I cannot believe it's going to be October tomorrow. It was overcast and cool today. And I have still more company work to do today. I hope to be able to get some personal finance stuff done this week.
I completed unit 5 of my TESOL and got that submitted. That puts me at 1/4 of the way through the course and I have until February to get all of the units completed.
I REALLY need to study for my drivers test and pass that darn thing. Ted won't let me drive without it and I'm not insured so I have to get that accomplished as soon as possible; hopefully within the next week or so. I was supposed to do that this past week but I've been working quite a bit. Not a lot of hours, just every day.
Wednesday 09/30/09
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Day 191: Insurance claims
Another beautiful sunny day and MORE company work today.
I called the insurance company today in California. The person I was dealing with is no longer there as a result six claims submitted the first week of August were never were processed. I finally got someone on the phone that found them and escalated them to the next level for me.
Hopefully, we can get our money back quickly as I have another claim to submit!
Tuesday 09/29/09
I called the insurance company today in California. The person I was dealing with is no longer there as a result six claims submitted the first week of August were never were processed. I finally got someone on the phone that found them and escalated them to the next level for me.
Hopefully, we can get our money back quickly as I have another claim to submit!
Tuesday 09/29/09
Day 190: Another work day.
Today was a beautiful day outside and I didn't get a chance to go out and walk around because I did company work all day long.
Monday 09/28/09
Monday 09/28/09
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Day 189: Pleasant Sunday
Chaplain Santiago gave an amazing sermon today at church. He talked about John 5 regarding the pool of Bethsaida. It was awesome!
We then went to the BX to get batteries for my mouse. We also found Windows Office 2007 at a great military price! So of course, we bought it.
We then went to Patch to buy staples. Afterwards, we went to lunch at the Golden Leaf. It's a hotel restaurant near my husband's work. We were not impressed. We then went home to relax.
Laundry will be done tomorrow night!
Sunday 09/27/09
We then went to the BX to get batteries for my mouse. We also found Windows Office 2007 at a great military price! So of course, we bought it.
We then went to Patch to buy staples. Afterwards, we went to lunch at the Golden Leaf. It's a hotel restaurant near my husband's work. We were not impressed. We then went home to relax.
Laundry will be done tomorrow night!
Sunday 09/27/09
Friday, September 25, 2009
Day 188: Household Shopping!
Today was a big household shopping day. We finally decided to buy drapes / curtains for our apartment. I don't plan on putting drapes or curtains in either the third bedroom or the bathroom. The third bedroom which is very small is being used as an office and with the shields, it's really not necessary. And the bathroom window is opaque so no one can see through it anyways so why bother?
So off we go again to Reutlingen but this time we're going to another super department store called Rieger. I have the sizes of the windows written down in my handy-dandy Lil' fat notebook and I'm ready to go.
We get there using our friend "Julie". For as many times as we've been there, we should know the way but it's tricky when you get into town. It's only about a 30 minute drive from where we live so it really is an excursion!
The store is lovely and we park under ground and take an external escalator up to the entrance (which I found to be very weird). Why not have the escalator or elevator INSIDE where the parking garage is? Oh well.
We find a store clerk to help us but unfortunately, she does not speak English. She calles one of her colleagues that does and we ask her about the drapes. The first thing we got were these really cute curtains for the kitchen. There are three windows with rods and I want the curtains to go half-way down the window. It turns out the ones I really wanted, you have to sew. That isn't happening here in Germany. I don't have a sewing machine and even if I did bring mine, I'd have to use a transformer and it's incredibly expensive so it's not happening. Anyways, I settled on these curtains that are white-on-white blocks with triangular-shaped holes where the rod goes. What's really neat about them is that they are cut to size width-wise. The way they are constructed, every block has a double set of closely sewn together zig-zag stitches that allows the clerk to cut them according to the widt the customer wants. I had to get them just a wee bit bigger but who cares, they are cute. What I didn't realize was how expensive these curtains were!!! They were close to $40!! But they are cute and I like them. And if I can't use them when I return, I'm definitely going to make pillows out of them because they are so cute!
Next are the bedroom and living room drapes. They are INCREDIBLY expensive!! I went to the sale table and got our bedroom sheers(six panels in a brown and white vertical stripe) and the second bedroom sheers (2 panels in green with a little design)and they were STILL expensive! The Living room sheers (four panels in a horizontal stripe) I didn't buy on sale because they didn't have anything on the sale table that would match our living room. All of them are nice but more modern than I'm used to. No matter though, they could come in handy back in the states. The rods that are in the apartment are these narrow rails. The sheers have these tabs at the top which we found out afterwards, we cannot use. The clerk suggested I cut them but I was reluctant to do so because I may want to use them in the states. So I pinned them down and it just looks like they are supposed to be there!!
The clerk explained that the drapes are U-band drapes...whatever that means. She brought the hooks but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how they are attached. Then she showed me. Voila! They are plastic safety-like pins with these round balls that probably go in the groove in the rail. She showed me that there is a clear strip sewn at the top of the sheer (where the tabs are) and that strip is sewn vertically at intervals. You put the plastic pins through the U-band and hang! Very simple!
She also showed us some tiebacks. We got one that looks like a circle and two knitting needles. She showed us how it works and we bought one. She also showed us another set that use magnets which is also cool and we bought those for the bedroom.
Unfortunately, though we didn't have enough cash on us to buy everything. And since they don't take VISA we asked her to hold some of the stuff for us. She never asked us for our phone number or a deposit or anything. Just our name. Go figure. She was incredibly nice and helped us ever step of the way.
On the way out, we noticed they were having a sale on rugs. We found a nice 5 x 7 rug for our living room. Again, it's more modern than I like but it's nice and the pile is very thick. Again...even with the sale, it's more money than I would normally spend.
