Welcome Back to the USA

I would like to say that my trip back to the US has been a wonderful experience. However, we all know that would not be my life. Something just HAD to happen. The long flight back to the US caused me to develop a blood clot (DVT) in my leg. So today has been filled with doctor, emergency room visits, ultrasounds and clot dissolving medicine delivered via injections to the abdomen. Each day I have to go to the hospital for injections to the abdomen plus I will be taking blood thinners for at least 3 months. Monday they should be able to tell me if I can fly back to Germany on Saturday as scheduled. It has been an eventful trip back thus far.

Fuehrerschein!

I passed my drivers license test! Ich habe ein Fuehrerschein! I am so excited to be able to drive again. Frist trip, Ikea. Sean, Steve and I made a trip to the Ikea in Mannheim. Steve and I both needed stuff for our apartments. Sean tagged along just so that he could go to KFC. The chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy taste the same as they do in the US. The problem is that they don't have the buttermilk biscuits. Damn! Only 5 days until I come home!! Then I can eat my weight in buttermilk biscuits if I so choose. :-)

Augenheilkunde

Anyone know the German word for eye doctor? I do! It is Augenheilkunde. I learned it today when I needed to go to the eye doctor. I woke up this morning with a broken blood vessel in my eye. Don't know how it happened but it did. They said it should correct itself in a week. And no, I am not going to take any pictures. Let's just say it is really gross and leave it at that. I just may fashion myself an eye patch out of a beer mat just so no one has to see it.

9 days until I come home for the holidays!!

Thanksgiving

A successful thanksgiving was had and a few lessons learned. I ended up hosting 7 people and 2 hound dogs for dinner. The menu consisted of pumpkin soup, salad, chicken, roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes with plantains, stuffing and pie. Dinner didn't actually start until 9pm as we were trying to wait for the late comers. Peple ended up eating in shifts which was a bit odd but we made do. Everyone ate and had a good time.

Lesson #1: Pumpkin pie filling made from real pumpkins is way better than from the can. I am never going back to the can.

Lesson #2: Irish time. You want the Irish to show up on time, tell them the start is an hour earlier than it really is.

Lesson #3: Don't assume anything. I asssumed that everyone knew that Thanksgiving is a sit down dinner (hence be on time). I didn't occur to me that no one had celebrated Thanksgiving before so they wouldn't know this.

Lesson #4: Puppies need to go outside frequently. Kunigunde (the little brown hound) had 2 accidents in the house.

I am thankful to be surrounded by my friends for Thanksgiving. It hasn't been the easiest year of my life and I am not sure I would have made it without them. Hope everyone had good Thankgivings as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am planning on having a few friends over for dinner tonight. Everyone is bringing a dish to pass so it will be like home. Well, minus the turkey. We are going to make chickens as turkey is not easy to come across here. I looked and found goose but it was 45 euro for a bird! I have been up early this morning baking pies. I have already had one failure. I bought crust from the store and it stuck to the pie plate and was destroyed while I tried to get it free. Right now, pie 2 is in the oven. I hope it goes better than the first. If not, there will be pie 3. If that fails, I am making apple crisp! Wish me luck. :)

1st Snow!

Last night we had our first snow in Karlsruhe! It was very pretty to look at but not fun to be outside in. It started snowing while I was at the gym so I ended up walking home in it. In a 15 minute walk, I was completely covered in snow. It must have looked pretty ridiculous as I got a few snickers from strangers on the street. All in all I think there was about 1/2" - 1" of snow. When I woke up this morning it was already gone.

Saturday Afternoon Debrauchery

How do I get myself into these situations, I just don't know. It always starts with the best of intentions. It was a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon when I met up with Don and Eoin. We met in the biergarten for just 1 bier (well, at least that was my plan). I recall enjoying the afternoon in the biergarten, before meeting Judith at another bar and then there was another after that.

Picture 1, start of the day
Picture 2, end of the night

It isn't pretty is it, folks? It was fun though a bit out of control. I spent Sunday on the sofa recovering. Rehab may be necessary after my time here in Karlsruhe.

Weekend.

