Early to rise...for a Saturday

Ahhh, Saturday morning.  A day where I could sleep in and catch up on sleep, or just relax in bed.  However, my body woke up around 7:30am and said "no more sleep for you!"  That being said, it was still a relaxing morning.  After taking care of the morning routine of the cats (cleaning the litter, giving hem food, brushing Zoe) I made some coffee, sat on the balcony and did some reading.  It was so peaceful, though a bit on the cool side.  Carsten slept in as he is not feeling well and most likely needs his to rest.  But once he woke up and we had breakfast, we decided to do something with the day.  Our original plan was to do some biking and then go hiking; however, Carsten said he didn't feel up to it.  Now, if this was the other way around, we would have done it, as that has happened on at least two occasions already.  I pointed this out to Carsten.  His response..."just because you tell me you don't feel well, I don't really know how you feel.  Now I know how I feel and I don't want to do all that."  In the end we went for a bike ride, which turned out to be longer than expected.  In the end we went about 30km, which is roughly 19 miles.  In the middle we stopped for ice cream, as Carsten says it helps his throat.  Funny thing about ice cream.  Not one of my favorites; however, since moving to Germany I feel like I have eaten more ice cream now than I have in the last 10 years.  And that is why I am not losing weight.  It all comes full circle.  

After the bike ride, Carsten sat in front of the computer and I lounged on the couch.  I wish I had Alica's couch...so much better for lounging.  Anyway, tonight we watched the second movie we rented.  Transporter 3.  To say that Carsten is a big fan of Jason Statham would be a huge understatement.  It appears that no matter what movie he makes, we will watch it.  And since we have seen basically every movie he has made, I can accurately say this is by far the worse movie he has ever made.  The action scenes were okay, but the plot was really non-existent and the lead actress was horrible.  Ugh, I even got up to do dishes during the movie it was so bad.  Okay, not a good example since I am always cleaning up around the apartment.  But still the movie was bad and no one should ever watch this movie, if I'm not being too subtle.  

The rest of the day...

After Carsten rested for a bot and I phoned my mom, we got back on our bikes and rode to IKEA and another furniture store.  We may have found new mattresses for our new bed, which should arrive by the beginning of August.  I also found a couple of area rugs I really like.  I feel we need to get some rugs soon, as the wood floors are getting scratched more and more.  Carsten wants to wait until the furniture arrives.  Though I can see his point, that doesn't really help the floors now.  Anyway, it was a nice little trip.  It was about 6 miles there and then we took a little bit longer way home.  Once back home, I made us some soup for dinner, to help Carsten's throat, and we watched Madagascar 2.  It was cute and had some funny moments, but the first one is definitely better.  That being said, one song did appear in the film that I absolutely loved.  To hear it, click here.  

A beautiful Saturday

The weather today is quite spectacular.  It is sunny, with a mild wind and warm temperatures, though not hot.  So far today we have had breakfast, went to the video store to rent two movies, and then rode our bikes into the city centre to go to the farmer's market to buy vegetables.  We walked around the city for a bit and did some window shopping.  Carsten isn't feeling well so we got some ice cream to help his throat (wink, wink).  He'll use any excuse to eat ice cream.  We took a longer way home and now Carsten is resting.  I am not sure what the plan is for the rest of today (other than watching one of the movies), though tomorrow I know we are planning on doing some biking and hiking, as the weather is suppose to be good tomorrow as well.  

One of my two favorite Chicago events!!!

This weekend is Mayfest in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago.  It is one of my two favorite events.  The other event is Octoberfest, also in Lincoln Square.  I have gone to this festival so many times now, and each time I have a blast.  It is always a great time to catch up with friends, drink some beer (usually too much) and be outdoors.  My mom and brother have even come down from Wisconsin to join me at the event.  So, even though I can't be there with my friends to celebrate, I hope Alica, Holly, Mike, Rob, Ron, Kiely and everyone else have a great time.  Have a beer for me :)

Bring on the tunes...and ice?

Tonight on VIVA (a music channel owned by Viacom, who also owns MTV) was their annual Comet Awards show.  Unlike the Grammy's in the US, or the Echo Awards here in Germany, this award show is not based on any real talent, but more about popularity.  Thus it was pretty easy to guess who the winners would be, even though I only knew a handful of the nominated artists.  A group I like a lot is Eisblume, and though they were nominated often, they won zero awards.  To see the video and hear the song they performed live, click here.  Another artist I like, who was only nominated a couple of time, is from the region I currently live in.  She performed last night as well, though I can't find the live version on the Internet, click here to see the music video for the same she performed.  And to my surprise, Ashley Tisdale performed a song.  For those of you who don't know her, she is a Disney star like Miley Cyrus, though not as popular.  Anyway, her performance was much better than expected.  She is clearly trying to distance herself from the Disney persona she has been known for.  Here is her live performance, for those of you interested.  And now, to see the last, and a bit of a surprise, performance of the night click here.

After the music show we ended up watching the first ever Ice Soccer tournament.  It was quite funny to watch as nobody could really stand up well on the ice and then to have to kick the ball was quite hilarious to watch.  The players were all affiliated in one way or another with professional soccer, but that didn't really help them on the ice.  

Let the 3-day weekend begin

It is Friday afternoon and I have no homework this weekend, as I already finished it.  We did the big grocery shopping last night and I just finished wiping down the kitchen and bathroom and vacuumed the entire apartment.  That means I am all set for the long weekend.  Yes, we have yet another public holiday her in Germany; this one though is on Monday.  I am looking forward to doing some reading, maybe some biking and perhaps catching a movie on DVD or something.  Of course I will also try to go jogging this weekend.  I may not be losing weight, but my legs and ass have never looked better (or felt tighter but that is another story) and I feel healthier than I ever have.