We decided to go to the Geldautomat (ATM)and get the rest of the money so we could buy the rug and the rest of the stuff. We didn't know when the next time would be that we could come back. And unlike that nice clerk in the drapery department, the guy in the rug department would not hold the rug for us. So off we go to the geldautomat to get more money to buy everything we needed.
It was back to the store and we purchased the rug and the rest of the stuff we left with the clerk in the drapery department.
Now it was time to stop at Obi (like Lowes or Home Depot) because Ted needed a tool. While we were there I wanted to check out a new faucet. I'm tired of buying water to use to drink and to cook. They were more expensive than I imagined but it's going to have to wait. I already blew this week's budget on the household stuff! While there, I also checked into other types of hooks for the rails. I bought 6 or 7 packs to see how they worked. And if I don't like them or they don't work out, I can always return them.
We decided to go to the Flying Ship for dinner because it was just down the street from OBI. We also thought we would eat outside because it was SUCH a beautiful day and we didn't know how much longer it would be before we would have to eat inside all the time until next spring / summer.
Of course, while sitting there waiting for our food a group of people came out of the restaurant and sat at the table next to us and started puffing away. It turns out they were Italian (doesn't surprise me because the restaurant is Italian). They puffed and puffed and I hated it because I had to smell that awful smoke while I was trying to eat. They finally went back inside but by this time, I was already done with my dinner and we were ready to get our check and leave. By now the sun had gone down and it was getting cold. I'm glad I brought my sweater along.
When we returned to our apartment we toted all the "stuff" upstairs. The first thing I did was to put up the curtains in the kitchen. They went up without a hitch. I'll take photos when I have all of the rooms completed.
It turns out I don't have any safety pins. That means another trip to the store and it won't happen until Monday because there are no stores open on Sunday. So the sheers are on hold until I can get the pins. There's not much more I can do with this.
Today is my eldest daughter's birthday. I called to wish her a Happy Birthday but I only got her voice mail. I will certainly speak with her tomorrow or next week for sure.
We spent the rest of the evening playing on the computer.
Saturday 09/26/09
So off we go again to Reutlingen but this time we're going to another super department store called Rieger. I have the sizes of the windows written down in my handy-dandy Lil' fat notebook and I'm ready to go.
We get there using our friend "Julie". For as many times as we've been there, we should know the way but it's tricky when you get into town. It's only about a 30 minute drive from where we live so it really is an excursion!
The store is lovely and we park under ground and take an external escalator up to the entrance (which I found to be very weird). Why not have the escalator or elevator INSIDE where the parking garage is? Oh well.
We find a store clerk to help us but unfortunately, she does not speak English. She calles one of her colleagues that does and we ask her about the drapes. The first thing we got were these really cute curtains for the kitchen. There are three windows with rods and I want the curtains to go half-way down the window. It turns out the ones I really wanted, you have to sew. That isn't happening here in Germany. I don't have a sewing machine and even if I did bring mine, I'd have to use a transformer and it's incredibly expensive so it's not happening. Anyways, I settled on these curtains that are white-on-white blocks with triangular-shaped holes where the rod goes. What's really neat about them is that they are cut to size width-wise. The way they are constructed, every block has a double set of closely sewn together zig-zag stitches that allows the clerk to cut them according to the widt the customer wants. I had to get them just a wee bit bigger but who cares, they are cute. What I didn't realize was how expensive these curtains were!!! They were close to $40!! But they are cute and I like them. And if I can't use them when I return, I'm definitely going to make pillows out of them because they are so cute!
Next are the bedroom and living room drapes. They are INCREDIBLY expensive!! I went to the sale table and got our bedroom sheers(six panels in a brown and white vertical stripe) and the second bedroom sheers (2 panels in green with a little design)and they were STILL expensive! The Living room sheers (four panels in a horizontal stripe) I didn't buy on sale because they didn't have anything on the sale table that would match our living room. All of them are nice but more modern than I'm used to. No matter though, they could come in handy back in the states. The rods that are in the apartment are these narrow rails. The sheers have these tabs at the top which we found out afterwards, we cannot use. The clerk suggested I cut them but I was reluctant to do so because I may want to use them in the states. So I pinned them down and it just looks like they are supposed to be there!!
The clerk explained that the drapes are U-band drapes...whatever that means. She brought the hooks but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how they are attached. Then she showed me. Voila! They are plastic safety-like pins with these round balls that probably go in the groove in the rail. She showed me that there is a clear strip sewn at the top of the sheer (where the tabs are) and that strip is sewn vertically at intervals. You put the plastic pins through the U-band and hang! Very simple!
She also showed us some tiebacks. We got one that looks like a circle and two knitting needles. She showed us how it works and we bought one. She also showed us another set that use magnets which is also cool and we bought those for the bedroom.
Unfortunately, though we didn't have enough cash on us to buy everything. And since they don't take VISA we asked her to hold some of the stuff for us. She never asked us for our phone number or a deposit or anything. Just our name. Go figure. She was incredibly nice and helped us ever step of the way.
On the way out, we noticed they were having a sale on rugs. We found a nice 5 x 7 rug for our living room. Again, it's more modern than I like but it's nice and the pile is very thick. Again...even with the sale, it's more money than I would normally spend.
We decided to go to the Geldautomat (ATM)and get the rest of the money so we could buy the rug and the rest of the stuff. We didn't know when the next time would be that we could come back. And unlike that nice clerk in the drapery department, the guy in the rug department would not hold the rug for us. So off we go to the geldautomat to get more money to buy everything we needed.
It was back to the store and we purchased the rug and the rest of the stuff we left with the clerk in the drapery department.
Now it was time to stop at Obi (like Lowes or Home Depot) because Ted needed a tool. While we were there I wanted to check out a new faucet. I'm tired of buying water to use to drink and to cook. They were more expensive than I imagined but it's going to have to wait. I already blew this week's budget on the household stuff! While there, I also checked into other types of hooks for the rails. I bought 6 or 7 packs to see how they worked. And if I don't like them or they don't work out, I can always return them.
