And so it begins.

Not that we’re wanting to get ahead of ourselves or anything,  but we’ll now start to slowly sort out some of the little jobs that we’ll need to take care of between now and Christmas,  and beyond.  

The likelihood that we’ll just get off the plane in the New Year and have to turn around and get right back on are pretty darned slim,  but it’s kind of fun to get in little tastes of that ‘going home’ excitement.  Helps to break up the boredom too.

There’s never any shortage of papers that get squirreled away in a drawer (or two, or more) that really and truly have no business hanging around.  The bag there,  with the exception of the egg carton and a couple catalogues (don’t think I’ll be going to Ikea too much any more)  is all the paper cr*p that can go.  There will be more I’m sure, and some of it we do have to hang on to,  like tax cr*p and such,  but old opera tickets,  notes from Travelling Companion’s foray into learning German….?

I even parted with all the wonderful type written summations from the lessons I had taken.  I either learned it or I didn’t,  and if I haven’t figured out how to say something one way by now,  I can always work my way around it.   Keeping notes isn’t going to help.

When you’re running an old processor like mine well,  you’re only going to get so much ‘random access memory’.   Just sayin’.

 

Then there are a couple other little issues.   The bikes (we have four of them)  have been down in the basement for a wee while.  It’s a bit of a hostile environment,  and although I know we could have the movers pack up and ship dirty bikes,  something about that bothers me.   So I’ll see if I can get them cleaned up over the next few days/weeks.   I started with the worst of the bunch.

I don’t know if you can see the filth on that thing,  and it’s probably just as well if you can’t.  This was the bike I thought I was going to ride once upon a time,  and had shipped over from Canada.   That was dumb. 

First of all,  it’s not really all that great a bike (I’m tempted to say it’s a piece of junk,  but I won’t go that far)  and I soon discovered after we moved to the Netherlands,  that the bloody thing was just too small.   Oy!  That was uncomfortable.  I’m not going to venture into any details here,  since I wouldn’t want to upset the sensibilities of any lady readers out there,  but let’s just say,  riding was not a pleasant experience.  We’ll leave it at that.

I initially thought I’d do the cleaning downstairs,  but then figured I’d try to get me and the bike in the elevator.  We managed.  It’ll be much easier to just wash it down out on the terrace.   I’m not overly concerned about any bits starting to get a little rusty.  That ship has sailed.

At some point in time,  and this will quite likely be in the New Year,  I’ll take down our light fixture over the dining room table (that’s a very loose definition of “dining room table”,  by the way)  cart it off to the place where we bought it and have them pack it for transport.   Should be fun!  We’re thinking we’ll do an “air shipment” in addition to having everything shoved in a container that ends up on a ship.  

I decided I wanted to include the Winnie-the-Pooh clock,  just for contrast.

We’ve had the option of using an “air shipment” for all of the moves we’ve ever done when it comes to the whole “Ex-Pat experience”,  but up until now, we’ve never really felt the need to.  We’re allowed something like 350 pounds. 

We have enough clothes and such at home,  that we’re not going to be in any hurry to have all our cr*p end up at the house right away.   Besides,  I remember how slightly overwhelming it was when we moved home from Puerto Rico.  And there was hardly ANY furniture,  since we had rented a furnished house.  This time around.  Oh boy.

Then along with the light fixture (OK fine, “chandelier” if you prefer),  there will be Travelling Companion’s sewing machine(s),  along with my guitar.  That’s all we could really think of that we wanted to have show up within days of our own arrival.  Whenever that may be. 

It’s all up in the air at this point,  but I’m still going to plug away at a few of these little tasks from time to time.

Starting with the bikes.  Which is why I probably should get out there.

 

Oh, I saw this in the store this morning.  Just thought it was a wee bit odd.  

I guess there’s no German word for “Marshmallow”?  Who knew it could be so easy to learn a foreign language?

 

Keep it between the ditches.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

 

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We’re booked!

Not in the sense of being incarcerated or anything. I suppose that would more like,  “We’ve been booked”.  Not sure I’d put that on the blog. 

Well, at least not until I posted bail.

What I mean is,  our flight home for Christmas has been sorted out.  We decided to go with Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij.   (I love saying that)  instead of Air Austria.

