Packer...Movers....Shakers....

The Packers are still here, not them...

But more like them...

They kicked butt the first day.....some how I think they may be hungover! Deutschland played in the World Cup last night...they are moving really slow today. It's funny they have skipped a few things but managed to pack both Craig and mine toiletry kits. One of the young men speaks good English but I feel bad for him he has to so all the writing in both languages. He keeps asking me what certain things are called....like box springs and my hubby weight machines. I think they hate us, in fact I'm pretty sure they do. They are used to Ikea furniture and we have lots of heavy pieces. One of they said he has never seen so many shoes in his life! Really cause I feel like I need to do some shoes shopping....those are so two years ago! 

 It is really hot here, yet they don't want the fans on...Germans do not like drafts! Even though they have sweat dripping off themselves. We bought them some water and they aren't having it. 

The young one is the rule enforcer.....he said no drugs, alcohol, porn or weapons! WHAT! So he is not sure about the vitamins, I keep asking him aren't you going to pack them? And he humm and haaa's! I said they are not drugs they are for wellness! He said can you buy them in USA? Yes that is where I got them! Okay yes....yes we will ......but they haven't yet! He also wouldn't pack Katelyn's German ginger bread heart necklace...he said no food....okay! But they packed all my cleaning supplies and Sophie's food which I didn't want them too and some of those cleaning supplies are bleach!!! WTH but don't pack my heart shaped cookie necklaces!

They are really hard workers.....and listen to pretty good music.....but I still think they hate us! I hope they don't lose my shoes! 

Today is the day.......

Last day...

Today is my daughter's last day of 10th grade and school in Germany.  She is really excited to move back to USA, but sad too. She has made some wonderful friends here and she will surely miss them.

Jumping for joy it's summer time!

Today is my Husband's last day at his job here. He too is looking forward to the next chapter, but loved working with his German colleagues. I think he will miss his work friends and the job he did.

This is my husband with his boss congratulating him on his success at a farewell dinner. It made me really proud to hear the appreciation from the customer and his boss. He worked his butt off for the last two years, benefits outweigh the negative.

It's weird for me to think they have both had wonderful celebratory goodbyes...lunches, dinners and parties.


I on the other hand have had.....nothing! Well that's not totally true, my vet shook my hand and wished me all the best. I think I should stop by Starbucks and say goodbye to my barista friends, they might wonder why they suddenly have too much chai latte in stock. I made a few connections here but they have already moved on. So am I ready to move on...yes!Will there be tears....no! Am I leaving with good memories? You bet! My family is closer than ever and the experience was worth all the tears, loneliness and antidepressants. Is it weird and a little sad for me to not have friends or connections here? Yes! I'm pretty social, I have friends since childhood. But here I totally struck out, I hope it hasn't ruined me from ever putting myself out there again.

I'm leaving here a stronger, confident, braver women and a bit guarded. This journey wasn't about me, it was about the growth of us as a family and individually. I may still be 5'4" but I feel so much taller!

Happy Friday!

Hamburg

Yesterday we went to Hamburg with my nephew...everyone always ask is that where Hamburgers came from. I always say no way, mostly because I haven't had a decent Hamburger since living in Germany. But after going back and forth I decide to see what Wikipedia had to say on the matter.

Oops I totally messed up on that one....could have been bragging all along, Welcome to Hamburg the home of the Hamburger! According to Wiki, the term comes from German city of Hamburg. "Burg" means castle, people from Hamburg are refereed to as Hamburgers, like Londoners are from London. More than just the term originates from Hamburg it goes back to the 16th century where Russian import steaks in Hamburg and by the 18th century people were requesting Hamburg style steak. And it goes on and on and many have their claim to the first Hamburger!

I rarely see it on a menu here and miss a good juicy Hamburger....in two weeks we land in NY it's a toss up what I will have first a juicy Hamburger or Mexican food....both I miss so much!

Happy Friday!

Saying goodbye

 Last week I said goodbye to my German teacher aka paid friend. On one hand I was so glad to be done and on the other hand I really enjoyed our conversations together. Even though she was pretty direct, boarder line rude, condescending etc...she taught me a lot about the language, culture and art. Once I found out we were moving I tried to end our lessons, what was the point. She would hear nothing of it....our last day she tested me verbally on lots of basic things....by then I've lost my will to learn. Oh I know some of you are saying what you had a will to learn ....kinda! I think I convinced my self I was an old dog that couldn't learn a new trick. I certainly was her worst student....we laughed about that!

