April 18th
In a few days I turn 32. Weird, feels very old and I feel tired. One day of tennis competition on Sunday and I feel exhausted on Monday. I don't remember feeling like that 10 years ago, or was it because I could spend the morning in bed recovering and the afternoon listening to a relaxing lecture rather than having to hammer away at a keyboard in the hope of making an impossible deadline?
My tennis nerves have got better in so far that I can now analyze that although I am nervous I do seem to be enjoying my tennis match - and that hopefully, please, if I relax, my forehand may come back to me at some point in the match???? B does not understand that one can be so fanatic to get so nervous. I hate playing so badly in matches when I play so well when I practice, that makes me nervous... OK, the reasoning may be somewhat circular but try telling my forehand that. Anyways, I did win my singles, we'll not mention the mix I played six sunny hours later.
Tomorrow for the first time in my life I receive someone to help clean our house. Scares me a little but probably not as much as her, I have seldomly met someone so shy. She also speaks very little Dutch, so it is going to be an interesting experience. We'll see.
Time for bed, have to get back to my article early tomorow.

Moved!

So, last weekend we finally moved house, in a very Dutch way, pulling up our furniture, including washing machine, with a rope. B and I each had rented a bus too. We were finished within 4 hours and then all sat in the sun on our roof terrace and had drinks. It was a great first celebration of our house, someone had even brought champagne. Did not feel too great the next day, unfortunately. Since then we have spent most of our free time unpacking boxes, and in B's case, putting up IKEA cupboards. I have waged war with a number of people, the carpet people for not cutting well and putting glue on our walls, the kitchen delivery people for not ordering our fridge on time and the IKEA for making us pay delivery costs twice when it was their fault we had to have 2 deliveries. I am now so tired of complaining, I don't even complain anymore when I should. In fact, I am feeling very tired in general, on Saturday I woke up in a mess of boxes to be unpacked and thought "I have to get out". Not good for the boxes, but good for me. I went shopping with a bad conscience because B was at home working on the house (which he is still doing as I write). He can't just sit still and do nothing. But the house is lovely, and will be even more so once it is not such a terrible mess!