A relaxing day

So far, today has been quite relaxing.  I have a funny feeling in my gut that something bad is lurking around the corner, but for right now, all is good.  Today I woke up early, ate some breakfast and then went for a run.  I am really glad to be running again, it is a great way to clear one's mind.  Carsten and I have spent some time today talking about bedroom furniture options and looking over the budget, if that isn't depressing I don't know what is.  Then the rest of the day I have been reading and just finished the book The Water-Method Man by John Irving.  I would highly recommend this book.  I don't know if it is the psychological aspect or what but I had a hard time putting it down and once I finished it was really glad to have read it!

A BIG Purchase

Before you all go thinking "Finally, they got a dang bed so I can stop reading about that crap," no we did not purchase a bed.  We did find a bedroom set we both agree on, but the cost is a bit high, like 5200 Euros.  However, then we would have a matching bedroom set with wardrobe (since closets don't exist here a wardrobe is necessary).  Instead, we bought furniture for the dining room and living.  That means only 8-10 more weeks of eating off of cardboard boxes.  That is what we use for a coffee/dining room table currently.  It was also a bit pricey (everything here seems to be), but we did get a good deal for all the furniture and the quality.   So, if anyone wants to make a donation to the William J. Hutter Sallie Mae College Fund or to the William J. Hutter Moveables Fund, please feel free to contact me for further information.

My last day

Today was my last day of class with this particular school.  The day went quite well, which surprised me as I was unable to sleep last night.  I finally fell asleep shortly after 4am, but was awake when Carsten's alarm went off at 6:30am.  

After the class, we all went out for Italian food, and of course beer, and then a small group of us went and played pool.  It was a great time and it felt like I had friends here for the first time.  I really miss my friends a lot and this outing really made me appreciate my friends back in the states even more.  I know I have not always been the best friend to some people and some have chosen to no longer be my friend, but those who have remained my friend over the years I hold a very special place in my heart.

Day 3

The weather this week has been a vast improvement over last week's weather.  Last week I had to ride my bike to and from school everyday in the rain and it was cold to boot.  However, this week the weather is significantly warmer and it has been sunny everyday.  Since the weather has been so good, I went running outside today for the third day in a row.  I am hoping to be in a little bit better shape by the time summer comes, which is only a couple months away.  Plus I am tired of Carsten's "fat" comments everyday.  So, with my bike riding and jogging and at the end of April Carsten and I plan to join a gym, so I won't have many excuses for not being in shape.  Though I guess I could blame it on genetics or German beer :)

Well, I made it.

I ran for just over 1/2 hour outside and though my abs, arms and legs hurt before I ran they seemed fine during the run.  However, my chest began to hurt while running.  I shared this with Carsten and his response was "It must be your big boobs."  So sensitive he is :)  Now, off to shower and do homework before making dinner.  

I was right

I woke up this morning with only sore abs; however, as the day progressed my legs and arms joined in.  I am leaving now to go jogging and am hoping not to have a total breakdown on the way.  If all goes well, I will write more later; otherwise it won't be until tomorrow.

I'm going to be sore tomorrow!

Tonight Carsten and I had an appointment with a gym.  We were suppose to go last week Tuesday, but saw the film Slumdog Millionaire instead, so the appointment was rescheduled for today.  I was expecting to not like the place after we had a tour there about one month ago.  However, we met with a trainer and went through a routine that I am sure will cause some of my muscles to ache tomorrow morning.  We still need to decided which gym is best for us in terms of location, cost and services, so for now it is me taking my big butt outside for a job.

After the gym I came home and made us dinner.  After watching CSI:Miami in German, Carsten turned on MTV to see what they had on.  Well, I was able to see Rock of Love for the first time.  If you have seen the show or clicked on the link I provided you know this is a high class piece of trash.  Thankfully once it finished our MTV decided to play Paris Hilton's My New BFF again.  So, tonight I was able to see the first episode, which I had not seen previously.  What a great way to end the day!

My last day...

with my favorite teacher.  Since this is my last week of class with this particular school, today marked the last day with my teacher who instructs on Mondays and Tuesdays.  I will miss learning from him, as I think he is great at what he does.  Carsten says I shouldn't get too attached to people, but I can't help it.  If I could, living so far away from my family and friends would be much easier than it is!!

Rough morning

Last night after the art show I talked on the phone to a couple friends for a bit and then watched some TV.  I couldn't sleep and thought I would just relax in front of the television.  Finally around 2am I decided to go to bed; however at 6:30am Zoe decided to get sick right outside the bedroom door.  Thankfully Carsten got up and cleaned it up.  I am so thankful for this as I was not in the mood to get up and clean up after her.  The way I look at it, I cleaned up after her on Saturday when she got sick, so it only makes sense that Carsten does it today.  Of course on Saturday she got sick late in the morning and I was already awake.  But, I think that is a detail that can be overlooked; don't you agree :)  The rest of my day has been productive, doing homework, laundry, taking garbage out and now I am waiting for Carsten to come home so I can make dinner.  I hope all of you have had a great start to the week ahead!

A Magical Night

Tonight Carsten and I went to an art show opening at a cafe here in Freiburg.  We were invited by my friend Haydee, who is in my German class and comes from Cuba.  The show was great.  The art was quite modern, which is my favorite, and the music was terrific; done by two music students from the University of Freiburg.  At first I was a bit bored, but once Haydee arrived and I had some champagne, followed by beer, the night really took off.  If you would like to see the art that was shown tonight, you can click here for more information.

Time change

Today we had our time change in Germany, however, neither Carsten nor myself could sleep past 6:30am, so we got up early and began the day.  As I wrote yesterday, we may have found some furniture.  Today we were able go back to the store...stores aren't open on Sunday's here, but today was an exception.  Anyway, a HUGE disappointment happened.  The furniture is too big and won't work in either room.  I had such hope and upon finding out that it wouldn't work it just made the rest of the day feel like crap.  I realize in the grand scheme of problems not having furniture is not that big of a deal, but I am tired of sleeping on a mattress on the floor and eating off of cardboard boxes in the livingroom, as well as having clothes laying around the bedroom getting covered in cat hair and dust.

However, in a short time we are going to a cafe in the city that is having an art show.  A friend from my class invited me and so maybe this can help boost my mood.

Could it be?

A bulk of today Carsten and I spent looking at furniture, measuring and remeasuring out apartment and it might just be that we have found a bedroom set, as well as a dining room table, that will work in our space.  It appears as though Carsten's mom might come for a visit in May so it would be nice if we had some furniture before then.  Well, at least I can dream :)

So-Much-Fun!!

Last night Carsten and I went dancing and had ourselves a gay 'ol time.  The music was quite good and I was able to shake my money-maker like it was nobody's business.  As much as I would love to recap the entire night with the songs that were played and my moves to each tune, I am unable to do that due to the vast amount of music that I jammed to.  However, I can share with you the first and last song that I danced to.  The first song is by my favorite band of 2008 and you can hear the song and see the video by clicking here.  Now, the last song I danced to is probably now considered a classic, but I still love it.  To hear the song from 1989, click here.

Another week comes to a close

It is Friday night here and I am ready for the weekend!  Today was a good day.  It's Friday so I had a test in my class today.  I did quite well and feel pretty good about my performance, except for one section, which kicked my butt big time.  Which considering the size of my butt lately that isn't hard to do, but that's another story for another day.

Tonight Carsten and I are going dancing.  The last time we went to this place I hit a street sign and cut my face...I still have the scar.  So, cross your fingers that the same thing won't happen tonight.  considering the wind and rain we have had here all week, my ability to drive straight is a bit challenged.

Anyway, instead of listening to fact paced dance songs while I get ready, I am listening to one of my favorite slow songs.  To check it out, click here.   Every time I hear this I get tears in my eyes; it is really that beautiful.

