Windy Cookies

The crazy is just getting started RE: exams, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of studying for them. Well, getting the hang of it again. I'm pretty sure I had it figured out during my undergrad. Maybe.

To make things better, my darling sisters decided to remedy a serious failing of Europe: lack of girl scout cookies.

Ev was so excited about the cookies that he replaced my head with them.

We were also amused to discover that Cool Ranch Doritos have a much more badass name in Europe: Cool American Flavor. Because 'Murica.

Thursday morning we picked Jesse up from the airport. Unsurprisingly, he was kind of wiped out from 20-something hours of traveling and managed to stay awake until around 6pm (Ev says there was a nap in there). I get way too much amusement from documenting jetlagged people sleeping on our couch.

 A couple odd sights were seen when we wandered around Amsterdam with Jesse. Like the birds making a nest out of cardboard in the back of a decrepit boat.

Or the street with a slightly questionable (albeit entertaining) name.

We pestered Jesse to pick out something to do during our day in Amsterdam. Eventually, we ended up at the Nemo Science Center. It looked pretty sweet, but I should probably confess that I glanced at the flier and didn't actually read it... for the record, "science center" does not equal science museum. "Science centers" are targeted at kids. Little kids.

We were definitely the oldest people there not hauling around little mini-me's. 

By, like, 20 years.

Seriously, it would have been freaking amazing for me if I was 5.

Granted, it was still pretty cool, and I'm all for teaching kids about science. Plus, there were gems like this one:

"Poop can be very smelly. That's because incomplete digestion of proteins results in rotting in the intestines.
Sometimes you will see a dog eat poo. The more proteins it contains the more the dog likes it!"

 We also forced Jesse to try his first ever coffee. He was... not impressed. Although it's kind of hard to tell, since that's the face he has in every picture ever.

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It's been pretty windy the last couple days, even for the Netherlands. You know, blowing a steady 30mph and gusting 60. It makes it hard to bike. Or walk. Or park your bike. Or scooter.

If these bikes weren't chained to things they would be long gone down the road.
The wind is merciless and cares not for your bike.

I just want to point out the construction workers in the background bracing against the wind. None of them are leaning on anything physical. The wind is just that strong. Sunday we watched a policewoman get knocked back by the wind into a section of ripped up sidewalk and fall down. She had a hard time getting up, what with it being impossible to actually move forward.

In the meantime, we've learned a couple things. First, one of the window flexes when there's a big gust of wind. Quite a bit, actually. It's a little disturbing. Second, our building sways, and it can be a bit nauseating.

The rain is currently falling (with the occasional bout of hail) between a 20 and 45-degree angle to the ground.

Oh, nevermind. It's not raining anymore. It got sunny and is now blinding us through the window.

The weather here changes insanely fast.

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I'll leave you with TU Delft's lovely gift to students for next quarter. It's actually quite clever. Evil, but clever.