We decided to go to the Flying Ship for dinner because it was just down the street from OBI. We also thought we would eat outside because it was SUCH a beautiful day and we didn't know how much longer it would be before we would have to eat inside all the time until next spring / summer.
Of course, while sitting there waiting for our food a group of people came out of the restaurant and sat at the table next to us and started puffing away. It turns out they were Italian (doesn't surprise me because the restaurant is Italian). They puffed and puffed and I hated it because I had to smell that awful smoke while I was trying to eat. They finally went back inside but by this time, I was already done with my dinner and we were ready to get our check and leave. By now the sun had gone down and it was getting cold. I'm glad I brought my sweater along.
When we returned to our apartment we toted all the "stuff" upstairs. The first thing I did was to put up the curtains in the kitchen. They went up without a hitch. I'll take photos when I have all of the rooms completed.
It turns out I don't have any safety pins. That means another trip to the store and it won't happen until Monday because there are no stores open on Sunday. So the sheers are on hold until I can get the pins. There's not much more I can do with this.
Today is my eldest daughter's birthday. I called to wish her a Happy Birthday but I only got her voice mail. I will certainly speak with her tomorrow or next week for sure.
We spent the rest of the evening playing on the computer.
Saturday 09/26/09
Day 187: Cleaning Day
I did company work most of the day but also found time to sweep (with my handy-dandy German canister sweeper) and scrubbed the floors. The sweeper is pretty cool because I can adjust the amount of suction on the floor with a dial on the canister. And I love the mop I have. I bought it at OBI (the equivilant of Home Depot). The mop part is a flat plastic piece that folds in two with a button. It comes with a very soft cloth that fits nicely on the plastic piece of the mop. It's SO easy to work with and cleans incredibly well. I usually use white vinegar and a cap full of Pine Sol. It does a GREAT job on the floors!
I then made dinner. After dinner I worked on my TESOL. Then Ted and I went to Kelly to get our mail and get money for our shopping spree tomorrow.
Finally, we stopped at Venezia Ice Cafe to get Ice Cream! When we returned to the apartment, Ted spoke to his friend, Wayne, in California.
Friday 09/25/09
I then made dinner. After dinner I worked on my TESOL. Then Ted and I went to Kelly to get our mail and get money for our shopping spree tomorrow.
Finally, we stopped at Venezia Ice Cafe to get Ice Cream! When we returned to the apartment, Ted spoke to his friend, Wayne, in California.
Friday 09/25/09
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Day 186: Music at Mamma Maria's
I took another trip to the local store to get bananas and a few other things. I had to buy more water. It's hard to believe that I cannot find celery here. How do they make soup???
I did more company work and it is definitely an Indian summer. I pulled out my shorts to wear and have all of the windows open. I guess I won't be taking that fan to the storage area quite yet!
We had a light supper of salad and corn on the cob. I didn't remember that tonight wa the first night of Michele doing music at his restaurant. I had forgotten that otherwise we would have had pizza! But we will be going to Michele's because I had promised him we would go. We went over there at about 7:15 and stayed until 11:30. Around 9pm Ted and I split a mushroom pizza.
Michele's group consists of Michele on the keyboard; Gerry, the lead singers; and Joe, the guitarist. Joe, a Neopolitan, sang a truly Neopolitan song, just for me. He was amazed that I speak the Nopolitan dialect even though I was born in the U.S.
They sang a lot of old songs that we knew and we sang along.
It turns out Gerry, the lead singer, is origianlly from Sacramento! It truly IS a small world. He went to American River College and has been all around the world but decided to retire here.
At the end of the evening, I found out that Joe has been trained operatically and teaches guitar and voice. I've always wanted to take voice lessons...perhaps this is my chance.
Thursday 09/24/09
I did more company work and it is definitely an Indian summer. I pulled out my shorts to wear and have all of the windows open. I guess I won't be taking that fan to the storage area quite yet!
We had a light supper of salad and corn on the cob. I didn't remember that tonight wa the first night of Michele doing music at his restaurant. I had forgotten that otherwise we would have had pizza! But we will be going to Michele's because I had promised him we would go. We went over there at about 7:15 and stayed until 11:30. Around 9pm Ted and I split a mushroom pizza.
Michele's group consists of Michele on the keyboard; Gerry, the lead singers; and Joe, the guitarist. Joe, a Neopolitan, sang a truly Neopolitan song, just for me. He was amazed that I speak the Nopolitan dialect even though I was born in the U.S.
They sang a lot of old songs that we knew and we sang along.
It turns out Gerry, the lead singer, is origianlly from Sacramento! It truly IS a small world. He went to American River College and has been all around the world but decided to retire here.
At the end of the evening, I found out that Joe has been trained operatically and teaches guitar and voice. I've always wanted to take voice lessons...perhaps this is my chance.
Thursday 09/24/09
Day 185: Another quiet day
Today I did more company work and emailed a dear friend from California. I also revised Unit 4 for my TESOL certification and submitted it again.
It looks like it's turning into an Indian summer. I didn't have to cook because Ted had a treatment tonight.
Wednesday 09/23/2009
It looks like it's turning into an Indian summer. I didn't have to cook because Ted had a treatment tonight.
Wednesday 09/23/2009
Day 184: Tap vs. Bottled water
Today I did company work and went to the store. I had to buy bottled water because we do not want to drink the tap water without filtration.
We have to do something about the tap water in this apartment. It has caused all kinds of issues for us. We will need to switch out the faucet so we can install our water purification system. The faucet we have is much too low and the sink is too shallow to put the purification system on.
Tuesday September 22, 2009
We have to do something about the tap water in this apartment. It has caused all kinds of issues for us. We will need to switch out the faucet so we can install our water purification system. The faucet we have is much too low and the sink is too shallow to put the purification system on.
