November 29, 2010

Happy Fatfree Holidays for all

Dear Bloggers,


I am not the worlds example of being slim. And I do not feel the need to be that at all. Only trouble is that I have trouble to resist stuff that is high on the wrong kinds of calories and fat, and yes I love the good tradition of dining together during the holidays. Any other part of the holiday season is not bathering me at all. Normally I have been working nearly every Christmas or New Years.


We are heading in to the party season now, and that can spell disaster for many people trying to watch their weight and stay healthy. Christmas is always going to be a time when we gain a few extra pounds due to the foods that we eat which are both are richer and more readily available than throughout the rest of the year.

Certainly it is very important to let your hair down now and again and to enjoy the odd treat and luxury, but what can you do if you want to hold on to your figure over the coming weeks. Follow my tips to ensure you enjoy your Christmas parties without looking like a stuffed turkey at the end of it all.


Don't be afraid to say no. It isn't unusual to get invites to many parties, meals or social events during December and the New Year. Trying to keep everybody happy will only lead to massive excesses and probable weight gain. Be selective, try to keep the nights out evenly spaced over the weeks, instead of all back to back. (Being drunk on a daily base is a regular life but not that healthy, I figured this out the hard way by trying it.)

'You can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink'. You may have a busy social calendar over the next few weeks, but that doesn't mean you have to push the excesses to the limit. If it's a meal out, you could limit yourself to a main and a starter. If you have a few drinking nights out lined up, then aim to reduce the amount of alcohol you consume. Try something non alcoholic in between drinks (or even better still a glass of water), this way you could halve the amount of alcohol you have over the evening.


Choose the healthier options. For example as a starter melon balls or anything else based on fruit or veggies and soups are generally quite good choices. For mains try chicken and fish dishes without sauces or gravies. (if your not allergic to seafood like me.) Finally deserts are usually the hardest to get right. Basically anything that contains cream, pastries and sauces is going to be high in calories and saturated fat, so perhaps a better option would be to share one between two or totally skip them.


Burn away the excesses. Whatever calories you put in to your body will either be stored as fat or burned off to fuel movement. So my final tip is simply to be more active. Walk to and from the night out, if it's safe to do so. Dance as much as possible if that's an option and lastly try to avoid sitting down all night, instead try pottering around. Unless you have health issues of course that might get you into trouble. I do my excercises with the Nintendo Wii together with my kids we have loads of fun. So there we have 2 good things in one pleasurable moment.


Happy Holidays to you all

Christmas only comes once a year and if you are in good health and physical shape then a couple of weeks of excess probably won't do you any harm. If however you are carrying a little too much weight already (like myself) and the nearest thing you get to regular exercise is walking to and from the car then a month of over indulgences could just push your health over the edge. So enjoy yourself, but just don't forget that your health can and will suffer if you over consume for a prolonged period of time. I know that it is not easy in the beginning but believe me. I’ve been there, done that and got the t-shirt. Happy Holidays to you all.

The Old Sailor,

November 22, 2010

Oh the weather outside is.........

Dear Bloggers,


Today it is a nice and sunny autumn day but thios will change rapidly by the end of the week.

The balmy temperatures of today will be a distant memory as winter weather will arrive in Northern parts of The Netherlands this week, the wind will get from colder areas and snow is expected on Thursday or Friday at the latest, just in time to put a chill into travelers planning for the next week's holiday weekend. Saint Nicholas his presents might even arrive a bit later due to the weather.


The good news, forecasters at the National Weather Service say, is that the snow showers expected at the end of this week but it will not be that much.Next weeks weekend will be a different story, however. A cold stream is bringing plenty of moisture to the area is expected to work its way towards the Southern parts of the country, the forecast said this morning. From Saturday morning through Sunday morning 6 to 10 centimeters of snow likely will fall in the Coastal areas, and after that the rest of the country might get some wet snow.



While the cold air stream is expected to blow over by Thursday, travelers in the northern regions should expect pretty chilly winds and below zero temperatures. The crews will be busy on the highways and main roads treating them with de-icer and throwing down salt and sand for traction.

Next week on Tuesday the weather could be cool and showery as a weak storm continues to drop out of the East. Colder air will sweep in from Poland early next week, hitting hardest east of the country and pushing temperatures into the single digits. Even below numbers at night are mentioned, so maybe it is time to find the ice skates. The weather should improve by the 4th of December but according to the weather stations this might become a serious cold winter in Europe.






"This is the time of year when drivers need to change their mindset to winter driving," The weatherman said. "Remember to bring warm clothes with you, a shovel so you can dig yourself out, don't follow too close and be sure to check with ANWB on weather conditions before you get out on the roads."