Wild Mood Swings

I seemed unable to establish any sort of equilibrium today.  I woke up around 5am with a serious case of the angst and was unable to fall back asleep, until around 7am when Carsten got up.  Then when I did get out of bed and check my email I had an unpleasant email regarding a job I had applied for.  It was at the point that my mood really went down the toilet.  However, once in my class I was distracted and completely forgot all about my angst and the email.  At the end of my class I was talking to my teacher and she questioned me on my study habits and homework assignments.  I explained the I complete the entire chapter by Tuesday night so I can review on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for our test at the end of the week.  She then asked how many hours I study per day.  I gave her my studying schedule and she laughed and stated I am spending too much time on studying and should only do 2 hours per day otherwise it can be too much.  She also said I am doing rather well for only having three months of German language school and compared what I know to other students she has who have been learning for a year.  That made me feel much better.  However, in the evening my mood again began to slip, though for no apparent reason.  So I decided to phone my grandma in Baraboo, WI as she always cheers me up.  We talked for about half and hour laughing over everything.  A perfect way to end the day!

My brain is about to implode!

I think I have a case of "studyitous", a rare condition caused from too much learning that leads one's head to explode.  Seriously, this German stuff is hard and makes little sense in some ways.  Sure, the English language isn't much better, but I'm not talking about English I am talking about German :)  I spent about 2 hours studying before class, had four hours of class and then another three or so hours studying tonight.  That is way too much German, heck that it too much time doing any one thing.  However, a decision has been made about my class situation and I will do one more week of class next week and then the week of April 20th I will start my Integration Course with another school; one of my current teachers works there.    

Movie and a couple beers

Today was another good day.  I had a productive morning of laundry and homework and class was also good.  After class I hung around the city centre.  I walked the main strip and ate a wurst in from of the Munster.  Afterward I walked to a nearby furniture store to see what I could find.  Well, what I found was a lot of over-priced furniture, though I must admit it did look nice.  Then I met my new friend Haydee (from school) and Carsten and the three of us saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire. It seemed that Haydee and I liked the movie more but Carsten also had nice things to say about it.  It won 8 Oscars and 4 Golden Globes and in my opinion deserved them all.  Great film with fantastic music!  After the film the three of us went to a neighboring bar and had a couple beers before calling it a night.  A terrific day that ended with a phone call to my brother, who I am so proud of right now.  You go Boo!!

Another great Monday

Monday's have become my favorite day of the week.  I tend to be more productive on Mondays and feel more energized than on other days.  So, today I woke up and did some homework.  I have decided to do one more week with this school, so instead of being done this week Friday I will finish next week Friday.  A decision still needs to be made on my Integration Course, but that decision will hopefully be made by the end of this week.  Anyway, in class today we played Scrabble for the first half of class.  We broke up into three teams of two and had to make words in German, without using a dictionary.  That was way harder than I expected it to be, but fun and a nice way of learning new words.  

A fellow classmate and I went to the movie theater after class to buy tickets to watch the movie Slumdog Millionaire tomorrow.  Tuesday is the cheap day for the theater so Carsten thought we should get our tickets early.  

After buying the tickets I came home, did homework and then cleaned the apartment.  Let me just say that I love my cats dearly, but they shed way too much hair.  Twice per week I vacuum the apartment and as much as I like to clean this is becoming a big time commitment.  But I digress.  After dinner last night Carsten sat in front of the computer and I watched one really terrible movie.  The movie is called Avalanche and is from 1994.  It was a made-for-TV movie, probably on Lifetime.  It stars Michael Gross from Tremors and Family Ties but the real star was David Hasselhoff.  Yes, the Germans really  do love the Hoff as much as is rumored.     

Schönberg

Happy Sunday!  Today Carsten and I decided to go for a walk.  Now, when most people think of a walk I am guessing it is a little stroll through the neighborhood or around town.  Well, not us.  No, we went for a 10k hike up Schönberg.  It was a beautiful day and a great way to get some exercise and see more of the surroundings.  If you are interested, click here to see some pictures.  I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and are ready for the week ahead.

Another bust

Today we went to three different stores to look for a bed.  Two of the stores we had already been to in weeks past and the other store was new to us.  In the end, we found nothing that really jumped out at us.  We can't agree on a bed, and at this point I think I am just done with looking.  Carsten jokingly, or at least I think he was joking, said he wanted to "break my spirit" in terms of finding a bed.  And honestly, after today I feel broken down.  At this point I think I would take any bed, as long as it is more than a mattress laying on the floor, which is what we have now and have had since I arrived in Germany.

Other than the bust in terms of furniture shopping, the rest of the day was quite grand.  In the morning we rode our bikes to the city centre and did some shopping.  It was full of people down there and the city just felt alive.  In the evening after the furniture experience,  Carsten made sweet and sour chicken for dinner (yummy!) and then we watched a popular German television program called Wetten dass..?    It is a pretty entertaining show, even if you don't understand everything that is being said.  Last night's program had some famous people I knew, which always makes it a bit better for me.  

Tomorrow we are planning on going on a small hiking trip, which means pictures!!!  Time to get a good night's rest.

Credit Crisis

My friend Alica sent me this interesting link, which through the power of animation describes how today's society has found itself in its current economic state.  It really made sense and so I thought I would now share with those of you who might be interested in seeing it as well.  So, click here is you would like to see what it has to say.

Another puppy goes to doggie heaven

My mom bought a new puppy last week and named him Cookie.  She sent out announcements to alert everyone of his arrival.  However, this week he became ill and on Wednesday needed to remain at the animal clinic.  When the veterinarian returned to the clinic this morning Cookie was at peace.  I called my mom and she was understandably upset.  Losing a pet can be a really hard obstacle to overcome even when the pet has only been a part of your family for a short time. She says she won't be getting another dog, but I also said the same thing after my beloved Brandy passed away, and here I am with two cats.  Time really does heal all wounds.  

A nice end to the week

Since it is Friday I had a test in my class today, which went better than I had expected.  This week in class seemed more challenging and I had some concerns about how the test would go.  I also didn't sleep well last night and I thought that might also hinder my performance. However, I did well and the teacher even commented on my performance.  Yeah!!  

So, my day started out with waking up to a phone call.  Carsten phoned from work to say he forgot the orange juice for his work party today.  (He remembered the beer and chips but not the OJ).  He asked if I would bring it to him on my way to class, which of course I said I would no strings attached (cough, cough).  I was having a dream when the phone rang that had to do with me getting ready to go to a dance, an old woman (in her 80's) telling me she hopes I find a woman at the dance to marry and my mom sitting on a couch eating a huge bowl of popcorn.  A dream or premonition...it is such a fine line sometimes!  Anyway, I was not going to go back to sleep so I studied for a bit (3 hours) and then went to class.  Once I got home from class it was rest and relaxation...no studying; nothing.  I watched some DVDs, ate some funk food and waited for Carsten to return home from his party.  Now the weekend can officially begin.

Happy Birthday Tammy

Today is my cousin Tammy's birthday.  She hates, hates, hates having her picture taken and so I thought, what better way to say Happy Birthday than to put a picture of her on my blog.  This picture is a few years old, but then again so is Tammy.  Love ya!!!

Laughter really is the best medicine!

Today was an okay day; not the best, but also not the worst.  Whenever my sleep is disrupted, as it was last night, the following day always seems a bit more of a challenge.  The only rough patch really was at my German language class, where the tasks we were doing seemed really, really hard.  On the upside, each of us had to read aloud (sounds like elementary school huh?) and when I finished she said I read really and could tell I have been practicing.  That made me feel good.  Once I returned home I did my homework and started studying of tomorrow's test.  A massive headache soon followed.   However, once dinner was finished and I had done the dishes, I called my dear friend Toyah, who I have not spoke with in too long.  We talked for almost an hour and a half and laughed about anything and everything.  My headache, gone, my outlook on things, improved.  It doesn't get much better than a good laugh, especially considering all the sadness and struggles in the world today!