Oh, and only one more month and some of our furniture should be arriving...yeah!!  At the end of June we are expecting our living room and dining room furniture and then at the end of July/beginning of August our bedroom furniture should be here.  Not that I counting the days or anything like that :)

The run helped

I too am a bit surprised, but the run did in fact help my headache.  Shortly after I started running it was completely gone.  So, then I did a bit of cleaning and once Carsten came home we went grocery shopping.  This way we don't have to do it on Saturday and can have more free time to play in the city centre.  

As some of you may know, I thoroughly enjoy British TV shows.  I own several on DVD and can watch them over and over again.  Last summer I bought the complete series of Spaced, though I had never seen it before.  Well, tonight I finished watching season 1 and I loved it.  Carsten didn't seem to care for it as much, but that just means I can watch it in silence :)  Anyway, if you are interested in watching the first episode in its entirety, go to youtube or click here.

My head hurts!

I woke up this morning with the most massive headache.  This time it isn't allergy related or anything like that.  Nor did I sleep "funny" as my head hurt a little last night.  I think this is just a plain old headache.  I took some aspirin this morning, but that didn't help.  After class I took some more aspirin, but still no relief.  I even took a nap thinking that might help some, but no.  So, now I am thinking about going running.  Laugh now, but sometimes when I have a headache and go running it goes away.  I wonder if it has something to do with the increase blood circulation, but I'm no medical doctor, so what do I know.  The weather is perfect for a run, cool and cloudy.  If only I had a bit more energy.  

My bike is better

Carsten was able to take my wheel today to get fixed, which means I can ride my bike to school tomorrow instead of walking.  Although it is a nice, relaxing walk; riding my bike is much faster.  Plus, if the weather is bad, I would rather ride my bike and be out of the bad weather instead of walking in it.  I am feeling like I am ready for the weekend to get here.  Not that I have any plans, but still, I don't want to go to school and would rather be able to sleep in or do something fun.  

A major change with my class

Today one of my teachers asked me to stay after class to talk about some things.  We ended up talking for 45 minutes about the class, my plans for the future and how things are going for me in Germany.  She stated that she and the other teacher were talking about me and though they have initially thought I could make the B1 test (a much needed test for me) at the end of July, they have now decided that I should wait until the end of October or beginning of November and take the exam with everyone else in the class.  She added that though she thinks I am doing well and she knows I am bored in the class, she is worried that after the class I won't find work right away and then will just sit at home.  Her argument is that this way I can be in the class longer, better my German language skills and continue to look for work, or even work part-time, which is what I am more likely to find here in Freiburg.  When she told me I immediately felt a bit sad.  I think my first thought was, "I failed again."  Now I think what it means is I can relax a bit and not have to work so hard with homework and trying to cram the exam in by the end of July as originally planned.    Of course, my mood and mind could change back the the other way of thinking in a matter of seconds!!!

One of those days

Have you ever woke up and thought "Ugh, I do not want to get up today?" Well, today was not that day, but it seems it should have been.  Here is how it all went down.  

I woke up and saw Carsten was already awake in in the shower (I know, nice visual).  I laid in bed and then after a few moments got up and made the bed.  After getting ready for the day I went down to my bike to head off for school; however, my front tire was completely flat.  Not sure what happened as it was fine yesterday when I got home from school.  Anyway, Carsten had already left for work and I couldn't take the "extra" bike as the peddle broke off last week.  I went to call Carsten with the cell phone I am using; however, the battery was dead, which is weird since yesterday when I checked it the battery was half-full.    So, that meant I had to walk to school, and fast.  I made it only 10 minutes late and was completely covered in sweat as it was another warm morning.  My class was okay, one incident happened but in the grand scheme not too bad, just irritating.  It rained while I was in class but thankfully it stopped before I had to walk home.  The trek home was okay, as it was no longer as warm.  It was clearly going to rain again and that it did, but I had already made it home by the time it happened.  So now it looks like tomorrow I will be taking Carsten's bike to school and he will take my bike to the repair shop, since the shop is close to his work.  Coincidentally this is the same tire this shop repaired not too long ago.  

So, to take my mind off of an annoying day, I have been watching The Nanny.  That show still makes me laugh after all these years.  Now I am back to doing homework and then later I will make dinner.  Tonight it is a big salad and boiled kohlrabi.  Don't be jealous :)

Oh, and I can't get this song out of my head!

It's been one year!

It was Memorial Day weekend 2008 that Carsten left Chicago and moved to Munich with Zoe and Lela.  That means it was also one year ago that I was hopping from place-to-place for the summer.  Though it was a bit of a pain to never feel settled, I had a great time with everyone I stayed with.  It is hard to believe it has already been one year since I went through that.  I have been living in Germany for almost 8 months now; that is also hard to believe.  Sometimes it feels like I just got here and other times it feels like I have been here forever.  

I am asked often when I will be back in the States for a visit.  That is such a hard one to answer.  It would be nice to be home for a bit before the end of this year; however, Carsten thinks I should focus more energy on finding work (which is also a good idea).  I stated I think I should go for a visit before I begin working since I don't think I find a job that will give me much vacation time.  Of course it all comes down to money and being able to pay for a ticket, my student loans and everyday expenses.  All of this also depends on my classes and my schedule with that.  I am not exactly sure when I will finish my integration course, though I believe it is the end of October sometime.  If only I was independently wealthy and Sallie Mae was out of my life :)

It's soooo hot here!!

For the past two days it has hovered around 90 degrees and it is a bit gross, especially since I have to bike everywhere.  This means I am constantly sweating!  Ewwww!  It also makes it hard to be motivated to do much.  For example, when I got home I decided to vacuum.  Why would I do that?  I was so hot afterward.  Now I think I will sit outside on the balcony and do some homework.  It really isn't that much different sitting out there or in the apartment, so I would rather have the fresh air.  

