It was a weekend of "planned rest"—at least, that was the intention! With a clear football schedule—the eldest was suspended and the youngest was unfortunately not selected after missing training due to illness—there was finally room for other things. A bit of a shame about the matches, but honestly, it was quite nice to have a sports-free weekend for once.

Citizen Science in the Backyard 🔭

This weekend was also the national "Bird Counting Weekend." The rules are simple: you count the birds in your garden for 15 minutes at a time, as often as you like. My wife loves doing this. Of course, it helps that we provide food all year round, so they definitely know where to find us! No outr chickens, dind't count :(

Our garden was quite busy: we saw various types of tits (Blue tits, Great tits), robins, magpies, and even a treecreeper. The highlight, however, was a buzzard circling above. It’s a great way to slow down and appreciate nature for a moment.

The Great EV Test: Polestar vs. Volvo ⚡

Our Friday afternoon was dedicated to the search for a new car. We visited both the Polestar and Volvo showrooms to compare the Polestar 4 and the Volvo EC40. My wife initially preferred the Volvo, but seeing it in person changed the perspective. The Volvo's interior—surprisingly enough—felt a bit dated compared to modern EV standards. Once I sat in the back of the Polestar 4, it clearly took the lead in the race for me. On Sunday, we revisited another Volvo garage with the sons to check out the EX40, which was remarkably more spacious in the back. I’m very curious to see what my better half will eventually choose.

79 Candles and a Mountain of Ribs 🍖

Sunday was the absolute highlight of the weekend: celebrating my father’s 79th birthday. We went out with the whole family—18 people in total, ranging from ages 13 to 79—to a restaurant famous for its spare ribs.

The concept? All-you-can-eat ribs where the meat literally falls off the bone. They offer six different flavors, from BBQ and Indian Curry to Japanese versions. It’s always great to be together; people swap seats constantly and it’s wonderful to hear everyone's plans for the coming year. When it came time for dessert, I shared a plate with my eldest son—a perfect sweet ending! Me, dad and my godson

The "Lost & Found" Mission 🧥

I had planned to tidy up the heating basement on Saturday, but procrastination won. I didn’t get much further than the couch and watching sports. However, after the birthday lunch and our second garage visit, we had to go on a shopping mission. The eldest had gone out on Friday night and, contrary to expectations, needed to be picked up around 00:30. In the unexpected rush to leave, he realized on Saturday that he had lost his jacket and gloves. Since we don't expect much from the club's "lost and found," new gear was a priority. After a stop at Decathlon for gloves and wrist guards for the upcoming ski trip, we found a new jacket at the outlet center. We closed out the weekend the right way: watching the Genk match, a light bite, and finishing with the NFL game between the Broncos and the Patriots. **How was your weekend?** Did procrastination get the best of you too, or were you productive? Cheers, Peter

Birthday celebrations