Dear European Member!!
after the great succes of the PTO 2004 conference, I would like to talk to all of you about the next PTO/ Europe GTG....we had one last year!!! YES!!! we did, it was only me and my girl and Phil, but let me tell you...it was the most wonderfull weekend ever...imagine...spring in Paris...well I was there!!! so...Susan( susan the fin) and me, would like all of you to think about the next Europe GTG.....We , well my new dear friend susan was thinking this...

""And if we are even considering to have it here( in finland) it must def be on July...otherwise weather sucks. It rains so much still on June and nights are too cold... July or August would be nice though. Oh God, I'm already in sauna with all of you and skinny dipping at midnight when sun still shines... Oooh...LOL ""

so does this seem wonderfull or what?? I am sure even David would love to come to Europe for this???
well nothing is arranged yet...we want to see what all of you think...but we are so many here and we would love to see some of you, all of you...for real...so...talk to us!!! Susan and me are waiting for all of you to talk to us here!!!
Wake up Europe!!!! :wave:

I'm definitely interested in an European G2G. I don't think that Finland would be a good choice to meet. I'm a big fan of Scandivia because I love the landscape, and the weather (yes, I love coldness and rain), but I think some place in the center of Europe would be more appropriate. What do you think?

Sascha

YES!!!! our first reply!!! well Sascha...Europe is not that big and there are lots of cheap flights now a days...and last time it was in Paris and that was central europe...did not make more people come though...but we will think about it!!!
so good of you to answer and that you are interrested!!! thank you so much!!!

IF I come, it will be in August, since I'm on holidays in South West France, so I could join for a week-end. BUT, I'm just back from the States, and to be honest, I'm trying to go back and at last see Joey.

Since I'm not a multi millionaire, not yet, it's almost pretty sure I couldn't go everywhere, and it could also be probable I will go nowhere but in SW France.

I have nothing agaisnt Finland, even though I think it's not very central. But well, I have nothing against moses and mosquitos ... :D :p

Whatever you decide, just let me know, I'll try to join the band wagon.... if my bank is OK :rolleyes:

Phil

Money is my main problem. As a university student I don't have that much. Even a cheap flight doesn't help very much since I will have to pay for a room for the weekend etc...
But let's wait what comes out of it. I would definitely be glad to join the group.

Sascha

Hi!

I think it's sounds great! Where ever it will be....
And if I'm not working, I would love to come.. ( I don't get any vacation this summer..)

What a great idea, by the way!! :)

Hugs
Hanna

Hello you all!
Yes I agree, it would be nice and interesting to meet up somewhere in Europe this summer. I would like to go to Finland, but my budget may also be a bit limited (am in Holland!). But what about camping out there?;-) (with a mosquitonet of course).
Annabelle

WOEPIEEEEEE!!!! !!! SUSAN SEE MORE PEOPLE!!!!

this is going good people!!! Now all we have to do is get the rest of these Europeans awake....where are they???
hey girls...keep talking to us...so good to hear from you all, and will be even better to see all of you...!!

hi there...another answer...lol...
well...I have to be honest,
with my 7 kids and no saving money left after my trip to Florida last year :
I have to say : sorry , I cann't come :-(

good luck with the great idea !!

wow!! celine...7 kids!!! how old are they??? I only have 3 and they tell me all the time that is a lot...so good to hear from you...hey, about the money thing, people...lets be real...no one on here has money...so we are going to find a great and cheap as possible place...camping souds like fun!!! we wil see okay...

Maybe we should do some brainstorming where the conference could be held and when this could be, so that the maximum of people can join. What do you think?

good idea sascha!! I though to wait till I had heard from enough people here, but it's okay...we are all in this together!! so...storm away girl!!

First of all, I may have long hair, but I'm definitely not a girl. :) I could post a picture to prove that :)
Since I live in central Germany, it takes me 3 hours to Holland, 2,5 to Belgium, 2 to France, 3 to Switzerland, and 3,5 to Austria. If we could find anything in these countries, I would be glad. In my opinion these should also be the best countries, since the majority of people that could join the g2g comes from these countries. Also Germany would be a good choice not only for me, since it's quite in the center. As for the date, I'd say August or September would be great, but when we will do it on a weekend, it honestly doesn't matter that much to me.

HILDE I'M HERE!! :D

Great that so many are interested and I'm sure we can plan something and meet somewhere that as many as possible can participate! It was just an idea to meet here in Finland, of course any place would be great!

And here's NO mosquitos late July or August!! Hmph! Where did you get that Phil? :D

Money is my problem too, I study also and even though I'm working at the same time I hope we can come up with some cheap ideas... How about some cabin/s or so? They are quite cheap here and I think also in your countries...Well, we have to think and plan, let's just not forget this great idea:D I would love to see you all!!

Susan

A cabin would be a good idea. That should be quite cheap.

oh my, dear sascha...wow, big mistake....see, no wonder I need to see you for real...I did not even know you are a man...so sorry; do post that picture anyway!! like a preview...long hair...well I want to see that!!
so keep storming away ...you are good at that!

and susan, dear dear susan...we can go skinny dipping anywhere, right? as long as you will be there to show us how that works....and if we plan in august or september, then we still have time to save some money!!! so...so far so good!!!

What is a cabin ?????????????????????????????

Phil :confused:

Yeah, this sounds sooooo great:D Sascha, I want to see your hair too:D And I have to grow my own so we can see who has longest :D LOL

I think we can come up with some good ideas in reasonable cost... Tell all your ideas!!

And Hilde...I promise to show to you all how that goes LOL skinny dipping :D I even swim in hole in the ice so no fear! Crazy finn shows it all!! :D LOL

Susan

Phil, cabin is a little house in the woods ;) LOL Nooooo, some cabin where we all could sleep...no expencive hotel rooms...that was what I was thinking about...

Are you again too lazy to look it up in a dictionary? :)

that's what babylon.com says

English-French Online Dictionary

cabin
hutte, cabane, chaumière, dunette, cabine


Hilde,

here you can see a backside picture of myself :)
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21006

If you insist on it, maybe I will post a front shot too :)

Sascha

OMG....I have to grow my hair for YEARS to get that long!!!:D It looks great!

LOL Phil needed little "whipping" LOL :) joke joke...

oh you europeans make me laugh!!!!! you are all too funny...now if this is anything like meeting all of you...then I don't want to miss this for the world!!!
to the MAN I want to say...YES!!! I want to see another picture as well!!!
and Phil...you are not lazy sweetie...we know that!! and Susan some one that swims in a hole in ice...yep, being a psychologist, i would say you are crazy!!! never mind though...I like you this way!!

Thanks *blush*

I'll be offline now and maybe come again later this evening. Hope you have more great ideas for the meeting.

You must excuse Phil, he's busy writing a card to my girl whose birthday is in 8 days. Those Frenchies can only do one thing at the same time... :)

Sascha, why don't you give her addy and we all send cards to her! It would be my pleasure anyway... :)

And Hilde, I'm nearly psychologist myself...and as you can see under my screenname...I'm a crazy princess:D LOL OH God, great we got so much action to this forum!!! I love you all, you're so funny and great people!! Can't wait to meet you'all!!

Susan

right....I have an idea!!! if you can all make it to Kasterlee, then we can do this right here at my place...you can all camp in the garden(tents) and that will be cheap, huh....it is free!!! and I have this very small dwarfshouse, but we will have fun!! right people who are afraid of the muskito's can sleep on the sofa...so...how about that? I will get you some pictures of my forest...just you wait and see....just an idea....but Phil...you still have to come here anyway!!! and I have a bed for you!!! Oh yes!!!you don't seem the camping type...so...will get some pictures out here now...think about it...you are all more then welcome!! and yes, Belgium is the centre of the world...i know

I'm coming Hilde!!! :D

Haha, I was thinking the same thing, I could easily house a few guests...but I know I live so far away:( I know there's so cheap flights and I could easily save some money if we are talking about next August ( I'm going to trip to Portugal then but anyway) or September...That sounds great!! You can show us around the woods then? :D LOL I have always wanted to see backwoods of Belgium :rolleyes: LOL No, that sounds great!!! Let's plan this more!!!:)

Susan

right see how smart I am...can't do this pictures...they are too big or something...well, just go to the website of Kasterlee/ Belgium and you will see the forest...

HOERA!!!!! okay...lets make it September then...to make sure you can get here and have money for your trip over...I will take care of the rest...no skinny dipping here though...oh well...you can always do a strip act of you feel like it....and sascha, I can send a card to your GF as well...if you want....so...next thing...what will we do then???Sasha, brainstorming in action....GO

Hilde, give us a link to site of your hometown...please.... stupid finn has browsed around soooo long and got much info but wants to see PICS!!:D

Ok, maybe you won't skinny dip then but stupid finn shows you (if you have water there LOL) how it should be done:D LOL Ok, this sounds great! :D :D

Hilde, be aware, soon (after half of the year :rolleyes: ) you have ALL us on your backyard!!! LOL

And please, call me Sussie, all my friends does :)

Sussie

okay...sussie...pictures vcan be found in the gallery and here is the site...http://www.kasterlee.be/display/portal.aspx Hope it works...so check ik out !!!

NOPE it didn't work !!!! I had to edit your post, and NOW it works !!! :)

cabin
hutte, cabane, chaumière, dunette, cabine


I NEVER heard of a "dunette" before !!!! :D I wonder what kind of dictionary you have !!! :p Anyway, I think I've got what you mean :)

Hilde, I'd love to come to your place, but I just can't tell yes or no right now. I promise I will do my best though !!!


Phil...you still have to come here anyway!!! and I have a bed for you!!! Oh yes!!!you don't seem the camping type

Hilde, don't bet on this honey, I've slept almost everywhere ........ ;)

Phil

I DON'T want to sleep in tent!!! LOL:D HILDE, Honey, isn't there any more comfortable place for a finn?? LOL:D I love your humor, now I know here is as crazy people as I am:D

Ok, we plan something fun...where's all other european members? Spread the word!!:D

Okay, I'm back now and had to catch up with all your posts first.
Yes, why not Belgium? For me it's not very far. Just in case anyone has difficulties finding a cheap flight to Belgium, I'm living 20 minutes away from Frankfurt airport, and I could easily pick someone up there.

I will pm you Dana's adress. She would be very glad to receive a birthday card from you, since she's in a very depressive period right now.

Phil,
obviously my dictionary (www.babylon.com) knows more French words than you. :)

There are some more Europeans here, and I wonder where they are right now.

Hilde,
where is Kasterlee exactely? I know where Bruxelles, Lièges, Namur, etc. is, so maybe you can describe it in relation to these cities.

I will look for a picture of myself on the computer. If I find one, which I doubt, I will post it. :)


Sascha

ohh sascha... I bet you can find one, if not then we will take lots when you are here...yep, my didgital camera will do the job...right...where am i....Kasterlee is near Turnhout and Herentals....In the prov. Antwerpen, in the north of Belgium...20min. with car from the Netherlands....I will send a map in time, don't you worry....
oh you Phil, you slept almost everywhere...now there is a thing to think about...In that case, my sweet friend sussie can have the bed and you and sascha can share a tent...he can teach you French...how about that?.....so...now we are with 3 and a half europeans...the half is Phil.....so where is everyone else???......
dear sussie, you are crazy girl...but I love you that way....

Okay, when it's near Antrwerpen, I will need a map :) I know the city, but don't have a clou where it is exactely.
One tent together with Phil???? He will make jokes all night long, but it could be quite interesting.
Yes I found a picture of myself, and if it works, it's attached to this post. But keep in mind that there's no picture of myself where I'm smiling. Therefore I'm smiling and joking all day long, but never on pictures. :)
I want to see photos of you too, okay?
Finally a long thread in the Europe forum. It feels really good to talk to you girls and Mr. Half-French.

Sascha

OK, now that I saw a pic of Sascha, I'm not quite sure I still wanna share a tent with him !!! Kinda scary !!! :D Especially at night, in the middle of a forrest ..... :p

Hilde, how long did it take to come from Kasterlee to Paris, and where did you take the train ?? I don't remember !!! :( Does the Thalys stop in Antwerpen ?? Or did you take it in Brussels ???

Is there a bathroom and a jacuzzi in the tent ???? :D

Phil

Good morning Europe.

Yes, it still works :) Look a bit scary and everybody shows respect. That kept me out of trouble all my life long, because everybody thought I could be dangerous.

I found Kasterlee on my almighty map. That's about 3 hours by car away from me.
A bathroom in the tent would be great. Maybe we can have it instaled for us.

Did anybody come up with a new idea during the night?

Sascha

right...I AM HOME!!!!!! Phil...I took the train in Brussel...if you can make it to Brussel en from there one train to Herentals or Turnhout, I can pick you up at the station there...remember Belgium is very small, can't get lost!! I took a ticket online to come to you and it was only 40 euro return ticket...can be more cheap I think if you get it in time...
right...Sascha...sweetheart...don't you look great...not scary at all, let alone dangerous.....well, I did not think of more brilliant ideas during the night as some people do sleep at night sascha in this country....and no way we have a bathroom in the tent...but Sussie will bring her portable sauna!!
so...sascha...one job for you...give us a date and make this thing official!!
and the card is in the mail!
see you...Sussie, where are you girl!!! I miss you

A portable Sauna would be great :) Like in cartoons. It's pocket-size and can be unfolded to a complete room.
People sleep in Belgium at nights???? Oh....yes I heard of that. My ex-girlfriend is from Belgium and she tended to sleep at nights...
Hilde, I'm an ultra socialist and democrat. Basically I'm one of these guys who can stretch a 5 minute decission to a week-long discussion, because I will always try to find a way to please everyone. If anybody else could come up with some possible dates I would be glad. Honestly it doesn't matter that much to me, as long as it's a weekend. I think someone should invite David as well. Since Phil held up the European flag at the conference in Florida, I think we need at least one American over here as well.
You don't have bathrooms in tents in Belgium????? Probably you smell as bad as the French over there :) joke joke joke
Is there a shop where I can buy Leonidas' happy calorie stuff? My ex suplied me with that stuff, as well as with President salted butter. We don't have salted butter here.

Sascha

Hilde

you only paid 40€ for a return ticket ??? Sounds good to me !! :) So consider I'm no longer a "Half" coming french, let's say a 3/4 coming french :D

As for the week-end, I would prefer mid-september for the following reasons: on week-ends, I work at the flea market, it's a "black job" and I'm paid cash "under the table"...

I've got a good pay, but of course, when I don't work, NO pay. So, in August, I go to south west france to my best friends house, and won't work during 3 week-ends, so I will almost only get my hotel salary in August (regular job, paid holidays). That's why I need to work at least the 2 first week-ends of september. If you don't mind...

Hilde, you still haven't told me how long it took to go to Paris !!!

Phil

okay...me again...Phil it took me about two hours I think...not a long time really...TGV you know....
17 /18 and 19 september it is then!!!you can all come whenever you want...if only saterdays and sundays or the three days...it is okay with me....so this is official now...the PTO European Get Together will be in Belgium on 17/18 and 19 September 2004...okay, thats settled!!! what else...Sascha..leonidas is right here in my small town of Kasterlee...so no need to go looking!! it is right here, you ca walk to the market en get some killo's and take them home with you...
okay next things....
David!!! I've learned that all a person has in life is family and friends. If you lose those, you have nothing, so friends are to be treasured more than anything else in the world. With this in mind...We want you and your sweet girl to travel this side of the world and spend PTO europe 2004 with us!! You are a friend of thousands and we would really want you to be here!! So please think about this for a while and don't say no, right away...Of course you can stay in my house much longer then a weekend if you come...you will be my guest for as long as you want! and the chocolates will be yours every day and the Belgian Beer!!!! so....did I cover everything?? of course all you other americans are invited as well!!! Oh yes...please please dear friends...all of you can come!!
okay...have to go and see where sussie is...that girl is always gone when you need her....sussie!!! wake up and write some of your crazy stuff here...we miss you!!

