Two Beers and a Pretzel

I was kind of sick of daytripping, so I took a break and just hung out in Dordrecht.  It was overcast, but very pretty with the fresh snow…

I also experimented with Calvin & Hobbes style snowman art.  Not bad for my first try…

I wandered into town at lunchtime and found the Asian Grocery (yay) which had some panang curry paste and jasmine rice.  So I figured I’d whip up some more Thai food for Ingrid after work.  Upon my return, some kids had destroyed my snowman.  Ingrid enjoyed the Panang chicken, but it may have been a little too spicy for her…

Then Ingrid had to make a house call for a client and clean her 17 year old pet turtle’s aquarium back at her parent’s house.  During the housecall, the snowman came back to extract his revenge on humanity…

We got to Ingrid’s parent’s house and they were just leaving for a play, but I got to chat for a bit, and we made plans for dinner (and cigars and whiskey) tonight before Ingrid and I have a full weekend in Amsterdam. 

I’ll spare everyone the turtle cleaning pictures – just imagine a nasty aquarium cannister filter being cleaned in a small sink by a skinny Dutch girl in old ‘cleaning clothes’.  Aside from watching the mess and taking a video, I read a Dutch travel guide to the USA.  The entries for Ohio were Cleveland’s R&R Hall of Fame, the Statehouse in Columbus, Cedar Point, Amish country, a blurb about Toledo, an Indian mound site, Cincinnati’s Union Terminal, the Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and a note about controversial ‘honkballer’ Pete Rose.

Tonight is dinner with Ingrid’s parents, then a weekend in Amsterdam – where even the cheap hostels are $225 for a non-dorm 2 person room for 2 nights.  I splurged on the Best Western near the museum and the bar district and actually saved money ($210).

The only bummer this weekend will be missing Shelli & Joe’s annual Santa Clause Happy Hour back in Cincinnati for the 2nd year in a row… although I will get to drink some Scotch tonight…  I might find a nice bottle to bring home and split with Joe.