" we can go camping sometime."

Dear Bloggers,

The title of this blog entry is a quote. But more importantly, it was something that was said to me.... by a weird man. WTF?

I work on commuter busses now, and let me tell you: You run into all sorts of people in this job; whether they be creepy, cool, out of their minds or even normal, WHATEVER. You will eventually run into them all. I think as of right now, I have dealt with more “Strange” people than anyone else. I have had my fair share of run ins with really cool people, but the creepy guys take the cake. It's like they just flock to me. I'm not sure if it's the deodorant I wear, or if it's the cologne I don't wear. All I know is, it has to stop.

One day when I was at work, a passenger came in and he was looking around a bit weird before he sat down, and he immediately started singing. I don't have a problem with people singing; some people just like to have fun. And that's cool. But it's not cool when you are a creepy homeless dude changing the lyrics to, "I want to bomb Iraq," and screaming them when there are friendly customers on the bus. I told him at the next stop to either stop singing or to get off my bus. Then he started shouting at me and I told him to bugger off now.

He eventually stopped shouting and paid for the ride with his chipcard. He left, and I said to myself, "I hope he never comes in again." Well he started to come on my route everyday after that. And do you know what he would do? He would stand right by the busstop in the city centre. No, that's it. Just stand. You thought that I was going to say that we had engrossing conversations day in and day out. No. He just stood there all day being weird. OK, OK. He didn't JUST stand there. He attempted to make small talk here and there, but I wasn't really participating. But you would think that he would get the hint that I don't really want to talk with him.

Now before you guys think I am a jerk, I just need to let you know that I tried talking with the dude, but this guy was out of his lips. He would talk about the same thing everyday. ks.

I will never forget this one day though. He was telling me about a fountain that he goes to daily to pray at. I told him that I have seen that fountain a few times with some friends. I figured that I would be nice and try to have a conversation. He says, "Oh, that's neat." I say "yeah." It was silent for about two minutes after that. At the time, I believe I was writing some counting scores down. As I am writing he says to me, "Maybe we can go camping sometime." Go camping sometime? After two minutes of silence, you break it by asking me to go camping with you? WTF? I have never felt more uncomfortable in my life at that point. I had to let the dude down easy because I didn't know if he was going to kill me and I hardly know him.

Needless to say, he came again after that and asked if I wanted to grab dinner with him sometime. Again, wtf? Now this kills me. It really does. Why can't an attractive girl ask me to go camping with them? Or go out to dinner with them? WHY? Instead I get weird, homeless looking, dudes all over me. Maybe I should go camping with my family.

The Old Sailor,

Holiday Fun?

Dear Bloggers,

Our country is hardly moving, or at least not so fast anymore.

We live these days in a whirl.

On the edge of pulling through the last bits or they are at least dreaming away about what will happen.

However, many also are concerned about what will happen.

Will I be fired after the holiday or am I another victim of the Mexican flu?

According to experts, the recession and the flu will show themselves from their worst side soon. It can be seen in their faces.

Some are looking pale, despite the fact it is already high summer for weeks.

Others are brown tainted and sitting relaxed behind their desks.

Just work for a while, and then we really are going on a holiday.

However, the open-mindedness is something that is far gone this year because now the exciting places may be hazardous this time.

And then the idea that the holidays might be the last ones Mom or Dad gets unemployed.

This in relation with the stranglemorgage they can not cough up moneywise.

In the street you start to find empty places.

You got already quickly used to caravans and motorhomes that decorate the street.

With a certain probability I think that a few of them need to sell their so called “hobbyhome”.

I am also happy that I am not that hooked on going on holidays.

I find it just as much fun on the Costa Backyard as the Costa del Sol.

As myself many parents of young children pressing their last energy out to begin the holiday with as much fun as possible.

I therefore put the pool up and place it in the backyard, the children still had not much interest although the temperature was rising to thirty degrees celcius.

Unfortunately, the kids don't want to do anything fun because they are just tired.

The last bits and pieces were the hardest ones.

Here at home the atmosphere is excited as they understand that we no longer have to get up early.

But if you're awake then you will find Dad downstairs.

I am almost every morning up around six o'clock already, because my body is being painful crying for a hot shower and medication to mute the pain.

After a few days they are used to the new rythm and get out of bed as I have already a half a day behind me.

It is pretty tiring for our kids, waking up every morning at seven o'clock because they have to get ready for school.

But if it is holidaytime, it is tricky in the beginning to sleep in, and it happens the first few days that we shared our breakfast at seven, despite the fact that we all are having summerbreak, but many times after breakfast my oldest daughter goes back to bed.

And I cannot say that this is wrong.

It is only the beginning of July their holidays have just begun.

We only go on a trip at the end of their summer holidays.

It all boils down to a week or five with nothing to do.

(According to my two lovely daughters we find this boring.)

If we sit at the breakfast table, and I prepare for this holiday time, I am bringing up my topic: “Adventure” is the magic word.

