Maddi

Welcome back, sweetie. I missed you. *smooch*

this is starting to become my official "What i hate in my country" thread :

 

Four paintings swiped in Serbia

 

Monday January 09, 2006 07:51 - (SA)

 

BELGRADE - Four paintings worth millions of euros (dollars), including one by 17th-century Dutch master Rembrandt, have been stolen in the northern Serbian town of Novi Sad, a museum spokesman said.

 

The most valuable among the stolen works of art was Rembrandt's "Portrait of the Father" which is worth 2.5 million pounds (3.6 million euros, 4.4 million dollars), the spokesman of Novi Sad's City Museum Drago Njegovan was quoted as saying by Beta news agency.

 

The painting had already been stolen 10 years ago, but was recovered in Spain, Njegovan said.

 

Also stolen were a painting by Rubens, another by Francesco Mola from the 17th century as well as one by an unknown German-Dutch artist from the 16th century, he added.

 

A local police spokesman told the agency that two masked and armed robbers broke into the museum and tied up two employees on duty at the time before making off with the paintings. Sapa-AFP

 

the museum didn't even have a guard, let alone a security camera.

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Damn. I intend to go to Serbia one day, to see all the beautiful works of art hidden in the museums there. Better make sure there is still something left to see, Rogan. Or else you will have to entertain me full-time when I get there, I'm afraid. ;-)

Official Survivor

Congratulations! You scored 75%!

Whether through ferocity or quickness, you made it out. You made the right choice most of the time, but you probably screwed up somewhere. Nobody's perfect, at least you're alive.

Tsss. I never even watch zombie films, unlike the rest of you. :cool:

Happy Birthday, Donny! Have a good one.

Congratulations, Slick!

Not at all. I'm far too straightforward and naive to be jealous. And I really dislike jealousy in other people.

If we're talking about jealousy in love, then I do have to admit to great curiosity about my sweethearts. I want to know everything about them - their family and friends, what they like and who they're seeing socially. But that has nothing to do with jealousy. My motto has always been that you spend time with people because you want to be with them. Because they're special people. So I simply assume that my love is with me because that is exactly where he wants to be.

Yuri and I went away to Germany to celebrate the new year with friends of Yuri's. His friend had already invited us in August, when he and his family came to the Dutch coast on holiday.

Yuri happens to be rather a fan of fireworks. And that's putting it mildly. He and I drove to Belgium after Xmas, to buy a special assortment of the loudest, most explosive stuff on sale. The boys had decided they would really blow away the old year. It was the first time I ever visited a fireworks shop, and it was amazing to see the stuff people carted out of there. Not exactly your usual nice spinning wheels and multi-coloured rockets. The typical customer is Dutch, male, and between 16 and 25. The most frequently asked question is: "What's the loudest stuff you've got?". Those guys buy nitrate mats, avalanche rockets and huge rolls with Chinese firecrackers, and then try to drive back home without getting caught by the police.

Well, Yuri was smarter than that. He paid the lot - nearly 500 euros - and had it stored. We went to pick up the fireworks on Friday and made very sure not to cross the Dutch border again. The car was like a bomb on wheels, with those huge boxes full of explosives in the back.

You must know that I'm a big coward with fireworks and anything that makes loud noises. I'd rather watch from inside the house if I have the chance, and I never touch anything but those little sparklers. So... to humour me, Yuri also bought a choice selection of semi-professional rockets in the newest colours. He wanted to have something nice for the ladies as well, he said. I have to admit, those were lovely. They came in boxes of twenty rockets, that went up very high and exploded in beautiful splashes of gold, bright lemon and turquoise. Except Yuri told me later that those rockets were just as dangerous as the other stuff, if not more so.

Anyways, we crossed the German border without meeting any police. It threatened to snow all day, but none fell until the evening, and we got to our destination in good time. There we unloaded the boxes, and I could breathe freely again. Yuri and I went to our hotel to get some rest after the drive, and later that evening we had a steak dinner with our friends.

We spent the next day doing some shopping and buying lottery tickets. I tried a Käsewurst-and-mustard sandwich for lunch, which Yuri recommended, but I didn't like it much and ended up eating no more than a couple of bites. Too heavy on the stomach. I really don't get the German love of all kinds of 'Wurst', it's definitely not my favorite food.

At night the party gathered at the house of our friends. We watched some telly and did a lot of eating and drinking and chatting until eleven or so. I just drank some Sekt and a Tequila Sunrise, but I also noticed wodka and beer on the tables, and tiny cups of red and green jelly with lots of alcohol in them. The kitchen was packed with food, bottles and people. At 11:15 PM the boys got all nervous and started fussing over the fireworks. They were still packing boxes when the clock struck twelve (they had decided to take out one box at a time, for security reasons). I managed to drag Yuri away for some hugs and kisses, and then they went outside to play.

