did you know that they auction found luggage?

Claudine says: good morning/afternoon

Laura says: hey still there?

Claudine says: hi

Laura says: ah...I missed your ever-presence earlier today...spent all day nervously waiting for the DHL man to show up with my briefcase...which is still AWOL

Laura says: how was your weekend?

Claudine says: sorry, i was beat and i had a couple of hours comp-time from a late night last week so i decided to come in a little late

Claudine says: it was good, too short

Laura says: ah, well...o I survived. Harry Potter is very diverting

Claudine says: which one?

Laura says: Goblet of Fire

Claudine says: good?

Laura says: entertaining

Laura says: I resisted reading them for a while because of the popularity...but figured if I am going to try to write a kids book, I should give them a whirl

Claudine says: good idea

Laura says: and they are fun...sometimes repetitive, but I just skip over those parts

Claudine says: i liked the first one enough. I don't really understand the huge popularity with adults though, it felt like a book/series that I would have loved as a kid.

Laura says: yeah...it's an easy way to kill time, but really, should be left to the kids.

Laura says: takes the fun out when your parents are discussing it--which is exactly what shouldn't be done

Laura says: I am grateful to Rowling...she opened up a huge market though for that age group

Laura says: though now even more people are insisting on writing kids books

Laura says: I got a little silly gift for you in Oxford...instantly thought of you (and this time it was actually portable), I was going to mail it, but maybe just

Laura says: bring it home

Claudine says: yeah, it's great that it gets kids to read books that are that length

Laura says: (so it's not a candelabra, sorry)

Claudine says: or give it to me when i come visit :)

Laura says: YAYAYAYAYAAYAYAY!!!!!!

Claudine says: no problem

Claudine says: i think we're all set with the lighting

Laura says: I'll leave it then for a future anniversary gift or something.

Laura says: see Johnny on the red carpet last night?

Claudine says: yes i did

Claudine says: and his stupid wife

Laura says: all gorgeous and perfect, as always

Laura says: but really..."long-time girlfriend" there's still hope for us single ladies

Laura says: right

Laura says: I like the bit about his son disparaging his shoes

Laura says: can you imagine what Johnny Depp's son must be like?

Laura says: or daughter?

Laura says: very odd family--half Depp and half French

Claudine says: very odd

Laura says: I was wondering today back on the whole staying for the summer. Seems sort of silly. Like I'm trying to pretend I have a life that I don't really.

Claudine says: truthfully i think if you have the opportunity to stay you should. You can work in the fall.

Laura says: I think sometimes about how nice it would be to just home, in the house...easy though...

Laura says: I worry that it will just be easy

Laura says: and that's the path that will lead me to unproductive spinster hood rapidly

Laura says: Would you come to visit then though?

Laura says: We really would have a blast in Paris

Laura says: Blake can come too if he wants...though it might be frightening for him...sort of a high-cultured weekend-long version of a Gilmore Girls night

Claudine says: actually he just started classes, he wants to get certified as a medical assistant, so that he has some skill he can get paid for

Laura says: I had no idea he was interested in the field

Claudine says: so that's why I might be able to go because he won't be able to take a vacation this year

Laura says: But his wives will

Claudine says: yup~

Laura says: :D

Claudine says: apparently when he was really little when he was in the hospital at first he wanted to be a doctor, but then he was in the hospital more and then he definitely didn't want to be a doctor. he seems really into it so...

Laura says: Glad to hear it

Laura says: Couldn't ask for a more caring medical assistant, that's for sure.

Laura says: Does this mean I need to find a...

Laura says: WAIT

Laura says: this doesn't mean your pregnant right?!??!!??!?!

Laura says: :S

Laura says: you're leaving me hanging here

Claudine says: nope, still not knocked up

Claudine says: although i don't quite see where you were going with that

Laura says: not that there's anything wrong with it

Laura says: no it just occurred to me that Blake needed to "get a proper job"

Laura says: might mean to support you and your child

Claudine says: that's just so we don't get evicted

Laura says: I was first going with the...since Blake is getting real skills, does that mean I do to?

Laura says: ah…good...I need to keep my Brooklyn condo after all

Laura says: its' strange, they are predicting "big snow" (not sure what that means in Belgium) but tonight the birds are chirping as the sun sets like it was summer

Claudine says: we're getting "big snow" tonight too

Laura says: awe...we can think of each other as we watch the world whiten

Claudine says: how nice, i'm hoping for a snow day tomorrow

Laura says: yeah...lucky me, I was hoping to get to Brussels to apply for my second passport

Laura says: ah...what service...a glass of red wine as I gab away with my friend...

Laura says: jealous

Claudine says: a little

Laura says: there is an elegance to certain parts of my Euro life that I will miss--or try to integrate. But it's just easier to have a glass of wine with dinner when a bottle of good vino costs $3

Claudine says: true

Laura says: did you know that they auction found luggage?

Laura says: the airlines...isn't that odd?

Laura says: (I was trying to figure out what the extra cost of extra luggage would be if I have Dad bring my hockey stuff over

Claudine says: that is weird

Laura says: actually, sounds like great fodder for a book or a play

Claudine says: i guess it's better than throwing it away

Laura says: (tell Blake he should write something up)

Laura says: true

Laura says: I would be curious to go to one

Laura says: maybe back in the states--if they do them there too

Claudine says: yeah, do they open them up or do you just take your chances on what's inside? like blind lots

Laura says: and then what's inside--all these sort of personal clues about the people who never claimed their luggage...why did they never come back

Laura says: I'm really intrigued actually

Laura says: so how long is the course that Blake's taking?

Claudine says: 10 months

Laura says: wow that's a big commitment. Is it everyday? Evenings I presume?

