Day 327 - Shopping and Berhausen Festival

It's still snowing out and most likely is very cold.  Ted left to go to the base to get money exchanged and on  to his work to pick up the plastic bottles to take them to the "Pfand" (the recycling place) at Netto, the local market where we shop. 

While he was gone, I did a load of laundry, loaded the dishwasher, made the bed and generally cleaned up.  I also managed to check bank balances and write some emails. 

We first went to Netto to shop.  Ted recycled the bottles at this machine.  It's really cool how they do it here.  You place the bottle in the machine and it reads the bar code and keeps a tab of what you are owed.  When you are done, you push a button and the machine prints out a receipt.  Today the receipt was for 3 Euro which we will use to offset our shopping. 

We did our shopping and Ted paid the bill.  The Germans do not bag your groceries nor do they provide bags.  You have to either bring your own bags or buy them from the market.  I usually bring cloth bags.  Thehe checker was going SO FAST that we ended up having to rearrange our purchases in the bags we brought, otherwise they would be way too heavy to carry up the steps.

We then stopped at the bakery next door and bought some bread.  Since we did not have breakfast, Ted wanted the bakery's wonderful chocolate-covered donuts.  They are wonderful.  Very chocolately but not very sweet.  We both sat and had a donut.  Ted had juice and I had a latte machiatto.

We decided to go look for the yarn place in Bernhausen on our way to Rewe (pronounced Rev-a) to get Nestea Peach Iced Tea, Ted's favorite. Earlier in the week, Ted went over to Mama Maria's to have a "Diesel" (half Coca Cola and half Beer).  While there, he got the directions from Anna where the yarn place was in Bernhausen. 

Where were were going didn't allow cars, so we parked the car and decided to walk around to find it.  We started to ask a woman where the "Baumwolle Laden" (Yarn store) was.  She wasn't from that part of town so she asked someone else.  They said there wasn't one in Bernhausen.  But we know that Anna told us there was one here.  Oh well, back to the drawing board.  It turns out, she speaks English!  She told us that we probably would want to go to Metzingen.  She said they have many outlet stores there and that we most likely would be able to find what we were looking for.  We asked where Metzingen was located and she gave us directions.  We decided it was worth a trip since it was only about 15 kilometers away!

While speaking to this woman we noticed a group of people in costume.

Men and women in the same type of costumes.

It turns out that every village has this own version of this event.  This event is over 100 years old and each village has their own costumes and masks.  These people are "witches".  They are tasked with making winter go away.  It isn't visible in this photo but there are clothes on lines just like in Neuhausen.  And it has to do with Shrove "Fat" Tuesday.  It' a Catholic tradition.  Some villages are more traditional than others because some villages are very Catholic and others are more Evangelista (Protestant, i.e.  Martin Luther).

She told us that there will be a parade in  Neuhausen on Sunday.  We may just take the bus over there and see it.

 
This 20 year-old man is dressed traditionally.  He installs ceramic tiles for a living.

Here he is again, with his village's mask and clowning with another guy!

I had to take a photo of this costume.  This guy was gracious enough to have his photo taken.  The photo does not do this costume justice.  It was exquistely made!  It was wool and appeared to be very heavy.  You can't see it in the photo but he had a coiled rope hanging from his belt.













We stood and had a very long conversation with the young man and the guy in the white pants.  We talked mostly with the guy in the white pants.  It turns out his uncle lives in the U.S. in Boston.  We talked to him for over an hour!! 

He told us about the snow and how this is a very hard winter for them.  It usually doesn't snow this much (there's about four inches of snow on the ground right now).  That was eye-opening!  He also told us that the various communities are out of salt and because it's so late in the season, the communities would not be buying any more salt.  The government has reserved whatever salt is left for the autobahn.  He also told us that there is a law in Germany that who ever owns a property, they must clear the sidewalk in front of their home (or business) of the snow.  Can you imagine being forced to clear the snow on the walkway in front of your home? 

He told us of the parties that were happening everywhere in the region tonight.  That if you showed up in costume, the entrance fee was waived.  He said that they would bring their own steins to drink out of.  (See the photo with the mask above and you can see his stein hanging from his belt.) 

He also explained their unemployment and taxes.  It's mind boggling what the government will pay for if you are out of work.  Every school child goes to England to see how the English live and to learn the language better. (I'm unclear as to how old the children are when they do this.)  If a person is out of work during the time the child has to go to England (or America), then the government pays for their trip!!  That's above and beyond the call, I think!  They also pay for your rent and give you money for food.  Unbelievable!!  And the rest of the working population pays for it.  He also said this goes on for a year.  Then the payments are cut proportionately.

I asked him what he thought about Hitler.  He said most Germans were not a part of what happened then.  He told us that there is a concentration depot (a holding post) somewhere between Bernhausen and Sielmingen (a town nearby).  He said his grandfather would leave food out on the street for the people who were walking (herded) to the depot.  He said the Nazi's would hit him for leaving the food.  He also said that he doesn't think about it much and that it happened 60 years ago.  I told him that it cannot happen again.  And he agreed.  But somehow, history has a way of repeating itself because people do not pass along the lessons learned from their ancestors.

The two young men had to leave and our feet were ice cold.   We walked back to our car and turned the heat on.  Ted needed the restroom so we went back to our apartment and we unloaded and put away the groceries before moving on the next store.  We still had some time so we decided we would go find Metzingen and see what it was all about.  We weren't going to stop, just see if we could find it.  Being in Germany is truly an adventure!

We found it and was amazed at the number of outlets there were.  La Coste and Puma were just a few.  We definitely need to come back here and check them out.  Perhaps next weekend! 

We drove back and stopped at Rewe to get the peach tea.  We had decided earlier in  the week that we would go to Capri for dinner.  Ted wanted to try their steak.  I had linguini with fresh shrip and Ted had steak and potatoes.  I was able to taste the steak and it was delicious.  It was, by far, the best steak we had eaten here in Germany.  It was expensive, but SO worth it!!  The Germans just do not know how to grill beef.   The place was pretty empty and it was because of "Mardi Gras".  We sat and talked (or rather I talked) to Virna, the owner of Capri.  We talked mostly about food.  I told her about my family's traditional Italian  cooking.  She told me about some of their traditions.  We also talked about missing our homelands.  She does not miss her town.  She said it was full of drugs, guns and to get into the bank you have to stand in a small cubicle  and get your thumb scanned otherwise they will not open the door to you.  She said she prefers Germany because there are more services  than where she comes from in Italy.

At 8:30pm, we decided it was time to leave and we went home.  We trudged the seven  bottles of tea up the stairs and watched "The Hunt for Red Oktober" before going to bed.


Saturday 02/13/10

Day 326 - Movie night

We're making plans for the weekend.  Nothing fancy but it IS Valentine's Day on Sunday.   I finally got some company work done today and am happy and contented now that my bookmarks are all done.  Some would say that I was fixated on this task and they would be correct.  But when I want to find something (and find it fast), I want to know that it's there!

I scrubbed floors today and cleaned.  Ted bought German "sweet" corn on the cob and I made chicken for dinner.  The corn was good but not as good as the corn we had this past fall. 

We watched the movie, "Summer of '42".  I had never seen it.  Ted was amazed that I had never seen it and he wanted me to see it.  I found out that the music score won an academy award.  That didn't surprise me much as the music is phenomonal!!!