A day of rest

Today was such a peaceful day, though really hot!  The morning started out great and after a yummy breakfast and starting reading my next book I decided to go for a run again today.  Though it was a good run, the heat really got to me.  It was about 90 degrees today and sunny...all day long.  After my run and spending a couple hours trying to cool off I did some more reading, watched a couple episodes of Planet Earth (love that program so much!) and phoned my grandma so she wouldn't get lonely this Memorial Day weekend when so many others have plans out of town.  Carsten made a great dinner tonight, Sweet and Sour Chicken, and now I am planning on sitting out on the balcony and enjoy the evening, while Carsten watches a popular German crime series.  Tomorrow I am back at school and then my normal routine of homework and cleaning in the afternoon.  We have two more holidays in June, which means I have some short weeks ahead :)

Just chillin'

What a relaxing day.  After my run, I spent the rest of the day sitting out on the balcony and enjoying the weather.  I was also able to phone a few people and catch up on all the latest happenings back in the states.  A friend of Carsten's asked if we would be attending a party tonight, but Carsten said that after last Saturday night he was not in the mood to go out.  Though I would have liked it, I don't know how I feel about this friend of Carsten's and the thought of going alone and not really being able to communicate fully was a bit intimidating for me.  Maybe net time though :)

Just finished the book

Today has been a pleasant day overall.  We got up and had a very yummy breakfast and then headed off to the city centre to the farmer's market.  We bought some produce, did some shopping and then came home.  Since I arriving home, I have been sitting out on the balcony reading.  That's right, I finished the book I started yesterday.  Loved it!!!  The author doesn't sway much in terms of plot; all three of his books are quite similar, but if you like murder mysteries and thrillers, then you would like his books.  The next book I am going to begin reading (likely later tonight) is The Return of the Dancing Master by Henning Mankell.  But now I will go help Carsten clean the car and then go running...the day it too beautiful not to go and enjoy it.  

A relaxing end of the day

Since I finished my new book and Carsten coincidentally bought a new book that I wanted to read, I started in on it right away.  I was able to read much more of it than I anticipated, mostly because Carsten returned home 2 hours later than he said he would be home.  For punctuality to be so important to Germans, this does not seem to apply to Carsten.  But I digress.  The new book I am reading is called Whispers of the Dead by Simon Beckett.  This is his third book and I have read and enjoyed his first two so I am assuming this one won't be disappointing.  Other than reading the new book, I spoke with my friend Craig on the phone for close to an hour.  Now I am just glad the weekend is here.  

Enjoy the long weekend for those of you in the States

Today is a day off for many people in Germany.  When holidays fall on a Thursday, which seems to be quite often here, the Friday is known as a "bridge" day and that day is also a day off.  That is the case today for Carsten.  However, I still had my class today, which seemed to drag on forever!!  I am home from class and Carsten is out, as some networking event, so now I have some free time to do a bit of cleaning before the weekend.  I prefer to have my weekends free of that kind of work.  Since I am doing well in my class, both of my teacher's give me extra homework to do.  Today I got a lot of extra homework.  I don't have to do it, but I might as well learn as much as possible while I am here.  But I don't think I will do much of that, if any today.  No, today I think I will relax a bit after I am done cleaning.  I have no plans for the weekend as of yet, but whatever happens, know that I will write down every detail, no matter how boring, here for everyone to read :)

Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone in the US!!!

A beautiful day...mostly

Today in Germany is the public known as Vatertag or Father's Day, which is a Christian holiday celebrating Jesus Christ.  Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia describing how the day is celebrated in Germany.

Germany

In Germany Father's Day is celebrated differently from other parts of the world.  There are two terms and/or events of an older origin that while similar in name, have entirely different meanings. Vatertag, is always celebrated on Ascension Day (the Thursday forty days after Easter), which is a federal holiday. Regionally, it is also called men's day, Männertag, or gentlemen's day, Herrentag. It is tradition to do a males-only hiking tour with one or more smaller wagons, Bollerwagen, pulled by manpower. In the wagons are wine or beer (according to region) and traditional regional food, Hausmannskost, which could be Saumagen, Liverwurst, Blutwurst (Blood Sausage), vegetables, eggs, etc. Many men will use this holiday to get very drunk, to the point of having gangs of drunk people roaming the streets, causing much embarrassment to the German people who don't participate, and giving the holiday a very bad name in Germany.  Police and emergency services are in high alert during the day, and some left-wing and feminist groups have asked for the banning of the holiday.

So, how did we celebrate?  Well, we went for a bike ride hat was about 60km.  We rode from Freiburg to Breisach, which is on the border of Germany and France.  For those of you unfamiliar with the conversion of kilometers to miles, that is approximately 37 miles.  The weather was great, not too hot and a mild wind.  A little over halfway through our route we stopped for a triple ice cream cone (I got one scoop Mango and two scoops lemon) and a sprite.  After eating and drinking we walked a bit along the river Rhine.  The wind began to pick up, so we decided to begin the trip back home.  After about three minutes of riding the rain came down and was constant the entire way home, except for the last two kilometers when the rain suddenly stopped!  Even with the rain, the ride was relaxing.  I actually found the rain to be a bit cleansing in a sense.  

Upon arriving home I did some laundry and then made dinner.  That evening we sat out on our balcony, played some Uno and then had a beer as the rain came back.  Since our balcony is covered we can sit out there without getting wet.  Then I finished the book I was reading, Kennedy's Brain, by Henning Mankell.  Not his best book but also not a total piece of crap either.

A Free Day

Today is a holiday here in Germany and thus everything is basically closed.  So, I have a totally free day.  All my homework is done, I don't feel like leaning and though it rained very early this morning, the weather has now improved.  I am not yet sure what I will do with my day but I am sure I will write about it later.  

A Super Fun Day

Today instead of having my regular school day, my class was invited to join another class from the same school (a more advanced class) to take a bus trip to Straßburg, France.  It was a fun-filled day there.  After the 1.25 hour bus trip, we arrived at the Parliament Building.  This was a once in a lifetime chance for me to be inside the building where all the important meetings take place.  Click here to see some pictures from my visit.  The building had signs all over that said no camera and no pictures, but I figure; hey, they allowed my camera through security so it's not my fault if the camera happened to go off a couple times :)

After two hours in the building were we had a tour and then met with Dr. So-and-so who gave us a lecture (all in German) over how politics work there.  When I could understand what he was saying, it was all pretty interesting.  Anyway, after all this, we took a quick walk to the lake front for a boat tour.  I understood it was to be 17 minutes, but it was in fact 70 minutes.  It was a beautiful, hot and sunny day here and as such I got a little burnt while on the tour.  I did not take any pictures form the tour as I had been to Straßburg in 2004 with Carsten and have pictures from then.  Plus, my hope is that Alica will come in August for a visit and my mom in September and then I would go then with both of them and have more pictures.  

