"She Who" What????

The Underground Halloween Bash

2009-10-28T16:14:00.002+01:00

Our Underground group had a halloween party for the little ghosts and goblins this past weekend. It was a huge success and everyone had a great time. There were several bees this year.

A couple of kitty cats.

This one came as a Parisian college student.

OMG This gal was scary realistic against the H1N1 virus. Oh yeah she really was feeling yucky.

Not sure about the green fairy though.

Fall Pumpkin Fest

2009-10-22T18:04:00.000+02:00

Well it is definately Fall here. The fall festivals are everywhere.

We attended one recently and saw really big pumpkins.

Lots and lots of pumpkins,

And more pumpkins.

We even saw a house coming un zippered.

Normally Tuesday Is Luncheon Day

2009-10-20T17:23:00.004+02:00

I am part of a group of women that came together out of loneliness. We are an Internet forum of local ladies that interacted on the "Net." We have taken the next step and are now interacting on a real life level and meet for several types of activities.

We do luncheons, coffees, a book club, and children's play groups. We had an end of Summer picnic and are in the throes of putting together a children's Halloween party.

I am looking forward to having a Christmas party

Normally Tuesday is luncheon day.

I am very involved with these Moms and their children. I am a Mother/Grandmother figure to many of the gals. So today when I wasn't at the luncheon I received several queries concerning my whereabouts.

I am touched that my absence was so noted.

I don't know if I am sorry or glad to have missed the luncheon today. One of my favorite gals who always seems to make me laugh wrote this about the luncheon today.

Her daughter was playing in the play area of our luncheon location and decided to just drop her drawers and pop a squat. This now mortified mom gets to clean poop off the playground equipment and her daughter. Seems the little lady is terrified of the automatic toilets in this facility. Luckily, with so many other moms at the luncheon, wipes, pullups, sanitizer and poop bags were readily available. Can you say moms springing into action??????

OMG.... I would have busted a gut if I was there at the time.

Dinner With Old Friends

2009-10-17T17:03:00.002+02:00

Its getting cold here. Too cold for this early in the year. Spousal Unit and I got up late this morning and lazed about for awhile before getting cleaned up an then ran a couple of errands.

I made chicken noodle soup yesterday for a girl friend. Her whole household has had the creeping crud that has been going around here. Knock on wood, we haven't been affected in our house yet.

Well I gave most of the soup away and now I have a really big Jones for the soup. So I will probably have to make another batch later this week.

Back on subject. So I wanted to go to the Farmer's market and get some cheese and fresh bread. We ended up having a "brat" for lunch and I found some really good Gouda with caraway and a Swiss fine herb cheese. The gals at the stand wanted to learn the English word for caraway and we told them. Did a good deed for the day.

We delivered the soup, and then picked up a new Tupperware catalog. I'm thinking about having an "old school" Tupperware party in a couple of weeks. Might be fun.

All in all a nice day, and am looking forward to going out to dinner. My ex bosses are in town and they like to keep in touch when here. Should be a good dinner with old friends.

I Did Mention That I Am Not A Hiker

2009-08-27T17:14:00.006+02:00

Well, we arrived in the Black Forest and started here. Triburg. The highest falls in Germany. Disputed, but who really cares, the area is beautiful and worth visiting.

At the bottom of the falls in Triburg. We are in the center of town. Not much really goes on in this town other than visiting the falls.

We are walking up the path to the top of the falls. It is really pretty and green and misty and slippery in places. I get to stop every 20 meters to admire the lovely countryside. (In otherwords my calves are killing me and I can't back out of doing this. OMG I want to die.)

Spousal Unit. Mr. Studly. Didn't break a sweat. I really want to just kill him sometimes.

OMG I made it to the top of the falls. (Think mountain.) I hurt like Hell. Yes, I said Hell in print. I usually say He"doublehockeysticks" but this really deserved the Hell designation. I hurt everywhere.

I did mention that I am not a Hiker?

They Just Coordinated The Rest Of The Bathroom

2009-08-25T10:16:00.005+02:00

As you have seen in the past, when Spousal Unit and I travel, I tend to find tweeks in the rooms we rent.

This trip is no exception. Here are the beds. Clean and bright white. Crisp linens that ended up being very snuggly.

The bathroom harkened back to the 70's, ... Avocado green, with pink accents.

And more pink accents.

Even the towels were pink.

Actually we both think that the towels started out as white.

Since many innkeepers do their own wash they tend to wash and hang their laundry.

The towels end up like sandpaper.

These towels were definitely sandpaper. They took off the top layer of our skin.

They just coordinated the rest of the bathroom... to the newly colored towels.

I Really Do Have Pics To Prove It

2009-08-24T15:37:00.004+02:00

We made it back and are still in one piece.

We did a little "ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough."

We had some really stiff towels that scuffed off the top layer of skin.

We had awesome breakfasts and dinners.

Saw some things we hadn't imagined before. Those silly Germans have a sense of humor.

I have pictures to show the adventures, and will load them as soon as Blogger get its "stuff" in order to let me upload.

Peace out and thanks for all the prayers. I felt the prayers as I climbed the mountains for the views.

The prayers helped me get through letting Spousal Unit have some good guy time on this trip; that and the braggin' rights to be able to say that I really did do this stuff.

I really do have pics to prove it.

I'm Off

2009-08-21T09:07:00.002+02:00

I'm off to have some adventures in the Black Forest.

Hopefully I will return refreshed with loads of pictures of pastoral valleys, roaring waterfalls, cuckoo clocks galore, and dinner delights.

In other words... pray for me. This is a hikers dream vacation. I am not a hiker.

I Gotta Figure Out A Better Way

2009-08-17T17:53:00.002+02:00

I am so sorry for my lack of posts in the recent past. For awhile there I just didn't have too terribly much to say for lack of, Ahem, any sort of life.

The first few months here were informative, and I posted about them, but then a lull set in and I really didn't have anything to say that wasn't totally repetitive.

Now I have, what I consider a really awesome life thingee going on and the logistics are against me.

I have always posted in the early evening while getting the dinner on the table and waiting for everything to finish up. I have always posted on the fly.

Well the ole puter is on the third floor of the house and posting on the fly is a thing of the past. I have to figure out what I want you all to know about before the end of my puter time or take time away from the Spousal Unit and our time.

Decisions, decisions. I haven't figured out how I am gonna pull this one off, but I miss getting on here and letting you all know what's going on.

I'm not one to let a little thing like logistics, bandwith, pings optimal distance get me down. I don't know if anything other than logistics are applicable but they all sound good.

I'll figure something out. Nighters for now.

I Was A Witness To A Miracle Part III

2009-08-16T13:57:00.005+02:00

But, being a big Internet junkie I told her to take the networking aspect to the Internet. I have met some lovely ladies through the chat rooms and networking boards since I move here. In fact that was how I met her, and thought what better way to get the word out. Someone could possible know of a young girl that wanted to give up a baby for adoption.

I suggested to her that since the Yard Sale site had massive hits each month (6,000,000) it might be the place to start for her networking for a baby.

Well, she posted an entry on the site that they were a family that were looking to adopt. No specifics other than they loved each other and wanted to add a bundle of joy to complete the family.

Can you imagine the total shock they received when less than 24 hours after posting the message they received an email from a local gal who was 7 months pregnant and wanted to give up her baby to adoption. She had been working with another couple who backed out at the last minute and now she was desparate to find another couple to adopt the baby.

Everyone was floored.

The families met, the specifics were given. The craziness persued. The home studies, the legal documents signed and filed.

Then the wait for the baby to be born.

She was born in the middle of July and is beautiful.

The adoption process went smoothly and is just about finished.

I truly was a witness to a miracle. And to think it all started with a wisecrack about the local Yard Sale site. We now have our littlest Yardsaler.

We call her Sunshine.

I Was A Witness To A Miracle Part II

2009-07-28T16:10:00.006+02:00

This family has two girls. A 16 YO and a 9 YO.

The girls are adorable and you can tell the Momma put in the right amount of love, and hard work to raise them properly.

Well... the Momma and Daddy have been trying to have a baby for several years. Things haven't been going exactly as planned or desired. They tried several options including the obvious. And there wasn't any babys in the foreseeable future.

Time, being that it is, tends to slip away and other issues cropped up and well, it became obvious that having a baby of their own would not be possible.

So the Momma and Daddy decided to adopt a little one. They started to attend adoption seminars and conferences. (Before I met them I didn't even realize that there were adoption conferences. Who'da thunk. Silly me.)

The family had recently moved here when I met them and they were in the process of starting the seminars and conferences circuit again in this part of the world. Networking is a big part of a possible adoption, especially if it is a local adoption.

So tongue in cheek, I was asked if I knew any young unmarried pregnant girls that wanted to give up their baby for adoption.

Actually no I do not.

TO BE CONTINUED.

I Was A Witness To A Miracle

2009-07-25T17:29:00.002+02:00

I was a witness to a miracle.

The past couple of months I was honored to be a part of a miracle in the making.

It started when I met a gal on the Internet chat boards locally here.

So from the beginning:

Early Spring: I asked for a couple of flower pots several months back on a Freecycle site. I received a response that just totally overwhelmed me. I received more pots than I could use in several lifetimes. The gal was moving to Turkey, ran out of time to get the pots cleaned up before the movers came and was left with all sorts of flower pots. It being a Freecycle board I promised that I would Freecycle what I couldn't use.

Being the "SheWho" that I am, I kept my promise.

I used what I needed and advertised on the boards for free flower pots.

A gal emailed me back and requested the pots. She showed up at the Ohmbachsee for me to lead her to the house since many of the roads into town were closed at the time.

We came to the house and she and her younger daughter took the flower pots and we chatted and decided that we might like to get together again for socializing.

She and her family have since become dear friends to our family.

TO BE CONTINUED.

I Plan On Re-reading The Book Club Choice

2009-07-23T16:40:00.007+02:00

Yesterday was a beautiful Summer day. I spent most of it either sitting in my van or outside on the patio at the Club. Reading. And waiting.

Son # 2 has a job now and is in training to actually start working. His training is all day long and I didn't want to drive back and forth from home to come back to pick him up. Gas prices keep going up and since gas is also rationed it just didn't make sense to burn it up for no good reason.

One of the girlfriends I met here told me about the Club and how she spends many days hanging out there doing just the same thing because of logistical planning. So with a little planning and a good book I stayed up on base.

Actually, I rather enjoyed the time away from the chat boards and the online games. I recently joined a book club and was savoring the monthly book choice while waiting for the Son Creature. I savored the book so much I finished it yesterday afternoon and it left me drooling for more.

I went to the library this morning and picked up three more books and plan on reading them in the next few days.

Then I plan on re-reading the book club choice to savor the book again.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

A 6-7 Day Down-time For a Fix

2009-07-21T18:18:00.005+02:00

We are three adults down to one car.

This is distracting, disturbing, frustrating, and just plaid driving me nuts.

Spousal Unit took the van to work this morning, thinking that he was saving me from gettin up and driving him in for work and letting me sleep a little. Yes, I did sleep in a little. But, I hear him shut the front door and start the car and pull away and I am then wide awake.

So... I go downstairs, putz a little, turn on the water for coffee, put in a load of laundry, rinse a dish the boy put in the sink last night and put it in the dishwasher.

I sorted some recycleables and YUP I have nothing to do for the rest of the day.

Oh, I can make a list of all the things I need to do. That have nothing to do with being at home. The house is clean, the laundry is mostly done, the garden weeded. I don't even need "Calgon to take me away." I need a life.

I miss my van. I don't always need to go out, but the option is afforded me if I so choose. I go bonkers when I don't have wheels.

I love living in Germany. Germany is one of the Greenest countries in the world.

But... a little, tiny, eensie, teensie, almost un-noticeable oil leak should not flunk a Mercedes that leads to a 6-7 day down-time for a fix.

My Baby Is Really Growing Up

2009-07-20T19:20:00.000+02:00

We took the boy out looking for a car.

He needs to get a job and we will be attending a job fair this week to find one. There are 90 positions to fill and the Services people are hoping that maybe 50 people will attend the job fair so its pretty good odds that the boy will get a job.

That said, we found a really good used car on the Lemon lot that will fit his needs.

He test drove the car and it is sweet for him. A little pricier that he wanted, but a good car. He called the dude back after coming home and talking to his father and me and decided that he wanted to get the car.

Heavy pacing and anguish in the house, he is growing up. "How can I afford the money? I don't have a job. That's a lot of money. I have never bought a car before."

The "First National Bank of Momma" will help.

He made the decision that he really wanted the car and insisted on calling the dude back and negotiating the deal. Coached of course. The deal was accepted and it is affordable for all. Sweet.

So Wednesdayis the drop dead day.

Job Fair, purchase car, get license, and good growth of son.

My baby is really growing up.

Did I Mention That It Is In My Town

2009-07-19T16:39:00.005+02:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love living here? Probably never. NOT.

Well, the Ohmbachsee fest is going on this weekend. I love the Ohmbachsee.

I really, really like the Seefest.

We got to see munchkins flying through the air.

What seems to be two foot long sausages cooking on a grill. Boy, were they long.

Glowing beer bottles.

Two of my favorite men in my life. They are grinning because the beer fairy came down and visited them.