Something to think about

I am approaching the end of my time at my current school (one week left) and then it is Easter, where Carsten and I will spend a week or so at his mom's place, and after that I begin my Integration Course.  However, after school today I stayed and talked with my teacher for about 30 minutes and she asked what my plan is for when I am done at this school.  I told her about my Integration Course and where I plan to take it.  She said she teaches the course at a different school and asked if I would consider going there.  She also said her colleague heard not so good things about the school where I am planning on going.  The cost is equal and the location is closer to where I live, plus I know her teaching style.  Those are the positives.  The negatives are, I don't know how much I care for her teaching style - though I think she is a really nice person.  I plan to talk with her about it more tomorrow and see if I can make a decision before the end of the weekend, which is almost here already!!!  How does that happen? 

Fantastic day today

Last night I slept unbelievably well.  So much so that when Carsten's alarm went off this morning I got up as well and made him coffee and breakfast.  I then did roughly three hours of schoolwork (mostly working ahead for the week...I am such a nerd!) and then I vacuumed the apartment, did dishes and some dusting.  I sent off some emails, made some phone calls and really was just a worker bee.  

Then I went to school and had a great day there.  I came home and played with the cats and then after a bit I went running outside (we currently have great weather, though it will change to snow by the weekend).  Once Carsten arrived home from work we went to the store to buy supplies for his party on Friday.  The party is  work party to celebrate his starting there.  It is a bit late, but he is combining it with another person who started more recently.  

The day has ended with me watching the final episode of Paris Hilton's My New BFF.  The girl I wanted to win did; however, since they are no longer friends in real life why does it matter.  I heard she is doing one right now in London and is also preparing to do a second season in the US, with a possible new one to follow that in Canada.  Clearly I have spent too much time on this crap and need to get back to watching something with a bit more class.  Like Flavor of Love :)  

More pictures

Here is a picture of me, Carsten, Gary and Klaus.  Klaus was the birthday boy, who with his twin brother turned 30 on Monday.  His party was at his parent's home in Austria.  My previous pictures focused more on Austria while these pictures focus more on the actual celebration.  Enjoy!

Pictures

Hi all!  Well, I have the pictures uploaded and even put comments to them.  To see our weekend in Austria click here.

Back from Austria

This weekend has been a fantastic getaway weekend; however we are both quite tired and could probably use a day to relax!  I don't have any pictures uploaded as of yet (I have no clue where Carsten has put the cables) but as soon as I do I will put them on here for you all to see.

The purpose for going to Austria this particular weekend was for a birthday party for a friend of ours.  We met him while we lived in Munich; he is originally from Austria and the party was at his parents home.  I referred to the home as a compound and kept having visions of the movie Hostel.  Not that the place was scary but the set up was identical, as well as the size.  Anyway, Carsten and I left Freiburg around 8pm on Thursday night.  We made it up to Gary and Klaus' place around 1am.  We would have been there sooner but our directions were not correct from Google Maps and thus we got lost.  Thankfully Carsten parked in front of a Police Station to look at the map and since that is not okay to do, some officers came to the car to help us out (get us to move).  So, we finally made it to there place, talked for a bit and then went to bed around 2am.  We got up early and were on the road driving shortly before 8:30am.  We made it to the compound shortly after 11am and then the grazing began.  I have honestly eaten more since moving to Germany than probably the last five years of my life combined.  Okay, maybe that is a bit of a stretch, 4 years 11 months, but all the food is so tasty.  Friday was spent baking and getting a room set up for a party room.  We also took a walk around the small village where we were staying.  This is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else.  It was quite quaint.  Friday night we went to the nearest big city for dinner where I had fried chicken and french fries.  OMG!!!  So good.  That is only the second time in the five months I have been here that I have eaten anything remotely American.  Afterward we went home, watched some Austrian/German television (okay, American shows dubbed in German) and then off to bed.  

On Saturday we woke up, ate some breakfast and prepared for the day.  Carsten and I went back to the nearest big city to spend the day behaving like tourists.   We walked around the city centre, went to the Lentos art museum and walked up some hill to see an old church-like building.  Again, this will be more clear once I post some pictures.

Saturday night was the birthday party.  About 60 guests showed up and the party room looked fantastic.  The food was tasty and abundant as well as the beer and Jägermeister.  Thankfully I was able to pace myself, drink a lot of water and not have too much alcohol.  The party was a lot of fun.  I was able to talk some with a few women there, as well as Carsten and my friends who we came with.  It was a much different experience than the other party I had recently gone too.  Carsten and I left the party around 2:30 am and apparently the party went on until 4am.

Today was a long day for us.  We got up, couldn't really eat anything as we were still full from the night before.  Around 2pm we left for Munich.  We arrived there and hung out for about 30 minutes before leaving for Freiburg.  At 10:30pm tonight we finally made it home.  Like I said, a long day!  Now it is time to eat something and go to bed.  Again, I promise I will have some pictures on here soon.

No test for me tomorrow!!!!

For those of you who read this often, you know that every Thursday night I study for my test on Friday.  However, this week I don't have the test.  Why you are wondering?  Well, that is because Carsten and I are leaving this evening for a long weekend in Austria.  We are going to Linz.  I am hoping we take many pictures so that I can post them on here and share this experience with everyone.  So, until we return on Sunday evening, Auf Wiedersehen.

A better day

My class today was better than yesterday.  I seemed to understand more and was able to express myself verbally better than I have in the past.  I still use my hands a lot, but I do that anyway. The topic in class was how I spend my free time, which since I am not working one would think I have a lot of.  However, that does not seem to be the case, unless of course studying for at least three hours per day is free time :)  

I really dislike Wednesdays

It is Wednesday so I had the teacher I don't like as well.  I went into today with a positive attitude, told myself today would be different I just needed to believe it would be better.  What a bunch of psycho-babble, and I should know!  The class started out fine and then after the break I just couldn't understand a word she was saying.  Not one.  I asked her to repeat herself but still nothing.  So frustrating.  She eventually gave up on trying to explain it to me and I just stopped listening and worked from the workbook.  Maybe tomorrow will be better???

A tear came across my face

Not really, but it was close.  Tonight was the second to last episode of the train wreck of a show Paris Hilton's New BFF.  I still think I should have been on that show.  I mean, who would make a better friend for Paris than me?!?  Who else has bought all of her music?  No one, that's who!  Okay, i need to calm down...this won't get me anywhere.  Anyway, it is down to two people and net Tuesday i find out who she picked.  The one I have wanted all along is in the running, so if it can't be me maybe it can be her :)

On a roll

No, not a dinner roll, just another good day.  Though it would be nice if we could have some sun here or at least have the rain stop for a bit.  Seriously, I have rode my bike in the rain to school everyday since last week Wednesday.  As Donna summer says, Enough Is Enough.  I spent three hours on a homework assignment that was due today and when I finished reading it the teacher said, "Wow that was really good, but a bit too complicated.  Why don't you try to make things simple?"  If only I had known that beforehand.  Oh well, now I know!

I had planned to go running again today, but the wind is fierce, yeah I just typed that, and I don't think I could make it very far.  It was challenging enough riding my bike against the wind.  So, if it is sunny tomorrow I will run again.  Of course if I had a gym membership this wouldn't be an issue ;)

A great start to the week

Today has been a fantastic day.  I slept fairly well last night and was able to wake up this morning feel refreshed and ready for the week.  I studied for about 2 hours and then went to school.  On my way there it started to rain and then sleet.  Man did that hurt my face.  Of course it wouldn't be so bad if my skin wasn't so dang soft and sensitive.  I mean it's like porcelain, but enough about that.  I finally made it to school completely soaked.  My class was fantastic and while there the weather cleared up.  So, when I got home I changed and went for a run.  I love how running makes me feel.  I am glad I have found it again.  Anyway, now I am going to do more homework and then start making dinner.  

Scary stuff

Carsten sent me the following link and said he thought this was one of the funniest things he has seen.  I watched it and thought "wow, that is some scary stuff!"  I love horror movies but what in the world is this creature?!?

