Feed, Starve, and Inebriate still apply here

Wow those SITS girls don't let up!  We have to do ANOTHER post for Back2Blogging today.

 (I blame Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances for this forced typing event)

Ok we don't have to.  But you know...I want to...so I will.
Plus this one is easy.  Well, actually it's Tuesday's.  But remember I did blog titles yesterday.  So...anway...You have to re-post on that you wish more people would have read.
And I find this one highly appropriate seeing as I've spent the last three days getting over a cold.  I'm much better, don't worry.  I spent the whole day drinking tea, watching Absolutely Fabulous, and doing a 1000 piece puzzle (not finished with it yet.)
So here it is...
Originally titled...

Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever, Inebriate everything else 

Well…it finally happened. I got sick. I wasn’t feeling too good yesterday and my stomach was kind of queasy which was not helped by the fact that Fien chose yesterday of all days to conduct her “How high can I jump and land on Libby’s stomach” experiment. I spent the majority of the day lying on the couch praying for a break and even left dinner early (meaning leaving some delish potato leek soup) hoping to get some sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

Fast forward FOURTEEN HOURS later, when I wake up to a text from the mother – “Libby, how are you feeling? We are all sick as well!” Laughing, I pulled myself out of bed, took a long and deserving shower, and went into the house to get ready to pick up Fien from school. Suzan had stayed home from work and was waiting for me so that she could drive me. On the way there, we attempted to figure out if it was something we ate, but since it had just been the weekend, we had eaten all meals separately. We also commented on the fact that when men get sick they are complete and utter babies. It’s true...
After picking up Fien (the only one feeling ok) we went home, had lunch, had a nap, and was mercifully allowed to put Fien in front of the TV for the day. That Dora is a lifesaver I tell you…
What I long for now, was our never-fail college remedy, passed down from someone’s Grandma, and stupidly into the minds of ready and able college students – “Take two shots of brandy, put on sweats, and sleep it off.” I swear this always worked. Unfortunately I do not have brandy on hand, and I’m not sure how good it would look if I asked my host family for it. Even more unfortunate is the unbelievable memory that, as college students, we almost always had brandy readily available – well at least the Yacht Club did. It must have been the extreme amount of class we embodied…or perhaps it was the sneaky punch. Or maybe it was both...Since I have enough brains to know that the equivalent of two shots of brandy in the form of alcohol that I do have on hand - one of the red grape persuasion - would not help, but hinder my current health status, I make do with a cup of hot tea, another episode of Cheers, and the knowledge that tomorrow at 10:00, Fien will be at Oma’s for the rest of the day.

 Word of the Day: Tee - tea

KTE: The Silent Killer

It’s time for a second installment of the new hit series, “Know Thine Enemy”

This entries perpetrator -

GERMS!

Now I was never one to get sick all the time.  In fact until sixth or seventh grade, I had perfect attendance in school (nerd alert.)  Then as I got older, moved away from home into the dorms, I was always on the go, probably not eating too well, and definitely not keeping a regular sleep schedule, but I rarely got to the point that I would say “I’m sick.”  And maybe it’s because I believed in the magical healing powers of Ny-Quil.  Seriously, at the first cough, the attempt-at-cherry flavored liquid was running down my throat ready to throw down with any and all immune system attacking bugs, be they voiced by Laurence Fishburn, or other.

And yet here I am living a fairly relaxed (be it stressful) life, eating pretty healthy, and in bed by midnight, up at 8 every day, kind of life.  And I am constantly sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, and NOT having the best sleep I ever got with a cold.  Because here, there is no Ny-Quil.  Or airborne.  Or ADVIL! (Ok maybe there is a Tylenol type, but I have yet to find it in the house, and I always forget to look when I walk by the drug store.)  For a country that is diagnosed as being way to heavily medicated, the US sure had it going on in the over-the-counter drug department.

But the enemy this week is not the lack of medications available to my heavily addicted body.  It’s the cause for the need of these Rx concoctions that I’m writing about.  Germs are out there.  And when you’re around a two year old, they are not only out there, they are throwing a party.  And when your two year old is around other two year olds two days a week, forget the party, those germs are throwing an all out rave/club/Amsterdam-on-new-years soiree.

But I do what I can to avoid them.  At least I try to.  We wash our hands constantly.  Hand sanitizer has become the most treasured thing in my purse.  And floors, counters, and tables are constantly being wiped down.  But you know what that doesn’t stop?  Holding a two year old on your hip and having her cough while you plead “Cover your mouth!”  Or even better, a lovely sneeze leaving germs everywhere…or maybe itsnot.

But I keep plugging on.  And stuffing up.

Word of the day: Hand voor je mond! – Hand over your mouth!

Getting better requires...

Things that helped me feel better through my day (in kind of a timeline)

Time to Point Fingers

It’s true I already wrote an entry about being sick…plus I mentioned it the other day…but I think I now warrant a four alarm alert…

According to this map...

this website...

and this picture...