I guess Sussie is in her sauna, or chasing the mose in the still snowy forrests !!! :D

The dates are fine with me :) 2 hours is also fine with me :)

David and Lorie (or whoever else wanting to join), you are invited to my place in Paris before or after the get together :)

Phil

The date is okay with me too. Now is it planned to be friday to sunday or only saturday and sunday. Phil, don't dare to say a word, I know that is the typical German correctness, so don't make jokes now. :)
Europe I'm coming !!!!!!!!!! Leonidas I'm coming!!!!!! Président beurre salé I'm coming!!!!!!! Stella Artois I'm coming!!!!!!!!!

I hope there will be some more Europeans and hopefully also some Americans to join us.

Sascha

When I was living half in Berlin half in Paris, there was this candy thing you could buy in gas station. I can't remember the name, but it was chocolate and marzipan, and if I do remember, it was wrapped up in a purple paper. Do you see what I mean ?? If you tell me the name, I will recognize it.

So here's the deal: if you bring me like 200 of those cady bars, I'll bring you some "beurre salé" :)

Phil

Chocolate and marzipan and purple paper??????? Can you remember what brand it was? Maybe Zentis?? If we can figure out what it is, I can get some for you. Better bring me some...... how are these called....... éclaires. Not these sky thingies that hurt, but those you can eat, and I will invite Joey to come. I just got off the phone with a nice lady from the FLDOC and she told me that Joey could fly to Europe for this weekend and they would even pay a first class flight for him!!!!! Mr. April fools!!!!!

Ha ha ha Sascha !!!! :D Well, maybe it was not in a purple paper !!! I can't remember the brand !!! :( That was sold in gas stations, and it was so YUMMY !!!! Go to a gas station, and give me the names of all the chocolate/marzipan candy bars !!

You like éclairs ??? I could bring some !!! :) Which are your favorites ?? Chocolate or coffee ????

Phil

I have never heard of that "beurre salé" who wants butter with salt anyway??? Phil...nice deals you make!! hope he goes for it.....
as for the german correctness...you can come whenever you want Sascha...as for the beer....Well now...i am a true belgian, meaning...i have tried all the 770 different kinds of beer we make ourselves in this tiny country...so...lets forget about the Stella..;we have that for forreigners who don't know any better...but you will be with me, so we will get the good beer!! Oh yes...and drink we will!! and at night, cozy in your tent with Phil...you can eat all the butter you want and Phil can get sick eating the candy you will bring him....I might just get a shower for the two of you outside, meaning, the garden hose, I am sure we will need it when the two of you are sick to your stomach....so in the end dear Sascha...who will smell bad??? I think....eeerrrr...YOU

So you say that Stella is for tourists. My ex's dad was a real Belgian and it was his favorite. You don't want to make drunk, do you? :) All Belgian and French beers taste like lemonade to me, not bad though, but not like beer. I insist on the fact that Germany is the homeland of beer, and no other beer in the world could taste better. I will bring along some really good south Bavarian stuff, then you will know what beer tastes like. :) My ex always brought along some salted butter from her visits to Bruxelles, so I guess it should be available in Belgium.
Phil, I will have to buy gas tonight, and I'll try to find your candy. Yes I like éclaires, no matter if chocolate or coffee or whatever.

Okay, I just now saw this post. If my finances allow it, I will join y'all!
But watch out, I'll have to bring the "lil Monster" (my 4 yr. old daughter), too!

-Susanne-

Woohoo, another European to join. Of course your welcome to join. I hope to see you there.

Sascha

hey, I have three kids myself, a bit older though, but your girl will be okay here!! she will love the dwarfsforest, it is a childrens forest you see...so, it is nice to see you here!!
right sascha, my dear boy...I don't think so...germany is no way the homeland of beer...good grief, where did you get that...and as for our beer tasting like lemonade???? wow...big mistake you made there...big mistake....I will have to teach you all about Belgium Beer now!!! right...so where is Sussie?????? Girl, sauna time is over and that hole in the ice will close any minute if you don't get your ass over here!!!

Hi y'all!! And nice to see you Susanne, my namesake:)

Actually i just was in sauna and swiming in the hole too...in ice:D LOL

Ok, this sounds great, dates are fine to me too and now I have time to save some money! Hilde, are you starting to clean yet? You are going to have visitors ;) :D

I love this! You're all so crazy :D And what was the talk about beer? You're in serious problems if you give any beer to crazy finn!! LOL :D

Sussie

OK!
I will join you all, september is it? I will take my tent with me, but when it rains,............!
Belgian beer is nice, I think! But not the lager, the stronger beers are nicer, i think. (Leffe!). Anyway, thank you Hilde for offering your dwarfs forest for the get2gether... (kabouterbos???).
Abelle

hey sussie....where were you ????? so happy to see you again at last...good the hole in the ice did not get you....clean??? hey, with sascha and Phil comming...I don't think so...and the beer, oh yeah crazy finn, we will give you some....not much though...no telling what you will do...
dear abelle...yep, kabouterbos...and so glad you are on my side with the beer thing....hey...I am going to sleep now...yes sascha...this belgian needs rest and sleeps again tonight...so...goodnight all and see you tomorrow!!!! Sussie...you take over from here, you are doing the nightshift!! keep this europe thread going!!!

Sorry Hilde but I'm off to bed now!! Early wake up you know :(

We'll continue tomorrow then:) And keep this forum alive:D

Good night to everybody,
Sussie

GOOOOODDDDDDD MOOOOOORNIIIIIING Europe

These Belgians are sleeping all the time. Maybe you should see a doctor. :) Okay, let's make a beer contest. Maybe we can get little Finn princess to be the jury :) I will attach the reason why you cannot win to this post. This is a beer brewed in my hometown and it's the best beer in the world. I swear you will kneel down before me, begging for another bottle. :) By the way I already tried another Belgian beer. It was Jupiler. Kronenbourg is French, isn't it? Kronenbourg is very tasty, like lemonade though, but tasty.

Phil,
about this gas station candy thing..... could it be that it was some sort of Milka chocolate? They're all wrapped in this violett paper, but I can't think of any marzipan stuff they have. If needed, I will make photos at the gas station, post them and then you can pick out what you want. :)

Dwarfsforest sounds great - something even I will enjoy! LOL
Beer - eeeewww! Except Guinness. But Cider and the likes - now that's a different story! :-)

hello europe....okay before everyone that reads this will think that the only thing we will do 3 days is drink beer...How about some good ideas on what we will do...if any of the PTO conference people read this...we need some help here...Phil, what did they do last month? and what can we do in September...okay...I am sure Sascha will have some brilliants ideas and I want to hear them...so get your brains working ones more....okay...so don't forget to look at the pictures on the gallery of my forest!!! susie...wake up girl or this German scary man will think all we ever do is sleep...and we don't sascha, we really don't...hey,I work in a slaughterhouse all morning, every morning...does that scare you now??
so....europe, it is almost weekend...so get on PTO and read this thread and think about coming also....my garden can take a bit more tents, and my friends who live in a forest near by, have some more space there to sleep...so no problems at all....
hey, nice to see all of you....talk later!!

No Hilde, you don't scare me at all. :) No I don't think that you do sleep all day long. I'm just joking. :) You're right, let's talk about something besides beer. We need some sort of party games, and I don't know if someone wants to join me, but I will definitely want to go sight seeing for some hours and learn some about the cultural life. It would be nicer to do that in a group and not alone. Well then.....I don't know, what could we do at your house, what knid of activities are possible??

Sascha

Hilde

in Florida, I drank at night, and slept during the day at the conference !!! :D No in fact there were different speakers from different organizations or ex-cons speaking of how they got back to "normal" life.

Sascha

That was not a Milka thing !! Gosh I could ask my ex, since I meet him at times in the gay area, but I no longer speak to him, unless he gives me my 3500 € back !!! :mad:
That was definitely chocolate and marzipan. Yes take a pic of the gaz station !!! :D

We could play hide and seek in the wood ??? :p

Phil

okay...hide and seek it is....naahhhh..or I could hide chocolates and you can all look for them...if my dogs don't find them first...Party Games...oh dear, what is that??? I think i will make you head of the Party games then sascha...yep we can do sightseeing...I will think of a nice place to see the cultural thingies in Belgium...I remember Phil took me and my daughter to everything there is to see in Paris...we were so death tired!! But I loved it and whenever we see Paris on television, we look at each other and think back at that great weekend....so, yes, I will think of that and get back with some good ideas....
right for the speakers..Okay, now David has to really come and Patti and Linda...,
more ideas anyone..?????

We should post a thread in the g2g forum, so that everybody can read it. I'm sure there are many, who skip the Europe forum, especially when the title of the thread says: dear europeans, please read. Maybe there would be some more who would like to come.
OOOOHHHH yes, please hide chocolate for us in the forest. PLEEEEEAAAASE. :)

see the thing is Sascha...when I see a thread that says, dear Americans please read...then I would be the first to read it...maybe it's a woman thing...I am sure Americans read this??? Okay all you americans who read this, please write a short message telling us you were here...that should do the trick, if not, then Phil has to change the name of the thread into...""dear Europeans and Americans please read....we insist..."" think that should to the trick???
Well, I know what you mean Sascha...maybe you are right...i mean even David has not been here yet...(I think) ..but then these people sleep when we are awake and visa versa....we might give them some time in the weekend...I also know that most of the americans work many many hours, strange hours as well...
but you see, even other europeans are not here that much...

Good morning Europe,

no news today???

hey you...it is afternoon and I was kinda waiting for all of you for news....good morning Sascha...whats up...where is everyone else?

Well...... weather is quite strange here, but I guess that's not what you want to hear. :) Yes, I know it's already afternoon.... but even Germans do sleep a bit longer sometimes. :) Still no more people who want to join. :( Maybe we will have to wait until everybody's here to make new plans.

yep we can do that...while waiting, I will just get myself a box of Leonidas chocolates and eat them all myself...yeah, thats a great idea....it is almost easter and everything you see and tahts what belgians do after sleep...eat chocolates and drink nice real coffee...too bad starbucks is not in Belgium yet...I love there coffee...but it is a little far for me to go to Germany or France ot the States or England to get starbucks coffee today...so i guess mine will have to do for now....weather sucks big time, oh yes, same here...

HEY, gimme some of that Leonidas stuff. I'm glad we don't have that much Starbucks etc. here. Their coffee tastes like usual coffee, but it costs twice as much. I don't see why I should buy it.
Do you have some hotels in your town, just in case your garden is too small for all the tents? Don't forget that we will also need some place for the sauna, susan will build up for us. :)

ohh but sascha....did you ever go to starbucks in the USA??? it is great coffee...really, I love it...but then I like new things and coffee drinking is like an experience, and adventure...I have my very own grinder and only use beans...I see I must teach you all about coffee...and my garden is not small at all...you can all fit in easily...as for the sauna, yep, sussie will have to take care of that...if needs be she can build it in teh forest, now that will be an improvement for the dwarfsforest...and they will use it all the time I'm sure...remember sascha, where there are dwarfs, there are witches as well...do you think you can sleep with some of those around in my garden??...so tell me what coffee you drink? or is that the bavaria, morning , noon and night???

In Germany you can buy all sorts of coffee everywhere, so there's no need to go to Starbucks. Starbucks is only more expensive. That's all.
Yes I can sleep with dwarfs in the garden. Like every week I will play a role playing game tonight, and I mostly play a dwarf. So no problem with dwarfs. But dwarfs don't like witches at all, in fact they don't like any kind of magic. So I will have to sleep with my mighty battle axe in hands, in case a witch will come. :)
How big is the town anyway? And what is this dwarf forest thing all about???

hey whats a role playing game anyway??? no need to sleep with you mighty battle ax if Phil is there next to you...I am sure his gibberich French will scare all of them away...so...make you a deal...of you send me some real nice good coffee, I will send you some sweet chocolates from Leonidas...
right the dwarfs forest...did you look at the pictures??? and the websiote?? it is not too big, a fun forest for kids..and the queen forest and King's forest in next to it...that is bigger and also very nice to walk...Kasterlee is small, you can walk through the town and stop for a beer anywhere...we have more restaurants and cafee's then any town in this part of the country....

hahaha. You mean that Phil is a great protection from witches????
I will look at the pictures. Are they in the gallery? Kasterlee has a great website.....when you speak this.....whatever language it is. Okay, I will attach some coffee to that post. Please leave some chocolate with your next post. Thanks.
How long does it take you to go to Maastricht by car?


CUP OF WARM, CREAMY COFFEE

okay...thanks for the coffee...duh??? here you go, your very own Leonidas

Maastricht...Oh dear that is the Netherlands...I don't know how far that is...look it up on your computer...it does not sound that close...I have never been there...will think about it...

Thanks, those were great. ;)
Has anybody seen Phil today? Finn princess doesn't want to post either :(
My way to Kasterlee will be 405 km long. That should be about 3 hours. I guess that's okay.

yep it is just you and me keepig this thing alive...too bad I can't send your Dana some chocolates...tell you a story...i was visiting my friend at prison a year and a half ago and my friend that I was staying with also had her hubby in that same prison...well I gave her some chocolates and she put one of them in her mouth just before visit and he kissed her and...yep...tasted the chocolate...is that romantic or what????
so...yep...I see it was just you and me here today...but thats okay...i mean...you are a nice friend to hang out with all day...so...don't you go anywhere!!!

I won't go out tonight, because my role playing game was canceled and I'm not in the mood to do something else today. I will watch a movie later, but don't know which. Did you know that one of my 5 favorite movies is from Belgium? It's "C'est arrivé près de chez vous" (Man bites dog).
I looked at the pictures in the gallery. Are these trees real??? Is this your daughter and your dogs in the pictures?
How long did she have the chocolate in her mouth? I mean she must have put it in her mouth before checking in, so I guess that's quite a while.

Hilde and Sascha....I just was afraid to interrupt your conversation :D LOL

Well, I'm here now! Are you still there my fellow europeans? Any news?

Sussie

Yes, I'm still here. Hey, where is this sexy picture from your signature????
I think we have to wait for Phil for some new ideas. I have none. :(

Sascha

You can see it? I see it...well Becky made it for me:) Chevygirl you remember:)

We have so good ideas already, best was that sauna thing in Hilde's livingroom. I'll pick the stones for that sauna oven and you heat it for us? Hilde can give the water:) Maybe we should warn her beforehand so she can move her precious furniture if she wants :D LOL

Hilde...where are you? It's your nightsift today!! Sascha, keep her company!!:D

Sussie

I think I could take the nightshift today. Hilde where are you?

i am here...i am here....I was just...eeerrrrrrr....well...sleeping a bit...some Belgians do it all weekend...guess I am one of them....hey sussie,good to see you...don't you ever stay away that long again...and the furniture...hey girl, I am a single mother with three kids and two dogs...i mean...what precious furniture???? and my house really really is a dwarfshouse!! really!!! yep the trees are real...and it is my girl with the dogs in the picture....and I do know "man bijt hond" man bite dog....and I don't like it!!! so you are welcome to have it....

yes, yes....sleeping. :)
I have Man bites dog in German and in French, so I don't need yours. This movie has a moral depth like only a few other films. You must not only watch it, you must interpret it. I t would surely fill a whole book to interpret this movie, for it shows all social problems mankind has to face nowadays and has nothing to do with the story actually shown.
These trees are real? You truly have strange trees in Belgium. :) But they look cool. Will you hide the chocolate there, which we will have to find? :D
You surely have precious furniture and we should better remove them from the room before Susan piles up those boulders, she brought from Finland, and I show how to make water boil in 5 seconds by simple chemistry. :)

hello europe....hey we did not chnage the hour, so where is everyone???? Sascha if you read this, then can you please make a shout out ( shout out box)so more people will come and look here....it is getting very lonely here....anyway...good afternoon Europe and hope to see someone here soon....

