50th Birthday Bash - March 22 - 29, 2010

grateful deb · Post by **grateful deb** » Mon 12th Apr 2010 08:19 pm

Report Disclaimer - This is my first trip report, so if I have forgotten major or minor details about probably all of the purchases, I humbly apologize in advance.
That said, on with the show.

Monday 3.22.10-
My friend AJ and I will be celebrating our 50th birthdays in style. It's my 3rd trip and AJ's first. It's a birthday present from my husband and AJ's friend gave her the plane ticket for her birthday present. Yay, we are leaving our husbands and kids alone for the week. How lucky are we?

We rented an authentic town house that is "cannabis friendly" (in the description) situated right between Grey Area and Homegrown Fantasy. We have our own house for the week! Not too shabby and not by luck, a lot of on-line searching. AJ's friend is meeting us on Wed. night after work. As soon as AJ's friend found out we booked our trip, it seems like all of a sudden she has to take a work trip to the Dam.

And her boss agreed to this!!!?

The plane leaves at 11:20 PM. My husband and kids drive us to the airport. It is teeming rain and I'm a wreck. I don't fly well any more (see why in my post in Food - Cakes on a Plane).

AJ and I board the plane and the flight is a little turbulent but otherwise uneventful - except - for the medical emergency 3 rows back. Luckily the couple sitting next to me just happen to both be doctors from Amsterdam. How convienient! Needless to say - we did not sleep at all. Never did find out what the emergency was, but medical teams and an ambulance is waiting for the plane. I'm so excited I'm not freaked out any more.

Tuesday 3.23.10-
Get our bags and we walk to the train to Central Station. On the way to the machines, some Limo driver approached us and said he would drive us to Amsterdam for E10, both of us. What a deal! He had to go into town and figured he would snag a fare. We agreed and he dropped us right in front of our house. This was the start of our good fortune. He was real nice and good tour guide on the way. When I told my husband he was a little weirded out that we took the ride and "didn't end up being sold to a third world country". We told him we were too old for human sex-slave trafficking. He has a very vivid imagination.

I call Rik, the owner, and he arrives in 10 minutes and get the keys from him. The contract didn't say cash but he expects cash. We don't have it and he says he'll be back on Thursday for it. Nice guy! The house is great, lovely authentic winding staircase, 5 of them! Holy crap Batman! Atleast I know I will be working off the munchies. AJ is a little clutzy and thinks she will fall down the steps. Seems she always falls somewhere on vacation. Has the scars on her knees from Italy to prove it.

The kitchen is on first floor, living room on 2nd, one bedroom and bath on 3rd floor, next bedroom and bathroom on 4th floor. I actually have my own bedroom and bathroom for the first time in 22 years. That is worth the price of admission!!! At the top in the attic ,on the 5th floor, is a washer-dryer combo.

OK, enough about the accommodations, chomping at the bit - lets go get some pot!!!!!!!!

We walk to Amnesia. We buy 1g of Laughing Buddah - E13,, 1g of Utopia Haze - E15. It's too crowded in side but I roll up a pure joint to smoke outside. Really liked the LB and we are feeling great in the beautiful weather. I loved watching AJ's face as we are buying and smoking somewhat quasi-legally. Beats feeling like a criminal back at home and skulking in the garage or near the garbage cans to get high.

(this is taking a long time to write up and I have to leave now and pick up my daughter from school like the mom I am. I'll be back sometime soon, promise!)

indk · Post by **indk** » Mon 12th Apr 2010 08:33 pm

Welcome to the forum Deb, your TR is really appreciated

the apartment you had sounds amazing from the description, & at an ideal spot too! Can I ask where online you found it?

Good start to your adventure, you didn't hesitate at the start by any means from the sounds of it

Twitch · Post by **Twitch** » Mon 12th Apr 2010 08:46 pm

Sounding good so far.
Looking for ward to more. ( leave em hangin, eh Deb ??

)

Think wife and I may have rented from Rik in the past,he sounds familiar.

Willjay · Post by **Willjay** » Mon 12th Apr 2010 08:47 pm

Come on Mom Finish the report

Trad · Post by **Trad** » Mon 12th Apr 2010 10:11 pm

Nice start to your trip.
Take your time on the report.

grateful deb · Post by **grateful deb** » Mon 12th Apr 2010 10:32 pm

OK , back from the pick-up. In my office, "Please kids, I need about 45 minutes alone with privacy to write out some bills and emails". I now have about 2 minutes before someone needs something. LOL

Thanks for the kind words guys! I rented with GetReadyRentals BTW. I miss my house

.

Tuesday 3.23.10 (continued)-
After Amnesia we walked around a bit. AJ loves the sights and I am sooo glad to be back! We get lunch at this sweet cafe called Foodism, 2 doors down from Grey Area (which is so packed, but I will return don't worry). The smells are intoxicating just walking by the store.