Oh, that’s KLM for the rest of you.  I suppose Royal Dutch Airlines would work,  although the literal translation is more like, Royal Aviation Company?   I guess the “Dutch” part is understood.

I’m so easily distracted….

 

Anyhoodle,  it was Travelling Companion who did most of the head scratching yesterday, since she has a better handle on just when she needs to be back here for the big “Year End”  thingy.  I don’t mean New Years Eve either,  I mean the finance thingamajig.  That wasn’t happening with Air Austria.  

As it stands,  we’ll be somewhere over the Atlantic for New Years,  since we’ll haul on out of Toronto again on the 31st around six p.m.  We don’t really do much in the way to “celebrate” New Years,  so I predict I’ll be asleep.  Or will be trying to be.

So we’re outta here on the 14th of December,  which is exactly three months from when the flight was booked.   The slight wrinkle with KLM is, one does have to get to Schiphol first?  That part does slightly suck,  since we have to be on a “city hopper”  out of Vienna at something like 7:00 a.m.,  and take the long flight from Amsterdam a few hours later.  Gah!    Oh well.  GOING HOME!  HAR!     I can suck it up.

 

Today we spent a bit of time checking out accommodations in both Istanbul and then in Paris.  These will be possible destinations at some point in the New Year,  before we pull up roots and head off to The Great White North.

I’m going to have a little chat with “the boys” downstairs (who own the restaurant)  and see what they might have to recommend in the Istanbul department.  They’re both of Turkish origins,  and have counselled us in the past about going to Turkey.  So the temptation is certainly there.  I’m just not overly convinced that it’ll be that much warmer than Vienna at that time of year though.  We’ll see.

 

I’ve been to Paris enough times to be able to sort that one out,  since this trip will have more to do with buying fabric for Travelling Companion than hanging around as a tourist.  Champs Elysees?  Drove the car there.  Eiffel Tower?  Pfft!  We’ve seen it.  Screw those places,  we need to find those fabric shops!

I’m not going to go off on a great long essay on the quality of certain fabrics and where one can find this kind of stuff,  but suffice to say, until you’ve actually put your hands on some of the higher end “designer” fabrics,  held it up to the light and said, “Wow, how does it do that?” you haven’t a clue.   Sorry. 

It’s like,  riding a work horse, and then jumping on a Thorough bred?  Stepping out of your Pontiac Sunbird into an Audi R8?   Seeing High Def for the first time?  Commodore 64 and well,  whatever you have in front of you?  Need more examples?  I’m sure I could keep going.

 

If you’re making pyjamas or whatever,  then your local Jo-ann's, as one example, is just fine.    There are lots of places locally with that sort of run of the mill (hey,  is that a weaving pun?) fabric.   We have to make the rounds here in Europe while we still have the chance.    There had been talk of a trip up to the Netherlands at some point,  but we haven’t quite figured that one out just yet.  We’re going to go with the Paris program as a priority.  All planning is subject to change of course. 

No pictures today,  since running off to take one now would be somewhat contrived I’m afraid.   I just wanted to blurb out this little snippet mostly for the friends and relations who might happen to tune in from time to time. 

Not going to make it to the pub on the 14th though. Darn!

I somehow think going directly to the pub from the airport might be considered a bit silly?  And it’s unlikely our kids would be willing to meet us there.  Just a hunch.  Well,  and there’s that whole issue of perhaps falling asleep over a pint that might create a bit of a stir?  It’ll be nearly midnight our time before we get home to roost.  If I can stay awake for the cab ride home,  I’ll let you know.

 

Here’s hoping you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

 

Keep those sticks on the ice.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

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I blame the darkness.

As the daylight hours begin to diminish, we’re once again faced with the prospect of getting up in the dark.  Never been one of my favourite things.  There’s a time as well,  usually right around mid-December,  when going to and returning from work in the dark is the norm.  At least in the Northern Hemisphere. Also not my favourite thing.  That was one of the things I actually enjoyed about working afternoons,  since even in the winter time, if it was a bright sunny day,  then that time was my own,  and I didn’t have to show up for work until later in the afternoon.  Coming home in the dark was a given.