Now I'm here after watching this disappointing Formula 1 race. So you're no longer alone here. :) I'm a bit in a hurry right now, but maybe I will make a shout out. I will also post a thread in the g2g forum.

great going Sascha!!! I knew I could count on you....well, since there is no one else huh...the weather is so bad here...you can't go out at all...so i am going to camp here next to PTO and see how you make that shout and that post....and I will not hide the chocolates from you...i will give you a secret map of where they are so you can find them...you deserve them!!

WOOHOO, a secret map for chocolates. I feel like a gold digger. Wheather is great here. 22 °C (72 °F) and sunshine. :D

hey!! i just saw your post....WOWIE!!!! nice going !! one chocolate for everyone who shows up...or is that one killo for everyone??? yeah thought so....thanks sascha!!

Don't promise too much chcocolate for everyone. That could be quite expensive. :D
Where are Susan and Phil today??

phil is...lets see...he should be working...and susan...lets see...making a hole in some ice I guess...and I am here...as always!!

Okay, you are responsible for a Leonidas and Belgian beer, I will bring some real Bavarian beer, not that tourist stuff, and Susan will build up a sauna and an ice hole in your garden, Phil will bring éclaires. That should be enough motivation for everyone to come. :D

well I'll say...if this is not motivational then I don't know what is...I can invite the King of Belgium and Jean Claude van Damme( muscles from Brussels) ...and...Kim Cleisters (world champion Tenis) ...and me...I am going to be here!!! and the dwarfs...oh yeah...Belgium is the place to be in September!!!

I hate Jean Claude, but the king would be okay with me. He has enough money, so he can bring lots of chocolate. :D Who is Kim Cleisters? Never heard of him before.

Finn princess is online. I hope she joins us here :)

oh Sascha...kim is girl...yep, long hair and all...and she is only the world champion tennis for women...Won from all the Americans...and all the rest...shame on you for now knowing...and I don't think jean Claude is a good actor, but hey...he is all ours, all belgian..so I will use him any time to promote my small country...I have not seen sussie yet, or Phil...so it is just you and me kiddo...( I can say this...I am 40 years old)

:D So Kim is a girl. okay, okay. I guess one could say I know nothing about tennis. Better use Leonidas, Atomium, Benoît Poelvoorde, Stella Artois, French Fries to promote your country. At least that's what would attract me. The best would be just to say that YOU live there. Then everybody will come. ;)

hey kiddo...who is Benoît Poelvoorde??? never heard of him??? yep well if you think that I am promoting material...hey what can I say; yes, I am only the best mother in the universe...and the best order manager in town and the worst cook ever and gardening is okay, but not always....I can however drive a forklift, do it at work every day..and I can wistle on two fingers...so yeah , you are right...He folks...I am here!! come and see Hilde!!!

Benoît Poelvoorde is the guy who wrote Man bites Dog and plays the killer. For me he is a genius and a perfect person to promte a country. Do you think we could egt the atomium to Kasterlee? I'd like to see it. Maybe Phil can get the Tour Eiffel too, so we can offer some world class sight-seeing. :D I can't wait to get into that dwarf forest. I'm pretty sure I like it.

okay kiddo...I take it all back...I don't know your man bites dog...we have a funny programm on television like evert day 10min. called 'man bijt hond' ...I thought you were talking about that...turns out you are talking about someting completely different...
"""""There is a lot of violence in this movie. Explicit, gratuitous and, on occasion, sexual. At the same time, there is a lot of, albeit very dark, humour. It is not for the squeamish or for the narrow minded and indeed, I could not really argue with anyone who found this film profoundly offensive. On the other hand, it does have something to say which can only be said in this way. """"" well guess this is not my kind of movie...reason for not knowing.....
I am sure you will like the dwarfsforest...all kidies do, so why not you? it is magical remember!!! and then I will take you to an old " begijnhof " sorry don't know the English word...it is old nons with strange clothes...they all seem like a 100 years old, and seem to live like 100 years ago still...well it is chatholic so we have them...and you can walk past there houses...and how about the card museum???you know playing cards are made in Turnhout, next to Kasterlee...oh yeah, they are all over the worls, and made right here in Belgium.

Stop calling me kiddo. :D Remember I do study chemistry, so I know how to build bombs. ;) Does that scare you??? But I also made my own aspirin, which I use myself.
Can you take that forklifter home from work? I always wanted to drive such a thingy. :)
Have you ever been to the card museum? Never heard of Belgian cards though. We have Europe's largest collection of sport cars here in Aschaffenburg. That's amazing. Maybe I can steal one of their cars to get to Belgium. ;)
You should watch Man bites Dog!!!! It's a real masterpiece.
In the forest I will hide under one of those roots and will scare Phil to death when he walks by. :D

right..Okay already...Mister kiddo...chemistry my ass...playing with dangerous things, and a bomb...oh dear, better never repeat that again...dangerous words!!and you make your own aspirine...why??, whats wrong with you that an 18 year old whiskey can't fix? and you know what, I don't scare easlily...I am sure you can scare Phil though...he was smaller then me( and too old to still grow taller), although he is brave...I am 5.11 see, almost 6 feet....so does that scare you????
yes i have been to the card museum, I take it you don't want to see the nuns, since you don't mention them? good thing you and me keep this thread alive...so...mister kiddo ( I am an old mother of three kiddo's) take care and just keep on thinking about things that will scare Phil....you seem to be good at that...make some aspirin to bring for him...he does drink a lot you see, he might need it.

Yes the raction to synthesize aspririn takes only 90 minutes. It's quite simple. It's only cool to say that I've my own aspirin. It's as good as the stuff you can buy, more concentrated though. The bomb thing is what I usually say when someone tries to upset me. I following the chemist's codex. That is never to make explosive or drugs.
So don't worry. But I can make my own colorful fireworks. ;)
Yes, you're too tall. I'm 1,76m tall, that's 2cm less than you. Doesn't scare me a bit though. How tall is Phil? Maybe I'm taller than him.
I didn't say I don't want to see the nuns. But I'm not religious and in my social year my boss was a nun, and she was a real pain in the a**.
Mister kiddo sound much better though. Let's stick to that. ;)

Wow, I missed out on the first g2g!! damn, Paris wasn't that far for me. But like some others, money is the big issue for me. Plus I have my babygirl... but if anyone happens to pass in Belgium, feel free to come and visit me, my door is always open!!

Soraya, you're already in the country so you just can't miss this! It's going to be GREAT! :yes: I even bring my pocket size sauna! Or we build one to Hilde's livingroom...:D There's still time to save money and your girl is more than welcome too!!:)

But maybe we all come behind your door LOL You kinda invited :D LOL

Susan

Hey, feel free to all drop in, if you get together here in Belgium.My appartement is small, but my heart is big ;)

Hi girls, hi kiddo :D

OK, that's the 3rd time I'm trying to answer this thread today, and my work computer sucks !!! :mad: So now I don't feel like typing the same stuff for the 3rd time. :argh

So, I hope everyone's OK, I was not online this week-end cause I worked.

See you later.
Phil

Ow, I must have misunderstood. So the meeting would be at Hilde's? Cool, then I can come!

ohh soraya...good!!! so glad to finally meet you then...and you can tell us all about your website ...hey, you have any other good ideas about who we can invite or what we can do??? Phil...Good to see you!!! I did miss you..and now we have to miss MISTER kiddo...for a while...he is gone for a few days...will be back soon..and then of course Sussie...hey girl...nice to see you!!!

Yeah, that's going to be fun. About others to invite...remember Mara from Holland? I'm still in contact with her, I can ask her if she's interested?

Oh yes Soraya, spread the word! How about our members from England? I remember seen some here...but can't remember who they were... if anyone knows them let's invite them as well!! I think "Gemini" was one...is she still around? No one seen her?

Sussie

Where are you Hilde?

hey sussie...so nice to see you ....we have to keep this europe thing alive you know...mister kiddo will be back soon and what will he think if we have no new ideas??? that we are lost without males here...??? can't have that you know...so put that thinking cap back on....and get out of that sauna...no really, do you have your own sauna??? do tell me about Finland...

Well...everybody has...own sauna :D What would you like to know? It's spring here already, we have so warm (about +10C) and sunny days, as I think you have too:)

It's great that this forum is "alive and kickin'" now :D Nice to get to know you fellow europeans...What kind of ideas are you talking about? What we are going to do when we meet or what? Hmm...you know best what you have there:) I agree to anything...almost:D Did mister kiddo have some ideas? I think he'll back tomorrow right?

Well, here's one member from England who thinks it's a great idea to get together, but who's just got back from Illinois and, as I'm there twice a year, maybe three times, I have to be very careful where else I go.

You tell me where and when and I'll see if I can make it. It's not the cost of travel etc, but the terrible expense of putting my dogs into kennels, it's just cost me more than my air fare to the States!!!

Rose

Hello Rose and happy to see you in this thread too!!:D

We have planned a GTG2 in Belgium...if you have time please read this thread from start...Hilde from Kasterlee Belgium has invited us to her place some time in September...no date decided yet and all suggestions are welcomed!!

Susan

[QUOTE=Hilde Bogaerts]hey sussie...so nice to see you ....we have to keep this europe thing alive you know...mister kiddo will be back soon and what will he think if we have no new ideas??? that we are lost without males here...??? can't have that you know...so put that thinking cap back on....and get out of that saunaQUOTE]

Hilde, you're so right. I'm extremely dissapointed now, for you had no ideas. :D Obviously you need a strong male hand to keep all this going. ;)

Glad to see some more people who want to join.
Okay, how about some brainstorming????

Sorry I didn't read the thread all through. I'd just got back from Illinois and thought I'd take a short cut. that's never a good idea!!

Belgium would be fine for me and September not too bad as I'll be going to see Tony at the end of October. I'll have to see if I can make it. It would be great. And I could take JD's Wifey some more Belgium chocolates back with me in October, I know how she loves those.


Rose

Rose, I do hope you will make it !!!! :) Your Queen was in France this week, you can be in Belgium in September !!!!

Side note for the kiddo: The Queen I mention is Elizabeth II, NOT me !!! :D :p

Phil

Side note for the kiddo: The Queen I mention is Elizabeth II, NOT me !!! :D :p

Phil

:D

Where are all the Europeans today???

right...hello Europe!!! Okay, sussie, you first...when did you stop reading this thread??? WE DO HAVE A DATE!!!! 17/18 and 19 september...you better get back to the first post and read it all again...then...Rose!!! YEAH!!!! hope you can come!!! the Eurostar goes from a few cities in england to Brussels every day...and Phil will be there with the train from France as well...it is the same station...from there it is one train to almost where I live and I will be there to pick all of you up at that station...eurostar is not that expensive, same as going to Paris really, if you order your ticket online intime. Right, mister Kiddo...wed had this BRILLIANT idea...we were going to wait for you and see what you had come up with...okay well, I have also been talking to Soraya behind the screens...thinking of getting some one who was in Prison in the US, over here to talk about that...or what about visiting prison in Belgium??? well, don't know if we can arrange any of those two, but hey...it is ideas, right?? and then Phil...do keep making these side notes for the kiddo, he needs them....so.....I don't think the easter clocks will come this year from Rome...the weather is so bad...might have to get my poor self to Leonidas and see whether those chocolate eggs came with the train or buss...

I see you had some brilliant ideas. I don't think it would be possible to visit a prison in Belgium. After all that would be a sight seeing tour and I don't think they would allow that. My brilliant me also had some excellent ideas. Those are ........ eerrrrrr ........ well .......... maybe we could ........ no ........ how about ....... I definitely love you all. ;)
And stop talking about Leonidas!!!

well I don't know about that prison mister kiddo...i mean...I do know some big shots in one prison...but will investigate...you might be right....but then you don't know me!!! how about if you lock yourself up starting from today till september...i am sure you would have some interresting things to say then huh?? I do know a man who worked in prison for many many years....he can come...If I can find him....
oh well...we will get there...
so...good to see you Sascha...and did you and your GF have a happy birthday so far???? I am thinking about the two of you...happy happy birthday to DANA!!!! I know she is far away, and this is not easy...but you have each other and as long as you both know and feel that...then the world and distance means not that much!Distance between two hearts is not an obstacle; rather a great reminder of just how strong true love can be." To truely love something, you must first give it a chance to fail. If it survives, it is going to be stronger than ever. Distance is pure proof of this, and forever we will love if we survive." smile kiddo!!! you will both make it!!!one day soon...

I don't know if Dana is having a happy birthday, but I hope so. Receiving cards from you all surely made her happy. I will know when I hear from her again.
If you can arrange something prison related in Belgium, try it. It would definitely be interesting.
Phil, one question. Do you have a tent that we could share? I'm not sure if I have a tent. I would have to start a long investigation through the house to find out.
Did anyone hear from someone from America who wants to join us?

Why do I seem to lose what I was posting??

Here goes again.

Phil - I told you to keep the Queen there I really don't want her - she's too much trouble and costs too much money.

Looks as if I can be there in September and I can get the Eurostar from London. The station isn't too far away. I did say I'd never go under all the water but, then I also said I'd never go to the USA!!! Needs must..........

Hilde - I have a Leonidas shop near me and, since I stopped smoking, I've become a regular visitor, which really has to stop as I can't afford anymore on the hips!!

Rose

hey Rose...I know what you mean about Leonidas...I think they opened that shop in town just to make sure my body would look like a chocolate egg soon...I am halfway...hey I took that train a few times, and it is only 20 min. under the sea..so not that big a deal....so good...you are coming!! great!!

Yes, I'm sure I'll be there, I will be going to Illinois at the end of October, beginning of November so there's no reason why I can't make the trip to meet everyone. Tony will be pleased as he's so glad of the support I get from PTO, and that given to him with all his problems recently.

Rose

Rose, I'm glad that you will join us.

Has anybody else had some new ideas?

hey there mister kiddo...no new ideas...and no americans here so far...it is rather quiet here...so whats your plans for the easter days?? ME??? staying home and eating chocolate....

I never seem to have any ideas, my brain goes dead after a certain time and I just have to have chocolate to help it out!!

I'm busy this holiday writing letters to all and sundry trying to get help for Tony and, ultimately, all the other ex-Row guys in Illinois, plus my little Whippet is walking on 3 legs at the moment so she has to go to the vet later today. What's the betting she'll walk in on all 4 legs!!!

Rose

my plans for the easter days........well, I will watch soccer later, then i will go to my role-playing group, and we're gonna play until 3 am. tomorrow i will go to see an old friend of mine. but no matter what do, i will always think of you .... and of leonidas ..... basically only of leonidas. ;) how's the weather in this land over there in the west?

hey Rose...sorry to hear about your dog...(it is a dog right?)and yep, I will be writing a lot as well...and chocolate of course...although it is 14.36 and I have been eating too much already...I might go see a movie with my girl, just to get away..I feel lonley more then ever, on days like thise...and Clinton has been trying to call me, but don't think he is very succesful...he has a new counselor and it all depends on her...so I sit and wait and write...
Hey kiddo...role playing...do tell me, is it just an excuse to drink??the weather you ask...do you nedd to ask??? This is Belgium...the weather is worse then in Seatle..rain and rain...and cold as well...not good for my mood...cheer me up please!!!