This standee uppeee guy kept waving at me.

People sitting down for long periods of time. Bad form of course. Need to keep moving to find the perfect beer and band. And to stay sober.

Dancing in the beer stand. The vendors like having fun too.

Love is in the air. Well, on the tush in this case. He was doing some major patting. Kinda in time with the music. LOL.

Aaaaaaah. The fireworks.

AWESOME. Lighting of the lake.

I really enjoyed this fest. OBTW. Did I mention that it is in my town?

OMG The Town Is Rockin'

2009-07-17T21:28:00.002+02:00

I think I may have made a mistake staying home tonight.

The town is rocking and I am not a part of it.

The music that is filtering up is so good.

The climb up the mountain is still scary, but with enough beer in me, I might be fearless coming home.

Oh well, tomorrow is an even better rocking, living in Germany night.

I soooo love German fests. Especially when they are in my little town.

I Will Keep Ya Posted On That One

2009-07-17T19:14:00.004+02:00

OK, I know its been forever since I have posted, but I have one of my dribs and drabs sorta posts to do. Life is really crazy lately. Got lots of stuff to fill ya in the next few days.

The boy has definately settled in. We are past the honeymoon period and at each others throats. Not really, but are acknowledging that he needs to make some decisions about where his life is going to go. And get out of each others space for a couple of hours each day. Momma loves him, he loves Momma, we both need a little space.

I can't blame him. He is living with the Momma 24/7 and I drive him nuts. I keep telling him its a short trip and he just rolls his eyes.

He has been living on his own for the past year so living with the parents again is a tad stressful. Ya think????

He doesn't have a car and can't drive ours so he cleaned up the bicycle in the shed to get away at times. The only problem is that we live on a mountain. Fun going down, not so fun going up.

Good news is that the public transportation in Germany is really good. We will investigate public transportation this weekend.

The really good news is that the Dad and he went down to the fest by the Ohmbachsee this evening. I kinda wanted to go but the climb up the mountain to get back home scares the Bejesus out of me. Once again, going down is cool, the climb back up is scary.

I will keep ya posted on that one.

Just As I Have Always Done

2009-07-10T17:26:00.007+02:00

I am no longer alone during the day.

Son # 2 arrived Monday afternoon. Fresh faced and excited about the prospect of living in Germany.

His father and I put together the studio section of the house for the boy. Actually the most of the third floor, so he could have some private living space. I found a bed on a local yard sale site and fashioned a room partition out of a clothing rack and a couple of hanging, closet sweater holders. Add in a covered off-season clothing storage bag.

Viola.... a room divider. Shaky at best, but it works for now and he has a private sitting room area along with his bed.

We will figure out the other small stuff when we come to it.

But..... the boy is having the time of his life.

We took him up the street Wednesday for a schnitzel dinner; he grinned the whole evening. Da Toni, the owner greeted him like he was the long lost son who had recently returned and was missed greatly.

I sent him outside to help one of the neighbors with a really labor intense chore and he was invited to stay for a beer afterwards.

He will find his own way, much the same as I found my way. I am just here to help guide him along the journey.

Just as I have always done.

What A Touchy World We Live In Today

2009-07-05T22:55:00.005+02:00

For the obnoxious poster.

This is my blog. If I am unable to post for several days there must be a reason for my absence. How does this concern you?

I choose to have a blog.

You choose to remain semi-anonymous. And check in on my comments on life.

Please kindly refrain from those types of comments.

Tisk. What a touchy world we live in today.

A New Type Of Adventure

2009-06-21T15:29:00.004+02:00

I am looking forward to having one of my boys back with me. Us really. My baby, Son # 2, who is coming over to come live with us.

I had, we had, originally envisioned a 4-5 year, 2nd honeymoon. This isn't gonna happen.

My Son # 2 is a fledgling and is OK, but just not getting to where he needs to be at the moment, so we invited him to come here to live for awhile. He is planning getting a job and then join the service and we want to ensure that he gets steered in the correct direction while doing so.

I am so very proud of the choice that he is making and also glad he has grown up enough to ask for help in making this choice.

I miss both my boys and am looking forward to spending some time with Son # 2 while making this transition.

This may be a new type of adventure.

They Kinda Grunted At Me From Time To Time

2009-06-19T18:23:00.005+02:00

I had a chance today to go out again, so I took it.

One of my gal pal's daughters thinks I am awesome. She's correct, but she needed a favor.

She recently had a haircut that is not quite to her liking. Its not the best cut, I agree, but you need to think, "Oh, not the most attractive cut,"

and take it further to think.... 16 year old, teenage girl, drama angst. "I can't live like this anymore.... I need my hair fixed.... and Momma won't listen to me."

Momma is busy doing other stuff right now. She is attempting to work a miracle. If and when said miracle occurs, I will blog about it. I got/get to see it all unfold and to be a part of it. So I have some sympathy for 16 year old drama and want to help my gal pal out.

16 year old girls don't understand God Stuff and miracles. They, from what I am observing, kinda live in the moment.

So I volunteered to take her about to see if we could find a stylist to fix her hair and cut into the latest fav techno style and maybe throw in some blue crap that is more than highlights and less than an all over, blue head of hair.

Forgive me. I am starting to think that I may be too old for teenage girls.

Anyway, using my best, pull it out my butt, teenage girl skills, I take her to the salon, schedule an appointment for Monday, and then take her to lunch.

OMG. I am exhausted. I get to go back Monday and pick her up for the appointment. Don't get me wrong she is an adorable kid, but.... I raised boys.

They kinda grunted at me from time to time.

I'm in for a ride with this girl. She doesn't stop yakkin.

Getting Off This Newly Acquired Lazy Butt

2009-06-18T16:20:00.006+02:00

The gal across the street, out of the blue, knocked on the door this morning and asked if I wanted ride with her to the base where she works. I have been wanting to go, so of course, I said yes.

She is a teacher at the school there and I am interested in becoming a substitute teacher. All this leisure is wearing me down. I am not fond of being a lady of leisure. Or being a lady who lunches.

On the other hand I have not been wanting a traditional job. The time spent here in Germany is like a second honeymoon. A regular job, even part time, would not allow me to travel like I want.

Any who, I went with her and met the principal and had a nice chat. I can start some of the process online and finish up when the gals in the office get back from vacation.

We did a couple of errands and had lunch at Popeye's. The chicken is good and I just had a breast and a drink.

I am glad I went. I determined that the drive is do-able and the school is small enough not to get lost. Now, it is just a matter of getting off this newly acquired, lazy butt and start the process.

I love to sit out and admire my handiwork

2009-06-17T18:05:00.001+02:00

What a glorious day today. The sun is shining and the garden is really coming along. We had the deluge a couple of days ago, which wasn't good for our Summer picnic but great for watering everything.

Anyways wanted to keep you up to date with one of my pet projects.

My garden.

Spousal Unit, that manly man I married, tilling the soil for me. He tills so good.

Here is the garden now. I have grass mulch on the tomatoes and peppers. The tomatoes are getting huge. The peppers not so much. But....I have two banana peppers that are almost ready to pick.

My lettuce, iceberg and red leaf. I have never grown lettuce before. I don't know why but haven't. Those little green things in the foreground are my bush beans.

This is supposed to be iceberg lettuce. It is starting to form a head. I tried some of the outer leaves and the texture is different than the iceberg I know. Very flavorful though

Here is my other garden. I have yet another variety of tomato in a pot here. It is a German balcony tomato I am trying as an experiment. I also have my flowers here. I love to sit out and admire my handiwork. While the Spousal Unit bar-b-ques of course.

I Don't Know If I Am Flattered Or Deflated

2009-06-15T18:04:00.008+02:00

We went to a picnic today. (OBTW major rain, think deluge and flash flooding)

I spent several days, combing the internet for recipes for something to take.

I found several that I combined, to create what I thought were unique and good.

Well, they were really good but not unique. Guacamole and a black bean salsa. Two dishes.

I took the leftovers to a friends house for her husband and he said they were were good, very good, but they tasted exactly as he expected.

I don't know if I am flattered or deflated.

PS. What's up with the spell check?? It hasn't worked recently and now every word is highlighted.

So how has your week been?

I've Seen Soccer Balls Before

2009-06-12T17:20:00.003+02:00

Today was one of those hodge podge days. I went on my usual Friday morning walk around the Ohmbachsee with my walking gal pal, Teri. We caught up on the past few days and wished each other's week end to be pleasant.

I was looking forward to the late morning because Spousal Unit was getting off work early and we were going to go exploring. I have been sick most of this week and stayed home. One of the benefits of not working is the luxury of staying home when one is sick. But.... enough already. I was starting to feel really cabin fevery. Is that a word? Whatever, I needed to get out of the house.

Last night Spousal Unit suggested that we go to Zweibrucken for the afternoon. I immediately zoned into the famous rose gardens. I lived there years ago and am ashamed that I never visited them. True, I had a newborn and a very young toddler, but still. To have never gone?

He countered back that he thought that going to the new designer outlet mall might be fun.

"Who are you and what have you done with my husband"? He just smiled and said that he thought it might be nice to go and look and to have lunch there. OK, I am always up for a shopping trip.

Well, we got some culture.

We had lunch. He chose a white wurst/sausage that came with mustard and a soft pretzel.

Yikes..... that is a white wurst. A little too obscene for my taste.

I chose the salad plate with fried potatoes. Really nummy.

The fun part of the day was coming across this cutie. I've seen soccer balls before, just not quite like these.

He Makes His Momma Proud

2009-06-10T17:05:00.000+02:00

One of the gals that I met a couple of months back on favorite internet chat room has two sons. Her younger son is a football player and is just finishing his junior year of high school. She and he have hopes of taking his football skills to college.

Her other son I hadn't met. He was away in boot camp.

Well, he graduated boot camp and then technical school and had the luck to be stationed back here for his first tour of duty. I offered to go along to greet him, welcome him home and to record the moment.

He and his dad after filling out the necessary forms and paperwork to get him situated on the base.

The wisdom and youth of our Air Force, all in one family.

A first hug with his Mom.

A very handsome family. He makes his Momma proud

More Random Stuff

2009-06-03T19:07:00.002+02:00

I spent a lovely day with two gal pals doing nothing other than spending time with two gal pals. It was rather lovely. I haven't done that in awhile.

We met for coffee and lingered. A husband showed up and reality of life happened to one gal pal and she was off to do the necessary errands.

I lingered with the other gal pal and we ended up buying the main guy in her life coffee and taking it to him at work. Got to briefly meet him and then we did some errands together.

We ended up having a late lunch and just caught up on "Stuff." She is a recent new gal pal so catching up on "Stuff" is Huge.

After lunch she had a cigarette, with me in close proximity. Yeah me again. No urges, no... I NEED Ciggie stuff. No need for a "Hit of Nicorette" just OK with all of it.

I am really getting there.

So, I am looking forward to the Spousal Unit coming home tomorrow and have really enjoyed the me time I had this week.

Meg You Rock... Right Back At Ya

2009-06-02T18:47:00.005+02:00

This is what I found in my inbox this afternoon:

And that is why you are...A ROCK STAR!!!!

It's almost giving in and then finding the willpower somewhere deep down inside you that really means you're going to do this. If you can hit that point and STILL resist you've got it made!

GO NON SMOKER!!!!!

Meg http://www.megs411nosmoke.blogspot.com/ had been reading me and commenting for almost as long as I have had this blog. She is funny and sweet and she quit smoking quite awhile ago. She is healthier and has even started running marathons. She goes hiking with her hunky boyfriend and writes about her sister, mom and friends and other extended family. Right now she is my hero.

It was her I thought about last night when I almost broke down and had a cigarette and woulda probably then gone and bought a pack.

She quit and so can I.

The Great Nellie (She Who) Smoke Out

2009-06-01T22:23:00.002+02:00

93 days and still counting. I almost lost it tonight but,..... I didn't.

Yeah Me.

More Dribs and Drabs

2009-06-01T20:10:00.003+02:00

Spousal Unit just called. He finished up work today and then went to choir practice. OMG I am married to a choir boy. Well a choir man, actually, but you get the drift.

After practice, he drove up to Heidelberg for a conference. He had originally asked me to accompany him, and I considered it, but no other wives were going to attend and so I decided to stay home.

Don't get me wrong. I love Heidelberg. I just don't love Heidelberg enough to sit in a strange hotel room all day and wait for the Spousal Unit to come "home" and take me out to dinner.

It is rather a unique thing about me. I am rather adventuresome, but unless I know the area, I don't really venture out.

If I have a travel buddy, watch out world.

I just seem to find that I tend to widen my circle of comfort as time goes by. I am very comfortable going just about anywhere here in the local area. I now count Waldmohr, Homburg, Shonenburg-Kubelburg, Ramstein-Meisenbach, Landstuhl, and Kaiserslautern as local areas. There are other small towns, too numerous to list that I am comfortable to travel to and through.

But a big city like Heidelberg, I am not comfortable wandering alone in during the day without Spousal Unit.

So I am enjoying a little "me" time this week. I went out to lunch with some of the spouses of Spousal Unit's colleagues and then decided to visit one of my girl pals I haven't seen in a couple of weeks. The lunch and the gal pal visit were both good.

