I love Dutch girls

IMG_2025
Originally uploaded by j_kleitsch.

I found this great Dutch hottie while riding my bike today...

She doesn't mind when i eat herring treats, and she has a nice rump from riding a bike every day. I'm in love.

The Ship Museum

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Originally uploaded by j_kleitsch.

The ship museum is my kind of museum.

Guns, ships, money, adventure and stories of extreme capitalism.

For hundreds of years the Dutch were the entrepreneurs of the water. Risking everything for fame and fortune. My kind of people.

Thanksgiving in more detail...

Pieterskerk Thanksgiving Service
Originally uploaded by j_kleitsch.

For a full blow-by-blow of our Thanksgiving read Jana's Blog.

Daddy look! Harry Potter!

Thanksgiving at the Hard Rock Cafe in Amsterdam. Classic indeed.

First there was the Harry Potter sighting. (John Lennon who?) Then, while watching music videos, Karsten yelled "Indians!" We had been talking about Pilgrims and Indians all day, so I didn't expect to turn around and see a half-naked Indian dancing on TV! It was Y.M.C.A. by the Village People - Karsten started dancing in his chair.

The Hard Rock was one of the only places in town serving a real t-day dinner. Sure, the turkey was from a can, but we had all the fixins.

Karsten had pizza & fries.

Gotcha! One less mouse in Amsterdam.

First I used peanut butter.
"Yuck" said the mouse.

Young Cheese. Oh yeah, that should work!
"Nope."

Old Cheese. Why didn't I think of that?! Of course, it's stinky!!
"Not interested."

I was defeated.

Can man and mouse can live in harmony? I was willing to give it a try... until you decided to enter my BEDROOM!! C'mon man. We made a deal. You get the kitchen (and I'll throw in the living room). But not the bedroom - you crossed the line you frickin mouse!

I pulled out the traps. again.

pondering... what should i try tonight? i broke the peanut butter jar this morning - so that's out. cheese isn't working. (dig, dig, dig thru fridge) Aha! Creeeeeaaaaam Cheeeeeese!

Gotcha!

Eat This! Dutch Experiment #2

Steak Tar Tar. Oh yeah. Riding high from surviving the herring truck, I decided to roll the dice again - this time... raw beef. Actually... it was raw beef, raw egg, anchovies, onions and mustard. You'll be happy to know that in Amsterdam Tar Tar is served with a side of fries (with mayo of course).

Eat This! Dutch Experiment #1

Dutch Herring, originally uploaded by Andy Kleitsch.

I love taco trucks. So I was immediately in love with the herring trucks in Amsterdam. Actually, I was in love with the IDEA of eating at a herring truck, but I was too chicken to try one. Last week i thought to myself "What if the herring trucks are the BEST thing ever? What if I try one on my last day here and realize that I should have been eating at the herring trucks every day?!?!" That did it. I was committed. Must have herring.

The following day I was walking through the Albert Cuyp with the family and I spotted a herring truck. Damn, the line was too long! Really! No worries, herring trucks in Amsterdam are like Starbucks in Seattle - there's one on every corner.

I finally found a stand and had the glorious herring. supple. smooth. perfect. I'm going have one every weekend.

I almost went home…

I was at Schipol Airport waiting for my flight, when I realized I left my book on the kitchen counter. Crap… can I make it home and back to the airport in time?

Nah, not worth it for a book. Then I realized I left my iPod at home too! Ooohhh man. My book and my iPod?! That’s a little more tempting… perhaps worth a taxi ride home and back?

Nah, still not going to happen. So I headed to the airport bookstore – where I buy all my books.

Hummm… what to buy….

7 Habits of highly effective people? Uhh. No.
A book of brain exercises? That sounds painful.
How to make good decisions? Hummmm maybe… can't decide...
The 80/20 rule? I thumbed through this for 5 min… and almost bought it

But the book that beat them all… The winner is…

Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl

So far, it sucks. I actually thought it was a TRUE STORY about a NY call girl. Nope. Just a chick-novel. But really, it’s a combination of all the other books i almost bought rolled into one:

7 habits of highly effective hookers
A book of brain exercises - for hookers
and…
How to make good decisions - as a hooker

For a mouse

Really,
you could have lived in my kitchen all year.

A cute little mouse in my kitchen...
who cares?
As long as you keep hidden, afraid of loud noises.
Then i don't have to acknowledge
that you really exist.

I would tell Jana,
"i think we have a mouse, but i've never seen him"
then i would go back to my computer, tv, beer, coffee shop
life as i know it.

Instead,
i'm at the Blokker (think Bartell Drugs)
looking for mouse traps.

All because
that little mouse had to strut his stuff.
Hello!?!?! I'm in the ROOM! Looking at you!!
RUN YOU LITTLE COCKY MOUSE!
I stomp my feet.
he's too busy to care about me.

Ooooohhhh you're gonna pay for THAT little mouse!!
I look around for something to throw.
I grab a stack of business cards in a zip lock bag.
Hummm, maybe if I bundle this stack of business cards together
really, really tight... i twist the bag and make a little business card brick,
what the hell am i thinking?!
Is this how a metro sexual tries to kill a mouse? with business cards!?

Back at home now.
mouse traps armed with peanut butter.

It's been (look at watch) 19 minutes...

honestly, i expected to catch a mouse by now... I bet within an hour I'll get one.