Barefoot and Homeless in Amsterdam

For a couple of hours this evening, John found out what it would be like to be homeless in Amsterdam. As he was getting ready to go to the gym after work, the window washer rang the bell to collect his 10 euros. After John mumbled something into the intercom, he grabbed his wallet and walked down the stairs. Upon handing the bill to the gentleman and saying "alstublieft," he realized that this guy probably had no idea that is one of the only words John actually knows in Dutch. Before having the chance to be too impressed with himself, he walked back up the stairs and realized that his brain must not have been functioning when he closed the door and locked himself out of the apartment.

Unfortunately, John was home alone while Erin was enjoying a day at sea with the Crossroads staff (she is still going through cruise withdrawal), so nobody was there to rescue him after he banged his head repeatedly against the door. Realizing his limited alternatives, he took to the streets wearing only his gym shorts and t-shirt (no shoes) in rainy, 59 degree weather.

Luckily, the Coopers only live a couple of blocks away. Although he only had to wander aimlessly around the neighborhood until they returned home 30 minutes later, he was disappointed when they reminded him that we confiscated the spare key copies last time we had visitors. On the upside, he scored a nice dinner that Annette happened to be cooking up, as well some excellent guacamole dip and a tasty Dutch cake for dessert.

Some things to remember if you're ever barefoot and alone in Amsterdam:

1. The sidewalk tiles are softer than you might think--much better than concrete. The grass along the canals is even softer, but you better watch out for the dog droppings.
2. The streets are swept almost daily so they're amazingly clean and free of hazardous objects.
3. Don't go barefoot in the winter. That would be bad.