So, with the many April Fool’s jokes this week, I thought I’d give you a bit of a fun cocktail:

Drinky: Black Magic

When served it’s off white in color due to the pineapple juice but as it settles down the color of dark rum appears. Wait until the second or third cocktail and then introduce this, its fun watching peoples reactions as their drink changes colour.

Ingredients:

* 150ml Pineapple juice
* 30ml dark rum
* Dash of orange squash
* Dash of lemon juice
* 10ml grenadine syrup
* 30ml Peter Herring cherry liqueur

Method:

1. Blend all the ingredients with three cubes of ice
2. Pour this in a cocktail glass and serve

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Linky’s:

Have to have: Ninja Throwing star magnets

Will stop the Madonna Linkage but, I have no idea how to process how this makes me feel

This will be stuck beside my door from now on!

Possibly the cutest way of celebrating a growing new arrival: Belly Series

New things for my bike, new things for your bike?

Monkeyeletric Bike Lights

And something I got this weekend, once I’ve tried it I’ll let you know how (if) it works:   a coffee holder for your bike

Cup-to-go from Tazzina Cafe on Browersgracht

Can imagine Xbox will be on the list for one of these some magical day soon

And the loveliest ad I have ever seen (yes I know its evil Coca-Cola advertising)
Made my uterus cry, from my eye sockets!

#alanshair tried to take Alan by suprise

From this weeks BTW metup in Dublin (more to come perhaps in other cities)

Alan Costello posts his favorite images Set One & Set Two

Over at the Kitchn they have some seriously good tv snacks *drool*

1. DIY Microwave Potato Chips – Make your own potato chips! So easy, and you control how thin and crispy they are.

2. Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites with Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce – Wow! The mother of all sports-party appetizers. Deeeliciioussss……

3. Kale Chips – Keep it really light with these surprisingly addictive and tasty kale chips. Try with some vinegar and olive oil, or some pepper and sea salt. Delicious!

So the Obama’s give the Queen an iPod, but Michelle got a little more personal

Check out the video of the 8sec protocol shocker

Hug me Queeny!

Sinead Cochrane gave us a peek at her research on Irish Blogging and not to be outdone by one so young,

A University of Melbourne study published suggests that workers that use Facebook and Twitter during the workday are more productive.

The University of Melbourne study showed that people who use the Internet for personal reasons at work are about 9 percent more productive that those who do not.

Another study, shows that having sisters make for better mental health in families?
*shakes head* Come round my house and I’ll show you how wrong that is!

Speaking of families, Sweden allows Same-Sex Marriage
And Iowa also upholds Same-Sex Marriage rights lawyer for the plaintiff’s Dennis Jonson said:

Go get married, live happily ever after, live the American dream

Adam & Eve

And finally:

The Register reports, that a German website has been given till the 6th April to pull their site or face legal action.

File Sharing? Piracy? Porn?

No! Playmobil!!
Playmobil are not happy with Klicky-bible’s depiction of scenes from the Bible using thier figures.

4,000 are estimated to be parked by Centraal Station

Bikes at CS Amsterdam

The bike I got last year, was cheap, and not from a junkie.
Having not cycled for 18yrs, I was a bit nervous and didn’t want to fork out for a new bike that I might not use.

That fear was unfounded, I cycled almost every day the 14km round trip to and from work until Dec 1st.
I gave up in the real winter as black ice on cobblestones, steep bridges and lunatic cyclists all make me nervous.

My old bike was a grand starter, and it earned its price in saved tram fares in a couple of weeks, however after the first month, I found crouching to be a problem, my knees and ankles ached. I hadn’t heard of this as a side effect of cycling.

It seems I was cycling a death trap.

I forgave it the fact that the brakes were dodgy at best (most efficient way of stopping was jumping off) and the saddle seemed to be made of nails covered in cement (my rear looked like a permenant victim of a paint balling kamikaze attack) but I was reluctant to “just throw away” the €50 I spent on the bike. After not cycling for 2 months and living with out the ankle, knee and butt pain I swore that this year I would buy a new bike.

Valentines day saw me and my lady roaming the bike shops of the Jordan.

I get the usual look when I explain, I’d like a small bike, with gears and *gasp* handbrakes that work. Back pedal brakes, while cheaper and easier to maintain, are not for me…. cycling back ways is not my instant reaction when faced with on coming traffic, and I am likely to sail out in front of same traffic screaming and grasping my non-existent handbrakes.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that in Amsterdam with bike traffic jams being more frequent than car traffic jams, bikes would be really cheap. Let me dispel that, they are not, well especially not for pint sized, handbrake wanting foreigners. New bikes average around €600/€700. Second hand ones start at €75 but most good ones are around €200 for back pedal and €300 for handbrake.

The bike I got looks a bit like this it has brakes that work, 3 gears, a decent saddle and its so great to cycle.
I no longer feel like I’m pulling a dead cow up the road after my bike!

So I began cycling to work again, only on the first morning I realised my old route was being dug up by the Gemeete, Amsterdam’s version of the Corpo, and they are about as helpful and productive as same. It seems this is budget spending month so every road is being dug up for the sheer hell of it. Fun!!

I had to devise a new route, and my mum was impressed this one doesn’t take me through Dam Square or the red-light. Doped up Tourist dodging on your way home from work is not as fun as it sounds.

This is my way TO work and this is my way FROM work. The are 6.6 and 6.9km respectively and better still doing this every day will burn about 800kcls a day. (4000 a week) and I’ll be travelling 67.5kms a week. Not bad! Plus saving €20 a week on transport!

The route is still lovely along the Amstel, and some morning I am going to take my camera along and get some photos!

My Spanish Colleague and I are planning a beer cycle home some evening, visiting local establishments between the office and the city! Photos from that are likely to be wobbly.

PS I listen to Morning Ireland (the wonders of unlimited data for €9) on my mobile so if you are listening to it between 7.30 and 8.10 (from 1st sport to 2nd reading of morning papers) think of me cycling along the Amstel