Possibilities

I went for my interview. It felt pretty good. I like the two ladies, with whom I spoke. I still need to speak with Spousal Unit this evening to find out how he feels about me traveling. The probability of week long trip/s is a very real possibility.

• They wanted to know if I would be comfortable going to a place that I hadn't been before. Yes.


• Do I realize that I can't make a living at this type of work. Yes.



• If there was any time that I would not be available, as in Spring Break for my children. No.

They then invited me to go to a couple of Christmas markets to get the feel of what it is like to be a tour guide. So this Saturday I'm going to Nuremberg and Rothenburg odt.

Nuremberg. The Hauptmarkt, which provides a picturesque setting and famous market for gingerbread. Nuremberg's star attraction is the Gothic Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) which was erected around 1385 but subsequently replaced with a replica (the original fountain is kept in the German National Museum. The unchanged Renaissance bridge Fleischbrucke crosses the Pegnitz nearby. *

Rothenburg odt. The building on the town square is the Ratstrinkstube and contains a clock which re-enacts the historic meistertrunk daily. According to legend, the meistertrunk commemorates the event in 1631 when the walled town was under siege by the Imperial forces of Count Tilly. On a lark, Count Tilly told the city that he would spare them if anyone could drink a tankard containing about one gallon of wine in one draught. Mayor Nusch took the challenge and was successful, and the city was saved. The clock re-enacts the event hourly from 11:00 to 15:00 and 8:00 to 22:00. Rothenburg celebrates this rescue each year on Whitsun with a festival performance, a grand army march, and a field camp.*

And next Sunday its off to Cologne.

Cologne. The Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom) is the city's famous landmark and unofficial symbol. It is a Gothic church, started in 1248, and completed in 1880. In 1996, it was designated a World Heritage site; it houses the Shrine of the Three Holy Kings that supposedly contains the relics of the Three Magi . It is interesting to note that the residents of Cologne call the cathedral "the eternal construction site" (Dauerbaustelle). They predict that, by the time the renovation of the building has finished, the end of the world will be upon us!*

*The town information is provided by Wikipedia.

Don't Tell My Children, They'll Gag.

When we learned that Spousal Unit was selected for the new position, we jumped for joy. Then, as reality set in, we both looked at each other and said, "What have we done"?

Well, my solution, after creating thirty bazillion to-do lists, was to hop on the internet. As many of you know, I belong to lots of Recycling and FreeCycling groups. I figured that there had to be groups that addressed information on the new location.

In fact there are. I joined them and have been gleening information ever since.

Well, to belong to these groups, one must be an active member and have a Bio on file. They must have lost my original Bio.

I just created a new one. I wonder how much will be posted??? Hmmmm.

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Hey Julia,

My name is She Who. I am married, for 29 years. We are retired AF and husband recently accepted a position in Germany. We lived there back in the "Dark Ages" and dreamed of returning some day.

Dreams do come true and the DH will be coming over May 08. I will follow in Oct 08.

I have a few loose ends to tie up. Get the grown children out of the nest and settled, new paint, carpet, formica, landscaping, etc. to get the house ready for rental. Don't ya love doing all the stuff, for other people to live in your house?

Oh, I also have three weddings to attend this Summer. I have now told everyone I know, that haven't invited me to a wedding or other event, that I now dislike them and all of their offspring, so don't invite me to anything. Yeah, right.

The last is the nephew's, and Sister, dearest, threatened to disown me if I didn't attend. Yup, the nephew's is in October. So, I don't see the rationale of coming over, and turning right around, to come back to the States.

Enough of the dribble.

We are old. By most group members ages.

We enjoy traveling and plan to make the next 4-5 years a second honeymoon. Don't tell my children, they'll gag.

We enjoy good food and hope to be able to afford to eat out, every now and again. Euro...stop that stuff, right now. Dollar get stronger. I have spoken.

I enjoy Blogging, reading, museums, volksmarching, photography, cooking, and gardening.

My German is really, really rusty. I used to speak, just well enough to go anywhere with no problem, and found that after a beer or two became quite fluent.