Poor Hilde..... only rain in Belgium. No rain here though. :D
No it's not an excuse to drink alcohol. Believe it or not, I don't drink much alcohol. Usually not more than 2 beers in one week. That's all. Then we will play at my place today and I will have to give some of my friends a ride home afterwards, so definitely not much alcohol for me today. Maybe one beer.

right mister kiddo...I believe you....and where is the cheering me up bit in your post????

Yes, the Whippet is a dog, and I'm sure she'll be OK. She's a bit of a drama queen and I expect a lot of it is just for show because they were in kennels!! Trying to make me feel guilty.

Oh Hilde, you are lucky to get calls. Tony's not able to ring overseas, even though I'd be paying for it. I'd just love to hear his voice sometimes and I, too, am feeling lonely right now but trying not to think too hard about it. That's when the chocolate comes in!!

We seem to be having the same weather. It's grey, cold and wet again in London, just the same as usual.

Rose

Rose

yeah...lucky...he has called me one time in all the years I have known him....and I payed for it ...but I would pay lots more if he could call me more...well you know what Rose...this may sound real strange, but the fact that I know you and know that you feel this way as well...is making me feel a bit better...I am really looking forward to seeing you soon!!! tell whippet my dogs bobo and snoepie say hello

...so you it doesn't cheer you up when I say that it isn't raining here???? I thought you would feel for me and that it would make you happy that I'm doing fine!!!
Okay.... cheering up ..... How about that: It won't rain tomorrow!! Or: You will win in the lottery!!! Then you could invite us all to a first class hotel. So we could sit at the swimming pool sipping some drinks. My cat, who isn't really my cat, says hello to all animals out there.

right;..you are doing fine...lets see...eeerrrr...naahhhh...does not make me feel any better...and it will rain tomorrow, so the weatherwoman just said...and I don't play lottery...so...my thought on this...you are bad at cheering up..Oh dear, so bad...No wonder your cat is not your cat...whats her name anyway?? my dogs don't like cats, but they will pretend to say hello....

grrrrrrrr.... i'm not good at cheering up. you're a hopeless case, that's all. ;)
The cat belongs to some family in my neighborhood. i call him trojan but i don't know his real name. usually he sleeps in my bed, and makes me open the door at about 6 in the morning for him to get out. i thought about taking him along to your place. then phil can bring his cat too. 2 cats and 2 dogs in the sauna with us. that will be fun :D
if the weather is still that bad in september, maybe susan can make a sweet ice hole in a lake for us.

oh now you really have me crying...i am a hopeless case???!!!!! hey I did se Phil's cat while I was at his place...jessi loved it, but me...naahh I stick with dogs...mind you, my dogs hopelesly hate cats....trojan...yeah, sounds like a name you would give to a pet...so all he really ever does is sleep with you..well you know what they say about sleeping with the cat...(or is that dog???) oh well...have to get back to my chocolate...you know, those nice white ones....Leonidas rulezzzzzzzz, well this weekend it does!!!

i like dogs better too, but unfortunately it's a cat that comes every day and not a dog. save some of these leonidas thingies for me. especially the white ones!!!!!! :D
no, you're not a hopeless case. maybe your daughters can cheer you up. what do they say about sleeping in one bed with an animal? no, i don't know what they say. now it looks as if it would start to rain here too. does at least that cheer you up? ;)

hey since you have been talking about this butter with salt, I have been looking out for it and yesterday I bought some, right here in Kasterlee...I mean, I never bought butter like that before in my life...so...I tried it today...it is salt???!!!! Now what is good about salted butter on your bread, or am I missing something here...I have to put it on something else then bread maybe???anyway...just so you know;..your butter is right here, as are the chocolates...no worries...
right..."he who sleeps with cats gets the flees", got it grashopper?? okay...so it will rain where you live ...Now that can make me feel good??..I just went out with my girl to this new coffee shop in town...we were so looking forward to a nice good cup of coffee and to see what this new place was about...it is called the letterhouse...so I am always into letters and writing and writing paper and coffee...so...we went out...all dressed up and walked to the town center to get there and see...it is closed at 18.00h...so...we just walked back home feeling frustrated...oh dear...someting has to go good today..if not I will just drive to you and come play that role thingie whatever that is....never mind, I will drink beer for the both of us...

no luck today. poor hilde.
the butter tastes best when you spread it on toast, no matter if toasted or not, and then put some marmalade on it. apricot and strawberry taste best.
never heard about this cat saying before. those people in belgium are so intelligent.... :D i just went out and smelt the air. the sky is gray, but it doesn't smell like rain.
i gonna pick up my role-playing group in 20 minutes, so if you're quick, you can join us. :) you can choose whatever character you would like to play. susi will lead the group today, and she would prefer a character with magic abilities though. :D

what about susan, have you already seen her today?

Update: Now it's raining here too :(

a character with magic abilities...My oh my...well a friend of mine asked me how I would feel to leave my body and visit him at night....I don't think so...but maybe susi can do that, now that would be magic, right? I don't know whether you could actually do this and cross the ocean as well...i mean, if so then I would be willing to try...oh dear...see feeling down makes me think of all kind of crazy things...hey, you have fun at your role playing night...who ever you play...you must tell me one time just what it is you people do...yo have got me thinking about that now....
right...will try the butter that way in the morning...and sussie...well, she is gone fishing I think...have not seen her all day...good thing Rose was here!! and you of course grashopper...so...go and play and enjoy!!! see ya later or tomorrow!! and as the pope would and will say...urbi at orbi...tomorrow, or something like that......

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]HAPPY EASTER.....VROLIJK PASEN...to all the Europeans here.......enjoy [COLOR=Sienna]the chocolates.....
:wave: :dance: :wave:
right lets see how this workes...I like playing with all these things.....

Thanks Hilde, you have a great Easter too!!:)

I've been just busy, have had gests and so an. Lot of trolls around, how it's there? :D

Hyvää pääsiäistä!!

Where are you both? Hildeeeee! Sascha!!!!

Sussie

HAPPY EASTER Europe
Yes we had a lot of fun yesterday. There is a spell called Transversalis. You must cross your arms in front of your chest and say the words. This will teleport you to a place of your choice in a maximum distance of 10 miles, with 1 mile being one kilometer. If you can find islands that are 10 miles away from each other, you could do the way all across the Atlantic, if you have enough astral energy. ;) To please Susi who is not very experience in leading the group, I played a white magician yesterday.

Have you tried the butter?

Happy Easter Everyone.

I've got an impossible situation here today. My Whippet, Whisper, has a torn ligament and the vet says no exercise for a week. How do you keep a hound (she's like a miniature Greyhound) from exercising especially when you have another, very young hound in the house? The other one, Saoirse (pronounced Sorsha) is part Saluki and needs to go out everyday, she has so much energy. Poor Whisper will have to be left at home and she's not going to like that as she loves to run in the fields every day!! I've not been out today but did play football with Saoirse in the garden so that gave her a good run around.

It's not raining here (yet) today and I've been able to re-pot some of my Bonsai trees. I have to do that before the leaves come out so I'll be busy if it keeps fine for a few days.

Hope everyone is having a good day.

Rose

hey all of you...I am here...well I was all the time...what have I been doing on this glorius Easter sunday...well, I am sure you can guess...YES!!!! I feel asleep...never mind, I am awake now...woke up an had some bread with salted butter...well, that sure got me awake...I have tried it on bread, rolls, toast, chips,meat,anything I could find in the house...and what is the verdict...?.....""he who puts and eats salt in butter will never have wisdom" right grashopper??.... My astral energy is kinda low now a days...don't think I can make it all the way over this ocean....well not today anyway...
Right, Rose, how many of those trees do you have??? poor dog whippet whisper...now I do feel bad for him...and with reading about him I have decided to go for a walk with my two dogs...so, I will be back soon...and I am awake yes, so I will be looking in here to see who is awake out there with me....Sussie...I am here now, will take the night shift, seeing I don't have guests...so I will make toast with salted butter for all of you...and I will eat some of it now and then, wondering what the hell I am doing...Easter and too much chocolate made me go crazy...and when I went to my coffee shop,the stupid thing was closed again, so I have taken the 18 year old whiskey instead....

Everybody should eat this salted butter. it tastes amazing, and i'm already looking forward to buying it when i'm in belgium. what will we make to eat at the g2g? something like a bbq? also save some of that whiskey for me. i like whiskey very much if it's a good one. i'm quite picky when it comes to whiskey :)

Salted butter is the most common over here, we can get unsalted but it's not considered very 'English'. And another whisky lover. I think you'd approve of the bottles I have in the cupboard. Both single malt, I don't like blends, one is 12 years old the other 10, and they taste very, very good.

I've got 21 trees in single pots plus a group of 3 and another of 5, they look like small forests when they're all in leaf.

Rose

A single malt is a good choice. I drink only single malt whiskys. my favourite is McCallan either 12 or 18 years old. Some time ago, I had a whisky that was called Lochdu I think, and it tasted great too. So you could say these are my favourites.

The first time I ate salted butter was when I was in London in 1998. I doesn't taste good when eaten with cheese or German dark breads, but it's great with all sorts of white bread. Unfortunately I can't buy it here.

I'll have to bring some over in September, butter and whisky. I agree with the butter, I usually buy unsalted myself but a nice crusty white loaf needs the salty type.

Rose

hey you with your butter...yada yada yada....lets talk whiskey, YEAH!!!!!! I remember when I was at Phil's place he loved drinking...can't remember what though...oh well...say Rose, how about a picture of your trees? Do you have a digital camera? Sure would like to see them, and poor whisper...hows he doing? I just came back from my walk with my two...foot, sit, foot, sit, good boy, foot sit...and on and on and on....but one is a Jack Russel and boy, he is bad at walking...when we leave the house this small creature will bark and yell and scream so loud that the neighboors keep thinking we hit the poor thing half to death every day...it is really bad...think I have to feed him salted butter...maybe that might help? so..i am back and my whisky...yeah, half empty, or is that half full??? well...the night is still young!

Whisper's a girl, but she won't mind the mix-up. She's not too bad but then she's lazy ans sleeping a lot at the moment. I'll have to see how she is in the morning before I decide if she can go for a short walk or not.

Little dogs are always the worst when it comes to barking. Whisper is quite a bit bigger than a Jack Russell and she rarely barks. The other one, Saoirse is very vocal but not barking. She just seems to want to 'talk' a lot and it's worse when she's excited.

I don't have a digital camera, I'm afraid and even if I did I'm not sure I'd know how to get photos onto the site. I'm not very good when it comes to anything other than switch on and type!!

Rose

What do you want to know about whiskey? What is your favorite whiskey? Look at www.themacallan.com :)
To repeat my question. Will we do some sort of bbq?

chivas regal....Color - Golden Amber. Aroma - Irresistible aromas of orchard fruits and honey. Taste - Fullest, fruity rich taste of apples and a hint of honey. Finish - The smoothest and most generous taste sensation. yep...had this one time a while ago...so good...the one I have now...naahhhh the cheap one, ran out of money you know, too much chocolate...
BBQ....well well...i am sure we can do that...but!!!! BUT....1: I don't have one of those things...2: even though I work at a slautherhouse, I don't eat that much meat....3:you can have butter, morning noon and night....okay...will see what I can do...

Well, the ones have is The Glenlivet, which has to be one of the best Scotch Whisky's there is. The other is The Balvenie and that is an unopened bottle, a gift, so I can't tell you what that's like. Perhaps I'll bring that one with me in September. Another really good one, but hard to get hold of, is Glenfiddich but it must be the 12 years old one, it's like nectar. Do you think I've drunk a lot of Scotch in my time????

A couple of bricks and a metal plate are all you need for a bbq, that's what I used for ages, no need for expensive gadgets, and the food tastes wonderful if you can use a good wood instead of the charcoal. I learned that when I lived in Australia.

Rose

I agree with you, Rose. A couple of bricks and a metal plate is all we need.
Hilde, do you get meat at special employee rates at your work place? That could be very interesting since meat is pretty expensive.

okay europe...i am going to sleep...yes again...I know...whisky is empty now...and so am I....good talk about whisky with all of you though...Rose, I am sure you can still tell me a thing or two...I can tell, you are good at this.....and BBQ....okay, I am sure we can do it that way....so...GOODNIGHT EUROPE....and glad easter is over....

Good morning Europe,

Rose, how about a little whisky seminar when we meet :) You surely can tell us all a lot.

GOOD MORNING EUROPEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow, I feel like Robin Williams in good morning vietnam....so did you all hear me shout like him just now??? well that is because I am awake...why??? well, okay, because I had to bring son numbero 2 to work, yes, but....BUT.......also because the sun is shining!!!! spring made it to Belgium!!! and today it is wonderfull outside...So, yep, I feel happy...No mail though, but I will get a lot this week, I can feel it!! so...since I don't have to work today, I think I will write some letters and stay with all of you..
Mister Kiddo...yep, get a discount, but only on veil...thats all we kill where I work...now we don't want to eat too much of the small baby cows do we??? right...

Why not? If we don't eat them someone else will eat them. You kill animals but you don't eat them???? Strange customs. I don't mind eating veal, but usually it's too expensive for me. Maybe we can have Phil hunt some frogs for us. :D
Yes you will surely get tons of mail this week. How many children do you have?

I have 9 children......nahhhhhhh...just wanted to scare you a bit...I have 3...Son Tobias 18 and half, son Samuel 16 and half,girl Jessica, almost 13...mind you the halfs are very important....
right, so...we will eat veal, and frogs...and what do you think sussie can find in the ice hole...FISH!! yep, I love fish....and Rose has to start growing herbs now, leave the trees alone now and get to it girl....yep, international BBQ...and mister kiddo, what will you bring??? worst???......or the cat?

Well I could bring some bratwurst. the real ones, not this tourist or export stuff that doesn't taste good at all. Is there a place where we could make a little fire for the bbq in your garden? Just in case the lake isn't covered with ice in September, maybe Susan can even catch some fish in the lake without an ice hole. ;)
The halves are very important at the ages of your kids. I see. :)
What beer do you ususally drink?

okay as I see it and have read it...you my dear mister kiddo, live in a country that has...Lots of bad things you give to the tourists and lots of good thing you keep all to yourselfs...okay, the thing is see;..you normally are happy when tourists come, they are your guests, and you give them the best of everything...but I guess your country(or you) is just not like that.....you keep the best beer and wurst...now tell me, what else you keep to yourselfs?? Yep, my garden is big enough for a BBQ....and the beer I drink...lets see, I won't tell you...seeing maybe I like to keep the good things for us Belgians for a change...I had a great teacher....

hey, we do not keep anything from anyone, but we know where to get the good stuff, tourists do not. i tried over 200 sorts of beer and i know which of them tastes good, so i can make a good choice where tourists would have to be drunken for days first to tell. dana sent me an ad of st. pauli beer and asked me if we drink that in germany. i never heard of it before and it's only for export. the ad showed a girl in a dirndl (worn in south germany), but st. pauli is part of the city hamburg (which is in the north). doesn't fit at all. then she had a dark beer in one of these giant mugs she held in hand. dark beer never comes in these mugs! i later found out that st. pauli girl isn't even brewed in hamburg but in bremen.
but be sure that you will get only the best from me. if you ever plan to visit germany, i will give you helpful tips when it comes to food :)

okay I take it all back!!!! if I ever visit I will trust you!! I love strange foor and drinks...will try anything at least one time!! so...i am going to eat some more salted butter now...you know, I think I could get used to this stuff...
have you seen Rose and Sussie and Phil??? hope whisper is okay...and sussie did not fall into that hole and Phil is not still out frog hunting...

maybe one day susan and phil can go frog hunting/ice hole diving at the same lake. :D Wouldn't that be great? then you can come with your fork lifter and transport phil's frogs. meanwhile i will watch you all while writing a book about bratwurst, and rose will take her dogs for a walk around the lake.
no, I have seen none of them today.

just turn westwards and shout at the top of your lungs. maybe rose will hear you. i will try the same with susan. ;)

i've done the shouting....now it's the waiting...and god i am so bad at waiting....who ever invented all those sayings and proverbs about patience probebly never had to wait for anything...so...making coffee now...see ya mister kiddo

you'll see the shout will work.
so you will make coffee. save some for me and a bit of milk please. i will meet with some friends at 4 pm. we're gonna play some sort of role-playing game outside.
i will attach a picture that you know where i go mommy. ;)

mister kiddo..sweetie...you are not the one who has to jump in the water to get some fish...thats sussie's job...you just stay out of that water okay...unless you are in the castle...then, okay, play whatever role you like... hey.see ya later...