A pretty good day

Today has been a productive and pleasant day, with only one odd blip, but I will get to that momentarily.  My task for today was to do my taxes, which I am happy to say I completed.  I also did some cleaning and even went for a run.  Running outside is really fantastic, even when it is cold and windy, as it is here today.  I feel so rejuvenated, blah, blah, blah after a run.  However, during my run I encountered an older woman, and by older I am guessing 70 or beyond.  She was walking her dog in my direction as I was running and she politely moved to the side as I was approaching to ensure room for me, her and her dog.  However, as she was moving to the side her foot slid off the curb and she fell on her butt.  Stop laughing, she is elderly!  I freaked and asked if she was okay, though I used the informal way and not the formal way, but I panicked.  She laughed and said something in German and then got her self up and walked on.  I had put my hand out to help her up but she did not take it, maybe thinking I would just push her back down.  So, that is the blip; kind of odd but it could have been much worse.

Happy Birthday Craig

Today is the birthday of my dear friend Craig.  He is in sunny Phoenix while I am in cold, cloudy Germany.  I wish we could spend the day together.  Thinking of you and wishing you the best.  Much love!!!

Ugg this is frustrating!

The early part of today was spent cleaning.  I am loving our new vacuum cleaner, though let's face it, how doesn't love to vacuum :)  The afternoon and early evening Carsten and I spent looking at furniture. We only went to two stores and somehow that took up roughly 6 hours.  In the end we bought nothing.  I know, I am as surprised as you (note the sarcasm).  As usual, we found lots of things we like, are concerned about the cost of everything and realized that what we want to get for the bedroom doesn't really fit in terms of the space we have.  We also found items for our dining room and living room and we were quoted a cheaper price than we obtained from another store one month earlier for the same items.  So, perhaps next week we will get those.  Whatever we decide to get, it appears that the mean wait time is 8 weeks.  What that means to me is that it will be summer before I am sleeping in a proper bed and not just a mattress on the floor!

Sad news

I received an email from my father that my paternal grandmother is in the hospital and is not doing very well.  Please send positive thoughts her way, as she is a remarkable woman who has endured many hardships in her life and seems to always come out smiling.

Another German Film

Tonight Carsten and I watched another German movie.  It was made by the same people who made the movie I saw last Sunday, the spoof on Star Trek, Star Wars, etc.  This time the movie spoofed Westerns.  They really are funny, off-the-wall humor movies.  This one was called Der Shuh des Manitu.  I liked the other one I saw better, but this one was still quite entertaining.  

My best yet

Since it is Friday, that means I had a test in my German language class.  However, this week I scored higher than I ever have, with a 46/50!!!  I about got up on the table and danced, but I told myself that type of behavior was all in the past.  So instead I just smiled really big :)  Now, let the weekend begin!

A better day

Yesterday was not one of my better days.  In addition to feeling as though I was going through the day in a fog, I found myself to be irritable and things just weren't going as I would have liked.  I began to feel as though being here in Germany away from everyone was becoming too much and and that I should think about returning back to the States.  I also felt overwhelmed with the German language and wondered if in fact I could improve in this area.  Lastly, I feel quite unsettled in the apartment without a proper bed, anything to put our clothes in and using cardboard boxes as a coffee/eating room table.  Later in the evening I shared my concerns and frustrations with Carsten and this was his response.  Well, what did I expect, he is German after all :)

All that being said, or in this case typed, I feel much better today.  Life is still a bit foggy, but some of it has lifted.  My class went better today and although I continue to feel overwhelmed with the language, I have to accept that for now this is my life and I need to just make the most of it.  Gosh I hate being so mature and "grown-up" about things!!!

Ever have one of those days?

It feels to me that today either my brain cells are dead or they are misfiring, or both; I mean, why chose between the two.  I was completely lost in class today and it feels as though I am in a fog.  Even typing this now things just feel a bit off.  Carsten was ill yesterday so maybe his bug jumped ship and onto mine.  Whatever it is, I don't much care for it!!  Thankfully I have Hart-to-Hart to look forward to.

Sending out positive thoughts!

In recent weeks I have heard from a few friends and family members of the difficult times they are enduring.  Though I can't be with each of you in-person, know that I am always here to listen and provide support and encouragement.  I would be nowhere without my friends and family and I hope you all know how much you mean to me!!  Much love to you all :)

Could it be?

Am I looking old?  The teacher that I have on Mondays and Tuesdays asked me today if I was 46 years old?!?  When I said no, I was only 36 his face turned red and he apologized saying that he is 46 and that he thought we were the same age.  Um, 46...really, he thinks I look 46.  I think someone has cataracts, and it isn't me!  I still think he is  great teacher, but saying I look 46 is going to take me some time to get over :)  

Not sore :)

I woke up this morning without any pain from my workout yesterday.  This makes me quite happy because otherwise I fear my bike ride to school today would be quite painful.  However, I feel great and hope Carsten and I can agree on where to have a gym membership soon.  

Back from the gym

Carsten and I had looked at two gyms in the area last week Thursday and today we were able to try one of them out for free.  We were there for roughly two hours.  It felt great.  I used some machines for my arms, abs and legs, I ran on the treadmill for 4 miles, used the elliptical machine, rowing machine, did lots of sit-ups and then walked for 15 more minutes on the treadmill, before riding my bike back home.  I forgot just how much I enjoy working out.  However, I am scared of what tomorrow will bring.  My hope is that my legs won't be too bad since I ride my bike everyday.  Off to relax now before going to sleep.  

Great day at school

I had such a great day in class today.  I don't know if it was being around German speakers all weekend or what but today really felt good and natural in the class.  I also had the better one of my two teachers here in Freiburg, which helps as well.  I started my new "advanced" class today, so let's see how it progresses.  Whatever happens, the first day was a success!

Back in Freiburg

Carsten and I had a birthday party to attend in Stuttgart on last night.  As planned, we went to the party and spent the night there.  The party was different than anything I have ever been to in the US.  When I think of a birthday party I think of food to munch on, a variety of drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), lots of people talking, music blaring in the background and maybe some dancing.  This was not that kind of party.  Let me set the scene.  It was 6 couples (12 people in total for those of you who need help with the math).  We sat in a circle in the living room and were informed when the main meal was ready.  We were told we could have only one of the main dish (which was a wrap of some sort).  For beverages we had our choice of juice, water and soda.  This was a DRY party!  Then for the next four hours or so the conversation felt more like group therapy, with one person talking at a time.  The entire night was in German, so I did not partake in the conversation, as I could only understand words and not whole sentences.  Needless to say I could not wait for bedtime, which occurred around 2am.  At 9am we were all awake and taking showers, etc before having breakfast together.  Oh, I should add that three of the couples spent the night.  So, Carsten and I shared a room with two other people, who were complete strangers to me.  It has been a long time since I slept in a room with a stranger...or two.  After breakfast everyone talked for a couple more hours and then we left for home.  My head hurt, not from drinking, clearly, but from thinking so much and trying to understand what everyone was saying.  In the end, not the most restful weekend.  However, tonight I watched a German film that was in the genre of Naked Gun.  Very funny.  It was called (T)raumschiff Surprise: Episode 1.  It spoofed Star Wars, Star Trek, Robin Hood and westerns.

Early to rise

Today we woke early to meet some friends for breakfast.  We ate what I would call a typical German breakfast, which was bread, honey and fruit.  I only knew one of the people we met and the rest were all new to me.  One of the persons spoke English, which was nice, though most of the conversations were in German.  I noticed I was able to understand more and follow the conversations better.  Maybe these classes are working after all??  Now we are home and having some coffee out on the balcony before leaving for Stuttgart.  We are going there to celebrate the birthday of one of Carsten's friends.  We will spend the night there and then return tomorrow.  More on life in Germany upon my return!!

Completed one class!!

Today was my last day of my first German language class.  Did you follow that?  The classes are divided into A1, A2, B1, B2, etc.  I just finished A1 today and will begin A2 on Monday, though I won't finish that class as I begin my integration course before the A2 ends.  I am happy you be done with this class.  I tend to get down on myself for not knowing more but then I need to remember I only had 2 months worth of classes.  Some things come easier than others and some things I wonder if I will ever fully understand.  But for this weekend I am a bit freer in terms of studying.