I enjoy shopping and have found that going with a girlfriend and getting lost, is one of the best things to do in Europe. I love adventures.

Feel free to post, cut, or paste what you deem appropriate.

She Who

An Answer for Kim

A schrank is a freestanding closet. (Of various types.) ( In German there would be two dots over the "a" for proper spelling.)

We know them as armoires in the bedrooms. Wall units in living rooms/family rooms.

In Germany, many homes do not have any closets or cabinets in the kitchen, bedrooms, or hallways.

Many kitchens have "furniture" for kitchen sinks and cabinets. They sit up next to the wall but are not attached to the wall. Being attached would create a room.

A living room schrank is a wall unit that holds the TV, crystal, china, etc.

Homes in Germany are taxed by the number of rooms, not the value of the home. Anything built-in is considered a room. So, attached kitchen cabinets would be considered rooms.

This makes a built-in kitchen and any closets very desireable to Americans living in Germany.

It's a little strange to get used to, coming from the land of massive kitchens and walk-in bedroom closets, but that's OK.

Vogelbach House

The following is an email from the Spousal Unit, talking not to me, but to you my gentle readers. Read on:*

Gueten Abend von Deutschland, (Good Evening from Germany)*

Today's synopsis: work, work, work, house hunting, now waiting for return phone call.

It took me almost 2 hours to send you the remaining pictures from the Sulzbachtal house. The only place that I could connect was in the Pizza Gallerie so I sat there smelling the aromas while waiting for the electrons to flow.

The time was productive because I was able to work other email and partake of some pizza (no beer; I was working).

This afternoon I looked at a house that is a possible. It is in Vogelbach (hence the name of the message). The house is 2 blocks from the main street, and it is 2 years old. It has floor heating, a garage, off-street parking, and a very large backyard. You access the yard from the terrace (which is suitable for a grill and comfy chair) on the side of the house. The bad news is that the terrace is very visible from the street so no less-than-properly-clothed sunbathing (unless you're interested in making lots of new friends). (The nerve of the man to even suggest that I would partake of the local European custom of sunbathing less-than-properly-clothed. Especially on my blog.)*

There is another piece of bad news: the landlord lives in the basement. Should I continue?

After being counseled last night, I guess that I should. The entry way opens to the living room/dining room, kitchen, three-quarters bathroom, and the laundry room. (Sorry for the delay; I had to pour a Park.) (That's a local beer and I guess he isn't working now.)*

The living/dining room will accommodate our furniture (even the schrank with some separation). The kitchen table will fit also. The kitchen has enough room for a 2-person table, and it has a pantry that is larger than our current one. (Our current pantry is sizeable.)*

As you exit the kitchen into the entry way, the bathroom is on the right, and the laundry room is directly ahead. The laundry room is easily large enough for American machines and drying racks.

The stairs to the second floor are "L" shaped. (That may be a problem, we have a king sized bed)* There are 4 bedrooms and the full bath (with tub and shower) off of the landing. I think that all of the bedrooms are about the same size (14' X 13'), but they suffer a limitation of the roof angle. One bedroom has a walk-in closet (complete with some shelves). The "attic" is one party/game room, but it too suffers the roof angle (and no toilet). The neighborhood is quiet because the houses along the main street block the noise.

There is a market and bakery close by, and there is an American military facility (where my Mannheim buddy was stationed) across the autobahn.

As I said, a possibility if you can get past the landlord (husband, wife, and 1-year old daughter) living in the basement. One of my calls today netted me an appointment on Friday afternoon to see a house in Gries (pronounced like the "old country"). Gries is about 8 - 9 km away from Vogelbach so I took a quick drive by to know where I should be headed on Friday.

The house is a block from the dirt fussball pitch (Soccer field)* (with bier-atorium/Beer stand*). It was completed last fall, and no one has lived there yet. You probably wonder how I know these details. I could tell you that I laid hands on the house, but that would be misleading.

I was preparing to take some preliminary pictures (which didn't turn out because someone at home, other than me, messed with the settings and put the camera on manual) (Ya think that maybe during travel the settings might have changed??)*, when a neighbor stopped by to ask if I was going to move in. I said "maybe", and the neighbor filled me in on the house and the neighborhood.