I've been busy with my trees today as it's been nice outside. And I already have loads of herbs growing, so I'm ahead of you there. The only problem is I don't eat fish and very, very little meat. Veal is definitely out because of the way the calves are kept to make the meat tender and white, sorry, won't get on the soapbox about that, but I do get out on the streets to demonstrate against live exports!!

A whisky seminar sounds very good to me. I'll have to see how much I'm allowed to bring over, as long as I've paid duty on it I can't see a problem. The best whisky is, of course, in Scotland, and they're very reluctant to let it out of the country. I was once told I couldn't buy a Glenlivet there as I 'wouldn't be able to appreciate it.'

Rose

oh yes, weather was just perfect, here as well...I did not work in the garden though, nope, did lots of cleaning..but thats over for a while again...and te boys are gone, so...it can stay clean for at least a day....yep get what you mean about the veal...My son worked a vacation job at my work 3 years ago...he became a vegetarian that month and still is...just because of the veal and how they slaughter them...It is bad, I know....
so...now I will go for that walk with my two doggies and teach them to sit at foot again...oh dear...will they ever learn?? this bobo better not be making that loud screaming noise again...I tell ya, if he does, he can just stay home tomorrow...

Hi everyone...
first of all can you tell me what that European G2G is???
it sound importent...so I would like to find out more about it.I´m pretty new in all that

hey barbara...Hey sure it is important!!! well....kinda...it is the second EUROPE PTO GET TOGETHER.....you know, like the one they do in the USA.....well we have one here ...we know where it is...but not much of what we will do...but stick around and you will know soon enough...Hope you can come!!!

Hi Hilde,
thanks for the information...do I understand that right that is a get together with people out of PTO ??? what is then going to happen??? forgive if my Question is stupid...I just try to understand and of course i would like to come too.I just need to know ahead of time because i have to take leave from work.

okay...it is all written some where in the thread...but the info in short is this...yep, it is all PTO people on Europe...who are active here at PTO....and it is in september...17/18 and 19 september...and it is in Belgium...well, in my garden actually..if you can bring your tent (if you have one) or we can look for another solution...we will talk about PTO and what it means to be a person that cares about some one in prison...we will do some sight seeing and just being together with people in the same situation...we are still looking for bright ideas...maybe you will have some?? if you have the time, then try to read the whole thread and it will all be clear to you....hey...so glad to see you here in the Europe thread...and yep!!! I hope I will see you in Belgium in september!!!!any questions, just ask...we are glad to see you already!!!

hello granny hilde, kiddo's back
don't worry, i didn't jump into the water, don't want to take susan's place ;). haven't been in the castle either. but i had a good beer. :D

Rose, I guess we can find plenty of food for you. No one is forced to eat meat or fish. :)

okay...it is all written some where in the thread...but the info in short is this...yep, it is all PTO people on Europe...who are active here at PTO....and it is in september...17/18 and 19 september...and it is in Belgium...well, in my garden actually..if you can bring your tent (if you have one) or we can look for another solution...we will talk about PTO and what it means to be a person that cares about some one in prison...we will do some sight seeing and just being together with people in the same situation...we are still looking for bright ideas...maybe you will have some?? if you have the time, then try to read the whole thread and it will all be clear to you....hey...so glad to see you here in the Europe thread...and yep!!! I hope I will see you in Belgium in september!!!!any questions, just ask...we are glad to see you already!!!
Hi Hilde,
I will be there too, unless I´m in the States visiting my Son :) .But I try to do it the way so I can come.....
And I will read up on it....
Have a good one

hey barbara, i will go to hilde by car. maybe i will also pick up susan at frankfurt airport. i think there's still some space left in my car, so i could take you along too, if you like. there will definitely be enough space for 3 persons.

hi kiddo...made it back from the river and the castle I see....so what did you play this time...let me guess...eeerrrrr.....you were....a tree???? Am I right???
so what car do you have? in case more from that side of the world want to come??well I just got back from the doctor with son number 2...he needs to have his nose broken en adjusted again and his tonsels( I think ) taken out on friday...oh dear!!!! BOYS!!!!

I have an Audi 80, so the car is quite big, but I don't want to take more than 2 passengers along, if possible. There will be lots of stuff in my trunk (2 crates of beer, maybe one of these bbq thingies from the part where i come from). this plus the luggage of 2 persons and all the stuff i will bring along additionally will take most of the space.
No I was not a tree. There's a druid spell that the druid can become a tree, but I was no druid. ;)
good luck to your kids.

What else do you do in Belgium as party games? What is the weather like in september?

the weather...well, Belgian weather is always tricky...always bring an umbrella...it can change from day to day...and you never know what it's going to be like...there's no way of knowing what the weather will be like in september...
party games..now thats something I don't know anything about....how do you mean what else do you do in Belgium as party games???I never talked about games....oh well, just have to make you head of the party games.....

Hi you all!
There are so many posts now, that I cannot read them all, I got stuck somewhere at the programme-discussion. I myself worked in a prison for refugees for a year (Sacha: in a "Abschiebehaft"), and through that went inside some other prisons as well here in NL.
So there are some things I can compare with the situation in USA.
Bye for now!
Abelle

i will take my large umbrella along to belgium :)

granny, i guess we're not gonna talk about prison all the time, so what would you say could we do the rest of the time. just a little brainstorming

you know what kiddo, I kinda like granny...since I am older, wiser, more smart, briliant...ahhh you know...just better
so....what will we do....well we have miniature golf accros the door...and how about a canoo trip??? or....well, don't you worry...Kasterlee is the place to be for tourists, so...lots of things to do...

do you have a snooker table anywhere? then i would only need to find someone to play with me. or any other sort of game where balls are chased over a table with a cue stick? maybe you could make a theatre play with your kids, that you perform for us. :D

Abelle,
sounds interesting. tell us more about that if you like. yes the thread is a bit too long to read it :)

hey barbara, i will go to hilde by car. maybe i will also pick up susan at frankfurt airport. i think there's still some space left in my car, so i could take you along too, if you like. there will definitely be enough space for 3 persons.
Hi Sascha,
sound good to me ...do you know the way .....:p ..or do I have to play the navigator....

right;..theatre with my kids....I don't think so...and neither do they....the snooker is easy enough to find, and I am sure is right here in Kasterlee...Phil might know how to play that game???maybe Rose or sussie or babbara or Abelle....? you never know....and Barbara..good thing you can navigate...the kiddo might need that afterall...you see Kiddo, driving is not a game where cars are chased over the streets with your gearstick...., so not to be confused by snookergame.....

That´s good Hilde I din´t want to say that...smile.....well Sascha now you hear it,but I´m over Paris.... London .....Sweden...we will make it to Belgium.
Hilde watch out we coming !!!!

I hope you have a big Backyard ...for the tends

I certainl don't know how rto play snooler, I find it too boring, it's like watching paint dry!!

I've been looking through the thread to see if anyone mentions some place to stay that isn't a tent. I'm getting too old for that and I need my comforts. Hilde, is there a hotel of something nearby?

Rose

Sorry, a lot of mistakes in that answer, I'm afraid I'm tired!!

Rose

rose sweetie...you and Barbara are of course most welcome to sleep in a bed...yep, I have a double bed, and since Phil will sleep in a tent with Sascha, you two can share that...hey, I feel we are going to be very good friends!!!
Barbara, how old is your son? not to ask you how old you are, huh.....and Rose I totally agree with you on the snooker...hahahahaha paint dry...thats a good one!!!

Hi Rose...we just take lots off blankets.....and anyway its going to be fun ....I can´t wait to meet you all

ooooppppppssss forgot to ask ....what is snookers

You're all too funny. Snooker is like watching paint dry. :D It's amazing!!!!!!
I'm a very good navigator! Belgium is that island next to Cyprus, right? So I will take the route via Tokio, that's a shortcut. ;)

I'll explain what snooker is in German now, since it's quite difficult for me in English.

Also, großer Billardtisch, 15 rote und 7 andersfarbige Kugeln. Die roten werden unten im Dreieck aufgesetzt, die anderen kommen auf bestimmte Punkte auf dem Tisch. Rote Kugeln zählen einen Punkt, die anderen von gelb bis schwarz 2 bis 7 Punkte. Man muss immer zuerst eine Rote anspielen, wenn man die versenkt hat, darf man eine Farbige auswählen. Farbige die versenkt werden, werden aus der Tasche genommen und auf ihren Platz zurück gelegt. Man muss immer abwechselnd rot, farbig spielen. Sind keine roten mehr da, werden die Farbigen in ihrer Reihenfolge gespielt. Es gewinnt wer am meisten Punkte hat. Das waren jetzt die Kurzregeln. Ist wesentlich schwerer als normales Billard, weil der Tisch größer ist, die Taschen kleiner und die Kugeln kleiner.
Hast du das noch nie auf Eurosport gesehen??? Musst du mal schauen. Ist superspannend wenn man auf Taktik steht. :)

It seems as if Kasterlee turns out to be the tourist central of Belgium. You seem to have everything over there. I told a friend of mine who moved to Holland near Utrecht that we will meet in Kasterlee, and he said: that's near Antwerpen, right? Even he knows where it is. So I expect it to be a prospering tourist town with nightlife action and eveything.

I'll have to explore on the Internet or just go to my favourite travel agent and find somewhwere to stay. It looks as if that shouldn't be too difficult so, nearer the date that's what I'll do. Then I can make my way over by Eurostar. That will be quicker than going by air, because of all the extra security you have to be at the airports so early.

Rose

I've done it again, not read the previous posts. Hilde, thanks for the offer of a bed, that will be great. I'll, learn one day to go back a page then I won't be posting the wrong thing!!

You're all too funny. Snooker is like watching paint dry. :D It's amazing!!!!!!
I'm a very good navigator! Belgium is that island next to Cyprus, right? So I will take the route via Tokio, that's a shortcut. ;)

I'll explain what snooker is in German now, since it's quite difficult for me in English.

Also, großer Billardtisch, 15 rote und 7 andersfarbige Kugeln. Die roten werden unten im Dreieck aufgesetzt, die anderen kommen auf bestimmte Punkte auf dem Tisch. Rote Kugeln zählen einen Punkt, die anderen von gelb bis schwarz 2 bis 7 Punkte. Man muss immer zuerst eine Rote anspielen, wenn man die versenkt hat, darf man eine Farbige auswählen. Farbige die versenkt werden, werden aus der Tasche genommen und auf ihren Platz zurück gelegt. Man muss immer abwechselnd rot, farbig spielen. Sind keine roten mehr da, werden die Farbigen in ihrer Reihenfolge gespielt. Es gewinnt wer am meisten Punkte hat. Das waren jetzt die Kurzregeln. Ist wesentlich schwerer als normales Billard, weil der Tisch größer ist, die Taschen kleiner und die Kugeln kleiner.
Hast du das noch nie auf Eurosport gesehen??? Musst du mal schauen. Ist superspannend wenn man auf Taktik steht. :)


No I´ve never seen it Sascha,all i watch Bikerasing...and the trip over Tokio sound good ....and I make sure to check Snookers out so I can beat you :p

Well Hilde my Son is 23 , and I´m going to be a Young Grandma in June from my other Son .....But the Kid got to call me Auntie ,,,,no kidding I´ll be 44 in may....
and thanks for offering to sleep in the bed

By the way, I haven't seen Susan or Phil for a while. Did anybody hear from them?

well i don´t know Susan yet ...but Phil ...i haven´t seen him since last week

Has everybody already gone to bed???? Where is this heated discussion we're used to have around that time?

oh mister kiddo...see, it is all mature women here now and you my dear are the only man...heated discussion...i'll say...what ever are you talking about??? but we love you just the same kiddo...can't wait to see you and find out whether you are really so good at playing a tree and a wise man....a druid was it?
yes Phil is gone...will be back soon...has been a bit slow lately...and sussan...she is so busy that girl with work and school....ah well....they will be back soon...and then they have to read many pages to get where we are now...
well barbara..grandma...so we have to tell Sasha, he will love calling you granny...by the way, i am 40, will be 41 this year.....and I love my bed as well...if my garden is to small, I have friends in the neighborhood with more gardens......and Kiddo, yep...this is the place to be Kasterlee!!!! nightlife, daylife..we have it all....
right, going to sleep now...feeling a bit sick...hope to feel better in the morning!! Goodnight Europe!!

Hey Europe !!!!

Gosh you all speak a lot !!! :D Well, I'm happy to see that Rose Barbara and Abelle will join our G2G :)

I was not on line those last days, and won't be much those next days, cause my roomy and I are repainting our apartment !!! So my place is now a real mess (we're not professional) and my computer is unplugged. When I'm at work, I'm toooooooo much tired to stay long online !!!

Anyway, I'm still planning to come to Belgium in September. What's the nearest airport Kiev or Vladivostock ??? :D :p

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Phil

Hey Phil!!! I knew you would be back soon...glad to see you...Wow, painting...Okay, it is a bit like playing snooker so I heard; well to watch it dry anyway, ask mister Kiddo, he knows all about it....say Phil, I thought for work you were a night receptionist in a hotel...do tell me, if you are too tired to stay online too long, then it is not that you fall asleep is it??? I mean, you are supposed to stay awake, right?
never mind...you will be okay soon and whats the colour you are painting in??? I am sure you miss your computer....but we will still be here when you get back....

Good morning Europe,
I'm so tired..... why does this Frenchie paint his appartment now. I guess it's just that you can make the snooker - paint - joke. That's the only reason he does it. :D
No, Phil don't take the route via Kiev, it's too bumpy there. Go Dheli - Tokiyo - Kasterlee in stead. It should be a bit longer than Kiev, but the road is better.

hey mister Kiddo...you know...I did like my joke about the paint...i did, you might be right , thats the only reason he is painting....
so why are you so tired??? played too many roles last night??? well, I am headed for my doctors appointment...my own doctor is on holliday...any time I feel sick, she has to be out of the country...and that leaves me with a doctor I don't know...I hate things like that...don't know why this always happens to me....you know what, I think i am tired as well....see ya in a while

I wish you good luck at the doctor's. Well, I watched 2 movies last night, and it got pretty late. I guess that's why I'm tired. :)

Thought I'd just say good morning before I get out in the sun. Yes, we have sun today in London!!!

It looks as if I'm going to be the oldest one in September at the ripe old age of 58 (or I will be in a few weeks) but I'm still very young in my mind. I just don't recognise that old lady when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror!!!

Rose

Good morning Rose. Wow, it's sunny in London. When I've been to London, I was cloudy the whole week long. :)

did you really meant to say that YOU were cloudy all week Sascha? Well, goodmorning, well noon...to you and Rose...hey whats age anyway? so...the doctor...I think I need to come lok at those trees of your Rose and learn how to relax and take it easy...all i have is stress...I mean, here I am feeling all sick and misserable, and it is just stress...weel, I am glad it is that, but, I mean...ME?? Stress...where did that come from and how did it attack me this way?? on top of that, I am studying to be a psycholigist...think I better put it all on hold for a while...I can't even take care of myself....oh well....