Friday 02/12/10

Day 325 - Music at Mama Maria's

Another day working on the bookmarks.   But the end is in sight.  I finally was able to finish cleaning up the bookmarks.  This "clean-up" process was done on the word document containing all of the bookmarks.  It's much simpler to work on that document than to try to fix them all in Internet Explorer (IE).  Just before Ted came home for dinner, I decided the bookmarks were good and that it was time to do the export.  Well, it didn't work.  Neither IE or Google Chrome would accept the converted word document.  I'm REALLY frustrated right now!!!  I tried several different ways of doing it but to no avail. 

Ted returned home and I told him my issues.  He was sympathetic and suggested a few possibilities.  Some of the suggestions I had already tried and they didn't work.  At this point I'm so frustrated, I didn't want to hear any more suggestions.  I spent almost an entire week working on it just to find out that the export won't work. 

Ted wanted to know if I wanted "music".  I thought he meant to listen to my iPod via the iHome that we bought on base.  I said OK.  As I went about doing things, he asked me again, "Do you want music?"  Again, I said..."if you like."  Then he said, "You'd better get dressed if we're  going."  (I was in my comfortable lounging pajamas.)  "What?," I said.  He then replied, "Don't you want to go to Mama Maria's to listen to music?"  OH...THAT'S what he was asking.  I didn't think music was this week.  I thought it was next week.  See what happens when one is frustrated and working all week long on something that doesn't work? 

Well, I needed a break so I got dressed and we went over to Mama Maria's.  It's snowing in earnest now and there's about two inches on the ground.  I decided that since we were walking right by the garbage cans, that it would be prudent to take the trash out. 

We got our favorite table at Mama Maria's.  The one in the corner, away from the door.  It turns out it's only going to be Joe (the guitarist) and Michele (the owner of Mama Maria's and the pianist).  The lead singer, Jerry and Alex (the base guitarist) are both very sick.  No matter though since we don't get to hear Joe or Michele sing too often. 

Since sausage pizzas are unheard of here in Germany,  I had asked Michele if I brought my own sausage, would his cook put it on the pizza for us.  He said sure!  I had some sausage in my refrigerator, so I put it in  a plastic baggie and took it with me.  When Anna took our order, I gave her the sausage and told her Michele said it would be ok if I brought the sausage with me to put on the pizza. 

They were setting up for the evening of music when Melanie came over to talk to us.  Melanie is the manager at Triebers (a place my husband goes to get chocolate croisants) but tonight she is helping out Anna and Michele taking orders and being behind the bar.  Here is a photo of Melanie.

Melanie  was married to a U.S. serviceman and lived in South Carolina.  She speaks very good English but it's funny to hear her speak with a southern accent.  I guess that's how the Italians think of me when I speak with a Neapolitan dialect.












The restaurant was starting to fill up.  All the tables (there were only three in the section where they play music) were filled.  (One of them was our table).  Since our table is a table for four, if someone comes in that either speak Italian or are Americans, Michele puts sits them with us.  We don't mind, in fact, we prefer it as it makes for a nicer evening and we get to meet new friends.

Joe, the guitarist, posing for a photo just before they start playing music.















As people come in and go to the other part of the restaurant, the cold air blows in.  We were distracted by some flashing lights outside.  It appears that there are some "clowns" outside.  Shrove Tuesday is next week and it appears that the Germans celebrate "Mardi Gras" but they do it in a little different manner.  We could barely see the costumes of the revelers outside and we were amazed that they would brave this cold to go out and about! 

The pizza was terrific but I forgot to tell Anna to give us mushroom pizzas and to add the sausage to them.  Oh well, they still were good.  Next time, I'll have to remember to tell her we want mushroom pizzas and then pull out the sausage!

The music finally began and it was a treat listening to Michele and Joe sing and play.  Jerry is a good singer and performer, but it's nice to have a little different music.  Most of what they sang was in Italian.  Michele sang "Rose Rosse" (Red Roses) and dedicated it to me.  It's an Italian song by Massimo Ranieri from the 70's that I love.  He also sang "Happy Birthday" to a patron.  (First in German and then in English).  "Happy Birthday" came out "Happy Birzday" when he sang it.  I loved it!!   Michele had another friend come up and play the keyboard and sing.  Apparently, this guy was someone who he sometimes played music with.  He was a great singer too!  I was amazed because Michele picked up Joe's other guitar and played along.  This guy is really versatile!

Michele and Joe playing Italian music.  In the background is Anna.  She's in the bar area near the cash register.












Sadly, we had to leave early since Ted had to be at work early.  I totally forgot about my computer issues but thinking about them returned as soon as we got home.  I figured I would try it again and if it didn't work, I'd have to painstakingly put them into Chrome, one by one.  I didn't relish the idea of doing that but I was resigned to it if I had to.  Well, nothing I did worked.  I wrote an online friend that I would be tied up doing this for the next week.  She suggested that I try to import it into Firefox and  then re-export it Chrome.  It worked!!!  I was so ecstatic!!!  I still had some clean up to do, that is, create folders and such but I didn't care, at least all of the links were in Chrome.  I was happy and I could go to bed now.

I woke up at 2am.  I couldn't sleep and figured if  I worked a bit on my bookmark "folders" project, I'd get tired enough and be able to go back to sleep.  It didn't work.  I was up from 2 until 6:30 when my husband got up!  I managed to get all of the folders done but now had to export them into Internet Explorer.  I was now tired.  Ted wanted me to stay up until he was ready to leave since he needed me to help him tie his boots.  He has trouble with his left hand so I didn't mind helping him.  However, by the time he was ready, I got my second wind and wasn't tired anymore!

I managed to import the bookmarks into internet explorer but knew I had better try and get some sleep or I would be a basket case by tonight.  Thankfully, the "shields" on  the windows make the room very, very dark so I was able to fall asleep.  Unfortunately, it was not a very restful nor deep sleep.  



Thursday 02/11/10

Day 324 - More computer work

It has been very cold here and it has been snowing.  It's supposed to snow for several days so I'm not going anywhere.  I'm concentrating on checking bookmarks, housecleaning and making supper for my husband.  The bookmarks appear to be growing but I'm determined to get this project done so I'll have them clean and organized!  This is a good time to do this project since it's cold and dreary outside.

We watched a new episode of NCIS tonight.  We look forward to watching them every Wednesday night.  It's really great to have that option, particularly in the winter time when it gets dark early.

Wednesday 02/10/10

Day 323 - Quiet day

Today was another day of checking bookmarks and house cleaning.

Tuesday 02/09/10

Day 322 - Upgrading my computer

Since we installed my new 320MG hard drive, I've been busy trying to get all of my files in order.  I installed the new Google Chrome which I love because it is very fast!!  I'm going to try to export the more than 5000 bookmarks I have to Chrome.  Most of them are personal but some are work and career related.  Unfortunately, the export did not work.  Apparently there are links that are bad so today was spent going through many of the bookmarks to clean them up.  I also took a call from my boss and we discussed this week's work.  She is hiring a new assistant to help with the scanning of documents so I don't have to wait for them. 

Ted and I watched U.S. television via iTunes.  It's very cool that we can get episodes of our favorite programs.

Monday 02/08/10

Day 321: Base craft store sale

Because of a misunderstanding Ted went to church alone today while I stayed home.  He did not return home until after 2pm.  I fixed us a brunch and then we went to the base.

