An End (For Now)

 

Today is my last day at ALSTOM  😥

(Lunch break now)

 

Got a Teams-invitation from ALSTOM-teamleader titled "your current last day at Team Tram Frankfurt".

My Excel magician was there as well (in the office) and later admin joined, too, as did my ESE-teamleader via Teams.

It was bitter-sweet.

I managed not to cry.

They all... we all are sad I have to take a break.

They said they learned so much through my deep questions with problems others simply would´ve given up on. And that we always had a good laugh whilst learning from each other.

 

 

My magician is to save my OneNote for when I come back. When, not if!!!!

I have private numbers from both teamleaders to stay in private contact and if work pops up, they´ll send it via e-mail (no idea who pays what but it´s wonderful).

 

When the problems on the physical tram in Barcelona, Spain, are solved ALSTOM calls me back for Documentation & Translation Management.

 

I am so thankful I was allowed to work with the best team ever.

Even magician laughed about me saying, I don´t mind working occasionally 11+ hours as it is fun...

But really. It was FUN! Then it does not feel like work (much).

How about you? 

A prospect on what´s to come, see tomorrow...

For smiles scroll down or click here, if you like.

Henry 🦁

Yes, soon, hopefully!

Awwww, ALSTOM-Admin called me to say good-bye, too...

And whilst saving OneNote ALSTOM-teamleader joined and we had a lot to laugh about! I miss them all already!

FFO And Smiles

 

 

I forgot about Bart: His tic-tacs taste of Bubblegum, Homer was Donut, and Marge is Blueberry, Lisa and Maggie were nowhere to be found and... it says "best before 2017", so... I bought these a long while ago.

And it´s no wonder Marge has a funny consistency...

Did I ever mention I´m not into sweets much? 

 

With the family I join Nicoles FFO. 

 

And for Annie´s Smiles...

 

Summer is here! 

In the news they said it was the sunniest June since the recording of weather!

Sadly since two days much colder and grey.

 

I have this this week:

 

💙💛
 

Henry 🦁

To silliness!

 

Addendum: Opened Outlook. A teams-invitation from ALSTOM-teamleader, title "Your for now last day at ALSTOM". 

For now!!! Wish me luck I do not cry... it seems I can come back indeed...

I did not cry, see here...

Braunschweig-Time Part I

 

This is Low German for "Braunschweig, du liebe Stadt", "you lovely town".

Reckon you know all four potrated here, if not, no worries, I´ll come to that some other time. Time...

 

"What time is it right now?" When you´re somewhere in Germany or around you get the answer from Braunschweig.

Let me tell you about our city, if you like.

 

First a shocker: We had our own nuclear reactor. 

The PTB,  Physical Technical Bundesanstalt (Federal Institute) is the second largest metrology institute worldwide. The science of exact measuring. And time.

 

Initiated in 1887  by Werner von Siemens, researchers try to find the exact unity for mass, velocity, acoustic, dynamic -  research is done on neutron and solid-state physics  and hence from 1967 to 1995 there was a nuclear reactor running here.

 

It was a so-called Swimming pool reactor with highly enriched uranium as nuclear fuel. 

 

After decommissioning, the fuel assemblies were transported back to the USA as part of the nuclear non-proliferation policy.

 

Hm. I hope everybody knows what they are doing. 

We visited more than once.

 

190 tons of irradiated and contaminated decommissioning waste are still on site in special PTB drums.

 

In case you still think about visiting us...

 

___

 

The Asse II mine is just around the corner. Reads like a lille horror story, many here still have big, yellow "A"´s as protest on their balconies and houses or on hoodies and stuff (they do protest but certainly do not come up with a solution... just like the Friday For Future-kids or the Gluers).

"125,787 drums of low level radioactive waste,... 1,293 containers with medium-level radioactive waste (are) stored from 1972 to 1977/78...

 

...  it must be assumed that the containers with concrete shielding... (raised) their number from 1293 to 16.100...

 

... Other notable waste that is stored in the mine are 497 kilogram arsenic, mercury, tons of lead[12] and animal carcasses from radiation experiments.[13] Even some human remains[14] and waste from the Nazi era are rumored to be part of the inventory."

Instability of the mine, and water inflow don´t make one feel more comphy.

But, hey, I LOVE my City!!!!

 

I finally followed Christine´s example and tried on small paper for my mini-easel - it´s FUN!

I was afraid I cannot sketch on only 8*10.5 cm / 3.1*4.1 inch, but it teaches me patience and, as said, is FUN, thank you, Christine.

(this is actually a Christmas-ornament)

And Henry 🦁 sure takes care, I BET!!!

("You saw me in first pic")

 

Next time something less scary, I promise. 

 

 

Be Happy....

 

 

... for 2 hours each - but what I found more fascinating is the reflection!