I made new friend from the other class while on this trip.  No one from my class spoke to me, but this one woman named Lisa who is from Taiwan spent the day with me.  On the way back to bus after to boat tour, we stopped for a quick beer, which after being in the sun tasted so good!!

I made it home shortly after 5pm and Carsten arrived home from work about 6:25pm and then we were off to have dinner with his extended family.  It was all the same people as from Monday night, minus Carsten's mom since she is back at home now.  It was another great evening with his family, filled with conversation and yummy food.  Oh, and of course German beer!  I was even able to talk some with them, which made me feel quite proud of my progress in my class.

But now it is the end of the day and I am pooped.  Goodnight all!

The visit is officially over

I am home from class and his mom is all packed and already on the train headed for home.  It was a great visit and although I was anxious about the cleanliness of the apartment, I think it was justified considering her regular comments about cat hair and her own cleaning of the apartment.  Aside form the cleaning, the only other stressful part of the visit was Carsten and his mom's constant bickering.  I didn't always know what was being said, but the tone was clear.  The mood becomes heavy and not that pleasant, but since they are German, they seem to just move on to the next topic to bicker over.  Anyway, all that is done and now I can do my normal cleaning, wash the bedding, etc. and prepare for the rest of the week.

Speaking of the rest of the week, tomorrow I am going to Straßburg, France with some of the students from my class.  We are visiting the Parliament and taking a boat tour.   I have to bee to the pick-up spot by 7:55am and will return around 5pm.  At 7pm Carsten and I are meeting up with several of his family members again for dinner and possibly a bowling type game.  Thursday is a holiday here and thus we have no school or work.  However, on Friday I have class though Carsten has another free day.  

Meeting the extended family

Tonight was a family gathering at Carsten's cousin's home.  What this meant for me was meeting several of Carsten's extended family.  I was able to meet Carsten's mom's twin brother and his wife.  Also, Carsten's mom's sister was there with her husband.  Their three remaining siblings have already passed away.  Carsten's cousin was there (obviously since it was her house) as well as her husband and their three daughters.  I was quite happy that I was better able to understand what they were saying and in the end this made for a much better time for me.  Even though I still can't speak the language too well, I am able to follow conversations and laugh at appropriate times.  

After dinner and visiting out on the terrace, the three of us came home for our final evening together.  Carsten spent much of the time on the phone with his sister and/or in front of the computer, which meant more alone time for his mom and me.  After all the thinking and trying to keep up with the German being spoken at and around me all day and night I was exhausted and thus was the first one to go to bed.

The visit ends tomorrow

Today we were all up early.  Carsten's mom went to the bakery to buy fresh rolls for breakfast.  She also did some more cleaning; which is really starting to irritate me, but I am trying to remind myself she is wanting to be helpful and not hurt my feelings.  I had class this morning and Carsten had work.  My understanding is that his mom is going to the city centre to do some shopping.  When I got home from class she was not here, so I assume she is still there.  My plan for today is to fold the laundry, take care of the trash and as I type the a cat is throwing up, so I guess I will be doing some more cleaning as well :)  I should probably do some homework, but I don't really feel like it.  I did get my test back today that I took on Friday and I had only two wrong, so that made me happy!!  Tonight the three of us are going to Carsten's cousins for dinner and to visit for a bit.  His mom leaves tomorrow and will be gone when I get back from class, so this will be our last stretch of time together for a while.  

A relaxing evening

Carsten and his mom returned from their family reunion around 7pm.  We made a light dinner and spent much of the night watching a German crime series.  His mom went to bed around 9:30pm and Carsten and I stayed up to watch the finale of the show A Double Shot at Love.  That is quite a trashtastic show; however, it can be fun to watch and see how desperate some people are.  Oh well, now it is bed time and school tomorrow.  It is a short week though as Thursday is a holiday here.  Carsten has off both Thursday and Friday, while I only have Thursday off.  

A late night out

Carsten and I made it home at 5am today.  It was definitely too late to stay out especially with his mom here for a visit, but we had a nice time and his mom was able to entertain herself just fine.  We went to the Waldsee, which is a bar we have gone to a few times.  It seems to be hit or miss in terms of how good the music is and last night was a good night.  The night started out with watching the Eurovision Song Contest.  Germany did not fair too well, with Norway having the winning song.  However, the performance I thought was best was from the Ukraine.  To check it out, click here.  After the contest, it became a big dance party; which ended in too much champagne being consumed.  As always, click here to hear the song that got me out on the dance floor.  I think this might have been the same song that got me out dancing the last time as well?!?

So today Carsten and I slept in, while his mom was up cleaning the apartment.  I knew it wouldn't be clean enough for her!  This afternoon they went to a family reunion and I stayed home to have some alone time, which is much needed right now.

Back from our walk

The walk was fantastic.  The weather has been sensational all day and that made the walk today even better.  It was a bit of a long walk, a few hours or so, but well worth it.  Now that we are back, we are making dinner, which looks like it will be something yummy!!  Some fresh meat, potatoes, kohlrabi and fresh strawberries for dessert.  After dinner, Carsten and I are going out dancing, which means another late night!!  I will post tomorrow all about the night, which will involve seeing the European Song Contest.

The second full day...so far

This morning we were all up pretty early.  Carsten's mom left to go to the bakery and decided to also go to the hair salon.  This was unexpected and took longer that one might have thought.  The plan was to go and see Carsten's mom's brother play tennis at 11am; however, he phoned at 9:20 to say his match was moved up to 10am.  Carsten's mom returned home right around 10am and we still needed to eat breakfast!  So, we ate some breakfast and then ran a couple errands and finally made it to the tennis court.  We saw him finish his singles match and was also able to watch his doubles match.  He is in his late 60's and still has quite the stamina.  Now, we are home and changing clothes to get ready for a walk.  See you soon!! 