I went along to see my guy set off his ammunition, but I can tell you I kept at a very respectable distance. My god that stuff was LOUD!! The guys used a long sparkler to ignite the firecrackers, because the fuses proved too short to do it with a cigarette. I kept my eye on Yuri and his friend, and every time they came sprinting back I'd put my fingers in my ears and back away. The whole neighbourhood was watching from their windows, but nobody dared to come out. Yuri cut his finger when opening a pack of firecrackers with a knife, but fortunately that was the only incident.

Around 1:30 AM the fireworks were over and we went inside again for more wine and food. Yuri and I left kind of early (around 2:30) because we had a long drive ahead of us the next morning. It was a very good party, and I really wish my German was better so that I could have talked more. I'd better brush up my language skills I suppose, because we'll probably be going back next year - with even bigger fireworks. :rolleyes:

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all kicked out the old year proper and good, and partied like true STH folks.

I just got home from a little trip to Germany. Yuri and I went to see friends of his in the Mainz area. Still feeling a bit woozy from all the Sekt and too little sleep, but it sure was a lovely start of the new year. Greetings to all from both of us.

Christian, what sad, sad news this is. I'm so very sorry to hear about what happened to Terri.

I'm glad that you found the strength to talk about it here at the forum. Maybe it helps to deal with the pain, I hope so. My thoughts are with you and Terri's family.

Team Slick rules! Well done, and kudos to all of you.

I do believe that is the first time Maddi has mentioned her age.

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Actually, I have once or twice before mentioned the year I was born in. But Avaunt was the only one who picked up on the clues.

My thirties were a lot better than my twenties, for all the reasons Charlie mentioned.

Also, my body became more womanly in my thirties, and I began to feel like a woman instead of this creature that was all arms and legs and awkwardness. I have grown to love buying new clothes and shoes. You'd never have believed it if you'd met me in my early twenties. All I'd ever buy was basics, but look at me now... I can be very elegant and sophisticated if the situation calls for it. :cool:

In my thirties I learned to trust my gut feelings, and that has given me a much better grip on life. Of course I still make mistakes, but that's okay. I can admit I was wrong and then usually things can be righted again.

I feel life is a lot easier and more relaxt in my thirties than my twenties. I'm so much better at embracing life and enjoying the moment. In my twenties I often felt that I was missing out on something, simply because I wasn't elsewhere, or with other people. Now I know that I can spend a day on my own and have a great time. When I do spend time with people it's because I really want to be with them.

Honestly, the fact that I'll be turning 40 next year does not daunt me a bit. Though that may have something to do with having a boyfriend who's eight years younger. I just can't help grinning every time I tell someone about my sweetie. :wink:

Sprouts... yum-yum-yum!

I'm bored and thinking.

 

Do women really go for Personality over looks. Like say a really charming decent looking guy hits on them. Do they go out with that guy? Or if the guy with the 6 pack and body of a greek god who is a total prick hits on them. Who would have the better chances?

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Wolvy, a NICE guy is greatly appreciated by a woman. You can only pursue good looking bastards for so long, then they start getting tedious. Eventually you just want to be with someone who aint a twat.

 

And I dont really care whether they have a six pack or a one pack. Its whether they have a good heart that matters.

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I wholeheartedly agree with kinki. Six packs aren't really important. My Yuri doesn't have one. He's more the 'built for comfort'-type of guy. Sure, he works out quite frequently. He's got to, on account of his even more frequent beer and wine intake, hahaha!

Ultimately, women want to be with guys who can make them laugh and who make them feel comfortable and sexy. And a guy's got to smell good. That's very personal of course, but it's more important than you'd think. 'Cause you want to get closer to a guy who smells great, right? :wink: Guys who are funny and charming and smell good (and wear a nice outfit every now and then - hey, I've got eyes too!) ... that's a winning combination for me.

Still up and wide awake after the Christmas bash at work. Okay, it wasn't held at the workplace, but you understand what I mean.

It was the last time we'd be having a Christmas celebration together, and they organised something special this year. As some of you may remember, I work for a railroad construction company. We went to have a first look at the new track near the Belgian border, and they hired a steam/diesel train for the purpose.

At 13:30 hrs we all boarded the train, after receiving a personal welcome by one of the deputy directors and a glass of champagne. Yuri and I found a first-class compartment and snuggled up in a corner. We sipped our drinks, watched the steam and smoke pass by, and chatted with the colleagues who happened to pass our little nook. Drinks (first wine, then glühwein, hot chocolate, and more wine and soft drinks - they just kept coming...) and finger foods were served on the train. It was a real oldfashioned train, with big velvet seats and cushions. Later we went for a stroll and had some more drinks at the other end of the train. Some people dressed up in old English style, so every now and then you'd meet men in greatcoats and women in bonnets and quaint dresses, which was a lot of fun. After the train ride there was a dinnerparty at the steam train depot near Rotterdam, between antique steam locs. It was a lovely party, and certainly a benchmark for Christmas parties to come... :happy:

Hm. I suppose this post should have been in the Christfuckingmas thread. Oops. :rolleyes:

:D

Mind you, I think it's best not to get your hopes up too high. Just see Internet dating as an interesting experience and a chance to meet new people. Anyone who's doing it in the hope of meeting a love for life, or Prince(ss) Charming on a white horse, is bound to meet with some disappointment. My sister's still pissed off because of some experiences she's had with men who approached her through dating sites. Maybe I just got lucky...

