Say What?!?!?!?!

On the drive into town this morning they reported on the local radio news  that a bunch of keys have gone missing from Leuven prison.  

How do you lose a bunch of keys that important? Surely they should know who the last person was to have the keys?  

According to a concerned prison worker the set of keys belongs to the prison chaplains and have been missing since last Thursday. They are also not sure if the keys were simply lost or stolen.

image via google images

But this is not the only bizarre news story/article I read/heard today.

Also in the local Belgian news it is reported that a certain stonemason has launched the country’s first head stones with QR codes.  The idea behind it is that when visiting the grave you can scan said QR code and be taken to the deceased’s personal website.

Really?

Or how about this article:

Dressing your newborn as a pumpkin this Halloween? Children's charity warns against celebrity copycat parents 'objectifying' babies in outlandish fancy dress costumes.

In the article they go as far as saying: It is potentially objectifying babies who have no say in what they wear. Really? Cause we all consult our babies about what we dress them in every other day of the week!

 I also saw this gem in one of the South African newspapers:

Snakes send postal workers scurrying for safety

It seems that someone sent 4 live snakes to someone else but before they could reach their ultimate destination they escaped, sending a number of postal workers into a bit of a panic.

 

image via google images

 

Anyway, hope you don’t encounter any live snakes today and if you are going trick or treating have loads of fun!  My kids are still away at camp and tomorrow is a public holiday so I'm sure it's going to be a late night tonight!

Trick or Treat

Halloween & Trick or Treating is not big in Belgium. But like many other countries with a growing expat community traditions are brought over and grows.

I found out about the Trick or Treating taking place in one of the towns just outside of Brussels called Overijse about 4 years ago.  I knew I wanted to take the kids but every year I missed the cut-off time.  Yes, there is a cut-off time.

This year, not so.  My friend Brona, who's been going for years reminded us in time and I managed to enroll the kids before the 15th of October.  

This is how it works; you enroll your kids via the official web page.  You pay the entrance fee and then you collect their arm bands and map from the local McDonalds. (yeah I guess they never want to miss out on a money making opportunity). Then on the night you take your kids trick or treating by following the map.

 So on Thursday night we raced over to Overijse to get there in time.  Noreen was not far behind and we met up at one of the starting points. Brona, on the other hand, was running late and said that we should go on without them and that they would meet up us later.

The weather was not fantastic, it rained softly most of the time but it did not bother the kids at all. They were running from orange balloon to orange balloon. Every house taking part would have a couple of orange balloons out front.  Some of the house owners had gone to a lot of trouble to decorate and had amazing decorations, others not so much.

Each child could get one piece of candy at every house but even so by the end of the night (8pm) they had loads.

The kids can't wait for next year.

 

 

Monday, Monday ...

It was cold this weekend! We had the fire going 24/7 which the dogs are loving… nothing like curling up under the fire place.

* * * * * * * * * *

The kids are off school this week, mid-term break.  Because Himself & I both have to work they are going ‘camping’.  Don’t worry we’re not sending them off to go sleep out in the rain in tents.  It’s called camping but they will be staying in little bungalows.  I hope it goes well. Tiger was not to keen on going but I’m that by the time they get back they’ll have loads of stories to tell.

* * * * * * * * * * 

So I was standing at the vending machine getting coffee this morning when a lady who works on my floor rubs the top of my head and says to me:

‘wow your hair is really growing fast, can’t believe it was still so short last week’

‘yeah it does’ I reply

‘my son just shaved all his hair, I’m not happy about it but what can you do. At least it looks okay on men.  But when women do it, no I just don’t understand it.’ ‘There are people with cancer who have no choice about it, so I don’t think its good for women to shave their hair off’.

Okay, I know that people who have cancer would give anything to not have to shave their heads. I didn’t shave my hair off to mock people with cancer. My gran had cancer and lost all of her hair at the age of 38 – it never grew back! But implying that I’m making fun of people with cancer just cause I have a shaved head is not cool either.

Right, not that I have that off my chest I’ll shut-up and get back to work … only 3 day work week, so happy about it!

* * * * * * * * * * 

O and if hurricane Sandy is heading your way, good luck, hope you don’t suffer any damages!

The office

Whaddup!

I'm working in a bubble (small glass cubical office) today which makes a huge difference to the usual open plan office set-up that I have every other day.  Anyhoo, it means that I can listen to some music while I’m dancing working and I love it.

What am I listening to? Well, um, this is the embarrassing bit.... but whatever, it makes me happy:

All American Rejects

The Offspring

Aerosmith

Kid Rock

Kriss Kross 

Nickelback

 all music links/video via YouTube

 

These were the last 6 songs on my iPod, as you can see I'm all the place with my taste in music

 

O &I’m leaving the office early today …parent teacher meeting at the school

Laters! x

oh, how Pinteresting!

