Shit happens

Starting the day is very easy, first a cup of coffee and then looking through my emails.
Next is the laundry and take a shower. Today I went to the sport centre in town for a tour and to look for the prices, Lenore and I talk already several weeks it. Very nice location with good facilities like a swimming pool, sauna, racket ball and more. The thing what I didn’t like was the contract with an initiation fee from at least U$ 300, - a couple. The Assistant General Manager told me that in April special initiation fee from U$ 90, - a couple, when I try it for three months. That sounds much better so till that time I hick in Tilden.
Next stop Berkeley; I arrange some flowers for Lenore’s parents, they coming back from vacation. Her mom wants to see the Northern Lights on the Hudson Bay. So I open the door from the house I hear the sound of the alarm system, damn Lenore didn’t gave me the number. I close the door directly but it was already done. The sirens went of for at least 15 minutes; the gardener at the neighbors got already crazy and went to the other side of the house.
Finally I went in to the house after Lenore called me and put the flowers on the table with a card from Leo (her mom’s cat).
Ok, everything alright so I went for a hick to Tilden Park, it was so wet from the last few days that I problems to walk over the trail. After 25 minutes I found a way up and took the tarmac road back to inspiration point where I parked. At my way home I stopped at the store for a lottery ticket, I saw on the web log from Mark that the jackpot went up to 256 million dollar. Thanks Mark for the reminder.

skiing

Saturday it was a nice day for skiing around Lake Tahoe. A few days before I was already busy to get my own boots, the skies I rent and hope for a good deal later on March. Boreal was the place for the day and directly on the I-80. James went down the piste on his snowboard while Lenore and I stay on our normal skies. Fifteen years ago was my last time in Sauerland district in Germany, but after 20 minutes I had my rhythm back.

Monday was a nice to clean the house, outside it was purring rain. And then food tasting at a Mexican restaurant in Berkeley, the 25th of March there is a party and we ask them to make a price for catering. The food was really delicious and I can't wait to give the party.







Today I got also the good news that John’s wife delivered a daughter named Amy. Mom and daughter are in a good condition and going home soon. What a perfect day.

Dentist appointment

Yep, today it was my time to show up at the Dentist for cleaning. Lucky that I know Barry from December 2004 at that time it was my first visit. Daniela cleaned my teeth will Barry came to talk with me about my North European set of teeth. I know that I need a crown so I was not surprise that he give me a new date to come. Then just before 6 pm Erika called me if I can come to here school for the Costa Rica trip next Friday, her mom was still working so why not. Of course it was things like what clothes you bring to the tropics and what spray for the sand flies and mosquitoes. At the time we came back from that meeting Lenore came out of the Hospital and stopped at the Chinese for food. Now it’s time for more Olympics stuff on TV.

Inconvenience

Tuesday afternoon and the weather is perfect in the Bay Area. This morning I had my friend Paul on the phone and ask me questions if I still like it here on the other side of the world without his friends. Sure I miss my friends, Marloes en Vincent but Lenore knows how to balance this with me. We talk a lot a do thinks like yesterday, a hike in Tilden Park. The have a few trails and a great view, and how can you enjoy this better then with a real beer. Beer?? Yes I always take my small backpack with some candy and drinks.
Then the story about my one cubic meter box what I send from Enschede to here. This morning I got a phone call from the company who should get this today. “Mister Nijssen your stuff is in New York, the customer’s service didn’t trust the container so they will scan. They scan it today or tomorrow, afterwards it goes directly on a truck what takes 9 till 10 days. Sorry for the inconvenience but there is something else in the container what they don’t trust. I call you back if I know more”. Well maybe I must start with my own bestseller; I know that my last name is not easy to spell but easier then Japanese I think.

End of soccer tournament

Last evening it was time to take the car to Walnut Creek and visit the field of Los Lomas.
These time no National Anthem and no presentation of the teams. It was a tuff game and both teams had problem with the wetter. Los Lomas had more luck then the ladies from Saint Mary’s they won with 3-0. At least I had fun to watch the games the last weeks and I’m sure they getting better next year with Jim as coach.
Then the speed skating event in Torino, I saw the reportage from NBC around 11pm. Of course they enounce first 40 minutes before that the USA won the Gold and Silver medals. Finally the sport gets more time on the television when you talk about the men. Strange thing is that Shani Davis was not happy with his interview from The NBC TV-channel. I can imagine the channel is talking the whole day about Chad Hedrick and his five Gold Medals he’s winning. Maybe that’s the reason that he didn’t want to skate with the US group. Davis is the US favorite from the Dutch people and I think because he has a normal behavior. Other thing, it’s strange that the US skaters has Dutch Sponsors. In the picture you can see that he’s a normal guy and respect other people.

I’m just hearing live the speed skating 1000mtr. from the ladies. Yes we have a Dutch winner named Marriane Timmer with 1.16.05 just before Cindy Klassen en Anni Friesinger. Nice revenge after disqualification on the 500mtr.
One compliment I must gave NBC, the site is up to date but please do next time live stream.

