Category: Family
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Sofa vs. Cycle: The Relative Merits
In a rash fit of positivity, we decided that we’d take a family bike ride this Sunday. Maybe I was artificially stimulated by the purchase on Saturday of a new bike for the wife (even though we won’t pick it up until next week), and the fact that I finally repaired Finn’s bike which has had a puncture for around a year now. Or maybe it was the thought that this could well be our last burst of good weather before winter really sets in. Either way, it seemed like a good idea at the time. We cycled up to… Read more
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Devaluing the family jewels
Yesterday, one of my schoolboy fantasies finally came true and I found myself naked on a bed while two nurses (actually, a nurse and a female doctor) attended to my nether regions. Unfortunately, as I was in hospital getting a vasectomy, my fantasy rapidly came to a screeching halt – just about the time they stuck the first needle into my kibbles and bits. That said, the whole operation was done under local anaesthetic, was entirely pain-free and took less than half an hour from pants off to pants on again. Today, apart from feeling like I’ve been kicked in… Read more
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Born Free, But You’ll Pay To Prove It…
We’re finally back in Belgium, and going through all of the requisite administrative steps to register ourselves here.  Given that Belgium is home to the EU, it should come as no surprise that it boasts world-class bureaucracy.  Here’s an example of Belgian bureaucracy at it’s finest… When you move into a house here (Belgium) you have to go and register with the local commune (which is like a city council). You have to do this in person, and can only do so once you have physically moved into the house. You have to take with you a signed copy of… Read more