQ/s1600/tv+guide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TJZwmhPxxqI/AAAAAAAACqQ/za2wlbmRGSQ/s200/tv+guide.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
All the Christmas episodes are coming out now, which makes me happy. And it got me thinking about my favorite ones. When I looked back at some series though I was surprised to realize that some just weren't big on the holiday themed episodes...in fact all of my just watched series - Frasier, Cheers, and Gilmore Girls were scarce on the Holiday Cheer and the ones they did have didn't have the stuff to make it on the list. Ah well...<br />
If you've seen any of these episodes, you'll know they're adorable. And if you haven't...be on the lookout this holiday season...those reruns are popular!<br />
So here are my...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>TOP TEN TELEVISION SHOW CHRISTMAS EPISODES</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Friends</div><div style="text-align: center;">Season 7</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0583613/">The One with the Holiday Armadillo</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ross wants to teach Ben about Hanukkah, but can't think of any type of character that can compete with Santa. Then the costume store has nothing left and he's stuck in a giant armored outfit attempting to explain the Festival of Lights only to have Chandler show up as the Jolly man in the big red suit and overshadow the "weird turtle man thing".</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(This runs a close second to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0583641/">The One With The Routine</a> but that one is technically about New Years not Christmas)</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Will & Grace</div><div style="text-align: center;">Season 5</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0157246/episodes">All About Christmas Eve</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Grace continually switches her date for Christmas Eve from Will to her new husband Leo (Harry Connick Jr...sigh) based on Leo's on call duties. The continuous calls back and forth are funny, but even better is Jack and Karen wearing bathrobes in their expensive hotel suite and ordering room service just so they can carol to the bellhops.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Community</div><div style="text-align: center;">Season 2</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1640854/">Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Claymation...self explanatory.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Big Bang Theory</div><div style="text-align: center;">Season 2 </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1256021/">The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Probably the funniest episode of Big Bang ever if just for the final sixty seconds. Penny brings gifts over for the boys and Sheldon must then figure out the gift equivalent without knowing what he is equivocating it to. But when he does open his gift...it seems he was unprepared...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">30 Rock</div><div style="text-align: center;">Season 3</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1248348/">Christmas Special</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This one is on here for many reasons, but for one above all others...Elaine Stritch and Alec Baldwin singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." And she's apparently back this year! Can't wait!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Modern Family</div><div style="text-align: center;">Season 1 </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1537094/">Undeck the Halls </a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Christmas gets canceled over and over again as the Phil and Clair try to figure out who was smoking in the house. At the same time Cam and Mitchell share Christmas dinner with Santa after getting him fired...only to fear for their lives should he ever find out it was their doing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Raising Hope</div><div style="text-align: center;">Season 1</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1776691/">Toy Story</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This episode shows a new twist on "sacrifice for family during the holidays" with the must have toy of the year being passed around for favor upon favor.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Full House</div><div style="text-align: center;">Season 2 </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1640854/">Our Very First Christmas Show</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I haven't seen it in years, but I still remember this episode. Stephanie wonder how Santa will find her family when they're stuck at an airport on Christmas Eve. The mystical element at the end when Joay is revealed to NOT have been the Santa that just visited caused me to believe in him for just a little longer.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Psych</div><div style="text-align: center;">Season 3</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1189431/">Christmas Joy</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The classic Psych comedy combined with Mall Santas, Nativity scenes, and Phylicia Rashad is a thing of beauty.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Monk</div><div style="text-align: center;">Season 8 </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1537094/">Mr. Monk and the End (Part 1 & 2)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ok it's not <i>technically</i> a Christmas episode. But it did premiere right before Christmas and it had the mystery of <i>who killed Trudy</i> tied back to a special Christmas gift Trudy left for Adrian their last Christmas together. A very heart warming episode.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Well..as you all enjoy your Christmas breaks and catch up on the tivo, let me know what your favorites have been!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Word of the Day: geest - spirit</div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-809005812163584122010-12-10T13:34:00.000-08:002010-12-12T23:30:11.738-08:00Friday Follow-up:Hooray for being back on schedule! Wow! We've had A Piece of Me, A top Ten Tuesday, and now an alliterated Friday! So today it's...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQKb13k9epI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/hblYqRIyJDc/s1600/friday+followup+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQKb13k9epI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/hblYqRIyJDc/s1600/friday+followup+.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Now since it's been a while, some of these you may not actually remember...but that's a chance I'm willing to take...now let's begin...<br />
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<a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-can-haz-correct-grammer.html">February 7</a> - Wow! Million years ago! But it doesn't matter. Because one of the pictures I posted on that site has been selected for the 2012 (yea I have to wait a year) I Can Haz Cheezburger Day by Day Calendar! I'm so excited...and it's pretty adorable too if I do say so myself...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQKbnH7aNSI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/UUBnVoSqr9M/s1600/129076375693187025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQKbnH7aNSI/AAAAAAAAC2Q/UUBnVoSqr9M/s320/129076375693187025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So go out and buy it!<br />
In a year...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/09/where-you-lead-i-will-follow.html">September 2</a> - Before I started watching the Gilmore Girls, I couldn't have cared less about movies just because Alexis Bledel or Lauren Graham were in them. But then I discovered <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804497/">this movie</a> and besides being completely in love with the other main characters in this movie, she plays the Mom and I was excited!<br />
Oh but that's not the point of this Follow-up...the point...is...<a href="http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/15/gilmore-girls-the-movie/">THIS</a>!<br />