I felt compelled to post even though I haven't really done much this weekend. I gave my flat a much needed cleaning and re-arranged my bedroom. I'm not sure if I like the new layout but I was too tired to change it back so I will try it out for a while. I also went to a movie. I saw Burn After Reading. It was a very strange but likeable movie. I would recommend seeing it. I have been lying low for the past few weekends. I have been fighting a cold since my birthday. I keep hoping that soon it will pass but it just keeps on. I have new symptoms everyday. Headache, stomach ache, runny nose, ear ache, cough.....Yesterday, I started a sore throat. Much like everything else here, even the colds move slowly. This has been dragging on for 3 weeks. I have to be in Galway for work on Tuesday but I am going to come in early to see friends. Hopefully my sickness will be gone before then so I don't infect Kevin and Alexa when I see them.

German Laws!

When you arrive in Germany you have 6 months to change over your driver's license. I am a bit past that but what can you do, I have been busy. So yesterday, I went to the office to find out what needed to be done to get a German DL as it varies from state to state. Before I knew what hit me they started the process of getting me a german DL. Now normally this wouldn't be a problem. However, they take your American DL and then you can not drive until you have a German one. To drive without it is a FELONY. Given the number of encounters I have had with the German Politzei, I won't be driving for a while. With a MN license I need to pass a written exam in order to get my German DL. I can't even take the test for 4 weeks. Ugh....german law, don't ya just love it?

Meo also had his first trip outdoors today. He did very well and came back home when I called him. He also went into a neighbors apartment but hopefully they didn't notice!

Well, that is all for now, I am off to Dresden today. I have a meeting there for work. Since I can't drive there I need to take a 6 hour train ride. Woohoo!

Facebook

I don't think that I mentioned it before but I started a page on Facebook. There are more pictures of my adventures there. Go ahead and check it out.

Paris Part Deux

I am behind in my postings. I had my very first visitor! Darren came to Karlsruhe for a week. He tested out my sofa bed (very comfortable) and met some of my crazy friends. We also took a trip to Paris. Dennis also was in town and decided to join the fun. We spent most of the first day in the Louvre. It was amazing. Not on is the art incredible but the building itself it a work of art. It is HUGE! Definitely can't see it all in 1 day. But we did see the highlights (Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo etc..). We then took a walk down the Champs Elysees and had dinner. Post dinner viewing of the Arc d'Triomphe. The next day we went to Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. This time I went inside Notre Dame. It is gorgeous inside. They were having a service inside so I didn't take any pictures. There just aren't words to describe how beautiful it is. I don't think that pictures do it justice either. There is so much detail in every stain glass window and in every carving. You really have to see it in person. Same is true with the Eiffel Tower. It is much bigger than I thought it was. I have seen it may times at a distance while in Paris and I wasn't impressed. But then seeing it up close....well that is different. It is unbelieveable! We only took the elevator to the 2nd level because the line was too long to the top but even from there the views were beautiful. After a glass of wine, we went back down, to the train station and back to Karlsruhe.

It was good to have a dose of Americana here in KA. I haven't laughed so hard in a while.

Cannstatt Bier Fest

Last weekend I participated in my first Oktoberfest! It was great fun. A group of us took the train to Stuttgart. Were were lucky to arrive when we did as most of the tables are reserved in advanced. We scored a table outside, ordered dinner along with many many many Maβ of bier. Eventually we made it inside the tent where the music was playing. Everyone gets up on the benches and starts dancing, singing and drinking together. It really is a sight to see. I think this particular tent had 5,000 people in it. Incredible! Here are some pictures of the festivities. I have more on facebook if you want to see.

Birthday!

Well, I am officially another year older. I have a bit of a cold and don't feel well but it didn't stop me from celebrating. On Saturday, Dominic hosted a housewarming/birthday party at his flat. Eoin and I share the same birthday and a mutal laziness so it worked out well that Dominic hosted the party for us. Everyone was drunk and happy (myself included). Here is a tally of what approximately 25 people consumed:

77 beers
All the soft drinks!!
6 bottles of Becks Green Lime
Cask of Vogelbräu beer
One liter of "Neuwein"
One bottle of Sekt
2 bottles of red wine
2 bottles of white wine
1 bottle of Tequilla
three quarters of a bottle of rum
half a bottle of Vodka
A small amount of Ramazzotti
A small amount of peach Schnapps

It was a smashing success!

Sunday, I picked up Meo. He is 3 years old and a very sweet boy. I think he looks alot like Addie (who is doing well in her new home if you are wondering). He spent the evening checking out the apartment and rubbing his face on everything. I have missed having a pet so he is a much welcome addition to my flat.