First full is day over

Today was the first full day that Carsten's mom was here.  She and Carsten spent the morning in the city centre shopping.  I met them around 1pm and then we grabbed a bite to eat.  We did some more shopping, window shopping mostly, and then stopped for coffee and cake.  They brought the tram/bus home and I rode my bike.  Thankfully I made it home about 10 minutes before it really stated to rain, I only had sprinkles for my trip.  Once Carsten and his mom arrived home we had tea and another piece of cake.  We spent much of the night watching German "Krimis," the likes of CSI, Law & Order, etc.  The weather here has been pretty crapping, so we are hoping for an improvement in that department for tomorrow, as it would make the visit more enjoyable.  

Finished my exam and ready for the weekend

My exam this morning was scheduled to take 2 hours; however, I finished it in 70 minutes.  I think I did pretty well, though I know of at least one mistake I made.  I know I passed and I guess that is all the really matters.  I have another major exam in three weeks, but for now I can let that go and just enjoy my weekend.  Speaking of that, I am off now to the city centre to meet up with Carsten and his mom, who have been shopping much of the morning.  

All went well

Everything went quite smooth with regards to picking up Carsten's mom from the train station.  My bus trip was good, though I forgot to stamp my fare card, thus I rode for free.  I found his mom right away as she stepped off the train and then we took the bus back home.  I gave her a tour of the apartment and the building and then we decided to walk to Carsten's work and surprise him since he was getting done at 5pm.  In the end, this didn't work.  He in fact worked until 7pm, thus causing his mom and I to wander around outside his work for a couple of hours.  We had a nice visit and were able to spend some time together just chatting about this; well, I guess as well as I can chat in German :)  Once we arrived back home I made dinner for the three of us and then we watched some TV.  All-in-all a very good evening.

One of the great things about me having anxiety about this visit is that I was able to push out the fact that I have a big exam tomorrow at school.  I think it should go fine, but normally I would still be quite anxious; however my anxiety about the test is minimal compared to my anxiety about everything going well with this visit.

Nearly time to go

My bus should arrive in about 30 minutes to take me to the train station where I will pick up Carsten's mom.  I am still anxious, but I know that once we are back home it will dissipate.  I am not a fan of riding buses anyway, and since this is my first time here in Freiburg taking a bus I hope I don't get lost or anything.  Oh, and as for the apartment; when I arrived back home today from school cat hair was floating all over the place.  So, basically the five hour cleaning spree yesterday was for nothing.  I did another quick run through, as well as make the bed and do another load of laundry, so hopefully it will look nice enough.  I am so anxious I can't even eat; now you know how serious this anxiety is.  Probably a code orange!!

The Film Festival is over

Tonight Carsten and I saw the final film in the festival.  I had no real desire to see the film, thought it was nice to be there for the end of the festival.  Carsten talked about live music for the end and in fact it was there.  However, it was basically about 10 college aged people who look from "flower children" from the 60's.  The sang one song, California Dreaming, by the Mamas and Papas.  But, wouldn't you know they sounded like a cat in heat who was just ran over by a car and left for dead.  Yes, it really was that bad!  As for the film, I contemplated giving it a 4 or a 3.  In the end I gave it a three.  When I asked Carsten what he had given the film he said a 1.  I was so shocked.  A 1; I mean what was he thinking.  He gave Milk a 1 and this film was no where close to being as good.  Okay, so we disagreed on the rating.  All I know is I was right and he was feeling generous :)

5:30pm and I'm done

Since I last posted I have been cleaning, and that is about all I have done.  It took me roughly 5 hours, but I think I have everything basically clean, or as clean as it is going to get.  So, let's review what I have done in that amount of time:

1.  Shampooed the rug in the living room

2.  Washed the smaller rugs throughout the apartment

3.  Vacuumed the floors

4.  Mopped the floors

5.  Dusted (even moved the TV stand to clean behind there)

6.  Wiped out the washing machine after the rugs were done

7.  Cleaned the windows inside and out

8.  Cleaned the window banisters on the outside

9.  Wiped down the kitchen, scrubbed the sink

10.  Cleaned the bathroom, including scrubbing the shower and getting rid of the soap scum

I think that is everything I did.  Boy am I tired.  I have about 25 minutes before I need to start preparing dinner for tonight.  I hope you are all having a productive day as well!!

So much anxiety

For those of you who don't know, Carsten's mom is coming tomorrow for a visit.  And since finding out that she might be coming and then when I found out for sure she was coming and when, my anxiety has been through the roof.  Now, I know you are thinking that I like her a lot and she likes me a lot so what is the problem.  Well, here is the issue.  I am really anal about things being clean and in there place.  Carsten's mom on the other hand is a million times worse than me.  Since I am not working I see learning German and maintaining the house as my full-time job.  So, if when she gets here she makes a negative comment about the place (dust, cat hair, etc.) I know I will take it personally.  In my head this doesn't make sense but I still think this is how I will respond.  That being said, I am going to clean the crap out of our apartment today.  I have a list of things to do and I have about five hours before I need to start making dinner, so I should have time to get most of it, if not all of it done.  

After dinner Carsten and I are going to the final film of the festival.  The name of the film is Were The World Mine.  To read more about the film and to see the trailer, click here.  I have zero desire to see this film; however, Carsten is all about this movie and since he tends to get what he wants, we are going.  In the end it isn't that big of a deal.  It is nice to go to the final film of the festival, especially since we went to so many of the other films.  Wishing me luck on my cleaning and I will post my thoughts on the film later.  

