bUsY ScHeDuLe

Smallie update:

· Work has almost killed me
· I have recovered slightly
· Mum and her cousin were here last week which was wonderful
· My mum’s wallet was stolen which was less wonderful
· Sarah is coming next weekend and I can hardly wait
· Lalo is leaving me for a whole week to go to conference in the States and I can hardly wait for him to come back home
· I’m going to Landgraaf in a fortnight, so 1) Patries, we should meet for coffee! And 2) Luc and Carla, embrace yourself :D
· Dutch meeting in the Hems in London was great! Nice people, those Dutch… ;)
· We booked our tickets to Mexico so loads of nice pictures to expect in January
· I’m still not sure what to do about my jobs (too much work, 6 days a week)
· Lalo is speaking Dutch. It’s the most funny and oh-so-strange thing hearing a Mexican saying ui, uu, ei, ij, eu…. Beschijtje met meisjes instead of beschuitje met muisjes. Hahahahaha…only the Dutch will understand!

And worse of all: it’s time for our winter coats again! And it’s getting dark at 5pm! I hate winter (except for the snow)

CeLeBrAtiOnS

Lalo just told me that he loves me because I am the only person he knows who celebrates the fact that a bill has been paid...

He is right...

I need to get my head checked out!!



Additional news: I had a rather radical hair cut yesterday which puts a lot of focus on my boobs, as people might think I am a guy and they're checking to make sure I'm not (or they are just 'boob-perverts)! Lalo is double disappointed. He loooves long hair. And people stare at my boobs. It's a dubious experience...
:D

We loooove the postoffice

As part of my previous blog: BT did eventually pick up. I did give them my details. Everything did seem fine…. Until the last moment where the ass on the other side of the line said: ’ Sorry Miss H., our system isn’t working properly at the moment and we cannot process your request. Please call back in 30 minutes.’ I thought I had a heart attack. With a cool, peaceful voice I said ‘Listen (motherf*%”er), is there a possibility you phone ME back?’ And warempel there was!!! We ended the conversation as friends. I was so happy!!

Three days later and still no word. I was right the first time. MotherF*%$er!!!!
I received two more reminders in 2 days. I HATE reminders…



After my incident with BT I realized we can pay this bill also at the postoffice (which is next door btw!!)
:S

British Telebastards

Here I am. On the phone. With British Telecommunication (BT). Again. It is the SECOND time now that I am trying to pay the exact same bill!! Unfortunately, our landline has been taking over by another company (TalkTalk, also crap in customer service) so therefore our last bill can’t be paid for over the internet or via the automated phone service. So let me tell you what I have to go through right now… (and please remember, I already went through the EXACT same thing 2 weeks ago!!!!!)

I dial 0800…. (Oh nice, it’s free)… An automated phone service makes me go through 7 different menus before I come to the conclusion that I am going in circles as our account is already closed. I have to hang up as I am stuck in a menu and can’t get out.

I dial again 0800… (Thank God it’s free)… An automated phone service makes me go through 5 different menus after which someone picks up in India. Probably not realizing they did... ‘Bladiebladiebla…hahaha…blabla?..Aaaahhh blablabla….oohhh???.. Bladieblaaaa’. I say ‘Hello?...Helloooooo? HEY!!!...’ I move the microphone into my mouth and shout ’HEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY’. They finally realize someone is on the other line and hang up.

I’m slightly irritated now….Like 2 days before I have my period….Ask Lalo. Not good….

I dial again 0800… (It’s better for free this shitty number!)… An automated phone service makes me go through 6 different menus (I tried a short-cut but it just made me go through the same menus twice!! Bastards) after which someone picks up. This is a British guy, who is SO keen to put me back on hold that before I know it he already has!

So here I am….45 minutes later and still on hold (and this is definitely NOT exaggerated as we have a timer AND speaker on our new frickin’ BT phone). I’m not sure what to think now. Coz as I have said before….I’ve been here, and done it. Gave them after 55 min wait my credit card details. It took the guy almost 20min to put it into his sad little PC system. Fucked up a few times. Put me on hold also a few times to ask his colleagues. It was madness. I became so angry with him that Lalo had to finish the conversation with him coz otherwise I would have to down there and put his head through a wall!!!! And guess what….after 2 weeks I receive the same bill again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They must be joking me.

I have written this story, and I’m still on hold. I totally understand why people get upset when they are kept on hold. I’m almost fuming. I am. I know I have a smallie temper, but I normally manage to keep the Beast inside. But it wants to get out! I keep you informed….



Btw, today a guy named Niels walked into the store… I thought to myself ‘wow that sounds Dutch’. And warempel, he is!! It has been exactly 5 years ago I did an eye test in Dutch. It was TOO hard!!! What a terrible language I would have to say ;) Good luck to you Lalito!!!

PrAy!!

