Pel: The great escape

Pel!We love our hamster (Pel) and try to give her a good life. She seems quite happy, and lets us pet her. She allowes the kids to play with her, pick her up and move her about without any problems. We have her solve mazes, we give her special food puzzles, and we give her fun items to play with in her habitat. She has a small house, a half coconut, a running wheel, a sand bath, a small china cup with her food, a small plate for her vegetables, a water tube, a small ladder and a couple of hollow tree trunks.

The tree trunks were added because I thought it would be fun for her to explore them, add a new hiding spot, and they can be used for biting and improve her dental health. She liked them, and I went a bit overboard. Each time I added a small tree trunk Pel would come out and explore. She would smell it, run across it, run through it, and sometimes give it a little nibble. She seemed so happy that I kept adding trunks. They started creating a complex maze where she could run through. It seemed so fun.

But there was a small problem that I did not realise until it was to late. Pel played with all the tree trunks, but slowly the top of het habitat was coming into reach. One day she must have taken a leap of fortune, and she was suddenly gone. Her habitat was empty. At first we did not notice, and thought Pel was relaxing at one of her hiding spots. Alan told me once he had not seen Pel in some time, but I assured him she was simply hiding. After a quiet night it hit me, and I knew she was gone. Every night she would exercise and run like crazy in her wheel. Quite a noticable racket, but now the night was silent. A terrible feeling came over me, and after a thorough search of her habitat it was clear she was not there.

Luckily we kids were not at home. Alex was on a trip with his godfather, and Alan was staying with friends. I searched everywhere. Moved the couch, the cupboards, the beds. Everything I could think of. I investigated all the lower parts of the cupboards. Nothing. My instincts told me that Pel could have no desire to go anywhere, but my mind told me I looked everywhere. Then Ana started telling me it was kind of my fault. The effect it would have on Alan, and lots of talk about me loosing his favorite pet. There was also lots of talk about a dead Pel that we would find some day, because of the smell. I broke.

That afternoon we decided to replace Pel. We went and got another hamster. Similar, but clearly not the same. I was so sad, but we wanted to do the best we could to avoid the sad truth. Pel2 was placed in Pels old habitat, and we hoped Alan would not notice. That night Alan slept with some friends, so the new Pel2 had some time to adapt to the new surroundings, and hopefully it would not be to obvious that there quite a lot of small changes.

Our beloved Pel was still missing, and I decided to sleep in the living room, hoping for some sign or sound when she became active at night. All over our home, at strategic points, I had placed little stacks of sunflower seeds (her favorite food) so I could hopefully verify she was still around. I went across the appartment a few time in the dark, with a flashlight, hoping to see movement, but nothing. Ana was asleep, when I also started to get ready for bed. One last round of the appartment and I would call it a night. Once again I checked all the bedrooms, the bathrooms, the living room underneath all the furniture and finally the kitchen.

I could not believe my eyes. It felt magical. So strange. Pel was there, literarily sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, looking right at me. She did not move at all, she just looked at me. I gently picked her up, and it felt like Pel had returned home. A massive weight lifted from my shoulders. I gave Pel a kiss, and woke up Ana. We quickly moved Pel2 to a different habitat and retuned Pel back to her home.

During the night I woke up a few times, but hearing Pel running in her wheel gave me a warm happy feeling that made me fall right back to sleep.

August ’25

Volendam!The children started the month together with Ana at their holiday destination. Alex also celebrated his birthday a little early there, he’s turning 14. After the Spanish holiday park, Ana came to the Netherlands with the children for a week. Ana had to return after a week because her vacation days were over. The children stayed happily with me for a few more weeks.

I spent the whole month in the Netherlands. It was a very pleasant month, and despite the unfortunate reason (Grandma’s knee surgery), I still enjoyed it. We did quite a lot. Visit Leiden and the Hortus. Castle De Haar, Volendam and Marken, Gouda and the cheese market, visits to friends in Ermelo and Wassenaar. Beach walks with kroket and frikandel sandwiches. Getting a smoked paling. Eating a herring with onions. A visit to Space-expo / ESTEC, a zoo with fun red-butted monkeys, ice cream at Likkie, and of course, playing football with some kids from the neighborhood. As far as I’m concerned, it was a successful vacation.

