Confessions

Let me start with a warning... if you knew me before I moved to The Netherlands (I'm uber lazy, so I'm just going to type NL from now on, k?) you will be shocked at some of the stuff I'm about to say. You've been warned.

I knew I'd change a little when I moved, but I've been doing stuff I wouldn't have been caught dead doing (or not doing, as the case may be) in the US. I have to admit, I'm sometimes a little scared of what I've done and who I've become.

1) I haven't used a microwave oven since I got here!! It was as if someone tore off one of my limbs. How on Earth was I going to prepare food without the magic of modern science? I cried. I screamed. I threatened my husband with divorce. All to no avail. I was left with only 1 choice... make meals by hand. Forgive me, Father. I'm not proud, but it had to be done. Stiff upper lip and all that rot, right?

Seriously... I have been preparing our meals without the aide of a microwave and we haven't died from either malnutrition or food poisoning yet, so I must be doing something right. Just wish I hadn't given away most of my kitchen utensils!! WAAAAH! (More about my regrets in a future post)

2) I have opted to eat outside, at a restaurant, in the cold, while it was raining. Who the hell is this person?!? Why was central heating invented if not to keep us from having to endure icky weather?

Seriously... I have probably spent more time eating outside a restaurant than inside a restaurant since I got here. But, they manage their outdoor seating so much better here than in Northern Virginia. They have overhead heaters, and blankets, and some restaurants can even enclose their outdoor seating with retractable awnings and plastic walls. Really makes everything cozy, and the Dutch *LOVE* to be cozy

3) I have voluntarily walked and biked in the cold and in the rain. I feel so ashamed. My children will never want to speak to me again. This madness has to stop, but I've become addicted (SHHH!!!)

Seriously... just about everything we need is within 20 minutes of walking. The rest is within 30 minutes of walking. It's good exercise, the rain is usually just a drizzle, and as long as I can avoid the piles of dog crap, it can be enjoyable. Although, there was the day I was walking along the beach with the wind and rain coming off the water and I realized the rain was actually hurting my face. OUCH! At that point I turned around and took a different route home, one that did not involve walking along the beach.

4) I'm ironing!! My husband wears collared shirts to work and the dry cleaner can get pricey. And, since I have a lot of free time on my hands, I might as well save us a chunk of change and iron them myself. I'm definitely making use of the iron I shipped over.

5) I got down on my hands and knees and cleaned the kitchen floor. Back in the states I'd simply use a swiffer wet jet or something similar. Swiffer is outrageously expensive here and, as stated in #4, I have a lot of time on my hands. In some weird parallel universe this has now become a win-win for me.