Day 3 / November 20, 2009
As I start to come out of my dream state, I think about a point that should be made about now…does everyone realize how far San Francisco is from Baltimore? 3500 miles…that’s nearly 4800 km!! We cannot just “pop” over to the other’s place whenever we want. Even if we fly…it’s still a FIVE hour flight! We rely on Skype…Last time we were together was in MAY…for only 2 ½ days….So…Can you see my utter excitement when I awaken and he is next to me??!! I can only treasure every moment….nothing can interfere…it is impervious….I stretch…and I’m immediately met with tender caresses and kisses. …the rest is mine (ours)…not yours…be back later…
We gather ourselves together, after a couple of magical sprays of happy liquid. Daily couture is decided upon. Necessary primping is quickly finished so the day can be conquered! (Already started off in a mighty fine way…
) Rumbling tummies tell us it is time to eat. Today we are extra hungry!! How many coffeeshops did we hit yesterday, anyway? How many miles did we clock? How many stairs did we climb? How much “extra-curricular” activity? No wonder…
Tony’s NY Bagels is next to Albert Heijn. We get our milk for our Instant Breakfast…and go get bagels and coffees as well. Just as happened last year, my plain, toasted bagel arrives with a nearly-tennis-ball-sized glob of cream cheese! I could have shared with everyone in the place! I start with the bottom half of the bagel (my favorite part cuz it’s crunchier!). Cream cheese is bulldozed off the golden-brown disk of yumminess. Bong’s bagel is nicely buttered (ha!…I said “Bong’s bagel is nicely buttered”…ha!) I decide half a bagel is plenty, wrap the rest and stow it away. Sweet, milky coffees are savored as the walk outside is being contemplated. We get ready to get ready…ie: scanning the area for any dropped cargo (read: luv’s scarf…I am always finding it on the floor). Once we bundle back up, we are off again. Ready for our morning ritual: Basjoe.
Everything for a great morning: Spoon…cone…coffee…apple…bong…orange juice…and notebook! Not to mention James milling about behind the bar…
The smoking commences with Bas Special in the bong. As I am finishing up my last bout of coughing, the door pops open and in walks Sex in the City, British-style, only 3 girls instead of 4. I seem to only remember the Carrie-Samantha love child. She has the long, blonde curly hair and crazy fashion sense of Carrie and also exudes the sexuality of Samantha…all eyes can’t help but look. Aside from that, she was also the most outspoken of the three. They look like fun…they are having fun…and they are getting high! (Where are all you guys who always Q: “Where are all the stoner chicks?” A: BASJOE.) I watch them try to take a photo of themselves…c’mon…it ain’t gon’ happen! Let me help! I take two shots for them and they giggle their appreciation. They sit for a while and smoke the rest of their pre-rolled joint (mixed with tobacco, I smell). The patrons (all men, save for me…) are a bit sad as the trio departs. I’d like to think their next destination was the Museum of Bags and Purses.
One of the kids…<did you card this kid?>...sitting at the bar starts talking with us. Being the socialites we seem to be, we invite him to our table. We contribute to the delinquency of this just-barely-NOT-a-minor. He looks so clean-cut…a young Donny Osmond, explosively big smile and all. He tells us he’s from Alabama, but I detect no Southern accent and call him on it. Grew up in the city…dad’s a cardiologist…mom was…a lawyer? (I can’t remember, since I didn’t write it down--Note taking is an afterthought to all the conversation.) Anyways, he just doesn’t have an accent. I have decided to call him Bamalam (thanks Ram Jam)…since he’s from Alabama and looks as gentle as a lamb, but LOOK OUT! This kid can PARTY….hard! We share all our stuff with each other since we’ve made quite a few purchases and have a bounty any pirate would be proud of. He gets terminated with Spoon…and loves it! We smoke hash with him. …Hash…Yum. He loves it too! Bong and I are enchanted with him. My maternal instinct kicks in and I ask Bamalam if he’s hungry, since I have a bagel… Being a smart cookie, he takes the bagel. Between the crunching and the cream cheese, he tells us he is going to college in Barcelona for a year…they are on break until January…he’s in Amsterdam until Wednesday. I tell him that the very day he leaves is my birthday. He says he’ll come back. We’ll see. After Amsterdam Bamalam (
) will head to London for a couple days and then to South Africa! OMG… The kicker? When he gets home, Moms is giving him a DRUG TEST!!! He has some ideas to clean out his system…we jokingly tell him to shave ALL his body hair off! (I think he actually ponders the idea…
) Time is tickin’ and we decide to head down to the Power Zone to pick up our Judge’s Passes. We invite him back to Basjoe tonight for the U.S. vs. U.K. smokeout…the wild look in his eyes tells me I probably won’t be seeing him tonight…James points us in the direction of the Metro, we say our goodbyes to the usual suspects, Bong grabs my hand, and we begin another adventure. Of course another bridge-kiss is in order…
Hint: look at the shadow…awwwwww!