July ’25

It was a strange month. The first two weeks I had time off with the kids, which meant lots of activities. Some of the highlights were Agualand, Elder, Climbing World, Palmitos Park and Sioux City. After that, I went back to work, and the kids went on vacation with Ana to the Spanish mainland, for a month of sun, beach, and the swimming pool. During the weeks I spend working hard I was even able to find some time for enjoyment, like going for some quality meat at Don Chuleton and visiting the Soul Festival.

After a few weeks of work, I traveled to the Netherlands. The plan was to go sometime in early August, but plans changed. Grandmother Nel is getting a new knee, a major operation, so I decided to head to the Netherlands a bit earlier to lend a helping hand.

Another wants bites the dust

Wants left!I used a simple spray of water mixed with garlic and onion to spay over the plant… and just like that, the problem was history. My coffee plant is thriving again and growing like crazy!

As for the beetle (in Dutch, the ‘wants’)? It packed its bags. Apparently, it couldn’t stand the stench anymore and the leaves didn’t taste nearly as good. Mission accomplished!

Disconnect

Vacation! Time for a different rhythm. No more of that boring daily routine, just a chance to relax. Sometimes you take it a step further and immerse yourself in a completely different environment. Traveling to destinations that are incomparable to your home situation.

Alan has now reached the ultimate level. No school, a new place, and it even seems like he’s diving into a completely different culture. Alan is going full tribal!

Soul festival San Agustin

Soul Festival San Agustin 2025!This weekend I’m heading to San Agustín in the sunny south of Gran Canaria. Every year, they build an impressive stage right on the beach: the ocean on one side, food, drinks, and restrooms on the other. On Friday and Saturday, we’ll be soaking up the warm sand and enjoying the Soul Festival.

Soul festival 2025 – San Agustin – Friday, July 18:
19:30 Monterreina
20:30 JP Bimeni and the Black Belts
22:00 The Memphis Music Hall of Fame Band
22:10 Shunta Mosby, Dani McGhee & Candy Fox
22:50 Carlos Strong
23:50 Junte Mayon
00:30 Gran Final

Soul festival 2025 – San Agustin – Saturday, 19 July:
19:30 Calamity Jane
20:30 Gisele Jackson and the Shu Shu’s
22:00 The Memphis Music Hall of Fame Band
22:10 Shunta Mosby, Dani McGhee & Candy Fox
22:50 Lil Rounds
23:50 Jerome Chism
00:30 Gran Final

I’ve been to this festival several times, always with Diego. The last time was two years ago. We always do it the same way: two days of fun, Friday and Saturday. One day I drive, the other day Diego takes the wheel. No kids because we’re home alone while both our families are off vacationing somewhere far away. We stay behind as loyal wage slaves.

But this year we’re doing things differently. No commuting back and forth. We plan on sleeping in the car near the beach. Just a mat and a sleeping bag. That saves us a lot of travel time we’d rather spend relaxing in the sand. Friday: we leave, enjoy the festival, sleep in the car; Saturday: more music, another car night, then head home on Sunday.

Two nights in the car? Should be doable. We’re just going to give it a shot.

Update: The festival was absolutely amazing, but I couldn’t handle sleeping in the car for two nights. On the second day, I stayed completely sober and drove back home at night so I could sleep comfortably in my own bed again.

June ’25

Alan’s soccer season wrapped up this month with a group photo, a fun BBQ next to the footbal field, and a parents versus kids footbal match! He’s grown a lot as a player and really enjoys both training sessions and matches, so it’s very likely he’ll join his team again next season.

A milestone, thats for sure. 50 years already… incredible. This month we also celebrated Ana’s birthday during a combined celebration in the sun, all-in at Mogan Princess & Beach club. We spend four days enjoying the pools, the free food, the free drinks, the activities, just great; a total disconnect from our normal routine.