We have some paninis served by this really nice and toasted waitress. Hmm, I wonder if it's because of the store's neighbor? The waitress is telling us about how wonderful the chocolate mousse is and that she made it and she is eating it all up. We decide to take her out of her misery and we split one. I ask her if we can eat it at the one lone table outside so we can smoke. (But I didn't specify what we were smoking).

I roll up a j of the Utopia and we enjoy that so much. The mousse w/pistachio ice cream and strawberries is so divine and hits the spot. As we are smoking and laughing a tour walks by and we become a gawkfest and now part of someone's vacation shots. Great! We hear some people exclaim, "they're smoking MJ" That's right people and I've only just begun!

We go back to our house because we need a nap. We have no idea what time it is because we didn't bring a watch and our phones are reading the wrong time, and we are just being so silly about the time difference and really high and....

We smoke another joint at the house (we call it 99) and I set my phone for what I think is a 2 hour from now alarm. Wrong! Four and a half hours later I wake up and I still have no idea what time it is. Lame stoner Mom! I actually call my husband to find out the time!

How sad! He thinks it's hysterical and is now sad that he is not here (mind you, he 's not sad about missing me, just about Amsterdam and how cool it is here).

So I wake up AJ who is really zonked out and snoring. Whew, glad I have my own room AJ! We roll another jay, smoke it in our authentic cannabis friendly house and head out to eat and get more weed. (BTW, in the drawer under the TV we find papers, a grinder and a pipe).

We head over to Damrak so AJ can get the whole scene from the beginning. We get some frites to walk around with. Oh look, there's the 420 Cafe, a personal fav! Backgammon, vapo hits, coffee,and Max the cat later we are so sorted out. I buy 1g carmello hash - E10, and White Widow - E10 for vapping. we head out and I don't remember if we even ate dinner after that. Walked around for awhile to get AJ acquainted with this part of the Dam. Really tired now so we went back to 99 to smoke some of our growing stash. I so love this town! We need to get some sleep so we can have lots more fun tomorrow...

TO EVERYONE WHO WRITES UP A TR (AND ESPECIALLY LUVTICK) -I have sooo much respect for you all. This is hard to remember stuff and I am reading AJ's notes. Before we left, I made lists and pages of stuff to see and do. My notes are stapled together with all different topics and colored pens from so many different days of checking out info that I start calling them my unibomber notes.

But it was this prep that really helped to prepare for the trip. Not that there wasn't any spontineity, plenty of that, but I had an agenda to make optimal use of time and it went awesome because of the trip prep.

I took about 400 photos so if I can figure out how to add some....

Times up - "MOM!!! Drive me to _____________ " (fill in blank)

Bob2 · Post by **Bob2** » Tue 13th Apr 2010 04:52 am

need to upload your pictures these are some i use
tinypic
photobucket
flickr

then read this it will explain much better than i can https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/forum/viewt ... sc&start=0

angry pirate · Post by **angry pirate** » Tue 13th Apr 2010 07:45 am

great start deb, cheers.

StonedSince67 · Post by **StonedSince67** » Tue 13th Apr 2010 07:52 am

grateful deb wrote:TO EVERYONE WHO WRITES UP A TR (AND ESPECIALLY LUVTICK) -I have sooo much respect for you all. This is hard to remember stuff and I am reading AJ's notes.

yes it is hard to remember stuff and yes it takes a long time to get a trip report typed in, but yes all of us love reading them ... we just make a fresh pot of coffee, find some smoke and enjoy what you have put so much effort into ... so many thanks and i am looking forward to the rest

my suggestion is to follow luvtick's pattern and take your time and type in what you can when you can ... we have the time to wait for the result and hear about your trip ... love all the detail

grateful deb wrote:I took about 400 photos so if I can figure out how to add some....

the link stuart1976 suggested to Boner's How to post pictures should help, imageshack.com is another site where photos can be posted

grateful deb wrote:Times up - "MOM!!! Drive me to _____________ " (fill in blank)

and yes finding time for oneself in a family situation is tricky, so just don't worry about getting your trip report done immediately, just keep pugging away at it and the result will be fine

Cisco · Post by **Cisco** » Tue 13th Apr 2010 12:10 pm

Great start to your trip ! was it your first trip to Amsterdam ?

Toker70 · Post by **Toker70** » Tue 13th Apr 2010 12:13 pm

Nice report thanks for taking the time

grateful deb · Post by **grateful deb** » Tue 13th Apr 2010 02:10 pm

Cisco - My third trip (so far!). I went there for a long weekend at the end of a 3 1/2 week long honeymoon backpack trip thru England, Scotland and Wales in August 1990. I was in Amsterdam on Valentines week last year, Feb 13-19, 2009. My husband had a satellite office that he opened up a couple of years ago so he got to go 3X without me. Even though he had to work during the day there was plenty of time at night to play! Unfortunately he no longer works for that company. This was my friend AJ's 1st trip to the Dam, but she is a seasoned traveller.

