Perhaps It's Just Me...

....but I find my family hilarious.  From our past family stories frolicking about the globe as a mass of personalities, to the small stories from nieces and nephews that cause me to guffaw, to the little email exchanges we send back and forth.  Here is one of those.  Red Bull and Leonidas anyone?

This set of emails is great because we lived in Brussels for four years from 1982-1986.  We have all returned at least once to reminisce, see old haunts, and walk around in awe.  Three must eats are Leonidas chocolates, une gauffre (a real Belgian waffle), and un cornet des frites avec une brochette (a cone of French fries with meat on a stick).  When my mother and I returned to Brussels two years ago for our first return visit, we ate chocolates, waffles and frites for four days, then I turned to her and asked if we could perhaps find a vegetable or a piece of fruit.  So hard to say no to Belgian delights!

Here are the emails:

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We are in the hotel in Brussels. One can get free internet in the lobby or pay 11.90 E in the room. So I just messed around in the room and found a free internet somewhere on this computer. I hope it lasts while we are here. We have the room until Sunday at 5 pm and the train leaves at 7 pm back to London.

I got a weekend special so breakfasts are free and everything in the bar fridge is free. The bar fridge stuff adds up to 25.50 E. So this may be the first time I drink Red Bull and I am just not sure about the 2 cans of Stella Artois. Wish one of the drinkers were here.

Somehow I forgot to pack any outside clothes. I have the pants I am wearing plus one extra top. I do have underclothes. How did I miss packing clothes and we have two suitcases with us.

The room here is lovely and large and Blvd Anspatch. It is the NH Atlanta. I stayed here with Arta and Zoe once. We are near the Bourse and very close to the Grand Place. I will look for the hole where there is a missing cobblestone that you snitched from the Grand Place Teague. You snitched it and then lost it somewhere.

Glen and Janet plus others who have stayed in Paris in the Edgar Quinet...the room has two large open doors onto the street which is 5 floors down. And we have lots of room to party. Next time we all come to Brussels, this is where we will stay. Leonidas is just down the block. Right now Greg and I are off the Chez Antoine's for frites and fried meat, no green stuff.

Wish you were here!

Love,
Wyona (my mother)

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Don't drink red bull! Too much caffeine. Have le fun!

- Lurene (my sister, who has the best family stories, including dancing for muny (money) in Brussels on the fence pedastal at our house)

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I'm so sad I lost that cobblestone. And Marcia's clarinet. Sad sad sad.

- Teague (my brother)

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Chez Brussels!

A grad student was headed there for a conference and I gave her a list of things to do including eat many Leonidas.

Consider this my request for a box of delicious Leonidas! Rub the good luck statue just off the Grand Place for me too.

I agree with leaving the Red Bull alone. Not a good drink choice. 

I was so jealous of that cobblestone! Taking one was such a good idea. Too bad it was lost along with a clarinet and the two seater bike and several wallets. :)

Hi ho, hi ho, its back to work I go...

- Tonia (me)

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... because it would have collected dust.

I took Charise's clarinet a few years ago, and it collected dust. Now Gabe is playing it in Gypsy. 5 lessons from his mother and he can play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star just long enough for the "Clarence the Clarinet Player" character.

Don't be sad. I have the piano. Everyone should be sad about that, except me.

I am tired. I need some red bull.

- Marcia (my sister, mother of three young children)

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...can't eat, can't sleep, can't even wash my feet. Won't someone please bring my hootoofootoo cobblestone ba-a-ack.

Can't wait to see the video you took of Gabe [while he was performing in Gypsy]. You snuck a camera in, right? The secret is to cover the red light.

Are the non-Bates sure they still want to be part of this heading?

- Teague (my brother who loses many things)

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It's in your bureau drawer, right by your favorite tooth.

And yes, on my cell phone there is a short 2 minute clip, please don't report me.

- Marcia