AAAHHHHH!!!!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/09/can-you-tell-me-how-to-get.html">September 29</a> - Yes I'm still obsessed with watching these videos online. But apparently...I'm not the only one! <a href="http://www.socialtimes.com/2010/10/sesame-street-youtube-videos/">Check it out!</a> (P.S. the last one is priceless)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/10/so-theres-this-festival-in-munich.html">October 5</a> - I finally uploaded my photos of me at Oktoberfest so you can go check me and my dirndl out. Pretty good I must say...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/10/firenze-fotos.html">October 25</a> - I totally forgot that I had this photo. I've been saving it for probably the entire time I've been here waiting until I went to Florence and saw the David. Ok I didn't actually see the David, but I saw a replica. Plus this picture is hilarious...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQKbuNfdguI/AAAAAAAAC2U/1b3z0K-Kuk0/s1600/fat+david.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TQKbuNfdguI/AAAAAAAAC2U/1b3z0K-Kuk0/s320/fat+david.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/10/its-friday-and-right-now-missing-bay.html">October 29</a> - Yea, fairly sure this one is self-explanatory...GO GIANTS! (However, come March, it's back to GO OAK-TOWN)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/11/piece-of-me-were-going-to-have-chicken.html">November 1</a> - On the title I wrote that we weren't going to have turkey...we did. Just sayin. I'll actually write a post about it...eventually.<br />
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Word of the Day: ingehaald - caught upLibbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-1985184254554736532010-12-07T14:50:00.000-08:002010-12-07T14:50:13.994-08:00Top Ten: You can play these while you decorate the Christmas Tree...It's Tuesday! And you know what I haven't done in a very long time?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TH1-hlPyXqI/AAAAAAAACjs/aWgrikNjuMY/s1600/top+ten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TH1-hlPyXqI/AAAAAAAACjs/aWgrikNjuMY/s1600/top+ten.jpg" /></a></div><br />
That's right. So to get you in the Christmas spirit (because I am!) here are some songs you can play while you make cookies. Mmmm.<br />
Now there are so many Christmas songs I LOVE, but I decided to go with the songs that I like <i>how</i> they are sung, not just the song itself (hence no Jingle Bell Rock, or It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year).<br />
Here are my...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>TOP TEN CHRISTMAS SONG</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">All I Want for Christmas is You</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Performed by Mariah Carey</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pA8UHeoYHQM?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pA8UHeoYHQM?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">O Holy Night</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Performed by Mariah Carey</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/56I9oGNuMWE?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/56I9oGNuMWE?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(I normally wouldn't put the same singer twice - but these two are probably my two favorite of all)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">White Christmas</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Performed by Bing Crosby</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PA45TnJQxhU?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PA45TnJQxhU?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>From How the Grinch Stole Christmas</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YlyauuY4wec?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YlyauuY4wec?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Performed by Judy Garland</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/In88QV0xzwA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/In88QV0xzwA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Baby it's Cold Outside</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Performed Live by Velma Middleton and Louis Armstrong</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i_BJuAEybJk?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i_BJuAEybJk?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I Want a Hippopatomus for Christmas</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Performed by Gayle Peevey</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k69yBIWjLIs?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k69yBIWjLIs?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Performed by The Jackson 5</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_TSbNJEeoVA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_TSbNJEeoVA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Performed by N'Sync</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oeLfuIzF6v8?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oeLfuIzF6v8?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;">But for a magical music video, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8-52N-hXA0">click here</a> (embedding was disabled) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here Come Santa Claus</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Performed by Elvis</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UNy2AewxIYo?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UNy2AewxIYo?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">There's so many more I could list, but oh well. I'm off to listen to all of them!</div><div style="text-align: left;">What are you favorites?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Word of the Day: Het is de mooiste tijd van het jaar - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year</div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-11441638034408743952010-12-06T15:31:00.000-08:002010-12-06T15:31:05.980-08:00I did not get Shoe FruitWell, Sinterklaas came and went. It was a pretty awesome little party.<br />
<i>Photos from the actual night (along with the awesome presents) will be up shortly.</i><br />
<br />
But until then...let's talk about when Sinterklaas first <i>arrived</i> a couple weeks ago.<br />
Since Noordwijk is on the sea, and he comes by boat it only made sense that he should arrive in our fair city. And just like <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2009/11/legend-of-sinterklaas-as-told-by.html">last year</a>...Santa comes with the need for speed! Yep...he arrives on a speedboat which is then hoisted onto the sand by this other mechanical thing...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1uZ_Xy03I/AAAAAAAAC1c/tIs3zPXKHrE/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1uZ_Xy03I/AAAAAAAAC1c/tIs3zPXKHrE/s320/DSC_0006.JPG" width="320" />(</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">See him? Yea! I actually got a picture of him this year!</span></i></div><br />
Fien, being a year older, and no longer afraid, had a blast waiting for him with Papa...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1uR6-CLYI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/L9ISS-KuWFA/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1uR6-CLYI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/L9ISS-KuWFA/s320/DSC_0004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1uhXzu8xI/AAAAAAAAC1g/NGzrFdVYiWc/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1uhXzu8xI/AAAAAAAAC1g/NGzrFdVYiWc/s320/DSC_0007.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br />
And enjoying the company of the yet to be deemed racist Zwarte Piet (and their accompanying Peppernoten!)...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1u19dl5_I/AAAAAAAAC1o/KkQabWY7hzE/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1u19dl5_I/AAAAAAAAC1o/KkQabWY7hzE/s320/DSC_0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Once the crowd got a little crazy, we decided to head out. Suzan being unbelieveably pregnant had held back with Aunt Hester, Uncle Maarten, and cousin Quinten, who, not being as <i>old</i> and <i>mature</i> and <i>experienced</i> as Fien, was not enjoying the festivities. Fien (having all the above named qualities) attempted to calm him to no avail...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1vA7YhnEI/AAAAAAAAC1s/BAsBRMpoo5U/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1vA7YhnEI/AAAAAAAAC1s/BAsBRMpoo5U/s320/DSC_0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