Came home and restarted the laundry and received a call from Spousal Unit. He arrived safe and sound.

He gets to hobnob with the bigwigs and I get to enjoy my garden.

Paris Part III

2009-05-29T18:58:00.000+02:00

I love Paris.

The Paris I visited last week is so much cleaner than the Paris I visited 20 years ago. Though I was rather disturbed with some of the things that I saw during this visit.

I think there is a conspiracy theory thingee thing going on.

From the pictures that I took, I see a theme emerging. Follow me here:

The Eiffel Tower

The Code of Hammurabi

Some statue attempting to fly. Mercury??

A naked dude statue on a bridge.

Beauty in marble.

Beauty in whatever.

Did you notice that there phallic symbols and actual penis' all over Paris??

No wonder it's called the City of Love.

Paris Part II

2009-05-27T16:39:00.002+02:00

After getting off the ICE train we found our way to the METRO and purchased a two day unlimited pass for the METRO underground subway. We made it to our hotel in "No time" and were off for our adventures.

Well "Rent a Kid" wanted to walk. She said, "Taking the METRO, we wouldn't see anything." She was right, but there are only so many steps a day these old bones can manage. I have heel spurs, and ankle that never healed correctly, and shin splints. It's a "BIOTCH" getting old. So I say to her that, "The more you walk me the less we might be able to see. She blew me off. So I follow, limping.

Well, she walked me all the way from the hotel to the Louve. A fair stretch of the legs. The hotel was located very near the Arch of Triumph and the Louve is, well far away from there.

We made it. Welcome to the Louve:

The "new" pyramid entrance. It wasn't there the last time I visited. I still feel it detracts from the outside of the museum, but what do I know. It made entering easy.

The Winged Victory.

Cupid and Psyche.

Venus De Milo.

Artemus.

All in all it was good. We ended up eating lunch in the Cafe of the museum. I introduced "Rent a Kid" to bread with gooey, runny French cheese. She liked it.

Two French ladies wished us Bon Appetite and when they left one lady gave us a coin for an espresso in the cafe.

Paris Part I

2009-05-22T16:07:00.006+02:00

When I invited the "Rent a Kid" over for a visit I wasn't sure what would occur. I have known here since she was 4 and had spent a lot of time with her this past Summer, but... Ya don't know a person until ya live with them. Ya know what I mean?

She would be living with me, as my guest. Not me with her as her guest. Actually I was a guest of her Mother and Father, but we shared a bathroom so in a way I was her guest. Right?

Well we have done a lot of stuff in the past several days. I will back track on those days in a bit. I am just so excited about the time spent in Paris, I just want to skip ahead a wee bit.

I decided to take the train to Paris. Not just any train. The ICE train. The ICE mean Intercity Express. Back in the olden days, when we were here before that was a train that didn't stop at all the town between here and there. Now-a-days that means fast. Really fast.

My "Rent a Kid" getting comfy on the train. We're just getting started.

This is "Rent a Kid" when she realizes that we are now going 319 KPH. That translates to 196.5 MPH. Wee, just like a roller coaster, but flat and fast.

We're in the hotel room now and she needs to relax. Actually I need to relax. She walked me for miles. We bought unlimited METRO tickets for the time we were in the city, but she wanted to savor the flavor of Paris. So for the majority of the day we walked.

Right next to her bed is mine. I really want to be in it right now. I am a tired She Who.

More tomorrow.

I Asked Her If It Would Be A Raspberry Beret

2009-05-19T20:53:00.004+02:00

So I am packing to go to Paris.

The "Rent a Kid" is so excited she is shaking.

We have our tickets booked and paid for the ICE (a very fast train to get us to Paris in 2 hours versus a 5/6 hour drive.) train and our hotel. The hotel is very near the Eiffel tower. Just off the METRO line. Most places in Paris are just off the METRO line. Gotta love living in a city with a METRO.

Our planned agenda include the Louve, Notre Dame, the Eiffel tower, Monmartra, and the Left Bank.

We will be in the heart of Paris so everything is just in walking distance.

The kid wants to buy a beret. I asked her if it would be a Raspberry beret. She said what?

Not a clue. I guess I am just old. I couldn't even find a Prince Youtube vidio to show it to her.

Trier/Paris

2009-05-16T20:30:00.000+02:00

Well we ended up not going to Trier yesterday.

I got up early and started to research Paris and hotels an the ICE train and got lost in the details.

I kept going round and round with the Germany trains website. It wouldn't let me book seats on the train to Paris. Thinking that maybe the seat were all sold out I check other days. Nope. No luck there. So I requested seats a month from now. Same results of not being able to purchase seats.

Feeling really frustrated I called Spousal Unit and got his voice mail. I left a detailed message of all my frustrations and hoped he would get back to me soon.

I looked at the time and realized that going to Trier for the day was outta there. It was 10:30 and "Rent a Kid" was still in bed. I also wanted to get Paris all lined up. Time was running out for securing reservations. Paris is the only thing the Kid wanted to do while here. So I got her up. Told her to get dressed to go to base.

Well in the end we got the ICE train tickets and a hotel reservation and are going to Paris.

More to follow.

She Made Major Eye Contact Yesterday

2009-05-13T17:32:00.006+02:00

Email to my "Rent a Kid's" mother. Being a mother she worries. Being a mother that hasn't really done a whole bunch of traveling she really worries. Guess what, I'm her other mother. Like I don't worry too?

Hey Kiddo,

I have your baby. I was a meanie yesterday and kept her up till 7:30 so she could adjust to the time change quickly. We had a nice drive home from the airport and after unloading the car went exploring for a bit. I took her to a couple of stores and showed her a little of the area. She now has a new "crack" ..... German Fanta soda. It is totally different than the American Fanta. Not as sweet.

I got her up at 10:00 this morning and she is good to go.

We went out and about again today. I took her to lunch at a favorite restaurant next town over. She had salad and pizza and enjoyed it. Then we went to Ramstein and the Asian market and took some pictures around the town. Then we hopped back in the van to get some money exchanged and to the commissary for dinner meat and then to the BX. Looking for souvenirs and stuff. She bought a silk kimono robe and bib type thingee. Beautiful pattern and fabric.

Drove home and I put together dinner and we are both cyberspacing right now. She to you and Grandma Martie and friends. Me to you.

We plan on spending the day in Trier tomorrow. Trier is a beautiful medium sized city. Its claim to fame is that it is the oldest Roman city in Germany. The Roman gates are still there and the town square is also gorgeous. Will have a nice lunch and then come home.

We haven't found her an American GI that is cute in a uniform yet. Though she made major eye contact yesterday. Tee Hee.

Love ya and talk to you soon.

She Who

Me Being A Ditzoid Is One Scenario That I Can Live With

2009-05-11T16:41:00.009+02:00

Whew. I just got back from the airport.

I got up early this morning to go get my "Rent a Kid" from the airport. She is my Gal Pal Tammy's daughter. You know her father as Mr. Determination from earlier posts. Well anyway, "Rent a Kid" was going through a rough patch and I said, "Come on down." So she did/is. (I borrowed her for a Mother/daughter banquet years ago and she has been my "Rent a Kid" ever since.)

So with much anticipation, I got up and did all that boring morning stuff really early this morning. I am an early riser, but have been slacking recently. Why get up so early when the snuggly bed calls to me?

I anticipated that she would be thirsty so I packed some water, got my GPS system out of the van, and was good to go.

I looked outside and said, "Oh yuck, Its raining. Can't I ever go to the airport when it isn't raining or snowing?" I hopped into Blackie and off I went. Blackie is fun to drive, so I was looking forward to the drive up and back. On the autobahns, Blackie is really, really fun to drive. Little Black Mercedes roadsters are like that.

I made it to the airport in plenty of time. I took the time this morning to check the flight schedule and verified that the plane was landing 1/2 hour early and planned accordingly.

I walked into the Arrival area 5 minutes after the plane landed and knew it would take her about 1/2 hour to collect luggage and go through customs.

So I waited. And waited. And waited. An hour after the plane landed, I still didn't have my "Rent a Kid." I called Spousal Unit. He recommended I give it another 1/2 hour and then page her in the airport. "She probably was having a problem with her luggage." He is a wise man so I did what he suggested.

No "Rent a Kid."

By now, I am in PANIC mode.

I call Spousal Unit again. "Go home and call Tammy and see if she emailed me and I missed it or if she missed a connection." He went home.

I go up to the airlines counter and am told the airline personnel have already gone home. I REALLY lose it.

A few minutes later my pocket starts to vibrate and ring. It is Spousal Unit. He says, "I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you got to the airport in a timely manner and had a good practice run on going to the airport."

"The bad news is that you get to do it again tomorrow. I checked the itinerary and she leaves today and gets in tomorrow morning."

That is the best news he could have given me at that time. Of all the scenarios running through my head, me being a Ditzoid is one scenario that I can live with.

To My Boys, Kisses, Love, Mom

2009-05-09T20:46:00.003+02:00

Happy Mothers Day to all.

May your day be wonderful.

I miss my babies. Not that they are babies anymore.

To Charlie and Alex. I love you and miss you.

Kisses.

Love,

Mom

Man, Was I Miffed

2009-05-08T17:08:00.004+02:00

OMG it just took an hour and a half to load 5 pictures. If anyone out there in Cyber land can give me some hints. Please do. I sit here and get old waiting for them to load. And ya all know from my recent posts that I have a really full social calendar. LOL. I wish.

Any way I promised some pictures of the countryside with the rape seed in bloom. I sorta kinda got some, but where I could safely stop for pictures was not really the best vantage point for a photo Op. Here is what I got. Grumbly tummie and all.

This is on the top of the mountain where I live. I am at the soccer field looking across over. Da Toni's restaurant is just to my back. Did I mention Da Toni. Must have a Da Toni salad.

This is also on top of my mountain.

This is one of the safer places to pull over to get out to take pictures. See the rape seed blooms towards the top of the photo?

This is also on the top of my mountain. The rape seed is over on another mountain. Today was really hazy. Sorry.
This is on the street where I live. My house is directly across the street from the house in the middle of the picture. The street bends a little to the right. Da Toni's is directly to my left. Da Toni's salad. Have I ever mentioned how good it is?

Maybe I am fixated on food 'cause the outing today was almost a total bust. We went antiquing and the place was closed. It was too early to go to lunch so I suggested going to a flower place right down the road. Which had a coffee/bakery right next door. So we had coffee, which led to kuchen, which led to no lunch.

Man, was I miffed. I was looking forward to some soup and salad.

So I Know How To Get There Too

2009-05-07T17:10:00.002+02:00

Went walking yesterday. OMG halfway into the walk I wanted to die. I don't know what's going on, but the butt, the hips, and upper thighs were really burning. I think we are picking up the pace of the walks and I need to get used to the faster walk. I think.

I also went to one of the play groups yesterday that young moms have to socialize the kids and themselves. I knew all the gals that would be there so felt comfortable going. I really got to meet the munchkins and interact with them. The convo turned to me wanting and needing a baby. NO, NOT NOW. NOT ANYTIME IN THE FUTURE. I really don't want to raise a grand baby at this point in my life. The munchkins are cute and fun, I just don't want any of my own now.

I got home and barely had a chance to boot up the 'puter when I got IMed by a gal pal. She was supposed to be leaving late Summer/early Fall. Because of a glitch the family will be staying another year. Yeah for me, Boo for her. She is so ready to go back to the land of Wal-mart.

I fixed a really tasty dinner last night. Buffalo chicken wings, baked in the oven, spaetzle with cheese, and a huge salad. Major hit with the Spousal Unit. Might need to put the chicken wings on the rotation of dinners. Super easy to fix too.

Today I was super lazy. So lazy that I didn't shower until I got an email that said I was welcome to the Freecycle items I requested. I replied that I could be there as soon as I got cleaned up and fly over the mountain. I showered, dressed, grabbed a bottle of water, programed the GPS and off I went.

Going over the mountain was absolutely breathtaking. The rapeseed is in bloom. Whole fields of brilliant yellow with a backdrop of deep luscious green. It was the first time driving this road so I wasn't comfortable stopping for pictures. Will try to get some tomorrow. Cause......

I was able to "Kill two birds with one stone." Tomorrow I am meeting some ladies I have befriended in Spousal Unit's section and we are going antiquing and then to lunch. Where I went for the Freecycle items today is just past the Antique Store. So I know how to get there too.

It Is A Salvation.

2009-05-06T21:56:00.000+02:00

I've been in a different, weird place recently. Spousal Unit has been super busy at work, so I have been left to my own devices. That is sometimes not a good thing for me. My devices can get rather "outer space. "

Luckily, I didn't go too outer space recently. I planted my garden, pulled lots of weeds. Did I mention lots of weeds???? I really want to meet the landscaper that put this place together. He/she sucks and really needs to refund any commission they earned. Can you say killer dandelions half as tall as me where the weed block was all cut up? The place isn't even a year old. ??????

I went out to lunch with a couple of gals I have met on the Internet. The group is growing. We are the "Ancients." Gals with no munchkins during the day. Can you say day trips and coffees and luncheons. That sounds so shallow.

But, for us gals that haven't been able to find gain full employment, it is a salvation.

I Did Mention That It Is My Only Vice?