Because it's Superbowl Sunday, the craft store will be open and are having a sale.  The afghan hooks I ordered have come in and I have to pick them up.  While there, I also purchased some material to make some baby items for the new baby.  We then went to the Commissary to buy our weekly supplies.  We didn't need much this week so lugging the groceries upstairs will be a piece of cake!!

I still need to iron Ted's pants and shirts for work tomorrow.  We watched a few episodes of NCIS and went to bed.

Sunday 2/07/10

Day 320- Neuhausen and Nurtlingen

It was cloudy and gloomy outside but not very cold.  We got a late start to our day.  We contemplated going to one of the towns on the Romantic road but shelved the idea because of the lateness of the day.  I would rather go when it's sunny and nice out and warmer!

Instead, we decided to go for a  drive through some of the small towns near our village.  We went back through Neuhausen and this time I was able to get a few shots of the banners (and clothing). 

At first, we thought the banners were for "carnival" (mardi gras) that's coming up.  I don't exactly know when it is, though, since it's not something we celebrate.

At first Ted thought these were the townfolks clothes and they were drying them but then we saw how many there were and we realized it couldn't be!








We turned around to go back the way we came and realized the red T-shirts had something written on them.  It looked like it read "40 Jahre" which means 40 years.  It must be some sort of town anniversary!  Mystery solved!







We ended up in the town of Nurtlingen, parked the car and got out to walk.  I brought my camera and too kphotos.  Ted commented that if we didn't get out and walk, we would have missed a lot of the interesting spots that we shot.  It wasn't very cold so the walk  was nice.  Below are some photos from our walk.  It was starting to get late so the sun's light was not so good.  I had to fiddle with the contrast so you could see what we saw and how we saw them!

We think this building must be some sort city building.  Ted thought he saw something that said Notary on it.  Based on the size of this building and the turret, it must have once been some sort of palace.  It would be interesting to find out the history of some of these wonderful buildings!

Another one of the beautiful timbered houses.  I think they are beautiful and quaint. 

This particular home has a very french look to it!  There are tons of homes on the French border town of Strasbourg that have this same kind of look!

This house sat back from the street.  Ted really liked the red shutters and I liked that it sat back from the street.  There's a stone paved area leading up to it.














Ted and I joke that Mama Maria's is like our neighborhood "Cheers" place...but it was surprising to actually see a place called "Cheers" here in  Germany and not too far from our home.  (See the logo on the auto.)

We walked up the stairs but there is a paved walkway leading up to the plaza where the Cathedral stands.  It was a steep climb and we started up the pathway but decided it was better if we used the steps instead!  You can't see it in this photo but on the right, just below the little stone area, were areas where the town women once washed clothes on stones!   The orange building on the left is an antique store!









I loved this archway.  Unfortunately the light was going so I had to brighten up the shot.  It turns out this  is the entrance to some sort of secondary (or University) compound.













This is the Cathedral tower.  All churches and Cathedrals (the Germans prefer that we call them Cathedrals) have clock towers.  

The entrance to the Cathedral is on the side of the building.  This is the view of the church from the top of the stairway of those stairs we came up in the photo above.













At first Ted thought this window was open and so did I!  But upon further inspection, it was actually closed!  It's an optical illusion.  I find it interesting that the builders were able to achieve this illusion.  I wonder if it was by accident or by design! 

This is the view from the back of the Cathedral.  The stained glass panels must be where the altar is.  I didn't think the doors were open so I didn't even try to go inside.











On the way to dinner, we stopped at the yarn store in Plattenhardt.   They were closed of course, but I had a chance to find out their hours and to look in the windows.

We decided to have dinner at the Capri restuarant.  The menu is much smaller than Amalfi's menu and their specialty is fish and meat.   Ted said it was THE best fish pizza he had ever eaten.  It had clams, shark, octopus, "sepia" (I don't know what that is in English).  I had their homeade cheese and spinach ravioli.  The place is small but the ambience is great.  It is owned by the same family that owned Amalfi Pizzeria in Bonlanden.  I thought they had sold it and then I thought the husband and wife separated.  But I was wrong on BOTH counts.  I felt better that 1) they didn't sell the restaurant and 2) they were still married.  It appears that they decided to open a second  more formal and quaint restaurant!  I also found out that they let that odious waiter go!  Now we are free to go back to Amalfi!!  We're happy campers.

We  came home and watched a few episodes of NCIS and then went to bed.  I can't wait for summer to come so  we can go galavanting around the countryside!  I'm tired for gloomy and overcast weather.

Saturday 2/06/10

Day 319- Weekend is coming!

Ted worked today and so did I. I'm so glad the weekend is here! I didn't cook dinner tonight because Ted had a big, late lunch and was not hungry.  He brought me leftovers and we watched some episodes of NCIS.

Friday 2/05/10

Day 318- Drive in the countryside

I had more company work to do today and Ted stayed home today because he said I kept him awake all last night.  I don't remember doing that but he says  I did!  Oh well.  It's a good day to play hooky since the sun is shining.   We decided to go look for the yarn store in Bernhausen and the new Capri restaurant in Platenhardt.  We also took a short drive in the countryside and drove through a town called Neuhausen (pronounced New-how-zen).  They have banners up and clothes (and they are not someone's wash) but I didn't have my camera!!!  Hopefully, we can come back again soon and I'll have my camera.  You just never know when there will be a really cool photo to take!

Thursday 2/04/10

Day 317- Annual tax preparation

More company work today and more working on finances.  We will have to figure out how to get our annual taxes done.  I have no idea how to do that here or who to see.  Ted will have to do some  investigating.  Since only a few of our tax forms have arrived in the mail, this can wait for another few weeks.

Wednesday 2/03/10

Day 316- Company work.

I did company work all day today.  And I don't mind since it's so dreary out, I don't want to leave the apartment.

Tuesday 02/02/10

Day 315- Errand day for Ted

I cannot believe January is already over!!  It seems like yesterday we were traveling back from our Christmas trip from the States and that was over a month ago!  Time DOES roll by when you get older.

Ted has a bunch of errands to run today:  pay our car insurance, convert the English pounds he bought last week for his trip back to dollars, ship something back to the states for me AND  go to work.  He's going to have a full day!

Monday 02/01/2010

Day 314 - Computer issues

We got up to big, fluffy snow flakes and dressed to go to church.  Church was great, as usual.  There were some new faces and we are contemplating a pilgrimage trip to Rome with the church in the spring. 

We went grocery shopping after church.   I didn't need much but what we did buy was heavy items like water, peach tea, milk and orange juice.  Not very many bags but bulky items.

We came home and lugged all those groceries up the steps and I fixed us a light lunch.  We knew we were going to go have pizza at Mama Maria's tonight se we didn't want to spoil our dinner. 

Dinner at Mama Maria's was great as usual.  I had my standard Mushroom pizza and Ted had the Caprese Pizza.  I'm usually not fond of the Caprese Pizza but tonight it was good. 

We went home and Ted worked on figuring out how to back up my hard drive because it's almost completely full and I have a new one that's four times larger but he has to determine the best way to move all of the "stuff" from my laptop hard drive to the new hard drive so that none of my settings are lost.  Because I work from home and "tunnel" into the work computer in California, it would be terrible if I didn't have connectivity.  I have no doubt he will figure it out because he is my computer go-to guy!  I can't wait until it's done because I know the laptop will run so much faster!

We got to bed late because we had to get prepped for tomorrow.  I'm sure it won't matter to Ted since he can exist quite nicely on six hours of sleep.  I don't do well unless I have at least eight!

