Re-locating my pony

I went to get my car out of hibernation today. There it is, waiting for me in the sun.
Real American muscle (from 1973 ;-) )

Turning the key and starting the engine is the coolest part (if it runs!). The battery was full and it started running quickly.

I drove in to town and stopped at Nicole's cake shop.

Then I continued to the new garage where I can pick it up whenever I like. Expensive but better because it's easy to get to and I have my own key to the garage.

Then I took the train home again.

Gonna see the doctorrrrrr...

I was meeting my doctor this morning to discuss all the stuff that happened over the last couple of months. The rest of the day I worked from home.

The 3 little plants above, I'm growing for friends and colleagues.

It was sunny around noon. Finally some sun after this very, very long winter.

The oak tree I'm growing for Marjolein is starting to open up.

The construction work next door is getting real pretty now...

Lunch ;-)

The side entrance

Shock and horor! The supermarket's shutters were still down when I went there to get my croissants! The note sent me around the back. OK....

Interesting entrance! Was funny to enter through here.

Late arvo I went for a coffee and a slice to Cake Loves Coffee. It was quiet except for 2 girls who talked with a southern accent.

It started snowing quite bad and the wind was absolutely freezing!

On the way home again.

My street.

Cake lunch

I worked from home today after a visit to the doctor. Advantage is that I can have "lunch" at Cake Loves Coffee ;-)

I noticed a lot of Christmas trees being thrown out.

Takes them years to grow for 2 weeks of fun and then they're trashed.

Went to Mic for dinner and squash. Was nice seeing them again :-)

MADNESS

They're doing a really good job on fixing up all the old houses in my neighbourhood. Not bad for the value of my house either ;-)

I rushed to Osdorp (outskirts of Amsterdam) today to find a costume store. It wasn't there anymore. Vincent was not very happy then...

After wards I met Ruud at Cake loves coffee. The look of this cake made me a lot happier!

I rescued a bee.

Sun exploding off of a cloud.

Late arvo, Marjolein came over and played with the dust on my shelves. I should really clean things up again...

In the evening we went to see a concert by MADNESS. We went there with Ruud, Laurien, Tanja and Patrick.

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The concert was great even though they did a lot of new songs and only a handful of the old stuff.

The moon above one of Amsterdam's old canals. After dropping Marjolein off at the station I walked home along the old canals. It was quiet and all I heard were my footsteps.

The new contract

New graffiti on the submarine close to my work.

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On my way home.

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Nicole got her new cake cooler today. It looks great.

But what looks even greater is this: my permanent contract :-)

A beautiful day

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This morning I visited a client from work. It's a mental institution. A BIG one. People live there on campus, some their whole life, supported by staff. Some only for a year to recover from trauma until they can look after themselves again. I'm glad these kinds of places are around.

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I drove back by train through a little nature reserve.

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Nice views as the weather was freezing but beautiful

I worked from home the rest of the day. In the evening I went to Nic's cake shop to fix a few things. I nailed down this loose skirting board.

And I painted the edge of the shelves white.

Meeting Thrall

I had a meeting with Thrall in the morning. But then he got kidnapped and I had to kill a hundred elementals to free him again together with his lady friend ;-) Everything went well and at the end he gave me a nice cloak!

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Cake Loves Coffee now has opening times on the window.

Out of vases.

The bridge at the Elandsgracht was finally open again a few weeks ago. It's been closed for over half a year.

I went for a little walk around the hood hoping I'd find new shoes but no. Nothing appealed to me. I may have to go to the shopping street from hell...

At least my walking boots were ready to be picked up from the shoe-maker. I had new soles put under them. let's hope they will last a while.

In the afternoon I went to see what was happening at CLC. it was busy!

Nicole is now officially out of vases...

Back at home I started repairing the tiniest of my locomotives. It was sold to me with a big fat discount coz it wasn't going anywhere.

I quickly figured out the problem.

The power is being taken off of the wheels by a tiny little copper spring pressing against the backside of the wheel. At least, that's where it -should- be pressing!

But it wasn't. Someone must have taken it apart without really understanding how it works and put the wheels back with the spring against the front of it.

I fixed it and now it works again :-)

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Then I played a bit more World of Warcraft. I'm quite enjoying this game again at the moment, I find it relaxing.

I met the Earth mother.