Ernesto

This weekend I volunteered to dog sit for Ernesto. He is a very large and smelly basset hound with a whining problem. I can take just about everything except the whining. The whining is making me mental. Thankfully today is the last day of the dog sitting. This afternoon he goes back to his mommy and daddy. Then I can air out my apartment, wash everything in site and rid my apartment of the dog smell.

DUI oh my!

Well, I have racked up another encounter with the German Politzei. Last night I was stopped at a check point and tested for DUI. I had a very long day, 10 hours in the car driving back and forth to Paris for a 4 hour customer meeting. I got back to Karlsruhe around 12:30am and decided to stop at the pub and have a pint. Well I had 2 pints and no dinner in my belly and since I felt sober I decided to drive home. I only live 3 minutes from the pub (by car) and in that short of a distance there was a police check point. Shit! I failed the first breath test but passed the second (just barely) and allowed to drive home. I was absolutely shitting myself. I was so scared that I was going to be in serious trouble. Never never never again. I also received another speeding ticket 2 weeks ago. I think I am going to stop driving all together.

On the Left

Good Morning from Ireland! I worked in Ireland for the past two days. I didn't get out to see any of the sights but I did have a view of the Atlantic Ocean from my hotel room. I drove for the very first time in Ireland. As you know they drive on the "wrong" side of the road so it was a learning experience. The first hour was pretty ackward as I had to shift with my left hand instead of my right and I really had to think about which way I was turning and entering round abouts. But I got the hang of it. No crashes or near death experiences by driving on the wrong side of the road.

Meine Wohnung ist Fertig!

The last of the work on my flat is completed. I have a working kitchen and lights! I still need a few storage units and things but for the most part my flat is finsihed! It wouldn't have happened without alot of help from my friends. While I was away in Sweden this week, Kevin and Sean came over and hung the kitchen cabinet. Laura and Sascha came over and installed the oven, stove and lights. I came home and it all was done! Kevin and Alexa also gave me their tv and dvd player so I am all set. The Strauss Haus is ready for visitors!

Internet at Last

I finally have internet at home!!!!! It is the best day ever!!!!! I was supposed to have it on Thursday but after the German Telecom buy left my telephone worked but not the internet. After many unsuccessful attempts at trying to install the internet on my own (using directions in German) I had to turn to my friends. Saturday Flo came over and after 30 minutes he had it up and running. Flo is my new hero. I can blog, email, watch American tv shows and work all from the comfort of my home. Hoooorahhh!

Kids Gone Wild!

Okay, this is bothering me. I have never seen this in the US. Maybe we have more public toilets avaialable for free, I don't know. Yesterday in Copenhagen, just outside of the parking garage, out in the open where everyone could see, a little boy (3 or 4 years old) was peeing in the grass. His mother was standing right behind him helping. Today, I am outside my neighborhood pub working and I see it again. This time a mother was helping her little girl (3 or 4 years old) pee in the bushes. I was sitting only 6 feet away! Now I know that you have to pay to use the toilets here in Europe but this seems a bit extreme. I would have gladly given her 50 cents in order to use a toilet somewhere rather than have to witness this.

Not funny.

Yesterday's excitment involved me locking myself out of my flat. I have 2 sets of keys (one for the flat in Durlach and one for the flat I live in). I grabbed the wrong set of keys when I went to take the trash out. Luckily I didn't have to call a locksmith. Which would have been time consuming, expensive and difficult since my mobile phone was IN my flat. But I did have to knock on my neighbors door and explain to him (in german) that I locked myself out. Thankfully he called the Hausmeister who came over with a master set of keys to let me back in. Althought it only took the Hausmeister 5 minutes to get there it seemed to take an eternity as I had to listen to my neighbor tell me all about how is daughter is constantly losing her keys. Anyway, he finally arrived and they were joking that they were going to charge me alot of money for to let me back in. I'm not sure if they thought I didn't understand what they were saying because I didn't laugh. That joke just isn't funny. Not in any language.

What's New

I really thought I would be better about updating my blog but I see that it has been over a week since my last post. I am going to blame it on not having internet access at home. No worries though. I signed a contract (you sign a contract for everything here in Germany)for internet and phone service on Friday. Should only be without for another 10 days or so. Until then, I am once again working at Starbucks or the pub or any friend of mine that will give me the keys to their flats during the day.

