weekend plans and dams.

I am still keeping busy and with the holiday season fast approaching, the busyness will continue. I spent another weekend in Amsterdam with my friend John. I got to ride on the back of his bike some more, but it was less exciting this time now that I have become a veteran at it. The problem is Amsterdam is very chilly being that the breeze comes from the sea and that mixed with being carted around on the back of a bike is less than pleasant. But I keep trying to tell myself it is much colder in Iowa and I shouldn't be complaining; it's not helping much though. I did get to actually ride a bike for real on Saturday. We were in the "central park" of Amsterdam and I took the bike for a quick ride; although it took me a bit of getting used to that the breaks aren't on the handles but on the pedals. I also went to a book exchange party that John's friends were having Sunday night. I didn't feel as though I should take any books seeing that I didn't bring any to trade but a guy picked up a book called "I amsterdam" and said it had my name written on it and I should take it. It's really fantastic with pictures from all over the city and very well designed. We closed the evening with Indian food, my telling stories of cheerleading and homecoming court and a few Christmas carols were sung around a piano.

Work continues to go well. I had to stay until 9pm last night because a client came back after viewing the proofs at the printers and wanted to make last minute text corrections to a map we designed. The process was not as easy as they thought it might be and it caused us to have to work late. But I can leave early a different day to make up for the extra hours put in. So far I have seen 3 of my designs printed: a brochure for an art exhibit held in Amsterdam, the map we had to stay late to make corrections on last night, and a wedding thank you card.

Monday I will take a train with John to Waalwijk for Christmas Eve to celebrate with his parents. If I haven't mentioned it before, they celebrate two Christmas days. So first Christmas day I will take the train back to Hilversum and spend the day with my roommates. We will cook a meal together and have roommate fun. Richard has got our apartment ready for the festivities by hanging Christmas lights in our kitchen and spraying fake snow around the windows. Second Christmas day I will go to Amsterdam to a party some of John's friends are having (the ones that had the book exchange party). It's so nice I can go to all these functions and meet people but it's hard because I am the only one who doesn't speak Dutch; luckily everyone speaks English when they are around me, otherwise I would be lost!