Getting a christmas feeling already eventhough that is a bit early for me. I will ignite the fireplace and drink some hot chocolate with rum.

The Old Sailor,

November 14, 2010

What is your biggest fear?

Dear Bloggers,


This week I talked to a young lady in the bus during one of the lonely and stormy nightshifts all of a sudden we entered the subject of loosing a person near to you. She told about the loss of her dad, when his business stranded due to the financial trouble a few years ago he did not see a way out anymore and took his own life. Even it is to discuss if you can do this to your family yes or no. I had a really deep conversation with her about the reason why we should be here? I found the following qoute of Natalie Babbit on the web and I think that this a better way of understanding this silly fear of death.


"Do not fear death... only the unlived life.
You don't have to live forever;
You just have to live."

It is natural to feel fear of the unknown. In regard to death, this fear may be of what might happen during the process of dying, such as the pain of a terminal illness, nausea, vomiting, or even fearing abandonment by those around you. The fear of death may also be perpetuated by the sadness of the family around the dying person, or the hopelessness of the doctor, or the nurses who feel they may have failed to keep the person alive. However, it is through death that the dying person can be released from the great burden of the diseased body.

Death is not an enemy, it is a natural fact of life, a stage of our existence, and a transition or doorway between planes of reality. Death has its own harmony with nature just as a tree loses its leaves every fall. We don't feel that it is unjust or that the tree failed to stay fully alive when it goes dormant through the winter. It is natural. Neither should doctors and nurses feel they have failed if after every endeavor a patient dies. Actually, it may be better to let a person take the opportunity to die peacefully rather than trying to force him or her to remain alive in a suffering body. In other words, it can be better to make peace with death than try to conquer it.


The process of dying can be rough, but it is temporary. The best thing to do is to focus our consciousness as much as we can in a way that will help us reach the highest realm possible after death. Of course, it always may be a little sad to leave our home and loved ones, but if we are going to a bigger and more beautiful home, then what is there to be sorry about? It is joyful to be going to a better place. This sort of joy will also help divert our attention from any pain we may be feeling.

The primary fear of death is, of course, not knowing what we will be or where we will go in the afterlife. If you are afraid of where you might go after death, be surrendered and know that fate, or God, will put you where you will best learn whatever you need to learn. The universe is based on compassion. It is not a punishment that we are here, but it is because of our desires for the experience of material existence and bodily sense pleasure. Each life is meant for us to learn more about ourselves, and about who we are. Death is not simply a matter of getting old or sick and then dying. Natural death happens when you have finished doing what you were meant to do in this life. You may have wanted to do more or not, but when you have done what you were meant to do, you will move on. Nature will arrange it that you will leave this realm. Each life is like a classroom wherein you learn a certain amount, and go through a certain number of lessons or tests. Then you graduate to the next class. We can learn willingly or unwillingly. We can cooperate or be uncooperative. We can repeatedly keep going through it until we learn all of the necessary lessons to go on to the next level. That is our choice. And if you have failed any of the tests, don't worry. You'll have the chance to try it again. Therefore, let go of any fear and let "God" or who or whatever you believe in put you where you will make the most progress.



Actually, to fear death reveals one's misunderstanding of life. It is a fear of knowing one's real self, which is beyond the bodily identification. It is that with which some people hesitate to acquaint themselves. Thus, if a person has known nothing else but one's bodily identity, losing the body can put one into fear. Yet, how can one ever think he was the body when it is plain to see that he came into this temporary world through birth and must leave it through death? All of our possessions, relationships, even our talents and skills are all temporary. So how can our body be anything more? Being afraid of death is like being afraid to give up an old and worn-out garment.

In this regard, the mind is the root cause of fear and suffering. However, this fear and anguish can be a gift because it shows where the mind gets caught in the desired model of thinking how things should be. It projects its own level of reality out on the world and its perception of things. When things are not the way we want them to be, or think they should be, the mind has difficulty accepting it and we suffer. We then often get angry, anxious, confused, or fall into fear. To enjoy freedom from suffering, we have to grow beyond our attachments, ego, and desires. Thus, the awareness of our approaching death plays an important role in helping us transcend our temporary worldly attachments, and to increase our development and qualities that are offered through our existence in different bodies or different planes of consciousness.