2009-05-04T21:40:00.004+02:00

I missed my nail appointment today. My only vice. Really, my only vice. At least the only vice I admit to. Tee Hee. Really bad form on my part. I needed the nail appointment. Stat.

The gal that does my nails had been visiting in the States for several weeks and I have been nursing them along for too many days.

And I missed it today. It was not my normal time and I didn't write it down and I really screwed up. I finally got her on the phone and I had 20 minutes to get there and it is a 35 minute drive. Even with Autobahn speeds I couldn't have gotten there.

Yuck. I have to rearrange my day tomorrow to get the nails done. I did mention that it is my only vice?

I am so lame.

Did I Ever Mention That I Love Spring?

2009-04-27T19:43:00.005+02:00

We had a really nice and uneventful weekend.

We went to the farmer's market this Saturday. I found some lovely cheese, some really nice strawberries (that have been turned into really yummy freezer jam), fresh cilantro plants for my garden, and the famous white asparagus.

After the farmer's market, Spousal Unit made the mistake of wanting to go to the base to shop for a replacement printer cartridge. He didn't realise it would be a mistake. Poor man. The store is a Hodgepodge of everything. Toys, electrical equipment, electronics, fitness, and GARDEN. Guess which department I am interested in? Toys??

Bleeeep. Wrong answer.

The GARDEN Department. Flowers. Tomato Cages. Pots. Bamboo Poles. Fertilizer. Compost Activator. Hoes. Cultivators. Veggie Plants. Weed Whackers. Yup, we bought them all.

Well, the weed whacker is for the Spousal Unit. I declared that I wasn't getting on my hands and knees to do the trimming and our current weed whacker is very intermittent.

So Saturday afternoon, I spent many hours getting the plants into the ground and into pots. They look great and are also adjusting to their new environment.

Did I ever mention that I love Spring?

Move over Jack Bauer

2009-04-24T08:16:00.004+02:00

I have yet another conversation with myself while IMing a friend.

What's up?
7:40 AM

Me
TabbyCat is Available
(7:54 AM)
OK I really like talking to myself, actually I like typing to myself. Ho hum now I am boring myself.
8:06 AM
OK I'm leaving for a moment. I need to refresh the Underground site to see if anyone is on yet. Not that anyone has been on. Just need to check.
8:08 AM
Nope not really any activity yet. Just a rant about the BX and fat lady clothes.
8:09 AM
I am getting rather good chatting with myself. Don't ya think?
8:09 AM
Yes, you are.
8:10 AM
So what do you want to do today?
8:10 AM
Oh I don't know. I should go to the commi and get some lunchmeat and salad fixins.
8:10 AM
And I need a new hose so I could go to Prakiter. Also look at the flowers while I was there.
8:11 AM
Oh the Euro store. I could check that out. Hadn't heard about that before.
8:12 AM
If I go to the commi, don't forget to put the cooler bag into the van, in case ya want to stop somewhere on the way home.
8:12 AM
Must not have had enough coffee this morning. Starting to get hungry. Way too early.
8:13 AM
Hmm. If I can hold off for a while maybe I can go out to lunch.
8:13 AM
Nah. Don't like to go out to lunch alone.
8:14 AM
Maybe someone might like to go out to lunch with me. I am really hungry for some soup and salad. And I heard of a really good restaurant up near Vogelweh. Nah. I still need someone to go to lunch with to enjoy it.
8:15 AM

I feel like I have my own version of 24. Move over Jack Bauer.

We Are The Ancients

2009-04-23T15:39:00.006+02:00

One of the things I do to pass my time is to monitor a local chat room populated, for the most part, by local SAHMs. These are people that don't get out too much for various reasons. I have met some of the people on the site and they are nice gals. But.... they are soooooo young, with young children. As I said very nice, but I am at a different place in my life now. I do not have young children. I enjoy time with them, but they are not able to get out for adult time often.

Well the young gals schedule play groups at different parks and places for their children to get out and for them to have some grownup talk. I think this is great for them. It is not for me. So when one of the ladies mentioned that she is so Old I jumped on the bandwagon and mentioned that we need a play group for grown ups. Hence the Ancients. We scheduled a date and it was held this morning.

We got together for coffee a Laja's (Pronounced Lia -with a long I) house this morning. TabbyCat was riding with me and got a little behind on time because of traffic, construction, and that her GPS tried to send her down several cow paths. (Being from Georgia, TabbyCat thought that any path that is paved is a true road. Where she's from none of the roads are paved. So she was a little disoriented getting here.) Well she finally made it but was just a tad late.

I was ready for her when she got here and we just hopped into the van and took off for the coffee. I wanted to stop to pick up some flowers to give to Laja as a thank you for inviting us; we really appreciate the chance to finally get together; and it's just a nice thing to do, so I stopped at the gas station on the way and found a really pretty bouquet. It was a little disconcerting at first because it seemed that every bouquet had some red roses in it. Red roses are a no no. Red roses are for lovers. While I had met Laja the day before and think she is a hoot, and really like her, we are not lovers. Ah, then I found a perfect bouquet. Pinks and yellows. Just right for a Spring day. I purchased them and off we went again.

We arrived a little after 10:30 am. I called to let her know we were going to be a few minutes late. Laja is German and in Germany it is considered rude to arrive late. And, I do not like to appear as rude. She said, no problem since one of the other gals was lost. She would be outside to guide us all in.

We all arrived at the same time and introduced ourselves around.

Allison, Laja, She Who, and TabbyCat.

It turns out that I had met Allison several months ago at another friends house. I didn't remember at first and then the memory flooded back. Us old people have that problem from time to time, so forgive me.

TabbyCat took this picture before she figured out how to take a delayed photo. Its my camera, but she had to figure out the function. I just wish she showed me how to do it too.

I can't remember a time I had so much fun. We laughed and told stories for hours. Its like we collectively looked at the time and gasped..... had four hours passed so quickly????? Well yes it had. That's how much fun we had.

We plan on doing this again. Soon. I also hope that the other gals that wanted to join us this morning can make it next time. But for now:

We are the "Ancients."

After Dinner Schnapps

2009-04-21T20:12:00.004+02:00

Spousal Unit made it back safely. Yeah I already told you about that trauma I went through getting him back home. Well, we went out to dinner the other night. At Da Toni's. Our current favorite restaurant. It also helps that we have a really good restaurant just up the street.

Both Spousal Unit and I were in the mood for pasta. The schnitzels are awesome, but sometimes we want something a little less. The schnitzels are huge, so we thought we were ordering something less. WRONG. The pasta is also huge.

Spousal Unit ordered the spaghetti Ala Forno. Not really sure what that is, but it sounded good. It is a tomato based sauce with lots of cheese and baked in the oven. Also a hard boiled egg is in there somewhere. Ya gotta eat it to appreciate it. I had the green, spinach noodles Ala Forno but I stirred them up before I thought to take a picture. Bad me, it looked a little funky when I took the picture, but tasted to die for.

The pasta was OMG, enough for three people.

Being Spousal Unit, he was up for the challenge. He finished his plate. Yeah, a new member of the clean plate club. He needs to walk a couple of more miles every day. Tee Hee.

Oh, the salads are also to die for. This is what our salad plates always look like after we eat them. He did slurp the sauce up again. I may need to chastise him. That is not public behavior!

Da Toni came by after we asked for the bill and sat down with us. He extolled us with the story that his parents were visiting from Italy and his Mother in law was giving him grief about having a couple of beers after the restaurant closed for the night. He said that he doesn't drink during working hours and can't a man have some down time? I think he's right.

Ya gotta love him. Oh, he also makes sure we always have an after dinner schnapps to send us home. A digestive, to make sure that the dinner settles correctly.

What Am I Supposed To Be Now?

2009-04-19T16:33:00.004+02:00

I had a "fun" time picking up the Spousal Unit from the airport yesterday. NOT! I woke up a little late. I forgot to set the alarm. He was supposed to arrive at 7:00 am and I didn't wake up till a little after 6:00 am. It is an hour and a half to the airport. So I quickly got dressed. Put together a cooler with water and a soda for him and off I went. Did I mention that it has been raining recently? It rained hard most of the way up there.

Driving on the Autobahn is fun normally. Not fun with cars zooming past you going more than the 80 MPH speed limit in the pouring rain. The mist/splash from the tires is blinding.

Since it was so early in the morning, luckily traffic was very light. Until the exit for the airport. Five lanes of traffic needed to merge into 2 lanes of traffic. So traffic was a virtual stand still. Finally I made it through the traffic and into the airport. I went to the terminal that I "thought" I should be going to and YO, everything looked different than it did on Tuesday when I dropped Spousal Unit off. I parked anyway and went to the Arrivals area. No Spousal Unit. I checked the board and found out that his plane was arriving an hour late. Good, he won't have to wait so long for me to pick him up.

Bad, I am in the wrong Arrival area. I am also in the wrong terminal. OK, start to panic a little. I start walking to try to find how to get to the correct terminal. I find the Sky Train to take me to the correct terminal and board the train.

I finally find the correct Arrival area and there is no Spousal Unit there. The board doesn't even list his plane's arrival. More panic. I go back upstairs to the Departure area and wait in line to ask if his plane arrived. Am questioned about why did I want to know. I hand over my ID to show I am the spouse of Spousal Unit and am then curtly told "Yes, the plane arrived at the Arrival area listed on the board." Now a full blown panic attack. Where is Spousal Unit? This is a really, really large airport.

Decided to go back to the Arrival area and hope for the best. I couldn't go back home without the Spousal Unit. Luckily my pocket began to ring. I answered the phone and it was he. "She Who, where are you?" I told him and he asked me to go to a different Arrival area. Of course, he didn't tell me which specific Arrival area.

I go back down the escalator and start to look for him. This time I decide to go to an area and plant myself in a place where I could see both areas. A gazillion people in this area but hopefully he is findable.

Way off in the distance I see someone wave. Could it be? Yes, it was. My Spousal Unit. No where near where I was supposed to pick him up. But at least I found him.

What am I supposed to be now? A mind reader?

We Are Called The Ancients

2009-04-17T20:25:00.002+02:00

I am still blown away by Susan Boyle. Yes, I have too much time on my hands. I must have listened to her audition 100 times. Her voice is awesome. I am so jealous. I have many gifts, but music is not one of them. I need to get over it.

Spousal Unit comes home tomorrow. I need to get up early to go to the airport. He arrives at 7:00 am in the morning. Dear me. That means I need to leave at 5:30 am. Not sure I can pull that off. I don't drive in the dark. I'll figure something out.

It's been really rainy the past few days. Really feeling down and yucky. I'll get past it, just having a hard time with it right now.

I have been on the groups a lot recently. We have a coffee klatch set up for Thursday. It is called the "Ancients" cause we are the old ones in the online groups. More to come on how it goes.

Susan Boyle - Cry Me A River - 1999 Recording (From The Scottish Daily Record Newspaper)

2009-04-17T15:33:00.001+02:00

More Susan Boyle. I am still so OMG. I love her. I want to hear more.

Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009 (With Lyrics)

2009-04-16T16:35:00.001+02:00

OMG, I am blown away. I may be getting on the bandwagon late with this, but I wanted to put it out there. I listened to it four times. Tears streaming down my cheeks, from the sheer beauty of her voice. Enjoy

Things I Miss

2009-04-15T19:26:00.007+02:00

I am rather melancholy this evening. Spousal Unit is back in the States again and I am here by myself for the next few days. I was looking through a few of my photos and came up with these. A few things I really miss.

OMG were we ever so young? I miss my youth sometimes. I was a crazy teenager and gave my parent a lot of grief. They were young, I was young. We both grew up. I miss my parents.

Me, Dad, Reenie, Mom, and Chellie.

Mom and Mr. Steve. Mr. Steve is my step dad. I really like him and still keep in touch even though Mom has been gone for over 5 years now.

My Dirty Rotten Aunt Joyce. A pet name. She calls me a Dirty Rotten Kid and loving her the way I do, its right back at her. She is holding her great grandson. My cousin's grandson. I have been away too long. I forget his name. He is adorable and a handful. That is a family tradition. We are all handfuls.

I miss my boys. Yes, they are also handfuls. But, I still miss them.

Charlie.

Alex. In birth order. Not to confuse who I love more.

And, on a couple of lighter notes. I really miss my friends. Tammy and Timmie. I spend a lot of time with them this past Summer. How they put up with me, I don't know. But, I now have a Nellie bedroom when I come back home. I think. And.... I can look forward to their hot tub.

I also miss Destin. I love walking in the surf and falling asleep to the sound of the waves.

They Think Of Everything

2009-04-14T19:14:00.004+02:00

Easter Sunday prior to dinner I wanted to go for my Sunday walk around the Ohmbachsee. I have come to value the walk, along with the time I get to spend with the Spousal Unit. I am enjoying my enhanced activities more and more. While I am not as fit as I would like, I am working on reaching my goal. It also helps when I get to look at views such as this.

The past week the landscape has just popped into Spring. Everything is blooming. I sooooo love Spring. It is a true rebirth.

The Germans, like the Dutch love flowers. Ever where I look Spring bulbs are in bloom. This is a field of daffodils. Spousal Unit wanted me to get a picture of the rogue daffodils that didn't stay within their color areas. I didn't want to trample the flowers to get a good picture of the rogues. If you look close you can see some of the yellow flowers mixed in with the white flowers. I say that's the way life is. A good mixture is best.