Laura says: man this Lufthansa web site sucks

Claudine says: 9-5, five days a week

Laura says: woah...wow. I'm really impressed. I feel so...out of the loop.

Laura says: How long has he been in

Claudine says: don't feel out of the loop

Laura says: I am...

Claudine says: today's his first day of classes

Laura says: sadly

Claudine says: no one else knows

Laura says: ungrounded and out of the loop

Laura says: oh...ok

Laura says: I will keep it under my toul

Laura says: touk

Laura says: hat

Claudine says: thanks

Laura says: did you see Million Dollar Baby

Laura says: ?

Claudine says: nope

Claudine says: actually didn't see any of the movies nominated

Laura says: I ended up ruining it for myself reading though a stupid Oscars report

Laura says: argh

Laura says: I saw...The Aviator

Laura says: which was enough to know it should not have won except for Kate Blanchette

Laura says: (it was the only option in Turku on a grey and depressing day after my birthday...I had already seen Closer at the same theatre days before)

Claudine says: the only ones nominated for anything that i saw were eternal sunshine of the spotless mind for best original screenplay, closer for best supporting actress and born into brothels for best feature length documentary

Claudine says: Aviator didn't win that much actually, compared to what it was nominated for. I bet million dollar baby would still be worth seeing even if you know what it's about

Laura says: yeah...sounds gut-wrenching actually, even thinking about what was described.

Laura says: Dinner time...I'll be back in a bit though, if you're still on

Claudine says: of course

Laura says: still there? working hard?

Claudine says: oh yes

Claudine says: blizzard just began

Laura says: seriously?

Claudine says: yes

Laura says: cool...my invite link didn't work though...can you send it again?

Laura says: Did you know...this on Dutch news...that there are old age home caretakers taking pictures of elderly people in compromised pictures and selling them? The only thing grosser is the idea that there are people out there buying this stuff

Claudine says: that's nauseating

Laura says: seriously...there are a range of deranged people I simply can't imagine

Claudine says: its truly disturbing

Laura says: grrr, all Luftansa could tell me about transporting my equipment was that I need to call the local office--which there is none of here

Laura says: useless

Laura says: if you were to come over...when were you thinking?

Claudine says: after school ends

Laura says: cool...June?

Claudine says: anytime after june 16th

Laura says: ok, just wanted to be sure it wasn't around Easter--as I'll be trying to get into Russia around then

Claudine says: no, i'm getting my hair done on good friday ;)

Laura says: of course

Claudine says: although depending when the school's closed that would be a good time to go

Laura says: ah...just thought...timing will be perfect, you can trim my hair again. Just remember to pack the scissors in your carry on

Laura says: then you can join me in Finland or Moscow!

Laura says: joy joy

Laura says: and a little nippy

Laura says: you'd love Timo...he makes Blake seem blaring and over-pronounced

Claudine says: wow

Claudine says: so I’m allowed to use my own scissors this time?

Laura says: It's funny because I don't know if he got a little louder or I jsut got used to it , because I could understand him much better without leaning in so often last visit

Laura says: well, no, I expected that you would go to the Knolls

Laura says: I need you to pick out a few perky summer alfits from my closet too...so I can pick up a cute Scandinavian for the summer

Laura says: you don't mind, right?

Laura says: ;)

Claudine says: of course not

Laura says: always looking to improve my fashion sense

Laura says: the shame of the blog is that the emoticons don't turn up...that’s what almost makes it better that you actually have to write "angry pineapple lady" now

Claudine says: yeah, i noticed that

Claudine says: LIGHT SNOW HAS OVERSPREAD THE AREA AND WILL CONTINUE TO FALL ON THE LIGHT SIDE THROUGH AROUND 4:00 PM. AFTER THIS... STEADIER AND HEAVIER SNOW WILL DEVELOP IN TIME FOR THE EVENING RUSH HOUR COMMUTE. SNOWFALL RATES BY 5:00 PM MAY BE AS MUCH AS 2 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR... CAUSING WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO HEAD TO THEIR DESTINATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Laura says: wow...a real storm

Laura says: our warnings are clear skies at the moment

Laura says: that's a lot of snow they're talking about

Claudine says: SNOW WILL ARRIVE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON IN ADVANCE OF A NOR'EASTER... AND MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME MIXING WITH RAIN OR SLEET WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING... WHICH COULD HOLD DOWN SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SOMEWHAT.

Laura says: heading home early then?

Claudine says: EVEN SO... CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT AN 6 TO 10 INCH SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR BY THE TIME THE SNOW TAPERS OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. WINDS COULD ALSO BECOME QUITE STRONG DURING THE PERIOD OF HEAVIEST SNOWFALL. NORTHEAST WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH MAY CAUSE NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS... WITH CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES.

Claudine says: unfortunately no word of that so far, i would be very happy with a snow day tomorrow

Laura says: most definitely

Claudine says: according to the hourly forecast on weather.com it is going to snow and snow shower until 9am on Wednesday

Claudine says: and then stop only for a couple of hours

Laura says: ooo…definite potential there for a nice cozy day at home with the kittens...get to work on some more bathroom planning

Laura says: but you must get outside and take some nifty photos too for me to see

Claudine says: of course

Laura says: ummm...i'm going to make some hot cocao for myself and tea for joske (with Speculoos!) brb

Laura says: mmm...marshmallows...mini-jet puffed...the taste of being a kid and being happy

Claudine says: lucky you

Laura says: here's an inane conversation starter--what is jet-puffed about a marshmallow

Laura says: and hey you had us all drooling with your french toast sticks the other day

Claudine says: sitting at my dsek having french toast sticks from the cafeteria and sitting in Belgium drinking hot chocolate incomparable