Today George turns 13. Henry turned 13 last Sunday. I know that for dogs this makes them rather beyond middle aged. I see that there’s a little more grey and white in their fur and it’s a bit easier to sneak into the house without setting off the Small Dog Alarm Service. However, when we go walking on sunny days, the sound of their nails on the sidewalks of Amsterdam is still at a pretty rapid pace. It’s a good sound, I know how fast they are walking just by listening. It struck me in particular today as we were walking to the parking garage for the last time.

For nearly five years, we have been walking to the parking garage to pick up Astrid. When I first moved here, there was a 13 month waiting list for a street parking permit. However, I could shelter Astrid right away by signing up at the convention center’s parking garage. We continued to park there even after I got a street permit. I can’t tell you how many times the boys and I have walked to the garage. Since parking works literally on the monthly basis here, Astrid left the garage for the last time today and now she’s parked right outside the door.

Long overdue (as in I have never done it) GG showed of her Dutchness by washing the front windows of the house by hand. I feel like window washing is a big thing in the Netherlands. They look amazing and the plant bed below them also got a nice makeover. That’s that whole curb appeal thing 😉

It’s been a week of people saying good-bye in surprising ways – including an amazing good-bye party from the people of my favorite terrace (organized in secret with GG) and then another from the meetup.

Then today I suddenly had the panicked thought of what was I going to do with the boys for the next few weeks during the day? Our first project starts tomorrow and we don’t have someone yet who will let the boys out during the day. I came out of the shower, firing 20 questions at GG about what were we going to do with the boys, etc. And that’s when she calmly replied that she had taken the first half of October off because we were moving. Somehow I missed that 😉 And I am also the one who said “Why waste vacation days on a move??”

I am definitely glad she chose not to listen!