So an important point is that we do not have to be afraid of death, for we are all immortal. When we look around us, this is plain to see. Every winter the trees, plants and grass go dormant and practically die, yet they return to life and display their blooms in the spring. Even if a tree dies and becomes soil, we can see that out of it new life rises from the remnants of its decay. Even if the water of a pond disappears, it forms the steam from which clouds are created, which rain down the potential for new life. We witness many forms of transition of the same energy. It is an endless cycle in which we all participate. In the same way, our physical body is shed at death, but our life persists on another level. Thus, through death we also find renewal.

As it is stated in the ancient Bhagavad-gita, "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you. . . nor in the future shall any of us cease to be."

While we live in this material world, death helps alleviate and release us from our accumulated attachments, positions, and superficial desires. Death shows us what is not important, and makes us give up those things which can no longer help, or which keeps us from understanding who we really are. Even though we are here to experience the innumerable aspects of material existence, if we are too caught up in it, we will never understand our spiritual identity. Thus, death is an assistant which forces us to come to grips with what is temporary, and to give it up. It is another step in the learning process, to come closer to what we really are.

Unfortunately, if one is overly attached to his or her body, position, belongings and relations, death can seem like a severe punishment. Yet, it can be a gift or even a blessing if you are in deep kinds of pain. For the materialist who is afraid of losing everything, death is like the grip that crushes. With a spiritual understanding, one can find a meaning in dying.



In the end, there comes a time when we need to let ourselves, or the person dear to us, leave the body, just as when a person needs to rest. It can be wrong to resist the process of death, whether it be yours or that of another. So we should not begrudge another of his death. We should not be unwilling to let him or her go. As some of us are not able to live on but we should not be selfish and try to “rescue” the ones that cannot find another way out. It is his or her chance to enter a better realm to continue with his progress. He or she is not leaving us, he or she is simply going on before us.

Death is not an enemy, it can be like the friend who cuts the chain that holds the anchor which prevents one from sailing to greater horizons. This is the way we become closer to attaining freedom from this earthly plane, and from the dictates of the senses, the service of the body, and the impressions in the mind.

on the fear bus
I should put up a sign which says: “The one who fears death should take the next bus home.” I am afraid that my boss will not be very amused if I would do this for real.

The Old Sailor,





November 7, 2010

Long time ago......far far away

Dear Bloggers,




Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. It means you have decided to look beyond the imperfections. Happy Birthday to myself



Yes, it was 3 years ago today — November 8th, 2007 — that I burst out of the starting blocks. In the blogosphere, 3 years is a long time (I’m told the average life of a blog is about 3 months).


Over the last 36 months, I’ve made 222 blog postings (including this one). To celebrate, I thought I’d simply share with you a few of my favourites. Actually, I’m in such a jocular mood I’m just going to share what I think are my best or funniest blog postings. Some of these I like because the stories they’re based on my opinion or are from themselves funny; others I just like because of some deep rooted feelings that moves even me. Life would be very dull if we never indulged ourselves.”


Here goes nothing:

· Hoera mijn blog is geboren http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/hoera-mijn-blog-is-geboren.html

· Zie de maan schijnt…… http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/zie-de-maan-schijnt.html

· Als je nog net niet oud bent http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2008/01/als-je-nog-net-niet-oud-bent.html

· Als de pijn de baas wordt  http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2008/01/als-de-pijn-de-baas-wordt.html



· Als ik later…. http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2008/03/als-ik-later.html

· De prins op het knappe witte paard  http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2008/04/de-prins-op-het-knappe-witte-paard.html

· If grief....... http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2008/09/if-grief.html

· Parade of the bums  http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2008/10/parade-of-bums.html

· A christmas story  http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-story.html



· It started with a kiss...... http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2009/01/it-started-with-kiss.html

· Enjoy life while it is there  http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2009/01/enjoy-life-while-it-is-there.html

· Happy with what you have, not what you could get  http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2009/02/happy-with-what-you-have-not-with-what.html

· A bad day can have good moments http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2009/04/bad-days-can-have-good-moments.html

· How to live positive with fibromyalgia  http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-live-positive-with-fibromyalgia.html

· Clearing the attic......gets your mind cleared as well?  http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2009/08/clearing-attic-gets-your-mind-cleared.html

· Finally back to work again  http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2010/04/finally-back-to-work-again.html

· Married or single who is happier http://oldsailor2007.blogspot.com/2010/09/married-or-single-who-is-happier.html



Enjoy reading.and ”Live life as long it is there, pray for less fights, spend your last money on a drink and fuck if your life is depending on it.”



The Old Sailor,

October 31, 2010

Fibromyalgia is a nasty condition

Dear Bloggers,

This is my second year of being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and I must say that I have picked up my “new life style” quite well. Eventhough pain is my biggest enemy, I walk up straight and smile to my passengers. I never realized before that deep down in me there has been a load of stress. By controlling my life in a different way and doing my things one step at the time, my pain and all the other symptoms became slowly bearable.

