Thursday, March 15, 2007

A 40-step program...


Dave had the perfect question the first time he went to the gym here..."When you live in Amsterdam, why would you go to a gym to work out on stationary bikes and stairmasters?"

It is a bit of a mystery. Everyone bikes everywhere they go. I myself am pedaling around 40-50 minutes each day.

And as for stairs? There is certainly no shortage of stairs in Amsterdam. Tall, skinny old buildings. No where to go but up. And elevators were just a glimmer in Otis's eye when these places were built.

Our new house (which I will call "Helen" from here on...it just seems to suit her...she needs a name) has forty steps in total. From the main floor, five going down to the kitchen, six up to the guest bedroom, five more to the guest bathroom (we're at 16 now), 10 beyond that if you want to go the master bedroom, and a heart-thumping fourteen more to get up to my office.

40 short, steep, windy steps.

I have the serenity to accept that which I cannot change: Helen is a gal with great verticality. And my quads shall burn with affection when I'm in her presence.

1 comment:

Daddy Loeb said...

Dear Helen,

Your inhabitants are too skinny as is. These Stairways to Heaven in which you provide, please make sure that snacks are available at each landing. Those little caramel cookie wafers that are so popular with your people would be wonderful.

Love,
Jewish and concerned