A Different T Minus 3 Weeks

Three weeks from now (assuming I survive Tough Mudder and am not confined to a hospital bed or wheel chair) I'll be at the airport in Brussels (hopefully without food poisoning this time!!) waiting for Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother and Friend.  I'll be taking them on a whirl-wind 4-country adventure (in a rented van because I don't have a 6-passenger vehicle.  Rentals here are standard transmission which means I need to survive TM with both legs working!).  Sister, Brother and Friend only have a week here so I'm trying to fit in as much as possible without simply driving by all the highlights and letting them take pictures out the window.

I'm sure Mom is a nervous wreck worrying about it all despite my telling her not to worry (those who know Mom know there's no point telling her not to worry).  Sister is a nervous wreck because she hates flying and is terrified something will happen to all of them and there will be no one left to take care of her dogs.  Brother tends to get sick when flying so hopefully he'll be feeling fine upon arrival.  I think Dad and Friend will be okay.  Mom will worry enough for everyone; just in case :)

I've stocked up on toilet paper, borrowed beds, and booked hotels.  I know I need green tea for Dad and Coke Zero for Mom and coffee for the boys.  I'm not sure if my teeny-tiny little fridge can handle the needs of 6 people but we will see. 

I'm excited, though!!  Can't wait !

T Minus Three Weeks

Three weeks from now I'll likely be covered in mud wondering what the hell I was thinking when I let myself be talked into signing up for the Tough Mudder and wishing there weren't still several miles and many obstacles to go before I can lay down and die.  Oh yeah, I can't wait :)

Last Sunday I trained for three hours.  I alternated miles on the treadmill with weights. I was surprised by how much easier the miles were when I got to take breaks (it's scary that I now consider lifting weight to be a break).  I did 8 miles total.  I never thought I'd ever have reason or be able to run 8 miles (unless it was over a couple days!) let alone feel like I could run more when I was done.  That said, however, I will be glad when this challenge is over and I can spend 3 hours sitting on my couch (or hopefully in my hammock if the weather ever gets nice) on the weekend instead of working out in the gym or getting lost in the nearby wood on a training run!!!

In case you still want to show your support for our wounded warriors, check out Help For Heroes .  And thanks!

Trail Run - Spa

Last Saturday a few Tough Mudder teammates and I did a 5 mile trail run in Spa, Belgium. Let me just say that this Spa did not involve any thermal pools, massages or embarrassing naked moments. It did, however, involve pain!

The splotches and arrows of flour tell you which path to take.

Up, Up, UP...

We started way down there somewhere.

At the finish line!
 

Norwegian Brown Cheese

I have a friend here who is a Norwegian Naval officer. She recently went back to Norway for a visit and brought me some Norwegian Brown Cheese.

The first bite resulted in the thought, "What...the Hell... is in my mouth?!?" It certainly wasn't cheese. I took another tentative bite and then another. It wasn't that it tasted bad but I couldn't reconcile the taste with the fact that it was supposed to be cheese.

It looks rather dry but is actually creamy. And it tastes like salted caramel. Once I identified the flavors I was able to enjoy it. Now I'm sad because it's all gone. Hopefully she'll make another trip to Norway soon. Maybe I'll have to go with her!

Hoorn & Enkhuizen...A Visit Home

I organized a weekend trip with the walking club back to my old stomping ground in North Holland. I love these old port towns. They are very different from where I live now. They have a completely different feel and the landscape is totally different. I'd move back up there if it were an option. For now I have to settle with visiting. I'm glad I got to introduce a group of friends to some of my favorite places.

The original entrance to Hoorn

At the Dromedary in Enkhuizen

This is life when you live below sea level just behind a dike.

Simone - one of the mother's I had during my exchange year. She joined us at dinner and it was great catching up.

London

A friend from NC moved to a base outside of London last year. I finally made it over there for a visit. Now I just need to get them here for a visit!!

Kelly and I in Bury St. Edmonds

Madeline in front of Buckingham Palace

At the Tower Bridge (mistakenly referred to as the London Bridge).

The Tower Bridge from the Tower of London - side of the river.

Winter Commute

I woke up 2 weeks ago to find snow on the ground. Last winter it started snowing in November and it was done by January. This winter it didn't start until the end of January. It didn't snow more than a couple inches but the temps went way below freezing and haven't come up since so the snow is still here. I've never ridden a bike in the snow before so that was a new experience.

Riding to work

Riding home. It was still snowing.

Prague

Prague is a beautiful, old city located on the Vltava River. Left intact after WWII, it has an old-world charm, cobbled streets and wonderful architecture.

We arrived on the day of Vaclav Havel's funeral.

The largest memorial in Wenceslas Square

The Charles Bridge - commissioned by Charles IV in 1357, completed in 1402.

Sidewalk in the Old Jewish Quarter

Old Town Square

Astronomical Clock - The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still working.

Kris and I in the Old Town Square Christmas Market



FOOD!!

Traditional Christmas Eve dinner of carp. Ours came with a mushroom and barley casserole.

Christmas day lunch of Czech garlic soup (YUM!!) and beer at a brew pub.

Sorry to disappoint those of you who think there's nothing more American than Budweiser but it actually originates in Bohemia. In most European countries American Budweiser is not labeled as Budweiser but as Bud, and the name Budweiser refers to the original Czech beer, Budweiser Budvar.

The Budvar that came with my 2nd eating of garlic soup on the last night in Prague.

Trdelnik being "baked" over hot coals.

Trdelnik and Starbucks...

Grilled sheep cheese served on rye bread. So tasty!!

Potato pancakes. Surprisingly not so tasty.

Wafer cookie the size of my head!

Entertainment!

Motzart's Don Giovanni, performed by marionettes. The Czech Republic has a long history of puppetry, puppet-making, and marionettes. Czech puppets have been a part of Czech tradition since the middle of the 18th century.

The Lichtenstein Palace where I heard a string quintet play.


The string quintet.

Santa Run

The night before leaving for Prague there was a charity Santa Run in the nearby city of Maastricht. I don't know what charity the money went to but it really didn't matter. With your registration you get a santa suit to run in. It was a good time.

Drive Much?

It's been almost a year since I registered my car here (it will be a year next week). I have to turn in my fuel ration card in order to get another one. So I crunched the numbers and I used less than 25 gal/month. And the first few months, before getting the bike out and reassembled, I drove almost every day. Now that I ride my bike almost every day I'm excited to see how much less gas I will use this year.