So we go to say goodbye she extends her hand for a shake, and I go in for the hug! Awkward! I guess I thought we had cross the bridge from formal to friendly.....silly me!

The end of that chapter of my German life.


P.S. She looks in pain trying to smile doesn't she?

Play date

My husband has a play date tonight! Well at least thats what we are teasing him about. Our Canadian neighbor has invited him to the Werder Bremen Football (aka soccer) game tonight. It is his first German soccer game, he is pretty excited. Katelyn wants to help him pick out his outfit.....he is trying to play it cool but I think he wishes he had a team jersey and all the paraphernalia needed to blend in a 100% Werder! That's what they call it when you are a true fan! I think! So the hubs will be amongst the screaming fans eating bratwurst, drinking beer and coming home stinking like smoke!! I hope he has fun.....Katelyn and I are gonna braid each others hair and eat chocolate! Okay maybe NOT but we are off to cause our own trouble!

Go Bremen!!!

 

Thank you for all the blogging love I really appreciate it. I don't mean to be a Debbie downer I think it's been a long road of change.  I'm going to focus on the sunshine in my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Today the sun kissed my cheeks and I felt it.

I have been in..... denial.

I really didn't think my hair was that Gray!

Until the sun was shining just right, and I glance in the mirror.....the horror!

So I took charge, oh yes I did....I hummed and ha'ed a few days!

I knew my emergency awakening was not going to get me in to my regular gal..

as in the one I went to in August!!!

So I bravely scared as hell walk into a salon ...in Germany with little or no language skills to guide me.

I did my best Sprechen Sie Englisch?

Nein, she says and looks at me as to say now what!!!

This is when for some reason I think speaking loud and slow with choppy words, some how they will understand me....sounds a little like this me need color on my gray hair and (using my fingers to make scissor movements ) a trim!! JA!

She looks at me with a blank stare...ah! eyebrow Ja! 

NEIN I point again to skunk stripe me need COLOR!! 

Ja, Ja, Okay heute? (today) Ja! Hello I'm here aren't I! 

Okay now she wants to know what color ....I know my German colors but I really don't want just a solid Brown want some texture....(suddenly the fact I have been walking around gray for too long I need a fancy color!) 

So I look around the salon I figure I can't point to someones hair and say Ja like hers!

OKay bad idea there was Pink and Elvira and pin stripe girl. 

So I say just Brown! Beggars can't be choosers at this point.

She works her magic and I see my gray hairs disappearing and a lovely brown shade appear.  She just keeps smiling at me and nodding her head ! And I smiled back and nodded my head! She say ja das is gut and I said much better! and I thanked god it was not pink and blue and any other rainbow of colors! 

Seasons changing

I took this picture at the end of my driveway a week ago ....those trees are bare now!

and so are most of these......

and these.......

I love this Holly Tree in my neighbors yard garden, makes me think of Christmas!

Saw this Evergreen with red berries at park also made me think of Christmas!

We have been having rain everyday this month so far and it's continuing until the 15th....

The temperature is in the 40's during the day and it's been dark and gray, down right dreary.

It's like a light switch went off once the calendar flip from October to November...winter and rain are upon us.

Time to buy a sun lamp aka mood lamp. So the darkness doesn't take over!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mean people just suck!

Yesterday I picked up a package from my In-laws at the German Customs office. I think randomly they decide to hold a package for delivery and you must go there and be grilled. It's kinda scary, well lets just say I'm a wimp. First of all this place is far from where I live and past the SBahn line. It's a nondescript building, you enter a room with seats and must wait your turn. So you sit there and you have no idea how they know you are there....but they do! Someone comes out you get to go in.You hand over your first born proper forms and identification.

There was some one sided German conversation in which I listened and nodded to, but responding beyond Ja ( yes) was not the right answer! Oops! SORRY!  So I did my, "Sprechen Sie Englisch? Ja I speak he said....gut so what is you need? And I'm all I have a package to pick up! He gets it and places on counter like it is a bomb or a pile of poop. He says What is this? How many guesses do I get, is what I wanted to say! But this guy had not a shredded of humor or wit about him, imagine Colonial Klink but meaner.