A funny story

This happened last week Thursday (2/19) and for whatever reason I kept forgetting to write about it.  It was during break from class and I was running to the store to buy some fresh bread.  On my way out of the school a student from another class came up to me and started talking in English.  She has spoke with me briefly on two other occasions.  Here is how the conversation went:

Her:  So, where are you from?

Me:  Chicago.

Her:  And what about that other girl you talk with?

Me:  Oh, she is from Mexico, but she has lived in the US for a few years.

Her:  That would explain the similar accents.

Her:  So how long are you going to be in Freiburg?

Me:  Probably for a while; a couple years at least.

Her:  Oh, your married.

And she just walked away without saying goodbye.  I have seen her since then but she has not said anything to me.  Of course my first thought was, "was she trying to come on to me?"  Of course I answered that in the affirmative.  And then this song came into my head for some reason.  Wow, do I ever need help :)

Going to the gym...maybe

Tonight Carsten and I looked into two gyms that are in our area.  Neither one is anything special and they both really, really smell like a locker room.  I mean, wow, is it ever overwhelming when you walk in.  Anyway, both gyms are small, one is a bit cheaper in price than the other, though neither one is really all that special.  On Monday we will go to the first one for a free trial and see how we like it.  I can't wait to start going to the gym again.  My hope is that with working out regularly I will be able to sleep better.

Another small success

Back in Munich most of my small successes entailed going to the dry cleaner and being able to communicate with the ladies there.  Well today I have moved up the corporate ladder and spoke to someone at the Post Office.  For some reason Carsten felt I was capable to mailing off his tax information; seriously I don't even have enough faith in me mailing off my own tax info.  Anyway, I was to mail it off in the morning; however, I could not find the nearest Post office.  Where I thought it was turned out to be a bank.  So during my break in class I found one near the school and was able to send it off without any problems.  Now, let's just hope it actually arrives :)

My newest guilty pleasure...please don't hate me!

It was either by accident or through Carsten that I obtained my latest guilty pleasure.  In reality, it was only a matter of time really.  Here is the turn of events that led to this.  A couple weeks ago, Carsten said he had something on TV that I should see.  He said he thought I would really enjoy it.  That it was how people see American life.  The show is called Next and is one of the biggest pieces of trash I have ever seen (three times).  However, this is not my guilty pleasure; yes, it gets worse.  After Next comes one of the most entertaining, laugh out loud series I have seen in ages.  It is called Paris Hilton's My New BFF.  Seriously, it is messed up but I have not laughed so hard in for-ev-er!!  If you want a good laugh this is the place to look.  Oh, and my comment about this only being a matter of time; for those of you who don't know...I own the Paris Hilton CD and the three Maxi-Singles released as well.

My week begins

Wow, did I need sleep.  I went to bed at 9:30pm last night and feel asleep right away, which is unheard of with me.  I slept until 12:30 and could hear Carsten in the other room.  I feel asleep again shortly before 2am and then slept off and on until morning.  Still the best sleep I have had in months!  Carsten and I took my bike tire into the shop today, so hopefully I can get that repaired tonight.  Carsten was nice enough to let me use his bike to go to school today, since we live close enough for him to walk to work this does make the most sense.  So far a pretty good day.  Let's see what the evening brings!

A low key day and early to bed

Watching the Oscar's really took it out of me.  It didn't help that I woke up after only about 4 hours of sleep and I think I ate some bad pizza yesterday, as my stomach is not too good.  However, since today is basically a holiday for me (I know some of you are thinking "he doesn't even work now, what does he mean holiday"), I decided to spend much of my day studying.  Actually, I spent the same amount of time I would have been in class, plus my 2 hours of studying and did that.  Yes, I'm a nerd, what about it?!?  I made too much food for dinner tonight and now I am pooped, so I am off to bed.

Rosenmontag

Today in Germany is Rosenmontag.  It is part of Karneval and is similar to Mardi Gras in the US.  To learn more about Rosemontag, click here.  What this day means for me is that I don't have class, which is great since I was up late last night watching the Academy Awards.  It also means I have an extra day to study and just be,with my cats, in the apartment.  Carsten unfortunately has to work today, which meant he was not able to stay up and watch the Oscar's with me.

Dedication

It is 6am here and I just finished watching the Academy Awards.  Yes, I stayed up the entire night to see who won and what everyone was wearing.  If you missed the show and want to know who won or you don't remember, click here.  I must say that although I am a bit biased since I do love this show so much that I thought tonight's show was really quite nice.  I was entertained and thought that the changes made were nice.  I am already looking forward to see next year's show!! Good night :)

Favorite day of the year

Today is my favorite day of the year.  No, it is not my birthday and no I don't get gifts today or anything like that.  It is the Academy Awards.  I have loved this day since I was young...younger that is.  This day historically has been spent with friends.  

Back in Madison I would go to my friend Laura's place and we would have pizza delivered and spend hours watching and "observing" the dress choices of the stars. Then in Arizona I did the same with my friend Amy, though I think ice cream was added to the mix.  In Chicago the event was celebrated with my friend Alica and then in recent years an Oscar party was added to the mix with my friends Mike, Rob, Ron and Chris, and of course Alica.  

This year, while in Freiburg, I have no friends to celebrate it with.  However, Carsten has informed me that it will air here, at 1am in the morning.  So, I will be watching it and though I won't be with friends or ordering pizza, I will be "observing" what people are wearing.  

ECHO Awards 2009

Tonight we watched the Echo Awards, which is basically the German version of the Grammy Awards, but with no commercials and more/better live performances.  Even though I didn't understand it all, it was quite entertaining and I was able to see one of my favorite bands perform.  To see their performance, click here.  I also thought Katy Perry did a great job as well with her acoustic version of Thinking of You.  To see her performance, click here.  The show ended with a Lifetime Achievement award and performance by The Scorpions, though not my kind of music in general, they sounded fantastic.  My new favorite band didn't win anything, but you can watch their videos by clicking here and here.  And although this song, Scheiß Liebe, was not nominated, I really like this band, LaFee, and their sound.  To see the video, click here.  By the way, the song title in English is Sh*t Love for those of you wondering.

Another movie review

This evening we watched another movie.  Carsten had wanted to rent Wall-E, but it was all checked out.  So instead he rented Tropic Thunder.  It was really quite funny.  I was shocked at how many curse words were in it and was impressed with the lack of CG special effect and the fact that they had real explosions, etc.  However, the best part of the whole movie was Tom Cruise.  Wow, I never thought I would type those words :)

A funny thing happened on the way to the market,

my tire blew.  Picture it, we are riding to the city centre to go to the "nice" store (which really means it is over-priced but sometimes has things on sale).  I am having a hard time peddling my bike and am thinking to myself "If I say anything to Carsten he will either make a comment about a). my age or 2). being overweight" (yeah, he's like that).  So I say nothing.  A little bit later I go to slow down and then it popped.  Carsten continued on to the store and I made the walk back home with my bike.  After roughly 30 minutes I made it back home and then saw that the boots I was wearing cut into my ankles while walking home and I now have blood on my white socks.  I'm gonna guess it is going to be one of those days :)

A vacuum

No, not a space void of matter, but something that cleans and we finally got one!!  Yes, it is the little things.  It is not nearly as nice (or as expensive) as our vacuum cleaner in the US, but it should work fine.  I am letting Carsten use it first, which he is doing as I type this, since he is the one who paid for it.  I know, I know, you are thinking "Wow, he is so generous and thoughtful.  Carsten really is a lucky fellow."  And I would say back to you "That's for damn sure!"  

Lack of sleep is making me crazy

Last night was another sleepless night.  I had gone to bed at 11pm but was still laying wide awake at 2am.  So, what's a boy to do?  Well, instead of studying or working on my German I decided to log onto 'facebook.'  Though I was sucked in and barely made it out alive,  on the upside my cousin and his family were also logged on and we were able to chat for a bit.  We tried to do the video chat but I am too electronically challenged for that.  Maybe next time though.

