Day 75: More on shipment!

We get an email from someone in Germany regarding our shipment of goods. It appears the shipment WILL arrive Sunday, June 7 2009 in a port in Bremen. We think it's on the north coast of Germany (it's the only place where there is water).

We have to forward that email to the MP Customs office where we can get the form and arrange for customs.

We find out that the shipment will have to travel over 600 kilometers from Bremen to Stuttgart where it will go through customs. Ted's friend from work said to expect that the Germans will go through every box. UGH! Oh well. That's an entire day spent doing that. But his boss is cool and understands that will be the case.

After that, we guess it will be another day before the delivery can be made. I will certainly be glad when this is all over. Not being able to speak the language is a royal pain!

I decide to take a walk (the first one since I got sick) into town to buy a loaf of bread and my favorite Mango and Vanilla yogurt. A part of the walk (from our apartment to where the health food store is, is downhill. OK. No problem. The walk to the bread store is ALL uphill (granted it's not steep uphill, but it's uphill nonetheless.) But I take it slowly so it's OK.

I always go to the bread store first so I don't have to carry the purchases from the health food store to the bread store and back. And then I stop at the health food store. The lady I always talk to (the owner) passes me on the road riding her bicycle. Most Germans have those baskets in the front of their bikes (for carrying stuff...and I'm getting one too for my bike when it comes) or they have them on the sides of the back wheels. Every time I see someone wearing black and biking with a bike with those baskets. I always think of the "Wizard of Oz" and the music when the old maid is riding the bike (you know...the one who turns into the witch in Dorothy's dream). Ted and I laugh about it and he's taken up the practice of singing "Da-Ta,Da-Ta,Da-Da" whenever he sees someone riding like that. And we laugh about it.

Anyways, I buy my wonderful yogurt and head home. I pass school children (probably kindergarten or first graders) along with their teachers and mothers. I stop at the bench near the recycling bins and sit down. I know I'm going to start coughing but this is a good thing because I'm getting the last of the gunk out of my lungs!

I finally get home and have some yogurt and decide to get busy and clean the apartment. We have a laundry list of places to go to tomorrow and I need to have the apartment in tip top order for the weekly "inspection".

I thought we would be going to OBI tonight to get the paint but Ted called and said he has an appointment with his massage therapist. He is doing more physical work these days and it's difficult for him to get into the groove of it. His appointment is at 8:30.

So I decide that I'm going to watch a movie tonight. The first movie I've seen since we've been here. I brought along about six movies to watch until our shipment arrives. I'll be viewing National Treasure - Book of Secrets.

He never wants to eat before he goes to get a massage because it gives him heartburn to lay on his stomach after he's eaten. He finds out from our massage therapist what brand of mineral water she uses and it turns out it's a brand from one of the chain stores. Cool. We can get some. I actually like it which I not big on mineral water but this one is good especially with a slice of lemon!

He gets back around 10:30 and I give him a sandwich for dinner. I know it's not much but it IS late and it will bother his stomach if he overeats.

The movie is almost over and Ted watches with me while he checks his email. When it's over, we go to bed. Tomorrow is another day!

Friday 06/05/09