Speedskating

Its Saturday morning, I came early out of my bed so I could bring Lenore to her work.
She starts at 7am and afterwards I can drive around, I promised Margaret (Lenore’s friend) to help her with prepare the walls before she start to paint. It’s not my favorite hobby but I want to do something. Margaret called already if I can come 2 hours later, no problem. Till that time I can follow the 1000mtr speed skating live on the radio. Nice to hear that Shani Davis won this race, second is Joey Cheek and third Erben Wennemars. I’m sure that the NBC shows only three races and four commercials so it’s better to spend my time better tonight. There is another tournament soccer game tonight, the ladies from Saint Mary’s start at 7pm and I hope that we don’t get rain. We prepare for cold but not for rain.

Soccer tournament

As we know there was Valentine’s Day (Hallmark Day) on Tuesday. Lenore and I enjoy already our life so we said to each other ”No presents”. Lenore’s daughter Erika was traveling to her dad this weekend from Arizona and should be back today. I promise her to be there on the airport, she didn’t know that we contact her boyfriend Jon and ask him to join me and take her out for dinner on our costs. Nice to see her face when she walked in the Arrival Hall, while her Jon was standing there with flowers. The surprise was bigger when I went of the freeway, she was telling me from the back seat that I took the wrong way. “A dinner for two should be nice, isn’t it” was my answer. Fine to make them happy, plan succeeded.

The ladies soccer team from Saint Mary’s College High School were second in the league last week so this results in a tournament. It’s Wednesday 7pm in Lafayette, the national anthem sounds and the grandstand is packed with supporters. The play is against Acalanes Dons who has a really good team, the results on the end of 2 times 40 minutes is 2 – 2. At that time everybody was freezing their butts off. Five minutes later the game starts again with 2 times 10 minutes to decide which team is going further but after 20 minutes it was still tied. The keeper from Acalanes Dons was good but not good enough to stop all the penalties, and the St Mary’s Panthers won by one goal on the shoot-out. The players and the supporters from Saint Mary’s went crazy, nice thing is that Saturday we have another game. Of course, now the weather has changed and its FREEZING and it is supposed to rain on Saturday, so I really hope they win, and make watching the game worth it.

Bank account

Last summer Lenore and I went to a Dutch bank to open joint-account. Of course we didn’t have a problem and before she went back to the US Lenore had the atm card. So our plan was to open yesterday a joint-account again but then here in the US. We went to a bank with the most atm’s in this area the Washington Mutual, the one Solano in Berkeley. First it took them 20 minutes before someone came to open an account. The lady was new in this process and every time she went back to her supervisor to get our questions answered. Simple questions like what do you guys charge me when I send money from my Dutch account to here;’ I think probably nothing’. ‘Are you sure or ….’ Again she went back to her supervisor, ‘Sir it cost U$ 10,-. Next problem, I don’t have a security number yet because the process is so slow. Now the supervisor came and told me that I can’t joint the account, the excuse they have; ‘sorry since nine eleven’ RIGHT.
I’m getting sick about this excuse, is the whole US use this as an excuse. I think this is paranoia.
Luckily Lenore’s own bank is willing to put me on her account till the time I get my own number.
It’s time to think positive in this still beautiful country.

Wildcat Canyon and Tilden Park

Well that’s nice to hear, playing Spider Solitaire on the computer.
Yesterday I took the challenge to cross Wildcat Canyon and Tilden Park with the bike.
It took me three and half hour to get in Berkeley, but the view was beautiful with the weather of these days.

Today Lenore and I walked into Kennedy Grove Park, different view then yesterday but still pretty. There is also time for the garden, putting more bulbs in the ground so that we can enjoy it later on. In the evening its time to visit Lenore parents and go out for dinner, mmmmmmm.

The last week

The last week I was more active then right on this moment. I went with James to the other side of the Bay. I want to see some more from San Francisco, so the Fisherman Wharf, the Cable Car, Lombard Street and walking through China town. Funny to see, a lot of lunchrooms / restaurants have free wireless internet. I saw on the news that they want a free wireless connection in the big cities of the Bay. In the Netherlands this is still big business for the phone companies, but ok it's a tiny little country. On Friday Lenore and I went to the movies during the day, we want to see Broke Back Mountain. I can tell you it’s a really good movie. Saturday there was the Crab dinner at Saint Mary’s school, Lenore is crazy about the food but I prefer more the salad. Before the dinner there was an auction with different stuff, damn I mist the Basketball tickets just in the last minute. Still I can complain we have scored four bottles of wine from Francis Coppola and one night in the Marriot hotel.
During the weekend we took a hick here in the hills of El Sobrante, really beautiful even if we had problems. The mud on the trail was terrible so I hope to do it again soon or take the mountain bike.