Here is a last one from Emden:

 

More is....Henry 🦁 he has a new job!!!!

Leave your claws in, please...

This s for Tom´s Signs2.

Off to ESE soon, let´s see what my new job will be.

After I likely finished my last ALSTOM-job for now. 

Friday will be my last day. For now only, I hope.

T Stands For SUMMER

 My ticket for Elizabeth´s T - yum!

And the journal:

 

Monday: Needed help in Excel, asked my magician. And let him know I´m only here till end of June. He said, "hope you come back" and on my "this is the best team I ever worked with" he revealed if it wasn´t for this great team he likely would be long gone...

AND... I got work. Another document for translation. 

 

Told Bro how important very good English is for Germans - Big Niece has a "2". 1 is best, 6 is worst. Not that bad!

Asked if she would like to read Charlotte´s Web. Had to explain to Bro  what this is about, gahhh - there even is a mural in Melville/Perth of a kid reading this!

 

28C, sunny reading  and sketching on the balcony with a cold piece of melon (OK, two pieces). Nearly-BBQ and 2 sessions of training.

 

  

Tuesday: Doorbell, "our" postie, the one who never goes past a "Sch....?" for Ingo. I murmur, "what does he order all the time?..." - and I really got the answer, "I don´t know", LOL! He speaks a good German but obviously cannot differ a rhetorical from a real question, too cute.

Met new colleague, a very nice guy - it will be trains for a while it seems. Something entirely new again, requirements, implementation... I´m a tad (...!) afraid to fail.

Just learned likely that team is complete. Does my work-life go down the drain?

28C, cool melon on the balcony to sketch and eat :-)

4 sessions training.

Later movie with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler, a wonderful, intelligent comedy (Blended), certainly sadly translated to German... but the music speaks it right.

 

 

Wednesday: SUMMER IS HERE. 10:50 p.m. (as I write this) still not dark YAY!!!

But from now on days will start to get shorter, buhuu.

Work day was... I´m on hold. Some boring ESE-tutorials - cause I don´t wanna book my time on ALSTOM, despite ALSTOM-teamleader said it´s kinda "their fault" I have near to no work - he was happy I said "no" to that.

Half the tutorial time is my "free-time", though, ack.

 

Ingo came home with a new grill... and a third brolly... Yum BBQ.

 

And before that some very (for me difficult) sketching with watercolors.

I think I found my place? Maybe?

Teaches me patience and I enjoy it.11:00 p.m. ,23C.- off to bed now - still not dark!

 

Thursday: Mainly tutorials. On management, teamleader. If there is one thing I don´t want to do is being the teamleader. Too much stress. No money can make me do that, yet it is recommended so we know how our teamleaders work.

 

 

Four (!) tutorials on that and that woman explained the dumbest things felt at least 10 times - per tutorial. And my beloved King Frog got crippled.

I see him now from my private PC-place...

4 training sessions and later the most WONDERFUL rain...

 

Friday: Tutorial on Cyber Security, train related. The.most.boring.tutor.on.earth again.

Difficult stuff he hops through, the obvious he explains in endless detail.

Translation on Even Recorder. I chose "Ereignisrekorder".

Teamleader3: Make it "Fahrtenschreiber". Did. Teamleader3: Make it Ereignisrekorder, is more fitting. "Your wish is my command"...

Went aaaaaall the way in at least beautiful summer-rain to get my parcel - a new route and only after a while I realized I wear my monitor glasses, argh.

Shop closed!!!

A A4 arrived, the driver saw my astonished face put the co-driver´s window down (haha, remember when you had to do this by hand?!), long story short, I did the dumbest thing!!!

I confirmed it re-opens at 03 p.m. and asked what the time was. 02:15.

Gaaaah. Asked how to get to the White Horse SC. He said he can take me along a bit and I really did hop in!

It is funny because - he was male, young-ish, tall, good-looking, fine clothes, likely Turkish, a fine car and me: yellow, wet raincoat and basketball-cap (so the rain does not hit my glasses).

If it was the day before I would not have hopped in. There I wore a mini-skirt, way too dangerous.

But my gut-feeling also said he is harmless and helpful (at age 14 I was in the car with my friend´s father. He drove into a side-road and had his hand already on my knee - I came out unharmed cause the man was dumb, but I know it can be dangerous to hop into the car to a stranger).

I bought German cherries from a stand. The lonely lady did not sell the most expensive, but the sweetest to me.

 

 Very yummy!

Picture this: A grey, rainy day and she sits there in that tiny cubicle all day. I passed the driver´s karma on 🧡

Weekend: Saturday: City. The YUMMIEST Taco again, hmmmm.... 

 

 

I get hungry just seeing this...

 

 Maybe next time I take two, one for later!

 

No luck finding a sealer, but oh, it was beautiful to stroll in the summer-temps (I won´t say heat) through the city.

