After the sun

A cold wet Marchy day

new video

I made this one a week ago. It gives an impression of what is sailing cross the canal behind my house.

my 667th post

No wonder that I had no readers for the last couple of days. Everyone seems to be busy. I wonder how the world can be busy simultaneously. Like everything happens at the same time.

The blogs of fellow bloggers for years seem to have a discontinuity. Even Caren seems to be busy, but that's normal.


Blogger

I have several good excuses for being a bad blogger this week. I am going to have guest bloggers Charlie Brown and Lucy blog the reasons for me:

Wah wah, wah-wah,
wah-wah
wah wah wah!

Ah, now you know.

Seriously, nothing's wrong, just busy. Have a fun day!

posted by AddledWriter @ 6:54 PM

Some photo's

My city bike.

enlarged

shot

sunrise Friday February 16 2007

Bird-box and other stuff

Today: weekend.
Last night: went to bed on time
seen: I saw some World championships ice speed-skating in Salt Lake City
didn't see: World record 500 meter (in 34.25 seconds equals 52.554k/hr!)

Today is also a beautiful day with lots of sunshine. Spring has come. It's in the air. I got to renew the birth-house where the singers can nest. When I looked at the birdhouse of my neighbors in front of my house I saw a robin inspecting the nestingbox adjusted to the wall of the house.
I had a perfect sight on it and saw the bird was critical on it. I think he or she will take it. Isn't it a very, very fine house really hard to get these day's? (especially for birds in the Netherlands) Got to do some cleaning of my balcony. Got to cycle, buy grocery stuff, do all the weekend things.

I read something about sharing cars, the greenwheels-project, maybe that triggered my thought.
Some day I need a car. That's why I bought -a statement of my own-.
Let me explain. Everyone who gets a drivers licence or has a health-change has to answer a few questions concerned the ability to drive a car. If one question is answered with -no- than you need a medical receipt that you can drive a car. In my case I made an appointment with a neurology doctor to have a registration or mentioning in my drivers licence that I have had an epileptic attack (grand mal) 5 years ago and that I'm doing great now.
I don't know what the outcome will be.

About communication on the workfloor, our manager has a problem with not being informed about the talks my co-worker and I've had about possible transfer to another department. We didn't have anything on paper yet. If we have (next week) than we'll inform him. How I don't know but the interim manager knew that we had talks with the department.
My co-worker is criticised on this, but now while I write this down I consider it as criticism on me aswell. Okay, this is something to explain to the interim manager. Maybe he can tell us who informed him about our interdepartmental talks :-)

I almost forgot to mention, we had elections last week. It's the election for a governmental body which members also choose the Senate. Instead of being a region election which it supposed to be, it was an election to test the Government. If the ruling parties don't rule the Senate they have more difficulties to rule the Netherlands. (It's like America where Bush has major problems now the Senate is democratic.)

I voted for the opposition, partly green in the province and partly for Govermental change, dynamics in the Senate.
This is politics and I think that a lot got to change, the public isn't interested anymore.
Not in governing the nation (80% of the laws are based on European laws, or say decrets), not in governing the EU (influence is very low and Bruxelles is far away in people's mind)
Neither in governing the province, because we don't know what they do.
The only governing body of some interest is the Municipality because the Government is delegating tasks to the Municipality. They become more powerful.

I was member of a political party but I resigned after the new cabinet was installed. The party I chose is governing with the same prime minister as head. They digusted his ideas. He has support of Bush, he supports Bush. I don't and my party didn't too much.

The relation between speed skating and my rehab.

Last night and the night before I saw the ice speed skating finals in Calgary, Canada.
I had to stay up till 1.30 Am to see the last ride on the 5 K between 2 Dutch skaters.
Sven Kramer and Carl Verheijen were the best on the distance. The first won the cup in a new World record.

It was worth for me to stay up all night only because of the record. Next week there will the World championships on several distances. Another weekend being late is not something I'll probably do. I'll see it on the breakfast news or in the evening.

Going to bed late isn't a healthy thing to do for me. I makes the day after a mess.
You see I need some structure in my life. You can say that it's the result of the accident I had when I was 14.

I was cycling to school when a car hit me in the back. I flew through the air and landed with my head on a stone. The result was a 3 weeks coma. In total I was hospitalized for 3 months. After that I had 2 months rehabilitation in a rehab center in Beesterzwaag (province of Friesland).
(So that's why I've been in a rehab and my dismissal 25 years ago, for your knowing Ocean)
This is also the relation suggested in the title

In those days I had a very strange feeling. A spiritual feeling. I saw something, I felt something and I spoke with someone in my mind. I didn't have to worry. If I wanted I could walk over water, even if I couldn't walk. Everything would work out fine.
When I got compliments that my recovery goes well I said that it just happens. It was like being in a roller-coaster, but in fact it was only going up, up and up. Getting stronger I felt the anger inside.

