And in other news...

After those last few little righteously indignant posts, I figured I would write about some slightly less political stuff.

Wilbert took me out to a gorgeous six-course dinner at Madam Cheung's in Hoorn as a present for my upcoming birthday. It's a pretty cool Asian fusion place we've been a few times before. We also decided to partake in the six-course wine arrangement they offered, and thought it would be best to stay overnight at the adjoining hotel. A good idea to avoid getting busted or in a wreck, but a bad idea because the room was cold, smokey, noisey and the matrass was too hard. I'm a spoiled bitch when it comes to hotel rooms, so needless ot say I was not impressed. The dinner, as well as Wilbert's generosity, however were both highly appreciated.

Guess what... I'm about to hit the road again!

This week off to NYC for a conference for work... may or may not have to give a speech - still unknown. Depends on whether my boss can make it or not. Am looking forward to also seeing some friends and family there... I know a surprisingly large number of people who have migrated to New York over time. Only one of them is actually a native New Yorker! Three of my cousins and their spouses (/to-be) will be meeting me for dinner one night, which will be fun, as I've never met their spouses before. One of them works for one of our favorite brands in NYC and is going to get us a 75% discount on a long shopping list of stuff for our bathroom. We're both over the moon, because the stuff is usually VERY expensive. I told her I haven't been this happy since a friend of mine at Microsoft got me a 90% discount on a whole list of software at the company store in Redmond! :-)

When I get back from NYC, Wilbert and I are getting officially engaged - a Dutch legal arrangement called "ondertrouw" that is essentially the same as applying for a marriage license up to a year ahead of the wedding. We've both got the day off to enjoy the special day. Work actually gives me the day off, so I'm lucky.

After that, one of the NYC cousins will actually be visiting here for a short while! I'm getting my fill of that part of the family this month (saw his step-father in Paris last week!).

Then off to London for not one but two conferences, with a nice weekend in-between to enjoy London at Christmastime. Hope to see a dear old friend there too.

Then back just in time to receive my best friend from Spain, who is visiting me for the first time in Holland.

Then off to Washington D.C. for the 65th (!) birthday of my dear friend Gail, before traveling to Boston for Christmas - the first Christmas I will have ever spent with my family outside of Iowa. We'll be at my sister's family's new house to take some of the pressure off my mom this year.

So keeping busy and hopefully healthy and happy! Wish me luck and I hope you have a great home stretch to the end of the year as well!