No shopping in Gries itself, but there are lots of shops in a neighboring town (1 km away). I have mentioned this town before as one that has a Fussganger (walking only, shopping street)* with lots of restaurants and markets. I could not see much from the outside, but the house has a double carport (no garage) that I think will accommodate our vehicles.

It is in a newly constructed neighborhood. The view out of the back is stereotypical German: looking down on gentle hills with a town nestled in. The backyard is huuuuuuuuugggggggeeee (probably about 400sqm), and it appears that there is a terrace.

The ad says the house has 223 sqm so I think the configuration is living/dining room, kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom on the first floor. The second floor will be the bedrooms and a bath. The attic is over that.

More on Friday. I also have a call in to see a new house in Glan-Muenchweiler, but no one has called yet.

That's all the news that's fit to print.

Love you,

S

* She Who edits

Petunias, Toilets, Spousal Unit, and Germany Update... Sorta

Spousal Unit, bless his little heart, is going through his clothes closet.

The gal that was here recently to do our pre-move inspection, casually remarked that he had more clothes than I have. That is so true, because I have gotten together with my girl friends and cleaned out the stuff. They take what they want and I FreeCycle the rest.

Spousal Unit is starting to feel the pressure. He is leaving tomorrow, to go back to Germany. When he returns, he will have two weeks before he's outta here. So, he is cleaning out his closet and deciding what to keep and what to FreeCycle.

Lord knows, I love the man, but he should have started doing some of this stuff weeks, months ago. He needs a girl friend. NOT, in that way, but I hope you know what I mean.

We can barely get into the bedroom because all his stuff is on the floor or the bed and he is only half done.

I am almost to the point that I am either going to drop everything off at Goodwill or order a roll-off dumpster to just be done with it all. If you know me, these actions are totally, not me.

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A couple of readers suggested that I plant the petunias, as I mentioned last night in the toilet. Now, normally I would think that is an excellent idea.

True, I could only do so if the toilet was in the back yard.

One does not have a petunia, planted toilet on one's front porch. So Gauche.

I also need to reinstall the toilet in the "Powder Room" after the new tile floor is grouted.

Jim is THE man.

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Guess what? Spousal Unit is going back to Germany. We get to have some more fun with his emails. Let's hope that this time, he sends pictures, and takes measurements of the rooms in the houses.

The buffaloes were cute, but those type of pictures don't give me any information on what I need to bring.

I Did the Deed Today

I did the deed today. I have been putting it off forever. I didn't wanna do it, I really didn't wanna do it. I had to. I want to go to Germany.

I had to get my picture taken.

I had to get my picture taken for my passport. I can't remember the last time I allowed a real, no kidding picture of me to be taken. I usually cheese it up and do a swirly hair in front of the face thingee. I just do not photograph well anymore.

I used to be cute. Perky was brought up on occasion. Now, I just feel, who.... is that person, that is supposed to be me, in that photo????

YUUUUUUCK.

I did it because I want to go with Spousal Unit.

Another House and I Get a Spousal Unit Home Tonight

The house I saw tonight is a very nice house that will be available in mid-June. The landlord (speaks English) is willing to wait until 1 July. If you look at Google Maps, follow the road out of Glan-Muenchweiler on the east side of the river north. The next town (2k) is Rehweiler. Rehweiler is a village where some investors built some new houses. There are 2 more houses in construction on Roedelbach. There is a gasthaus in town, but it was not open today. There are several restaurants in Glan-Muenchweiler and some in Matzenbach (3k). There is also a bakery and a market in G-M. Again, this house is about 15k from the place of work with most of the route autobahn. Rehweiler also has a bahnsteige Train station where every hour there is a train to Kaiserslautern and Kuesel. The bahnsteige is about 4 blocks away.