In no-time I was back on track on the same school which I didn't get to on the day of the accident.
On March 1 1982 I started on a lower level. I was thrown back 1 year.

Somewhere in april I broke down when I cycled back home from school. I don't know how I got home, cycling 20 K. But when I got there I slept for days. When I woke up my parents arranged a new school in the village we lived in. No more cycling.

25th anniversary

I changed to the new blogger format. I actually did a lot of thing recently.
Internetdating? I try!!; Cycling? I'm on scedule for the new season; Work? I've got a little successstory and have had a conflict with a colleague. We talked and cleared the air. From that moment I feel I'm mentally and fysically very strong. It's a period to grow. I should take advantage of it.

February 19 is my anniversary of being dismissed 25 years ago out of the rehabilitation-center.
After 3 months hospital the 2 months rehab were a happy and valuable part of my life.
It was learning by doing. I think it was the most social period in my life till now and I enjoyed it.

busy

This weekend I've had a long one. I had a day off last Friday. That means cycling every day. Training for the summer holiday in July.
The winter isn't that cold here in Holland, especially this year. That means a lot of training possibilities.

At work I got a lot to do and a lot of things at work keep me busy.
Last week I had with about 10 other employees a short discussion about changes in work...should we work with more (or less) entrepreneurship in our work. The pilots my department works on (2 levels) was relatively new for the discussion-leader and he is the big boss.
I tried to make clear that my department already creates a higher service level towards the citizens. I guess that I partly succeeded in making my point. Hopefully management wakes up.

Here is an example of a problem of communicating with management. They don't really know what's happening on the workfloor

intense, heavy and deathly

As I haven't written anything in the last 14 days I'll give an update of the last weeks.

I went to work, went home, went to the groceries(which I do almost daily), prepared my dinner, watched some TV, checked the Internet, went to bed, woke up the next day at 7 am and began the next day as the previous day. The weekends I did some shopping, waking up later than normal and I spent some hours on bicycle training.

looking up the dike on one of my tours.

On January 11 we had a storm over Holland, at the coastline. Inland the wind wasn't really stormy. Temperatures were quite high. Yes ocean, we had Californian highs of 15 degrees C., extraordinary, in the midst of winter!!!

On the 18th day of this year Europe had another storm. Much intenser, heavier and deathlier.
In Europe almost 50 people died, in the Netherlands 7 people lost their lives.
It was a mean one, the wind suddenly came, faded away and came back again.
Some new built houses a few kilometers away from my house were heavily damaged. One tree in a park next to my house collapsed. The 4 remaining trees in front of my house are all okay.
My house has no damage luckily. The wind only broke some pots for plants.

Last Saturday the wind blew again with lots of rain. Suddenly it was dry and the next days will be cold, below zero C. when I cycle to work. I bought some gloves today because I lost the pair I had last year and till now I didn't need them.


weather for tonight.


At work there are some rumors that an executive of another department wants to implement my work in his department. It's a bit of showing poor management quality with the civil service. Know that parts of my department concerned with this rumor is in the midst of a change, making the whole situation stressful and explosive.

backupped

2007 Is on it's way now. Tomorrow the 3rd day of the course. Some laws which go together with the work our department does were explained on the second day. It's interesting but actually I know the framework already.

Luckily I have also REAL work to do, but last Friday I didn't save the Excel-application I worked on for some time.

I asked the help desk; No copy will be saved during the day they said. At night the system only makes a backup of the last saved application. (does the verb to backup exist? "will be backupped")

My guess is that my PC at work though could make a backup on it's own hard disk. It doesn't stress the network.

It was at the end of the day, so after calling the help desk I finished work and was home early.

Happy new year!

Of course mr. Reagan shouldn't have supported Iraq in it's war against Iran. By doing this, America is as guilty as can be for the crimes convicted by Hussein.

Crimes against Kurds and Shiites. His death is no solution, his executioners made a martyr of him. We all know who he was alive. So if he can be a martyr in death, even any humanitarian extremist can. That's the wrong message to the world.

Of course it's difficult if you're against deathpenalty. (I am)
But on his last moment before execution Hussein was very calm, praying with his agitating enemies on the background. And when the floor dissapeared under his feet I noticed some disbelieve by him. Or was it by me?

I wish the best in 2007 for Hnk and Najma in Mosul. They are captured in their best years of their lives so far in a war which is not theirs. I don't know what will happen, Study as hard as you can and keep on blogging.

