A quiet morning...

Tyke and Gandhi are lying side by side on the sofa, sleeping as if they are twins and inseparable. They've been especially close since Toby is gone. That is one difference that I have noticed. Gandhi seeks out Tyke's company and follows him wherever he goes, even if he pesters her, which he is sometimes in the mood to do. He wants to remind her regularly that he's the dominant presence around here.

Well, he thinks so. There is me, of course, and I'm more dominant than him. We all do have our rank of importance and I'm the top dog. I aim to keep it that way, even though he now is a grown up dog. He was 17 months old yesterday and not quite a puppy anymore, although he has the enthusiasm of one. His happiness knows no bounds and his silliness is ever present. He's got a large sense of humor and the energy of a two year old child.

So we are a little three unit family now and all get into bed together at night. They want to share my glass of milk too and I have to guard it with my life. I'm glad for the company, as long as they settle down and don't roughhouse on top of the duvet. I do seem to get in the way of them now and then and have to save myself from being trampled on.

Yesterday afternoon I went to see my sister. She and her boyfriend had just gotten back from a city trip to Stockholm and I wanted to know all about it, not ever having been there myself. They had lots of photos and stories and it sounded like a place I want to go to. Everybody speaks very good English there, including the taxi drivers, and people are very polite and helpful. And, they said, the city was very clean and not at all full of traffic and junk as Amsterdam is.

I had a beer and a cigarette out on the patio, even though the weather wasn't all that great, and then helped my sister pick out the paintings to hang up in her living room. Less is more. What was left over went to the attic.

I borrowed the Italian textbooks from her and can already see that it's going to be a hard job to learn Italian from them, because these are meant to be used in a classroom setting. I may have to order a different kind of textbook that I can use on my own or I'm going to be thrown in the deep end without any help. I'll have to see what I can find at Bol.com.

On the way home on my bike, I got caught in a rain shower and got soaking wet. I rubbed myself dry with a towel when I got home and because of the hairspray, my hair dried in spikes, which was a fun look. It was something different anyway. Tyke licked my face dry when I came in and greeted him. I'm convinced this is good for my skin.

I went to bed awfully early and had wanted to go even earlier, but postponed the moment until a not so ridiculous time. I read my thriller and fell asleep with it and woke up some time during the night to use the toilet and turn off the light. I do, at least, go back to sleep. There's no staying up in the middle of the night to sit behind the computer. I seem to have enough sense lately not to do that. I hope to remain sensible enough to keep that habit going. It's so much better to wake up in the morning well rested and wide awake at a sensible hour.

It's supposed to be a cold rainy day today and I will have to dress accordingly. That means long sleeves and a jacket when I go out. I will wear one of my summer shawls and forsake my necklace. It's fun to dress up, so I'm not complaining. I just don't want to get wet again.

Have a nice day.

Ciao,
Nora