Morning All:

The heat just kicked in – off with the nighttime setting and on with the higher daytime setting. It’s always nice when everything works, as it should. I had barely poured my coffee and was just beginning to head for the office to write this post, when the power went out on our street. The fact that we got almost a half-inch of ice overnight probably had nothing to do with that though. Miracle of miracles, about thirty seconds later everything came back on. And here is an even greater miracle, a huge city salt truck just rumbled by spraying away like mad. Normally we do not get this treatment till three or so days after the rest of the city has dry roads. The fact that we have to drive uphill no matter which way we try to leave Red Bud normally means little to the ‘keepers of the salt pile’.

Tuesday Marcia made it back from Florida right on schedule and I found her shivering in front of the airport terminal. I love the way they won’t let you stop for a second, even at night when the place is nearly deserted. Instead they force you to get dizzy racing in loops around the airport perimeter, along with fifty or so others. We had made it back almost 40 miles and within sight of the city lights when everything ground to a halt. It appeared that six lanes of highway were shut down so that a massive new bridge support could be moved into position. Halogen klieg lights all over the place and workers dressed as Antarctic explorers shuffling about. How about that for perfect timing on our part?

Now that she’s had a taste of warmer weather, it’s at a point where Marcia can’t wait for Spring to come so that she can join our neighbors in one of the front yards for a vigerous but relaxing session of CHIGONG and enjoy a PASSAGIATA just joining up with the others.

In a while (Marcia speak meaning five hours) she wants to head for our old outdoors Farmers Market. Since I have few opportunities to dress up like a ‘worker garbed as an Antarctic explorer’ it might just be interesting enough to give it a go. Exactly how do you carry bags of veggies when your arms can’t hang down at your sides? On second thought, if my arms are jutting straight out like windmill vanes, Marcia could just hang the bags on them.

Exactly one year ago my brothers and I were walking the streets of Amsterdam in search of fresh salted herring (Zoute Haring) and Amstel beer. Then in the evening we partied oh so heartily as our twin cousins celebrated their – mumble mumble *****th birthday. This evening as you both celebrate again drink a jonge jenever on me – then repeat that by having one more on Art, George, and Pieter. Be sure to take a cab rather than try to ride your bicycle home, those canals are rather cold this time of year.

Have a great week.

Cheers,

Dirk