So anyways, I said it's a present from my In laws. He stares at me for what felt like hours...okay a few scary minutes! Hands me a knife box cutter and says OPEN IT ( in a really mean German scary voice)!! So I do and the box is full of those Styrofoam worms, they go everywhere....I was nervous, I might of spilled a few on accident! I take out two wrap gifts and a plastic bag full of Altoid tins. He looks at the Custom Form and says "What is it?" and I'm thinking dude they are wrapped WTH! But I said the form says one is a sweater and the other is a watch/bracelet set. He looks at the bigger of the two and says unwrap that one! I do and hold it up for approval that infact it is a sweather! Than  he holds up the bag with Altoids and says WAS ist Das?

Great so we are back to the whole conversation in German are we? I said they are mints for your breath....and I'm thinking please don't take them I  really need a breath mint right now!! He looks at me in disgust and says okay you can go!

I do my best German Danke Shoen (thank you) and tschuss! (bye) he rolls his eyes and shakes his head like oh now you are going to speak German.

That was the third experience that day of trying and failing and annoying Germans with my lack of language skills. I felt pretty beat up...on my lonely walk back to the SBahn sucking on an Altoid I thought I may never speak German again....better yet other than Starbucks I may never leave my house again!

Everyone always says if you at least try they will appreciate it. Well guess what those people don't exist in my neck of the woods! So until my bruises heal I'm only talking to the Starbucks Barista and my friend the DHL driver. Oh! and the guy at the ice cream store too!

Mystery Meat

Back in the land of WTH is this? Three weeks in the States had me use to the foods and meats again. Now I'm back in Germany and gagging on everything! Last night's Spaghetti was the final draw. I knew when I was cooking the beef it smelled weird to me, look weird to me and sure enough tasted ....ummmm disgusting! WTH do they feed the cattle here in Deutchland ? and the chickens too.....I'm really too lazy to be vegetarian plus I'm married to a carnivore, total meat and potatoes kinda guy. What to cook for dinner tonight? Toast anyone?

Heading back to Germany.....

Today we are heading back to Germany! Katelyn and I left three weeks ago, we spent a week in New Jersey and two weeks in Utah. We had a great trip, so busy visiting family and friends. Shopping, eating, seeing movies it was a whirl wind, almost a blurr! I'm excited to get back, I miss my Hubby and Sophie dog so much. Katelyn on the other hand may go kicking and screaming, I can't say we are going home or she corrects me and says we are home.

It has been very therapeutic for both of us getting away and being back in Utah. But now I'm ready to get back to the routine of life and be back in my bed. I'm coming back with a new attitude and a focus on my health, both physical and mental. Okay and I'm armed with Bee Pollen and Happy pills too!

One year ago today we.....

moved to Bremen, Germany and started this adventure. It's hard to believe it's been a year, and on the other hand it's gone painfully slow. I want to say one down and one to go, but we really don't know the length of our stay here.

Looking back on the early days, how hard the smallest task was and how scared I was. Those days are over, I have confidence and am comfortable knowing where to go. But I'm still learning how to live here. I barely found out how to use my washer correctly, a month ago! So everyday is a learning experience here. I'm understanding the language better than I speak, but am clueless most of the time.

Some days are really good, and some not so good. I haven't cried in awhile because of missing friends and family, or ached for my old life. But is it because I visited family in April and family just left and I'm heading to the states this weekend. Knowing that is that carrying me through the lonely days or have I adjusted to my new life temporarily?

We have had an amazing experience this year. We have travelled to wonderful places. Spent quality time together as a family and are closer now than ever. Grown a lot in many ways, changed some too. Made this home here feel like a home. But I will always ache for my Home Sweet Home!

I hope to be a Mrs. instead of Frau very soon!

Today was our annual visit from the Chimney Sweeper. We were told when we moved here the inspector will come to your house and you can not refuse the service and you must let him in it is German law! You must have your chimney inspected and cleaned once a year. I've read it the job was created back during the Nazi era and the cities are divided into "sweep" Districts. The cleaners are well trained 12 years before getting there own district and often volunteer for the fire dept. Our is very nice and knows perfect English which is a huge plus in my book.