A closer look at the blooms.

And here they are just in your face. Did I mention I love Spring?

Oh, and because Spousal Unit loves me so much, he let me buy him a beer, halfway through our walk. Just to cool me down, of course. Ya gotta love the Germans. They think of everything. Putting a beer garden next to a lake, to let you appreciate all the good things in life.

Happy Easter Everyone

2009-04-12T20:57:00.003+02:00

I hope everyone had a joyous and wonderful Easter. Kiss everyone you love and then go back and kiss them again, just because. Love you all and Peace out. Nell

Friday Randomness

2009-04-10T17:12:00.003+02:00

I have been having a really big writer's block recently. Not much has been going on in my life at the moment and so I haven't felt the need to blog. The weather has been so glorious that this may be a contributing factor. I am outside for several hours just glorying in the warmth and sunshine. I like to watch the neighbor children play in the nearby yards.

On my walks around the lake everyone seem to have a spring in their step that I hadn't noticed in the past months. Germany in the Spring, Summer, and Fall is just too beautiful. Winter is
just too, too, too grey and gloomy.

Spousal Unit is working. I had hoped that he would be home early, but I guess not today.

Today is Friday. Yeah. Today is the last Friday of Lent. Really big YEAH!!! I'm not that much of a meat eater, but I am not a fish eater. So... Lenten Fridays leave me scrambling to figure out what to fix for dinner. Macaroni and cheese is not an option and there are only so many times I can serve grilled cheese and tomato soup, and get away with it. Spousal Unit doesn't grumble too often, but he has been known to grumble about that dinner choice.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to going to the Easter Market in a local town. The announcement for the market said that the town square fountain will be turned into a giant Easter basket. That will be interesting to see. Also, three life sized Easter bunnies will be handing out 1000 eggs.

I'll be back with pics.

Ya Gotta Live And Learn

2009-04-06T18:17:00.001+02:00

I love bedeviling the Spousal Unit. I finished up the laundry and went outside to watch him finish the garden for me. (Gratuitous bun shot.)

As I mentioned to you a little while back, he tilled the soil and then, unfortunately, it rained. I really didn't want him to play in the mud, to finish off the garden, so we had to wait several days for the soil to dry out.
Our neighbor, Frank, gave me the idea to brick the outside of the garden. It creates a boundary for the grass, and with the brick at grass/soil level, it will be easy enough to mow and keep trimmed. Spousal Unit likes this idea, even though it cost a little more. Frank also has the "cinder" blocks at the back of the garden. That's where I am going to put my herbs.

Spousal Unit is getting rather good at household chores. When I first married him he thought a screwdriver was vodka and orange juice. He has learned a whole new vocabulary since he married me. 30 years ago. Woo hoo.

This is a picture of me watching Spousal Unit working. That's my knee. I am taking high speed photos of the man while he toils for me. I love it when he toils for me.

Curses. Foiled again. He spotted me taking his picture numerous times. He has the start of a grin and is threatening to either break my new camera or throw a brick at me. I know he won't do either, but I play along and take more pictures while laughing.

The man should have been an engineer. I throw projects at him and he finds a way to make them work. We both decided that when we come back to the states, we will brick around my garden there. We also determined that a bed of sand would have made the brick laying easier. Ya gotta live and learn.

So Claudia, My Whole Life Friend

2009-04-02T15:45:00.003+02:00

A gal pal commented on my Facebook page, in a very sarcastic manner, that poor me was having the time of my life. Yeah, yeah. Living in Europe is a laugh a minute. Actually many times and most of the time it is really awesome. I do love living in Europe.

But the reality of living here is blurred by other people's ideas. I live here just like I would live at home in the states. The week goes by and then the weekend arrives. But in the states a job is a lot easier to come by. So my reality is that I do not work at the moment. I do not have any children to care for. I am bored with my life most days.

Since I do not have the boys here there is little for me to do during the day. I no longer have the mountains of laundry to do. There is only so much I am able to clean. I could probably dust a little more often, but I have always felt that dust is a protective covering for the furniture. I am not going to change that feeling anytime soon.

Yes, I play Suzy Homemaker for the Spousal Unit, but he is starting to gain some weight so I need to back off the cooking a little bit. Though some banana bread sounds pretty good at the moment.

The weekends are great. Spousal Unit and I try to do something every weekend. It may only be a walk around the lake in town or a drive around the area. We get out and we are together.

So Claudia, my whole life friend, yes, I am enjoying my life living in Europe. But... I am ready for the Sabbatical from work to end.

Suzy Moments

2009-04-01T18:08:00.003+02:00

My veggies are all now repotted and life is good.

Spousal Unit just got home so I need to get all Suzy Homemaker on him and go running down the stairs and exclaim, "Oh Sweetness, you got home so late, I was worried. You obviously had a really hard and long day, let me get you a beer, (which I will pour perfectly to have the correct amount of head/foam) and you can relax and put your feet up. Just relax dear while I finish dinner."

I Love Spring Time

2009-04-01T16:31:00.002+02:00

The sun is shining and I don't feel like sitting here and try to figure out what to write for the night.

So... I am going to go outside and repot my veggies. The little babies are getting really big and need more "elbow" room.

I love Spring time.

I Got To See What Was Available For The Next Time

2009-03-31T17:00:00.000+02:00

I really enjoyed the girls weekend. I met some really nice ladies and got to better know the lady that organized the trip. I had met her before since she is the spouse of a man with whom Spousal Unit works. She is a very kind and gentle lady that has a passion for shopping. When I say passion, I mean it. She is a lady driven when it comes to finding the perfect piece.

Here she is, Lisa and the gal directly to my right is Carolyn, concentrating on a game she taught us. The game is played with cards and is a mixture of Yahtzee and Rummy. I warned her that I have beginners luck. I won.

Here are a couple of other gals that went for the shopping. We got a little silly playing the game and drinking a little wine and beer. We ended up staying in the brasserie entirely too late for an early morning wake up. But we had a good time.

The first day of shopping was in a covered mall area. Everything imaginable was available for sale. I kinda like the hot dog sculpture. I really wanted to buy him and put him in my front hallway. I figure if he is there the next time I go, its fated that we need to be together. The other little guy is a replica of the Mannikin Piss fountain that is located in Brussels.

Here we are out and about in Tongeren. That's me in the middle of Yolanda and Shonna.

Here is yet another picture of a pretty church/cathedral. I am still in my awestruck period. I know from experience that I will be rather blase about cathedrals and castles in a year or two.

All in all I met my goals for this trip. I got out and had a really good girls weekend. I had my hot chocolate several times. I had a Belgium waffle, not anywhere as good as the one I had in Brussels, but I had one. I also got to see what was available for the next time I got on a shopping adventure.

I'm Just Along For The Ride

2009-03-26T17:49:00.010+01:00

Well, tomorrow morning I am off on another adventure. I will be meeting up with four other ladies to carpool to Holland and Belgium for the weekend. This will be my first girls weekend out. I believe it will be a little different than the girls gone wild weeks that I spend every year in Florida. Ya think?

The ladies that I am going with are the spouses of Spousal Unit's co-workers. The lady that organized this trip has gone out of her way to welcome me and make me feel included in their activities. I am honored that she has taken this time to include me. I also don't think that there will be too much of the "letting down of one's hair" on this trip. I may be wrong, but probably not. I may need to scale back a little of the "She Who"ness. I can be a little crazy at times. In a very adult way of course.

We are going Flea Marketing in Nijmegen and Tongeren. This is the first time that I have been to Nijmegen. A friend of ours used to go every year for the "Iron Man" March. Over 100 miles of walking over the course of four days. So I know a little about the town. It is considered to be the oldest city in the Netherlands and celebrated its 2000th year of existence in 2005.home of Charlemagne. It also has, to my understanding, a killer Flea Market.

We are driving up with just two people in a van. The better to stuff chock full with goodies. The drive to Holland will take about five hours and we should arrive in plenty of time to check into the hotel, get cleaned up and to go for dinner.

I went several months ago to the Tongeren market. I really enjoyed myself and look forward to going again. The last time, I had just arrived in country and had only been here for a couple of weeks, when a gal I met through the local online yardsaling site asked if I would be interested in going with her. Actually she wanted one more shopping adventure and she wouldn't/couldn't drive herself. I guess she thought that I was the adventuresome type. She guessed correctly and so off I went with my newly minted driver's license to drive to Belgium.

I have decided that I love Belgium. I really hadn't been to that country during my last stays in Europe and want to explore it further. If only for the waffles. I still drool about having another waffle.

I may find some treasures, or I may not. I'm just along for the ride.

Grey

2009-03-25T11:55:00.003+01:00

I woke to this.

It is supposed to be 25 March. No forewarning of this weather.

My pretty Spring flowers are all covered in snow.

It is really this grey outside. I didn't do anything to the photos to "clean" them up.

Yucky, yucky day.

30 Years

2009-03-24T08:58:00.005+01:00

Today is our anniversary. Can you believe it's been thirty years? I can't.

We aren't going to do anything special that I know of. (Spousal Unit may have something sneaky planned, but that isn't something I am counting on.) We are planning to go out to dinner this evening. I would like to go to the Italian place, the next town over. I had lunch there the other day and it was really good. I wouldn't mind trying it out for dinner.

Spousal Unit and I usually don't do too much for occasions anymore. All our "needs" have been met and most of the "wants" are to travel here in Europe. Which we are starting to do.

For our twentieth we went on a Caribbean cruise. He had been after me to take a cruise for years. I get so motion sick that I found excuse after excuse to avoid a cruise, until I ran out of excuses. So we went and of course, I loved it. Our cabin was on a perfect deck level for stability and the motion sickness never occurred. True, I couldn't go to the top decks, but most of the boat was OK.

I don't even remember what, if anything, we did for our tenth. Too many years ago. I know that the boys were younger and we probably were in the throes of raising the two of them. We were most probably at some soccer tournament or other kiddo related activity.

So I don't have anything planned for the day, other than to go look for the anniversary card that I purchased a while ago. I stashed it somewhere and the hunt will be to find it. Wish me luck.

The Detail Is Amazing

2009-03-23T13:53:00.002+01:00

I officially hate Google maps. I put in a directions request to go to the town of Michelstadt. The stupid directions sent us on several tiny, and I mean tiny roads that riding on gave me a major anxiety attack. First, we had to go up a mountain to then go down the same mountain. No reason for the mountain climb, there was nothing to see on the mountain that going around wouldn't have cured.

Google maps just figured that "She Who" needed a Sunday afternoon panic/anxiety attack to keep her insanity at a consistent level.

OK.... the rant is over for the moment.

The reason for going to Michelstadt was the Easter Egg Market. I heard about it on one of the Yahoo Groups and then checked it out on the Internet. So when Spousal Unit asked if we had any plans for the weekend, I said yes. Since he was so nice to till my garden Friday and Saturday, I knew he really wanted to spend 2 hours driving each way to look at Easter Eggs.

These eggs are dyed one color and then the design is scraped into the egg by removing the dye.

This lady is dying eggs by using the Batik method. Starting with white wax and then dying, and waxing from light to dark colors.

These eggs are some of her work. The place was so crowded that I couldn't get any closer to these eggs.

These eggs are also examples of scraping away the dye.

I have no idea how these eggs were done. But the detail is amazing.

Sunday Rambling in Germany - Easter Market

2009-03-21T19:21:00.003+01:00

After church tomorrow we are going to Michelstadt to attend the Easter Egg Market. It is about an hour and a half away.

The town is filled with half-timbered houses and I am looking forward to seeing them again. I used to drive through there all the time to go to the wooden toy stores.

They are also famous for their ivory carvings. As an American, I can't buy the ivory,but I can appreciate the workmanship.

Pictures and impressions to follow.

2009-03-20T17:40:00.007+01:00

Spousal Unit is a manly man. He can leap tall buildings with a single bound. He can look at you and burn a hole through your soul. Not really, that is more of my thing, but he does have a certain air about him. He is digging me a garden. That make him a manly man in my book.

So what this all comes down to is... he called me early this afternoon and asked if I thought the ground was dry enough to till up the soil for my garden. It hasn't rained in quite a few days and I had to water the flower boxes outside today, so I thought that maybe it was dry enough to till.

Turns out that the soil could have been a "wee" bit drier but it was still OK to till.

The soil looks really great for a first year garden. Even so I am going out tomorrow to buy some peat moss and maybe some dolomite, if I can find it. I am also hoping to find some garden earth and compost and/or "dunger" (Cow Poop).

The Spousal Unit was able to make three tills through the soil before calling it a night. He will probably do two more swipes tomorrow before we clean the tiller up and take it back to the Outdoor Recreation place.

I also plan on getting some bricks to line the edges while the soil is still fresh. I plan on having some wall units (cinder blocks) to line the back of the garden near the fence to "house" my herbs.

Doesn't this look awesome?

I Love My New Camera

2009-03-19T15:46:00.002+01:00

I am so getting pumped that Spring is coming. I was able to plant my primrose plants in the planter boxes and they like it so much more than sitting on the floor near the windows.