I have been busy making my flat feel like home. On Sunday, I painted the entryway. It is a lovely shade of tan. It isn't easy to find neutral colors here in Germany. They seem to have a love of bright colors that I don't understand. When I was at the hardware store buying paint, the couple in front of me bought 5 liters of turquoise paint. For those of you unfamilar with the metric system this is about 1 1/2 gallons of turqoise paint. With that quantity I imagine that they are using it on their walls. Yuk! Same goes with the furniture shopping. The sofas are either so uncomfortable that you don't want to sit on it, in a horrible fabic that you can't stand to look at or outrageously expensive. My definition of outrageously expensive is 2000 euro ($3200 USD). For a sofa!!! I think I found one at Ikea that I can live with. I just need to order it. Dark beige sectional that pops up to a bed (visitors welcome at any time....hint hint) and 500 euro ($800).

Next week the kitchen and washing machine should be delivered!!!! Soon I will be able to cook and wash clothes. This will be a very welcome addition to my home. I am tired of eating cereal, sandwiches and salads. I also am running out of clean clothes. Which led to an interesting story. I was wearing a dress out at the pub. This is odd as it is a jeans and t-shirt type establishment. Everyone commented on my choice of clothes and I said it was because I was out of clean pants. The pub roared with laughter. Just so you know, in British and Irish english, pants is the equivalent of underpants/knickers/underware/panties. So everyone now thinks that I am the girl that doesn't have any clean underware and wears dresses. They think I'm the Britney Spears or Paris Hilton of Flynn's Irish Pub. It was a good craic! I still keep saying pants instead of jeans or trousers but eventually I will adjust and get it right.

I also am learning to ride my bicycle with a skirt/dress on. It isn't easy on a windy day, I will tell you that much. But I am learning to tuck the skirt so I don't give everyone a free show. I will return to the US with many new skills. :)

Amsterdam

I made a brief stop in Amsterdam this weekend. I had to meet my boss at his house in Holland for a meeting. His house is an hour from Amsterdam so I thought "what the hell (sorry mom, I meant heck)" I will go and check it out.

I went to the Rijk Museumn and saw works of art from Rembrandt and Vermeer. No matter what photos you have seen of these artists, nothing is like seeing it in person. The paintings are amamzing!

I then took a canal tour by boat. It wasn't very interesting as I was sitting back the back of the boat and couldn't hear the descriptions of what I was supposed to be looking at. After 30 minutes I was bored and ready to swim back to the dock.

As always, there isn't enough time to see everything that I would have wanted to see but I am sure that I will be back in the future to see more.

4th of July

Happy 4th of July to everyone!!

I had some excitment today and not of the good variety. I woke up in the middle of the night with a bladder infection and a fever. So I got to make my first trip to the doctor. As is with most experiences here, the language barrier makes it more challanging. I haven't gotten to covering medical terms in my language classes so I had to wing it. After a few tries the nurse, Dr. and I figured out how to communicate with each other. There was much writing and pointing involved but eventually a diagnosis was made. I even got to see my gall bladder, kidneys, liver and bladder on ultrasound. I have stunning kidneys by the way. And I now know the German words for blood, urine and bladder. After starting antibiotics I already feel better and my fever has gone down. By tomorrow I should be back to normal.

Hope everyone is doing well and most of all healthy!

New Flat

Well, it is official. I have paid the deposit and signed a lease. I have a flat of my very own! I will be moving in sometime next week. I will sent out an update email to everyone with my new address and phone (once I have it). The pictures aren't too great as I took them with my camera phone but it give you an idea of what it looks like. It is a shame that I can't include pictures of the bathroom as it is really hideous. I will only tell you that it is PINK. PINK everything! I will add pictures of it as soon as the electricity is turned on.

It is classified as 2 room, 72 sq meters with a balcony and it has a closet! As you can see it is a bare box which is common here in Germany. I have to buy a kitchen, washing machine,light fixtures etc....it is literally a bare square box. There is much work to be done to make it feel like home but it will get there eventually. Soon the Strauss Haus will be open for visitors (hint hint).

Scotland

Hey ya,

I just got back from a weekend in Scotland. I went over to visit friends Anki and Dave. We walked about Glasgow and basically just hung out for the weekend. It was great to catch up with them and relax.

I have added a new feature to my blog, favorite drinkies. I experienced Pimms and Lemonade at Dave and Anki's. It is quite a popular drink in England in the summer so I thought I would share it with everyone. It is a refreshing and deceptive drink so watch out. I may also add another feature to my blog called toilet experiences from around the globe. I don't know why but lately am fascinated by the toilets in Europe. Anki had to show me how to flush the toilets. The toilets look just the same as they do in the US but for some reason I couldn't figure out how to flush them. When flushed the water just kept running and running but nothing would do down. The trick is that you really have to get the right amount of torque and wrist action when operating the handle. Who knew? Janey, if you ever get to Scotland, now you know the trick. :)

Ahhh...Paris!

