well let’s see. where did I leave off? Today is a good day. I did wake up with pain and now I feel it in my knee of all places but I think it’s because I take Murphy out for 30 minutes every morning. Or atleast I have this whole week since the weather has been some what ok. When it rains he will probably get a once around the block and I will get on the little step master thing. I say this and wonder if I really will do it LOL.

Anyway I think Murphy is mad at me now. In the morning Dennis gets up and leaves for work, Murphy is allowed on the bed when Dennis gets up. So Murphy sleeps by or on me and when it is around 9 he can’t wait. I get up, get dressed and take him. He gets so filthy since there are the woods near the house. I gave him his bath this morning since you couldn’t see the bottom part of his body through all the mud and stuff LOL. So now I smell like dog shampoo, I”m sore and my dog will not get near me .

On the walk I got to thinking of all the areas to walk with him in Colorado. The fact that my parents will come with us on the walks. I just wonder if the healthy lifestyle I picture will be what we get. I know we have to make it happen if we want it and I do. I came here and gained 25 pounds from the yummy food and lack of exercise. I keep thinking of the variety of fruits and vegies in the US and the fact that you can tell the difference between the pork and beef by looking at it. Here they have these big restrictions on the slaughter and prep of meat that the beef is not aged, it is pale and has really no flavor. Also the fat is trimmed off it so there goes a lot of the flavor. You have to add a lot of butter to the pan so the meat doesn’t burn so you add a lot of fat that way. I just don’t get it but hey that’s just me.

But talking about the meat made me think of things I will miss. The whole reason I got fat in the first place, the friture…. the frietjes speciaal, the frinkandel… the curry ketchup that binds it with the mayo (not the Hellmans from the USA) and onions…. the sweet intoxication… the liquid meat leverworst, the filet Americaan (which you never see in America), the ripe cheeses and the Belgian beers. I will miss the Aachen Christmas market with Dennis’ parents and our rituals of potato pancakes, Glüwein, roasted chesnuts and garlic mushrooms in a cream sauce. The sampling of hot honey mead.

I know that there will be a change and great things will come from it. I am talking to my friend from Belgium on MSN and he is happy for us about moving but is also having a hard time with saying good-bye. I have had to uproot so many times and say good-bye to so many people that you would think it would get easier. Maybe it’s just because I am getting closer to my friends as I get older, but it is not easier to say good-bye. I will miss him and I know that it doesn’t have to be the end of the friendship. But it will be different. I will miss going to his house for the horror marathons and also just having him around to laugh. But atleast now it means he has to visit.

I have just reread the whole text and I really do believe this is the rantings of a crazy lady. I write how much I am going to miss and how much I am looking forward to it. I first just wanted to write a little something about nothing and now it turns out to be a whole lotta nothing. guess I am just crazy LOL