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About us
We are Indonesian-Dutch couple, married in 2002, resident of Utrecht - The Netherlands, have one spoiled dog named Milo and one "gonna be spoiled" baby Isabelle.
This webpage mainly is use to share our story and pictures to our family and friends. But of course we always welcome for new friends.
The idea of this webpage is to share our story and pictures to our family and friends.
Since Ira's Dutch language is far from perfect and Dimitri's Indonesian language is even worse, we decided to use English as the main language in this blog,
eventhough lately due to the laziness of Ira, Indonesian language seems to take over.
Please feel free to browse around and give us your comment.
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Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Cat war
After googling and doing some googling, I found some nice articels about repelling cats from garden... some quite extreem some quite friendly... some usefull some totally useless....
One of the suggestion is to spray the cat with hot pepper/chile pepper powder or cinnamon. I totally doesn't agree with that... maybe I don't really like cat but I love animals in general... there's no way I would harm any cat... I just want to chase them away... so that option is a NO
Other suggestion is to contact the owners (if known) and let them know what is happening. Many cat owners don't realize that their precious kitty is being a nuisance, and will keep their cat indoors when informed of the damage being caused.
That's also not an option for me 'cos I guess secretly they knew it.... for years their cats never really spend time in their own garden... their hiuse is too busy for the cats... FYI, they have 3 daughters, one flatcoated retriever, chickens and rabbits although lately I never see the chicken again
 Other option is to plant plants that repel animals like Scaredy-Cat Coleus, that's the name of the plant that has natural chemicals in their roots, leaves or flowers that repel unwanted pests and attract beneficial insects. It has nice blue flower... the downside is that it also repel dog....  I don't want that... I want Milo to enjoy the garden.
Someone on gardener forum suggests to do water treatment... spray the cat with water... this seems to be quite effective as cats don't like to get wet... one downside... I can't wait for the cat all day.. I need to go to work...
Other suggest using commercial repellents in their garden. As a matter of fact I did tried this... I bought it in tuincentrum, it was bottle of small chemical stuff, looks like sand and you can just spray it to area where the cat likes to hang out in the garden (hang-out means living their waste in my garden).. it worked well until it get rained.... in area that gets frequent rains (like here in the Netherlands), these products may be impractical, as they sometimes must be reapplied after a period of heavy rainfall. And this stuff is quite expensive...i bought one bottle is about 16 euro
Other picture of Scaredy-Cat Coleus I found on the net... any idea what's their popular name? Other than their Latin name, I mean.... in case I decide to use this... I need to buy them in tuincentrum
 Other option is Cat Scat Mat, according to the website it will keep neighborhood cats from using your garden as a litter box with Cat Scat, the non-chemical way to say "No Trespassing!". Simply cut each mat into four pieces and press into the soil where you want to discourage feline excavation. The flexible plastic spikes are harmless but effective. Humane, chemical-free deterrent. Prickly plastic teeth irritate cats without harming them. No assembly, no installation. Cat Scats can be anchored in place with our Earth Staples
The only problem is (again!!!) that this thing is quite expensive.... $14.95 per set of 5
My garden is 25 m x 6 m so approximate 150 m square... I need hundred of them... and that cost much... and it makes the garden looks ugly
Last option to tile the garden and put plants in pots.... *sigh* 
Images taken from http://www.gardeners.com
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
I hate cats!!!
Well ok... that sounds a bit harsh... I don't really hate cats... in fact I quite like them... my in-law has one and she always comes to sit on my lap... I just don't like cats that I don't know because I don't know what they has been eating or stepped on. I admit that I'm not the most hygienics person in the world. As you can see from pictures I put on this website, I let Milo to be on our bed. That is what most hygienic person won't do. But at least I knew what Milo eat or where he has been. In the front door I prepared small towel special from Milo and some wet tissue so that I can wipe his paws and his butt after I walked him. That way I know he clean enough.