Where is the edit button???? :smash: :smash:
Of course I meant it was cloudy, didn't use any drugs, so I wasn't cloudy. :)
The doctor told you, you were stressed? To me that sounds as if he didn't find anything and told you it was stress so that you have an answer. So lay down, put your feet up and sleep. Then you will feel better. :sleepy:
What will happen when we all meet at your house. That will be stress. Sure you can take all that stress at your age?? ;)

Rose, how's Whisper doing? I hope she's doing better now.

well, the doctor is a she, and although it was not my own doctor, I do think she knew what she was talking about...but, I did not like the answer...o well, my age is no problem kiddo...so no worries...i have all these vitamins now, I am sure I will be okay in no time...so, I think I will go to sleep now, thanks Kiddo....you do know how to make me feel all better...not

Of course you will be okay in no time. Your kids will be very nice to you and take over the household chores, so that you can relax. Have you already been to that new coffee house which is always closed when you want to go there?

my kids will take over???...really?, no one told me yet, or them...Son number one is at university , son numebr two needs surgery friday and daughter is at the most famous amusementpark in the area...of course, it is in Kasterlee...so...no kids in sight....the coffee house, well I was going this afternoon, guess I will wait a while now, to make sure they are open when I come....but I did get coffee at the market already, Costa Rica...hmmmmmmm...very good....so no starbucks needed, just yet.

Don't wait too long, or they will be closed again. :)
You never need Starbucks. There's much better coffee around. :) I surely want to see this coffee house when I come to Belgium. Tell them not to go out of business until I come.

To come a bit further with the planning:
Okay, let's see what we have:
Who will come: Hilde, Phil, Susan, Rose, me
Who will maybe come: Barbara, Susanne, Soraya, did I forget anyone?
We have a place to sleep.
To eat, we can get veal at employees dicount prices. Rose will bring whiskey, I will bring beer. What else can we eat and drink?
Hilde has told about the cultural and sight seeing opportunities.
What else do we need?? Ideas anyone?

ohhhh don't forget the coffee shop...(unlike the Dutch ones, you can not get drugs in this one, only coffee and thee and writing stuff(i think) well, good thing you have everything all figured out this far...very good of you Sascha...;keep up the good work...

No drugs in Belgian coffee shops??????? How shall I survive this weekend without drugs????? :D No, honestly, I don't use drugs. Then we will need a computer network, so that we can all log onto PTO at the same time. :)

I'll bring some finnish delicatesses;) LMAO :D I know most of our food looks like gros but tastes better;) And salmiakki...Sascha you are studying chemistry right? You can make your own salmiakki then! It's said in dictionary: "Salmiakki is choloride of ammonia, which crystallizes in the cubic system. It's used in chemical analysis, in medicine, in dry batteries as a soldering flux and also in textile painting." And we all eat it in September!:D

Okay, then it's NH4Cl, it's a white powder, that looks colorless in crystals. You should better not heat it up, because the gases are harmful to the skin. Industry produces megatons of it in side-reactions, but has no use for it in these amounts. You don't want to tell me that you eat this stuff????? Bring it along anyway, I'd like to try it. If it's good, I can get kilos of it from the lab. :D

LMAO :D IT's very good! Here's a picture of that stuff...whole page is in german, just scroll down ;)

http://www.citroenchen.de/2002/3/11_Finland.htm

Susan

Okay, now I have a faint idea what salmiakki is. I commend to everybody who speaks German to read this page, because I found it to be extremely funny. How many bags of this stuff do you plan to bring along? You will get a whole corner in my trunk if needed. ;)

Gooooooood Evening...finally at Home
Well sascha are you FIT ??? I´ve seen Phil was here ....the busy Frenchie..
Hi susan...how are you???
And the trip over Tokio to Belgium is looking good,I checked at Work today about leave...so like I said unless my Son got transferd that Time I be there...if Sascha take me ....smile

You live 25 minutes away from me, so I can surely pick you up. No problem.
I'm not fit at all. Maybe it will become better the next hours.

grinssss.......since i´m here with PTO ..not one Night I get to Bed befor 1 PM.
So ask me what I look like in the Morning when I get to my Office

I will have to drive down to Mannheim later that evening and stay there until Friday. So I won't be here that long today.

Aha Mannheim...drive safe....and leave the joystick at Home...smile

Sacha! You left me out!
I am coming with my blue tent! And no, I am not going to bring any coffeeshop drugs ;-)
Abelle

Oh sorry, didn't mean to leave you out. I will probably be in Holland some time before or after the meeting, so if I really wanted to have drugs, I could get them there. ;)
Glad to have you with us.

Another question came to my mind. Who of you does smoke? I hate to be the only smoker, so hopefully there's also someone else. :)

hey Kiddo, you leaving again? never mind, we will keep this thing going...drive savely and forget about coffeeshops....I do not smoke unless i am on fire, sorry...

hey Sascha and Sussie, I read the finland part...yes I can read german...and you know, you can get this salmiak in the Netherlands...oh yeah...they have lots of it...all different kinds...it is horrible...I always thought they invented it!

Sascha, I gave up smoking last September but Irally don't mind if others smoke around me. I'm not one of those reformed smokers who'll give others a hard time.

I wish I could pluck up the courage to drive over there because I'd love to do that but, as when I'm in the States, I'm afraid of driving on the wqrong side of the road!!

Rose

Hilde, as soon as all the customers are back, I put the lights off, and crashed on one of the couch of the hotel lobby !!! When I say I'm tired, I really am. I'm not used to heavy physical work !! :D

I started to read this thing about those Finnish "delicatessen", then I gave up, even my brain is tired. I will taste them come September :)

Sascha, I quit smoking last October, but started again in January !!! :mad: So, for the moment, you're not alone, unless I quit again !! What about my chaocolate/marzipan candy bars ??? Did you find them ??? You better !!! :D

Phil

Sascha!!! I DO SMOKE!! :yes: occasionally nowadays but anyway! So if there is any beer there will be cigarette in Sussie's mouth! LMAO :D Maybe you should hide all beer from me, I usually get little "wild" *burst out laughing* And Phil is a smoker too! I have lot of male company then ;)

Sussie

Hilde,
I have heard you have all great stuff there in Belgium! My cousin plays football there and he is great! In Gent or Genk... I believe in Genk. And salmiakki...it's so good!! But it has to be finnish, others are copies :D I'll bring you some great finnish liquorice too:yes: you have a queue to the bathroom after eating that stuff ;) LMAO :D

Where is everybody?

Susan

Hi Susan, and I have to say I have a passion for liquorice. The best I've tasted so far is one I found when I was living in Australia. I can now get it in England so I'll also bring some of that.

Sorry I've not been around much today but I'm feeling a bit down as it should be my wedding anniversary, but we're still waiting for Illinois to allow marriages again.

Rose

Hello Rose,

sorry to hear you have such a "bad" day. :( I hope you can get married soon:)

I love liquorice:yes: and they have it in Australia too! That's great to hear! Everybody should have liquorice!!

I think our fellow europeans are showing up a bit later and to me it's already 20.30...for you a few hours less if I guess right. Are you in England or..? Nice to meet you anyway, I don't think we have spoken before? :)

Susan

Yes, I'm in England and it's now 18.37 so a couple of hours ahead of you.

I'm looking forward to putting faces to names when we all meet.

Well, I suppose I'd better get some food rady and definitely feed the dogs. Talk later.

Rose

Thaty should have been a couple of hours behind you, but I'm sure you know what I meant.

Rose

LOL Yes, I knew what you meant. We can chat later, maybe we even have company then! Say hello to your dogs! I love dogs! Well, maybe I'm little more a catperson but anyway:)

Susan

Another question came to my mind. Who of you does smoke? I hate to be the only smoker, so hopefully there's also someone else. :)
I do ...but depents on what..:fb: ..no, no i´m just kidding.Yes i smoke

Yeah, me too:yes: You have to have some bad habits right?

Hi Susan, Hi Rose...still here???

Hi, I've just got back. Sometimes I wish I still smoked but, as I use the money saved on making sure Tony gets enough to eat, I'm not going back to it but I have put on weight since I gave up!!

Rose

well i quitt befor for a year and i stated back up on Fasching...but right now i can´t do without my cigarrets...I´m to stressed out

That's been my problem over the past few weeks and I've nearly bought some so many times. I've replaced the nicotine dependency with chocolate and I think that's a lot worse. But this is the longest I've ever gone without so I really hope I do 't go back. I've found I'm feeling so much better and I smoked for 40 years, now I have to get all the extra weight off and I'll be fine. Says me, hopefully.

Rose

You make it ...and don´t start again.... you have to get you some carots to eat ..that helps...
well is hard to get trough all that without going crazy

In Holland we have salmiak liquorice, it is really nice!!!
Goodnight,
Annabelle

Hello Europe. I'm back for the weekend.
You have a nice discussion going on here. Yes I want to try this liquorice too. :yes: But what is that stuff made of? Why will there be a queue to the bathroom????
Okay so everybody except for Rose and Hilde do smoke. You two, don't start it again. The others, don't dare to quit until September, or I'll be alone. :(
New ideas anyone???

Here's ingredients for liquorice: Wheat flour, water, sugar, syrup, molasses, salt, natural flavours (liquorice extract, aniceed oil), colour (E153), emulsifier (E471), sodium bicarbonate (E500), ingredients of conservation (E211, E202). It's black soft candy, very good.

And why the queue? :D Well kiddo, it makes your stomach "work" LOL Like plums :D LMAO :D

Susan

It makes my stomach work .... thank god I don't eat plums. eewww it contains E471..... and baking soda. :) Bring it along and pray that Hilde has more than one bathroom. :D By the way, I'm still smiling when I think of the Finland link you posted in this thread. It's so extremely funny. I love it . :D

hello europe!!! I am back...son was in hospital all day, as was I for some tests...so..he is okay, I will be I hope...and I even went to the coffee shop!! YES!! I actually went there and they have like 20 different coffee's and 30 different thee's...and lots of goodies...it was nice but kinda small...and the coffee was great...well one of them anyway...I will go back and try all of them...
so...I had some mail this week , that was nice as well...and some of my pen pals wrote, well they tend to write a lot actually...and now it is the weekend, and I still need rest and all of you...

nope...One toilet...only ONE....1...okay all??? so don't go eating strange things...and another thing...it is very very small as well...(the toilet)

LMAO That was funny! But we finns are so hilarious people :D Glad you liked it :D

Hilde, how many bathrooms you have?

Yipee, granny's back. Okay, we must go that coffee shop. 20 different coffees sounds good to me. Do they also have a snooker table there? If not we can also paint the walls there, it's just as exciting. ;)
Only one toilet???? How shall I eat that much liquorice with only one toilet???

Ok, one toilette :D It's enough, I'm sure.

How are you Hilde? What have you been doing?

Sascha...that stuff doesn't go throught your system in one second:D You have time...to find a "place" LMAO

Ok, how about pool game girls against boys? I CAN play. Can you "granny"? LOL

I thought I would have to use the toilet in less than 5 seconds after eating. That would be a nice party game. It one at the same time as someone else, and then see who is the first in the bathroom. The other one has to wait in front of the door. ;)

I can play too. So if someone likes to play, count me in. :)

Come on Europe, where are you all today?

juhuuu sascha

Finally, someone's talking to me. :D
Do you know what that liqourice thing is? Or Salmiakki. Do we have something like that here in Germany?

liqourice must be lakritze...the other one i never heard of it

okay, i just googled it. yes it is lakritze. baahhh. i don't eat that. i never liked it. my grandma always wanted to give me some, but i refused. okay, so i hope that i like salmiakki. ;)
What would you like to do when we're in Belgium? Just some brainstorming.

i have no Plan...I guess lots of Talking.....and PARTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
if they let an old Woman do that over there.smile................

hey sascha what Musik do you Like???

yep...i am still here...okay...I live in a dwarfshouse...that is exciting already...i have a tiny kitchen,very tiny toilet...one shower...and the rest is also small...why??? because it is just that...a DWARFSHOUSE!!!! get it dwarfs...for real people...honest!! but it will be so cozy all together..;and we have lots of cool cafees, thats a bar with a snooker table and lots of beer....and lots of other cool places...naaaahhhhhh, don't worry...we will all have a great time!! Promise!!!
hey Kiddo, did I ever tell you that my father was in the circus? he was a tight rope walker...my grandfather was a clown and uncle at the trapeze...so...although I can't do any of those, and was not even born yet when they were doing it...still, this must give you some idea if what kind of family I come from...so...(oh yeah, they are all death as well) but..anyway...hey, we will have fun!!
right update on son...yes tis boy who had an operation today...guess where he is now??? at a party....I am failing big time as a responsible parent here, but...I told him I would have to kill him if he comes home in a bad state..no drinking or doing anything thats not allowed....so...do you think that got to him??? naaaaaaahhhh, I don't think so either...but made me feel a bit better...Oh God !!!boys!!!

yes, I'm sure it will be very cozy. can't wait to see that dwarfhouse. :) your son reminds me of myself. :D yes i think he understood your warning. ;)
barbara, i like gothic, doom metal, grindcore, industrial, industrial gothic, polit punk, death metal, black metal. that sounds very dark, i know.

i don't think it will get boring at any time. you're all so funny people, that we will have a great time. will your kids be there, or do they prefer to sleep at friends. :)

Hi Hilde.....finally make it Home???

Sascha ...sound good....GOTHIC.......that you can put in the car for the drive up to hilde

hey barbara...nice to see you!!
I don't know what my kids will do...hey, they can take you to the youthclub...I am sure you will like that!
oh dear Kiddo , what music is that???? what ever happend to k's choice and sting and u2 and billy Joel....you know, songs I can actually sing along with....

hey, what shall i do at the youth club???? i thought we're meeting to talk and to learn to know each other! i guess i'm a little bit too old for a youth club anyway. :yes: i'm a gib boy, you know.
barbara, i have something like 8 mp3 cd's in my car. that means all in all about 1400 songs. i guess we will find the best music for us all. :) hilde, i will teach you the songs, and you can sing along as well. :)

I just had the take the dog around the block...but I´m back now...
well Hilde I don´t want to go to the Kiddies Club.....I tought the party is when we get together.:fb:
And Sascha...you right is enough Music.....for the trip over Tokio :p

Juhuuuuu anybody still up

I´m out of here....since you all so quiet.... I have to get up in the morning and go to Work. You all still have good Night
Be back Tomorrow

good morning EUROPE!!!!! and this site has changed so much over night...it looks wonderfull!!! So...Kiddo, I doubt whether I will be able to sing your songs...Oh well maybe after some beers I can sing anything...and no, you don't have to go to the youthclub...by the way, the beer is cheap and they do play your songs and it is for kiddo's from 16 till ....whatever age...but no...we won't go....
so...good morning and I will see you around today!!! have to go make coffee now!!

Okay, I'm here again. Glad I don't have to go to that youth club. Thanks for not sending me there, while the big people are talking. ;)
Yes Hilde you can sing these songs. You won't even need beer. Do you know the Belgian band Deus? I like them.
Same question as every day: Anyone any new ideas?

Sorry, no ideas from me and I'm not staying too long today. I was out celebrating my sister's birthday yesterday and drank far too much rum. At least, it was supposed to be rum, but I think it was pure alcohol!! So, just to let you know I'm still here but under the weather today and, as it's self-inflicted, I won't be looking for sympathy.