With the crowd following Sint like sheep, we took advantage of the desserted beach for some quick family photos...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1vH7yZ7DI/AAAAAAAAC1w/2qPKZjzK6Lg/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1vH7yZ7DI/AAAAAAAAC1w/2qPKZjzK6Lg/s320/DSC_0020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Me and my munchkin</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1vlT-vxJI/AAAAAAAAC18/r1_NSu185rU/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1vlT-vxJI/AAAAAAAAC18/r1_NSu185rU/s320/DSC_0032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Mama, Papa, Fien</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1vdysJeJI/AAAAAAAAC14/GpqVrYfLx3A/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1vdysJeJI/AAAAAAAAC14/GpqVrYfLx3A/s320/DSC_0027.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The neighbors - mom is also pregnant!</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Later as we wondered down the Hoofdstraat, we entered the Hema only to find SINTERKLAAS WAS IN THERE! Unlike mall appearances, this was a once a year, couple hours in the day sort of thing. And as we entered the workers swept Fien in to be the last kid seen by Sinterklaas! What a lucky girl!<br />
She was a little cautious, but once Mama stepped in, all was fine...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1wDF7ubmI/AAAAAAAAC2I/F4NDAWK5XNk/s1600/DSC_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1wDF7ubmI/AAAAAAAAC2I/F4NDAWK5XNk/s320/DSC_0040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
AND the mayor even came over, Shook Fiens hand, and held her up for a photo! She had no idea who he was however, so she was a little weirded out...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1wKXtNPZI/AAAAAAAAC2M/zDnUhaPmV-I/s1600/DSC_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1wKXtNPZI/AAAAAAAAC2M/zDnUhaPmV-I/s320/DSC_0043.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Suzan believes this is because I had my big camera and looked like press - which I totally believe)</i></span><i></i></div><br />
It was a wonderful day! My only regret is that I didn't get my own photo with Sinterklaas or a Zwarte Piet. Oh well. Fien still had a fabulous day...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1vt98dj6I/AAAAAAAAC2A/sdwZilGcq7I/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TP1vt98dj6I/AAAAAAAAC2A/sdwZilGcq7I/s320/DSC_0033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
And to continue from the last post with "Sinterklaas in the Media" - allow me to share with you a Stephen Colbert clip from his very first season, five years ago!<i><br />
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="353" style="-x-system-font: none; background-color: whitesmoke; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; width: 360px;"><tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #e5e5e5;" valign="middle"><td style="padding: 2px 1px 0px 5px;"><a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/" style="color: #333333; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Colbert Report</a></td><td style="font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 5px 0px; text-align: right;">Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 14px;" valign="middle"><td colspan="2" style="padding: 2px 1px 0px 5px;"><a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/181322/december-12-2005/the-real-christmas" style="color: #333333; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Real Christmas</a></td></tr>
<tr style="background-color: #353535; height: 14px;" valign="middle"><td colspan="2" style="overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 5px 0px; text-align: right; width: 360px;"><a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/" style="color: #96deff; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.colbertnation.com</a></td></tr>
<tr valign="middle"><td colspan="2" style="padding: 0px;"><embed allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" allowscriptaccess="always" bgcolor="#000000" flashvars="autoPlay=false" height="301" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:181322" style="display: block;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="360" wmode="window"></embed></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 18px;" valign="middle"><td colspan="2" style="padding: 0px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="100%" style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr valign="middle"><td style="padding: 3px; width: 33%;"><a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/" style="-x-system-font: none; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Colbert Report Full Episodes</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; width: 33%;"><a href="http://www.indecisionforever.com/" style="-x-system-font: none; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2010 Election</a></td><td style="padding: 3px; width: 33%;"><a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/video/tag/March%20to%20Keep%20Fear%20Alive" style="-x-system-font: none; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 10px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">March to Keep Fear Alive</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>What's funny is, if I had seen this five years ago, I would have thought it was ridiculous. Now I know that (besides the shoe fruit) it's completely true...which makes it that much better!</i></div><br />
Word of the Day: Zwarte Piet - Black Peter<i><br />
</i>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-54999681469719497212010-12-03T14:53:00.000-08:002010-12-03T14:53:10.008-08:00You better watch out...you better not cry...<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Hi everyone! I have many more travel entries to write, but I think I figured out a way to do that. So today I'm going to tell you about something else...<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">SINTERKLAAS! You all remember <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2009/11/legend-of-sinterklaas-as-told-by.html">Sinterklaas</a> right? The Dutch (skinny/racist) version of Santa?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Well he's in town. And we're celebrating this weekend!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So to get you in the holiday season, I'd like to share this with you... <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xv3G70mm18k?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xv3G70mm18k?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ok here's what's going down... (because yes, I actually UNDERSTAND IT!!!)<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If there's a full moon on Dec 5 (Sinterklaas Dag), Sinterklaas comes back from the dead to take revenge for his brutal murder...so watch out!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Then a guy has a gift for a girl...but actually it's not a gift it's <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i>SEX!!</i></span><o:p></o:p> (Chances are, he dies.)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then a little boy gets told Sinterklaas doesn't exist because he's scared.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">And then a guy wants to stop the celebration of Sinterklaas...all festivities!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">And then we discover that the 5th is NOT Sint's birthday, but rather his MURDER DAY!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">And then a random guy says the obligatory horror film statement of irony, this one being "Presents are nice, but you end up getting things you don't want."<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">And then a famous song (along the lines of Santa Claus is Coming to Town) gets song by a girl with a creepy voice.<br />
...<br />
And then a guy says "we're gonna need a bigger boat." (or something else, I wasn't listening)</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Wow! Doesn't it seem awesome? Don't you want to see this movie?<br />
Actually...I do not. And not because I will not be having my childhood mythical creatures destroyed by slasher films thank you very much, but rather because (as unscary as it looks) I DO NOT like scary movies. Cannot handle them. My mother did not watch Diabolique while I was in her tummy. (Inside joke - my grandma did that.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">So now I'm going to go upstairs, pray for no nightmares, and take comfort in the fact that the fifth is actually a new moon - as far from a full moon as you can get.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Hartelijke Sinterklaas Dag!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Word of the day: vechtjas - slasher (BUT "slasher film" is "slasher" in Dutch)<br />