Besides my birthday, it has been another great month. We joined the club Metropole, the local swimming pool that also has a gym, bar, restaurant, tennis court, squash court, and more. Ana immediately started taking a lot of lessons, so her health will greatly improve. Our kids have quite a few friends who also go to the club, so that should work out well. I started by inspecting the bar, so for me I expect far less health benefits.

50

NL to ES!Half a century! Amazing. Looking back, something that is almost inevitable when you reach a milestone, gives me a great feeling of victory. Like climbing a mountain, and looking back at the track and seeing the view, the path and combine them with the memories of the climb. Easy parts, hard parts, the falls and mistaken, the shortcuts… together they make the effort valuable.

Looking back at my own path in life I see myself growing up. My street, the little town with the church in the center. My parents and little brother always around. I see fun times digging in the garden, raising rabbits, playing with little chickens and little ducks. Having birds around. Growing beans, unions, chickpeas, carrots, and other plants with my dad. Removing endless amounts of weeds from all the crops. I see us eating fries every weekend, with a kipcorn for me. I see myself making rice every weekend. Terrible rice at first but I get better. I see us making huge Lego villages in the attic. I see fun filled vacations with the family in the sun. I see myself studying and wondering what I’m doing. I see problems at my school. I see myself cleaning the rabbit cages and thinking how could something smell so bad, but feeling pride afterwards. I see myself fighting with my brother a lot. I see myself playing board-games with my mother. Collecting, reviewing and cleaning coins with mom. I can see us biking to grandma in the town nearby through the wind, getting a little (or big) push on my back to help me. I see myself hiding underneath the table, scared of suffocating in the smoke cloud covering the entire living room, where it seems like everyone is smoking. I see myself in my room, in my bed, being scared of the dark. I can see our entire family in the dunes searching for bullets, or collecting blackberries, or getting wild rhubarb. Going to the beach, or to the lake, with our big surf plank. Going for paling. Our first car where we glued a CD on top of the roof. Driving with my brother to meet the ‘paal’ or get a hamburger at the burger king. Getting on the race bike, to drive to Schiphol to see some airplanes land and take off.

Meanwhile observing the start of the digital age. Color TV, the first computers, mobile phones, mobile phones with a screen, smartphones, cars with a ‘choke’, cars without. Seeing the climate change, remembering walking of a frozen sea, frozen rivers. Seeing houses being built everywhere. Travelling getting more and more normal.

Then I see a change. Somehow a turn in the path where I changed my style. I see myself really growing up. The seed that my parents planted in me by getting me an 8086 personal computer is suddenly sprouting. I get direction, and can finally see where I’m going. After studying informatics, I start working right away. I get a house, and change jobs a couple of times. After I left my parents home my relationship with my family improves. For a while I am happy, visiting places with friends, going skiing, indoor climbing, going out drinking and visiting concerts and festivals. After a few years I felt the need for things to change. I take a risky detour, just for the experience. I quit my job, and go to travel. I start this blog to keep my family informed. I go to the US for a couple of months and I travel from New York to San Francisco, visiting Canada and Mexico on the way. The trip changed me, and made me much more confident about myself.

After my trip I returned to my previous path, working as a freelancer, picking up old routines, but it was not enough anymore. I start to travel within Europe. I start meeting people, and after a couple of years I go to Spain to learn the language. I stay in Spain and eventually move together with Ana to Gran Canaria. I big change, my destination turned out to be different to the one I imagined earlier. We get married and we have two sons. I adopt to the Spanish life. A life with lots of emotions, some very good, some really bad. At times it is really difficult and I am afraid I made a wrong choice in life. Eventually even life in Spain turns into another routine, and this time I am able to accept it. I know my climb is not yet done, but the part I already did makes me proud. I’m happy to realize and feel that it is the voyage that is important and not so much the destination. This is a saying I have heard lots of times, but I never felt it like I do now.