Back to the cat problem, the old owner of the house that we lived now used to have 3 cats and they also let cats from the neighbours to play on their house/garden. Now that they moved out and we moved in, cats that used to play there still coming over every now and then. I don't really mind it as long as they don't digging stuffs on the garden or doing their "business" in our garden. Ik vind het vies!!!! and of course that's what exactly they do... I can't keep an eye on the cats all the time, what they are doing in our garden etc.... but I want to be able to enjoy our own garden... not worry where to step at or worry what milo steps on. Last summer we bought some chemical stuff to be sprayed on the garden... it gives smells that cat doesn't like. It works only temporary because when the smells gone the cats back. And those stuffs is expensive
Last week I reach my patience limits when I found the cat sleeps on my bed  . He came through the windows that I let open for some air. I asked Dimitri but he said we can't do anything. We can't go to the neighbour because they also can't do anything. I don't want them to come to my house, they might hurt Milo... yeah... I know maybe you laugh that I worried that a cat going hurt a dog... usually it's the other way around
Milo is a small dog... those cats are bigger than him. He won't stand a chance to fight one of them, let alone three cats. And it is Milo's character that he is very sweet and always ready to play. He never see cat as enemy, he wants to play with them... he doesn't see the dangerous in it. Many time I caught the cat try to scratched Milo, I'm afraid one day they able to do it and maybe hurt his eye, Milo can be blind.... 2 out of 3, cats always try to scracth ayes when they think they are in dangerous... it's their instinct..
I heard from someone that there are some plants that you can put in your garden that can send cats away... because they don't like the smell.. anyone knows what kind of plants it is? Please let me know... I'm up to my head with those cats...
Sunday, November 27, 2005
X-mas layout
Like the old saying... "every clouds has silver lining"
Without internet I can't surfing through internet or blogwalking or whatever useless stuff I do daily on internet.... means I have more time to make new template (read: I got template from blogskins and editing it to meet my needs hehehe  )
So here it is my christmas template... 
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Eindelijk.....
He'e finally after few days without internet and having problem with blogger.... all is solved... we moved to lycos to hosting our web. For some reason that we can't find until now... we just can't do any posting at all.... well, to be precisely, we can write and posting it on blogger but it doesn't come out on website.... it seems like hccnet has blocked blogger....
Anyway, we moved to lycos and in the next few days I will be busy to moved/copying all the files to the new serves....
Prettige weekend allemaal.... 
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Test
Test 24 nov 05
Friday, November 18, 2005
Test test
Test test
Wuuihhh finally... after few days without internet at home (luckily I still be able to browse from office)... I got my connection back today... don't ask me why.... maybe it has something to do with the fact that hccnet is being bought by xs4all and they are busy in moving all the servers since 1 november or maybe dimitri forgot to pay the bill  ... anyway.. who cares... I got it back...
For my friends that try to reach me via email and got it bounced back... sorry for that... I can't do anything about it... please do resend.... 
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Milo.... still with complete balls
Milo... pre-surgery... with his vulgar pose - still complete with his balls... huehehehe 
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Earth calling Milo....
Earth calling Milo.... earth calling Milo.... earth calling Milo... come in Milo...
Those words came to my mind when I saw Milo the first time after his surgery.... I promised my self not to laugh because it wasn't his fault nor his choice to looked like that... but I can't help it... I have to laugh.... hehehe sorry Milo
Milo doesn't like the cap at all... He getting frustated try to get it out especially on the first night. And he still has to use it for another 4 days, it can be taken off by wednesday night. Then in two weeks, he has to go back to the vet to take out the stitching. He got used to it by now but still it wasn't easy at all... he can't scratch him self at all, not easy to eat with and also it is not easy at all to manouver under the blanket or under the table. But for us, it's a laughing stock... hehehe
But Milo is Milo... always enjoys the sun... with or without cap
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Castration
Milo is going to get castrated today... Since last night he is not allowed to eat anything at all.... breaks my heart to see it... he totally doesn't understand of course why he doesn't get any foods... and I can see that he was very hungry. The operation is scheduled on 14.30 pm so in total Milo forced to fasting for more than 12 hours.
I wish I don't have to castrated him at all... but in the last few months Milo getting more dominant and very super duper hyperactive... so we don't have much choice... I'm so sorry Milo... I'll make up to you... I promise
Dimitri brings him to the vets at 14.00 am... I hope everything goes well....
*** update news ***
The operation went well.... Milo is home now. Dimitri picked him up but he still not allowed to eat until 12 am tonight otherwise he will get sick
I'm still at the office right now... can't wait to see Milo
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