solar squirrel

Notice the top sign on the right - third one down - yea, that’s right, “Openbaar toilet”.  Can you guess what that is?  It’s a freakin’ toilet that is out in the middle of the street!  Nice beginning to my post about my trip to the Netherlands.

The trip was a combination of the worst traveling nightmare I have ever experienced combined with some really awesome people and very productive meetings.  I’ll spare you the details about my travel nightmares, but trust me when I say that it was BAD.  I arrived Friday morning in Amsterdam and left Sunday morning from Eindhoven.  It was really fast.  I think I slept a total of 8 hours Thurs - Sunday.  I couldn’t let being tired get in the way of enjoying my first time in the Netherlands so of course I went out Friday and Saturday night.  The nightlife in Eindhoven is crazy.  It may have been because of the football (soccer) tournaments going on, but it was complete insanity in the streets both nights.  HUNDREDS of people lined the streets singing, cheering, drinking and smoking.  There was so much energy in the air!  Clubs don’t close until LATE and you can just walk around with alcohol.  OH - and did I mention the ‘coffee shops’?  Yea - you can go to the ‘coffee shop’ and order weed off of a menu hanging on the wall.  It’s just such a crazy and different place from the U.S. 

 Turkish fans celebrating their soccer victory in the streets of Eindhoven

Philips Global Interactives group in front of the Frits Philips statue in Eindhoven 

Now that I’m back I have a lot of work (and sleep) to catch up on.  I also haven’t worked out since Tuesday - so that’s a whole week without exercise (unless you count lugging my 50 lb. suitcase around the Ulrich train station as exercise).  Tomorrow I’m planning on doing a track workout at lunch and trying to work a little late.  We’ll see how that goes.