The Horror of Fibro headaches

As Fibromyalgia is now the accepted name for a condition that used to be known as musculoskeletal pain syndrome. The name may be updated but the diagnosis still remains a controversial one as there are still those in the medical community who discount the validity of the condition. And that is a shame as many people like myself who want to carry on are being turned down in so many ways. The controversy arises over the non-specific nature of many of the symptoms as well as the psychological aspects of the syndrome that have been observed. It is hard to find a suitable job if you have to do it on your own. It takes a hell lot of energy that you simply don’t have.

The syndrome is classified as a rheumatic condition, related to arthritis, with the major symptoms being muscle and joint pain over large parts of the body and fatgue. Usually these symptoms are also accompanied by a lowered pain threshold, anxiety and depression. The lowered pain threshold is the major reason why so many remain skeptical over the validity of Fibromyalgia as a specific disease. People with arthritis get help from the authorities and they can get a contract for working a part time job the other half is paid by the government. At least you can be there for your family and function on full power at your job.

The "New Me"

The disease affects roughly ten times more women than it does men but science has yet to determine why that is. One theory is that it is not actually this imbalanced but that men remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed more often than women do. Perhaps with further research the truth will be found but until then, it appears to affect far more women than men. My thoughts are that men are to affraid to loose their job and their face. If you live in a small community you are quickly called lazy and that f***ing hits you like a hammer.

Generally fibromyalgia sufferers start off with widespread muscle aches and joint pain, usually accompanied by debilitating fatigue. Some people will also experience muscle twitching or burning for no apparent reason. These symptoms often appear at the same time as depression and sleep disturbances.

There are other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia but most victims will have only some of them, making each person seem to have a different problem (another reason for misdiagnosis). A person may experience several of these symptoms at the same time during acute periods while experiencing none during other times. Common complaints include stomach pain, dry mouth or eyes, chronic headache, anxiety, restless legs syndrome, stiff joints, incontinence, sensitivity to hot or cold. Most of these things I recognize as my own in my case I did not experience the restless legs and I very seldom I face anxiety, therefor I do get cramped legs in restperiods and I cannot stand overcrowded places anymore.


Reaching a diagnosis can be a long process as there are no specific tests to determine if you have fibromyalgia. In my case it went quick it only took seven months due to the pressure provided by the Danish government. Normally this process takes a whole year in the Netherlands. It is more a process of eliminating everything that it is not, before determining what it actually is. The doctor will usually do extensive blood tests to rule out many other conditions. Of course, you also must meet the diagnostic criteria which will always include widespread pain that lasts for three months or longer. That means the pain will be on both sides of the body, above and below the waist and will be present in at least one of the chest, neck or back.

There isn’t any specific treatment for fibromyalgia as a condition. Instead, treatment options are all aimed at relieving specific symptoms. Typically a sufferer will be prescribed a medication to reduce or control the pain as well as an antidepressant to deal with the emotional aspects of the disease. I refused to take the antidepressants as I hate all this medication that I get prescribed. My doctor was surprised on my reaction “less synthetic crap is better for the old body.” Behavioral techniques such as stress management are often used in conjunction with the medications as stress has been shown to aggravate the condition and bring on acute episodes.


Some alternative therapies have produced success in some patients but they have not been subject to many verifiable studies. Therapeutic, deep tissue massage has been known to be a help in relieving the pain, at least temporarily. Some also find relief through acupuncture, hypnosis and even chiropractic manipulation. I found my way to get relief by daily Tai Chi practise some basic moves and meditate on free moments to bring the mind at ease. Stress is the enemy. Even I am a huge fan of a love life the pain is always in the way. During foreplay I have to take breaks as my body gives up. And my wife is not the easiest one to please as she loves the full attention during this beautiful hobby.

Whether you choose to go with medication, alternative therapies or a combination of both, there are some things you should do to help your body deal with this sometimes devastating condition. Eat a balanced diet so that your body receives the nutrition needed to support repair and building of muscle tissue, exercise regularly and get enough sleep each day so that you will be in optimal health in order to deal with the affects of this musculoskeletal pain syndrome. Enough sleep is sometimes tricky if you have to start early shifts and your partner calls you lazy when she finds you sleeping on the couch. I feel so useless in many ways as I am not the man that I was a few years ago. Nothing was to much for me and I was never ever tired. Nowadays I wake up tired and on my free moments I feel more dead than alive.