<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-48877559694359587462010-12-01T14:53:00.000-08:002010-12-01T14:53:57.038-08:00Piece of Me: FIVE GOOOOLD RINGSSo I only did one of these two posts ago...yes...I need to get writing again. BUT since this is so easy, I have no excuse. Here's...a Piece of Me.<b><br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>This month (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December">December</a>)…</b><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"> <b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>I like:</b> that I can officially start playing Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas is You" and not feel weird about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
<b>I don't like:</b> the cold!!!! It is already snowing!!! And it was -10 C today!!! WHY THE FACE?!<br />
<br />
<b>I want you to know:</b> that Lady Gaga was <i>in Noordwijk </i>at this boujie hotel and Fien and I fer realsies took a picture (drawn by Fien) to the front desk and asked them to deliver it. I don't know if they did, and I have no way of knowing because Lady Gaga is offline right now for the <a href="http://buylife.org/index.php#lady-gaga">World AIDS day</a> campaign (which you should TOTALLY go and support).<br />
<br />
<b>I've planned:</b> Christmas in Prague! My favorite city in Europe seems like the perfect place to spend the holidays (besides the Bay Area.) Plus I'm seeing the Nutcracker and Swan Lake. And then on my way home, a stop in Munich to see what the cities like when it's not covered in Beer.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b><br />
I want to say to someone special: </b>dear Sinterklaas - I've been very good this year.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Picture of the Month:</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPbRJeRuNMI/AAAAAAAAC1U/XzfB5RwPhJQ/s1600/n6000677_40761346_6143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPbRJeRuNMI/AAAAAAAAC1U/XzfB5RwPhJQ/s320/n6000677_40761346_6143.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Miss you family! Have a wonderful Holiday Season)</i></div><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Word of the Day: December -December</b></span>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-57335563465350047492010-11-27T13:09:00.000-08:002010-11-27T13:09:49.847-08:00Paintings and PopesWHAT!?!?!<span> </span>A blog?!?!?! <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I know…I’ve been MIA for almost a month! (Know how I know this?<span> </span>My last post was A Piece of Me.)</div><div class="MsoNormal">I just haven’t been in the writing mode.<span> </span>And since I have been traveling, I know I have to write about the places I’ve done and share photos…and I just don’t feel like it.<span> </span>I mean…I want to…but I don’t feel like typing “And then I went here…” “And then I did this…”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway…I’ve got a whole list of things that I need to write about.<span> </span>Hopefully I will have the motivation to get through them all.<span> </span>I don’t have anything to do this weekend, so we’ll see.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, there’s a bunch of pictures, and post of them don’t really need explanations (besides an explanation of what they are.)<span> </span>So the next couple posts are just going to be the pictures…with the explanations…ok?</div><div class="MsoNormal">So let’s get right down to it…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Remember when I went to Italy?<span> </span>Well after Venice and Florence, I continued on to Rome.<span> </span>And I went to the Vatican City.<span> Ok here's my one beef with the Vatican...their <a href="http://www.vatican.va/">website</a>. It's very well put together, and extremely easy to navigate, especially compared to some tourist sites I've been to in this past year. And you can translate the website into over eight languages.</span> But one of them is Latin. And you know what? That's just showing off.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ok end of that. So I went to the Museum…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwqLh_SDI/AAAAAAAAC1M/lNxxc_uMA54/s1600/149048_990544533711_6000677_51865460_4887510_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwqLh_SDI/AAAAAAAAC1M/lNxxc_uMA54/s320/149048_990544533711_6000677_51865460_4887510_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And the soldiers who guard it (known as the <i>Swiss</i> Guard...)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwYFmXvVI/AAAAAAAAC0s/8qCdRPYBOzA/s1600/76019_990595262051_6000677_51866581_5340353_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwYFmXvVI/AAAAAAAAC0s/8qCdRPYBOzA/s320/76019_990595262051_6000677_51866581_5340353_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I mean…WOW!<span> </span>That place is incredible.<span> </span>I’m not usually a big fan of the coffee table art books, but had I the money, room, and strength, to buy one and fit/carry it in my backpack I would have.<span> </span>Because there’s no way you can see everything!<span> </span>I mean, every inch of most of the walls is a piece of art. Including the ceilings…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwNYY2I1I/AAAAAAAAC0I/HhfbK-XDg4Y/s1600/73699_990543096591_6000677_51865420_5061523_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwNYY2I1I/AAAAAAAAC0I/HhfbK-XDg4Y/s320/73699_990543096591_6000677_51865420_5061523_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwKdddMLI/AAAAAAAACz8/kxN8yCOdMyA/s1600/37135_990542966851_6000677_51865417_1160144_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwKdddMLI/AAAAAAAACz8/kxN8yCOdMyA/s320/37135_990542966851_6000677_51865417_1160144_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwT_c8TvI/AAAAAAAAC0g/WTs5QkzUoeM/s1600/74490_990541504781_6000677_51865404_4492150_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwT_c8TvI/AAAAAAAAC0g/WTs5QkzUoeM/s320/74490_990541504781_6000677_51865404_4492150_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwU_gMadI/AAAAAAAAC0k/2OuEMIJEbDg/s1600/75156_990542592601_6000677_51865409_80118_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwU_gMadI/AAAAAAAAC0k/2OuEMIJEbDg/s320/75156_990542592601_6000677_51865409_80118_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span></span>Including the famous “Creation of Adam” in the Sistine Chapel…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwrftaHCI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/cvd1wf8dNPc/s1600/149108_990544074631_6000677_51865444_5946944_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwrftaHCI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/cvd1wf8dNPc/s320/149108_990544074631_6000677_51865444_5946944_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, I did not know that it was just one of many paintings…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwS87P8wI/AAAAAAAAC0c/56op0vA-8cc/s1600/74399_990543475831_6000677_51865435_4294185_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwS87P8wI/AAAAAAAAC0c/56op0vA-8cc/s320/74399_990543475831_6000677_51865435_4294185_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">And after seeing everything else as well as the works of art that surround it…I wasn’t blown away.<span> </span>Don’t get me wrong, I was blown away by the Sistine Chapel no doubt, but just the one painting?<span> </span>I don’t see why when there were so many other’s to discover…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwlD4xzuI/AAAAAAAAC1A/PQXkM9jXZsY/s1600/76656_990544109561_6000677_51865445_7973193_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwlD4xzuI/AAAAAAAAC1A/PQXkM9jXZsY/s320/76656_990544109561_6000677_51865445_7973193_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course, there were some rooms without painting wall paper…the sculpture rooms.<span> </span>Which were just as awesome…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwO99NBcI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/jPBrkNXNUHg/s1600/73757_990540237321_6000677_51865377_2710151_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwO99NBcI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/jPBrkNXNUHg/s320/73757_990540237321_6000677_51865377_2710151_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwPvEt3UI/AAAAAAAAC0U/ohw-ZNbNjnc/s1600/73929_990540816161_6000677_51865397_661330_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwPvEt3UI/AAAAAAAAC0U/ohw-ZNbNjnc/s320/73929_990540816161_6000677_51865397_661330_n.