These are my veggie plants that I grew all by myself. I was outside, looking in at them. I can almost swear that they waved at me.

Here are my herbs and some more primrose. Everybody likes being outside. Me included.

This is the steeple of the church right down the street. It is the highest in the area. You can see the steeple for miles away. I always know I am almost home when I can see the steeple in the distance.
My backyard. I love my backyard. I love the views, and especially the sunsets.

I also love my new camera. I can do all sorts of fun things with it.

Ramblings

2009-03-18T17:25:00.002+01:00

For my Irish tacos last night I added extra lettuce and guacamole. It's green right?

The Spousal Unit is gonna cook me a cheeseburger on the grill and I'll make a lovely salad for the both of us.

Good thing Easter is coming soon. With all the salads and green stuff I am eating, to be a better me, I am turning into a rabbit.

Then, I figure Easter Bunny and I will be able to converse.

Shame he doesn't bring chocolates anymore. 'Cause living here in Europe I am sure he would bring Belgium, Swiss, and German chocolates. Don't ya think?

But I Will Figure Something Out

2009-03-17T15:03:00.006+01:00

Happy St. Pattie's day.

I usually make corned beef and cabbage for St. Pattie's day. I have had a flurry of appointments in the past few days and didn't realize that I neglected to purchase a corned beef.

I really thought I had bought one a little while ago. But.... when I went looking in the freezer it was corned beef less. Hedoublehockeysticks. I was already at home and so called the Spousal Unit to ask him to pick one up at the commissary. I figured if I stuck it in some cold water for a few hours it would defrost enough for me to throw it into the crock pot in the morning.

Well, when he got home HE was corned beef less. The commissary had a few left, but he said that they were green. How can frozen corned beef be green prior to being cooked, she asked?

You really don't want to know the answer to that question. The commissary is very lacking in some areas that I don't want to go into at the moment.

Anyway, I know some people go to extremes with "greenness" on St. Pattie's day but I thought that starting out with a green corned beef was not a good idea and thanked the Spousal Unit for saving some money on food we wouldn't/couldn't eat.

I am "She Who" after all and he will often go to extremes to please me. Rightfully so, but not always the wisest course of action and so thanked him for his good discretion.

So.... I made a command "She Who" decision and decided that we were going to have Irish tacos instead. I don't know what Irish tacos are yet, but I will figure something out.

Sunday's Walk

2009-03-15T14:45:00.010+01:00

Lately, it has been brought to my attention that I needed to change some of my behaviors. You already know about my rants about having to give up smoking. So, I am not going there.

I had become very sedentary in the past several years. I worked a 9-10 hour day at a desk job. And while I loved my job, I usually went home in the evening and collapsed from the mental exhaustion. Enough energy to make dinner and then go vegetate on the sofa for a little TV watching and then off to bed to start the routine in the morning again.

Then the Spousal Unit announced that we would be moving to Germany. That set off a major flurry of activity, getting the house in order for renting, amongst all the other things needing to be done prior to my coming here.

That led to me losing 30 lbs. Painting and cleaning and yard work really used up the calories. Yeah. Weight loss. So I was totally floored with the blood pressure level. Here I am in my new house climbing up two sets of stairs 6-8 times a day. I lost weight and am continuing to lose at a sensible rate. I thought that I was healthier than I had been in years.

I guess I wasn't. So......

I have started walking 4 times a week. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I go with a gal I met in one of the Spouses groups. We go to the Ohmbachsee. Sunday I go with Spousal Unit.

It is the largest lake in this area. It has lovely paths all around it that connect to other lovely paths that lead to other areas. The lap around the lake is 3.5kilometers. That translates to 2.17 miles. That is a lot of walking for me. And I am determined to continue.

One of the added benefits to outside walking is that the walks allow me to observe that Spring is really coming. A fern peeking out that wasn't there on Friday's walk.

I have no idea what this is other than is has a really pretty leaf with brown/black speckles.

The moss growing on the stones lining the steps to one of the other paths.

The lichen is in full bloom. I am really starting to enjoy the walks and seeing more of the countryside in a way that is rather unique and memorable.

2009-03-14T20:13:00.002+01:00

More stream of consciousness stuff:

Spousal Unit came home today. He is really tired and didn't sleep on the flight over. Because I am the wonderful, considerate "She Who" I let him take a nap and woke him up 2 1/2 hours later. I really am considerate, in that if I let him sleep, he would not be able to adjust to the time change for several days.

After I woke him we went to base for recycling and a grocery run. He wants steaks tomorrow and I will marinate them overnight.

On the way home we checked out a couple of restaurant's menus to see were we would go for dinner.

One came very highly recommended. It had a limited, if non-existent menu. I think that the high recommendation was either beer or wine induced.

The other is next to the Ohmbachsee. We stopped by last week to preview their menu. It looked good. This is where we went for dinner.

The salad was awesome. Notice that there is nothing left on Spousal Unit's plate. He slurped down the dressing when the waitress wasn't looking. That is not at all my Spousal Unit's type of behaviour. I attribute this behaviour to the jet lag.

Nectar of the Gods. Wine. I have rediscovered wine. Dry, "Sahara Desert" dry. It is hard to find here in Germany, but really good when found.

Spousal Unit is a beer man. Good Weisen beer. He likes the wheat beer and tonight he chose a dark wheat. He said that it was really different, but good. He ordered two tonight.

I love taking pictures of "the man" enjoying himself. The dinner was not the best we have had, but far from the worst. The salads were excellent. The atmosphere was great.

We probably won't come here to eat again, but will come for the welcoming we received and the friendliness of the other patrons.

In My Mind The Good Will Aways Outweigh The Bad

2009-03-13T18:00:00.009+01:00

For the life of me I don't know what to write about tonight. So let's do a stream of consciousness...

I ranted about the unfairness and the reasons to quit smoking for the past several days and want to give that a rest for awhile. Trust me, I will revisit this subject again. She writes as she chews and chews on the Nicolette. Its getting better, but at times I need to chew and chew.

I am saddened that the Germany massacre of schoolchildren by another child has occurred. It is only about an hour and a half away from where I live. I had hoped that a Columbine wouldn't happen again.

I am also saddened that a minister, in a local area church, was murdered while preaching his Sunday sermon. Local in that this is two towns over from my home in the States, in Illinois.

I miss Spousal Unit. He has been gone all week. He is coming home tomorrow morning and I am glad. I plan on cooking him a nice meal and putting him to bed. He'll be really tired and I anticipate that it will take several days for him to re-adjust to the time change.

On a bright note, I met up with one of the gals I correspond with on a local chat board today. We met to go walking for much needed exercise. The high blood pressure is my reason to restart my exercise program and a long visit to the States and take off gained Stateside pounds was hers.

During the walk, I was able to witness that Spring is coming. We walked a full circuit around the Ohmbachsee. It is the largest lake here in the Pfaltz. It took us 45 minutes, walking briskly, to complete the lap. I only stopped twice to take pictures, actually it was a much needed excuse to allow these aging hips and legs a little rest.

We made a date to meet again on Monday, same Bat time, same Bat channel.

I bought a composter several weeks ago and I took kitchen scraps out to it this evening. It is filling nicely and I anticipate having some "black gold" in the Summer to nourish my garden.

I feel better now. In print, I can balance out the good and the bad. In my mind, the good will always outweigh the bad.

Back To The Smoking/Quitting Thing Part II

2009-03-12T17:04:00.001+01:00

So....

Several years later, enter Spousal Unit. He doesn't smoke and never really did. When I met him he smoked a pipe, on the rare occasion.

After we married he complained once that he wanted me to quit smoking cigarettes. I ranted and raged again that he was being a hypocrite. I hid his pipe and the subject of his smoking was never raised again. (I still have the pipe, but he never asked for it.)

Well the years passed and I have tried every method of quitting possible. Well, almost every method. I haven't tried hypnosis. I really don't think I could be hypnotised. Trust issues. (Later subject of a blog.)

I sorta, kinda, really quit when I was pregnant. During the first pregnancy the Dr. said not to quit, just cut back as much as possible so as to not to shock the fetus. So I did. After the boys were born I just went back to smoking. That fish to water thing.

As the years passed I became a much more "considerate smoker." Of course, I am well trained. The military life does that to you. I asked before I lit up. I went outside before it was required.

These past few years I thought I was doing OK. Little bit of a smoker's cough, but considering that I smoked so many years, not bad.

Well, what's been going on recently with me is that this crap is coming back to bite me.

I have recently been diagnosed with very high blood pressure. Smoking is one of the major causes.

I am now regulated and am responding very well to the medicines. But, smoking can no longer be part of my lifestyle.

I see the difference in my blood pressure now that I am not smoking. With the medicine, I saw a good difference. With no smoking I see a major difference.

So kicking and screaming I will not smoke again. Yes, I am still kicking and screaming, but I won't smoke.

I'll just kick and scream like a little girl. And be glad that I stopped before a heart attack really stopped me.

Back To The Smoking/ Quitting Thing Part I

2009-03-11T17:40:00.000+01:00

You know, I smoked for almost 37 years. I smoked for more years than I didn't.

As a kid I hated smoking. Both my parents smoked and I always hated the way it smelled in the house.

Way back then it was no big deal to smoke. Everyone did, or so it seemed.

I remember my mom sending me to the drug store in town to get her a couple of packs of cigarettes for her. No problem, she just sent a note with me asking for her brand and to let me buy them for her. She was ahead of her time in that she sent me with a note. She gave me something like .50 cents for the two packs of cigarettes.

Do any of you remember the candy cigarettes we bought as kids? Cool huh?

I was always a tomboy and athletic. Not the best at anything by far, but a rough and tumble girl that loved playing outside.

Then, when the hormones hit, OMG, I was so into the boyfriend thing.

My first love was a guy that ended up smoking. I ranted, I raged, I gave ultimatums. Quit, or I'll start. "True Love." Ya bullpoopies. I was so naive I thought that "True Love" would win. (As an aside do any of you remember what line that movie is from??) Its one of my favorites.

He didn't quit. I hated the way the kisses tasted. So I started.

My God. Smoking for me was like a fish to water. I could focus. I could calm myself down when psyched out. Smoking became, for me, like breathing. I am so ADD.

So I smoked.

And ended up giving up sports because I smoked. (They even let us smoke in school.)

(To be continued.)

Giggle For The Day

2009-03-11T11:41:00.003+01:00

I woke up to this on one of the boards that I read. I love giggles in the morning.

Moms in Group Therapy

A psychiatrist was conducting a group therapy session with four young Mothers and their small children. 'You all have obsessions,' he observed.

To the first mother, Mary, he said, 'You are obsessed with eating. You've even named your daughter Candy.'

He turned to the second Mom, Ann: 'Your obsession is with money. Again, it manifests itself in your child's name, Penny.'

He turned to the third Mom, Joyce: 'Your obsession is alcohol. This too shows itself in your child's name, Brandy.'

At this point, the fourth mother, Kathy, quietly got up, took her little boy by the hand and whispered, 'Come on, Dick, this guy has no idea what he's talking about. Let's go pick up Peter and Willie from school and go get dinner.'

Trials of Quitting Smoking

2009-03-10T22:07:00.002+01:00

Bear with me. This quitting smoking thing sucks. Major big time. Day 11.

Oh yeah, I will be revisiting this subject.

Did I mention that quitting sucks???

I guess the message is don't start.

Love,

Nell

Randomness

2009-03-10T19:29:00.006+01:00

Gal Pal IM exchange.

Her:

BRB

7:23 PM

I think it's time to change my avitar. I don't have red hair anymore. LOL

7:24 PM

You smokin or poopin?????? LMAO

7:24 PM

Oh yeah you have 5 kids. Forgot. Still LMAO

7:25 PM

I really crack myself up talking to myself.

7:25 PM

At least I haven't started answering myself.

7:26 PM

Or do I?

7:26 PM

OK that is definately not a brb. It is a brb in FOREVER

7:27 PM

Spousal Unit made to to the States OK. He called me this morning to let me know that he arrived safely. He got to have Subway for dinner last night and had it again for breakfast. Poor baby. Footlongs for 5.00. I made chicken salad and had that for dinner last night and for breakfast this morning. Hmmm could we be on a similar wave length?

She never did get back to me.

And how was your day?

Oh Yeah, By The Way

2009-03-09T17:33:00.003+01:00

It is now day ten of not smoking. OMG, Spousal Unit isn't home and all I want to do is go out and buy a pack. I won't, but I want to.

I guess undoing 35 years of a bad habit isn't going to be a walk in the park.

Lent

2009-03-09T17:19:00.000+01:00

While out and about I found an olive oil dispenser that I have been searching for long and far. Well, maybe not all that far but since I have been here. It came in a gift box, so it was a little pricey. Good thing that Spousal Unit likes spicy. He did marry me, didn't he? He was rather pleased when I showed him that it is a hot chili pepper olive oil. He adds heat to most of his dinners.

Oh yeah, the Lent part. We observe Lent. So no meat on Friday. Unfortunately we do not like fish. We like shellfish, but both of us need to watch our cholesterol. So cute little grilled shrimpies like I had in Brussels come few and far between. I figured that I hadn't made stuffed shells in quite some time so that's what I made.

