What's cooking?

Monday: Y-day - 5

Though I can prepare a basic meal well enough, I have never learned to enjoy cooking. I do not intend to expand my horizon in this regard during the next few months. The studio I'm renting offers some essential kitchen facilities, but I plan to spend my time more productively than by playing dinner for one. Maybe I'll go MAD (Meals in Advance Deal). If the food is bad enough, I might even lose a few kilos. Advantages everywhere!

One thing is for sure: borecole (do you believe this word? Boerenkool to my fellow Dutchmen) with smoked sausage (rookworst) will not be on the menu for a while.

Here's a thought: what if I spend all the time I save by not preparing my own meals writing up the concept of recipes in GROOVE? That would surely make the world a better place.

Let me count the days

Sunday: Y-day - 6

Lovely weather. Up and going at 8:00 for a short round through the fields between Hengelo and the university. Met only some dog owners and one other runner.

I still need to get some work done today (finish a report on the demand for technical support in the faculty, really looking forward to that!) but spending some time on this blog enables me to postpone that for a little while. Also I still have to find out what my York apartment has to offer in the way of bed covers & towels. Later today Liesbeth, Janine and Ron wil drop by for a combined farewell & consolation drink.

Among the many things I want to do in York is explore around the University, as far as a walk, run or bike tour can take me. A lot will depend on the weather: if it's like today (fat chance) then I should know York like the inside of my pocket by the time I leave.

Q: What will fit into two large suitcases? Can I bring running shoes, biking shoes, squash shoes, indoor sports shoes, hiking boots, indoor slippers as well as my everyday shoes, or is it silly to even try? To think I used to laugh at the number of shoes that Elise has lying around...

Saying goodbye

Two weeks left to tie up loose threads and host a few goodbye parties! Family, friends: I'll be back before you know it, slightly grayer and hopefully slightly wiser.

My main worry is that my younger son, Floris, will outgrow me while I'm away. To quote from a text I found on the web today ("How To Survive the Terrible Teens --- An owners guide"):

Q: How can I recognize an Adolescent??
A: You can tell the adolescent not so much by the way he looks as by the way he slams the door in your face after you have said something offensive, such as "hello."

Q: In what way has he or she gone awry??
A: Let me count the ways. For one thing, he eats 12 meals a day instead of 3, having acquired the eating habits of a giant termite.  If he continues to grow at the present rate, his body will one day be in proportion to his mouth. [...]

Old York, here I come

We're on: my research visit to +Richard Paige and Detlef Plump at the University of York is taking shape. Accomodation is arranged (hooray), I'm very much looking forward!

Googling "Twente - York" shows that the Twente-York Connection has mainly been traversed in the opposite direction, by Steve McClaren, the on-and-off successful trainer of the FC of Twente. Taking the liberty to use this analogy to my advantage, as well as the freedom to mix metaphors, let's say that a friendly constellation smiles down upon this journey; it's any consideration of a second period that should be avoided like the plague!

I've got two weeks to pack, and two suitcases to pack into. What will I take? What will I leave behind? Philsophical as well as practical questions...