After the gushiness, we move along looking at each other with our “heart eyes” when once again I am surprised that my cell phone is ringing--I have basically been using it for the clock and the alarm. It’s my sister. (For real this time.) She and broinlaw are HANGIN’. After leaving Basjoe last night, they went out for food then went back to their friend’s house to crash. Broinlaw got so high the night before…he tells luvsis to relay a message to me: “Luv, your Bong should come with a WARNING LABEL!!” omg. lmfao… Bong, you really
should! Since they are judges too, I tell her our plans for going down to the Power Zone to pick up our passes and schwag. They say they will get theirs too. I tell them how to get there…and tell them that if we miss each other (they ARE hungover, you know) we will be at Basjoe at 9 pm every night. Done. Let’s get to the subway.
We pass some souvenir shops and the mandatory bakeries and descend the stairs to catch our train. The machine taunts us to get our tickets: I’m not sure who went first, but both Bong and I try our cards and the machine will not take them! We are getting frustrated!!!! The man that works there tries to help…tries all 3 of the cards we just tried and declares that this machine always has a problem with cards, so we will need to use cash. Wonderful. We don’t have any small bills. We will have to break one...
PASTRIES!!!! Taking the steps 4 at a time, Bong is already ordering his “appleflaps” <a “Bong-ism”> as I finally arrive at the shop. I decide to try what he’s having. Ever taste heaven? Mmmmmmmmmmm……they are these little square pillows of gooey apples bathing in a cinnamon-sugar glaze, surrounded by a blanket of flakey, golden pastry and finished off with a sprinkling of sugar crystals. Did I say, “Mmmmmmmmm???” Mission accomplished and we wipe the goo and sugar crystals off the money and finally succeed in buying tickets. With happy, full tummies, we board the train and take our seats.
In the aisle across from us are two teenagers, maybe slightly older…and their dogs—a male and a female pitbulls! I have a pit bull and I was instantly enamored with the two. Nothing like a gigantic pitbull smile to brighten a dreary day…except TWO of them! Memories of my dog being a puppy whiz through my brain as fast as the scenes of Amsterdam were giving way to our stop at Spaklerweg. I am pleased when I see many other people going to the Power Zone on foot! (Last year, I seemed to be the only person who didn’t want to spend the money on a taxi…)
As we walk up to the portable office next to the red carpet entry to the yet-to-open expo, we are greeted by a man and woman offering us a hit of Da Purps. I try it and give the mostly-ash pipe back to the man. He asks Bong if he wants a hit as he hands him the empty pipe…Bong, of course, tells the guy he’ll hit it if there’s something to actually hit! The guy seems offended, but the pipe IS empty! He fills it…and Bong kills it… As we walk away, Bong critiques it: “It’s not completely dried…etc…” He also schools me on why it’s not actually purple. (Don’t ask me why…cuz I can’t remember! That is Bong’s expertise…) We get our passes, bags, shirts, maps, papers……….and are ready to leave when the familiar T-Mobile ring prompts me to answer my cell. luvsis and broinlaw are rounding the corner. We wait for them to take their hits of Da Purps, get their passes and schwag and we all trek back to the Metro. After climbing the stairs to the wrong spoor, we collectively figure it out and get on the train back to Centraal Station. We are taking them to Green House for Burgers and Bongs!
Bong and broinlaw decide they need an appetizer before we get our late lunch:
The first notebook ends here. So I will too… Come back for 4:20 at Green House….