A relaxing evening

It was nice not to go to the film festival today, as much as I love movies, it was nice to just stay home.  Plus, it is 6 kilometers there and then 6 back, which isn't really a lot, but since I ride my bike everywhere even little jaunts add up.  So, what did I do with my free time you wonder?  Well, not much.  I watched some Scooby Doo, took a little nap, did some homework and then some minor cleaning.  Tomorrow is the big cleaning.  

Happy Birthday Amy

Today is the birthday of my Wonder Twin, Amy.  We actually met on her birthday in 1999.  It was my first day of work in Winslow, AZ and she worked there as well.  She has always said I was the best birthday present that year.  Of course, I could have been the only thing she received...or she's just trying to be nice :)  Amy and I quit the job at the same time and decided to move to Chicago together.  Needless to say, the rumor mill was working overtime with that information.  But here we are, 10 years later (and not a day older), with her living in Kansas and me in Germany.  My how things change.  Happy Birthday Amy; have a super day today!!!  Just make sure to stay away from any small ponies ;)

Very moving!

Tonight Carsten and I saw the movie Milk at the film festival.  I have been wanting to see this movie for some time, but due to when it was released in the US and my moving abroad, I was unable to see the film in the theater.  And it is my understanding that it's showing tonight was the first time it was shown in it original format (in English), here in Freiburg.  Anyway, all I can say is WOW!!!  If you have not seen this movie, go and rent it now!  The acting was superb and I think Sean Penn completely deserved his Academy Award.  Everyone was good in the film and I especially loved when they showed actual footage.  I was tearful through most of the film, okay, I cried the entire time.  It was interesting to see the challenges Harvey Milk faced in the 70's and compare it to what is happening now in the US with Gay Marriages.  It becomes shocking at how after all these years equality is still such an issue in the US, a country that is suppose to be based on freedom and all men being created equal.  I feel very fortunate to be living someplace where I can chose to have a civil union or not.

Today's showing at the film festival

Tonight Carsten and I have two film choices for the festival.  However, we knew from the beginning what we wanted see tonight.  The choices are:

Burn The Bridges

Milk

We are choosing to see Milk and we can't wait.  I am sure we will both enjoy it and give it a high rating; based on everything I have read and seen about the film.  Tomorrow night I believe we are taking the night off from the festival and will go back on Wednesday night for the end of the festival.

Happy Birthday Laura

Today is the birthday of my special lady friend, Laura.  She and I have known one another for many, many years now, or as she likes to say; "I knew you when you were straight."  Coincidentally, Laura was in my dream last night.  This happens from time to time and it seems to happen with Laura more than anyone else I know.  However, last night's dream was different.  Where as Laura currently lives in Phoenix, in my dream she was living in Madison and working at the same place she and I worked at in the 90's.  In addition, she had the same (last) boss that we had when I left the place.  This is important since we had a few bosses during our time there and the last boss was part of the reason I left the agency.  Anyway, I was living in Germany in my dream and had gone back to Madison to live and work for two months as my student loan company was harassing me for money and I didn't know where else to go for work.  So, Laura and I worked together again as we had done before.  

By the way, this picture is from October 2007 when Carsten and I went there for my birthday.  This picture is taken on one of the rides at the State Fair and Laura was kind enough to pose as if she was scared silly.  Oh, and as for my hair, that heat flattens out my curls like it is nobody's business.

Happy Birthday John!

Today is my cousin John's birthday.  I would guess he is turning 39, but I could be off since I still tell people I am 24, thus causing me to lose track not only of my real age but the real age of everyone else.  Anyway, he and I are a lot alike.  I mean, he made a career out of the Marine's and I look great in my camouflage shorts :)  Happy Birthday John!!

Another weekend comes to a close

As another weekend ends and a new work week begins (or school in my case) I can't believe how quickly these two days go by.  Sure I saw a lot of movies, but what else was really accomplished.  Okay, that isn't really fair as I got to talk with a lot of loved ones this weekend.  I hope everyone had as much fun this weekend as I did.

Now for the movie reviews.  tonight we saw one short film that was suppose to play last night but for whatever reason did not work.  It was called Mirror Mirror and was an excellent short film.  Carsten and I both enjoyed it, though we took different meanings away from the film.  We saw two other films tonight, with Casten and I not caring so much for the one and both of us really liking the last film.  This last film was more of a documentary on the topic of circumcision.  This is a fascinating topic for me.  In 2003-4 during my Internship year, I did some research on this topic with another Intern.  We both have similar views on the topic; however, it was more personal for him as his wife was pregnant with twin boys and he needed to make a decision about what to do.  This film was called The Quest for the Missing Piece.  If you have any interest in circumcision or how other countries, specifically the Jewish community, address this issue, then this is a film for you to see.

The Film Festival continues

The film festival is showing several movies today, though we are not sure which, if any, we will go see today.  If we should go, here are our choices:

Les Chansons D'Amor

Reine Geschmacksache

Lucky Blue

The Quest For The Missing Piece

Chuecatown

If we should decide to go, I think we would like see Lucky Blue and The Quest... as they are being shown as a double feature, since both movies are short.  It helps that both of these are either in English or with English subtitles!!!

Happy Anniversary

Today is the anniversary for me and Carsten.  It was 7 years ago today that we started dating.  A lot has happened in those years, much of the time we lived apart, with him in Germany and me in Chicago.  And now, here we both are living in Germany.  If someone would have told me back in 2002 that this is where I would be seven years later I would have thought them crazy.  But clearly they would have been right.  Anyway, here's to many more years together.  Love you!!!

Happy Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day, at least in the US.  So, for those of you there or for those of you elsewhere who "celebrate" today, enjoy!!  I would like to take this opportunity to thank my mom.  She has been wonderful and supportive over the years and if it wasn't for her and my father having the courage to copulate, I wouldn't be here today to say Happy Mother's Day :)  I love you!!!

Yeah; we stayed dry

Somehow we managed to stay dry and avoid all rain.  Clearly Carsten was thinking when he suggested we leave early to go to the theater so that the storm can pass through while we were there.  Anyway, tonight we saw a collection of short films from various countries.  Overall, they were fantastic.  Of the 12 or so shown, I only disliked one and really, really disliked one other one.  In the end I gave it a rating of 2.  I must admit this film festival is quite fun.  Thankfully I love watching movies or I would likely be insanely bored!

