A miracle.

Just for the heck of it, I decided to try if I could make the hook up with the Internet today and much to my surprise I could. I typed in the magic numbers and the password and there I was. I couldn't believe my luck, because I was supposed to be connected on Wednesday and Wednesday is a busy day and I was worried about having the time to do it. The telephone is working also and now I only have to worry about the huge phone bill I am going to get from making all those service calls on my mobile phone. It's going to be painful.

I am so happy to be back on line again and I had so many emails in my in box. I still need to take care of a bunch of them, but I will have time for that today, although I must go to the store to buy some milk, but the store is open until 8 pm.

I survived my time without the Internet by watching a lot of television and never let me claim that Dutch television is bad, because I watched some really good programs. Lots of documentaries and factual programs about many interesting subjects and a lot of cultural things too. There is some good stuff out there, you just have to know where to look for it. So, from now on I will be watching more television and I will be doing a little less blogging, because I have to feed the other part of my mind too.

I also watched many inane things out of boredom, things I would not have watched normally, but sometimes I was pretty desperate. I watched programs specifically for people over 50, can you believe it? And I watched and did not participate in morning exercises. It was very boring. Maybe I should have done them, but I thought they were rather funky, although to tell you the truth, they would be good for me.

The withdrawal symptoms were only bad the first day when it felt like I had quit smoking and I felt rather desperate. After that I accepted my situation and tried to make the best of it, although I did make a pest out of myself with the providers. The empty promise makers. It is amazing, though, how you learn to do without your computer, although I did miss it for Internet banking and checking my account balance. I was in the dark about how much money I owned and had to go to my sister's to check. Luckily, it was always more than I anticipated.

The Überhund profited the most from my lack of Internet, because I spent of a lot of time on the sofa, very conveniently located close to him, so that he could be petted almost constantly and where he could lay between my feet. The cats also profited by laying on my lap a lot, so for the animals it was great. The Überhund is now back to laying under the computer desk, which is not nearly as cozy and comfortable. Pretty soon the cats will install themselves on the keyboard in front of the computer screen again. I must remember to not be such a negligent owner and spend more quality time with them.

Today it is 10 degrees Celsius and rainy and windy. I was perfectly coiffed this morning when I went to creative therapy and only the ample application of hairspray saved my hairdo. The wind came from the south and sometimes I barely moved on my bike. At other times I had the wind in my back and I didn't need to peddle. The wind makes it feel colder than it really is and I am wearing two pairs of leggings and my scarf and gloves when I go out. I prefer there not to be any wind. I dislike it intensely. Unless it is a blustery wind on a summer's day on the beach.

Regardless, the snow is gone and that is good, because the stuff was treacherous. When you rode in it on your bike, you never knew which direction your back wheel would go. If you were lucky, it would go straight and find some track to stay in, but more often than not, it did not and you slipped all over the place. Still, it is regarded very normal to be able to ride your bike in it and you are quite a sissy if you don't. I took the bus when I could, but sometimes that was not possible. When I went downtown, I took the bus and walked around on the slippery cobblestones while being snowed upon and trying to keep my hair dry. It's a tough country to have a decent hairdo in.

The one thing about not having the Internet, was that it upset my whole daily schedule. I was completely discombobulated and could not perform my tasks in an ordinary orderly fashion. Needless to say, not a lot got done and I wasted a lot of time doing nothing but being discombobulated. I sat at the dining table with cups of coffee and cigarettes and stared out the window, wishing for my life to have order again. I didn't think any deep and disturbing thoughts. I just let my mind wander wherever it wanted to roam and it tiptoed all over the place, but it always came back to all the things I wasn't doing and the lack of order that I could not seem to get back on track. There were numerous little jobs that needed to get done and all I had was starting up problems and a lack of focus.

It would have been a great time to have taken up drinking, but luckily, I was not fool enough to do it, but I sure would have been the perfect pastime. I also very easily could have made a round of all the cafés, but I was smart and did not succumb to the allurement. At least I know that when I am bored, I don't take up any bad habits, I only keep the ones I already have. Actually, mentally I did well. It was a time of great calm and spiritual rest and it taught me something. That is not to try and cram so much into one day and to get enough sleep at night and to walk away from the computer on time.

I haven't lost any weight over the past year. I have lost some and gained some, so it must not be important enough for me to care that much or I would be trying much harder. Actually, right now I am in a frame of mind of almost complete acceptance of myself and I worry very little about how much I weigh. I have a belly and I let it be there. I am comfortable in my clothes and I feel good. Maybe in the springtime I will loose some weight, like I always do, but I will cross that bridge when I get there. Time will tell. I feel good when I move around and I have the attitude of a slender person. I think attitude is important. In the springtime I'll go see the Obesitas Nurse Specialist and see if the gastric band needs to be filled some more.

Well, I guess that just about brings me to the end of my words for today. It's so nice to sit here and take my time to write it all down in the privacy of my apartment, surrounded by the animals.

I hope you all have a terrific day and that you're all not too cold (I know some of you aren't).

Ciao...