January 2015

Three car seats

I installed the car seats for the babies and our backseat is now occupied by 3 car seats. The good news is that they all fit. The bad news is that the driver's seat had to be pushed to the front so my seat is not as comfortable anymore.

It might be a sign or something -- the moment I was admiring our three car seats I saw four minivans and SUVs in front of the YMCA.

Topic
driving
By admin , 30 January 2015

Cold Friday night

After my last run I felt my throat hurt a little bit. Fairly sure that it was because of the cold air -- not of an illness -- but I definitely don't want to take any risk. So I've been reluctant to run a little bit. Last night I went for a nice run. It's very cold but it was good. Forgot to switch off my watch -- or Nora played with the buttons -- but I don't know the duration.

By Guus , 28 January 2015

License to Pawn

I came across an older interview with Rick Harrison on NPR.org, by chance. It sounded like an interesting book and I borrowed it electronically from our library.

The book is about the owners of a big pawn shop in Las Vegas. It describes their business and rise to fame after they became subject of a TV show.

It's an entertaining book. I wasn't sure what to expect, honestly, but the guys running the store and very smart and great observers of humanity.

By admin , 27 January 2015

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings

By the end of November, when we were scared about a possible premature birth of the boys, I badly needed a good book to read. On November 30rd I borrowed The Hobbit from the library, and yesterday I finished the final book of the Lord of the Rings. Two solid months of wonderful reading -- and of wonderful progress with the pregnancy, now at 35.5 weeks.

There is not much too say about these books: they are phenomenal. My father read them to me when I was a child -- something that must have taken several years -- and I read them again in high school, even used them on my literature reading list. I think Sasha and I saw one or two of the LOTR movies also. Definitely not the third one -- and I enjoyed that the most of all actually. Very satisfying ending.

This was the first time I read the books in English, interesting enough. But I kept hearing my father in my mind, talking about "Sam Gewissies".

By admin , 24 January 2015

A flashlight

I've never run with a flashlight before but it was really dark. When I was on Custis there was a power outage so I was happy that I had brought my light.

When I got back home the girls told me that there had been an outage at home also.

U.S. citizen

Together with about 80 others from 24 countries I became a US citizen today at the USCIS offices in Fairfax.

It was a beautiful naturalization ceremony, but efficient. We started at 2.00 pm and were done before 3.00 pm. Eric, Ginny and Judy were my guests and afterwards we had a slice of mocha cake at home.

When I came to the United States in 2003, I was working using an H1B visa. I applied for my green card in June of 2007, and we received the green cards about a year later.

Sasha became a U.S. citizen in September last year. Around the same time I went for my biometrics and then in December I had the formal interview.

Topic
dailylife

U.S. citizen tomorrow

Tomorrow I'll become a US citizen and I'm very happy about that.

I first came to the United States in the summer of 1998, where Sasha and I met. We worked in Antonio's, a resort in Tannersville in upstate New York.

Six years later, in November 2004, I came to the US to start working at a small consultancy firm in Rosslyn, while Sasha worked at the World Bank. Leaving the Netherlands was not easy -- I miss my family and friends -- but it is a move I don't regret.

America has been very welcoming to us, and it is a great place for our family. I look forward to the ceremony tomorrow very much.

Topic
dailylife

And there will be five

We’re preparing to welcome a fourth and fifth member to our little family!

Two boys are expected to make their appearance in the near future and we're looking forward to meeting them.

The age difference with their big sister Nora will be about three years. She is very interested and "has babies her belly" also. "Lots of them!".

Topic
dailylife

American Hustle

Last night we saw "American Hustle", a funny drama and two con-artists and their biggest swindle ever. Very entertaining. I particularly liked the Louis CK with his "ice fishing" stories in a brilliantly played role as mid-level FBI manager.

We had a real 'date-night' together. We put Nora in bed and use the baby monitor, then watched the movie in our TV room for the first time. We don't have a subscription but through Roku and Amazon Prime we could see the move for $13.

Topic
movies