I had a whole long-winded thing going on here about not being able to stay awake much past 9:30 and then waking up way too early,  but I unloaded all that drivel.   Suffice to say,  it’s a slippery slope,  and the darkness doesn’t help.  I’d say I need to be “out in my shop” in the evenings to try and fend off the sleepiness,  but operating potentially finger severing devices as a means of staying awake is probably not the best solution.  I’m not sure I can come up with a “plan”,  whether it’s here,  or back home.  Coffee is out of the question,  since I’ll still fall asleep,  but then wake up that much earlier.  This I know.

 

Anyhoodle,  it’s a fairly normal Friday here in Wienerland,  and at least the weather is trying to be a little better.  Still overcast with tiny snippets of sun.  But really tiny.  The shorts won’t be going on again any time soon,  since it was only 12°C this morning.  No clue what it is now.  Marginally warmer.  Don’t care.

Of course,  the good part about that is,  I’m not so concerned about going out and about in a shirt that might possibly need to be ironed.  If I have to wear a jacket, then there’s no reason to get all bent out of shape over a couple wrinkles.   “A couple wrinkles” he says! 

I’m trying to see the positive aspects of facing the colder weather.  Go with me on this one.

I never did get all that much of a tan on my legs,  so we can give up on that endeavour,  although I’m really not all that keen on even being in the sun,  but if a little tanning comes along,  I can accept it.  To some extent.  The only conscious effort made,  and it’s probably only a consideration,  is to avoid the dreaded “sock-tan lines” at all costs.  Better to burn the tops of ones feet by wearing sandals as far as I’m concerned.

I’ve seen some fellers out there with some mighty interesting looking contraptions on their feet.   If I thought I could get away with it,  I would have taken pictures,  but you know what I mean.   No socks with sandals!  Guys, please!   You’re making us look bad!  And that’s just one example.

 

I’ll try to control myself here,  I can sense my heart rate starting to climb.

 

Over the period of time that we’ve been here in Wienerland,  there’s been no shortage of junk mail,  both shoved into our mailbox,  as well as slipped over the door handle to the apartment.  I look on it mostly as entertainment,  sift through it, and then dutifully take it down and toss it into the recycling bin.  No harm done.  Plus,  it never hurts my vocabulary any to read flyers from the local lumber/hardware/tool stores and such. 

Hey,  if I can put a spin on cooler weather,  then I may as well take a shot at junk mail.

The thing is,  once in a while we get something that just makes me do a double take.  There was that flyer once a couple years ago from a Bordello just on the other side of the Czech border that I found somewhat curious,  and then yesterday we received this one that I’ve posted below.    It was hanging on the doorknob like one of those “do not disturb” signs from a hotel room.

 

So let me just paraphrase.   If you sign up to this deal for €11,90 a month,  they will deliver to you any of the items that they show on the reverse side for breakfast. 

All righty then!

So first of all,  who the heck is that lazy that they need their breakfast delivered?  And then of course,  you’re going to pay your €11,90 a month whether you order anything or not. 

 

 

It’s a unique idea,  I’ll give them that much.  I’d be curious to see how many people would sign up.  I can barely shove some breakfast down my throat most mornings,  so having someone show up first thing in the morning with items that I had foolishly ordered the night before,  thinking maybe I could get it down?   I don’t think so.

Besides,  I can walk out our front door,  and within roughly 25 metres,  I can be at a bakery down in the subway station where I can get most of those things, and probably cheaper.  If I had a good enough throwing arm,  I could probably hit at least a half dozen bakeries within throwing distance of our front door.   We’re talking a regulation baseball here.  No soft balls.   Just saying.

I guess I’d just need to be that much lazier.   Here I thought I had a pretty good grasp on just what being lazy is all about.  Silly me!  There are people out there lazier than me?  Wowsers.

 

Well,  hopefully someone is willing to bring you breakfast once in a while.  I doubt that it’s costing you €11,90 a month though. 

Or maybe it is?

 

Have a fine weekend if I happen to skip ahead.

 

Thanks for coming by.

 

Oh,  and P.S.,  I’m guessing the young lady does NOT come with breakfast.   There’s a reason not to sign up right there!