Friday evening musing

[Goodwatch]

I often feel the need to write. What better place to put those insignificant scribbles than on our beloved TRF. Ever since I retuned from my vacation last July, I’m torn between hope and despair. My job, my whole IT department, is on the line because of pending outsourcing plans. And in these troubled times of financial crisis, IT is looked upon as costs, instead of benefit. Although the darkest clouds seem to have disappeared, I’m still not happy about the situation. But I’m not loosing sleep over it.

Halloween (in Dutch ‘Allerheiligen’) has always been something of a non-issue here, apart from the most southern and thus most Catholic provinces. But this year, some mom's from our neighbourhood wanted to organize something for the children and I must say they did a great job. They’ve turned a small and quiet side-street into something of a spooky place, with a maze and all. We heard the children scream in delightful ‘fear’ and we went down with a big bag of sweets. The little ones were jumping up and down in anticipation and that warmed the cockles of my heart, let them be blessed with the ignorance of our troubled grown-up lives for as long as possible. When I see children like that, all rosy cheeked and unaware of the differences we adults see, I just long for my own youth.

The past few weeks have provided us with another triple-play: electric wash drier broke down, espresso machine broke down and the back wheel of my bike is ruined because I’ve hit a hidden pothole in a bicycle lane. A wheel like that costs about 150 Euro, totalling the loss at about 1350 Euro. Ah well, it’s just money.

Apple’s new all aluminium Macbook is gorgeous and has been added to my wish list along with an iPhone. But I’ll first buy a new espresso machine.

All and all I’m quite content with my life. We Dutch will always find something to complain about but as the saying goes, when the complaining stops, the nation is in trouble. And as long as we have food and a roof above our heads we have little to complain about.

As many before me have commented about, TRF is much more than a bunch of people with a common interest. TRF has risen above that. And that makes it special. People that don’t really know me may find me a cold and detached. I use the word friend very sparingly and the ill times of relative strangers leaves me cold. This is perhaps caused by a difficult childhood followed by a rather influential military period in my life. I’m one that doesn’t make friends easy anymore because in my view the term ‘friend’ has become subject to much inflation. A real friend is mostly there in bad times. The members that make up the ‘salt’ of TRF come closest to that definition.

[East Bay Rider]

Reflection is necessary to be a complete person. I enjoy reading about your thoughts of where you are in your life right now as it helps me to reflect on mine.

[Quicksilver]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

The members that make up the ‘salt’ of TRF come closest to that definition.

TRF will, I think, always be a community of like thinking freinds where you can lay your heart bare and get a sympathetic hearing.

[redshirt1957]

I got an answer, but got to take the kids trick or treating. I go just to hit on the other mothers. You never know which one is unhappy and weak at the moment. I will answer later in code!

[Lol-x]

I'm very sorry to hear that about your bicycle wheel Frans.

If it is any consolation, I was riding in a bicycle lane once and hit an undulation, I went over the handlebars and ended up in hospital. The bike was trashed (about $3,000).

Nothing I could do.

You just got to keep rockin on man

I look at myself and no matter how bad things might seem to be, there is always a lot of people worse off than me.

[toph]

Frans, Genuinley I always enjoy reading these posts

[jdc]

Personally I prefer to keep a wide berth from the salty members of TRF like Jimbo and Bubba. I find they drag the dignity and decorum of this forum below the standards I am used to.

[Mrdi]

Originally Posted by jdc

Personally I prefer to keep a wide berth from the salty members of TRF like Jimbo and Bubba. I find they drag the dignity and decorum of this forum below the standards I am used to.

used to ??

[Carolina]

Frans, if I were drinking a beer right now, I'd toast you. However, you'll have to settle for peppermint tea with honey!

[JimSnyder]

I can relate. If all of you remember my Bike path endo

[redshirt1957]

Oorlogsterrein.

[Leighton]

Hans, my wife is Dutch and she always reminds me: "If you ain't Dutch, you ain't much!" It's good to hear that through it all, you're doing fine.

[JimSnyder]

I'd fix the bike first I understand why you didn't see the pothole:

[toph]

Originally Posted by JimSnyder

I'd fix the bike first I understand why you didn't see the pothole:

brilliant

[Andad]

Originally Posted by jdc

Personally I prefer to keep a wide berth from the salty members of TRF like Jimbo and Bubba. I find they drag the dignity and decorum of this forum below the standards I am used to.

I'm with you mate. All of them except the Scottish I reckon.

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by Carolina

Frans, if I were drinking a beer right now, I'd toast you. However, you'll have to settle for peppermint tea with honey!

Peppermint tea with honey? Blehhhhhhh! Yikes! But afterwards I can always say it was the tea that did it, not the G&T

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by Leighton

Hans, my wife is Dutch and she always reminds me: "If you ain't Dutch, you ain't much!" It's good to hear that through it all, you're doing fine.

Or better still: As the finishing Touch, God created The Dutch!

[davidwatts]

Hey Frans, there's always a need for good IT people.

Hang in there, take the redundancy then go work for the outsourcer

I've just quit my job in London and taken a local IT job on 10K less per annum. I did it because it allows me more time with my family.