Security, sewing, and school

Well, after both Andy Roddick and Roger Federer's untimely demise in the Australian Open, I still had a pretty nice week!

Wednesday I went to the US Consulate in Amsterdam to get my passport renewed. My passport was from back when I was 18, and this year it's due to expire (yes, I'll be 28 in a couple of weeks . . .). Because Rene and I don't have a credit card the only way to renew my passport was to go into the Consulate in person. The security there is INSANELY INTENSE! It makes me glad that they're on my side!! First I had to announce myself before they'd let me through the gate. Then I had to go through the first security check, where the man searched EVERY pocket and EVERYTHING in my bag, made me take out the batteries in my cell phone and camera, and wanded me. Then I had to wait in line to get into the REAL security booth! In there I had to take off all my metal, leave my phone and camera, put it all in my bag and check it with the security man, and then go through the metal detector. The only things I was allowed to bring with me were my paperwork and my wallet. Then on my way out, I had to get back in line outside to get back into the security booth to get my bag back! In any case, everything was taken care of and I will hopefully get my new passport by the end of next week.

Monday and Thursday I helped my friend Melanie make new curtains for her spare bedroom in her house- on Monday I helped her measure, cut, and pin the fabric, and on Thursday she came over to sew them on the sewing machine that Rene's mommy let me borrow! That sewing machine has come in very handy, not only when I was making curtains, but also to do little things like sew the edge of the extra curtain material that I now use as a table cloth, sew up the split in the seam of my slippers, patch two holes in Rene's pants, and finally put a nice new hem on a pair of dress pants that I hemmed by hand a few years ago! I must say all this sewing is making me feel like quite the house wife!

I won't be one for too much longer, though! Last Tuesday and Friday I went into the British School in the Netherlands to find out more about what I need to do when I start this Friday. The most confusing thing is my schedule, but I think I'm starting to sort it out. The lessons that I'll be taking over should be pretty straightforward, at least at first! It will be an awful lot of assessing and grading, which I'm not used to, but I'll figure that out too! The other teachers are really nice and really helpful, and I think I will really enjoy working with them. And I've been cycling there and back, which takes 30 minutes one way, so I'll be getting some good exercise too! I'm nervous about all the work it's going to be, but I'm not so anxious about it anymore.

I'm going back in on Monday to watch the last two lessons that I haven't seen yet, and then I'm ready to take over on Friday! That leaves three more days of freedom before I'm a real working woman again!