I know you are curious as to what time I finally went to bed.  Well, at 4:10am I went back into bed.  At 5am I was still not asleep.  I dosed off for a bit and at 6:44am Carsten's alarm went off.  I slept off and on then for a couple of hours and then had to get up to study some more for my test.  On the upside. I thing I did pretty well on it, though I won't know for sure until Wednesday.  

As part of the class today we took a tour of the city, which seemed silly to me at the time as I have seen the city centre and this course isn't cheap (meaning I would rather be working on learning my German than walking).  However, in the end it was quite nice and reminded me of how much I love Freiburg.  It is crazy that things we notice when we go out of our routine.  After the tour we stopped for some coffee, though I had a beer, since German beer really is the best you can find.  Now I am home, doing laundry and cleaning a bit before making dinner.  Cross your fingers, say a prayer, do whatever you can to help me get a restful sleep tonight.

A thing about Fridays

So, every Friday I have a test in my German class.  I have done well, though with each passing week my score declines...I know, it isn't suppose to happen that way.  What this means is that I study all week, do homework, etc and then on Thursday night and Friday morning cram/try to memorize as much as possible.  By Friday afternoon my brain is warped and all I do is clean to have a release.  Tomorrow is Friday and I am in no mood for another test.  So, I am off to bed instead :)

Finding respect

Last night when I couldn't sleep I was thinking of respect and respecting oneself.  It had occurred to me that I found respect, value, worth, etc. for myself from my work.  My colleagues respected me, my clients seemed to respect me and through them I seemed to respect myself.  Here in Germany I am not working and will likely never work with my degree, which is something I need to move past before it consumes me.  As such, I need to find alternative methods of finding respect, value and worth within myself.  I think this will be easier once I feel as though I am integrated in the Germany culture and society, i.e. can speak more coherently with those around me.  I guess I took for granted that I could feel valued by people around me and never really had to rely solely on myself for this.  Ahh, always learning and growing.   

Finally, some sun

It seems like ages since I was able to ride my bike to school in the sun.  Okay, maybe only one week, but seriously the snow and rain are a pain to deal with.  I was so thrilled to see the sun out this morning, but don't go thinking it was warm here.  I would guess it was in the low 30's (F) and about 1-2 (C).  But I was dry and that is all that matters to me at this point in time.    

My My Time Flies

I have noticed that since moving to Freiburg, the days and weeks go by rather quickly.  The weekends are over before they begin and I no sooner finishes my breakfast dishes and it seems that I am doing the supper dishes.  I am in no way busier here than in Munich, though I do have a lot more homework here-but I do much less cleaning-by my standards (hard to believe I know).  I don't seem able to keep up with my emails and phoning people as much as I would like, which is partially due to the time difference.  Again it boggles my mind that I was able to accomplish so many things in Chicago while working so much and have the commute I did.

More crap weather

Honestly I don't know how people do it.  I had to ride to school today in the rain again.  It isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but man do I hate having wet pants (shut it) while sitting in class.  Thankfully they dried pretty quickly, but 3.4 hours later as I go to leave for home, my hat and gloves are still wet.  I get soaked driving home, but at least here I can change clothes.  I can't wait to see what spring brings and then the heat of summer.  However, this is still way better than paying the extreme price for gas and dealing with parking.  I think of my 1.5 hour commute while living in Chicago and am grateful for what I have now in terms of a commute.

She's 80

Today is my grandma Bertha's 80th birthday.  She is a young 80, at least in my opinion.  The picture on the right is from a few years ago at Christmastime, though she basically looks the same.  When I spoke with her on the phone today she was cheerful and jolly, as she usually is when we talk.  She is a great person and I love her dearly.  If you can, tell your loved one's how much they mean to you; trust me, in the end both of you will be better for it :)

Making plans

Next week is my last week of my current German language course, so Carsten and I are trying to figure out what I will do next and it seems that we may have made a decision.  I will do one more month at my current school, taking me until the end of March and then in April, after the Easter break, I will begin an Integration Course at another school.  This is 645 hours of learning, 45 covers German politics and 600 is all about the language.  Look at me being a learnin' fool!!

The weekend's almost over!

The Valentine's Day dance last night was a lot of fun.  Though while in line for the coat check I missed being able to dance to Rhythm is a Dancer by Snap and What is Love by Haddaway.  I made it for the end of Mr. Vain y Culture beat and then the next song took me back to, well let's just say back a few years to this song.  The music did improve some, thank goodness.  The downside of the night was that it was really cold and I mean REALLY cold.  So riding there and back on the bike was brutal.  Today I now feel like crap.  I am cold and achy and keep sneezing. My guess is that the cold weather did a number on my immune system.  Of course that didn't stop me from doing some laundry and learning some German vocabulary (verbs) today. Now, let's hope I can sleep well tonight and feel bright eyed and busy tailed for my class tomorrow.  

New Hair

Hello!  On this Valentine's Day, I got my hair cut.  The lighting in our office is not too good, but this was the best picture I had of the new look.  Maybe during the day tomorrow I can get a better shot.  

Tonight it looks like Carsten and I will go to some celebration here in Freiburg.  From what he told me, we will be drinking champagne and dancing.  I will write more on what this was all about tomorrow.

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day filled with lots of love and affection.  

Watching TV

One of the things that has been recommended to me by one of my teachers is to watch more German television to pick up some of what is being said.  Of course he also mentioned something about reading a German newspaper, but that sounded a lot less entertaining.  Anyway, I have found one show that I watch with near regularity.  It was popular (I might be generous with that) in the US in the 80's.  To find out what I watch, click here.  I never said I had good taste in TV :)

A snowy day in Freiburg

While I was awake at 4am revamping my blog page, it was a clear night with not a cloud in the sky.  However, when Carsten woke up around 7am he commented that we had roughly 4 inches of snow on the ground.  Now, my first thought was "I am not going to school today; I will stay in bed."  However, I did get up and looked outside and thought it wasn't that bad.  I mean, coming from Wisconsin if the snow is below the knees it is basically spring outside.  Thankfully I was accident free going to school, though it was iffy at times since not all the bike paths were cleared of snow.  I had thought of taking a picture of the snow on the ground and in the trees, but since most people (though not all) who read this are either in Chicago or Wisconsin and they have seen plenty of snow this year I thought I would pass.  

Another sleepless night

This is so crazy to me.  I can't believe how tired I am and yet I still can't seem to sleep.  My thinking is that I can't turn my brain off enough to relax and thus fall asleep.  I am always reviewing German in my head, how to ask or say things, what certain words mean, etc.  The other thing that won't leave my brain is how I am going to file my taxes this year since I am not in the USA.  I have tried looking into what my options are but to no avail so far.  Hey, at least my sleepless nights aren't wasted :)

The weather outside is frightful!

As I have written in earlier posts, Freiburg is a cycling city.  That being said, the wild gusts today made it nearly impossible to ride; however, both Carsten and I braved the weather.  Thankfully, I did not have accident number three and Carsten was safe as well.  However, while I was trying to make it home from school in the wind and rain I couldn't help but think of The Wizard of Oz (no, I don't know why my mind works like this) and kept picturing Dorothy.  And then, out of nowhere, I thought "hmm, since I am on a bike I would be the Wicked Witch."  Of course this then led into a stream of consciousness where I debated with the facts that yes she does die but it was only because she wanted that sparkly pair of red shoes Dorothy stole from her sister.  In the end I made it home and realized that, oh who am I kidding, I didn't realize a thing!

Another Monday

Today was mostly low-key.  My schedule has changed here in Freiburg than what it was like in Munich.  Here is how a typical days looks for me now:

*  Carsten's alarm goes off between 6:30 and 7am, upon which he hits snooze for about 20 minutes.

*  Carsten leaves for work around 8:15am and I go back to bed.  My sleep here in Germany is worse than it was in the US, and for those of you who don't know, my sleep in the US was awful.

*  I get out of bed at 9:30am and make coffee.  While drinking my coffee I review my homework and prepare for class.  I get ready and all that and if I have time I might do a load of laundry or some cleaning.

*  Around 12:15pm I get on my bike and head for school.  

