Adjusting to Life in the Netherlands

This is how I adjust, a nice cup of coffee and cake! I love the baked goods I can get in the store so much that I don't really bother with baking. The first time I bought this cake I thought it was an individual piece and put the entire thing on my plate. Björn raised an eyebrow at it and asked erm are you planning to eat ALL of that? I said well yes unless you want a bite. He said noo you go ahead.

Needless to say a few bites in and I knew this was not meant to be eaten by one person! Delicious and rich, a few bites is plenty.

I am having a little trouble getting used to the cold. It was really hot when I left Dallas, so the wind and rain are a change. I also forgot Emma's sweaters (along with her leash and harness) so she is not liking it either.

I also did not notice that my laptop has a grounded plug so does not work in a normal adapter, which I also forgot. Poor Björn had to drive to Zeist Saturday and search all over, he found one and when he got it home we discovered the grounded plug. That leaves me with a 13 pound paperweight.

The reason I came over so unorganized is that I waited until Friday morning to go get Emma's papers. It was really my only chance since three people are sharing my car. Over a course of nearly 4 hours the vet argued with me over what I needed, I tried to tell her what they actually ask for at customs and she tried to tell me what some woman in Austin told her. I ended up just coming with what I had as she refused to give me anything, we will see if they get me back into the US or not.

So overall things are going well and it is a bright, sunny day today!

Layout Change Again

I liked the other one but it was just too busy as I feared. This one is clean and cheerful and makes me happy to see it so I think I will just stick with it for now. I look at my blog more as a magazine rather than a place to post, I visit it many times a day but not so much to post as to check out all of my favorite places.

It is hard to explain, I live on the internet. Not that I am always sitting on front of my computer but my life is pretty much online, this is where I work 10-12 hours a day and communicate with most of my friends and family on a day to day basis, close by, across the state, country or world. I have friends and family in Dallas, Tampa, up north, across Europe, Fiji... I can speak to any of them in a second, here at home or while looking at diapers and bouncy thingies in Target.

My daughter will be having a baby in 8 weeks. She is an executive assistant so she is online as well, desktop at work and Blackberry when mobile. We can chat throughout the day on IM, when she has a pain or a problem she asks me and if it freaks me out I can google it and decide if she need to just suck it up or call her doctor.

When I am not before the computer I have my iPhone that keeps me connected. I don't think I am addicted but I am dependant. It is not about a sickness or needing an intervention, it is just who I am now. Could I do without it, no-not at this point but that is because I am wired that way. Could I go back to being un-wired? Sure, but why?

Crapass comments got you down?

Retweet from @steamykitchen via Nancy Rommelmann

Moved Again

Since I posted at Sam's with this ID I thought I should put something up here. I never have time to post and see no reason to be paying for that Typepad account so I need some place to call home on the Blogosphere and my old blogger blog has some issues. I may never do more than visit my links or maybe occasionally bitch about my hair, being fat, the GOP, Oprah and Obama, men, my family or Reality Television. Big Brother starts soon you know.

Is it a Secret?

There is a somewhat heated situation going on over at another blog. It all started with the author's interpretation of her life. She feels that living the "Secret" has brought her to the place where she is now. Okay, good for her, but the problem lies in some of the statements she has made, declaring there are no victims in this world, everyone attracts the misfortune and horrible things that happen to them. I personally find this all to be a bunch of hooey. I probably would never have commented on her blog had she not made such ignorant and sweeping statements. I am not going to get into all of that now, I read the book, saw the film and really cannot imagine that those people have become so rich off the desperation of others and am SHOCKED that Oprah supports this.
However the problem now seems to be that this person believes that she can say whatever she likes on her blog and no one has the right to comment in a negative way or to judge her. This is where I heartily disagree. If you lay your life out on the open internet you are at the very least inviting your readers to pass judgement on what you say and the life you live. After all, the only information we have is what we read there.
From the posts I have made so far I would assume that people think I am a fat quitter who watches too much tv, was probably a drug abuser and slut in the 80's and has not been able to make her dream of spending a year in Paris come true. Horrors! I am actually more fluffy than fat, I do watch far too much tv and the 80s? well let's not go there okay ::snicker::, I am still going to Paris, maybe not for a year but I am going! I am fun, loyal and helpful. I have a wonderful relationship with my man and my children (who are successful and gorgeous) and I lavish far too much attention on a tiny Yorkie named Emma.
The thing I am wondering here is, do you realize how your readers see you? Are you surprised to think that they are judging you by the words you write?