Rose

right;..I just came back from the coffee shop...wow, had some nice coffee and thee...it was nice...we will go there!! I can even get some writing paper and good pens and things like that...
I do know deus...do I like them??? I don't know...will I sing...I don't know
hey, Rose...never mind, I do feel for you...just stay in bed all day, or ouside in the sun in a relax chair...
do I have new ideas...NO...not today...

Okay, so we should definitely go to this coffee shop. How's the weather over there? We have 27°C here and blue sky. :)

oh yes...it was very nice today...very warm..., but it is going away now...the sun and warmth...still will go for a walk with the dogs....
Son is home...feeling okay...hope this operation worked...he will be able to smell and breath through his nose for the first time...wow, what a life!!

Hi hilde....i´m glad your Son is doing ok....so i seen you had some nice sunny weather today too....here it was beautyfull...sunny all day ...:O( and i had to work

hi barbara!! yes it was very nice here today...too bad you had to work...what do you do for work??

hi barbara!! yes it was very nice here today...too bad you had to work...what do you do for work??

Hi Hilde...I work in Costumerservice in the Pharma Industrie...we supply and deliever all the Medications to the Pharmay´s.

hi barbara, just you and me here today??? well, have a nice sunday!! you did not have to work today as well did you?

Hello you two. I'm here too. :)

Juhuuu Sascha

hey kiddo...where did you come from?? glad to see you!!

Yes I'm here. :) I will leave in one hour, so we still have a bit of time. :)

opsss sorry Hilde I din´t want to leave you out....no i didn´t Work today,at least not at work :smile: no just doing my stuff around the house..

well, I have to get back to work tomorrow??was home a week...I want to stay home!! but...i have to work...so the good life is over...hey, kiddo are you leaving again? How long will you be gone?

So Hilde don´t feel bad ....I won´t have any Leave no time soon...I have to keep it until my Son get Transferd so I can go to see him:fb:
Ihope it is Soon....i miss him like crazy .....and is getting worse by the day:mad:

I will be here again tonight. About 1 or 2 a.m. I guess. Then I will be away probably Tuesday to Thursday. Don't worry I won't get lost. :)

Like promised, I'm here again. I see that you had a nice conversation going on here, while I was away. ;)

Good mornig Europe.
Okay, where is everyone today? Today I seem to be very creative. Good time to discuss some new ideas.

Good day Europe!:)

I'm back too:) Tell your ideas kiddo!! I'll be gone for a few hours but I'll be back in the evening!

Sussie

OK, what are the ideas, I'm around for a couple of hours as it's raining again outside so I can't get to my trees, and I'm over too much rum at the weekend.

Rose

I didn't say that I actually have new ideas, but I would be creative today...

The weather in London was not very creative. It's raining again. Rose, is Whisper okay again?

Yes, she seems to be fine now. She does tend to sleep a lot but at least she's playing with Saoirse again and running in the fields.

By the way, I've found where I can buy some pretty good whisky, so I'd better buy another suitcase to put all the bottles in for September!!

Rose

I'm glad for Whisper. You said that you won't take her to Belgium?
Oh yes, buy a large suitcase. :) Is there a way you could teach me how to cook fish and chips? I can do what I want, it never tastes British. :)

I'll have a good try with the fish and chips. The secret is the batter so I'll ask my aunt, who is a really good cook, for a recipe, and it has to be deep fried, have you done that. I'll get a recipe for you and see what we can do. Did you ever go to the really traditional Pie and Eel shops? That's very London and a true delicacy.

I won't bring the dogs over with me because they don't have rabies shots and their pet passports. I ought to get them done someday but not just yet.

Rose

No, I've never been to a pie and eel shop. pie sounds good to me.... but eel definitely doesn't. What do they sell there? Pies and eels? That doesn't fit.
Could you please tell me what batter is? Never heard that word before. I've tried all sorts of fish and it never tasted like in that fish and chips shop in Gloucester Road, where we went every day to eat. Basically that was all we ate in London. :)

Batter is the coating that's put on the fish before it's fried and what makes that lovely crisp covering. It's made with flour, water and egg (perhaps not always the egg) and the fish is covered first with flour and then dipped in the batter. Without the coating of flour the batter runs off. It's put straight into the hot fat and cooked. What fish did you have in Gloucester Road, can you remember? The most common is cod but the only one I like, apart from eels, is what's called in London 'Rock' or 'Rock Salmon'.

The eels are very young ones that are cooked in like a thick parsley soup-like sauce and served with pies and mashed potato. It is simply delicious!!

Rose

Okay, now I know what batter is. No I don't know what fish it was. I never asked. It tasted great, that was all I was interested in. :) Also the fries (or should I say chips now) tasted great.
I don't think that a pie and eel shop would be the best place for me. Eels are disgusting. I don't even want to touch them.
By the way, do you know the Minema Cinema at the Knightsbridge Corner? I love that cinema.

Don't know that cinema at all, sorry.

The eels arespecially bred and not taken anymore from the dirt and rubbish on the floor of the rivers. Still, it is an acquired taste and very, very London.

Rose

It certainly is a delicatesse, but I wouldn't eat oysters or caviar either. That's not my sort of food.
London is an amazing city. We spent 4 hours looking for the old power plant that is on the Pink Floyd - Animals cover. Finally we found it. I think we got off at Vauxhall Street and could see it from there. This building is breath-taking.

I'm going to show my ignorance now. Was that the Battersea Power Sation? I'm sure it is, it sits right on the Thames. Pink Floyd were never my type of music but I'm sure I remember that photo. It's a very famous landmark.

Rose

I don't know what the building is called, but it's situated right at the Thames. I'll attach a picture of it. I would love to put up a tent and camp all day long in the shadow of this building. Sounds strange, but I really like it.

Yes, that's the old Battersea Power Station. When it was working it there was so much pollution coming from those chimneys is was terrible. London's much cleaner since that closed down.

Rose

Yes, I believe that it polluted the air. Do you know when it stopped working?
I really love that building. I don't knoe if you can understand that. :) While waiting, I changed the desktop backround of my computer and now have a picture of it. Why do I always have pictures from England as background pics? :hmm:

I think it was shut down some time in the seventees. I living in Australia then but it was still working when I left England in '71. It's a much loved building by Londoners, too, no matter what it's past was. It's part of the landscape.

You have London as your background, I have Tony's mugshot!!

Rose

Well, I'm away for a while, have to feed the animals and me.

Rose

I would not take Dana's mugshot as background pics. I Don't want to see her like that. I had a picture of the HMS Dorsetshire before. I hate war and the Dorsetshire helped to sink the Bismarck. That's why I like the Dorsetshire.

Goooooooooood Eveniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing Europeeeeeeeeeeeee

Yipeeee. I'm no longer alone.

well where is all the other ones

phil is at work, hilde and susan are at home. I'm so tired now. I've to go all that way down to Mannheim tonight, and I don't really want to. :(
Do you have any new ideas pertaining the g2g?

What you have to go to mannheim again ....poor baby :o))
Not i did not realy think about it yet....I´ve been to busy ,can´t even keep my Head up..or even think about anything at the time ...;o((

I will have to go study so that eventually one day I will earn some money. :) If you want to talk about some problem, you can pm me if you like.

oh what do you study

and thanks Sasche as soon as come down some i will PM you

Chemistry, 8th semester. I plan to get my diploma next year. :)

oh wow aber dann.... :o) and what you going to do when you finish?? Stay in Mannheim

well Sascha ...I´m getting on out of here for today ...my Head is busting...
You have a save trip to mannheim and don´t fall a sleep on ther way up there
talk to you tomorrow
good night

goodevening europe!! I have been to work two days already, can't wait for the weekend, as always, but work is okay...even stood up to my boss today and plan on doing that a bit more from now on, good thing sascha gave me some pointers on how to do that, the best thing he said was, picture him naked...well you know what, that worked perfect!! thanks kiddo, youre a real pal...so one more day closer to the get together...maybe we should get a counter on here so we know how many days are left...thats is an idea hey? well I like it, just don't know how those counters work...say, another thing, is it just my thinking or does this cookbookshef forget to ask us, europeans, for good resipies, I mean...i don't know how to cook that good, but I did manage to give him a recipie...but he never seemed to ask in the european forum...ah well, I might be wrong...so, anyway...where is everyone? Phil you still tired? Susie, where are you and Rose and Barbara, kiddo, you are gone for a few days i know...but where is everyone else??? well, I am still here a while, before I sleep...so, I will write some letters and cards and come look at you all in a while again...

Hello Hilde ....
nice to see you back ....I missed you yeasterday:o)
I´m proud of you ....getting back at your Boss ...God if i think about my boss Naked....grrrrrrrr....i would bust out laughin

hey barabara...nice to see you!! missed you to...hows your son doing, do you get mail from him a lot? is he a writer?
ahh;;well, I finished my writing, think I will go to bed early today...I woke up last night a few times and I feel a bit tired already, so;..with agood book and in my warm cozy bed...aaahhhhhhh...what a life...say, whats your favorite book? or a good book you are reading now or have read and still remember...I love reading...but am always looking for good books...so all of you, tell me about your books....
so goodnight and see you tomorrow europe....

Well Hilde that was quick-....hope you had a good night sleep:0)
well my Son write´s alot ....normaly but I haven´t heard from him in almost 6 weeks ....and know i´ve got my 3 letter in one week.....I´m so happy ....I can´t wait to get over there and Hug him..:o(
Yes I do like to read ....If I have the Time for it ....I usally read Books about Buddha ,Asia, Dalai Lama...I also like to read book of true story`s.
i wish i had more Time to read.
So guess i get my butt out of here too....have a long day tomorrow.....we have a big meeting coming up ,and i have to Prepar for it.

goodafternoon Europe!!! I am here...any one else here as well???

yes, i'm here. nice to see you. and, how did he look naked in your imagination? :D

Hi you 2......I´ve got off a half a day ...Nice nice nice

hi barbara. nice to see you too. :)

OH kiddo...it was great...well a bit less today as I had to go talk to him again, but I fe"lt in control and that means a lot...I mean , things like that get me all frustrated and stressed out...and I need to be a bit more brave
hey, I was at my coffee shop this afternoon with my mother...yep, have to try it all and make sure it stayes open till you come....so no worries!!

well Hilde what happend last Night .....to Tired???
And sascha you here today or do you have to leave again later

probably i will go play snooker later that evening. if not, i'll be here.

....snooker ....they have that over here

I have to go for now ...I´ll be back Later on. Have fun Sascha ....just in case you are going.

I am still here!! have to take a shower and drop of my mother and write some cards...but I will be here now and then....have fun sascha!! and hope to see you soon barbara...

i'm still here. in your garden/forest are there any mice or something? or squirrels? i will have to know if i should bring "my" cat along. if there are no mice i don't think it is necessary. your dogs would be running after him all the time anyway.

okay here goes...we have squirrels and black birds, millions, did you ever see the movie "birds"? well I guess Hitchcock had no idea that he could have filmed that movie right here...lets see, there are snakes and lions and rat's...naahhh...not really...the birds and squirrels are real though.....my dogs would never run after a cat, oh no...they would make sure the black birds get to him first!....birds...ahhhhhhh...

well, once again...GOODNIGHT Europe!!! I have felt real alone here tonight...but then I had mail today and that put a smile on my face all day...so...see ya all tomorrow??? have a good night...and don't let the bed bugs bite!!...in your case Kiddo, the black birds and squirrels.....see ya!!

Hello Europe. Now I'm back from my snooker match. I won 2:1. :D
Okay, so you have blackbirds and squirrels. Squirrels are one of my favorite animals. I remember when I was in St. James Park/London and when I was sitting on a bench a squirrel climbed up my leg. That was really cute. :) As for the birds, we can make a lottery who will be the scarecrow that stands in the garden all night. :D
Good night Europe.

Good morning Europe.
Hilde, we also have quite a lot of blackbirds here. This morning I went outside to smoke and there were some of them on the lawn. Didn't see a squirrel today though.
How large is that dwarf forest behind your house?

Rose, I'm in the process of creating a whole screensaver with pictures of Battersea Power Station. It's such an amazing building.

Hello europe!!
the dwarfsforest, is just that a DWARFS forest...so not big at all...you can't get lost, but then there is the King forest and the Queens forest...i will tell you this...I hope you stop talking about LONDON after you have been in Belgium....
And kiddo....guess where I was this afternoon???

Hello, sorry I've not checked in for a couple of days but I've been quite busy.

I've just been to the West End to do some shopping and now I'm worn out.

I have a squirrel comes to feed from the bird table but with two hounds in the house I think it has a death wish!! The squirrels you saw in St. James' Park were the grey ones which were introduced from America. They've wiped out our own red squirrel and are now considered a pest by many people, not me, but a lot of others.

I'll have to see if I can go for a boat trip along the Thames and get you some good photos of the power station from the river. I'll wait until it gets a bit warmer and find out where I can get a boat from.

Rose

Hello everybody..
Sascha i know what Snookers is now :o) i watch it on Tv Last Night...was that you Playing with the yellow shirt and red Tie :O)

Hello Rose nice to see you here...
And Hilde...you still up?? :0)

hey barbara and Rose...it is late in Belgium....so my bed is calling me...my friend missed her flight to Canada today so i have to bring her to the airport tomorrow...and it is at 5 in the morning, so i better get in my bed fast!!!
see you all tomorrow!!! have a goodnight and great friday!!!

Good morning Europe,
No, unfortunately I was not that guy with the yellow shirt and red tie. ;) It was an amazing match, wasn't it?
Rose, I found lots of pictures of the power station online, but if you could really make some of your own for me, it would be great. I treasure such things, because they're unique.

Hi Hilde ,
I guess we are the only two here tonight

hello barbara...yep, I am here...i was just writing some cards , you know for the postcard thingie....I send postcards to loved ones and the women of the loved ones, send one to my friend...it is fun and my friends loves all the cards he is getting from all over....prison addys are always so long though to write....
so, goodevening and will see ya around

oh Yes i heard about that and I got myself on the List to write the B.Cards.

But I´m still waiting on the list to start writing

hello europe...yep, was gone for a while, but so was everyone else I guess...never mind, the sun was here all day and I was enjoying it...so now back to the real working life...and to bed, as I have not had enough sleep all weekend...so, hello europe, and goodnight Europe...have a briliant week!! and lots of mail.....

Hello Europe...is everybody fallen in 100 Year Sleep ????
Where you all at??? is to quiet here

I'm here, Barbara, but in and out at the moment as I'm writing to Tony at the same time as keeping an eye on PTO.

Rose

Hello, I'm here too but busy watching ice hockey WM's....Sweden against Russian right now...

have a great night everyone!

Susan

Hello Rose and Susan,
well I´m bussy too...still writing on my letters to
differnt lawyers and hopefully I find one I can effort.

hello europe!!!!! wwwwooooowwwwwiieeeeee...where is everyone??? does anyone know where the kiddo is? I see sussie and barbara and rose have been here...good, I don't want to lose you here...so have a nice evening and maybe I will see you here?

Juhu :wave: Hilde ...good to see you where have you been??? I think Kiddo is up in Mannheim

hi barbara...I study psychology and I have to read a few books right now...so not much time for anything else...but good to see you!!

Good morning Europe.
I haven't been here for some days, but now I'm back. Glad to see you all again.

Hi everyone, my life is chaotic these day, mostly good-chaotic though but I have been here very few times and I can just as well say that I won't be able to read 25 pages on this very rare (almost) free evening of mine. But if someone let me know the actual plans for the european meeting, if, where, when you are planning to do please let me know ???? Love from Karlina

hi kiddo nice to see you...I missed you...

I missed you all too. :)
There is not much news in this thread. How about some further planning?