Sunday 1/31/10

Day 312- Ted coming home tonight

I decided to do a more thorough cleaning today, get some laundry done and get caught up on my blogging. I also worked on personal finances and dug through a pile stuff on my desk in the third bedroom. Ted won't be home until after 11pm which means I don't have to cook tonight either. The rest from cooking was great but I'm anxious to get back to our normal routine...if one can even call our life normal!

I mentioned to Ted that I will need to get more yarn because I underestimated how much I would need to make the scarf. If I finish it now, I don't think it's long enough to cover his neck really well. I'll have him decide when he gets home tonight.

Friday 1/29/10

Day 313- Another Jaunt to Stuttgart

Today Ted has to go get the tires aligned.  While he is gone, I will straighten up the apartment and get a load of laundry done. 

When he returned, we had a quick drink and left to catch the U-Bahn to go downtown Stuttgart.  We decided we like the U-Bahn better than the S-Bahn even though we have to change trains in Moehringen.  But the cars seem to be nicer and it appears to be a more direct route. 

It started to snow just as we parked the car by the train station.  Big white fluffy snowflakes fell as we walked to the station.  We are bundled up so we are not cold.  we had to wait about 10 minutes for the train.  It appears we had JUST missed the previous train.  No matter though, since we had to buy our tickets too. We REALLY do need to get a monthly pass! 

The ride downtown was uneventful but when we got to the Schloss Platz (translated "Palace Plaza"), we couldn't believe they were having some sort of "green" market fair!!  The people were bundled up but they were visiting the booths.  And there were just as many people here this week as there were here last week before Ted left for England!

By now, Ted was hungry and wanted to eat.  He hadn't eaten since yesterday since he didn't want to eat when he came home last night since it was so late.  We went to the same restaurant that we had eaten at in the fall.  He had a specialty dish (the name escapes me - but  it sliced homemade pasta rolls filled with ground sausage and spinach).  It came with scrambled eggs and he loved it.  I had quiche and a salad.  However, we definitely DO need to go back to this restaurant because i definitely want to try that dish! 

We walked to the Karstadt department store where I picked up additional yard to finish Ted's scarf and some other cotton yarn to make another afghan for the new baby who is due to arrive in August.  As we walked by the millinery department, I looked at hats since I do not have one.  Ted insisted on buying me this beautiful knit and felt hat and I love it.  It's plum-colored and is terrific.  I would not have spent the money for it but he said I didn't get a Christmas gift so this is it! 

As we walked back to the train station, we noticed this HUGE 25 foot "thing" coming at us.  I was upset that I forgot to bring either my camera OR my phone to snap a photo.  It's hard to describe but I'm going to give it my best shot.  It was a "hollow" man made of "strings" that appeared to have been "paper macheted".  But the kicker was that it was "walking" towards us.  We couldn't see them until we got closer but there were people on  the ground with this "man" in the middle and they were orchestrating his movements with steel rods.  This "man" actually looked like he was walking!!!  Behind the "man" and the people moving him, was this other man who was playing a guitar-like instrument. The music was filmy and fantasy-like...very fitting for the movements of the "man".  The man was hooked up to a loudspeaker which was on wheels.  The loudspeaker was anchored to him around his waist with a some sort of belt.  As he played and walked, the loudspeaker "followed" him.  I was enthralled with the entire concept and stood watching the "man" until I could only see his head in the distance.

The train ride back to the car was uneventful and I was struck once again at the beauty of the landscape, even in the harsh winter.  We needed to stop to get bread but the one bakery in town was already closed.  The other bakery near the market I shop at was not closed so we popped in there to buy bread and then zipped home.

It was starting to get dark and colder but we were almost home so we didn't care.  Once home, we were still full from our wonderful late lunch so we didn't have a formal meal.  We watched a i-tunes movie and then went to bed.



Saturday 1/30/2010

Day 311- Working and watching videos

Today I worked on my TESOL and got unit 13 submitted for review. I also got floors washed and some company work done as well.

Tonight is music at Mamma Maria's but I do not feel comfortable about going there by myself, besides it's so much more fun when my husband comes with me!

I spent the evening watching part of Season 6 DVD of NCIS and crocheting. I've been having trouble sleeping at night. I sure hope I can get back onto a more regular schedule when Ted comes home tomorrow night!  I  sure miss having him around!

Thursday 1/27/10

Day 310- Beautiful Sunny day

The sun is coming out today. Yesterday it was overcast and cloudy. I would call it dreary! Another day of company work, more work on the scarf and some light housekeeping.

Since it was a beautiful day, I opened all of the windows and the doors for about five minutes. It got really cold in here really quickly but it aired out the mustiness of the apartment! The rooms almost smelled like spring! (Perhaps that's wishful thinking on my part).

I've decided to forgo getting my driver's test this week. There is entirely too much to do. I hadn't anticipated that this week's company work would be as much as it was! I also need to get back to my TESOL. Time is going by and I have to finish up unit 13 and get it submitted!

Wednesday 1/27/10

Day 309- Company work day

With the exception of a few hours to eat and work on my husband's scarf, I spent the entire day doing company work.

Tuesday 1/26/10

Day 308- Ted leaves for England

Today was spent getting preparing for my weekly call with my boss along with household chores that I didn't get done over the weekend.

I wil lbe taking Ted to the airport tonight at 5pm and then driving home. My plan is to study for the drivers test and then go to the base on Thursday to pass that darn test!

Ted got home at 4:30pm but didn't want to leave until 5pm. We left and got to the airport and needed a cart because he was transporting equipment. By the time we found a cart, unloaded the car and got back into the terminal it was already 5:30. My call is at 6pm and Ted wanted me to wait to see if his carry on would fit or if he had to go to plan B which was to move his laptop to a shoulder bag and check his roll around. It turned out he didn't have to do that, so he was good to go and I was OK to leave and go home to my call.

I paid for the parking and then got into the car. I needed to turn on the GPS because it was already quite dark and I don't know the roads. Since I don't drive the car, I don't pay much attention on how to get from point A to point B.

I made one tiny mistake coming out of the airport. I had fleece pants and top along with my coat and scarf so I was getting overheated. By the time I got home, I was worried that I would miss the call. I had to back the car (which I don't normally drive) into our parking stall. I didn't want to leave it outside since it was already snowing and I didn't feel like going back out again later on.

I drive stick but I'm not used to this car yet and I had to back it into our stall (otherwise I wouldn't be able to get out of the car)! And it's a bit of a challenge because it's a corrugated metal floor AND there was a car parked in the next stall and I didn't want to damage my car or hers! I finally managed to get it parked and locked the door. I raced up the steps and had to get out of the coat, scarf and fleece clothing before my call. I had just sat down when my boss called!

My husband has the MOST incredible timing! He called just when she did so I had to listen to him for a few minutes and put my boss on hold. My boss and I spent the next hour or so getting caught up on project issues and prioritizing the week's work.

When I got off the phone, I did some company work and then sat, relaxed and worked on my husband's scarf.

Monday 1/25/10

Day 307 - Double feature Sunday

We got up early and went to church. The message was timely and good. I DO so love to listen to the Chaplain. He's so right on the money when it comes to his messages!

Because Ted would be away all next week, we decided that a play day was in order. Since the base where we go to church is near the base where we do our grocery shopping, we decided that we would do our grocery shopping after church, have some lunch and then hit a double feature at the base theater. We ended up having lunch first which is a good thing because you don't want to be hungry when you go grocery shopping! Because it was quite cold we knew even the refrigerated goods would be fine in the car while we went to the theater.

