Blog

I did finally connect with Corwin last night and we went for another exploration of local resources. Corwin and I headed out into areas we had not been before. Looking at a map now this is an area called the western canals area. It includes a chess shop I use to visit and Anne Frank House. There we stopped at a more traditional Amsterdam coffee shop and Corwin acquire some of the local resources. My cough did not improve.

We then searched for more supplies, the process to consume is more complex than I understood. We then picked up some more supplies at various facilities adjoining various coffee shops where coffee is not the focus.

Finally, we found Cafe 420 and Corwin was fully supplied with needed items. I managed to land an excellent table. I was very happy and not from the intoxicants in the air which were manifest. Cafe 420 supplies high-quality wooden chess sets. I counted at least five sets I would not mind owning. Corwin was able to roll and consume his purchases at our corner table.

So before returning to my room and trying to sleep with jet-lag (sort of slept a few hours), I played chess in Cafe 420 in Amsterdam using a high-quality board supplied by Cafe 420. I won with Black, I did misstep and lost my rook for it, but I kept my queen with a bishop and slipped in a checkmate against white while Corwin was setting up a mate-in-one. He was one move from a win when I managed to walk my queen and bishop to checkmate.

Aside: I recently played, for me, a lot of chess on my chess computer, Lasker Chess Computer, and had tightened-up my play. Lasker, as I call my chess computer, is without pity–I have managed a stalemate once. I find that I have trouble with the long lines of bishops and fall prey to the dragons of The Sicilian Defence too often. It is a true pleasure to play Lasker if one is ready to be punished for small mistakes.

Not a bad ending to our first night.

Michael R Wild

Inntel Hotel, Room 2266, Amsterdam

Well, it is getting towards the evenings and being just a day after the winter solstice, night comes soon. Which in Amsterdam is just fine for most folks. The city looks better after dark anyway with all the holiday lights.

After getting a glorious early morning check in to once again experience Dutch bathtubs (tall and deep and surprisingly hard to get out of). We are clean and happy and even got a short nap that was not in a tiny seat belted in surrounded by hundreds of people you do not know and, as always, three children that loudly exclaimed their dismay.

Corwin and I meet to find lunch while Susie rests. We explore Amsterdam’s local resources. I noticed Cafe Blom as it was busy and looked well happy. We then stopped by Wilderman as I had been there years ago and bought a t-shirt (matching my name, of course) and they suggest Cafe Blom for real food. Obviously, we are now going there. So we collected Susie and had a huge, happens when you order in a new place, lunch. 

We then headed over to Wilderman for Trappist style beers. Susie, with the food in her and beer, was all about to face-plant in her beer so I took back to rest in the hotel while Corwin finished out any left-over beer (and paid the bill).

Corwin and then I went shopping. Some missed clothing items for Corwin and large bottles of water for each room. We walked to the tourist parts of town. Oddly, the shop we purchased the clothing items was styled as an American shop with a California flag on the wall!

Corwin and I both went back to our rooms. I had a terrible asthma attack. Suspect that the intoxicants everywhere are not good for me and used my emergency inhaler (albuterol)  and recovered (breathing is not optional). A short nap (relaxing is the most important recover step for bad asthma attacks which requires not panicking when breathing is difficult) of a few hours and back to the streets!

Corwin did not answer email or phone–resting I assume. So off I go to see some more alone. I wanted to get back to the other side of the red-light district to see if it as I remember it. Nope, cleaner and safer–the Great Recession was none too kind to Amsterdam last time I was here. The food is cheaper and homier here.

I am tired so I look for a coffee shop to sit down that sells only coffee. DD. Excellent! An Amsterdam Donut; it is covered with a hard fondant icing and is cream-filled. Irony.

So walked some more and found a place open for Christmas dinner. I spoke to the manager, Mario, and have his card. It is across from our hotel (below). So we are set for Wednesday now–some shops, bars, and food places run different hours this week (Christmas)–haphazardly so you have to ask.

We start with our first tour item in the morning.

Michael R Wild

Inntel Hotel, Room 2266, Amsterdam

 

So the last minute Chrismas shopping done. Gift cards from the center of evil, also known as Amazon, sent to Gordon and Barb. Heat is already set to 55F at the house. Charger for laptop and pills and headphones in the backpack. Yes, for the first time I am traveling using a Nike backpack. As we need to drag our bags with us on a train from Schipol to Amsterdam, we need to travel light, and thus I get a backpack. Corwin is finishing up the dishes I did last night. So just about to start the beginning of the trip. Susie’s driver Mohamed will be here at 9. Boarding is about 12:45 PM so that gives us the required two-plus hours. Somehow the travel gods showed mercy and we are pre-screened TSA on our boarding passes.

We sleep and get up and eat and are ready on-time. I even wash all the dishes by hand and put them away so there won’t be week-old dirty dishes in the sink when we return. Mohamed gets us to PDX early and we follow the process without issue. Susie’s wheelchair pass gets us through all the checks in record speed and with no trouble.

The hardest part of the trip is the plane. Susie has to walk to the back of a 767-300. You think that you might change states while walking to the end. Ten hours of boring and well-fed tightly squeezed travel. Food is not bad. The plane is 100% full, it is a huge plane to be full.

I think next time I should turn down all the water and coffee and soda. I drove Susie out of her seat three times!

We get to Amsterdam and Susie I think walked for ten minutes to get from one end of the plane to the door. There a trainee (that was what his badge said) was waiting for us with a wheelchair. I missed getting his name as we rushed through customs and Susie’s walker even made it! He gets us train tickets and helps Susie get on the train. He even took our first group photo for Christmas here in Holland!

We got here and I remembered enough of Amsterdam to find the hotel on the first try. Corwin was surprised at how I just took the alleyways here and there–I was here for weeks over the years and walked the streets to relax. The sweet smell of various intoxicants is stronger than I remember.

We are often to find lunch soon or is it dinner or is it midnight snack…

We are all so happy to be here.

Michael R Wild

Inntel Hotel, Amsterdam Centre, Room 2266.

 

 

 

I left work early on Friday and followed along on-line at home and on my phone. The last-minute items were all failing to land at the Shoe Company–the upgrade work I was supposed to do on my time-off did not get final approval. No last-minute requests or upgrades. Free, well until the approval comes. Timesheets, three weeks, done. Out-of-office message in place. Work calendar blocked and non-blocking meeting showing me out to all my work colleagues done.  Handshakes and hugs, done. Out-of-there!

We are flying to Amsterdam for the holidays on Sunday. Never done Christmas in a hotel room before. Tickets, pre-purchased and allowing us to avoid the lines, are on my phone. The international Apple plugs for my computer charger found. New around the ear noise-reducing headphones, cheap, purchased for Susie and Corwin. So I think we are ready.

The Rijksmuseum on 24th. The Van Gogh Museum on Christmas. The Rembrandt House Museum on 26th. We arrive on the 23rd and leave on the 28th. So the trip is bookended with free days; a low-stress trip.

So packing is nearly done and passports found. Euros already acquired and distributed.

I received a Christmas card from the makers of my very lovely (expensive) chess computer with wooden pieces and an electronic board.

Yes, little hats, scarfs, and Christmas sweaters for my king and queen pieces. It is the best chess machine.

I have also taken the next week off and I have all these projects to do.

My 3D printer broke, don’t ask. We have new pasts to put in.

The supercapacitor charging circuit needs just a little more work. I have already acquired the buck regulator circuit to use the supercapacitor.

So much do.

So I expect I will be dreaming of boardgames, supercapacitors, 3D printing, on the plane.