Tuesday September 22, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Day 183: Another day of Paperwork
I misplaced my doctor bill and needed to find it so I could make an online payment. I found the form that listed his account and banking information to make the payment. But I ended up going through two big piles of paperwork and filed 90% of it. Now all I have to do is find the doggone labels to put on the file folders and I'll be done!
Ted took the EnBW document to work with him and figured out we are getting a refund! Hooray! But now I have to give them our account number so they can transfer the money. We were excited to figure out our usage was fairly low, actually lower than what we used in California. I've turned into my dear, dear grandfather who used to go around and shut the lights off behind me (even shut the basement light when i was a down there!)
I tried to find the German equivilant of our routing number but it didn't appear on the website nor was there a phone number for me to call! UGH!
I did some company work today too along with some research for an upcoming trip.
I made a wonderful chicken and wild rice soup for dinner. And Ted got home late because he went to workout tonight. After dinner we sat and talked about our upcoming trip and watched the last CD in the NCIS season 6. It's the ONE thing on television that we miss!
Monday 09/21/09
Ted took the EnBW document to work with him and figured out we are getting a refund! Hooray! But now I have to give them our account number so they can transfer the money. We were excited to figure out our usage was fairly low, actually lower than what we used in California. I've turned into my dear, dear grandfather who used to go around and shut the lights off behind me (even shut the basement light when i was a down there!)
I tried to find the German equivilant of our routing number but it didn't appear on the website nor was there a phone number for me to call! UGH!
I did some company work today too along with some research for an upcoming trip.
I made a wonderful chicken and wild rice soup for dinner. And Ted got home late because he went to workout tonight. After dinner we sat and talked about our upcoming trip and watched the last CD in the NCIS season 6. It's the ONE thing on television that we miss!
Monday 09/21/09
Day 182: Hohenheim Botannical Gardens
Ted got up but did not call me to get up to go to church. So we had church here and listened to two sermons from our old Pastor in California. They, of course, were wonderful as usual.
I then fixed Ted his favorite breakfast of eggs, Kartoffelenpuffer (German equivilant of hash browns...only SO much better), bacon and toast. Since there are very few breakfast places here, it's the one thing I can do to give Ted something he misses about not living in the U.S. And it's a joy to do it for him.
We then went over to the BX because I needed laundry soap for tonight's jaunt to the laundromat. We found two pair of shorts on sale for Ted so we got those. And topped it all off with an Italian Gelato. Unfortunately, this particular gelato is not as good as the gelato in Bonlanden.
We decided to try to find the botannical gardens in Hohenheim (the next town from Plieningen). We tried using the GPS to find it but unfortunately, There's a university there along with this wonderful Botannical garden!
These are temple columns left from the 18th century.
I just love the caretakers house! It's such a cute house! It would be so cool to live here.
This is a stone marker that sits at the apex of two paths. It indicates for whom the park was created.
Japanese Banana Trees
I was amazed that there were banana trees in this climate. And the flowers were still blooming. They were still beautiful.
It's absolutely amazing that the gardens still have these gorgeous flowers! (Not too bad taking photos, either...hmmm???
Look carefully at the house in the background. It has vines growing all over it. As we walked by, Ted said, "I wonder where Hansel & Gretel are?"
This was the last photo. It was SUCH a weird tree. The branch clearly was trained to grow this way!
We walked around the gardens for a bit and I was dismayed that we had not searched out this garden before.
We went home and rested for a bit and then decided to have Pizza at Mamma Maria's adn then went to do laundry. By the time we got back, it was tiem for bed.
Sunday 09/20/09
I then fixed Ted his favorite breakfast of eggs, Kartoffelenpuffer (German equivilant of hash browns...only SO much better), bacon and toast. Since there are very few breakfast places here, it's the one thing I can do to give Ted something he misses about not living in the U.S. And it's a joy to do it for him.
We then went over to the BX because I needed laundry soap for tonight's jaunt to the laundromat. We found two pair of shorts on sale for Ted so we got those. And topped it all off with an Italian Gelato. Unfortunately, this particular gelato is not as good as the gelato in Bonlanden.
We decided to try to find the botannical gardens in Hohenheim (the next town from Plieningen). We tried using the GPS to find it but unfortunately, There's a university there along with this wonderful Botannical garden!
These are temple columns left from the 18th century.
I just love the caretakers house! It's such a cute house! It would be so cool to live here.
This is a stone marker that sits at the apex of two paths. It indicates for whom the park was created.
Japanese Banana Trees
I was amazed that there were banana trees in this climate. And the flowers were still blooming. They were still beautiful.
It's absolutely amazing that the gardens still have these gorgeous flowers! (Not too bad taking photos, either...hmmm???
Look carefully at the house in the background. It has vines growing all over it. As we walked by, Ted said, "I wonder where Hansel & Gretel are?"
This was the last photo. It was SUCH a weird tree. The branch clearly was trained to grow this way!
We walked around the gardens for a bit and I was dismayed that we had not searched out this garden before.
We went home and rested for a bit and then decided to have Pizza at Mamma Maria's adn then went to do laundry. By the time we got back, it was tiem for bed.
Sunday 09/20/09
Day 181: In search of the Fountain in Stuttgart
Ted got up late and we spent a lazy Saturday morning putzing around the apartment. We filled 6 garbage bags with paper (left over from unpacking) and took it down to the paper container. It was empty for once so we took advantage of that. We also broke down a bunch of boxes that needed to be pitched and Ted threw them off the balcony to me to place next to the paper container.
We decided to go on an adventure. We walked to the bus station and caught the bus to the train station. It was a bit pricey since we don't have monthly passes for the bus...but it was an advneture. And now, after seeing how easy it is to travel by buus, we probably will (at least I will) buy a monthly pass. It seems to be cheaper than buying one or two tickets at a time!