Another film at the festival

Today started out as a nice day.  The water meter man came this morning at 8:45 and then Carsten headed off to the meat market and bakery.  After breakfast, we went to the city centre to do some shopping, which took up most of the day.  The weather was great; however, as I am typing this a thunderstorm is approaching and the weather is taking a turn for the worse.  To make matters worse, Carsten and I are leaving soon for the film festival, which means we will likely get soaked on our bikes.  Anyway, tonight the film options were:

Breakfast with Scot, which we saw last night

A book reading with the author Michael Flotho

Les Chansons D'Amour (a French film)

Die Kurzfassung (a collection of short films)

We already reserved tickets last night for the collection of short films.  We decided, if any of them are bad at least they are over with in about 10 minutes :)

A Great Film

Tonight we did in fact see Breakfast with Scot.  We thought of possibly staying for the second film as well, Ander, but due to the seriousness of the film I did not feel as though I wanted to be weighted down by that.  In the end, we both really enjoyed the movie we saw.  Carsten gave it a 3 and I gave it a 2.  I thought the child who acted in the film did a fantastic job and the main actor is someone I have enjoyed in TV shows and also really liked his performance here.  Though the film was mostly a comedy, it did have some poignant moments.  The film dealt with many issues and I believe that anyone, gay or straight, with kids or without, would enjoy this film.  

They're baaaack!

Well, my allergies came back today in full force.  I was okay when I woke up and then by 9:30am they were running wild.  I had a hard time making it through my class and had thought of just leaving and going home, but that just isn't my style.  So, now I plan to rest so I have energy for the film festival tonight; priorities you know!!  Hey, I was going to clean today and I even put that off (for now) so I must be ill.

Our film choices for tonight are: 

Breakfast with Scot

Ander

The Idol

Of these three, we are definitely seeing Breakfast with Scot and possibly also Ander.  Breakfast comes from Canada, while Ander is a Spanish film with English subtitles.  The Idol, on the other hand, is basically porn.  And porn from the 70's at that.  Anyway, once we get back I will write another review about how the movies were and how we rated them.  Just another way for me to try and stay connected with people :)

We're back and the reviews are in

Okay, again we saw the film Mr. Right tonight.  My earlier posts have more information on the film.  Anyway, we were asked to rate it on a 6 point scale; 1 is the best and 6 is the worst.  Coincidentally, Carsten and I both rated the movie a 3.  It wasn't spectacular, nor the biggest piece of crap I have seen.  It really played into all the usual stereotypes, which can be funny but also over-done.  The acting was okay, but also not great.  My favorite character was an Indian woman who had some great one-liners, which meant she wasn't in the film too much, since then she wouldn't have one-liners but real dialogue.  So, that's my mini review of Mr. Right; let's see what film we see tomorrow!

A Sunny Day

The weather today is quite nice here in Freiburg.  After several days of wind, clouds and cold we have a nice sunny day with warmer temperatures.  After class today I took my bike and rode to the city centre to buy some pasta.  One of the stores there was having a big sale on pasta noodles, so I bought a lot of pasta.  Guess what's for dinner tonight?  You guessed it, Spaghetti!

Tonight Carsten and I will go to our first film of the film festival.  Our choices are Mr. Right from England, Strella from Greece and Antarctica from Israel.  Since language is an issue, we are planing to see Mr. Right, though I think Strella sounds more interesting.  Strella and Antarctica both have subtitles, but in German, so I am now sure how much I could really understand.  Oh well; Mr. Right it is.  Here is a summary I found on-line for the movie:  

Louise, mightily annoyed, has lost her boyfriend when he turns gay. Again. She turns for solace to her coterie of gay friends, three hip couples living in London's trendy gay village, Soho. Harry wants to ditch his job producing TV home improvement shows and travel the world with aspiring actor boyfriend Alex. Hunky ex rugby player William's nine-year-old daughter is intent on sabotaging his relationship with TV soap star Lawrence. Then there's Tom, a successful but insecure artist who turns a blind eye to the transgressions of boyfriend Lars, a sexy but narcissistic muscle-clad toyboy. In this funky, urban romantic comedy tensions reach breaking point when truths are revealed at an awkward dinner party. Wittily scripted and well acted, this film is less about finding Mr. Right than it is about losing him - but there are unexpected endings for all, and even Louise is ready to take another chance...

So, stay tuned to see what we thought of the film.  

It's Hump Day!

All is good this Wednesday.  My Tuesday was pretty low-key and today is shaping up to be the same.  Yesterday I was unable to reach my dad by telephone, but I was able to call my grandma to say hi.  She does love to hear my voice so :)  

My class continues to be going fine, though I do get a bit bored at times.  I have been given extra worksheets to do, as I finish all the homework and in-class assignments too quickly.  Other than that no changes there.

My sinuses continue to be a pain, but they are improving with each passing day, so that is a relief.  I don't know what they put in the medication tablets and nose spray, but seriously it does something to me.  I feel all foggy in the head, more than usual that is.

So, today in Freiburg begins the 25. Schwule Filmwoche.  Basically it is the 25th annual GLBT Film Festival here in Freiburg.  Carsten and I have picked out 5-6 films we plan to see in the next week, so stay tuned to see which movies we see and what we thought of them.  Although the brochure I attached to this post is in German, not all of the films are.  I am really looking forward to a week of new movies.  Throw in a little dancing and this would be heaven!