We ran into the Chaplain at the commissary and stopped and chatted for a few minutes. I told him that I thought he was on the same plane as we were coming back from the states and in fact, we were!

After the groceries were packed into the car, we walked across the street to the theater. (The commissary is across the street from the theater.)

We would be seeing "Planet 51" (a children's movie) at 2pm and then at 4pm we would be seeing "2012". When I saw how many little kids there were (and a 7-year-old birthday party too) I wondered if we were doing the right thing. I was pleasantly surprised that those children (and there were a LOT of them) were well-behaved and quiet. And the movie was good too! Of couse 2012, is disaster movie to end all disaster movies! We both were on the edge of our seats. If you get a chance to see it, do so, you won't be disappointed!

We got out of the theater at 6:30 to find big fluffy snow flakes coming down! Ted was in his glory...I could care less. I mean, it's pretty to look at but I dislike having to "live" in it!

We went home and neither of us were hungry just yet. We were still full from our late lunch. But there was ironing and packing to do. So we got busy getting Ted's "stuff" together for his trip. After getting that together, we decided that dinner was in order and we went to Mamma Maria's for some pizza. Going to dinner at Mamma Maria's takes time so by the time we got home, it was time to wrap last minute details up and get some sleep.


Sunday 1/24/10

Day 306- Jaunt to Stuttgart

Ted decided to sleep in today. Then he had an errand to run. Since we bought tires, he wants to make sure the car is aligned. I don't blame him...tires are not cheap so we have to make them last!

Then we decided to take the S-Bahn to downtown Stuttgart. It's cold so we both bundled up. We're going to Bernhausen to catch the S-Bahn and we'll leave our car parked at the station and return.

The price for the U-Bahn which we can get in Plieningen and the S-Bahn are pretty much the same, I think. We're still trying to figure out what the difference is between the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn and we're having difficulty understanding.

Ted thought it was a more direct way of getting downtown, that is, no stops at small stations. But that wasn't the case at all. Not that it takes very long to stop, unload and and load. The Deutch (German) transportation system is efficient to say the least.

It took as long on the S-Bahn as on the U-Bahn, and I think cost the same (about $18 for two round trips). It's a bit expensive so we're going to be buying the monthly or annual pass...which would cut down on the expense. At least for me since I'll be the one using it more than my husband.

When we got downtown, it was amazing to me just how many people were down there walking about! The cold didn't seem to bother them and Starbucks was doing a HUGE business! I guess there are coffee drinkers all over the world!

I forgot my regular camera but thankfully, I had my cell phone which takes pretty good photos.  As you can see from  this photo, it is cold and yet, people are walking everywhere!

We didn't have a plan but I did want to try to find the department store down there. I was told I could get yarn and various sewing notions there. We had to stop someone to ask where it was. Interestingly, the woman spoke English well but did not know what a department store was. So I used a more descriptive way of explaining what I was looking for. I REALLY need to get back to studying my German!

I felt stupid because the store was right across from where we were standing!! The store did NOT look like any department store I'm familiar with but as soon as we got inside, it sure looked like a normal department store. We found the directory and the household items were on the third floor. I was able to pick up the crochet hook I was looking for. I brought all kinds of knitting needles and crochet hooks with me but I didn't ship an afghan crochet hook!! Go figure!

On the way out of the department store (after getting the afghan hook), I saw this display in the middle of the walkway.  I was thinking...anyone could just up and walk away with the ring but when I got closer, the display had a unique design.

The display allows you to try on the ring to see if it fits but you cannot remove it from the display!  This is very cool.  And you don't have salesperson hovering over you when you're just looking!







Ted also saw some beautiful, soft merlino wool that he wanted me to make into a scarf for him. I'm already making a scarf for him but I relented and said I would make it. He deserves it!

We then walked all the way back down Koenigstrasse (Kings Street) which is a pedetrian only street. There were street performers along the way and artists too. I was amazed that they would do art in such cold weather. At least it wasn't snowing!

I couldn't believe these guys were performing in this cold!  They played "When the saints go marching in" and I sang along just where I was standing.   

This guy (I think he was Australian) was playing that long horn.  It sounded very weird and beautiful at the same time.




 



We stopped into the other department store at the other end, looked around and then decided to go home. Luckily we didn't have to walk all the way back to where the first department store was because there was a station not 50 feet from the second department store.

By the time we got home, we were both hungry so I made supper and we sat and watched videos for the rest of the evening.

Saturday 1/23/10

Day 305- Ted's going to England alone

Ted's going to England on business next week and I was supposed to go with him but unfortunately, the housing situation was such that I'm better off staying at home, which is fine by me because I have LOTS to do: TESOL units, company work and catching up on doing the little things that I can't seem to get done!!

And while I would have liked to see England, I'm sure another time will come.  And now that Ted knows the housing situation, the decision of whether to go or not to go will be an easy one....next time!

Friday 1/22/10

Day 304- Behind in my blogging

Since I've been a bit behind in my blogging, I cannot remember what I did today.  It certainly wasn't earth shattering so there's not much to say.

Thursday 1/21/10

Day 303 - Working on finances

I got up early to make Ted the infamous Juice Plus+ shake but it turned out he really didn't want it!! So I was off the hook. But I didn't go back to sleep, I played on the computer for awhile and dozed off and on all day today.

Another somewhat sunny day. But I'm not feeling as energetic as I was yesterday.

I'm still working on finances to get things ready for taxes next month!

It's still unclear whether I will be joining Ted on his jaunt to London. It all depends on the housing facilities and whether there's an internet connection. If so, I can at least do work while I am there (and do a little site-seeing as well!)

He actually didn't want dinner tonight but a shake, so a shake it is!!

Wednesday 1/20/10

Day 302- The sun finally comes out!

It's a glorious sunny day today...even if it is cold. I opened every sliding door and a window wide open in each room for about 10 minutes to air the place out. It was wonderful...BUT...I also saw tons of dust bunnies and dust because I haven't felt like REALLY cleaning lately.

I'm still working on finances to get things ready for taxes next month!

I also broke the plaque that we bought in Munich. I was sad about it but what can you do, it's difficult to put things on the walls here. So we'll just have to replace it next Christmas.

Ted went to the post office on base and my new 320 gig hard drive came in. That's a weekend project for my honey.

We decided to go to dinner at the Wirtshaus Schwanenbrau because Ted needed a Dunkelweisen beer (dark New Year's Beer) and the Wildebeest Goulash (Deer stew).

It was REALLY foggy out and I'm glad we weren't out later than usual.

I spent part of the evening on the phone with my boss talking about upcoming projects and work-related stuff.



Tuesday 1/19/10

Day 301 - Martin Luther King Day

Today is Martin Luther King Day. It's a holiday in the U.S. and on base. Everything is closed and it's a fairly cold day. There's still snow on the ground but it's fast dissipating.

Ted called to take me to lunch at Mama Maria's so we went and had lunch. I found out Ted will be going to London next week on business. I may just tag along, if I can. We're not sure yet.

Monday 1/18/10

Day 300- Rainy Sunday

We got up too late to get to church so we are staying in today. It's raining like crazy outside and it's cold. We do have to head on over to the BX/PX for a few things later on this afternoon.

I made Ted's favorite breakfast since there are no breakfast places (that we know of) here in Germany. I wish there was, we'd go!


