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December 1, 2005
Britta update
The good news -- Britta doesn't have asthma! The bad news -- this means she's just has a really bad cough that keeps everyone except Karsten up at night. Last night Andy was the champ holding her upright until I took the shift at 6:30am. The mice were still up at that hour too and I could hear them scurring around in the kitchen while I sat immobilized on the living room couch.
The trip to the doctor was interesting. While the Dutch may be liberal about their recreational drugs they are quite stingy when it comes to cough medicine or anything else to relieve the common cold. The doctor said Britta doesn't need a flu shot either. I liked this doctor. Everyone in America seems to think if you don't get a flu shot you may as well just buy your funeral plot because you won't make it through the winter without one. The doctor actually told me getting the flu would be good for Britta in building her immune system.
The doctor was a female wearing jeans and t-shirt. The office was a musty, old ground floor house from the early 1800s. There was nice art on the wall and cute, modern wooden office furniture like you'd see in a grade school but adult sized. When I first got there the receptionist told me I'd come at the wrong time. Oh no, I thought, I'll never get this military time right. She said my appointment was at 3pm. I said "what time is it?" She said, "3:10. Just this once I'll let you in." There wasn't even one other patient in the waiting room and the doctor was still with the other appointment. I paid $24 to see the doctor. My co-pay is $20 in the States to see a doctor and here that is the total cost of the appointment. Nice!
Despite Britta's night cough she seems well enough during the day. We've managed to have an interesting week. We have a new babysitter too who is well rested and energetic. She's a student at Art Center so we have a lot in common. The last babysitter we called The Extortionist. When she got here she told us her rate is 12 Euros (almost $15) an hour and that we had to pay 30 Euros for her cab ride home. Where was this woman's bike? I almost told her sorry, I can't go out and enjoy it leaving my kids with an extortionist but Andy made me get over it. For that price I can't even afford to eat at the FEBO....
Where was I? Andy and I went to the Van Gough museum while the babysitter was here. Andy's quote, "Van Gough was ambitious!" I think he appreciated Van Gough for his drive. Today we went to the outdoor ice rink in front of the Royal Palace. Karsten wouldn't go ice skating but Garfield would. Pictures to follow. How cool that Karsten's first experience ice skating was at an outdoor rink in Dam Square.
Posted by jana at December 1, 2005 12:20 PM