I’m fairly sure our entire family has been hit by the swine flu. Or the “Mexican Flu” as they call it here. Or the H1N1 virus as President Obama insists we call it so as not to hurt the pork industry…

But then there’s this article which seems much more likely since there are goats nearby. Oh wait, none of us have been to visit them....

Ok maybe I don’t have it, but I am definitely coming down with something. We’re all coughing up lungs and blowing our brains through our nose, it’s a wonder we have any internal organs left.

The Dora DVDs that Fien owns are on constant repeat. I can quote pretty much every one of all of the eight episodes (including the twice as long musical Pirate one.) However one good thing is that because we are all not feeling good, we (and by that I mean the parents and I) are constantly taking turns taking care of Fien while the others rest. And taking care of Fien means watching and singing Dora, which mercifully has yet to add to the sickness. Tomorrow though may be the last “Come on Vamanos” I can muster before I fall down dead. Maybe it's time for a new beloved children's character...

Also being sick in Holland apparently means you have to eat unseasoned potatoes and vegetables for a diet…no chicken soup. No salt, no wine, no nothing. Ugh.

So there you have it…Pigs, Goats, Boiled Potatoes and Dora the Explorer are all responsible for me being sick.

Or maybe it’s just a cold.

Word of the Day: hoest - cough

I Apologize on America's behalf

Well, Fien has been sick all week which means two things…
1. My days are pretty chill since she gets to be spoiled and watch Dora ALL day (but damn is my Dutch getting good)
and 2. I of course am starting to get sick.

I spent the day (bundled up I assure you) in Amsterdam doing a variety of things which I’m going to write all about tomorrow. But since it’s late, and I should get some rest, I just wanted to share one little anecdote...

Today I learned why the rest of the world hates Americans. I’m sitting on the train heading home, and two people sit down across from me. The man is in jeans, collared shirt, v-neck sweater, blazer, and coat, and sporting a flavor savor goatee.  The woman is in a long coat, big bag, spiked heel boots, bleached blond hair, obvious lip liner, with a cell phone. And then this is the conversation I heard...

Woman: God I hope they know what they were talking about.
Man: They didn’t even stamp this thing (talking about train ticket)
W: How are we supposed to know any of this. (looking at back of ticket) I mean how are we supposed to understand this? I don’t see why it would be so hard to print it all in English. I mean we all speak it.
M: I just hope I understood what the guy said with that accent of his.
W: I can’t believe we have to take the train. You could have called someone.
M: It was last minute.
W: Well god, it’s not like you’re not important.
M: Oh look Schipol, we’re here.

And Scene.

I KID YOU NOT!!!
And I know I kid you not because I was writing in my notebook and immediately began writing down this conversation instead. I don’t think they knew I was listening because I had earphones in, but my music was low enough to hear it all. But I was this close to pretending to help them and instead then telling them they were on the wrong train. Or at least telling them to not come back because they were making me ashamed to be an American.

In fact, this came to mind…


(Note: There's a little ad before hand...that is not what I'm talking about...it's the SNL clip that you are to watch.)

So Holland, Europe, and the World - on behalf of all the a-holes out there, allow me to apologize for their lack of consideration, lack of manners, and lack of culture. They know not what they do, and I know not how to get rid of them.

Word of the day: leuk - nice

Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever, Inebriate everything else

Well…it finally happened. I got sick. I wasn’t feeling too good yesterday and my stomach was kind of queasy which was not helped by the fact that Fien chose yesterday of all days to conduct her “How high can I jump and land on Libby’s stomach” experiment. I spent the majority of the day lying on the couch praying for a break and even left dinner early (meaning leaving some delish potato leek soup) hoping to get some sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.
Fast forward FOURTEEN HOURS later, when I wake up to a text from the mother – “Libby, how are you feeling? We are all sick as well!” Laughing, I pulled myself out of bed, took a long and deserving shower, and went into the house to get ready to pick up Fien from school. Suzan had stayed home from work and was waiting for me so that she could drive me. On the way there, we attempted to figure out if it was something we ate, but since it had just been the weekend, we had eaten all meals separately. We also commented on the fact that when men get sick they are complete and utter babies. It’s true...After picking up Fien (the only one feeling ok) we went home, had lunch, had a nap, and was mercifully allowed to put Fien in front of the TV for the day. That Dora is a lifesaver I tell you…What I long for now, was our never-fail college remedy, passed down from someone’s Grandma, and stupidly into the minds of ready and able college students – “Take two shots of brandy, put on sweats, and sleep it off.” I swear this always worked. Unfortunately I do not have brandy on hand, and I’m not sure how good it would look if I asked my host family for it. Even more unfortunate is the unbelievable memory that, as college students, we almost always had brandy readily available – well at least the Yacht Club did. It must have been the extreme amount of class we embodied…or perhaps it was the sneaky punch. Or maybe it was both...Since I have enough brains to know that the equivalent of two shots of brandy in the form of alcohol that I do have on hand - one of the red grape persuasion - would not help, but hinder my current health status, I make do with a cup of hot tea, another episode of Cheers, and the knowledge that tomorrow at 10:00, Fien will be at Oma’s for the rest of the day.

Word of the day: ziek - sick