CHANGING THE FLOOR

As I wrote before I finally decided to throw out my carpet and to introduce a wooden floor in the whole apartment; a major job I required the help of my father for. At first instance I wanted the wooden floor to have more possibilities to rent out the apartment but now I have decided to stay in Holland after all, I can enjoy it myself.

Such a major job also helps you to clean out your house, the more because I wanted the new floor in my whole apartment. Books were rearranged (and man what a lot of books I have !), cupboards were cleaned, furniture was shifted to other rooms etc. A fresh start in a fresh new house.

After three days of hard work (from 9 until 9) we still did not finish the job; we were so fed up with it we had to quit and to postpone the final two rooms to later this week. My father did the measuring and the sawing; I did (most of) the clicking of the laminate and the sticking of the skirthing-board (or in Dutch "plint"; a much nicer and practical word). Before we actually found out what the most convenient and practical way of going forward was, there was some frustration about the little progress.

After a break of two weeks we finally finished the job. And I am very pleased with the final result. Only downside: I have got a nasty rash which is not going away; maybe it is linked with some glue or other substance I am allergic to. I hope this is going away in the near future; otherwise we have a new problem to deal with.

To give you some impression of the final result:

SO THERE IT IS; MY OWN BLOG

Dear visitor,

I would have liked to start my blog on a special day instead of an ordinary day in October 2008, but I have learned to do things when you are motivated and not to wait for the perfect moment. It won't come; as a (former) perfectionist I know by now.

So there it is: my own blog. What to do with it? That the whole world can read what I write is exciting, challenging, and also frightening; writing at my desk in my humble apartment in downtown The Hague for everyone to read. Will it be interesting enough?

For me the main reason to start this blog is that I like to share my thoughts on issues that interest me, that make me happy, that concern me, that make me angry or even furious, that make me sad or depressed, but also topics that make me hopeful or that are simply fun. Of course it is my personal view on things; I am not pretending to be a specialist or a know-it-all.

What to expect? To give you some idea: I am thinking about a column-style blog with a personal touch and a link to current events. Subjects might be for example personal growth, international politics, society, gay issues or art. Subjects close to my heart. In time maybe a central theme emerges.

I am not involved in any kind of organization, political party, lobby group or whatever. Again, these are simply personal thoughts of an independent citizen of a free country and my only intention is to share them with you and to not let them go through my head over and over again.

English is not my mother tongue. If you come across terrible mistakes that violate every rule in the big book of English grammar, please be gentle with me. At least I am trying and I am willing to learn.

Feel free to leave a comment. Also links or comments from like-minded bloggers are welcome; I can use all the help I can get.

ENJOY !!