*  At 4:30pm I head back home from school.

*  Once home I have a snack and spend the next 2 hours (minimum) on my homework.

*  Carsten arrives home at 7pm and I prepare dinner.  

*  The rest of the night is spent relaxing, doing homework or reading.

*  Midnight is bedtime or at least the time at which I try to fall asleep.

Carnival

Today we had a Carnival celebration outside our apartment.  "What is that?" you ask.  Well, click here to read more about this tradition.  And if you would like to see some pictures from it, click here.  

Movies reviewed

In the last month Carsten and I have watched a few movies.  The first one was a movie we rented titled Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.  It was much better than I had expected and the music wasn't half bad.  I am not saying I would run out to buy the soundtrack, but in the end quite the entertaining movie.  The next movie we saw was in the theater.  It was playing in English so I could understand what was being said.  It was a fantastic movie that I would highly recommend, though definitely not the feel good movie of the year.  Anyway, it was titled Revolutionary Road.  The last movie we saw was another rental titled The Astronaut Farmer.  I did not have much desire to see the film, but I really liked it.  It was a sweet story that had some really good acting, though the camera work was nothing stellar.  I would like to point out that none of he movies we have seen in the last month have been a horror film...see I do watch other things :)

Count them...2 accidents

So, Freiburg is known for being a biking city.  That said, I ride my bike everywhere, nearly everyday.  Carsten "pimped my ride" meaning that he bought me a headlight, taillight and some mud flaps.  Oh, and a bell...cute huh?!?   Rain or shine, snow or sleet, day or night I am on my bike.  This of course leads to some unfortunate events.  My first accident happened around 11:15pm on a Friday night.  Carsten and I were on our way out dancing.  He was riding his bike in front of me and as we were crossing the street, he swerved to the right to miss a street sign.  However, I was following too close behind him to see the sign in time to move.  As a result, I hit the sign.  It broke off the metal pole and hit the left side of my face.  In the end it was only a small cut with minor bleeding that hurt like the dickens.  The second accident happened just under a week ago while I was riding to school.  It has snowed lightly the night before and the roads were slippery.  My bike lost control and slipped out from under me.  Needless to say, I fell and the movie we rented and my cell phone went flying out of my bag.  My right hand was really sore (thankfully I am left handed) and I had only a small scrape on my right knee.  

The apartment

As I wrote in an earlier post, the apartment is really quite perfect.  Our windows face south so we have sunshine all day long in the apartment, which is one of the best features, along with a fantastic balcony.  What would make it even better would be to have some furniture.  For example, we are still without a bed, have nothing to put our clothes in, no coffee table, dining room table or a vacuum cleaner to assist with my neurotic cleaning.  But all that aside, it feels really homey and comfortable.  I never had this feeling in Munich, so at this point in time the move here feels like it was the right thing to do. Anyway, to see some pictures of the apartment, new kitchen and refrigerator click here.  One room is not in the pictures and that is the office, as I was in the room updating my blog and the picture taken was photo shopped as evident by me having two chins.  Clearly that picture could not see the light of day.

The last month in a nutshell.

Things wrapped up quite nicely in Munich.  The cleaning and painting of the apartment went smoothly and the actual move was also quite smooth with no real problems.  Everything arrived in Munich safe and sound and then the unpacking could begin.

THE FIRST WEEK IN FREIBURG ~ 12 Jan - 18 Jan

My first week in Munich was Carsten's second week at his job.  He seemed really happy with the position and the company (which is still true).  It is conveniently located to our apartment.  He can walk there in 15 minutes or ride his bike and be there in 5 minutes.  I spent the first week unpacking our stuff and trying to organize the apartment as well as find a school to attend to continue my German language lessons.  Though I initially had some concerns about the size of the apartment, it has proven to be quite perfect for the two of us and the cats.  

THE SECOND WEEK IN FREIBURG ~ 19 Jan - 25 Jan

The second week in Freiburg began with me starting my new language course  I did not care for my teacher the first two days and then on day three I had a new teacher.  What I learned was the one person teaches the class on Mondays and Tuesdays, with a different person teaching the course Wednesdays-Fridays.  In the end, neither of the teachers is as good as my teacher in Munich and the class as a  whole is quite disappointing.  Most of the class speaks Spanish as their native language, which also seems to be spoken through much of the class.  So, I am not always sure if what is being said is German or Spanish.  Maybe I can be tri-lingual by this time all of this is done :)  Also during this week our kitchen was installed.  It arrived earlier than expected (or at least most of it) and it looked terrific.  Now, all we need is a refrigerator.  At the end of the week, Carsten decided we would go out dancing.  We went out on both Friday and Saturday night to what I would label "gayapalozza."  On Friday night, I had a little accident on the way there (more on that in another entry).  The song that got me out on the dance floor can be heard here.  Once out there it is nearly impossible to get me off.  On Saturday we went to an event that was sponsored by the University.  It reminded me of the 10% dances that UW-Madison has periodically.  Anyway, the song that got me out that night can be heard here.  

WEEK THREE IN FREIBURG ~ 26 Jan - 1 Feb

This week consisted of more of the same.  I attended classes Monday-Friday from 1pm-4:30pm. This week also brought the arrival of our new refrigerator.  Wow, Carsten really went all out on this thing.  And for once I am not being sarcastic.  It looks amazing and is really quite a piece of machinery.  This week also brought the rest of our kitchen being installed, meaning a second room is completed.  The first was the bathroom, which was done before we arrived.  Pictures of the apartment will arrive in a separate entry.

WEEK FOUR IN FREIBURG ~ 2 Feb - 8 Feb

This was the last week we were without telephone and Internet, thank goodness.  My mood was clearly impacted with my inability to have contact with my friends and family back in the US.  This week began with my second accident.  It was nothing major, just angst producing.  But, I will talk about this when I do the entry for my first accident.  This week was mostly uneventful, with wild mood swings and feeling disconnected from my loved ones.  On Saturday night we had drinks with our friend Andrea, which was quite pleasant.  The first bar we went to had a band, which was one of the worst I have ever heard.  So, we left shortly after and went to another bar, which was more enjoyable, or at least quieter.  Since Carsten and Andrea spoke German for about 80% of the night, I was unable to participate in most of the conversations, but that seems to be how things are here for me, at least for the time being. 

  

Reunited and it feels so good!

After nearly one month I finally have phone and Internet access.  To say it has been a long month would be an understatement.  I don't think I actually realized how much I depend on the Internet; not only to stay connected with family and friends, but to deal with Sallie Mae and other financial stuff.  However, all that is taken care of and I can return to my life in Germany, which pretty much entails writing this blog, trying to learn German and cooking.  Prepare to read the long, and sometimes boring, entry of the last four weeks.

Gone for a month

Hi!  Well, once we leave Munich, we will be without a phone or internet for roughly 4 weeks.  So, no blog activity until we are back on-line.  Bye for now...

Another day of cleaning

After another sleepless night, the day was spent cleaning.  I don't think I have ever spent so much time scrubbing a shower before.  Carsten cleaned the floor and now we only have a couple more things to do (including painting) before the apartment is ready to be turned over to the landlord.  I must say, I can't wait to be at the new place and begin to settle into life here in Germany.

It's time to roller disco

I was on the phone last night with a friend of mine and I mentioned how my naked apartment looks like a great place for a roller disco and how I should have a dance party in my place.  so, that's what I did.  Now, I don't have a stereo here so I had to use my I-pod.  Yes, I am sure I looked like an idiot dancing and singing around my apartment, shaking my money maker all about, but it was fun none-the-less.  Oh, and this is the song that kicked it off.

My day today was quite productive.  After a terrible night's sleep on the hardwood floor, using the term sleep loosely, I got up and cleaned my little heart out!  It was a lot of floor scrubbing, cleansing the kitchen and dirt and grime, cleaning the windows inside and out (apparently i do do windows) and now I can get ready to paint.  Oh, and that dang bathroom.  That is my least favorite room in this apartment.  Those dang tiles kill me.  But I digress; apparently all our stuff arrived in Freiburg today and it appears that nothing broke, so that is good.  