The house sits on a hillside on the west side of town. It is on a dead-end street with about 15-20 houses. You will notice in the Uphill, Downhill, and Front pictures that there isn't much space for parking in front and the grade of the hill. There is a garage large enough for the van. We would have to park Blacky (Spousal Unit's car-his father fixes up cars gave it to him when he was no longer able to drive.) (Its a little Mercedes roadster. Its fun to drive. She who will not drive it in the States. She who values her drivers license too much) outside. There is no grass in front; it is planted with small flowers and a couple shrubs.





Going downstairs, you enter the living room. There is an office to the left. If you look at the Back view, the large window in the middle and the 2 windows to the left are the living room. The 2 windows to the right are the office. The back of the house has southern exposure.

The backyard is very large. In the picture (sorry for the blur) (Much too blurry to post - Spousal is not the photographer in the family) you will notice a line of brown grass which looks to be just in front of the trees. That is the end of our responsibility, and there is a slope that goes down to the creek. The landlord has a gardener that comes twice a year to tend the hillsides on the side of the house.



The house doesn't look very large from the front, but the rooms are very large. On the entry floor, you have a kitchen on the right side. The kitchen is close to the size of house we own in town that is now a rental with a large area for the table. There is a small patio outside the kitchen. Across the entry way is the laundry room, a bath room, and a storage room that is probably about 6X10. All of the rooms except the kitchen and the entry bathroom are floor heat (gas). The entry way has a granite floor, and the bedrooms have parquet.

Going up from the entry way, there are 2 large bedrooms (windows on either side of the balcony in Back view) and a bathroom (tub, no shower) in the middle of the balcony. Continuing up the stairs, there are 2 more bedrooms (windows in Downhill and Uphill views) that are about the size of son #1's room. (Not a bad size) The only drawback is that part of the ceiling slopes. The third bathroom (with shower) is at the front of the house. You continue up the stairs from the bathroom toward the back of the house, and there is an attic that goes across the entire width of the house.

The house is only a couple of years old. My main concerns are the hill, the parking, and the lack of a bakery and gasthaus in walking distance. (Like my hips need a bakery in walking distance) We would constantly be going up and down the stairs. Not insurmountable. (Hips might get to like the stairs) You can see the dish on the roof so satellite is available. I told Sabine the real estate rental agent that I would have to send the pictures to you and discuss it. The landlord agreed to show the house early because I was leaving, but Sabine will probably not actively show it until mid-May. Please look at the pictures, and we can talk about it.

Love,

S (That means Spousal Unit)

Sorry for the disjointedness of the layout of the post tonight. Usually I just ramble on and I am not proficient with the insertion of photos yet. This too shall come. That's all for now folks. The Spousal Unit is coming home tonight and I need to get ready. Tee Hee.


* She who edits

OBTW - He Doesn't Know I'm Doing This

Just to let you know, Spousal Unit doesn't know I am sharing his emails with you. He can not access blogs on his computer.

Let's just keep this our little secret. OK?

I Planned on Leaving in August

After Spousal Unit informed me that he had been selected for the job in Germany I went through the mental math and figured out that for me to put the bulging house back together would take me a couple of months.

We LIVE in our house. Think teenage boys that totally trash the house along with their friends.

Don't get me wrong. I really liked that the boys brought the friends home during those years 'cause I always knew where they were. It's just that the house suffered.

Now I have to fix all the damage (I prefer-well lived in) before I can offer the house on the market for rent.

Paint, possible new carpeting, new kitchen floor. Stuff that I really don't want to deal with. I'll deal, just don't want to.

Don't even get me started on the storage area of the basement. Any one out there that will help me out? You get first dibs on the stuff. Think ebay people. I give you stuff. I don't care what you do with it.

Just found out that sister #2's son is getting married on Oct 4th.

I'm gonna have to leave a little later than I planned.

I'm Gonna Have to Change My Banner Statement

Loyal Readers, (If being loyal after only starting this Blog last weekend counts as being Loyal)

I received some news that blew me out of the water today. In a very good way.

My Spousal Unit applied for a new position several weeks ago. Early last week HE was notified that HE was on the short list. Late last week He interviewed and felt good about the the interview.

This morning HE called me. HE was offered the job and HE accepted.

We are moving to Germany.

OMG what have we done??????????