The Old Sailor,

October 27, 2010

The most precious things in life

Dear Bloggers,

As you probably know I am father to two beautiful daughters and to me they are the most precious things that are in my life. And yes I realize that one day the will leave the warm nest that we call home. I have the feeling that time goes so quick at the moment that before I know it my girls will be flying out and go their own way.


A question that I asked myself how devestating its it to loose a child? When I try to imagine this tears are burning in my eyes. Of course there are many different ways that this can happen to any parent. Like a horrifying disease as leukemia for example or a tragic accident, being in the wrong place at the wrong moment might kill a person, some kids get obducted. Here you see that there are many doom scenarios that you can think of.


How can you protect a child from these kind of things? The question that I asked myself is the following one: “There is not even a name for it ” Ok let me explain this one, A child without parents we call an orphan and someone who has lost a partner we call a widow or widower. But I can’t think up a name for a parent that lost a child.

You probably wonder how does this insane writer come to this subject? Actually this pretty simple. A few days ago, I saw a boy lying on the roundabout as he was hit by a car lying on his bicyclen. According to the traffic regulations in this town cars have to give way to the cyclists. The driver chose to hit and run. The poor lad was left behind with a broken knee and a damaged bike.


As other drivers already informed the cops and paramedics, I could continue my journey after a hard days work. As the thoughts kept hauning I decided to write this blog. I all od a suddden realized that I had a story to tell again on my blog. There you see that my brain has been rattling for a while as this subject came a long.

It has been a funny week as I witnessed another accident on my last shift. Yes I know that these things are happening on a daily base. Our society is getting harder and harder. More and more people leave their victims behind as they simply did not learn how to care about others.

The ones that do care, are attacked when they are trying to help a victim. In some cases of bullying. The victim did not see a way out anymore as he did not dare to ask for help as he did not want to kill himself. In blind anger he took a knife and stabbed his bully As many others saw what happend, you should think that someone would call the police. It took nearly ten minutes before the first one made a call for help.


I think it is about time that we as parents should raise our kids with all the love and respect raise our kids with all the love and respect that we can provide. Rebelling kids have been problem of alle time. Accidents happen and no they are never funny. But for crying out loud you don’t leave a victim behind as we do not live in the dark ages anymore.

Live is too short and too unpredictable and their should be a bit more love for eachother.

The Old Sailor,

October 18, 2010

How to deal with a financial set back

Dear Bloggers,


Today I had to ask for a loan from a relative and this all due to the fact that our car broke down, the tax office had their things sorted and send a huge bill and on top of it all I got fined for a accident that I cannot proof if it was me who caused it. Good gracious where should I get all this money from? Well with lead in my shoes, I knocked on a good Samaritans door. We thought up an arrangement and I will pay it back step by step, bless these good people.


When you're sinking in debt, it's frustrating, stressful and can make you feel like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. It can be pretty easy to feel as if you will never get rid of your debt, but you can. There are many different things you can do to pay off your debt sooner. Here are some important tips and tricks for the broke and desperate for getting rid of your debt.

Think of the Extra Money You Spend Each Month -


I figured out quickly enough that we had approx. 500 euro less each month after I had to stop sailing and that is a major set back, Although I may not be swimming in cash, chances are you spend extra money every month. You may pay to eat out, go to the movies, purchase things you love, etc. How much money do you spend each month on things like this? If you add up the amount of extra money you spend each month, you will probably be surprised to know how much it really is! If you cut down on your spending each month, you can pay off your debt much faster. For instance, rather than spending 20% of your income, spend 10% on extra things. This way, you can still enjoy the fruits (eventhough it is not easy sometimes.) of your work and you'll be working toward being debt free.

Make a List of Your Debts -


It will help you to pay off your debts if you have all of the information in front of you. Make a complete list of your debts, including what is owed, who the creditor is, what the interest rate is, when the payments are due and what the minimum payments are. If possible, list them in order from the highest interest rates to the lowest. The ones at the top should be given more attention than the lower interest rate bills. So, paying the minimum payment on all of them except for the higher interest rate bills is a good idea. For the top ones, send any extra amount that you can afford. This will help you pay off your debt faster and save money by not paying so much interest.

Debt is anything but fun and can make you feel as if you will never be free again. However, using the methods above, you can pay off your debt and experience a clean credit report once again! Good luck.

For the first time I felt that I was drowning, it’s a hard knock life for us.

The Old Sailor,

Talking and Writing

Dear Bloggers,   Why is it that some folks (such as myself and my daughter) talk so much? This visit, I am learning how I process throug...