Sunday 1/17/10

Day 299- Shopping day

Ted got up early and went to the car place to get the window fixed. I slept in because it was cold and overcast outside. By the time he got home at 11am, we needed to get out and go grocery shopping.

We went to the base and to Netto and even went to Marktkauf to check some things out. I bought a very tiny mechanical coffee maker (one cup) so I can make Latte Macchiatto at home. It's become a favorite hot drink after tea with honey and lemon.

We watched movies and stayed up way too late.

Saturday 1/16/10

Day 298- Car window broken

I did company work for most of the day.  How wonderful it is to be able to work from home AND make my own hours!  It's the best!

Ted came home and informed me that the driver side window broke.  Apparently there is a cord on the inside that runs the window and it wrapped around the control and broke the window.  There's glass inside the door and we have to get it fixed tomorrow because of the cold and the snow or worse, rain! That means we'll be investing more money invested into this car.  Considering how well it runs, how old it is and how little we paid for it, we can do repairs on it and still come out ahead!

In the meantime, we have to drive over to Kelly (with the window down) to ensure we have enough Euros to fix the car in the morning.  Thankfully, Ted will be taking the car in first thing in the morning and I can sleep in!

Friday 1/15/10

Day 297- Lost wallet

It's still very cold outside.

Ted came home and informed me that he lost his wallet.  He had stopped at Trieber for a snack and must have left the wallet on the counter.  He was not gone five minutes when he returned  and the wallet was gone.  The clerks  were none he had seen before and he tried to ask them if they had seen the wallet, but of course they did not.  Luckily there was not a lot of money in the wallet.  Ted knows the manager but she was  not there.  It's going to be a pain to get all  of his  documents re-instated.  The most pressing is his driver's license.  We canceled the few credit cards he had in his wallet and we will have to replace his medical cards too.  He had to file a police report with the military police on  base.  What a pain losing a wallet can be!!!
 
There's live music at Mamma Maria's  tonight.  It's the first of the New Year.  We sat with Americans who we sat with on another ocassion. 

Before dinner Michele called Melanie, the manager at Trieber and allowed me to speak with her.  She said  she would make some phone calls. Later, melanie came in and told us she had called her employees but no one had seen the wallet.  

We stayed until about 10:30 and then came home.  I have an unsettled stomach due to the lost wallet.
Thursday 01/14/10

Day 296- It's still snowing!

It's still snowing here. All of Northern Europe is under the coldest winter they've had in 20 years!  Most of England and Scotland are under record-breaking snowfall, not to mention cold.

In England, there was a woman who fell off her bike and became unconscious. The snow was coming down so fast that it quickly covered her AND the bike. Fortunately a passerby (in a car) noticed the lump and saw the bike light flashing. If it had not been for that man and his sense to stop and check it out, he probably would have run her over!!

I'm staying in, of course, and will do company work and laundry today. I'm feeling much better and I'm through with the antibiotics. I'm still not 100% and still have "stuff" in my lungs, but I'm almost there. At least I'm not using box after box after box of tissues like I did last week!


Wednesday 1/13/10

Day 295- Lots of snow!

Another snowy day. So far we have about six inches. The caretaker has been out there shoveling the guest parking lot (three spaces) and the sidewalk ALL the way up to the Library!!! I was impressed!! He didn't have to do that, but he did. Ted and I are SO glad that I insisted we have covered parking. Having a garage in weather like this is a God-send!

Ted went back to work today and stopped for a "Dunkleweisen" beer (loosely translated "Dark white") at the Schwanenbrau. It turns out the dark beer, which Ted favors is a "winter" beer. He's had the "weildebeast" (venison) goulash there and loved it! He said the meat was tender and savory.


Tuesday 1/12/10

Day 294- Sick day for Ted

Ted decided to stay home one more day so that the three day z-pack would have a really good chance of kicking in. He's doing better but still needs to rest.

I spoke on the phone with my boss about company business and the things we needed to get accomplished this week. I really need to get busy on my TESOL and laundry this week.   I'm feeling better but my energy level still is not where it should be.


Monday 1/11/10

Day 293- Restful Sunday

We wanted to go to church but Ted really doesn't feel well. So we listened to a message from our old pastor from California. You have to love Podcasts!

Late in the afternoon, we went shopping for groceries. I got just what I needed and nothing more and got us home as quickly as I could!


Sunday 1/10/10

Day 292- Lazy Saturday

I was right. Ted is in no shape to go anywhere. He has been dozing off and on all day. I amused myself on line in between taking naps as well. I fixed him some soup which helped, I think.

Saturday 1/09/10

Day 291 - Sickness abounds.

Now Ted is sick. He has an appointment with the doctor and will get a z-pack. Poor guy...I gave it to him!! I'm on the mend but he's feeling really poorly.

He had to go on base to get his phone because he left it there yesterday. I guess it was him being sick that made him forget.

We're supposed to go grocery shopping tomorrow but I'm not sure he will be up to it.

Friday 1/08/10

Day 290 - Dinner out!

The antibiotics are kicking in but it's a slow process. It's still cold and snowy and I still can't bring myself to get anything done. I still have laundry to do from our trip to Ohio but I'm just not up to it. Thankfully, I did Ted's clothes as soon as we got back so he still has work clothes but me, I'm running very low on clothes...but I don't care since I'm not going anywhere anyways!

We decided to have dinner at Mamma Maria's. I don't think it was such a good idea but Ted insisted that I have something to eat and didn't want to make me cook. What a GREAT guy!!! Got to love it!


Thursday 1/07/10

Day 289 - Extension on my TESOL

I'm so glad that I went to the doctor's office. I'm still feeling poorly. Thanksfully, though, I managed to shoot off an email to the TESOL people requesting an extension due to my illness. They agreed and I have until April 12 to complete the last seven units!! I'm very happy about that.

I'm still resting and sleeping pretty much the entire day. It's cold, snowy and gloomy. Typical Ohio weather but not typical California weather. Although my boss tells me that they have not had sunshine since Christmas. That's unusual for Northern California.



Wednesday 1/06/10

Day 288 - Doctor's appointment

Finally, I'm going to be able to see the doctor. I'm a bit hesitant to go, though. Since I don't have transportation other than my two feet and it's really cold and snowy outside, I'm worried that I'll make myself even worse!! No matter though, I desperately need an antibiotic. I'm hoping that he will have something for me so that I don't have to go to the Apotheke which means another walk in the opposite direction of the doctor's office. Normally, I wouldn't care...but being sick and it being cold and snowy, I'm reluctant. Oh well, we shall see.

His office was jumping. They set up the waiting room in one of the exam rooms. It appeared that the doctor's office was broken into over the New Year's holiday. In a small village such as this, I wouldn't have thought things like this happen. The doctor told me there was no cash (he takes it home with him at night) but there were a lot of prescription sheets (not signed, of course) but something a thief might want!

He didn't have an antibiotic for me so it's off to the Pharmacy down the street. I sure hope I can make it there and back to the apartment ok.

Well, I got there and they didn't have the prescription. I REALLY don't want to go back there tomorrow to pick it up. But wonder of wonders...the clerk told me they would deliver the antibiotic to my home tonight between 5:30 and 6:30pm! WOW!! Delivery...and it's free too! I'm SO thankful for that.

I'm feeling ok so I decided to stop at the bakery on the way back and get some bread. But by the time I hit Michele's (Mamma Maria's), I'm sweating and feeling a bit light-headed. So I put one foot in front of the other and hope I can get up the steps to the apartment.