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwnsll58I/AAAAAAAAC1E/FaRkl_K1hzo/s1600/148868_990540866061_6000677_51865400_6373287_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwnsll58I/AAAAAAAAC1E/FaRkl_K1hzo/s320/148868_990540866061_6000677_51865400_6373287_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwLW-1d6I/AAAAAAAAC0A/Wrg7hRO89R0/s1600/71961_990540496801_6000677_51865388_2371841_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwLW-1d6I/AAAAAAAAC0A/Wrg7hRO89R0/s320/71961_990540496801_6000677_51865388_2371841_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwjLPtHvI/AAAAAAAAC08/mmiMUeqbDXM/s1600/76523_990540586621_6000677_51865390_5501908_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwjLPtHvI/AAAAAAAAC08/mmiMUeqbDXM/s320/76523_990540586621_6000677_51865390_5501908_n.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwfy8T1EI/AAAAAAAAC00/n6vrE3pLKBI/s1600/76073_990540317161_6000677_51865380_3747732_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwfy8T1EI/AAAAAAAAC00/n6vrE3pLKBI/s320/76073_990540317161_6000677_51865380_3747732_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After the Museum, I made my way over to St. Peters Square.<span> </span>The square itself was awesome.<span> </span>Not much there…just an obelisk, and a whole lot of people, but the architecture of the columns and the saints on top are pretty cool looking...</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwIPlAXKI/AAAAAAAACz0/OyiiubZ-FG4/s1600/34417_990544633511_6000677_51865464_7142397_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwIPlAXKI/AAAAAAAACz0/OyiiubZ-FG4/s320/34417_990544633511_6000677_51865464_7142397_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwG9zeE-I/AAAAAAAACzw/-vt7uSudycY/s1600/33708_990595172231_6000677_51866577_2586782_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwG9zeE-I/AAAAAAAACzw/-vt7uSudycY/s320/33708_990595172231_6000677_51866577_2586782_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The line to get into the church was super long so I decided to come back another day. Later when I did come back, I snuck in at the end of the day without any wait.<span> </span>The church itself is beautiful.<span> </span>However, I made the mistake of going into it after discovering <i>several</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> other Roman churches.<span> </span>And after a while…they kind of all start to look the same.<span> </span>Anyway, it was impressive none the less…</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwJG4sbsI/AAAAAAAACz4/H_bAJ9yKnzI/s1600/37127_990591270051_6000677_51866517_4774761_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwJG4sbsI/AAAAAAAACz4/H_bAJ9yKnzI/s320/37127_990591270051_6000677_51866517_4774761_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwo8t0mqI/AAAAAAAAC1I/pwhMOOSASgg/s1600/148870_990594698181_6000677_51866561_5726392_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwo8t0mqI/AAAAAAAAC1I/pwhMOOSASgg/s320/148870_990594698181_6000677_51866561_5726392_n.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwR1hwfKI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/yAbpw3KDAes/s1600/74209_990594413751_6000677_51866549_5409469_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwR1hwfKI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/yAbpw3KDAes/s320/74209_990594413751_6000677_51866549_5409469_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwMMxvhoI/AAAAAAAAC0E/8Yl6_kTJ0tk/s1600/73418_990593869841_6000677_51866535_8089839_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwMMxvhoI/AAAAAAAAC0E/8Yl6_kTJ0tk/s320/73418_990593869841_6000677_51866535_8089839_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwhhSaK-I/AAAAAAAAC04/8WuL85KtiPQ/s1600/76428_990591958671_6000677_51866523_4694737_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwhhSaK-I/AAAAAAAAC04/8WuL85KtiPQ/s320/76428_990591958671_6000677_51866523_4694737_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">So...yea...basically the Vatican City is AMAZING! And it's pretty cool how people of all religions seem to feel the awe when they're there. And fortunately people are respectful of it as a place of worship. Well most people at least. Some people are still stupid tourists.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway...it was definitely a highlight of Rome.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Oh and did I mention…I saw the Pope…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwOLB1J7I/AAAAAAAAC0M/G_nEKDshuCY/s1600/73738_990585466681_6000677_51866348_2368695_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TPFwOLB1J7I/AAAAAAAAC0M/G_nEKDshuCY/s320/73738_990585466681_6000677_51866348_2368695_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Boo-Ya!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Word of the Day: La Santa Sede - The Holy See (official name of The Vatican) (Italian)<o:p></o:p></div><!--EndFragment-->Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-51546198209258857592010-11-01T12:08:00.000-07:002010-12-10T13:33:42.703-08:00Piece of Me: We're going to have a chicken, not a turkeyWow! With me NOT writing anything for a while, my last one of these was only a few posts ago...whoops!<br />
Anyway, here's...A Piece Of Me<b><br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>This month (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November">November</a>)…</b><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"> <b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>I like:</b> All the winter stuff I (really did have to) buy in which I can now look stylish in - leggings, hats, and some very awesome boots.<br />
<br />
<b>I don't like:</b> having to put away all my summer clothes. Or should I say...mail them home. It's not like I'll be needing them.<br />
<br />
<b>I want you to know:</b> that I have been introduced to pretzel M&Ms (thanks Auntie Jeanie). I'll never eat any other kind of M&M the same again. And no...no they don't have them here in Holland.<br />
<br />
<b>I've planned:</b> a border jump to England. Walking tour, drinks at the Savoy, seeing friends again, and most likely a Broadway Show. No it's not illegal. I have the immigration email to prove it. But it's still fun to call it a border jump.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b><br />
I want to say to someone special: </b>dear Immigration...no seriously...I have the email to prove it. Please let me back into your country.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Picture of the Month:</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TM8O8v4BUZI/AAAAAAAACzk/y0a1UJlgmg8/s1600/thanksgiving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TM8O8v4BUZI/AAAAAAAACzk/y0a1UJlgmg8/s320/thanksgiving.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Word of the Day: November - November</b></span>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-26062644384020259262010-10-29T14:51:00.000-07:002010-10-30T03:06:57.362-07:00Fever Friday: Fear the Beard!It's Friday! And right now, missing the Bay terribly, I can really only write about one thing...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TBJVgQCxrWI/AAAAAAAACBA/prTz2mQhSBE/s1600/friday+fever.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TBJVgQCxrWI/AAAAAAAACBA/prTz2mQhSBE/s1600/friday+fever.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>THE 2010 BASEBALL WORLD SERIES!</b></div><br />
Yes I am an <a href="http://5371milesaway.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-blame-giambi.html">A's fan</a>. But you know what? I don't know why you can't like more than one team.<br />
When I'm in another city at a baseball game (like Anaheim when I was at school), I always cheer for the home team. In fact I am a huge fan of home team support...unless your home team is playing the A's...then my green and gold sticks out like a sore thumb.<br />
And right now, the Giants are my home team.<br />
Plus my dad was raised in San Francisco.<br />
And unlike my friend James who has decided to make them his own mortal enemy, I love all things Bay and am gladly cheering for them right now. Tonight they're taking a break, but tomorrow they'll be back to (knock on wood) score a 3 game lead over the Texas Rangers.<br />