We got to the train station and bought tickets to downtown Stuttgart. We were on a mission to find the fountain that one of Ted's co-worker has as her screen saver.
The train tickets were also a bit pricey. Again, we need to get a monthly pass because Ted hates to drive to downtown Stuttgart. Some of the roads are incredibly chewed up(not to mention the forever ongoing construction sites) and some of the streets are just too darn narrow even with our small VW golf!!
When we arrived at the train station, we were underground. We climbed the steps to the Koenegstrasse (King's street). There were throngs of people everywhere! We walked around for a bit but by this time we were hungry. We walked through a tunnel (between buildings) and came to a cafe where we had an early dinner.
While we waited for our food at an outside cafe-style table, I snapped a few photos of where we were. We remembered this square from the very trip we took to downtown Stuttgart almost six months ago. It was chilly and somewhat dreary that day. And it was Sunday. Of course we recognized it because of the most unusual buildings surrounding that Platz (Plaza).
Ted had the usual Kasespaetzel (Germany's version of mac-n-chees...but SO much better) and a salad. He was gracious enough to share a little spaetzel with me. I had pumpkin soup with toasted pinenuts and a drizzle of pumpkin oil. It was incredibly good. The soup was the brightest orange I'd ever seen!
We finally found the Platz! Not only were there two fountains but also a palace and a gazebo. It was a great day to just enjoy the day and people watch!
The obelisk is flanked by identical fountains
This is the center of the palace. The palace is so large, I couldn't get it in one shot!
This is the right side of the U-shaped palace. I think the palace is used for government offices but I want to check on that because I think it would be great to visit it sometime late this fall.
This is the view of the left side of the palace from behind one of the fountains.
This is a close up of one of the twin fountains.
This gazebo is in front of the obelisk and the twin fountains. Behind it is Koenigstrasse, where there is tons of shopping and tons of people! (Unfortunately, my camera was wigging out on me so this photo isn't as nice as the other ones. Not to mention that it while it was warm, it was definitely overcast!)
There are still flowers although most of them are dying. I was able to capture this one bloom that was SO pretty! The camera did NOT do this bloom justice.
We sat and enjoyed the somewhat balmy late afternoon and early evening. All too soon it was time to go home. So back on the train for the reverse trip home. When we got to the bus station to take us home there was no ticket dispenser to buy the tickets. We asked two young girls sitting there if they spoke English. Only one did. We asked where the Kasse (the literal translation is "Cashier") was to buy tickets. She said, we could buy them on the bus. Luckily we each had a 2 Euro coin for the ticket.
When we got off the bus, it was already getting dark and we walked back home and relaxed for the rest of the evening.
Saturday 09/19/09
We decided to go on an adventure. We walked to the bus station and caught the bus to the train station. It was a bit pricey since we don't have monthly passes for the bus...but it was an advneture. And now, after seeing how easy it is to travel by buus, we probably will (at least I will) buy a monthly pass. It seems to be cheaper than buying one or two tickets at a time!
We got to the train station and bought tickets to downtown Stuttgart. We were on a mission to find the fountain that one of Ted's co-worker has as her screen saver.
The train tickets were also a bit pricey. Again, we need to get a monthly pass because Ted hates to drive to downtown Stuttgart. Some of the roads are incredibly chewed up(not to mention the forever ongoing construction sites) and some of the streets are just too darn narrow even with our small VW golf!!
When we arrived at the train station, we were underground. We climbed the steps to the Koenegstrasse (King's street). There were throngs of people everywhere! We walked around for a bit but by this time we were hungry. We walked through a tunnel (between buildings) and came to a cafe where we had an early dinner.
While we waited for our food at an outside cafe-style table, I snapped a few photos of where we were. We remembered this square from the very trip we took to downtown Stuttgart almost six months ago. It was chilly and somewhat dreary that day. And it was Sunday. Of course we recognized it because of the most unusual buildings surrounding that Platz (Plaza).
Ted had the usual Kasespaetzel (Germany's version of mac-n-chees...but SO much better) and a salad. He was gracious enough to share a little spaetzel with me. I had pumpkin soup with toasted pinenuts and a drizzle of pumpkin oil. It was incredibly good. The soup was the brightest orange I'd ever seen!
We finally found the Platz! Not only were there two fountains but also a palace and a gazebo. It was a great day to just enjoy the day and people watch!
The obelisk is flanked by identical fountains
This is the center of the palace. The palace is so large, I couldn't get it in one shot!
This is the right side of the U-shaped palace. I think the palace is used for government offices but I want to check on that because I think it would be great to visit it sometime late this fall.
This is the view of the left side of the palace from behind one of the fountains.
This is a close up of one of the twin fountains.
This gazebo is in front of the obelisk and the twin fountains. Behind it is Koenigstrasse, where there is tons of shopping and tons of people! (Unfortunately, my camera was wigging out on me so this photo isn't as nice as the other ones. Not to mention that it while it was warm, it was definitely overcast!)
There are still flowers although most of them are dying. I was able to capture this one bloom that was SO pretty! The camera did NOT do this bloom justice.
We sat and enjoyed the somewhat balmy late afternoon and early evening. All too soon it was time to go home. So back on the train for the reverse trip home. When we got to the bus station to take us home there was no ticket dispenser to buy the tickets. We asked two young girls sitting there if they spoke English. Only one did. We asked where the Kasse (the literal translation is "Cashier") was to buy tickets. She said, we could buy them on the bus. Luckily we each had a 2 Euro coin for the ticket.
When we got off the bus, it was already getting dark and we walked back home and relaxed for the rest of the evening.
Saturday 09/19/09
Day 180: Six Months in Germany!
We have officially been in Germany for SIX months!. In that time, we have:
Just thinking about everything that's transpired in the past six months not to mention in the past 18 months, just makes my head spin. And while we are not as young as we used to be, we give it a run for the money!
