He Made Me Do It!!!

For Christmas my "little" Bro served totally unexpected to me: Fish, salmon, to be exact.
You know, on 24th, evening, just the three of us. Mum, Bro and me.

What about traditions, huh? What about the good ole Fondue? Ok, I hated that. Bro always had to manage my part - after our Dad passed away - cause I was afraid to burn myself.

But... fish???

Guess what! I liked it!

So, now, despite having my Father´s "anti-fish-genes" we have something healthy and yummy on the way, this is what Ingo made and he did even better than my Bro!

Ingo made the fish in the oven, my, that was yummy! Really!

Thanks, Bro, if you read along, for giving your old Sis a healthy opportunity! ;-)
You made me do it and it worked!

Oh...
They now say 30 years. Last time we had a winter like this was 30 years ago, not 20.

When I was born (looong ago) it was so darn cold the wire tubes froze. Big mess. Well, afterwards, when it got warmer...

I. Want. Spring.
Now!!!!
Go away winter!!!

Apropos Winter... I finally managed to upload pics from our journey '99 throughout Australia on FB. Awwww, THAT was good! That was fun, that was weird, beautiful, full of insects.... that was life!
And sometimes freezing cold (like once... our windscreen was frozen, sleep in a car like that! (Wave Rock)...)

Ice Ice Baby

So, what happened... the most beautiful, perfect snow fell (gahhh! Stop it!). A bit later it got warmer, the snow was nearly water.
Then it got very cold.

This is the result:



Ice.
you can click to enlarge
The county has run out of salt, so... there is nothing to be done.
The main rodas are free, but you first have to get there without damage.

Do I look forward to Monday :-(

Haha, global warming...
Let´s hope the next winter like this will come like the last: in 20 years!

Love And Hate

We still made no progress finding a new apartment.

I hate paying so much rent here when we can afford an apartment, like "buying".

I hate how loud it is here - that goes for inside out. I hate the landlords who even have an eye on your rubbish (and we´re the "lucky" ones living right above them, they complained openly to me that they can hear every word Ingo says, but I´m not loud enough!!! Really, she said that to me!).

I hate how small the apartment is (68m²) and that it´s not light enough.

I love the neighbours from opposite, though! In summer you can hear them making BBQs, having fun, laughing and all. It´s like living in a village!
And even in winter you feel kinda close - no one uses blinds here, isn´t that too likeable? I love it:



You can really look inside! Seems like an Africa-Fan lives there :-)



We close the blinds, though, when we FINALLY start to learn to dance for Cuba. I don´t want anyone to witness that!!! ;-)

Gah. It´s a true dilemma.

The kitchen could be a lot bigger, but the rest is ok. I even love the tiling by now. I love the Brunsviga (German, cultural Centre) mostly. It´s a nice building and it´s fun to watch the guys there.

I hate the traffic they cause, though, and that you never get to park your car after 8 pm (and sometimes mostly in the afternoon, too).

3 Minutes on foot and there is Aldi, Penny (another discounter), a bakery, a butcher - we have everything we need so close - I never had that before.

Still... I want something on our own. Something we can afford - and that is in the Easterly Ring Area (yes. This is important - I do believe for both of us (I hope it´s not just me!!!) . And that has a balcony. Is sunny. And normal (Heck, what did we see so far!!! Bathroom??? You come in... walk beside the long kitchen wall, go into the kitchen, walk to the end of that and find a tiny bathroom. Nah. "Yum").

Well. Till we find something I enjoy sitting here without the blinds down seeing our neighbours "vis-à-vis"! :-)

You Want A Bugs Bunny?

Or rather a Popeye? Pluto? Spartakus?

As Junior, Classic or Jumbo?

Hehe, this is really fun, the ad I found in the mail today!

Pizza Garfield has Cheese and Tuna, naturally.
Pizza Nemo comes with seafood.
Speedy is topped with Bacon and Kidney-Beans on BBQ-Sauce, Popeye has Spinach and so funnily on :-)
(You can click to enlarge)



May be I give Crazzy-Pizza a chance after all and order one.
They are so creative (at least for German standards), maybe the kitchen itself is, too!

Oh, Bugs Bunny comes with Veggies, what else? ;-)

The Face

Winter´s kinda beautiful (but dangerous) face:



The city cuts them off at night...



There really are nice people here. Some kiddo lost his Pitzelpatz and the person who found him, put him on a bush:



At first I thought of taking him home. Cause I have one, too, but then I thought maybe the kid who lost him finds him and is happy... Hope that happened.

My car? Ingo managed to free it.



So. Tomorrow I´m on the road again.
Keep your fingers crossed me and the car make it in one piece to and back from work...

Uh, oh and I stumbled over this, isn´t that amazing?



