Airline tactics.

It's turning into a beautiful day.

This is why I was somewhat perplexed when Gabe called to say she had had some difficulty getting a seat on her flight for later today.  She got to the airport quite early,  and figured she might as well check in,  and the lady at the KLM desk said,  "Oh,  so you're going to Charles de Gaulle?"

"Um...no." 

See,  not only is Charles de Gaulle in Paris,  but reports from fellow business travellers have not been glowing.  The lady at the desk then tried to convince Gabe that the weather in Amsterdam was "bad" and they were sending some passengers  to Charles de Gaulle.
Huh?

Didn't I previously make reference to the folks in those parts possibly smoking some really good  whacky tabacky?

Just wondering.



We just figure they over booked,  and were looking for few suckers. That wasn't gonna fly. There was some offer of a credit in there too,  but Gabe will be definitely coming in to Schiphol later today.

This is why,  when I answered the phone,  the first question was,  "What's the weather like there?". 

"Um....pretty nice. Why?"


I even went to the web and checked Amsterdam.  Sunny,  15°
Possibility of rain tomorrow....

Meanwhile,  as a result of the previously mentioned nice weather,  I thought I'd head over to the driving range for perhaps the last time.  I have a card that has a credit for a few more buckets of balls left on it,  and I really don't have a clue how many are left.
I don't want to see it go to waste,  so I might try and get over there at least once more before we go.  If I put the card in the machine and get nothing,  then at least I'll know I've used up my 10 buckets.

Only thing was,  aren't they supposed to wash the balls that come off the range? 
Talk about cruddy.  Geez.  I had the thought I'd take a picture,  but I didn't want it to be too obvious that I was somewhat unimpressed.  The place was actually quite busy.
Seems like,  in the summertime when you'd expect it to be busier,  everyone is "op vacantie"  (on vacation)  but now they're back on the golf courses....

I guess there are some things I'll never figure out.

I only take one club with me and not the whole set since,  even though the car is sitting here in the driveway,  there's really not much point in driving,  as the parking area is way over on the other side of the driving range.  If I take the bike I just go in the back way.  Besides,  how many clubs do you really need to simply practise your swing?  I know it's called a "driving range"  but really,  all I take is say,  a five iron,  and then work on actually hitting  the ball....and then maybe trying for some sort of accuracy.

One club can be just as frustrating as the whole set,  so there's no need for the additional baggage.  At least I'm at the point where I do actually hit the ball every single time,  but that accuracy thing is a whole different situation.

I'm sure you care.

Off to the airport.



 

Took them long enough.

Or I guess I could be humming




"one of these things is not like the other" since,  if you care to look at these waste bins below,  you'll notice the one on the right doesn't have a white sticker on the top,  nor does it even have a proper house number.
Now,  I noticed way back in June of 08 that there was something up with one of the bins,  but I've been putting the two of them out every other week for just about 15 months now,  and they've both been getting emptied.  

That is,  until today.

Seems the green garbage police finally caught to me. 


Ruh-roh.


Well,  there's not really any "garbage police",  I'm being just a tad sarcastic,  but it looks like a proper sticker will need to be attached at some point.
Hm....wonder who's gonna do that?  Ain't gonna be me,  that's for sure.

Oh,  and this was the rain soaked tag the driver put on the bin.  "Let Op!"


Whatever.

Meanwhile,  I must have spent the last couple hours writing a letter to the one and only sibling of mine who DOES NOT HAVE INTERNET.
I know!   Unbelievable!

So, harrumph!  I have to actually write a letter....print the thing out,  and put it in an envelope fer Heaven's sake!
OK,  so maybe I happen to have a couple stamps I need to use up that won't be any good in Austria, but still!


He happens to be living is some backwater in Nova Scotia,  and I've written to him before,  but I'm never sure if he ever gets anything I send,  'cause I never ever hear a peep from the guy. 
We do have our theories about the lady* he's living with,  but I don't want to speculate too much.  Like maybe there's a chance she intercepts his mail?


Oh what the hell,  she's a whack job.  There,  I've said it.


*her self description was,  "I'm fat, I'm flat,  and I got no teeth".


And I've met her, she wasn't kidding. 




So this time I figured that,  since it's snail mail anyway,  I might as well send it to the other  brother in Nova Scotia whom I'm actually in contact with,  and he can hand deliver it when the two of them meet up.   Not sure when that will be,  could be Christmas.  Don't know.  Don't really care.

Like I said,  it's snail mail.