I spent the day cleaning the apartment and scrubbing floors as well as working on my TESOL. Friday is usually Pizza night at Mamma Maria's but we decided to go to Amalfi's in Bonlanden, instead.
We have small adventure planned for tomorrow. It's going to be fun and probably frustrating as well!
Friday 09/18/09
- Gotten all of our documents to get on and off the military base
- Rented, painted and moved into our permanent quarters; a 3 bedroom apartment in Plieningen
- received our "stuff" from the US as well as bought and built furniture for our apartment
- bought a used car
- traveled to Paris, France; Munich, Germany; Strasbourg, France and Berlin, Germany
- toured three castles; one of which was the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle
- rode a train
- I went to the US to celebrate my Mom's 80th birthday - it was a total suprise to her
- visited a Nazi concentration camp
- celebrated both of our birhdays
- celebrated Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day
- took a river cruise down (or up?) the Rhine
- went to a German health spa
Just thinking about everything that's transpired in the past six months not to mention in the past 18 months, just makes my head spin. And while we are not as young as we used to be, we give it a run for the money!
I spent the day cleaning the apartment and scrubbing floors as well as working on my TESOL. Friday is usually Pizza night at Mamma Maria's but we decided to go to Amalfi's in Bonlanden, instead.
We have small adventure planned for tomorrow. It's going to be fun and probably frustrating as well!
Friday 09/18/09
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Day 179: Fall is in the air!
Fall is DEFINITELY in the air. The day was overcast and chilly. I pulled out my fall clothes . Summer will be offocially over in a few days and now I have to put that fan down in storage until next summer!
I spent the day working on my TESOL again. I finished unit four and started on unit five.
Ted came home earlier and we're having leftovers for dinner.
Thursday 09/17/09
I spent the day working on my TESOL again. I finished unit four and started on unit five.
Ted came home earlier and we're having leftovers for dinner.
Thursday 09/17/09
Day 178: Happy Birthday, Best Friend!
This is a long day because Ted goes for his therapy in Bonlanden and won't be home until after 9pm. It's a bit lonely but I keep myself ocuppied. It's amazing what you can get done when you don't have a television set! On the other hand, the computer holds a degree of fascination so it has replaced the television.
I talked for over an hour with my friend, Vicki who lives in California. It was good hearing her voice again. I miss going to breakfast with her!
It's my best friend's birthday today and I missed calling her or sending her a card. Happy Birthday, Deb! I miss you and can't wait to see you at Christmas!
I spent the better part of the day working on unit 4 of TESOL. Just when I thought I had it completed, I reviewed it and found FIVE areas I had not completed. That's what I get for skipping around!
I can't work on it any longer. I need a break!
Wednesday 09/16/09
I talked for over an hour with my friend, Vicki who lives in California. It was good hearing her voice again. I miss going to breakfast with her!
It's my best friend's birthday today and I missed calling her or sending her a card. Happy Birthday, Deb! I miss you and can't wait to see you at Christmas!
I spent the better part of the day working on unit 4 of TESOL. Just when I thought I had it completed, I reviewed it and found FIVE areas I had not completed. That's what I get for skipping around!
I can't work on it any longer. I need a break!
Wednesday 09/16/09
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Day 177: The German Electric Company
September is half over and it's very clear that the days are getting shorter and cooler.
It's colder today. And it's colder at night. Ted is wearing his sweatshirt inside the house! This is something he never does! Not even in the winter time in California! And it's ONLY Spetember. What's it going to be like in December or January? I'm hoping the thick walls, curtains, shields and radiant heat will be warm enough for us. I remember too many years of being freezing cold in a home that had oil heat and tons of windows.
I spent the day trying to get our address changed with various vendors. Not to mention over an hour just trying to put in our meter reading for the electric company! I had to sign up for an online account with the German electric company EnBW. Of course, the entire site was in German with no selection to translate it into English. I used Bablefish to translate the page but I couldn't do any data entry in that page so I had to open another browser to go to the regular site and flip back and forth between the translated site and the regular site. I finally was able to get an account AND enter the meter reading...it just took me 20 times as long as it would have if we had been in the U.S.
I wanted to take more stuff down to the storage area but my husband forgot to leave me the key. UGH! I'm tired of looking at "stuff" that needs to be stored in our storage area down near the laundry room. It definitely has to get done before the kids get here in November. There's time but if I do a little at a time, it won't feel stressful in November.
Tuesday 09/15/09
It's colder today. And it's colder at night. Ted is wearing his sweatshirt inside the house! This is something he never does! Not even in the winter time in California! And it's ONLY Spetember. What's it going to be like in December or January? I'm hoping the thick walls, curtains, shields and radiant heat will be warm enough for us. I remember too many years of being freezing cold in a home that had oil heat and tons of windows.
I spent the day trying to get our address changed with various vendors. Not to mention over an hour just trying to put in our meter reading for the electric company! I had to sign up for an online account with the German electric company EnBW. Of course, the entire site was in German with no selection to translate it into English. I used Bablefish to translate the page but I couldn't do any data entry in that page so I had to open another browser to go to the regular site and flip back and forth between the translated site and the regular site. I finally was able to get an account AND enter the meter reading...it just took me 20 times as long as it would have if we had been in the U.S.
I wanted to take more stuff down to the storage area but my husband forgot to leave me the key. UGH! I'm tired of looking at "stuff" that needs to be stored in our storage area down near the laundry room. It definitely has to get done before the kids get here in November. There's time but if I do a little at a time, it won't feel stressful in November.
Tuesday 09/15/09
Day 176: Rainy Monday
I spent the entire day blogging and doing a small bit of company work.
I walked over to the bakery across the street from the construction project. It was a bit chilly and looked like it was going to rain. But Ted loves the fresh bread! (He never was much of a bread eater until we moved to Germany.) I think it's because it is SO fresh, every day.