I changed up the recipe a little this time and added chopped spinach and real Italian Parmigiano Reggiano cheese that I grated into to the cheese mixture. The Parmigiano was so tasty I had to eat a wee bit. Heaven.

Don't they look all pretty in the pan prior to baking?

Don't they look really good after baking?

I love living in Europe. I found a nice bottle of Italian Frascati for a pittance at the same local corner store. Light, dry, really good.

Add a lovely salad of mixed greens.

And a nice crusty baguette for sauce sopping. Dinner was awesome.

I'm gonna weigh a ton after four years of eating like this.

It Is Blooming Again

2009-03-05T18:04:00.002+01:00

I have Spring Fever. I have stated that in the recent past and I have also hinted at it. It just is. I get the fever every year. It starts in late December when I start to get the seed catalogues.

I drool over all the new seeds that are advertised and want to buy them all. In the past, I could buy many of the seeds and try them out, because in the States I had enough land to plant just about anything.

Here in Germany, my landlords are letting me have a garden, but I do not have as much space to experiment with new plants.

Boo hoo. Also, most seed companies will not ship seeds here. So I went to several local stores, and in my best reading/deciphering of German bought some seeds. (I also had a friend send me some of my favorites. I didn't just mention that did I?)

Chives, and basil. Can't live without them. I also am growing dill, parsley - flat and curly, and cilantro.

Six different types of peppers. Only two plants per type this year. I usually have 6-8 plants of the same type. I also have about five different types of tomatoes this year. I will probably give away any extra plants to friends.

Yesterday I went to the local Home Depot type store, here it is called Toom. I found these for a major bargain of .49 Euros cents per plant. They are beautiful and I can plant them in planters this weekend and put them out now.

My major score is the perennial spices I picked up. Thyme, two different types, oregano, and rosemary. All for 1.90 Euros. That is a major deal.

To really make my week, my Christmas cactus is acting like an Easter cactus. It is blooming again.

Such Inner Conflicts

2009-03-04T18:11:00.000+01:00

One of my blogging buddy gal pals is Kim @ Parachuting Without a Net. She is a regular commenter and claimed that she has gained some weight recently because of my discussions of my trip to Brussels. So I sent her a comment that I would be kind to her and not talk about food for a while, to allow everyone to lose all the virtual weight they gained during my last few posts.

She came back at me to go to another country and post about food. WTF????? Her comment is below:

Now, go to Italy and send us pictures and stories of pasta and wine. :)

My comment back at her is:

I will go to Italy, soon.

I just won't be going there until the Spring or Summer. My Step-mother-in-law's sister has a villa on the coast and we will be having a family reunion there.

Besides you said that I can't post foodie stuff right now.

I may or may not listen to you. But we do follow Lent, so I am supposed to be in a reflection mode.

Actually, I am in a Spring Fever mode.

Such inner conflicts.

P.S. If anyone out there can show me how to post a link in my blog I would be eternally grateful. Well, maybe not eternally, but really, really grateful.

P.S.S Meg, I joined ya in the no smoking thing. 6 days and counting. I had to give it up too.

Brussels, Belgium Part V - The End

2009-03-03T18:01:00.001+01:00

A detail on one of the buildings in the "Grand Place." Lots of gold leaf.

These are some of the buildings on the "Grand Place."

This is the Greek joint street outside the back of the hotel. Pretty and of course the food is wonderful every where.The worst part about this street are the guys that stand in the doorways asking, beggibg you to come in, eat there, they have the best food. I had one follow me down the street for a few yards before he finally got that I wasn't going to eat there.

This is the scene that Brussels uses as a visual for tourist purposes. (Also on the "Grand Place.")

The Atomium. Built in 1958. We went to the top. All.. the.. way.. to.. the.. top. Lots of walking, stairs, elevator, and escalators. Interesting. Belgium used this as the centerpiece for a Belgium International Fair. It was the start of the World's Fairs of later years, as we know them.

This just about sums up our visit. I had a blast and would not hesitate to go back.

Decadence.

Brussels, Belgium Part IV

2009-02-28T11:29:00.006+01:00

One of the streets that we stumbled upon was the street of seafood restaurants. Several of the restaurants had displays outside their front door. These displays are made only from fresh seafood and shellfish and fruits and vegetables. Really intricate.

Right around the corner from the fish street is a covered gallery. It is several blocks long and was the first of its kind in Europe. The shops in the gallery are rather upscale. I didn't have the nerve to go into this chocolate shop. I think they charge to breath the air. But, OMG the chocolates looked sooooo edible.

And finally here is my favorite shop. Belgium waffles. I can't believe I had spent 9 years in Europe and not had one. The only thing I can think of is that I do not normally like waffles. These are not normal waffles. Totally different. Light, fluffy, a little sweet. No Bisquick involved. I had the waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. I felt that I had gone to heaven.

Brussels, Belgium Part III

2009-02-26T17:40:00.009+01:00

Food. Did I mention the food????? OMG I was in heaven. There seems to be a restaurant every few steps. Right outside of the back door to the hotel, not 30 steps away is an Italian place. Starched linens, attentive waiters, good prices and last but not least, really good food.

I started with some wine. All I asked for was some really, really dry white wine. I prefer that the wine is "Sahara Desert" dry. It was. Really good.

Spousal Unit found a beer that he really liked. Leffe. I took a sip and it is really good, but I'm in a wine mode at the moment. That didn't stop him from helping me drink the half carafe though.

For appetizers the waiter automatically put a small bowl of mixed olives and bread on the table. Yummy.

I started with the mixed salad. Huge!!! I ate everything on the plate and then went back with the bread and sopped up the sauce (dressing).

Spousal Unit had the veal and pasta. He didn't have much to say most of the time after his dinner arrived. Just a glazed look on his face. I think I detected a mood of Ecstasy. Hmmm. Maybe I should be a little jealous???

When my dinner arrived, I understood his lust. I dove right in and forgot to take a picture of the presentation. I haven't had shrimp this good since we visited Greece many, many years ago. Well, at least I got a picture before I devoured the whole plate.

I can't say enough about the food/dining experience we enjoyed. This is one of the main reasons for our wanting to return to Europe. It sure beats sitting in a waiting area of a local chain restaurant with a vibrator/buzzer in my pocket.

Brussels, Belgium Part II

2009-02-26T17:00:00.005+01:00

Just outside of our hotel, down the street there is a small church. The plaque on the outside stated that the church had been built and rebuilt many times. It is a mixture of very old, old, and new. I found it really interesting that this wood carving is still on the door of the church. We visited the Brussels Museum and saw many of this type of carving. I am surprised that this artwork is allowed to "Brave the Elements."

On this day we went strolling to go see a fountain. On the way there we ran across this scene.

Street statues are every where. This is a statue and a street performer mimicking the statue. If he had stayed still I really would have thought it was two versions of the same man. Oh, by the way that is a representation of Vincent van Gogh.

He was really pissed that I took pictures and didn't feed his box of money. I would have donated if I had my picture taken with him. But I did not.

This is the little fountain of Manniken Piss. I had always wanted to see this fountain. When the guide book said that it was a small fountain tucked away on a little side street, they weren't kidding. You can pass it by with out even knowing it is there. If it wasn't for the crowds and tourists taking pictures.

I think Mannikin Piss is just like Paris Hilton. Famous for being famous. I read that he probably has more outfits than she does though. There is a whole wing in a museum devoted to his clothing.

They also do him in chocolate. Letter openers, bottle and wine openers. Just about anything can become a Mannikin Piss. I passed on the chocolate.

Brussels, Belgium Part I

2009-02-25T14:47:00.003+01:00

On Friday, Spousal Unit said that he would be home by 12:00 noon so that we could get an early start. We didn't want to drive in the dark, if at all possible, since he had only been there once. This was to be my first visit to Brussels.

Well the best laid plans, obviously do not get carried out in our house. He didn't get home until 2:00 and had decided that he wanted to drive straight through and not stop in Liege. I had offered up this option to not have to drive in the dark.

So I hop on the Internet and Google hotels in downtown Brussels. Spousal Unit mentioned that the "Grand Place" is were we wanted to be near if at all possible. I checked out some of the hotels and came upon a weekend special. 50% off the Royal Windsor, directly on the "Grand Place." Woo hoo. A Five Star hotel, did I mention that I got it for 50% off?

We finally take off at 3:00 and hit the road. A girlfriend said that it would be a drive time of 3 1/2 hours- MAX. The Google maps said 3 hours. Actually it is more like 4-4 1/2. The directions were really bad, once we were in the city. I didn't have a map with enough detail to really point us in the correct direction. It is really dark outside. Like most major cities, Brussels doesn't sleep. Oh, the street signs are on the side of the buildings, that you can read just as you are going by.

So....... we drove around for an hour and a half. Luckily, Spousal Unit is a Navigator. He always finds his way some how. We finally found the hotel.

It is gorgeous. Very old world elegance. The bell hop comes out for our bags and then parks the car for us.

We are escorted to our room.

The bedroom.

The mini fridge. Even has a French champagne for us to purchase. Not!!!! Not at those prices.

The marble bath room with bidet.

The Grand Casino is right across the street.

The beer that seems to be the national beverage. I didn't like it. The taste is OK, but I couldn't get past the smell. For a bar snack, the bartender served us potato chips.

I was starving, but the restaurant had already closed. I also was too tired to go out and search for something to eat only to go to bed. I ate the chips. They were really good.

More tomorrow.

Food, Beer, Sights, And Impressions To Follow

2009-02-19T17:36:00.005+01:00

Updates:

We were able to pick up Spousal Unit's car today. The good news is that we have enough money for food for the rest of the month. Blackie, the car's name, is not cheap to fix. Luckily, the car was free, a gift from Spousal Unit's father. True, 20 years old, but Mercedes tend to last a long time. And are fun to drive.

Our planned trip for the weekend is still on.

We are taking a road trip to Brussels, Belgium. Spousal Unit has a meeting there next week and asked if I wanted to get away for the weekend.

I have spent the majority of the day researching the sites in Brussels. I have never been before.

I really want to see some of the museums, the architecture and the "infamous" fountain "Mannikin Piss" It is a centuries old fountain of a naked little boy. Well, the name of the fountain says it all.

Boo hoo. The Royal Botanical Gardens won't be open until Mid-March. The gardens are a wonder, all iron and glass over more than 6 acres, built in the 1800's. Maybe I can entice the Spousal Unit to return. Hmmmmm.

I am really looking forward to this trip and will keep you posted.

I am not bringing the laptop so this will probably be my last post until this coming Wednesday.

Hey Gal Pal, Sunshine. I am going to try to find a decent Belgium beer. grin grin.

Food, beer, sights, and impressions to follow.

Just Some Random Thoughts Today

2009-02-18T17:21:00.007+01:00

We are still a one car family at the moment.
I had to get up a little early to drive Spousal Unit to work this morning.
I then had to hurry home to shower and get ready for a luncheon I was to attend.
Had to then Google the directions, since Spousal Unit is against me getting a GPS.
Decided to follow Google directions over the mountain, since I hadn't gone that way before.
Really enjoyed the scenery, when I could take my eyes off the road, momentarily.
Didn't see much scenery.
Mountain roads can be really scary and steep.
The luncheon was held in an old monastery, church all the way on top of another mountain.
I had the Pfannkuchen. A tomato-less pizza style dish. Didn't like it.
Didn't see much of that scenery going up or down.
Didn't have time to take any pictures because we are still a one car family.
Went to pick up Spousal Unit so he could take me home and he could keep the car.
I shouldn't expect Spousal Unit for dinner.
He's working late and I don't drive after dark.
I really hope we get the other car back tomorrow and that it will keep all 4 tires/wheels on the axles now.

Anxiety Seem To Follow Me

2009-02-16T18:48:00.003+01:00

I have had some really YUCKY stuff happen in my life this past week and I haven't really wanted to share, so I haven't posted or blogged. I still don't want to share what's going on at this point, but wanted to let you know that I haven't abandoned blogging. I will share later, just not now, so don't ask.

So, just some tidbits about life, otherwise, about what's going on today:

Spousal Unit tried to go to work this morning. He does not get President's Day off so needed to work. Well, it snowed again last night and was still snowing this morning. We live on a small mountain. The roads are steep. He slid off the mountain and proceeded onto the next town. He came back 30 minutes later. That scared me. He informed me that he did 3, 360 degrees spin outs and decided that going to work wasn't going to work. He had to walk home because the car wouldn't make it up the mountain.

He's lucky that he can work from home when necessary. Of course, when the roads were a little more clear, he headed out again.

He let me know that he would be leaving the office around 4:30 to come home.

He got home and just wanted a hug. A major big hug.

It turns out that thankfully, wisely, he did not take the Autobahn home tonight and chose to take the streets through the little villages and towns. Slower driving.

By the Grace of God.

As he was driving, the driver's side tire fell off.

He didn't have his cell phone. He couldn't call anyone to help.

Luckily, he was able to jack the car and put the tire back on and come home, with his flashers on to drive slowly.

I am following him, with flashers on, tomorrow to the car repair shop.

ABC's of Love. A Valentines Day love song.

2009-02-13T13:50:00.001+01:00

Happy Valentines Day

Enjoy

I Scored. Again?