I finally made it to the apartment and whipped off my coat,scarf and gloves and promptly sat down. I was asleep before I could think about it. The walk just did me in!!

I took the first round of antibiotics and will continue to do so until they are done in one week.


Tuesday 1/05/10

Day 287 - More rest.

I tried getting an appointment with the doctor, but because he's been out of the country for two weeks (he went to Thailand) his appointments are backed up. I managed to get an appointment tomorrow morning.

I'm still sick and haven't been up to doing much of anything except sleeping and resting.


Monday 1/04/10

Day 286 - Day of rest

I slept really well last night but I'm still sick. I was able to do dishes and make Ted some breakfast late in the morning. It being the first Sunday of the year, I really wanted to be in church but I didn't think that was wise given how sick I've been over the past few days. My breathing is labored and I'm wheezing which leads me to believe that I probably have a bad case of bronchitis. I can't wait until tomorrow to call the doctor.

The day was spent dozing and reading.


Sunday 1/03/10

Day 285 - Still sick

It snowed last night and there's a light dusting of snow everywhere. The sun is coming out so it will be gone soon. I wanted to get to the store but just do not have the energy to do so. I didn't sleep well at all last night.

I sent Ted to the store and he went out to eat because I just didn't have the energy to cook. Thank Goodness for the Schwannenbrau in Bernhausen...one of his favorite places to go. Mamma Maria's is always closed on Saturdays and today is no exception.


Saturday 1/02/10

Day 284 - New Year's Day

I'm very sick today.  I think I have bronchitis...again. I will need to see the doctor next week. I slept most of the day and read when I was feeling up to it.   What a way to start the new year!

Friday 1/01/10

Day 283 - New Year's Eve

It's New Year's Eve. This year has absolutely FLOWN by!! Last year at this time we didn't know where we would be or how we were going to survive but God is good and has blessed us abundantly this year. More than we deserve.

I'm still very sick and I'm still coughing. Between taking my regular medications, I'm taking mega doses of Juice Plus+ and Omega 3-6-9's.

Ted's only working a half day today so he will be home around 1pm I would think, unless something keeps him.

I did have leftover Chicken and made some corn for him but I didn't want to eat because I felt so awful. I'm running a fever of 101.3 and that's not good. My doctore is in Thailand until next week so going to the doctor is out of the question.

I will "snarfle" and take some more Alka Seltzer Plus before going to bed but we both will be staying up until Midnight.

I got to talk to both our daughters on the phone and wished them both a Happy New Year. My youngest was going to a house party hosted by a church friend and my eldest (and her family) was going to spend some time with her church friends.

It's 9pm and the fireworks that we were warned about started...not too many, though but enough for us to know what's coming at midnight. At 11:55, the fireworks started in earnest and lasted a full 30 minutes or more!! From our balcony we could see all KINDS of fireworks that are set off by the German people!

I couldn't believe that they are allowed to set of the kind of fireworks that they are doing!!! We had a bird's eye view from our balcony. I bundled up very well and stood on the balcony and watched the fireworks. It was amazing that there weren't a whole lot of cars going through town (it's usually quite busy but not tonight). There were reverlers walking up and down the street with sparklers. They also set off bottle rockets in the middle of the street. The air was filled with smoke and sulfur. I am in awe that the Germans are allowed to set off fireworks like you would see professionals do on the Fourth of July!!

We will be going to bed shortly after I have another dose of Alka Seltzer Plus before turning in. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll feel better.

My dad is still in the hospital. His blook word has not yet come back and they gave him a shot of Vitamin K. I'm not sure what that is all about but I'm sure my mother will let us know. I will call her tomorrow.

Thursday 12/31/09

Day 282 - Sick day

Ted forgot the horse and he didn't waken me because I slept fitfully and wasn't feeling well. I'm coughing and my voice is going. I feel awful. He came home at lunch and got the box and the book and took it on base to ship. I helped him load the stuff into the car because it was bit unweildy.

I'm coughing and there's a lot of drainage. I made Ted Chicken Francese and mashed potatoes for dinner. I'm feeling awful so hopefully there will be leftovers tomorrow.

I decided not to go into bed but to sleep on the la-z-boy tonight. It was a mistake. I couldn't sleep because I was coughing all the time. By 5am, I decided Alka Seltzer Plus was in order and I went to bed. Luckily I slept!

Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.


Wednesday 12/30/09

Day 281 - Errands and shipping

Today is Ted's first day back on the job. We are going to OBI tonight to get boxes for Ro's birthday present so I can ship it. While in Ohio, my nephew told us the electric dehumidifier that he has for his home is really expensive to run. If it's that expensive in Ohio, what would it be like here?? So we decided to get the 10 Euro dehumidifiers (small boxes with salt in them and a container underneath for the water to accumulate. It's not the best solution but it's better than no solution or an expensive one!

We bought two boxes and four dehumidifiers. We got two very small dehumidifiers - Lavender for the bathroom and citrus for the Kitchen. We also picked up two large ones - one for the Living Room and one for the Master Bedroom.  I think we should get another two big ones for the kitchen and the bathroom.  Those small ones won't cut it, I don't think!

I packed up the horse and our youngest daughter's devotional. She inadvertantly gave Ted the wrong book for Christmas and none of us knew it. She is shipping the one she was supposed to give him to us and we are shipping hers to her.

I'm feeling a bit under the weather tonight so I want to get the project done so I can go to bed.


Tuesday 12/29/09

Day 280 - Running errands

We got up a little later than we wanted to.  After being away for a week, there's a lot of things we need to do today before Ted goes back to work tomorrow.  We went to the Volkswagen dealership to get the parking brake checked out. Unfortunately, my pal Santos (an Italian guy) wouldn't be in until next week. So that was a bust.

Then we stopped to have some lunch and then on to Patch to get groceries. We decided we would wash the salt off the car but again, that was a bust because the line was so long so we didn't have time to do it.  We had a 2pm appointment to get the new tires installed on the car.

We stopped at the post office so I could send my grandson his 2nd birthday gift. Unfortunately, they don't package things so I have to get a BIG box to send it. And I'll have to package it myself so I'll be doing that tomorrow and Ted will take it on base to get shipped. Another bust! UGH!

I waited at the BX while Ted took the car in. He also had a 4pm appointment with his masseuse. I thought he was cutting it close and sure enough, the car people took an hour and a half and then put the wrong tires on!!! He didn't have time to have the tires changed out because of the appointment with the masseuse. Ted was SO mad because he had just checked on the tires a few days ago and they said they were in!!!

He actually missed his appointment and so we are spending the evening hanging out at home!

Monday 12/28/09

Day 279 - Finally home!

WOW! It only took us one hour to get through customs, get our luggage, get a cab and drive to the apartment. We were in the apartment by 9:20am! Amazing!!

We were tired and the house was really cold because we turned the heat down before we left.  We turned the heat up and decided to go to bed at around 10am.  We both slept until 3pm. I decided to unpack the suitcases and then we went to Mama Maria's for Pizza.

We then came home around 8pm and watched "The Christmas Shoes". It was an absolute gut wrencher! What we didn't know was that there was first a song, then a book and then the movie...and it was terrific. I would encourage anyone to watch this movie (came out in 2001) at Christmas time.

The electricity went out at midnight because EnBW (electricity company) was putting up some sort of trailer outside our apartment. I think it is for the construction going on next door but I'm not sure. The lights came back on around 12:30 or so but we went to bed anyways. We didn't have any trouble falling asleep and for that I'm thankful.