I'm spending Christmas Day with Yuri and his parents. Yuri's mum has got venison for the Christmas dinner, and she and Yuri will be doing the cooking. I'll lend them a hand if I'm not too much in their way (the kitchen's not that big) or else I'll be on the couch sipping my drink and having a nice chat with his dad and his brother.

The next day we'll be going to see my parents, and Yuri and I will be cooking the dinner. My mum gets very fussy and stressed out over the Chistmas dinner every year, so we've arranged that I give her a shopping list and I'll do the cooking. That way everybody is happy.

I think it's going to be great, I'm really looking forward to celebrating Christmas this year.

Well Donny, you asked for good experiences...

Yuri and I met through a dating site and we started seeing each other in February this year, and we're still going strong. We don't live in the same town, so it's not likely that we would ever have met in real life. Especially because neither of us go out to bars that often. So yay for the Internet!

We met 'in the flesh' after exchanging three or four e-mails. I got really curious about him after he mentioned his cooking skills and his love of sushi, and I wanted to see what he was like. He'd posted a nice pic of himself on the dating site, which didn't hurt either... So I gave him my phone number. When we talked on the phone it was a bit strange at first, but we did have a nice talk and arranged a date the next Sunday. There were definitely sparks flying when we met, and other dates followed... and after some three weeks Yuri said he wanted me to be his girlfriend. I met his parents for the first time at Easter, so all that went very smoothly.

And now... well, our relationship is really no different than other relationships. We've had our ups and downs. This year hasn't been the easiest year, with my illness to deal with and Yuri's new job, which proved to be rather time- and energy-consuming. So far we've been able to sort out any problems we've encountered, so I'm pretty positive about the future. We're still crazy about each other, and I'm looking forward to spending X-mas with him and both our parents.

*gust of icy wind*

It's after 5 PM, I'm still at the office (came in late due to having some blood work done before work this morning). Today the central heating boiler broke down. It was already pretty cold when I came in, and now the outside temperature drops it's slowly getting colder... brrrr. I must look pretty silly with my big red woollen scarf wrapped all around me, but I don't care. It's that or putting my coat on.

Management sent a message round this afternoon: "We are as cold as you..we are aware...we have alerted the Owner and will push for quickest possible resolution...and keep you advised." Well, I do wish they'd hurry up!

I've got the materials, but it'll take me a few days to get it ready. But I think I'll be able to get it to it's destination just before X-Mas... So don't worry, it's coming!

Last night, Yuri and I watched Mysterious Skin on dvd. Compelling. Great performances of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbet, who really seemed to be the characters they played. This film doesn't allow you to keep the subject matter at arm's length, but pulls you right in.

If you can find this one on dvd somewhere, go and rent it.

PS: Yuri thinks J. Gordon-Levitt looks like a young Keanu Reeves. There's a resemblance, yes, but G-L is by far the better actor. So don't let that keep you from seeing it...

7/14. Actually, that's not too bad for a self-appointed Humanist who never had any religious education.

Have a nice hot grog and take extra good care of yourself, Pooka. Get well soon girl!

Tonight I found a letter in my letter box for a Mr or Mrs G.... or something. This person apparently lives at nr 20, which is right next door. I was in a good mood and decided to deliver the letter to this neighbour who I've never met. So I go in the direction of nr 20, only to find out that next door is... nr 22. There is no number 20 in my street. And nr 22 is a daycare centre for people with Down's Syndrome and other forms of subnormal intelligence.

So, what to do now? Call the post office? Go round the neighbourhood to ask if somebody knows this person...?

Um, no. I thought: to hell with it!

It was dark and nearly 9:30 PM, so I walked back and shoved the envelope in the letter box at nr 16. I reckon there are a lot of students living there, since the house has a zillion doorbells without any names, and this Mr/Mrs G. could well belong to one of them. And if not, too bad. Whoever wrote that letter or card couldn't be bothered to get the address right or find a postal code for it, and I'm too tired and too busy to do their work for them. There. Serves them right.

*sigh* So why do I feel guilty now? :unsure:

I thinkyou should call him "Falling off a church" or "FOAC" for short.

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I suppose I could just tell you his name, really.

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Well, what's stopping you?? :cool:

I've had a filling in a molar replaced today and now it hurts. Grrr... I hate dentists.

I'm

but only by a hair's breadth - I could easily have been Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. Just what I thought... I don't fit into a box.