It's Wednesday!

Linking up for :

And here they are, completely random:

So True!

Source: etsy.com via Melanie on Pinterest

I would so love my house to look like this

Source: marthastewart.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Mmmmmh!

Source: foodnetwork.com via Laura on Pinterest

<3

Source: jensblogg.com via Sheena on Pinterest

So cute!

Source: obaz.com via Sinead on Pinterest

So go on, link up ....

Eff Marry Kill!!

Back to the 90’s!

I’m linking up with Heather and Michelle for:

It didn’t take me long to decide who I would want to EFF, Marry and Kill:

EFF

Luke Perry …. I loved him in Beverly Hills 90210 and he didn’t age too badly

Marry

Mark  Wahlberg …. without a doubt!  
I still find him super attractive … those abs!!!

Kill

Leonardo Dicaprio …. I would have killed him off back then and would kill him now, he really just does not do it for me

How about you who would be on your list?

Good times good times

We had an awesome weekend!

Because my parents couldn’t take the kids on Friday night the surprise dinner was cancelled. (if they had known about the dinner they would have made a plan but since I didn’t know I couldn’t tell them about it.) Not to worry, Himself cooked and Jellen & Kim came round to our place.  After dinner we sat chatting by the fire for hours. Don’t you just love an open fire?

We met up with them again for lunch on Saturday … Kim had ‘taken’ the day off from work, just to be able to spend the day with me.

Then it was off to the rugby … 

Will Fraser scoring

Heineken Cup, Saracens vs Racing Metro.  Final score 30 -13 to Saracens, yay!   

 It was not the most exciting game of rugby but it’s always great to go and watch the game live Especially since there are so few games here in Belgium. After the game we walked round to the payers exit … I really wanted Himself to introduce me to one of the players. They had been in high school together, plus he is the ex Springbok rugby team captain.

While we were standing around waiting we spotted someone we knew in the VIP area, who arranged for us to get in.  Luckily Kim & Jellen could take the kids over to my parents cause it turned into quite a long meet and greet session.  As of Sunday the kids were telling me what bad parents we cause we just ‘dumped’ them on Jellen & Kim who, in turn, just ‘dumped’ them at my parents.  I think they were more annoyed that they didn’t get to go into the VIP area cause they were going to go sleep over at my parents in any case …. they are so lippy these kids of ours!

After we went out for drinks in town, saw loads more people who I haven’t seen in years.  It was great!  I think we got home some time after 3 (I fell asleep in the car on the way home).

Sunday morning it was up early and go go go. I had to fetch the kids from my parents and then we had a breakfast date with some other friends.

Afterwards we went for a long walk in the forest.   

It was such a lovely day the kids were out playing and riding their bikes till about 7:30 last night.  I was knackered by this time and just wanted to fall into bed.  But by the time I had the kids fed and put to bed and everything ready for this morning I was wide awake…. didn’t get to sleep till about 11:30 so you can imagine how tough it was to get up this morning.

How about you, did you have a great weekend?

It's Friday! And on this day ...

Hello!

So many things to blog about today!

Let’s see: Book club

I’m so happy to finally be able to link up today, can’t remember when last I had a book to tell you about. I read this book in no time and loved it.  I’m a big fan of David Baldacci and he didn’t disappoint with this one:

Source

America has enemies--ruthless people that the police, the FBI, even the military can't stop. That's when the U.S. government calls on Will Robie, a stone cold hitman who never questions orders and always nails his target.
But Will Robie may have just made the first--and last--mistake of his career . . . 

Really worth the read ... with a great twist at the end.

* * * 

Next I have not one, not two but 3 recipes to tell you about.  I got my bake on last night.

Nr. 1 Chocolate brownies.  They were super easy to make. The only down side was that when I took them out the tin they broke into pieces. Himself and the kids tried to convince me that I could never take them to work…. only cause they were hoping that I would leave them at hom for them to eat.

Nr. 2 Red velvet cake.  I have only made red velvet cake once before and this is a new recipe that I found.  But believe you me I will be making it again!  It was awesome …. even if I say so myself.  My colleagues also inhaled it so I guess that they thought so to.

Nr. 3 Frosting.  Now you might have heard about this frosting before but this was a first for me …. it calls for flour!  Check it out and try it cause it really is AMAZING!

The reason why I did all this baking is cause I’m ½ way to 70 today.  The biggest surprise is how happy I am to be turning 35 …

No major plans for the weekend other than going to watch rugby tomorrow oh and someone else’s 30^th birthday party on Saturday night.

Right, now I had better get back to work … Hope you have a great weekend!