Sunday 12/27/09

Day 278 - Flight back to Germany

We took the rental car back and got to the airport. We thought there would be increased security because of the security breach on a plane coming in from Amsterdam.  But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be even though there were more dogs and more people being screened.

I called my Mom to let her know we were on our way. The plane to Atlanta was very,very tight.  It was a CRJ-700. Even our rolling computer bags couldn't fit in the overhead bins! So we had to stow them under the front seats. Thankfully they fit!

Since we had time, Ted wanted to wait until everyone else deplaned to get off the plane.  I was fine with that...but then he changed his mind and pushed me to get out of the seat and get my bag. In doing so, I forgot my book where I had stowed my passport!! Luckily I remembered before we got out of the jetway. He went back for it, but I was a nervous wreck. I don't like to be pushed and he was pushing me all day long! From the time we hit the Delta check-in...he didn't want me to print up the tickets, so I didn't and he was already in line.  But then he changed his mind.  The airline clerk was helping me with printing them since it was an international flight.  She was making mistakes and taking a lot of time to do them and Ted, again was pushing me again to get it done quickly.   I explained I had to wait because the bar code reader wasn't working so it took longer and I took the brunt of Ted's impatience.

After the passport situation, I warned him that he was NOT to push me to go faster. I wait for him and he has to wait for me. Period.

We arrived in Atlanta at 11am with a six hour layover until our flight to Stuttgart. We stayed in the E concourse (international) at the food court and used our computers. I was able to balance a few personal accounts and check email while there. There was a baby grand piano sitting close by and it was automatically playing songs. It was great! Then by around 3 or 3:30, a woman came and was playing the piano. Then a guy with a french horn, played with her and then he sang! It was great!! A terrific way to spend hours at the airport.

We finally got on board and it was great because the plane was not full so I moved and sat in the row in front of where we were supposed to be seated. Both of us had SO much more room. I dozed off and on and read a book I bought while in Ytown called "The Christmas Secret" by the same author of "The Christmas Shoes". I managed to read two-thirds of the way through before we landed.

We both were quite tired by the time we were ready to land.


Saturday 12/26/09

Day 277 - Christmas Day.

We slept until 12:30pm then packed our bags in preparation to go back to Germany. We will be leaving town early this evening after Christmas dinner. 

My youngest daughter spent some time with her nephew watching Elmo  on  her computer.  How sweet is that??

The kids waited for us so we could see Ro open his presents and took a few photos of him and the kids opening gifts.  

The kids opening gifts

                                                                                                                                              

Ro with is new piano!

Ro helping his Auntie open her gift.

Ro helping "Popeye" with his gift!











We then got dressed, packed up the car and drove down to the Clubhouse to get started on  dinner.  I fried the cutlets and the olives. We had Christmas dinner and my nieces gave us some small things for Christmas and we gave them a Christmas ornament from Germany.  We then went to see Dad at the hospital.  He looks pretty good  but they have him on oxygen. 

We had to drive back to my mom's because we had forgotten something. We then drove to Pittsburgh and stayed the night in a hotel so we could be near the airport for our early flight in the morning!.

I'd have to say this was a strange Christmas!

Friday 12/25/09

Day 276 - Christmas Eve

My other daughter, her husband and my grandson came in around 3pm. I helped Mom with getting the fish ready for tonight's dinner. I made my famous Crab Strudel.  We took what we needed to the clubhouse.  With so  many people coming for Christmas, the two condos are not big enough to house everyone anymore and the kids really  do not have room to play.  So we took abunch of stuff to the club house for Christmas eve dinner. We have the traditional Italian Christmas eve dinner with seven fish: Haddock, Crab, Anchiovies, Smelt, Shrimp, Tuna, Calamari.

It was wonderful spending time with family and the food was terrific.  After dinner we cleaned up and then came home and went to sleep.  My mother changed our sleeping arrangements and we ended up next door at my brother's place.  We went to bed at around 11:30pm.

At 12:30, my mother knocked on our door.  We had to take Dad to hospital because he couldn't breathe. We stayed at the hospital until 6am when the hospital admitted him with pneumonia and a weakened heart.   We got home at 6:30am and went to bed for a few hours. 


Thursday, 12/24/09

Day 275 - Quiet day!

It was a quiet day for being two days before Christmas.  I helped my daughter wrap presents and did some errands with Ted.  We had dinner with my brother, his wife and my mom and dad.  Then Ted and I watched a movie with my sister-in-law.


Wednesday, 12/23/09

Day 274 - More shopping!

Today we went to pick up some Pecorino Romano cheese that I cannot find in Germany. The only kind of cheese we can get is Parmesan cheese and frankly, I'm very tired of using JUST Parmesan cheese.

We had dinner with my parents, my daughter and my brother and his wife. It was great and then we watched the movie "The Christmas Card". After that we all went to bed. It was a long day.



Tuesday, 12/22/09

Day 273 - Dinner with friends

Today we went to more stores to buy the last of the "stuff" we wanted to get that we normally cannot buy in Germany. We also picked up a few gifts for the children and grandchild.

We then went to dinner with my best friend and her husband. We REALLY miss them and hope that they can come and visit us in Germany soon!!


Monday, 12/21/09

Day 272 - Spending time with family

I woke up early!  It was 5am so I checked email. There was some company work to do and I worked for a bit. We had breakfast and then took my father to his favorite place - his VFW to play cards with his cronies.

We then went to many, many stores to buy things to take back to Germany that we can't get in Germany. We didn't get home until almost dinner time. We had Pizza and salad and spent the rest of the evening chatting with family.

My youngest daughter finally showed up from the Steelers game in Pittsburgh. We stayed up and chatted with her but we were ready for bed by 9pm.


Sunday, 12/20/09

Day 271 - Flying home for Christmas

We woke up to a blanket of snow outside. It's very cold too.  What a day to travel!  We finished getting suitcases ready and the taxi picked us up at 8:15.  We drove to the airport in the snow. Luckily we only had two suitcases and two computer bags to carry and a bag that I was carrying some things to give to friends and family.

We were well within the time frame to get to the gate with over two hours to spare so I decided to do some company work during this time.

The trip was long!  Ten hours to get to Atlanta but we were pleasantly surprised that it only took us an hour to get through customs. Ted wanted to try the burgers at Checkers so we shared one. We sat with a guy from Italy who, surprisingly was on his way to San Francisco. We waited a few hours for our plane from Atlanta to Pittsburgh. Our eyes were hurting and mine were really red because of how tired I was.

The flight was oversold...and the airlines was offering $400 in flight monies but we needed to get to Ohio. So, instead we opted to upgrade to first class. I don't even remember taking off...I was asleep for most of the flight waking up just in time for the landing.

By 11pm we had gotten our luggage, rented the car and were on our third leg of the trip to my parents' home in Ohio. The roads were relatively clear but we were cautious because there was always a possiblity of black ice. As soon as we hit Rt 224, the roads got bad. We went slowly then and the road to my parents' home was even worse than Rt 224!

My parents live in a gated community and we couldn't get the code in correctly the first time but then we finally managed to get it We finally arrived and got our luggage out by 12:15am. It was time for us to sleep!

We stayed up for an hour or so talking to my mom and dad but we were so tired from the trip.  And even though it was only about 1am Ohio time, it was 7AM German time!  We had been up almost 24 hours!

Saturday, 12/19/09