Yesterday I had to stay home from work. Getting up was an absolute nightmare, so were my scrappy voice and totally blocked nose. I thought to use my time well, get up early and work on my corrections. Do you remember that really long exam I had a while ago? You know, 4 hours of defending my thesis. Well, it took 4 hours for a reason…coz the corrections seem massive. Every graph needs to be changed…and I have about 86 of them! Of course it’s hard to find the original file, as you wouldn’t expect of Monica’s cousin!! So this will probably still take a while… They gave me until September 2008, so not to worry. But of course I would like to finish asap.

Today I’m back at work though. Paracetamol seemed to work!! Had breakfast this morning with the gang from work as Christina is leaving… boo… Now I'm sitting here, waiting for patients. Feeling more and more miserable with time. Wondering how long I can stay here today. Might crawl back home and sleep some more!

Keep praying people… Byki is still not fine(d)!

FiNe?

My nose is running, my head is exploding, my ears are blocked…. What the hell happened to me overnight??

Yesterday everything was fiiiiiiine. And now I pronounce a –d at the end of fiiiine. Fined. Uh… Fiiiiined. Joder! (that still sounds like Goddeer thank God)

I hate the flu, cold, and fever. I really do. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I wish I was ill so I wouldn’t have to go to work. Stay in pyjama all day at home, watching movies, drinking tea and eating chocolate. But then, when you are actually ill enough to stay home, I’m so frickin’ miserable that I’ll sleep all day, sweat like a pig and give up watching a movie as my brain can hardly comprehend if it’s suppose to be a comedy or thriller… Feeling SO uncomfortable that even chocolate is not appreciated… Now, THEN I’m really ill!

And I have the feeling that that is exactly what is going to happen to me this Sunday. You know, my ONLY day off in the week. Of course, prior to that I will have finished 30 thousand packs of tissues, and the skin of my nose has regenerated about 10 times. Wish me luck. Please pray I’m gonna be fine(d)…

mAdRiD aNd MoRe...

Last weekend was FAB! Lalo and I went on our summer holiday (2 days Spain, it’s actually too sad to mention hihi)! But never mind…finally away, with the two of us!! Joder man, cannot remember the last time we sat together in a plane…and I travelled sooo much this year!! The start of our romantic getaway of 2 days Madrid started kinda strange… due to Lalo’s flimsy/unprofessional Mexican passport we couldn’t check in online or electronically, and as a result we couldn’t sit together! Boo!! I’m tempted to say ‘stupid Mexican government’ but that will eventually of course come back and bite me in the ass ;)

The rest was absolutely amazing!! The food, the sun, everything! You have to know that my dear friends San and Luisja had made me already addicted to Spanish cheese and chorizo, so during the 2.5 days Madrid I have spend 99% of my time drinking and eating tapas (the drinking part is totally due to myself…unfortunately no one else to blame…). There was also some walking (from cantina to cantina), shopping (hey, a girl has to do what a girl has to do), and sleeping (unfortunately necessary). Although I was slightly thrown back by the city itself: it’s nice, but not beautiful. Sevilla is MUCH better. And shopping…? Well …all the same shops as London! Where is the Spanish individuality??? Probably somewhere tucked away where I couldn’t see it… However, overall, a trip to remember!!!

Btw, I finally have sorted out my pictures since May this year. So here are the ones you were all still waiting for (were you, really??). Uhhmmm….

Mojitos and the view

from our room in Florida!

Dr Lalo’s graduation! By the way... I won't go through this ceremony myself if you are wondering. It's a waste of money and time, which both could be spend better in the pub :D

Brighton...eating fresh fish
with a cute view...mmmm

Thames Festival: Carlos with scary mask and chocolate hat in our living room on the bridge (whaaat?)
And hanging out on 'the beach' next to our living room...






And then there was Madrid...but pics will be uploaded later this week...i'm getting fed up with going through all my pics :S

rEfLeCt

So tell me, what is your opinion about helmets for people on a bike? No really. Tell me. Because I think I am gonna need one, and I am totally NOT up for it! There are people who have a bad hair day, and as the day progresses, these annoying features on their head disappear and by the time they go to bed, it’s all looking great and fab. Well, for starters, with me it is the other way around! I look (reasonably) well in the morning, and less flattering at night. But that is of course all gonna change if I have to start wearing a helmet while biking to work in the morning!! Definitely a no go I would say!
Secondly, what the F%*K do I need a helmet for? Why are the drivers of fast cars not coming to my store for an eye test? This way I will be very busy (yeeeaaahhh!!!) and they will be able to see me! I am already wearing one of these yellow fluorescent ‘I am helping the kids to cross the street’ kinda jacket, which, from own experience, will almost burn a hole in your retina once light is reflected from it!!

The downside of not wearing one is two-fold as well by the way. Firstly, I could get killed. Ummm…
Secondly, as soon as my mum realizes I am still riding my bike without a helmet I am dead, even if there is no bike to be seen in a 1 mile radius!!

Kinda tragic as well isn’t it? Dead, or a 24/7 bad hair day, every day.

I’m a girl though! I have to stand up for my rights!!!
And that is: I rather die… with NICE HAIR!