Now all these games start at 1:30 in the morning my time. And since I have to be bright and chipper with a three year old starting at 8:00 every morning, I choose to do the correct thing and go to sleep and just check scores the next morning.But I'm still rooting for them!<br />
<br />
So sorry to all you Ranger fans out there. Also sorry to the Yankee fans. And the Philly phans.<br />
<br />
But I'm really hoping for a victory in the Bay...I just wish I could be there to see it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMtBpkbk0iI/AAAAAAAACzg/YwWuXKWwpFo/s1600/san_francisco_giants.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMtBpkbk0iI/AAAAAAAACzg/YwWuXKWwpFo/s320/san_francisco_giants.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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Word of the Day: serie - seriesLibbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-9313878155949371982010-10-28T17:46:00.000-07:002010-10-28T17:46:04.877-07:00My how the time has flownI promised today was a special day in my aupair world...here's why<br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W1YOlQksAtU?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W1YOlQksAtU?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-2190697145759961302010-10-26T14:50:00.000-07:002010-10-26T14:50:06.982-07:00Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdMTPf8ppI/AAAAAAAACzY/n3Shj69-sI8/s1600/meme+top+ten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdMTPf8ppI/AAAAAAAACzY/n3Shj69-sI8/s1600/meme+top+ten.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Yes today is Tuesday. But Today is a VERY SPECIAL Tuesday. Because today is my...<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">200th POST!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">(Commence fireworks and ticker tape parades)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I've been writing this blog for a little over a year now. Although my first four were over the course of four months and were just me warming up to the idea of keeping a blog so that my family and friends could see what I was doing while abroad.</div><div style="text-align: left;">But here we are, 196 posts later. Some of these entries have been heartfelt, some have been funny, some have been the epitome of lazy, and some (and by that I mean many) have been one just like this...a Top Ten.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And so in honor of it being my 200th, I'm going to attempt something that will probably require editing as soon as I hit "Publish Post." But oh well. Without furthur ado, I give you...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>MY TOP TEN FAVORITE THINGS</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Family and Friends</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdMki1eRcI/AAAAAAAACzc/2cSt3eJadO4/s1600/29894_396657332807_566567807_3944597_5055292_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdMki1eRcI/AAAAAAAACzc/2cSt3eJadO4/s320/29894_396657332807_566567807_3944597_5055292_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mexican Food</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdKyLFYsWI/AAAAAAAACy4/tkdUDTrJKrI/s1600/mexican-food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdKyLFYsWI/AAAAAAAACy4/tkdUDTrJKrI/s320/mexican-food.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Tap Dancing</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdMF7zRhXI/AAAAAAAACzU/0C_GVtv3Ric/s1600/savion1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdMF7zRhXI/AAAAAAAACzU/0C_GVtv3Ric/s320/savion1.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Princess Bride</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdK08_bCdI/AAAAAAAACzA/cDtqpXOD7LI/s1600/princessbride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdK08_bCdI/AAAAAAAACzA/cDtqpXOD7LI/s320/princessbride.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Holding Hands</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdL7C6l1mI/AAAAAAAACzQ/ZzoDwWSHOj4/s1600/holding-hands1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdL7C6l1mI/AAAAAAAACzQ/ZzoDwWSHOj4/s320/holding-hands1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Beatles</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdK2B9JrmI/AAAAAAAACzE/pUUFo-Q3fKE/s1600/the-beatles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdK2B9JrmI/AAAAAAAACzE/pUUFo-Q3fKE/s320/the-beatles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Prague</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdKzQq0sII/AAAAAAAACy8/SaptSoKo7Xc/s1600/prague-bridges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdKzQq0sII/AAAAAAAACy8/SaptSoKo7Xc/s320/prague-bridges.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Linguistics</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdK3f4zdAI/AAAAAAAACzI/ohFwI663xO8/s1600/trees13726.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdK3f4zdAI/AAAAAAAACzI/ohFwI663xO8/s320/trees13726.jpeg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Cabernet </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdKu1S5HdI/AAAAAAAACyw/zO40BYQr1Vg/s1600/cabernet-sauvignon-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdKu1S5HdI/AAAAAAAACyw/zO40BYQr1Vg/s320/cabernet-sauvignon-07.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Fien</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdK7dg3tnI/AAAAAAAACzM/8aYLMrhUyBw/s1600/71527_988481403241_6000677_51828535_8374849_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMdK7dg3tnI/AAAAAAAACzM/8aYLMrhUyBw/s320/71527_988481403241_6000677_51828535_8374849_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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Word of the Day: tweehonderd - two hundred</div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-73402969409388865672010-10-25T14:06:00.000-07:002010-10-25T14:06:51.043-07:00Firenze FotosBefore I get on to the promised picture of Florence, I'd like to let you know that tomorrow is a <i>very special</i> blogging day. And Thursday, is a <i>very special</i> aupair day. So stay tuned!!!<br />
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And as I said, here are pictures of my (far too) short trip to Florence with Marissa my Love. Explanations in captions...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtMtsBANI/AAAAAAAACyk/QS3cQcYLmlk/s1600/74189_990518775331_6000677_51864859_1307527_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtMtsBANI/AAAAAAAACyk/QS3cQcYLmlk/s320/74189_990518775331_6000677_51864859_1307527_n.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs9p-_z0I/AAAAAAAACxs/aG3RYO8L35Y/s1600/39601_990519324231_6000677_51864882_7001795_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs9p-_z0I/AAAAAAAACxs/aG3RYO8L35Y/s320/39601_990519324231_6000677_51864882_7001795_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>(The Duomo Cathedral...inside and out)</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtCnZcZyI/AAAAAAAACyA/I3-GtXefk8g/s1600/67470_990516015861_6000677_51864814_7232651_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtCnZcZyI/AAAAAAAACyA/I3-GtXefk8g/s320/67470_990516015861_6000677_51864814_7232651_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(View of the Duomo from the Uffizi Gallery)</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs8xKZs3I/AAAAAAAACxo/YmBxfxl-2-g/s1600/36183_990516350191_6000677_51864821_3527436_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs8xKZs3I/AAAAAAAACxo/YmBxfxl-2-g/s320/36183_990516350191_6000677_51864821_3527436_n.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtIqGAL6I/AAAAAAAACyY/pMZyEEE2i3Y/s1600/72541_990516430031_6000677_51864824_7648321_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtIqGAL6I/AAAAAAAACyY/pMZyEEE2i3Y/s320/72541_990516430031_6000677_51864824_7648321_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>(OH MY GOD IT'S THE DAVID) (Oh wait...this is a replica)</i> .</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtGuF-acI/AAAAAAAACyQ/KZj4AYk-dV0/s1600/69077_990520636601_6000677_51864933_7409392_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtGuF-acI/AAAAAAAACyQ/KZj4AYk-dV0/s320/69077_990520636601_6000677_51864933_7409392_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Ponte Vecchio Bridge)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs_p0WZAI/AAAAAAAACx0/YaCDAMREyvI/s1600/66678_990520032811_6000677_51864918_7022024_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs_p0WZAI/AAAAAAAACx0/YaCDAMREyvI/s320/66678_990520032811_6000677_51864918_7022024_n.