Happy Birthday Hailey

This picture is a few years old now, but since I love dancing so much it just seems appropriate that I should put up a picture of Hailey dancing.  For those of you who don't know, Hailey is the daughter of my friend, and ex-fiance, Courtney.  They live in Wisconsin and have a cute dog named Buddy.  I was able to spend some quality time with them this past past summer before moving to Germany and I am so glad that happened. I miss you guys!!!  Love you :)

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!  This day always makes me think of my friend Amy.  I think of her at other times, but always more often on this day.  It was Cinco de Mayo 2000 and we were living in Arizona.  We were approaching the end of our time working in Winslow and living in Flagstaff.  In addition to preparing to begin our new life in Chicago, Amy was in the cusp of a birthday.  So, it only made sense that after work we should go out and celebrate the holiday and all the exciting stuff happening in our lives.  Needless to say, we celebrated live it was nobody's business.  In the end, we both had a great time and I think it is safe to say it is a Cinco de Mayo neither one of us will soon forget :)

Another week begins

I woke up this morning still not feeling 100%, bit I am also no worse than I was on Sunday.  Class went fine and then I came home and took a nap.  Every little thing seems to wear me out lately!  Once I woke up I did some cleaning around the apartment and then at 6pm met Carsten at his work.  We rode our bikes to the city centre and grabbed a bit to eat at Subway.  It is my first time eating at an American restaurant since living in Germany.  Afterward, we went and saw the movie Gran Torino.  If you have not seen this film, you must rent it and watch it immediately.  I was shocked at how funny it was at times and then how depressing at others.  This is reportedly Clint Eastwood's final film and he goes out on a high if that is true.  He is amazing in this movie; saying so much with his face or noises from his mouth, not even using words.  And when he does use words, much of what he says is not politically correct, but clearly fits with the film.  I was shocked at how much I liked the film and would really like to see it again!

Feeling a bit better

I woke up this morning and was able to breathe better, which is a good sign that the medication is working.  I am not 100% better, but well on my way.  I had decided that I would stay in-doors all day today hoping it might help, which in fact it did, though for much of the day the weather was quite nice.  I had a very low-key day filled with reading, napping and watching a movie on DVD.  I finished the book I was reading called Commonwealth by Joey Goebel.  I liked the book, except for the last three pages, and though I felt the author at times was quite  condescending toward middle America, he did have a point about what he was saying.  I started reading another book right away, since it is one of my favorite past-times.  Now I am reading Kennedy's Brain by Henning Mankell.  I am only on chapter 5 and am already really enjoying the book.  Henning is a wonderful author who really knows how to write and get his readers interested in the characters.  The DVD I watched was a movie I own and have seen so many times I was able to quote much of the film; however, it always lifts my spirits.  The film, don't judge me, was Addams Family Values.  I forgot how many famous people are in the film, or have become famous since staring in the movie.  

I need a plunger for my sinuses!

I woke up today feeling even worse than yesterday.  After breakfast Carsten and I walked to the pharmacy and then to the meat market.  These two stops are not related :)  Anyway, once I got back home I took the medicine and then Carsten and I headed off by bike to the city centre.  We walked around, did some shopping, ate an ice cream and just enjoyed being outside with all the people.  Since the weather was great it seemed everyone was outside.  We came back home and then had coffee and cake, which seems to be quite typical here in Germany,but that is a topic for another post.  Anyway, after that I had to lay down and my sinuses and my head in general was just too much for me to handle.  I finally got out of bed around 7pm feeling a bit better.  We then ate dinner and watch the movie Death Race.  I had wanted to see this movie in the theater, but never made it.  After horror films, action movies are my next favorite genre of film.  And this film was in deed action packed.  Plus, Joan Allen was in it and she doesn't make a bad movie, even that one she did with Kevin Costner was pretty good :)  Once the movie was over we decided to walk the movie back to the store.  In hindsight, not the best idea.  The walk was good, but it exhausted me and caused my sinuses to really act up again.  Once back home I just relaxed for a half-hour before going off to dreamland.  Tomorrow, no out door activities!  

May Day

No, I am not sending out an S.O.S.  Today is May Day here in Germany, an official public holiday.  As such, no school, no work, no nothing.  We have had pretty crummy weather this whole week, with clouds, cooler temperatures and rain.  However, Carsten said May 1st would have beautiful weather.  According to him, May 1st is his fathers birthday and has always been a beautiful day.  Well, Carsten was right!  The weather today is amazing.  Sunny and warm, but not too hot.  Now, the down-side of today is that my allergies are in high gear and kicking my butt at the moment.  Anyway, since we had a bonus free today we decided to go for a bike ride and to a nearby zoo.  Because, when you are suffering from allergies that just makes sense :)  Anyway, the name of the place is Mundenhof.  I was there once before back in 2005 when I had come to visit Carsten.  Not much has changed since then.  One of the neat things was a horse show that was happening, so we sat down and watched some of it.  To see pictures from the horse show and the rest of our time at the zoo, click here.  After the zoo we took a small bike tour around Frieburg.  The weather was just so perfect, though my sinuses were really having a difficult time by this point.  Once we finally made it back home, I basically just laid in bed or on the couch.  I didn't start getting allergies until 2000 when I moved to Chicago and every year since they have become progressively worse.  I had hoped that with this move to a cleaner place things might improve, but that does not seem to be the case.

SO.MUCH.FUN.

Well, last night Carsten and I did go out dancing.  It was an event sponsored by one of the universities here in Freiburg.  Actually, the event is nearly identical to the 10% dances the University of Madison has.  I used to have so much fun at those and now this is my second time at the event here and it is just as fun.  The night was spent just smiling and dancing...how much better does it get.  Oh, and the beers were cheap!  The song that initially got me out on the dance floor was by Moby.  Click here to hear the song and see the video.  So many of the songs brought back memories from going out with specific people or from certain times in my life.   For example, when I heard this song, it reminded me of when I lived in Madison and would take the bus down to Chicago to visit my bestie Alica.  What I think made the music so fantastic was that they had such variety.  In the US, clubs seems to stick with certain genres of music.  But last night we had rock songs from the 70's, disco type songs, pop, trance, 80's, 90's, just everything (but rap and country).  Most songs were in English, with only a few in German.  Some were just fun to dance to for the comedic idea of dancing to such a song, such as this classic.  Oh how I wish this event was every weekend, but then maybe I wouldn't appreciate it as much!