Where do you want to go this holiday?

There is a long silence at the breakfast table.

However, my oldest comes up with a few ideas and I write them on paper.

We make a list of adventures park it to the cooker hood.

My youngest doesn't care at all no matter where we go as long as we go by bus.

(she is five and that is her greatest passion.)

Indignation, is widespread when my wife announced that we have no money for these kind of things.

The recession became also active in our savings account.

We will probably not be able to do all adventures but at least a part of them.

We just want to have occasionally the holiday feeling, after the hard work at school where the days were long.

We are happy with a museum and an amusement park this would be enough for us.

It is true, they had to work hard this year because our school was not that good.

The inspection has been very satisfied with the results.

I fear that after the holidays, when school starts again, it will cost the same amount of weeks to return to the harness of getting up on time and yes soon enough it is again November 11 and we are also getting closer to the arrival of Sinterklaas.

Then new strenuous times are there.

There is something unfair in it, they have so much to learn, and I occasionally learn a bit about all the new techniques.

But they are still at the beginning of life and will have at least 45 to 50 years of working for a future to build, I am now somewhere halfway.

I am going to think quietly about it and take a walk through the neighborhood.

It is a confusing time.

Neighbors in shorts are busy packing the camper.

Mothers with children riding hasty and crates full of groceries into the street. (own potatoes rule)

At home my children enjoy their holiday in the garden leave and I walk on quietly thinking.over everything.

Slowly I realize that during my childhood we did not go on holiday because there was simply no money for it.

However, I do not blame my parents because they made great trips with us to the IJselmeer.(the big lake in the middle of the Netherlands.)

We had bread and coffee to go and we bought an ice cream.

This was according to my experience the ultimate holiday.

The Old Sailor,

Miserabel weer stemt tot blijdschap

Geachte Medebloggers,

Ik probeer ondanks het miserabele weer te genieten en ik moet zeggen dat dit aardig begint te lukken.
Als ik buren zie retourneren van een camping vakantie.
Maar het gekke is ze hebben zich allemaal vermaakt.
Vreemd want het is al een tijdje kutweer.



Nou ja alles is wel zeiknat maar ze hebben een geweldige vakantie gehad. (Waarschijnlijk omdat dat zo hoort.)
Ik heb er zeer zelden doekjes omgewonden als ik iets of iemand zwaar kut vond.
Ik kan me dan ook terdege ergeren aan mensen die het overdreven leuk hebben gehad op vakantie, en daar een ieder die ze tegenkomen mee lastig moeten vallen.
Ik kan dan ook niet meer genieten als dit soort mensen een volledig verregende vakantie hebben gehad en als verzopen katten terugkeren.



Helaas moet ik tegenwoordig ook met de massa op vakantie omdat mijn kids leerplichtig zijn.
Maar ja, het kan niet altijd meezitten.
Als ze straks groot zijn en het nest hebben verlaten dan ga ik op mijn oude dag omzwerven en genieten van elk moment.

We zijn dan wel dik in de 50 maar ach ja, het is modern dat ouwe lullen gaan reizen. Velen hebben afgewacht tot hun pensioen om leuke dingen te doen.
Dit laat mij koud en onverschillig want al is mijn leven nu redelijk stabiel en moeten de kinderen iets gaan leren voor later.
Het zal mij niet weerhouden om andere dingen te gaan doen.



Ik moet zeggen dat ik langzaam aan wel word afgestompt door mijn directe omgeving, omdat ze liever spelletjes spelen op de computer of naar programma’s van commerciële omroepen kijken die absoluut niets toevoegen aan het leven.

Iets cultureels doen is of saai of eng omdat we er niets vanaf weten.
Of was je op schoolreis met een groep verstandelijk gehandicapten. (Een voordeel van gehandicapten, ze hebben humor en zijn veel dankbaarder.)



Nog even en ze weten me te bepraten om in een caravan te gaan zitten voor twee weken op dezelfde camping.
’s Ochtends met je handdoek en je rol schijtpapier onder je arm, strompel je richting het altijd net te ver wegstaande toiletgebouw.

Goedemorgen zeggend tegen al die vreselijke mensen die op dit onmenselijke tijdstip ook al wakker zijn.
Omdat in een caravan slapen geen pretje is in vergelijking met wat je thuis hebt.



Vakantie in een caravan is en blijft een foute vertaling van "een natte droom".
Gelukkig het was alleen een nare droom en mijn oudste dochter wil al niet eens in een zomerhuisje in Nederland bij zo’n opgesmukt vakantie park.
Volgend jaar gaan we gewoon weer in een paar hotelletjes, als we niet massaal ontslagen worden tenminste, maar ja wie dan leeft wie dan zorgt.
Onthoud maar een ding: “Het maakt niet uit waar je vakantie viert, ze zijn allang blij dat ze jou zakken leeg kunnen kloppen.”

Allemaal nog een fijne camping vakantie toe gewenst.

De Old Sailor,