I Did Mention That I Am Not A Hiker

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

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

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

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.

Did I Mention That It Is In My Town

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?

I Don't Know If I Am Flattered Or Deflated

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?

Paris Part III

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

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

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

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.

She Made Major Eye Contact Yesterday

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

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.

Man, Was I Miffed

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

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.

Did I Ever Mention That I Love Spring?

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

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.

What Am I Supposed To Be Now?

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?

I Got To See What Was Available For The Next Time

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

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.

But I Will Figure Something Out

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.