I was really tempted to use some sort of fancy script and make the thing almost impossible to read,  since I've received some rather cryptic offering from this less than lucid individual in years gone by (not for a long time,  thankfully)  but apparently I'm not as mean as I had hoped to be at my age.
Besides,  I was getting way too annoyed just trying to figure all that stuff out anyway,  so that was a non starter.
 I felt it prudent to actually include some sort of map or other, so there wouldn't be any misunderstanding as to our upcoming move.  This goes back to when we were living in Puerto Rico and,  since this fellow was by that point just about as deaf as a post,  he somehow thought it was Costa Rica. 

Should I put that song back in?


Of course,  it's not as easy as simply including a link to google maps or some such thing.  This is snail mail after all,  so I had to rummage through the maps,  scan something and then print it off....oy. 


I nearly broke a sweat.



So OK,  maybe including the map is a tad mean,  since he can read after all,  and the misunderstanding was due to an auditory issue. 

But some things are beyond my control.

Do you think that was a bit juvenile?  Maybe that's why I don't ever hear from the guy.

Oh well.

Everyone needs a "Magda".

Well,  I've been mulling this over pretty much all day,  and even after mucking around in the garden for an hour or so,  a brief trip to Ikea, where once again the place was mobbed (seriously,  we need to open a franchise!...)  and then a trip into town on the bike,  (need that bit of exercise) I simply have to pipe up about this.


See,  when my wife was a little girl,  she thought every family unit consisted of a "Mom,  Dad and a Magda",  and was quite surprised to hear that none of her school mates had such an arrangement.  "What do you mean,  you don't have a Magda?"
Madga you see,  is one of my sisters-in-law,  and when Gabe was just at that impressionable age,  Madga was just that much older that she had a job.  With the job came the things that kids love to have,  such as colouring books and treats.  These were not items in the family budget at the time.  So having a "Magda"  was pretty darned nice.

To this day, even though our kids are really no longer kids,  we know that if it comes right down to it,  they can always count on heading to Magda's if there were ever to be any kind of issue that would require assistance.   Anything.

After all,  their parents are a half a world away.

So here's where I'm going with this.

Yesterday there were many many Birthday greetings from far and wide,  and I'm sure I thanked each and every person.
Later in the day,  at the time when I could likely expect a call from Gabe in Vienna,  the phone rang,  but it wasn't Gabe at all,  but Magda.  Just calling from Canada to wish me a Happy Birthday and asking if I'm OK?

Now I ask you? 

Who does that?

Only Magda.


 I'm sure glad we have our Magda.

............../..............

Now for some fun.

You recall no doubt that I had made mention of a mysterious piece of paper we received in the mail last week some time?  Well,  I just can't let this go,  and I'll try and not go on and on....but really,  I can't help it.
See,  the envelope had no return address,  and the part that got the thing to our mail box was hand written.  I could only tell by the post mark that it had come from somewhere in Delden....

So I just want to show you this thing,  just so you know I'm not making any of this up.
You'll see the piece of paper below.
Now,  I'd call it an "invoice",  except how can that be?  There's no hint as to who gets the money,   or where it's from.

Well,  you can see for yourself:

Now,  I'm not really the sharpest knife in the drawer,  but I know that once upon a time when I used to do a little job now and again,  I made sure that it was well understood just who was supposed to get the money.
It's kind of important.  Otherwise,  what are ya doing??

 And yes,  I realise it's all in Dutch but really,  would it make a difference if it were in English?

I think all that business at the bottom is because the person responsible was moving some items around in a Word document and screwed it all up,  but decided it was fine the way it was,  (or panicked) and printed it off.  Wow.

The long and the short of it is,   I took this bit of info to OUR bank,   with the post-it note of the account into which the money was supposed to go,  and the lady at the bank was able to do something on line or whatever.   All I know is,  she figured it out and I have a signed receipt.  We're reasonably certain they got their €12.40 but frankly,  if they didn't,  I really doubt Interpol is really going to care.....and I could care less.

So now let's think about this.   The "Mrs Doctor",  whoever she is,  has decided to do the billing for the practise.   What would make her think she's remotely qualified?   If you marry a doctor does that mean you can suddenly do things about which you have no clue?

Apparently.

And really,  there are books you can buy,  and if you're an "el cheapo"  like me,  just look it up on the internet!  There are hosts of people out there who are all too happy to share their knowledge,  even if it's only enough knowledge to tell you to put a return address on an envelope! 



Seriously!

(and just for fun...click that link)