My Brother

is the funniest guy I know...

I might be biassed, him being my brother and all, but the things he comes out with are so off the mark that it always seems to tickle my funny bone.

I suppose that since he cracks them in Dutch and they are a bit intranslatable they probably don't come across as well as they do in Dutch.

His newest one yesterday:

Me: 'So, has living on your own made you slimmer or fatter than you were?' (yeah this weight obsession is a family thing)

He: Well I am not sure but every time I step on the scales they start screaming NO, NOT WITH 2 PEOPLE AT ONCE!!!!!!

Hahaha..

Still makes me titter, even when knowing the punch line :)

Busy busy busy!

Would you believe I have a new job?
Well.. more of an extra job really...

I got a nice new guy at work 'helping' me, which basically means that he does all the boring stuff (he doesn't think that it is though, that is lucky!) and I get to do the more in depth so for me more interesting stuff. Yay for me!

On one of the many conference calls I attend I made a few clever remarks and that same afternoon some hot shot called me and sort of begged me if he could ask my manager to help them implement something. Poor people had apparently tried to implement something for 7 months and I was the first one they met who actually seemed to know how to move on. Bless...

So.. my manager checked with me if I really thought I could handle this (YES YES I am EASILY bored, do give me more different things to do, PLEASE)

So now I am called a project manager and need to help implement a new thingy. Ooh.. the importance ;-)

My manager then sent the sweetest mail that has ever been sent out on an occasion like this, thought I'd share the bits that made me go 'ahhhh'...

Folks, we all know Tanja is a talented lady and it is only fair we share her talents with the rest of the organisation. We have received a plea to allow her to work with on the new . Her knowledge of is key to us getting a robust solution.
Tanja will continue to perform the while doing this.
This is a great opportunity for Tanja and I am sure you join me in wishing her well in her new adventure.

How sweet does that sound then!? Well.. anyway, it made me very happy :)

I must say I am busier than a busy thing now but enjoying every second of it!

Still managed to fit in a very nice way of making brussels sprouts pallatable even if you didn't fancy brussels sprouts!!

I cleaned and cut in half enough sprouts for 2 people and cut 1 big potato in chunks, then boiled them together for 20 minutes. In the meantime I chopped an onion and browned it slowly in a tiny bit of butter, then added a tin of ham (also in chunks) to it and browned it all nicely. Then added some chopped tomatoes and a few garlic cloves in bits to it all and stirred until softened.
Drained the sprouts and potatoes put them in an oven casserole, added some salt, pepper and nutmeg and put the ham tomato stuff over them, then let it stand to cool. (did this in my lunchbreak)

Then before I wanted to start dinner I made a roux (bit of butter, bit of flour and milk, all in a pan and boil, strangely enough it all comes together as a sauce :-)) melted parmesan and a few generous lumps of blue cheese in it, poured the mixture over the sprouts and tomato mixture and put the lot in the oven on 180 degrees (hot air oven, otherwise 200) for 20 minutes which made the top nice and brown.

Man.. what a FANTASTIC way to eat sprouts I tell ya!