Now the real work begins

So the movers have left.  They were here for three hours though I think it could have been less if they had fewer cigarette breaks.  Anyway, I helped out, I think it might be a control issue.  I took care of all the clothes, coats, shoes, CDs and bathroom items.  That left books, DVDs and the kitchen for the movers.  Overall it went pretty smooth.  One of them spoke no English and the other very, very limited English.  The one who spoke no English kept whistling the Pink song "So What," so he was a winner by me.  Anyway, they will deliver our stuff to Freiburg tomorrow evening and Carsten will deal with it on that end.   Now the real work begins here in Munich.  I plan to spend much of Friday cleaning the apartment, scrubbing everything down.  I think we will paint on Saturday, depending on what time Carsten arrives.  And then Sunday we will drive to our new home, where I can unpack and arrange the new place.  Thankfully I enjoy doing that and Carsten doesn't; it works out quite well.  Oh and if you are wondering what I am sleeping on since the movers have left, it is a sleeping bag on the hardwood floor.  Basically I am camping indoors.  

Tomorrow's the big day!

The mover's come tomorrow to pick up my stuff and take to Freiburg.  They are to deliver our stuff on Friday after 5pm.  Boy I can't wait for this move to be over with.  I am feeling quite anxious at the moment, but I think that is mostly due to my fear of being ale to communicate with the movers.  Maybe that is why I am so organized with this move?!?  Oh who am I kidding, i would be this organized even if the movers did speak English :)  Anyway, once the movers leave I will be left with a sleeping bag, the cats and the computer.  Carsten will return on Saturday so we can paint and finish cleaning the apartment before turning in our keys on Sunday and saying good-bye to Munich.  Speaking of Carsten, he stated his new job today.  He phoned me tonight and said he liked it very much and sounded mostly optimistic, though he made sure to point out the negatives he has seen so far.  In my opinion the negatives weren't a big deal, but what do I know.  

So, since I have everything basically ready for the movers I had some free time today.  Thus, I finished reading the book Written in Bone.  Again, if you like murder mysteries this might be a book you would enjoy.  

Carsten's gone

Well, Carsten has officially moved to Freiburg.  He left in the middle of the afternoon, later than he hoped, to begin his 5 hour drive there.  He is staying at a hotel tonight and after he begins his new job tomorrow he will go to pick up the keys to our new place.  Speaking of our new place, as I look around at my neat piles, the boxes I have packed and what still needs to be dealt with I am wondering if our new place is big enough.  Sure, in theory it should be large enough, but looking at all of our clothes, shoes, books and CDs I can't help but wonder how this will all fit into our new, much smaller, apartment.  It looks like it is time for me to become creative with organizing the new place.  But I am getting ahead of myself here.  I need to wait two more days for the movers to even come.  For the next couple of days it is just me and the cats waiting patiently for the next chapter in this adventure.  

Monday, Monday

Today was a more relaxed day.  A bulk of the day was spent organizing and packing, especially for Carsten since he will move out tomorrow.  He also took care of unhooking the washing machine...thank goodness.  I am good at packing and organizing but dealing with machinery is just not my thing.  As with most of my moves I am beginning to feel a bit anxious.  I am not exactly sure what worries me but then again it isn't clear what doesn't worry me at this point.  My hope is that once the move is done and things feel more settled the anxiety will subside.  Of course once I return to school and have other things on my mind that will also help.

Still on holiday

Yes, it is still the holiday season here in Germany.  Some people will return to work tomorrow (Monday) but most won't go back until Wednesday, like Carsten.  Why you are wondering?  Well, that is because it is some holiday on Tuesday-I don't know what exactly so I just call it the day everyone takes down their Christmas trees.  

So how did we spend today?  Well, being hyper-organized (or anal-retentive) I put our belongings on the first floor in neat piles to make it easier for the movers on Thursday.  I am getting pretty good at this moving thing and living out of boxes!!  Other than packing and organizing, we watched the other two movies we rented.  One of the movies, which was quite successful in 2008 and was highly recommended to us, neither of us liked it as much as we had hoped.  The music in it was fantastic, but that was obvious going into it.  To find out what we watched, click here.  The other movie we watched was the recent rendition of The Incredible Hulk with Edward Norton.  Carsten saw the preview for this with one of the other movies we saw recently and thought it might be fun to watch.  In the end, it was pretty disappointing.  Probably still better than the last Hulk movie, but that isn't saying much.  Of course it was left open for a sequel, but what isn't now-a-days.

For those of you reading this in the US, have a great day back at work tomorrow.  

3 for 1

Today was a pretty relaxing day; aka-preparing for the storm of the upcoming move.  Slept in a bit, ate some brunch, finished reading the book Chemistry of Death (would highly recommend if you like murder mysteries) and then some grocery shopping.  Afterward, we rented three movies for the price of one.  The first one we watched was The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.  The movie is somewhat entertaining, but no where near as good as either of the first two.  The plot was ridiculous and though it tried to be funny, it really wasn't most of the time.  However, the best line was in the very beginning by Maria Bello.  Anyway, it was entertaining but not memorable.  Plus, we watched it first assuming it was the worst of the three.  Looks like Sunday will be filled with movie breaks in between packing and getting ready for the move.  

Tonight we also got together with our friends Sven and Kathleen for dinner and drinks.  It was a nice time, though it went later than I had anticipated.  I am sure we will come back to visit them from time-to-time once we move, as I know Carsten will miss them quite a lot.  So many changes all the time!

Out on the town

Today Carsten and I went to the Deutsches Museum, which is the museum to go to in Munich and with us leaving next week, we thought we should go before it is too late.  It is the biggest museum I think I have ever been to.  In some ways it is similar to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, but much bigger with cooler exhibits.  My favorite was the mining exhibit and I think Carsten probably liked the physics section the best...shocking I know!!  I was looking for the fashion and entertainment exhibits, but apparently a museum dedicated to science and technology has no space for these important contributions.  

A movie for the ages

Okay, so that is a bit of an exaggeration, but in the end a pretty good film.  This time we watched the movie Wanted.  It was the action thriller filmed in Chicago staring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman.  Let's start with the acting.  James is good, but was better in The Last King of Scotland.  I believe Morgan can really do no wrong in terms of acting.  And Angie, well, in my opinion she can't act her way out of a bag.  Plus she was so damn skinny in this.  If she is ever in Munich I can take for a burger now that I know where to get a great one!!  Anyway, the movie had a lot of action and was a bit bloody with a high body count.  So, if you like that kind of film, as I do, then you might enjoy this little flick.  

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2009!  I hope everyone had a fun New Year's Eve celebration and is ready for whatever 2009 has to bring.  On a big scale, change is coming to the White House in the US and hopefully things can begin to improve in the states regarding the economy, unemployment and morale.  

My New Year's Eve rang in as expected.  Carsten and I had dinner with our friends Gary and Klaus.  We went to Dillinger's Chicago Bar and Grill.  Yes, you read that correctly, we went to a "Chicago" restaurant in Munich.  It was the best bloody burger I have had and the weiß beers were going down smooth.  After dinner we made our way to Olympiapark to watch the fireworks.  This was my third New Year's Eve in Germany and my first in Munich.  All three have been filled with fireworks and let me say, it is quite the spectacle.  On the 4th of July in the US, towns will put on firework shows and it is typically a disappointment.  However, it appears that here in Germany it is the individual people and not the town who put on the fireworks and apparently no firework is illegal here.  So picture hundreds of thousands of people, most have likely been drinking, lighting fireworks.  One word people... ARMAGEDDON!!!  To see what I mean, check out our pictures from the night by clicking here.  Or a video of what it is like in one of the neighborhoods within Munich.

It was a great time with good food, lots of fireworks, too much champagne and great company.  Plus, once I finally got home (4am) I called Alica and was able to catch up on our holidays. By 6am I was in bed.  I tried to stay awake until 7am, when it would be midnight in Chicago/Wisconsin, but was unable to make it that late.  Maybe next year :)