SS67 and Stuart - Thanks for all the advice, now I have to figure it out!

Sorry we didn't make it to any of your T&T's Stuart - it sounded like you had a great time (except for the foot issue).

Dr Greenshed · Post by **Dr Greenshed** » Tue 13th Apr 2010 07:39 pm

thanks very much very enjoyable a pleasing read
thanks
the doc

geoffk · Post by **geoffk** » Wed 14th Apr 2010 12:43 am

Great report and happy belated birthday Deb. It's nice to see more reports from the ladies.

grateful deb · Post by **grateful deb** » Wed 14th Apr 2010 01:48 am

Wednesday, 3.24.10-
Wake & bake in Amsterdam-yay! We smoke some bowls of hash and pot, roll a joint for later.

We each take a quick shower and have coffee, bananas, cheese and bread from the provisions we bought at Albert Hein yesterday. We are good to go!

We are going to some museums today but first a grab & go at Grey Area. I purchase 1g of Grey Berry and 1g of Silver Bubble(?). Price? I also buy some lighters and other swag to bring home for presents. AJ spots Puccini Chocolates across the street and gets some treats for later. I can feel my waistband getting tighter by just looking at the box.

On to Centraal Station to buy our 3 day Iamsterdam cards. These offer unlimited tram rides and admission to almost all of the museums we want to go to. We take the tram to the Jewish Historical Museum and the cards are very easy to use on the tram. Not like my feeble attempts last year and in 1990 to use & figure out those strippenkaart things.

We also go to the Portuguese Synagogue next door. So we're doing the Dutch Jewish history lesson today. It's cool considering I love history and we happen to be of the Jewish persuasion. I like the cultural and lineage of my birth religion, I just have a problem with the religious part. This is not where I am spiritually, but that's another story...

So we're in the Synagogue and AJ says,"I know that old guy sitting on the bench over there". I'm so cringing at having to deal with this obvious touristy stereotype of an American that I'm looking around for an escape. Not a chance. And it's usually me that meets people everywhere I go. AJ starts to mess with this guy - "I know you", "I know where you live". This guy is looking at her and saying,"You don't know me." AJ says, "You're from _______." He is looking uncomfortable and I'm trying not to laugh. She says "Who do I look like?" This guy is very suspiscious and finally AJ says, "You knew my father", and finally identifies herself. He looks relieved. Did he think we were gonna mug him in the Synagogue? We thoght the whole thing was so hysterical that we needed to get out of there and do something else quick.

On to the Hortus Botanicus. Quick bowl on the way, natch. It is beautiful in here and just the change we needed. We have lunch at the outside cafe. Two grilled veggie and hummus sammies, please - yum! The weather is absolutely fab and we are renewed...

We smoke a joint on the way to the Waterlooplein market. Lots of crap is bought for our kids and friends. A good place to shop for souvineirs. Heaven for bid if we come home without stuff for our families! (Scarves, jackets, grinders, fossils...)

OK, now if all this wasn't enough, we go to the Rembrandt House. I've never been before so this was my choice (AJ wanted to go too) and I don't care how tired we are. We make it about 45 minutes before it closes. Plenty of time to zip in ,up, up, up, and out! (Lots of steep stairs).

Whew, we just had a long day! Guess what will take the edge off? Where are we near? BASJOES!!!!
We grab a table outside and I go in and I'm greeted by James. He is as wonderfully chill as usual but what's this - no Bas Special? What? I came from so far to try it! Oh well, I get 1g of Cheese and for the life of me can't remember the other gram I bought. I grab a mango looza for me and a coke lite for my friend. We put our feet up and spark up a big jay - we have earned it! We smoke that luscious goodness while checking out the scene in front of us, canal, perfect weather, another tour goes by. We are in another comment about MJ smoking. Our luck I guess, but it is funny. AJ then exclaims, "I just saw Johnny Depp ride by". We are in peals of laughter and she is swearing it was Depp that just rode by on a bicycle!

Walked back to 99 to wait for AJ's friend to get off of work. Mary is taking us out to dinner on her expense account. Yahoo! We must be very important clients! AJ takes a nap and I watch a movie and smoke some more pot while I wait for her to wake up.

AJ wakes up, we smoke a joint and head out to Mary's hotel. It is conviently located on the same street as our house. How cool is that? There is a very small RLD between us on this side of town and AJ gets her first look at the ladies. I'm glad she wasn't freaked out but she is not impressed.

The 3 of us go to dinner at Toro Dorado and we have a real good steak dinner with lots of wine. We are all feeling great and go back to our house to smoke a couple of joints. We're all pretty well spent and Mary unfortunately has to work tomorrow. We make plans for tomorrow night and walk her home thru the RLD (we will do this many times, the ladies are starting to look familiar!). We smoke a bedtime bowl and go to sleep.