First of all Welcome :wave: Karlina,

I just want to wish you all a nice Weekend..see you all around.

helllooo europe! i am at the sea...weather is fine...people are nice...think I will stay...karlina, hope you will be able to make it in september...kiddo, whats all this things with the games nd you being champion?? can this be??Barbara...always nice to see you...take care...I will be home monday

Hi Barbara, thank you for your wellcome.

Ohhh, I think I read somewhere that the date is in Sept. 17, 18, 19??? If that is right I fear that I might not be able come... Well, time will show. I want to go for it and do all possible, I bet we are an interesting crew...mildly said. Haha. Ok. I can't be here on pto so often but I will check once in a while. Love to you all: Karlina

Hi Karlina,

nice to see you again...I think that was the dates for the GtG...I have to read it up again myself....and you bet it´s going to be fun...maybe you still can make it.
see you around

Hello all, lady finn is back!

those dates sounds exellent to me, I'm just gotten home from Portugal and ready to travel again:D Sasha, you still give me a ride?

How is your May started everybody? We have "summer" here up north already! It's soo great!!

Everybody have a great day/evening!

Susan

Hi Susan....good to see you back.
So you´ve travel alot....Keep you. Busy hmmmm
Or do Work in the Travel buisness.
Well over here the May start with lots of Rain :0( ..other then that everything is going well.

Good morning Europe,

yes, I can still give you a ride, if you plan to land at Frankfurt Airport. Try not to get a flight to Frankfurt/Hahn if possible. Köln/Bonn would be okay too, because it's on the way to Belgium.
Hilde, what are you doing at the sea???

Hello Everybody.......it sure got Quiet here....where you all at???

Hi Barbara... Good question...where am I...ufff...either in the kitchen, with the laundry, or similar... the never ending story, lalalalala -smile. Than I need to keep an eye on my kids and sometimes often write a letter to Texas,- the future is a big mystery and keeps my mind busy...all kind of plans and things to get organized. But as often as I can I come by here "of course" !!!
Susan-
I am happy for the climate changing cause its really nice here too. Finnland and Denmark will become tropical places...haha. Lots of love to all you pto europeans and good night! Karlina

Hi everyone,

Sorry I haven't been around much lately but I seem to have had a lot to do, plus I've been having 'mouse' trouble and couldn't get it to do what I wanted. So, I bought a new one and have just installed it. All I need now is a new keyboard then I'll have no
excuse.

I hope you really don't think the climate is changing. All this talk of global warming has me so angry. When I was young this time of the year used to be hot and sunny, now it's cold and wet. Every year it's cold and wet and I'll NEVER believe them when they say the temperatures are going higher. I'd give anything to see some sun as I suffer badly from the lack of it. My winter depression goes on all year round these days so I know there's no warming up in Britain.

Rose

Hi Rose,
good to see you back around.
How was your Mothersday????
I know what you mean ...this Weather sucks over here too...nothing but Rain and it got cold again...grrrrrr

goodmorning Europe....how is everyone...I am okay, bit busy lately and not so much on PTO as I am at other times, but...I am still here and looking forward to seeing all of you in 4 months....the weather is great here, sun is shining on my back as I am writing this...I am going for a walk wit the dogs in my forest, but first...coffee...Oh yeah...well,hope to hear from you soon....take care, Hilde

Hello Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuurop,

what happend here??? Were have you all been?
Hope to see you all around soon...Missed you all:(
to all ...have a nice weekend.

Hi everyone! I got approved to visit one of my penpals! I will go and see him hopefully in August or September, depending if they move him out of state! I am already getting nervous for the journey there, where to stay and how to get there (WA) ........
A'belle

hi abelle...i am so excited for you...I remember my first visit. I have been to Oregon a few months ago, ahh well, tarveling is not so bad...just make sure you know where you are going and where you are staying, to let the people at the airport know ...you need an address...I have been to America a few times already, and I just tell them a story and make sure I know some one where I am going....there are a lot of people from WA here, maybe you could stay with one of them? It is not easy being alone all the time...traveling alone so far is bad enough , so make sure you know some one there that will take care of you a bit when you get there....hey, hope to hear more from you...take care, Hilde

Thank you Hilde! Dank je!
I can stay with the sister of my friend, so I have an address. But she has a problem getting to the prison herself, without a car... I can also stay in a special visitors house, but I'd better not tell the customs, because it is specially for those visiting the prison. Getting around in the USA without a car is definitely a challenge!
Well, I haven't even booked yet....
Also, my friends and family will think I am crazy to go and visit someone in prison so far away, does anyone of you have problems explaining that to your friends and family?

Annabelle

Annabelle,

You'll find once you start planning everything the nerves will go away. I don't drive when I'm in the States and it can be a problem, but I've met some lovely people on the Illinois forum who go out of their way to now make sure I get out a bit once visiting is over, they arrange their own visits around mine and really take care of me. As for family and friends, well, at first they were a bit apprehensive but they know better than to argue with me so now it's just fine. My immediate have always been supportive so I'm lucky there.

It's wise not to tell the authorities where you are going, just to say 'visiting' when asked why you're there is adequate.

I understand the visitor houses can be quite good but I've never used the one where I go. There you need to take your own linen and I have enough to carry without worrying about sheets and towels. You see, I have orders for chocolate and end up taking a whole bag full for various people!! I don't mind, as I say, they're all so good to me.

Sorry everyone if I haven't been around. I've had to do a lot of shopping for my next trip, and I've been trying to get the house straight (I did say trying!!). I've acquired another bottle of 15 year old single malt so I think we should be OK in September.

Rose

Thanks Rose!
So when is the get together in Sept? I have to plan around that then!!!
A.

hi all...the get together is in september...17/18 and 19 september in Belgium/Kasterlee...I don't know where you are from, maybe not to far away???
HI rose, I try to get my house straight a lot....and I love trying...never succeed much though...but oh well...I always say, we live in it, so it should look like that...I am getting ready to leave for the long weekend, might be able to use a PC, but who knows...haven't seen sasha for a while, I had a letter from his darling GF....and Phil, still working in his house....nahhhhh, he would not be able to do it that long...and susie...oh well, that girl is always busy...and barbara...yes, she is here regulary....so...for all of you who stay this weekend, have a good time, for you that leave, take care and be save...see ya later.....

Gosh you all speak a lot !!! :D :D It's certainly one of the longest G2G thread on PTO !!! :D

Hope evrybody is fine with such a wonderful weather. :) At least, we have a wonderful weather in France,I hope it's the same for all of you :)

I'm still planning on being there come September. :)

Phil

Hello Hilde, I was planning to come over to the get together, and I will try to book flights around that date.
I am from Holland (as you should have known by now!).
Just because I am not writing much in here does not mean I do not follow the threads!!!;-)
Annabelle

:cool: Hellooooooooooooo Everybody,

Oh yes Phil, we have some Wonderful Weather over here too,
did you send it :D
So how is everybody doing?? I hope good ....cant wait to meet you all in September :thumbsup:
Today we have a Hollyday ( Fathersday), and a churchday.
So I´ve been laying lazy in the Sun and catch me a Tan:cool:
Where is kiddo??? Haven´t seen him around for awhile.
You all have a good one..
Lots of HUGS to you

HELLO EUROPE
HEY ANABELLE. OKAY? NOW I KNOW AND WILL NEVER FORGETT? YOU ARE FROM NEDERLAND....I am from belgium, that explains my Belgium flag on here, so...how have you all been...I am at the sea, still, yes....so, where is Kiddo??? Phil, we have brilliant weather...good to see you!!!barbara, have a good fathersday and get a tan...enjoy the free days!! see ya all soon!!!

Hello Everyone.

I'm just popping in to say I won't be around for a couple of weeks. I'm off very early tomorrow morning for another trip to see Tony. He's out of segregation now and I have to make sure he's OK after the ordeals of the past couple of months. Hopefully, we'll have 10 days of visits and can make up for the last time I was there when he was shackled, chained to the floor and behind glass.

When I get back I promise to be here more and to make sure I start arranging to be the for the get together.

Speak soon.

Rose

Hello! I am an American. I want to know which country you all are deciding on? I think it should be Austria if it's not too bad? It's small and we can see all of it in one day? Heh, am I right or VERYYY wrong? Well, I know nothing of Europe and want to learn. :) So we are deciding on Sept. 17-19th for the European G2G, correct? Someone PM me, that'd be helpful! If I'm to go there, I'd either hire a babysitter for my son or take him with me. He would be 2 years and 2 months old in September 2004! Is Europe a good idea for a little kid like my boy?

Hello american :D

Hilde Bogaerts lives in Belgium and has offered her place us to meet. So European GTG2 is held in Belgium in town called Kasterlee. (I hope plans have not changed? Fill me in if so :D )

You americans are more than welcomed! :D Europe is great place for children! LOL Well...I can't say what's that different here than States in general, you must come and see :thumbsup:

Susan

hello europe and america!! hi chanda mia...yes, you are more then welcome, and your boy as well...Rose, have a super great time with Tony!!! so glad you can go see him, how wonderfull for you and him to have time together...hope to see you soon, enjoy the time with your boy....Sussie girl, where have you been??? I missed you so much!!! and the kiddo is no where????.....sascha; come back and talk to me!!!
right, so...yep, it is still on for september....hope to see many of you!!!
if anyone has any questions, just ask....I am not here every day, but every week, yes!! are you all planning your long weekend??? I mean this comming weekend?....well, have a great time what ever you do..and see ya all soon

Good evening to all of you.....and good afternoon to the States....
glad to see you all here again...:D

Hello girls, i've just been busy with school and work :( and haven't have so much time to hang around here...but I'm here weekly also:) And I'm middle of moving so that has taken my time also! I hope someday we can meet here in Finland too!:) Now I have room to house you all!!

Sascha kiddo told me that he is extremely busy at school now, but I'm sure he'll be back soon:)

Have a great day in States and evening/night in Europe!

Sussie

I think it should be Austria if it's not too bad? It's small and we can see all of it in one day? Heh, am I right or VERYYY wrong?

Gosh Chanda you are VERY WRONG !!!! :D Austria is not that small, and it's right in the middle of the Alps mountains, you can definitely NOT see all of it in one day. It will also take you more than 1 day just to visit the wonders of Wien the capital city. :)

Anyway, welcome to the Europe forum, and hopefully we'll see you in Belgium come September. :)

As for all those very talkative European women, as well as the supposedly studying kiddo, I do hope you're all fine and as gorgeous as ever :)

Phil

Phil in Paris, I'm laughing my butt off! Hahahaha, but I learned something new... Austria's capital is Wien and it's right in the middle of the Alps Mountains. Hmm... Must be f***g beautiful, huh? Pardon my American profanity, teehee. So it's on for Sept. 17-19, 2004 at Hilde Bogaerts' place in Kasterlee, Belgium in Germany? Hmm.... I'll check out the airfares and etc... etc... If I do find some airfares for me and my son. And a female friend if I find one to accompany us, cuz it's scary enough to go in a total different country all alone with a little kid who's bound to run off. I wonder....... if I don't have enough money for the airfare for my son and myself... would some of you chip in and pay some? I know it's very concerning when a person pays or helps with something for a total stranger, and I'm a nice American. :) Yes... I really am not a hypocrite but a nice American!! :D I'm reserving the Sept. 17-19th weekend for Germany. Hey.... how many international airports do Germany have and what are the airport codes? The one here in Portland, Oregon, USA is PDX.

ChandaMija

You're very welcome to join the European conference with whomever you want, but unfortunately, I'm afraid you'll have to pay for your flight on your own. Most of us, PTO Europeans members have a loved one in the US, so we already have a hard time paying our own flights.

Also, for your information, Belgium and Germany are 2 different countries, and the G2G will be in Kasterlee, Belgium. The main international airports in Belgium are Antwerp (ANR) and Brussels (BRU)

Phil

LOL :D I was thinking when someone says that Belgium and Germany are dif countries:D No offense ChandaMija, it just sounded so funny! :D

I hope you are able to join us with your son and possibly a friend, that would be so cool! :)

Where are you all??

Sussie

Well everytime I come in here .......everybody is gone:( ...so I just wish you all a Happy Hollyday and a nice sunny Weekend...

Oooh, I understand now, PhilInParis... I see now. So thanks for the airport codes. I've heard of Brussels but didn't know it was in Germany! Err... Belgium! :) Susan the Finn, I know I'm funny and idiotic.. :P But who can blame me? I'm an American and I'm learning European stuff slowly and I just started recently... Languages? GOD! Wayyy later! Barbara, can you PM me about Hollyday? (chuckles) God.... I shouldn't be here in this thread, I'm SUCH a idiot when it comes to Europe! LOL... I'll go look to get a general idea of how much the airfares to ANR and BRU would cost...

LOL I'm glad we have some humor here :D LOL

Is any of you there now? Where's Hilde? Sascha? Kiddooooo!!! Where are you??? Barbara? Are you there? Let's keep this thread ALIVE!!!

Is it final!? This year you will meat in Kasterlee, Belgium?:confused:

Amy :wave:

Hi europe!! I am here sussie!!
Amy, you seem confused about meeting in Belgium this year, why is that?? nice to see you here though!!
okay, chandamia, when you come from America there is only one airport you will land at, it is the national airport in Brussels, Zaventem...it isz the biggest one in Belgium...and all American flights land there, as well as leave there to the states. I know Belgium is just small, and you can drive from one side of the country to the other in about 3hours, but still....it is a wonderfull country....listen to this...

Welcome To Belgium

Why should you come to Belgium? , because it's the best kept secret in Europe. Visiting medieval cities, quaint towns, gothic cathedrals and town halls, castles and carillons will keep you busy during the day. At night time you can go to a pub, there are more than 350 delicious beers to choose from. The reputation of our gourmet food makes the French jealous and it is almost impossible to find chocolates as good as ours. Belgium is a small country with about 10 million people, it lies at the busiest crossroads of Europe. Brussels, the capital, is also the capital of the European Community and the headquarters of NATO and many international companies, and Antwerp is the world center of the diamond trade. As a crossroads of German and Latin culture, three languages are spoken: Flemish (Dutch) , French and some German. Belgium is known for its good quality of life and food, its hard working but joyful inhabitants with a great sense of humor, openness and hospitality. Belgium is the land of 300 beers, chocolates and pralines, Rubens and Van Dyck. Besides its beautiful and famous cities, with their historic houses and fabulous art collections, nice villages and small towns in the woods of the Ardennes and luxurious coast resorts on the North Sea are part of the great variety Belgium offers.
so....hope all of you are okay and have a great weekend...see ya soon!!!

No, I´m not confused about that, but a few pages before it was about meeting in Austria and that is so near me so I was thinking to join.

Amy

Amy

Only ChandaMija referred to Austria, but from "almost" the beginning of this thread, the get together has been planned to be held at Hilde's, in Belgium, where you are more than welcome, even though it's a little bit further than Austria from Slovenia.

Hope to see you there anyway :)
Phil

Thank you Phil. It is so good to know that you are welcomed. But that is to far for me but there is stil time becouse I will be always on PTO. And I hope you post about this trip and maybe next year I will be there.

Amy

hello europe!!! right...where is everyone???? hey you are all still comming right????!!!!!!! you better!!! I have not been here a while, sorry about that,but I am back again...so...I will be looking out for all of you...and if you still plan on comming...the give me a shout...it is getting closer now!!!
so...hope to see all of you soon, first here and then in kasterlee...

Hey Hilde

I still plan on being here :)

Phil

hey phil!!long time!! so good to see you...will be great to see you in kasterlee soon...OKAY!! I HOPE FRANCE WILL WIN....since belgium is not playing....so GO FRANCE!!!!