2009-02-09T17:15:00.008+01:00

Today has been periods of hectic moments and then blocks of time that I just sit and wait for an email to come in.

I have successfully avoided the dusting of the furniture and the dust bunnies are alive and well and doing what all bunnies do best...multiplying. My housecleaning skills, at times are like a fine wines. Only ageing will tell the outcome.

Part of my hectic moments came from me sleeping several hours after I normally rise in the morning. I usually get up at 5:00-5:30. Why you ask? Cause that's when I wake up and can't usually fall back to sleep. Well, this morning I didn't wake up till almost 8:00 and it screwed up my whole morning.

I like to get up and go downstairs to have a glass of orange juice while waiting for the water to boil for my coffee. I make my coffee in one of the Melitta pots, where you pour boiling water over the coffee grounds and it trickles into a glass pot. It is a very strong, full flavored coffee, with no frills attached. In this sense I am a major coffee snob. I grind my beans every morning and then do the water bath thingee.

All while this is occurring I usually start to read my morning paper. After the news I work the crossword, Cryptoquip, and Word Scramble. This is my routine and I have kept this routine for many, many years. I may be up early in the morning, but I can't really be considered to be part of the human race at that time.

So this morning, because I slept late, I couldn't do much more than brew the coffee to drink after my shower and while fixing hair and makeup stuff. True, I came upstairs to check my email. In my inbox was a message from a garage sale site about a 22o volt treadmill for sale. Only 175.00. Holy crap Batman, can you say I jumped on it and emailed back, pick me, pick me, ooh ooh, pick me.

I had just started into the conversation about information on the treadmill. On these sites, and in the stores on base, if you see something you need, buy it then or it is gone. (too many people and not enough merchandise.) Then had to tell the gal that I had to leave.

This usually means death to a purchase on these sites. But I made a promise that I had to keep.

I had to hurry to get out the door to go pick up gal pal, Heather for her dental appointment. She had a tooth extracted and originally thought she could drive herself there and home. Wrong! What if she had a bad reaction to the Novocaine? So had I volunteered to take her last week to the appointment. Just in case, after the appointment, I stopped at the ATM to pick up the cash for the treadmill.

I delivered Heather to her door, gave her some "Motherly" advice, promised to make her some homemade chicken broth, and hightailed it home to see if there were any further correspondence from the treadmill lady.

Nope, no messages.

So being the productive person that I am lately, I played Spider Solitaire, I cruised the net, and played more solitaire. I was about to give up waiting and really do something productive like water my plants when the email came in. She picked me.

She gave me her address, I Google Mapped and came up with nothing. A little thing like that wasn't going to stop the "She Who." I got in the van and headed off for a town that I had no clue where it was. I live on top of a very big hill, small mountain. She is located in a town in the valley. Beautiful scenery on the way. Very scary roads down the mountain.

I made it.

We girl-handled the treadmill into the back of the van, I gave her the money. We talked about people we knew in common. I left.

Can you say? I scored. Again?

I Scored Again

2009-02-08T14:44:00.005+01:00

Its just a lazy Sunday afternoon and I am avoiding the dusting and vacuuming still. I was supposed to go to one of those hostess parties this afternoon, but backed out. I really don't need to buy anything and I so... don't want to buy anything either. I only agreed to go because one of the hostesses is my gal pal, Heather.

Well, Heather was up all night with her youngest, who just cut two teeth. A very unhappy baby at the moment. Her next youngest has the creeping crud and managed to ruin everyone's lunch. I won't go any further with those descriptions. Let us just say that Heather isn't hostessing the party this afternoon. She is staying home with several fussy girls instead.

So I decided to stay home too.

Spousal Unit thinks he is surprising me by making Baklava. He makes the best I have ever eaten. That includes the bakalava I had in Greece, several years back. He usually makes it over the holidays, but didn't this year because of the boys visits.

I scored another Free cycle deal this morning. A book, really a travel guide, written by ladies living here. It has a little about life in various areas of Europe based on personal recommendations. Shopping, hotels, restaurants, and sightseeing. I found out about it several days ago and so went looking for one. It is sold out every where. I finally looked online and saw an out-of-date one for 35.00. It didn't cost that much when new!!

Now a little thing like that isn't going to get me down. It makes my OCD nature come out. I just posted a message on the Free cycle network requesting a copy if anyone was moving back to the States and wouldn't need it anymore. I got several responses and met up with one of the ladies this morning. She also seems to be very sweet and we might get together for coffee in the near future.

I scored again. I love free cycling!

I Hit The Jackpot. Make That Flowerpot.

2009-02-06T14:12:00.006+01:00

I just got back from doing a free cycle run. I put out a request for flower pots and planters. I have a gajizillion of them in storage but did not bring any with me. The prices in the local stores are rather steep, even if I do use a tax refund form.

Anyway, I have been chomping at the bit, since getting back from Southern California, to start planting my seeds for my garden this Spring. I didn't get to have a garden last summer and it really got to me not to have my fresh veggies throughout the Summer.

I have been hitting some of the stores and garden shops, which of course only feeds my early Spring fever. I have been looking at the larger flower pots for putting on my front step. Really pricey. So I haven't bought any yet. I am so glad now that I didn't.

The gal that answered my free cycle request told me to come on down, actually up since she lives in the mountains, to get her pots. She is leaving in a couple of days and needed them all gone.

When she started pulling out the pots I was a little disappointed. Really old cracked plastic planters for window sill. OK, beggars can't be choosers. No problem, I'll take them.

Then she started to pull out really large Italian clay pots. Then some more large clay pots. Some fertilizer, more fertilizer, soil, and to top it all off.... She gave me several of the large clay pots I have been eyeing in the garden shops.

She was really sweet and I hit the Jackpot. Make that Flowerpot.

I Am Amplifying. Enunciating. Exulting. Helping.

2009-02-05T18:41:00.003+01:00

This past week I really slacked off on the house. Its not dirty or messy, but not up to the standards that I have kept for the past few months. Yes, the laundry is mostly done, folded and put away. The dishes are clean and in the cabinets. The larder is stocked and ready for me to go on another cooking binge. But, the dust bunnies are multiplying and the furniture has acquired a new protective layer of dust.

Suzy Homemaker seems to have left the building. The reason is because....

I met with a lady this week, who is responsible for sending out the section's newsletter every month. She is overwhelmed by this task. Can you say computer illiterate? She doesn't know how to do what needs to be done, to assemble and edit the letter.

The meeting didn't start out with her asking me about my computer skills. It was just a friendly meeting, to get together for coffee, to get to know each other a little better date.

I told her a little, actually a lot, about myself and her eyes just got bigger and bigger. I think she thinks I am her guardian angel. (Not really, but that felt really good to type.)

I have skill sets that are totally alien to her and I am so........

TOTALLY BORED AT THE MOMENT THAT I LEPT AT THE PROSPECT OF DOING SOME SORT OF PRODUCTIVE WORK!!!!!!

No, I am not shouting. I am amplifying. Enunciating. Exulting. Helping.

I took the volunteer job and am so glad it was offered.

Drivers License

2009-02-04T08:19:00.006+01:00

BLOCK YOUR DRIVERS LICENSE

This is so upsetting, thought I should pass it along. Check your drivers license...

Now you can see any one's Drivers License on the Internet, including your own! I just searched for mine and there it was...Picture and all!

Thanks Homeland Security. Privacy, where is our right to it?

I definitely removed mine, I suggest you all do the same....Go to the web site and check it out. Just enter your Name, City and State to see if yours is on file. After your license comes on the screen, click the box marked "Please Remove."

This will remove it from public viewing, but not from law enforcement.

http://www.license.shorturl.com/

In The News

2009-02-03T16:05:00.004+01:00

I didn't do a Snopes search on this article, but wanted to pass this on. What a hoot!

01-31-2009

CENTERVILLE, Utah (Associated Press) -- John, a porcelain commode gunned down in an accidental shooting at a fast food restaurant's bathroom, has died. His age was not immediately known.

The toilet was shattered by a bullet Jan. 12 when a man's gun fell from its holster as he was pulling up his pants, police said. Police do not plan to file criminal charges in connection with the incident.

Christian Martinez, manager of the Carl's Jr. where John was gunned down, held a memorial service Friday at the restaurant. He gave away bottles of John's favorite toilet cleaner, Kaboom Bowl Blaster, to the eatery's first 50 patrons.

A Bountiful flower shop provided a large floral arrangement.

"In all my years, I can say without a doubt that I have never delivered for a toilet," said deliveryman Doug Graham, "but I thought it was the funniest thing I've ever heard. I got a kick out of it."

Remnants of John hit and cut the gun owner's arm, but he was not seriously injured.

Police blamed John's death on the gun and style of holster the man was using.

"He was survived by the men's urinal and wash sink," said Martinez. "He left us way too soon."

Butt Side Up And Breast Side Down

2009-02-03T10:00:00.000+01:00

I've been doing a lot of cooking recently. Its a little over the top, considering that I am now cooking for just two people. I also have the problem of not knowing how to cook for just two people. I still cook as if I have two growing, very healthy appetited, teenage boys in the house. True, I am learning to scale back, but really some recipes just can't be cut down.

Anyway, I have been cooking.

This past Friday I made Italian sausage and pepper sandwiches with a nice side salad. Of course since the grocery store only sells previously frozen Italian sausage packages, I have to cook the whole package. I usually eat one sausage and Spousal Unit will eat two. That leaves several to be baggied up and put in the fridge.

Saturday we were out and about most of the day and also went for dinner. There is a new place we tried. A Chinese restaurant the next town over that was actually rather good. I love how, here on all the tables, there is a small jar/container of Sambol Olek along with the soy sauce. Sambol Olek is a fiery hot sauce that we slather on most of our Chinese food. I really love mixing it with soy sauce and dipping my egg rolls in it. I also love it with fried rice.

So I didn't cook on Saturday, but I went all out Sunday.

While visiting in California, my adorable Step Mother-in-Law who doesn't cook, purchased half of a roasted turkey breast. She then proceeded to introduce me to turkey and avocado sandwiches. I fell in love.

To make a long story short, on that scenario, I have been craving more turkey. And I just happened to have a turkey breast in the freezer. I pulled it out to thaw several days ago and roasted it last night. I also made stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and a tossed salad.

Thinking that soup also sounded good I pulled a smoked ham bone out of the fridge and simmered that most of the day for some soup stock. I have the start for a 15 bean soup which is always good on a Winter's night.

Well, the directions said that the turkey needed to be in the oven for 2 1/2 - 3 hours for its size, considering that I stuffed it. After the allotted time I got out my handy-dandy meat thermometer and tested it for doneness. 160 degrees. Drats. It needed to cook til 190 degrees. Back into the oven for more cook time.

A couple of hours later I tested it again. 175 degrees. This can't be right. So I had Spousal Unit start carving the breast after it rested. Looked great. I threw the thermometer in the trash and will buy a new on in a few days.

On the up side the meat was moist and succulent. Its a good thing that I now roast the turkey butt side up and breast side down.

Happy Groundhogs Day

2009-02-02T16:59:00.005+01:00

Phil Says "Six More Weeks of Winter!"
Phil's official forecast as read February 2nd, 2009 at sunrise at Gobbler's Knob:Hear Ye Hear Ye
On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009
Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators
Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper
And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths
After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,
Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time
And a bright sky above me
Showed my shadow beside me.
So 6 more weeks of winter it will be.
Scenes from the morning of February 2nd:

No Frost

2009-01-30T16:58:00.004+01:00

Right now my Internet sucks. I have been trying to post for the past two days. Everything is going wrong and I haven't been able to upload anything and the keyboard seems to skip every other letter I type. ARRRGH!!

I guess a new keyboard is in the near future. If I can find one in stock.

On a different note, what I really wanted to show is the back yard a couple of days ago. I am continually amazed. I love it here.

Frost on the orchard.

Frost on the orchard Part II.

Frost on the orchard Part III.

Temecula, California. No frost.

I Might As Well Look Ageless

2009-01-26T17:13:00.005+01:00

I am finally getting over the jet lag. This morning I was able to sleep until 6:30AM. The other mornings I was wide awake at 2:00AM and unable to get back to sleep until 7:00AM and then slept till Noon. I guess the nine hours time difference from the West Coast was a little too much for a one night recovery.

To add insult to injury, I did another "She Who" ADD/sleepwalking moment. I have a tendency to sleep walk at times and end up in some really strange places. One time while at MIL's house I walked into the clothes closet and got tangled in all the clothing. I remember being terrified, not being able to turn around and get out of the "Sea of Clothes." Spousal Unit finds me all over the house and usually just guides me back to bed when I am up and about.

Friday, because of the jet lag I went to bed early. He wasn't ready for bed and so was still downstairs. I must have gotten up to go to the bathroom and ran into the door frame.

I officially have my first black eye.

While we were out and about yesterday, a store employee asked if I was in an accident. I said, "Actually I just had my eyelid tattooed for permanent eye makeup." He didn't seem to believe that answer. So I told him that yes I was in an accident and was lucky that that was my only injury. I also decided it was time to invest in some liquid foundation and cover up. The old fart beauty type stuff... to hide/fill in the wrinkles.

If I gotta wear that stuff for the next few days I might as well look ageless.