I don't like to walk near that crane (and I have to get on the other side of the construction site. It makes me incredibly nervous to do so. Add to that, there's a small walkway that borders that crane and the street (where the cars go whizzing by) and the only thing that separates me from the street and the crane is six foot wired fence. I try not to think about it and just walk very fast!
It started to sprinkle when I arrived at the bakery and I just made it home before it started to rain.
Monday 09/14/09
I walked over to the bakery across the street from the construction project. It was a bit chilly and looked like it was going to rain. But Ted loves the fresh bread! (He never was much of a bread eater until we moved to Germany.) I think it's because it is SO fresh, every day.
I don't like to walk near that crane (and I have to get on the other side of the construction site. It makes me incredibly nervous to do so. Add to that, there's a small walkway that borders that crane and the street (where the cars go whizzing by) and the only thing that separates me from the street and the crane is six foot wired fence. I try not to think about it and just walk very fast!
It started to sprinkle when I arrived at the bakery and I just made it home before it started to rain.
Monday 09/14/09
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Day 175: Shopping and Laundry
Today was somewhat lazy Sunday. Ted has been really tired lately because of the physical work and the therapy he's been getting for his arm and his foot so I thought it best that he be allowed to sleep in as late as he likes.
We went to the BX/PX because I wanted to get some thread and a few needles to handle some minor clothes repairs. They didn't have it. It's very frustrating because we will have to go to the craft store on Patch Base to get it and they are only open during the week.
We stopped at the Commissary for rest of the stuff I didn't get yesterday. Mostly things I cannot or don't want from the economy along with some produce.
Since one of the Patch exits isn't availabel due to construction, we decided to go the route that goes by the Galleria (which by the way is closed on Sunday) Most stores are. The BX/PX and Commissary are on the military base and thus are open on Sundays.
There was another detour on that road so we were detoured again. Now we were going in a different direction and in a part of town that we had never been in. Thank goodness for Julie but it took awhile for her to start up. We got back on track and were able to find our way.
We brought the bags home and put them away. Then we went to check out another little town nearby called Hohenheim.
We came home and watched a moved called "The Miracle of the Widow Woman" based on the widow woman in 2Kings. Beautiful story!
It was almost 9pm when we went to do laundry. Hopefully we'll have a washer and dryer within the next two weeks to three weeks.
Two washers were giving me trouble taking the coins. One machine finally worked but the other one ate over $3 in coins and I have to call the base and get reimbursed. So we would be later than we normally would be since we had to wait for the washer to complete its cycle.
With the wash done, we were on our way home by 10:30pm and it's time for another week of work for Ted and me.
Sunday 09/13/09
We went to the BX/PX because I wanted to get some thread and a few needles to handle some minor clothes repairs. They didn't have it. It's very frustrating because we will have to go to the craft store on Patch Base to get it and they are only open during the week.
We stopped at the Commissary for rest of the stuff I didn't get yesterday. Mostly things I cannot or don't want from the economy along with some produce.
Since one of the Patch exits isn't availabel due to construction, we decided to go the route that goes by the Galleria (which by the way is closed on Sunday) Most stores are. The BX/PX and Commissary are on the military base and thus are open on Sundays.
There was another detour on that road so we were detoured again. Now we were going in a different direction and in a part of town that we had never been in. Thank goodness for Julie but it took awhile for her to start up. We got back on track and were able to find our way.
We brought the bags home and put them away. Then we went to check out another little town nearby called Hohenheim.
We came home and watched a moved called "The Miracle of the Widow Woman" based on the widow woman in 2Kings. Beautiful story!
It was almost 9pm when we went to do laundry. Hopefully we'll have a washer and dryer within the next two weeks to three weeks.
Two washers were giving me trouble taking the coins. One machine finally worked but the other one ate over $3 in coins and I have to call the base and get reimbursed. So we would be later than we normally would be since we had to wait for the washer to complete its cycle.
With the wash done, we were on our way home by 10:30pm and it's time for another week of work for Ted and me.
Sunday 09/13/09
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Day 174: Grocery Shopping
Ted took the car to the auto hobby shop on base to put it on the rack so he could see what the undercarriage looked like and if there's anything that needs to be adjusted.
It's cloudy out today and cool. I was able to sweep and scrub the floors today. I was surprised at how much the sweeper picks up. I thought the mop would have been dirtier. I think a part of it is that we are keeping the windows closed so all the construction dust isn't wafting in anymore. For that I'm thankful.
I thought I'd try to use the dishwasher today. I've been washing the dishes by hand (such a hardship!) However, I stil don't know how to work it and I can't read the instructions because darn it, they're in German.
We went to the new store "Netto" today to get groceries on the economy. Netto replaced the store Plus. Ted thought the store up the street was re-opened but it wasn't. So we went to the one down the street. He stayed in the car while I shopped. I will not be shopping on a Saturday ever again! It was terribly crowded and it's not a very large store. There wasn't a whole lot of produce so I couldn't find everything I wanted and we had to go to another store, LIDL, near Ted's work to buy what we were missing. And even then, I didn't get everything I wanted. I don't think this would not have happened in the US. I don't ever remember a time where there was not enough produce for all the customers. They keep replensihing the produce where as here, when it's gone, it's gone! I used the Granny cart to carry the groceries and it works so well going up the steps!
When you recycle plastic here, (as in plastic bottles - but only the ones bought on the economy - not the ones bought on base), the store gives you a refund in the form of a paper receipt that is good to buy items at LIDL. I had a ton of them in my wallet so this was a good time to use them up. Ted emptied the car of the bottles that were there and took them to the recycling room which is all self-service on the side of LIDL. He followed me into the store and we completed our purchases. Luckily I had remembered the cloth bags to do shopping.
When we checked out, I was surprised and delighted that we had over 7 Euro (that's about $10.50) in receipts.