Here I am now. I feel good about myself. I have confidence. I understand how things work, I know I can learn new things. I know I have made mistakes, and I have hurt people, but I have always tried to avoid hurting others and avoid conflict, but some conflicts were inevitable. I know that some things require lots of effort and lots of work. I understand what has value for me, and what does not have value. I know the choices I make are the correct choices for me. I know that there is nothing wrong with failure. I know strength is easily confused for weakness by people who just don’t know. I know it is hard to fail and disappoint someone, but it is worse to fail yourself. I aim to be a good teacher for my kids. Teach them how to be happy and how to make the world a bit better. Prepare them as well as I can for their own journey.

That’s where I am now, after 50 years I find myself in a good spot, curious about what else my future will bring.

Heteroptera

HeteropteraI was so happy with my coffee plant, but unfortunately, my happiness was short-lived. A beetle was just as happy with the plant as I was and started eating all the leaves. Not great, so I had to come up with a solution. Luckily, my own local AI had some advice.

Question for AI: What is an effective way to deal with beetles that are eating the leaves of my coffee plant?

AI advice (using essential oils)

One effective and natural deterrent for beetles, including those that might be eating the leaves of your coffee plant, is a combination of essential oils mixed with water and soap. Here’s an easy-to-make recipe:

### Natural Beetle Deterrent Spray

**Ingredients:**
1. 1 cup of water
2. 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (to help the mixture stick to leaves)
3. 1 teaspoon of dish soap (preferably natural, like castile soap)
4. 10-15 drops of essential oils (choose from the following options):
– Peppermint oil (strong scent that beetles dislike)
– Eucalyptus oil
– Tea tree oil
– Citrus oils (like lemon or orange)

**Instructions:**
1. Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle.
2. Shake well before each use to ensure the mixture is properly blended.
3. Spray the solution on both sides of the leaves and the stem of your coffee plant.
4. Apply every 3-5 days, or after rain, until the beetle problem is under control.

### Tips:
– **Test a Small Area First:** Before spraying the entire plant, test a small area to ensure the mixture doesn’t harm your coffee plant.
– **Reapply Regularly:** Beetles can be persistent, so regular application is important.



But wait a minute—essential oils? Oof, I don’t have those at home. Maybe I can just go the old-fashioned way, with water and garlic…

AI advice (based on my own suggestion, using garlic)

Yes, a homemade spray using garlic and onion can act as an effective natural deterrent for beetles and other pests. The strong scent of garlic and onions can repel many insects, including beetles.

Here’s how you can make a DIY garlic and onion insect repellent:

### Garlic and Onion Insect Repellent Spray

**Ingredients:**
1. 1 small bulb of garlic
2. 1 small onion
3. 1 tablespoon of hot pepper flakes (optional, for added deterrent power)
4. 1 liter of water
5. 1 teaspoon of dish soap (to help the solution stick to leaves)

**Instructions:**
1. Peel and roughly chop the garlic and onion.
2. Place the chopped garlic and onion in a blender or food processor with enough water to make a smooth puree.
3. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
4. Add the strained liquid to a large container or spray bottle.
5. Stir in the hot pepper flakes (if using) and dish soap.
6. Fill the rest of the spray bottle with water.
7. Shake well before each use.

**Application:**
– Spray the mixture on both sides of the leaves, as well as on the stem of your coffee plant.
– Apply the solution every 3-5 days or after rain to maintain its effectiveness.

### Tips:
– **Test a Small Area First:** Before spraying the entire plant, test a small area to ensure the mixture doesn’t harm your coffee plant. Some plants can be sensitive to garlic and onion sprays.
– **Store Properly:** Keep any unused mixture in the refrigerator if you plan to use it within a few days. Otherwise, make fresh batches as needed.

This natural spray should help deter beetles from eating the leaves of your coffee plant without resorting to chemical pesticides.


Need for speed

It was all there, a complete set of emotions and feelings… Speed, fear, overtaking, adrenaline, noise, vibrations, (small) crashes, sweat, winning, loosing. A complete birthday party of one of their friends at the kart tracks in the sun. A nice event, and the kids really liked it, so maybe we need to try this a few more times.
Alex, lord of the asfalt!Alan, master of speed!