31 December I saw my sister with her son again after 5 years. She's changed not much, only got 5 years older. We all did. But her son, he can walk, talk like a kid and being naughty like one. At 12 pm we watched the fireworks and at night we played a game. 4.00 am I went to bed.



Newyearsday for me was one to wake up at 11 am., having breakfast, a coffee with my mother and her friend and taking the train back to Utrecht. After being home, everything was okay, I took my bike and cycled for an hour. That felt good. After that messed up extended weekend.

Ocean, you too a happy new year and make it a cheerful interesting year.

hands up new year is coming

The job is done. Mr. Bush has taken a holiday because he's done the job his father started but not finished.
Actually mr. Reagan should have done his job better by supporting Iraq in it's war against Iran. In fact the United States and other countries are all responsible for damage to people in the middle east.
It's very difficult.

What the execution of Saddam Hussein Al Tikriti is concerned, he did some real bad things, he doesn't have clean hands, he has ordered the execution of many criticizers, even family. Yes, he is certainly a tiran and with tirans of these magnitude there is only one sentence; the death penalty.

Again, it's difficult if you're against the death penalty.

Nevertheless, to all a happy new year!

a stormy week

Many things happened this week.
Beside work each of my colleagues had an important personal talk with the interim manager (IM) about functioning in the department. It was really an assessment of us.
I didn't really prepare myself for that. I thought that it was in my head, it wasn't. I had it on paper though. My poor preparation disturbed the IM a little, and me as well. So the conversation lasted a little bit longer. (my figure got lower and lower; yes, the organization gives figures to the employees. I disgust it)

It was also the moment on which the IM decided to tell what will happen with the staff of the department after the reorganization.
My function will be centralized in the back office. It's a question I should ask myself if I want to be in the back office and what my function could be there.
It could also ask to transfer me to the economic department. It's the same question there.
When I was told this. I said I'll cooperate with it. (resistance is futile, like in next generation?) My first reaction on it was that it's such a waste of people and experience. My co worker and I will work on different places. The other roommates will get jobs in other department, more centralized. We will be split up. That gives me a very sad feeling.

It's Christmas eve and it's a good moment for reflection on this night.
- First, I like to say that the IM (according to the Internet he had some key-management positions in former offices linked to my department) has a very bad feeling for people's management.
- Secondly, it is in only six months before everything will be effective. Very fast actually (other short period; 6 months ago I lost my wallet in France).

Wednesday I was told and the rest of week was no business as usual. Thursday we had a Christmas drink in town. I wasn't in the mood and had some fruit-juice before I went home. I also decided not to drink anymore alcohol after reading something about restless legs

I spoke my former boss and she told me to lean and give in on storms in the organization. When the storm lies down you will get back in normal position.
Resistance might break you and when the organization gets back to normal you can't get up.

It's a go-with-the-flow philosophy and I'm not so very good in it. That is the charm of my work. It's not a follow the rule mentality. It more a go your own way and do the things that have to be done mentality.

Next months, all weeks might be like these.
In February I have a conversation about a what to do strategy/tactics, or is it what I have to do because management has already chosen. I think the last because I can't imagine that I can choose what to do. I can imagine however that the new organization can miss me. Finance will be done by the financial department.
I could say "change, okay, I accept it's there and look forward to it as a chance, a possibility to improve."


All of you, merry X-mas!

Time

Hi Hnk,
I'm getting cold whenever I read what you're going through. I remember the car blown up in your street. It's certainly a far from normal life.
But you are a blogger from Iraq. Let the world know what happens. Only with information you can stop the Americans being there. The Internet is your weapon, your pencil against injustice.
Come on Hnk you can do it, your sister can and your family as well.
Btw, the time is the thing we share. But Time awarded you, especially YOU are the person of 2006.

Of course Time awarded all readers of blogs, in fact all internet users.

hear me

Sometimes you're feeling good, sometimes you're feeling bad. I got a backache for 6 day's now. Today it finally is getting less. I felt a severe headache coming too. I'm a little sensitive for headaches because of the accident in my youth.
I thought about all those pains (hear me, if I'm getting old).

But this week with the low standing full moon in the east, I thought maybe the moon and the sun do have an influence on the state of being of an animal like me.
Of course I can imagine other, more down to earth circumstances, like not having my sleep I need and having a wrong position behind my PC at work as well as at home.

The Newtonian idea of the moon on the east-side and the sun on the west-side pulling the earth satisfied me when I looked at the moon at a time I should sleep.
Gravity is on earth and slowly we and I will be pulled to center of the earth. But then we're death (hear me, yes I'm getting older).

Goodnight!