Ted also wanted to find the train station in Plieningen. We have NO idea where it is. So we went looking for it. We finally found it and it's about 1 1/5 kilometers from our house. We could hoof it to there but we can also get the bus about a block from our apartment and take that to the bus stop that is a block from it. We decided we are going to try this method out some Saturday to go downtown to Konigstrasse (King Street) which is a walk-only shopping area.
We also stopped at Kelly Base to get the mail. We were VERY excited to see that we had received Season 6 of NCIS. Having moved in the middle of the season we missed quite a few episodes. Since you cannot see them online from here nor can we see them on TV since we don't have a television, we decided to buy them. Ted also received a movie that we would watch at some point in time.
We would be methodically going through each episode and the special features.
We had a supper of sandwiches and corn on the cob and it was delicious. The rest of the evening was spent watching two episodes of NCIS.
Saturday 09/12/09
It's cloudy out today and cool. I was able to sweep and scrub the floors today. I was surprised at how much the sweeper picks up. I thought the mop would have been dirtier. I think a part of it is that we are keeping the windows closed so all the construction dust isn't wafting in anymore. For that I'm thankful.
I thought I'd try to use the dishwasher today. I've been washing the dishes by hand (such a hardship!) However, I stil don't know how to work it and I can't read the instructions because darn it, they're in German.
We went to the new store "Netto" today to get groceries on the economy. Netto replaced the store Plus. Ted thought the store up the street was re-opened but it wasn't. So we went to the one down the street. He stayed in the car while I shopped. I will not be shopping on a Saturday ever again! It was terribly crowded and it's not a very large store. There wasn't a whole lot of produce so I couldn't find everything I wanted and we had to go to another store, LIDL, near Ted's work to buy what we were missing. And even then, I didn't get everything I wanted. I don't think this would not have happened in the US. I don't ever remember a time where there was not enough produce for all the customers. They keep replensihing the produce where as here, when it's gone, it's gone! I used the Granny cart to carry the groceries and it works so well going up the steps!
When you recycle plastic here, (as in plastic bottles - but only the ones bought on the economy - not the ones bought on base), the store gives you a refund in the form of a paper receipt that is good to buy items at LIDL. I had a ton of them in my wallet so this was a good time to use them up. Ted emptied the car of the bottles that were there and took them to the recycling room which is all self-service on the side of LIDL. He followed me into the store and we completed our purchases. Luckily I had remembered the cloth bags to do shopping.
When we checked out, I was surprised and delighted that we had over 7 Euro (that's about $10.50) in receipts.
Ted also wanted to find the train station in Plieningen. We have NO idea where it is. So we went looking for it. We finally found it and it's about 1 1/5 kilometers from our house. We could hoof it to there but we can also get the bus about a block from our apartment and take that to the bus stop that is a block from it. We decided we are going to try this method out some Saturday to go downtown to Konigstrasse (King Street) which is a walk-only shopping area.
We also stopped at Kelly Base to get the mail. We were VERY excited to see that we had received Season 6 of NCIS. Having moved in the middle of the season we missed quite a few episodes. Since you cannot see them online from here nor can we see them on TV since we don't have a television, we decided to buy them. Ted also received a movie that we would watch at some point in time.
We would be methodically going through each episode and the special features.
We had a supper of sandwiches and corn on the cob and it was delicious. The rest of the evening was spent watching two episodes of NCIS.
Saturday 09/12/09
Day 173: Remembering 9/11
Today is 9/11/09 and we pause to remember those lost in that terrible attack and pray for their families.
I spent the better part of the day reading articles on it as well as downloading almost 40mg of company work for Monday.
I zipped on over to the bakery on the other side of the new building next door and bought my husband's favorite "Krusti" and I wanted to try something new, so I bought this other bread. Keep in mind that we don't buy whole loaves of bread because it would get stale and/or go bad before we could eat the entire loaf. So I have been buying these "Krusti" which is like a sausage roll only SO much better. I can cut it into 5 or 6 very small slices and it's enough for Ted and I. It keeps well but I only buy a few at a time.
Ted was hungry when he got home. And he came home a bit later because he had gone to the gym on base to work out so the salad I had intended for this evening's meal would not be enough. He decided to call Mamma Maria's to get a Caprese pizza to go with our tomatoe and cucumber salad with our wonderful California (imported from Europe) Balsamic vinegar. I have to go online and see if I can order more, we're getting low on it!
It's also getting cooler at nights. We no longer keep the windows open after dark except the ones in the bedroom. And then we shut those when we go to bed. Soon we will have to get drapes to keep the cold out!
There's a possibility that I may be accompanying my husband on a business trip to Munich at the end of the month but we won't know if I can accompany him until late next week.
Friday 09/11/09
I spent the better part of the day reading articles on it as well as downloading almost 40mg of company work for Monday.
I zipped on over to the bakery on the other side of the new building next door and bought my husband's favorite "Krusti" and I wanted to try something new, so I bought this other bread. Keep in mind that we don't buy whole loaves of bread because it would get stale and/or go bad before we could eat the entire loaf. So I have been buying these "Krusti" which is like a sausage roll only SO much better. I can cut it into 5 or 6 very small slices and it's enough for Ted and I. It keeps well but I only buy a few at a time.
Ted was hungry when he got home. And he came home a bit later because he had gone to the gym on base to work out so the salad I had intended for this evening's meal would not be enough. He decided to call Mamma Maria's to get a Caprese pizza to go with our tomatoe and cucumber salad with our wonderful California (imported from Europe) Balsamic vinegar. I have to go online and see if I can order more, we're getting low on it!
It's also getting cooler at nights. We no longer keep the windows open after dark except the ones in the bedroom. And then we shut those when we go to bed. Soon we will have to get drapes to keep the cold out!
There's a possibility that I may be accompanying my husband on a business trip to Munich at the end of the month but we won't know if I can accompany him until late next week.
Friday 09/11/09
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