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs7o0HNpI/AAAAAAAACxk/jv9Qx-TRHPc/s1600/33587_990519982911_6000677_51864915_596920_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs7o0HNpI/AAAAAAAACxk/jv9Qx-TRHPc/s320/33587_990519982911_6000677_51864915_596920_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i> (Two very important men in Italy's city of culture)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs7Aa58XI/AAAAAAAACxg/DSFN9u_AtSY/s1600/33579_990519523831_6000677_51864893_3331557_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs7Aa58XI/AAAAAAAACxg/DSFN9u_AtSY/s320/33579_990519523831_6000677_51864893_3331557_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>(San Lorenzo Open Market)</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtBjcM3_I/AAAAAAAACx8/3T_bmX_eQlY/s1600/67443_990519653571_6000677_51864899_4370997_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtBjcM3_I/AAAAAAAACx8/3T_bmX_eQlY/s320/67443_990519653571_6000677_51864899_4370997_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Typical Italian - smoking, working, and not caring)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtECKXkHI/AAAAAAAACyE/p1OPcc82T5Y/s1600/67670_990520322231_6000677_51864924_1183400_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtECKXkHI/AAAAAAAACyE/p1OPcc82T5Y/s320/67670_990520322231_6000677_51864924_1183400_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(This store front gets set up every morning)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtPU23blI/AAAAAAAACys/OJuEoO8m_KU/s1600/67319_990518231421_6000677_51864857_2089336_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtPU23blI/AAAAAAAACys/OJuEoO8m_KU/s320/67319_990518231421_6000677_51864857_2089336_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(This girl asked Marissa to take her picture. No joke, it turned into a twenty minute photo session with the girl continually asking "one more" and switching poses and locations. I just laughed)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs-7kcV0I/AAAAAAAACxw/Trf1fIpahkw/s1600/66647_990520906061_6000677_51864945_2224573_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXs-7kcV0I/AAAAAAAACxw/Trf1fIpahkw/s320/66647_990520906061_6000677_51864945_2224573_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Sunset on the River Arno)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtFkwn6HI/AAAAAAAACyM/Ba0GQUygK7k/s1600/68759_1505460670420_1051350192_31218728_1889069_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtFkwn6HI/AAAAAAAACyM/Ba0GQUygK7k/s320/68759_1505460670420_1051350192_31218728_1889069_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Marissa and I enjoying a lovely glass of wine with dinner)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtNhBv2oI/AAAAAAAACyo/c6JQWMPAkuQ/s1600/74483_990521674521_6000677_51864971_7086812_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtNhBv2oI/AAAAAAAACyo/c6JQWMPAkuQ/s320/74483_990521674521_6000677_51864971_7086812_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Piazza de Michelangelo...man this guy is everywhere!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And for you musical theater nerds...this is "The Piazza" in which there is a "Light In")</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtJ9T9FFI/AAAAAAAACyc/fJ5IhzycNuw/s1600/73271_990521010851_6000677_51864948_3387538_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMXtJ9T9FFI/AAAAAAAACyc/fJ5IhzycNuw/s320/73271_990521010851_6000677_51864948_3387538_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Panoramic view of the skyline line at night...a perfect ending)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Word of the Day: foto - pictures (Italian)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-91881253436798280652010-10-24T12:33:00.000-07:002010-10-24T14:10:26.976-07:00Marissa and I relive the good old daysSo my second city on my Mediterranean Tour of Awesomeness was Florence! And there I got to see one of my really good friends from UCI. But why type what happened, when I could show you?<br />
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<i>Note: I'll upload pictures of Florence tomorrow.</i><br />
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<i>HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMPYS! </i>Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8523056700395632974.post-48073211109440291452010-10-23T14:47:00.000-07:002010-10-23T14:47:20.682-07:00City of Bridges and Boats, Masks and MerrimentWell I’m sitting here on a Saturday.<span> </span>I’m in my house because it’s raining so there’s no point going outside.<span> </span>The water heater shut off this morning so staying under the covers in bed seems like the warmest place right now.<span> </span>Fien is at Oma’s.<span> </span>I have absolutely no money courtesy of the last three weeks.<span> </span>And I have caught up on the majority of my shows.<span> </span>I guess there’s no better time than to actually write about my vacation... <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">So we’ll start with the first city…Venice (or Venezia as the locals call it.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Oh Venice.<span> </span>The most romantic city in the world people say.<span> </span>So what I was doing, going there alone, I’ll never know, but I figured why not.<span> </span>I was arriving at 11:00 at night.<span> </span>Knowing my hostel was only a ten minute walk away from the train station did nothing to calm my nerves about the possibility of having to venture down a deserted alley with my worldly possessions strapped to my back in search of an unknown building.<span> </span>But when I walked out of the train station…it was breathtaking.<span> </span>I actually stopped and said “wow.”<span> </span>Now I’ve been to the Venetian in Vegas.<span> </span>And yes that place is completely romanticized, and much cleaner, and smells a lot nicer…but they got the gist of it…</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ahead of me lay a canal and above a clear midnight sky sprinkled with stars.<span> </span>As I walked down a (perfectly lit) street, past shop owners closing up, I admired all the elaborate shop windows filled with Carnival masks, blown glass, and the odd Tratoria with the chairs up on the table and a lone staffer mopping the floors.<span> </span>Yes it sounds like a storybook…and that’s honestly how I felt.<span> </span>We all know that Venice is a city with canals.<span> </span>But I could never <i>really</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> imagine it.<span> </span>There are NO cars.<span> </span>And every “crosswalk” is a bridge.<span> </span>And the buildings are all bright colors.<span> </span>And it is honestly just…beautiful.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">When I got to the hostel, I was let in and not two minutes later, ambushed back out along with around 15 other guests as we headed to the local bar.<span> </span>Immediately making friends, we soon learned where everyone was from (including two girls from Northern California!) Once at the bar we celebrated a birthday, watched some football, and gave some much needed advise to some young Aussies looking to pick up chicks. (And yet us Cali girls were the ones that got free drinks out of it.)</div><div class="MsoNormal">The next day I headed to the one must see sight in Venice – St. Mark’s Basilica...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSqI7-cII/AAAAAAAACwU/U0zg9jnZqKc/s1600/68737_990474049961_6000677_51863676_8298935_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSqI7-cII/AAAAAAAACwU/U0zg9jnZqKc/s320/68737_990474049961_6000677_51863676_8298935_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The square itself was great for people watching – from the violin band playing outside of the café to the little old man with the camera taking pictures of you surrounded by pigeons...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSxYuNBNI/AAAAAAAACww/Nn1FEPfadXE/s1600/71754_990474189681_6000677_51863687_5035767_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSxYuNBNI/AAAAAAAACww/Nn1FEPfadXE/s320/71754_990474189681_6000677_51863687_5035767_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before heading into the church, I made my way down to the water – not a canal, the actual Venetian Gulf connected to the Mediterranean.<span> </span>There I admired the boats cruising by, the couple strolling by, and yes…the gondolas floating by.