Imagine you haven't been home for almost 4 years and it's your sister's 40th birthday soon ... how do you know what she loves if she's not a huge letter writer, even worse, if she doesn't have a blog!
So that is my fate today.
Walking Antwerpen streets, looking for gifts for the first birthday parcel I've been financially free to send home in a long time.
I have Little Miss Three's latest lurg, as we called them back home - this flu thing that starts in the chest. The first sign is the crackle in your lungs ... gruesome. That started last Thursday and it's just building up a little more each day. Gert's living in terror, as he has a section of marathon to run in a few weeks and is going well on his training for the 16kms and we all have this cough now but for him.
The newsletter ... it goes out for the colleague check today which is how I ended up lunching at Via Via Reis Cafe eating my lunch, having taken that first improper sip of red wine at 11.57am. Back in New Zealand, a sure sign that I have veered off the path of sobriety. It was a weekday rule of my father's - no alcohol before 5pm. But one glass of red with a hearty bread and cheese sandwich in Europe seems okay to me.
And even better, I have an new interview lined up for the 'still-in-progress' website, the one where the most recent webdesigner has completely disappeared, with money. I have to phone her today, enquire after her health, ask her for solutions to our unfinished webzine.
12 degrees celsius and sunshine is adding to my day.
I hope your day is a good one where ever you are.
I had some red wine at lunchtime today too, although I waited until after midday, and I had the excuse that it was a colleague's leaving do. And yes, if you're in Europe, it's officially ok.
ReplyDeleteSunshine put me in a good mood today too.
Good luck to Gert for his 16K!
ReplyDeleteGood-o, Simon :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's an expat thing, this decline in personal standards re: things like alcohol consumption lol.
I'll pass your 'good luck' on Van. Thanks.
I heard she developed a love of baked beans at some health camp thingy - but I may be mistaken.
ReplyDeleteYou couldnt go wrong with the latest James Blunt album (her confession not mine). Maybe you could email her a iTunes music voucher - or a can of baked beans - your call. :)
Ohhhhhhhhhh, you're going to be in trouble, Mr J.
ReplyDeleteI think she'll like what I put together for her, although I haven't been outside since because of this flu thing. :(