Journal Entries
Czech mates
Posted Nov 21, 2005
Spent the weekend away at a friend's 30th birthday party, with a significant part of the Czech diaspora in Belgium.
They were all very friendly, and despite the freezing fog that squatted the whole weekend and made the Ardennes feel most wintery, we all had a great time.
Very positive people - you could really feel that this was the second generation to really benefit from the opening up of their countries and access to the EU - they are part of what is currently a minority of people with the language skills to seize these opportunities, and that's what they are doing. For the next generation (all now learning the right languages, and not Russian) things will be much more competitive.
We ate nice hearty food, went rail biking and had a good party. Just what I felt like doing this weekend, and the perfect finish to a grievous week at work.
sprout
Discuss this Journal entry [7]
Latest reply: Nov 21, 2005
the weekend was transperced by the sword of god
Posted Oct 18, 2005
After having finally finished the shed, sofa purchase, and other mind numbing but necessary tasks, this week was supposed to be a week of relaxation.
I had booked for Mrs sprout's 30th a week for her and sproutlet in a mother and baby spa thing, (a spa in Spa in fact). The plan being that Mrs sprout would have a nice break before starting work, as well as some quality time doing something different with the sproutlet, and I would get a bit of time to do my own thing for a few days.
Unfortunately, it hasn't quite worked out like that. As Saturday was another fine day in the Belgian Sahara (it doesn't rain anymore here) we decided we would go to the seaside, to the picturesque and very posh resort of Knokke. (no Knokke Knokke jokes please). Over the day, the sproutlet gradually starts wheezing more and more, and making funny gurgling sounds.
It being the weekend and no other form of medical care being available, we dropped into A+E on the way back. Very good service, and confirmation that the sproutlet has a chest infection. So, no spa, and instead a week with sproutlet at home, no creche, no leaving the house. Not the best psychological preparation for going back to work.
The only vaguely amusing part of Saturday night in A+E was listening to the cop in front of us in the queue describe the lunatic that his colleagues were currently pinning to the wall of the hospital. The gentleman in question had been 'transperced by the sword of god' apparently, and contended that there were 'visible and invisible people, who could switch from one to another state'. His arrest was a 'conspiracy'.
Slightly more worrying, as the cop went to fetch a cup of water for his detainee, another chap, clearly the worse for wear, staggers out of the treatment area and starts talking to him in a whisper. I didn't catch all of it, but the gist was 'are you here for me...' when informed that he wasn't, he seemed surprised then wandered back out again. The face of the cop was a picture - the lunatics have taken over the asylum!
sprout
Discuss this Journal entry [2]
Latest reply: Oct 18, 2005
Plastic not so fantastic
Posted Sep 8, 2005
I've started my next DIY project, and as always I'm partly regretting it...
It's the shed at the bottom of the garden. It was built by the original owner of the house, who was apparently quite the DIY expert, despite having a withered arm after a horrendous electrocution accident at work. 
(I know all this through chatting with elderly neighbours)
First job - the glass windows are broken and need replacing. Anticipating football games in the garden later on, I thought we would replace the glass with plastic. So I buy myself a nice big sheet of acrylic transparent plastic and ask the man how I should cut it.
"with a stanley knife of course". Off I go. Can you cut 5mm plastic sheeting with a a stanley knife? Can you my a*s*. So I revert to a saw. It takes 30 minutes to cut a metre of this stuff with a saw, and I have about six metres worth of cuts too make. Very tiring and irritating.
I'll spare you the removal of old cement, rotten wood, and the new plastering. If I've got everything bar the painting finished this weekend it'll be a miracle.
sprout
Discuss this Journal entry [5]
Latest reply: Sep 8, 2005
Whose eaten the other babies then?
Posted Jul 20, 2005
My son has. 
He weighs 5.5 kilos now, which is over twice his original body weight. All on his mother's milk!
He's not so good at spacing out his feeding though - we're supposed to be doing this gradually, but it's hard to teach a crying baby the value of patience at 4am... He has also had a few stomach aches, poor lamb.
As befits a European baby, he will shortly be crossing his first international border, on the way down the in-laws in SW France. Lets hope it's not too hot.
Shouldn't think I'll have too much access to hootoo down there, so happy hols to those that are going away, and commiserations to those that have to work over the summer.
sprout
Discuss this Journal entry [9]
Latest reply: Jul 20, 2005
On 20 May, at 4:35 in the morning...
Posted May 30, 2005
My first son was born.
It was a magic moment - I defy even the hardest hearted individual to not get choked up when you're holding your new born child in your arms.
He was three weeks early - in fact we nearly had to leave direct for the hospital from the supermarket, which would have been a bit grievous. However, he has been eating like a trooper, and is already getting strong and a bit plumper. Mrs sprout is fine, and is trying out strategies to deal with the sleep deprivation.
I'm not sure I'm going to get much time on here in the short term - we'll see. In between nappies perhaps.
Cheers,
sprout
Discuss this Journal entry [13]
Latest reply: May 30, 2005
sprout
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