Recently in Health and happiness Category

When I called Thea to tell her about the gruesome bike accident I had this morning in which I received a bloody gash to my left knee as well as a steering column which nearly pierced my spleen and a bruised rib cage, she was only worried if her nice bike was alright (yes, not a single dent) and whether my pants didn't get ripped (sorry, long slash above the knee beyond repair).

Driving home again on the highway, that big billboard on the side of the road always catches my attention. There it is as always with those big bold black letters superimposed on a perfectly white background:

GOD IS LIEFDE.

Nothing more and nothing less. This is a very powerful statement and always causes me to gulp slightly and think things over. How should I deal with this eternal truth and what can I do to improve my life?

Who could have ever imagined that these three simple words could have such an impact on my thinking?

(Taken from Dutch, God is Liefde can be translated to God is Love)

The timing could not have been worse. Two days before the big race, I trip over the front door and slice a good-sized gash in my right big toe.

Ouch that hurts, blood all over the place, and it won't stop bleeding, what a bummer.

They tell me again that it's not a good idea to run in the marathon, and it now really looks like God does not want me to take part in that grueling sixteen kilometer run from Amsterdam to Zaandam.

I am not going to give up that easily (and I hope God forgives me for going against his will). In just ten minutes I'm going to take a trial thirty minute run in order to see how well I hold out. Wrap a tight tourniquet around my big toe to reduce the bleeding and hopefully keep it from falling off. 

For practice this time, I will carry with me one of those jogging belt pouches filled with extra tape, band-aids and so forth, in readiness for any emergency that might arise. Just to get used to that thing hanging from my waist.

My fingers remain crossed.

In a little more than two weeks (21 September to be more exact) I'll be taking part in the annual Amsterdam marathon called Dam tot Damloop as one of the team members for my company TomTom.

Currently I'm training intensely three to four times a week, running my usual loop of 6 kilometers, picking up the pace significantly, ending the thirty minute jog huffing and puffing and sweating all over the place.

Soon I'll have to increase the distance quite a bit, as the marathon is officially 16 kilometers long. I hope I'll be ready by then, but if not then I'll just have to take it slow and easy, the goal being simply just to complete the race.

I believe that I'll be one of the oldest members, but that should not matter, I hope. Just by completing this fine event I'll be another hero.

For the first time in decades I had had a cavity. When I sat down in the dentist's chair, I leaned back, opened my mouth and stared at the bright light above me, wondering what would happen next.

"So do you want a shot of Novocaine or not?" she asked me politely, with a subtle hint in her tone of voice as if she were challenging my manhood, daring me to say no. Don't be a loser and prove you are really a man.

Without a second of hesitation, I shook my head and said calmly "No, there was no need for it." Pretending to be brave, I grabbed my left and right hands tightly together, hooking them across my belly in anticipation of this early morning torture treatment.

To be honest, I had always wondered what it would be like, so I was a little bit prepared. I'd heard from others that it could hurt slightly, but the slight inconvenience of jabbing needle-like pain would more than compensate the half day of numbed lips and cheek, talking like a retard while coffee dribbled down the side of your face.

I survived the ordeal just fine. At one point I was tensing up so badly, arching my back in anticipation of the next intense bee-sting, that the dentist advised me just to relax by unhooking my hands and lying them loosely to my sides. "Just think about something else," she advised me.

When it was all over, I proudly shook her hand and left. My legs were slightly wobbly and my hands were trembling ever so slightly but discretely.

In the end, I felt that I had challenged fate head on and overcome yet another obstacle in the never-ending pursuit of happiness. Don't let a boring visit to the dentist distract you from your noble pursuit.

With those thoughts dancing around in my head, I cycled to the central station and caught the train to my work in Amsterdam.

During the one hour commute, I quickly forgot about that ordeal altogether. It faded away like some long lost memory. By the time I would get out of the train and would embark on the five minute walk to the office, it would indeed turn out to be yet another normal day.

Why is it that the last couple of months my snoring has become much worse that it has ever been?

My poor kids who sleep downstairs have informed me that on occasion they have been abruptly awakened by distant rumbling sounds and vibrating walls and ceiling because of my late night snoring episodes.

The funny thing is that I have always slept like I was in silent coma, and I used to never snore. Things change, sorry about that.

There is nothing more disgusting than standing in the shower next to some other guy who is blowing his nose against the tiles, clearing his throat loudly, coughing up even more mucous and spitting out one wad of spit followed by another onto the floor, not even making a minimal effort at aiming at the drain. There she flies.

Perhaps those kind folks coming from those other southern lands tend to think that this makes them more manly, athletic and maybe even more attractive to the opposite sex.

I despise the idea that my bare feet are sloshing around this odd mixture of unwanted fluids when all I wanted to do after a good workout is clean up and freshen my sweaty body.

How come when I go to make an urgent phone call, I pick up the remote control instead and start punching the TV channel buttons as if I am dialing the phone? The funny thing is that because my mind is wandering I do not realize this embarrassing mistake until nothing happens after dialing (I mean punching) the complete number and waiting a few seconds for the dial tone.

One of the many highlights in life is the purchase of a new car. That's exactly what I did this afternoon, and in the end I feel pleased with the purchase made. As a family man I need a second car for the sake of convenience and feeling good about things.

Something simple and not too expensive just to get us around when required. Trying to resist a feeling of greediness but still enjoying the extra freedom allowed.

Another day, another record. Ran the treadmill for eighteen minutes and achieved an amazing 3.83 kilometers, which is 2.29 miles or an average of 7.66 miles per hour. Not bad I guess.