And so contrary (?) to the book I´m reading, "If a Lion Could Talk: Animal Intelligence and the Evolution of Consciousness".

Else... my Mum called me this evening. Yes. This is worth mentioning. Was very nice.

Icebound

... at home - scrapbooking?
We got the most terrible weather atm. I´m signed sick, so I am happy I can stay home.
Ingo says our street is real bad, the major roads are free, though.

So, what am I up to...

I finally put some galleries into FB, four so far! Like from Ingo´s early years for a change, too cute, here an example:



Else I play around with pics to get them printed and hang about here (15*10cm)...


My swing...


In the botanical gardens

Any guesses?


Our kitchen...



On the balcony, former apartment.

Scrapbooking-ideas maybe?


Food for Mondays for work Ingo used to make me before we moved in together


Well, us :-)

Have put the (so far) lot in here, cause I just dunno where to put it all in real life when/if I get it printed properly on SAT (places are so crowded!)...

"You Shift Position"

... said my Bro to me today as we were in the Greek restaurant in my hometown.

I´m not only a girl-friend/spouse, daughter, sister and SIL, but soon an Aunty, too! Yay! :-)

The kid is due August 18th!

And yes, we drove in this horrible weather! Wasn´t the feared 30-40cm, just some maybe 3, but with snowstorms. Ingo is a safe driver, though.

Ha, ha!! I´ll be an Aunty!!!! :-))) There´ll be a lille one!

"Tasty"

... just not a word for "German", awww, miss it!



Yes, we do have Cheddar. Irish one, rather orange and just not half as yummy as Coon. It´s a pity, really. (Had the first Cheddar a Coon one. Yeah, Germany is a bit behind it all!)

Hehe :-) Also love the Aussie-accent! Nice to hear again.

ATM we "wait" for "Daisy", a snow-storm that might hit us hard.
20 years nothing (nearly) and now this, gahhh. We´re advised to "provide" for the worst, feels like being in the US, hopefully this is not meant for small Northern Germany! ...cause... we´re not used to so.much.snow.and.ice. How frightening (for me, at least).

German Thoroughnes

...or "Miracles Happen"




Sometime in June 2008 I needed my ID card and saw it expires in November that year.

Today (!) I managed to go and apply for a new one. Because I need a new passport for Cuba as well.
My colleague said I will get to pay the penalty for waiting so long - but naaaah, wasn´t the case :-)

And my, it was a true surprise. I suppose the "German thoroughness" is well known and that public servants are not famous for being fast. I had a book with me (cause I went to the Gym afterwards anyways) and expected some time for the book whilst waaaaiting.

I went and got my number, opened the door and.... my number was already on display!

I gave the friendly woman the old passport and ID card, had the biometrical pictures ready, my Birth Certificate (ye-hess! I needed to proof I was actually born earlier in my life!) and enough money, too.
She explained the next steps and was quick in working on the documents.

Wo-hoo!! :-)

Odd thing was that now they take your fingerprints (and from both) index-fingers. You have to do that three times per finger so the machine gets the best results.

I felt like a criminal, I tell ya!

On one hand I don´t plan a big bank robbery yet, but on the other hand I wonder for what issues they might misuse this information about me in the future?
How about that in your place???

But, well, I was out there in no time, a wonder!

About an hour later I had another reason to look in wonder.
Because without realizing I found myself between giants!




No, really, I´m still on holiday and was in the morning in the gym and the New Yorker Phantoms, our Basketball-Team, was there to do some workout.
It was kinda freaky standing between ten really huge men, all in the same outfit, too!
Their trainer was probably Ingo´s size, wich is way over 1,80m, and he looked really small amongst them.

Giant is what probably will happen this weekend. 40cm new snow are expected.
The coldest winter in 20 (!!) years (yeah, "Global Warming", huh?!)
And I have to go by car on Monday. I do not look forward to that, to say the mildest. I am afraid of driving. Like really afraid. Won´t go into detail bout who just doesn´t mind getting their butts outta bed at all :-(..)
Our "war-guilt", yeah...

It´s frightening to see the cars (and oneself) gliding and slipping on the icy roads. There are many accidents and I certainly don´t wanna end up like that...

Please send some warm temps!

Wishful Thinking

So, I got asked if we had White Christmas.

Seems like wishes can take some time, but they came true after all, oh nooooo! ;-)

My dear bike...



... is of no use atm.

I have to walk everywhere now, cause I don´t dare to drive on this (anymore):



Snow really is not nice, see:



And remember: Don´t eat yellow snow!!!!



Sadly temps will stay down. I´m really kinda afraid of driving the car in conditions like these. Can someone please wish for warmer temps? Maybe it works, too!