This is LIFE!!!

Later balcony, sketching, cherries. Sadly Ingo didn´t have it.

Sunday: Same, Plus Die Maus, of course.

Sad when beautiful summer-time gets thrown away from one side.

Glad I can still have a good time...

"Art"-wise:

Ingo got these tea-towels, if it wasn´t for the bike I´d say kitsch 😉

 

 

Henry 🦁

Happy T-Day.

 

P.S. Dear Kathy sent me a link. Lion and another sealer are on the way! 🦁

Bye-Bye Cold Times

 

 

Yippeeeee, summer is here, sooo wonderful so I don´t have problems to look at the icy cold times...

 

 I´m nearly finally done with this series...

 

This was some... experience...

 

It says this shuttle is based on technology real astronauts are trained on.

I hope this is a wrong statement.

We went and it was... cheap, you had to hang on with full might, yes, but.. a disappointment.

At least the murals were great.

If you ever stumble upon a "carousel" called SNOWGATE... enjoy the murals and have a nice drink.

This is for Sami´s COLOURFULWORLD Monday Murals.

And TO SUMMER - the weather is WONDERFUL!

 

Henry 🦁

Hope your winter ain´t too cold, Sami.

My Old Self Is Back

 

Ingo avoids me.

Tomorrow?

J cannot contact me. C,  I have nothing heard of (but that he is difficult), admins don´t move - I have to give my docking-station away come July and NEED A NEW ONE.

H sounded so happy - nothing.

I am desperate and Ingo does not even care.

 

I´ll be there for you in good times and... oh, let it go.

I ALWAYS was, dumb me.

He does not even care to ask.

Is this mean to post?

 

No. This is my life.

I am a true person.

I am hurt. 

 

Henry has had it.

Me, also. 

 

Needed to get out.

Yes, ask me later about marriage, I can tell you.

There are good and BAD days.

 

Bad ones are always very lonely, no matter if the sun shines bright...

 

Just ignore me, this is my diary.

My disappointment needed room...

 

And what is with blogger now again???? I have to CONFIRM???

I get SICK of this tool.

 

How about you?

 

Un-readable requests to confirm, are we in kindy??? 

Yes, two posts. No idea this bad came up  After the VERY GOOD....

 

 

Lille Family Time - Socks

We lived at Ingo´s Grandma´s place for some years.

There was no door "separating"  us. 

The only shower was down in her place. 

 

Socks, I don´t wanna bore you, but I gave her accidentially a new hobby.

 

She wanted to welcome me to the family and knitted socks... on December 24th and... there was not enough wool!!! Shops closed so toes and heels came different (no idea how she knew on the first one it will not be enough - she was a magician for socks).

 

I LOVED them, they were special, NO ONE had socks like this!

She said, "oh, you´re just being polite!"

But then Ingo wanted some, and the other family members, too!

 

When you came down the stairs you saw her living room (no way to escape unseen!!) - she was on the floor, I thought she´d fallen!!!!

 

Nope. Sorting happily rests of wool! 

 

I maybe know more about her life than Ingo does. Women-stuff, you know 😘 Boys and that. Oh, do I miss her. 

She was like really cool. 

Rode a motorbike and in late age had a boyfriend after her hubby passed.

 

I was looking for work and when she had to do laundry and such I helped.

She had an old-fashioned top loader she hardly could reach, things like that.

 

I know about her Father, and her Son, ... so much. Rolf, the son, suffered epilepsy and got burned when collecting paper... too hard to write this down in detail.

I still see her in my mind, after we had to move out but visited often... she opened the door before we could ring the bell and went "MY CHILDREN!!!" (MEINE KINDER!!!)

I have tears writing this.

 

She hated to get her pic taken, so I only have the one when Ingo was a baby... 

She looked the same till she left us...

 

We were on holiday when we learned she was sick. Went to the hospital. 

I never knew she had such long hair.

No idea if she realized we were there. She passed soon after.

Sorry but this has to get out!

She had an operation on her eyes in Braunschweig years before and could not see. I certainly visited and kinda left my purse there by accident. She found it and called me! Not being able to see!!!

I miss her. She was a wonderful, caring woman and I have loads of fond and funny memories of her.

And certainly very bad ones, since she told me about war etc. But the good ones blend that out mostly.

 

I think I know more about her than of my Mother. Or my Grandmother.

 Please...  don´t be like my family. Share what happened in your life, good or bad.

Ingo´s Granma at one point was a maid. She found the child that had run away... dead, burnt. I nearly passed hearing that.

But that teaches us how life was back then.

No school teacher will give this to you.

A "maid", pfffft. Yes, that was a HUGE job. And sometimes you sadly failed cause you had TOO MANY JOBS AT ONE TIME.

Same today!

Henry 🦁

You look like a sock, Henry. To Oma Hilde... "my children"...