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSmT1F8EI/AAAAAAAACwE/IuGHCIdvXZQ/s1600/33682_990474404251_6000677_51863696_3560801_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSmT1F8EI/AAAAAAAACwE/IuGHCIdvXZQ/s320/33682_990474404251_6000677_51863696_3560801_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The church itself was incredible.<span> </span>Although a note to all travelers…when they kindly ask you, out of respect for the sanctity of a place, to not take pictures…DON’T TAKE PICTURES!!!<span> </span>I was getting fairly annoyed.<span> </span>But what was I to do?<span> </span>So I silently strolled through, my camera holstered, and admired the breathtaking architecture.<span> </span>Now this was my first experience with an Italian Church - little did I remember I was about to be in Rome and by the time I got to Athens I would be warmly embracing the Polytheistic way of life (kidding 99% of modern day Grecians are Orthodox.)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Taking the long way back, I stopped to admire the various canals as a peek into civilian’s life.<span> </span>Laundry hanging to dry, personal boats anchored to the side, and gelato places at every corner...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSk-FBT4I/AAAAAAAACwA/YRz7kLXFHqQ/s1600/33638_990486275461_6000677_51864092_4553244_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSk-FBT4I/AAAAAAAACwA/YRz7kLXFHqQ/s320/33638_990486275461_6000677_51864092_4553244_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSn64NN_I/AAAAAAAACwM/_aAaqI4_rvc/s1600/67261_990474798461_6000677_51863713_2041425_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSn64NN_I/AAAAAAAACwM/_aAaqI4_rvc/s320/67261_990474798461_6000677_51863713_2041425_n.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I got back to the hostel I joined a game of poker with some fellow travelers.<span> </span>Little did I know three would be Philly Phans, and although at the time I considered them new found friends, for tonight, and possibly Monday, they remain mortal enemies (GO GIANTS!)<span> </span>Soon this tiny card game turned into a table wide one.<span> </span>And soon this table wide card game turned into a drinking one.<span> </span>And by the time free dinner rolled around, everyone in that hostel was friends.<span> </span>One of the Philly boys was even victim to an explanation of Linguistics.<span> </span>Poor guy never saw it coming when he asked “and what exactly is that?”<span> </span>But I loved the breaking down of everyone’s accent, which is made all the better when you’re surrounded by people from different cultures.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The remainder of the night was spent wandering the streets of Venice with my new friends.<span> </span>Of course all this walking around and traveling was reeking havoc on my hurt ankle (don’t now how it happened) so by the end of the night I was hanging on a guy, not out of flirtatiousness, but out of necessity to navigate the up and down of the cities thousands of bridges.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The next day, three girls and I joined up to explore.<span> </span>What’s great about meeting people in Venice, is that the majority of them are doing the same thing you are…Venice to Florence to Rome, so we made plans to meet up later (some of which actually happened!) We wandered the city crawling through every side street we could imagine and having fun with photography.<span>..</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSrMNhhlI/AAAAAAAACwY/SnVFXQckGnE/s1600/68765_990482288451_6000677_51863841_1889368_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSrMNhhlI/AAAAAAAACwY/SnVFXQckGnE/s320/68765_990482288451_6000677_51863841_1889368_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSuk1emNI/AAAAAAAACwk/JXnqk7PJDjM/s1600/69395_990475392271_6000677_51863746_52504_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSuk1emNI/AAAAAAAACwk/JXnqk7PJDjM/s320/69395_990475392271_6000677_51863746_52504_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSpbR_axI/AAAAAAAACwQ/XdKzWtiFBDc/s1600/67730_990475023011_6000677_51863725_873813_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSpbR_axI/AAAAAAAACwQ/XdKzWtiFBDc/s320/67730_990475023011_6000677_51863725_873813_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNS2iqHJrI/AAAAAAAACxA/ZzUDDK2fj2M/s1600/73387_990475222611_6000677_51863734_2753117_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNS2iqHJrI/AAAAAAAACxA/ZzUDDK2fj2M/s320/73387_990475222611_6000677_51863734_2753117_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSvgwaFPI/AAAAAAAACwo/0EhZ6R8ntDU/s1600/71683_990485057901_6000677_51864001_3247884_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSvgwaFPI/AAAAAAAACwo/0EhZ6R8ntDU/s320/71683_990485057901_6000677_51864001_3247884_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNS3l1sMdI/AAAAAAAACxE/MOrwxGadggk/s1600/73431_990483850321_6000677_51863920_633325_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNS3l1sMdI/AAAAAAAACxE/MOrwxGadggk/s320/73431_990483850321_6000677_51863920_633325_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(this one's my favorite...this cat was just sitting there staring at me!)</i></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our sites included a flooded street (a common occurrence in a city built on water)...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSnDhl75I/AAAAAAAACwI/pUCbglBL24o/s1600/66944_990482043941_6000677_51863832_2764016_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSnDhl75I/AAAAAAAACwI/pUCbglBL24o/s320/66944_990482043941_6000677_51863832_2764016_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some beautiful bridges (upon which I actually got to be <i>in</i> some pictures)...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSji1XdHI/AAAAAAAACv8/sgWbkG_iO3o/s1600/33476_990484074871_6000677_51863937_4106766_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSji1XdHI/AAAAAAAACv8/sgWbkG_iO3o/s320/33476_990484074871_6000677_51863937_4106766_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSsm4D86I/AAAAAAAACwc/3g64_paSJaw/s1600/69117_990474973111_6000677_51863722_8247620_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSsm4D86I/AAAAAAAACwc/3g64_paSJaw/s320/69117_990474973111_6000677_51863722_8247620_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNStkTktwI/AAAAAAAACwg/WFZMUEBqsLo/s1600/69131_990482887251_6000677_51863856_2351524_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNStkTktwI/AAAAAAAACwg/WFZMUEBqsLo/s320/69131_990482887251_6000677_51863856_2351524_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNS5Pq_qPI/AAAAAAAACxI/gIlk-VLHHuA/s1600/73617_990484334351_6000677_51863957_4324126_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNS5Pq_qPI/AAAAAAAACxI/gIlk-VLHHuA/s320/73617_990484334351_6000677_51863957_4324126_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And of course, a different view of the city from the seat on the obligatory gondola ride...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNS0YebZ5I/AAAAAAAACw4/A-4SMmyikmw/s1600/73196_990486335341_6000677_51864096_6696451_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNS0YebZ5I/AAAAAAAACw4/A-4SMmyikmw/s320/73196_990486335341_6000677_51864096_6696451_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNS6DOYQ1I/AAAAAAAACxM/pQnYKD9j3-A/s1600/73683_990486619771_6000677_51864106_3497770_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNS6DOYQ1I/AAAAAAAACxM/pQnYKD9j3-A/s320/73683_990486619771_6000677_51864106_3497770_n.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSyxAhOnI/AAAAAAAACw0/MD-EnNqdB3k/s1600/72275_990485671671_6000677_51864050_6161320_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSyxAhOnI/AAAAAAAACw0/MD-EnNqdB3k/s320/72275_990485671671_6000677_51864050_6161320_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSwmguPAI/AAAAAAAACws/Ti8ZWiNKO68/s1600/71744_990486724561_6000677_51864110_1891895_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Xb9RvhJAJNQ/TMNSwmguPAI/AAAAAAAACws/Ti8ZWiNKO68/s320/71744_990486724561_6000677_51864110_1891895_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">After, we decided to call it an early night and headed back to the hostel for a much more subdued version of the night before. </div><div class="MsoNormal">And the next morning, it was off to Florence.<span> </span>Although there wasn’t much left to do in Venice, I would have gladly spent a couple more nights in that beautiful city.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Word of the day: canale - canal (Italian)<o:p></o:p></div><!--EndFragment-->Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00101350306866591772noreply@blogger.com1