We never use our fireplace, doesn't matter, it's the law. They also inspect your heating system, ours is brand new, doesn't matter it's the law. I'm told the cost range from 50 Euros to 100 Euros per visit but a law is a law. And I have fire issues so it is a piece of mind.

I'm a bit of a clean freak so when our soot covered sweeper came today, he had me a little worried of the mess he would leave behind. Other than the smell, not a speck of soot in my house. But I wondered about his car, his house, his washing machine, his nails etc... does he really ever come clean? Does he always smell like soot...seriously could you imagine being married to that smell forever?

Today I was told the best way to learn a language is to take a LOVER . So I asked my Hubby if I could do that, you know to learn the language, assimilate better in Germany. It's not that I want to by all means it's just part of language training, kinda like a tutor! He said Nein!

Today when having my German lesson we were covering colors and she ask me what color my coffee cup was. I said Burgundy, I don't even know if I walk around saying that color or why I said it. My coffee cup is really Maroon but I couldn't recall the color. She was like what is this Burgundy I don't know this color, all excited like she learned something new. Writing it down she wanted to know was this English , American or Oxford? All I could think was it's Crayola 64 pack I think.

See why taking a LOVER is a better learning tool!

Making a house a home one step at a time.....

Today I anxiously waited between 7am - 2pm for my Ikea delivery. When we moved here we shipped a lot of our favorites but not everything. You can only fit so much in a shipping container. Now that we are slowing approaching our first year here and I'm done sulking, we are trying to make this feel more like home. Our office is the first to get the much needed attention. My husband has to work with German time zone and California time zone so he spends most evenings in the office and we wave to him through the window. Our office has his desk and a built shelves, and that's was it until today.

Sophie checking out the chair and peaking out the window

Sophie helping.......

Bare bones couch

Finished product minus the legs and maybe some pillows? Is it too busy for pillows?

Finished product comfy chair

Now I've been scouring the Internet for pictures to cover the bare white walls. But I'm so happy that now I can sit in there and read or play free cell while my hubby works. Plus we don't have to hide in our bedroom when the teen has her friends over. Yay for Ikea and Yay that they deliver.

Banana Splits at my Gym!

What the hell! My gym during the month of June is having Banana Splits for 2 Euros !! I think they are major saboteurs of the worse kind. I guess it's good business keeping your clients fat.

So lets recap what I can get at my German Gym:

1. Banana Splits ( Made with Ice Cream not Yogurt)

2. Cappuccino and Lattes

3. Smokes

Signs

Signs that is one thing I hope to be able to read once I know more German. This one says Verbot which translates to ban. Sorry the picture is blurry it was taken from a moving bus. So basically I gather it is saying guns, knives and switchblades are banned from 20-8 Uhr . So from 10 pm until 8 am no guns, knives and blades allowed....hello allow them then I'm asleep, lets ban them from 8 am to 10 pm . Okay the fact that there is a sign banning and setting a time limit struck me as odd. I wonder if it is only in that neighborhood ....?

Saturday in Bremen

Saturdays in Bremen are some times too exciting to post about. Who am I kidding they are all pretty much like this...mellow and quiet. It was a gorgeous evening so we took our usual walk out to the country. Katelyn was the photographer of the night, only because she is never without her camera and I was. Most her pictures I can't include, her motto is the sillier the better. And for some reason taking pictures of my back end is funny. Trust me I know it's there and I'm not laughing! It's funny to look at her pictures vs. the ones I usually take on this same walk. She caught different things I walk by and never see or capture. The third top picture it's hard to see but in the field was a Doe and she never moved, just kept watching us. The horses rarely come over so it was a nice treat, maybe they were looking for a treat like a fuzzy dog! Sophie was not to keen on being sniffed by this big thing. It was wild night I tell ya! Hope your weekend was just as crazy!

I never really thought of dogs knowing other languages and if they can be Bi-lingual. Today while on our walk we passed a jogger and his dog, he yelled for him in Italian. Passed another walker she yelled at her dog in German. Some times when Sophie comes back from the boarder she seems confused, I think it is because the boarder only speaks German to Sophie. Now I'm pissed because it dawned on me, Sophie knows more German than I do!