Paris is always a city I have dreamed of visiting so to be here is quite surreal. I can't believe that I am in Paris! It is everything I dreamed it would be. The city is bustling and full of energy, the food is amazing, there are so many historical sites to visit....it is just wonderful. The only downside was the aforementioned toilet situation and the metro station sometimes smells of urine. Since I was in hurry to see Paris in 1 day I wasn't able to see any museams or so inside any of the buildings. I also forgot my camera on Friday night so you will have to take my word for it that the Louvre is stunning as is the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. All are much grander than I ever imagined. On Saturday there was a music festival in Paris. Every where I went there was music playing. I saw Notre Dame, the Pantheon, Effiel Tower (from a distance), stolled along the Seine and ended the day at Jardin du Luxembourg. There I look a nice little nap in the sun before heading back to Germany. I can't wait to go back to Paris!

Bonjour!

I just arrived in Paris! This is my third trip to Paris for business and this time I am determined to actually get out and see some sites. Instead of flying or taking the train, this time I drove. It is about a 5 hour trip but it went quickly. It also enabled me to have my first experience with the French gas station bathroom. Now I am not sure if all toilets are this way but at this particular station I had two choices: foot prints over a hole in the floor OR toilet with no toilet seat. Tough choice, I know. Needless to say I went with option 2. I can't think of any reason why I felt compelled to post this other than that this experience made me think of Jane. She has told me many of these types of stories from her trip to Europe. Each time it made me cringe and now I have had the experience first hand. Yea. I can't say that I wasn't warned. Thanks for the heads up Janey!

Wahalla

Wahalla is one of the strangest things I have ever seen. As you are driving through Barvaria, all of a sudden this neo-classical structure appears. It seems completely out of place with the rest of the area. It is stunning. The history behind Wahalla is somewhat long but here is the general idea. After Prussia was defeated by Napoleon in 1807, the Germans were feeling pretty bad about themselves. So Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria came up with the idea of Wahalla in order to pay tribute to "laudible and distinguished Germans." Inside there are busts and plaques paying tribute to folks such as Einstein, Bach, Brahms, Copernicus, Beethoven, Mozart.

Prague

Prague, what can you say about Prague? It is one of the most beautiful cities that I have seen yet. The architecture is amazing!! I only spent the day there so I didn't get to see too much. I was able to go by most of the major sites (Prague Castle, Jewish Town, Charles Bridge, Petrin Tower, The Old Town Hall) but didn't have time to go and see the insides. Which is a shame because I am willing to bet that the interiors are even more spectacular than the exteriors. One day in Prague just wasn't enough. I need to go back. I am only posting a few pictures to give an idea of what I saw. I am trying to figure out how to link my flickr photo gallery to my blog. Once I do, all of my pictures will be available for viewing.

Groβer Arber and Groβer Arbersee

I took the gondola up and hiked to the top of Groβe Arber. It is the highest peak (1456 m) in the Bavarian-Bohemian mountain range. You can see all the way to Czech Rep. That is what they tell me anyway. The views were incredible but there were lots of bugs. It was worse than Minnesota in July. :) I also walked around Lake Abersee. Thankfully there weren't as many bugs there.

Mitterfels

Hello all,

Sorry it took so long to post. Holiday was great! It was just what I needed. Mitterfels was very peaceful and relaxing. It is exactly what one would picture Bavaria to look like and be. There were rolling hills covered with trees and wildflowers. The birds were chirping and the crickets were singing. I even heard a rooster one afternoon. He must have been confused. It was similar to Wisconsin except with mountains!

Ireland

Hello all,

Last last night I arrived back from Ireland. It was great! I wish I would have had more time there. On Saturday I flew into Dublin. After quickly dropping my bags at the hotel I set off to explore the city. In order to get my bearings, I hopped on a tour bus that goes all around Dublin and stops at all of the major attractions. Halfway through the tour I stopped off in the area of Temple Bar to have lunch. I ended up at a pub called Stag Head for an irish lunch consisting of fish, chips and a pint. Mmmmm..... After being fueled up, my plan was to tour the Guinness Storehouse. However in my rush to get going I left my ticket at the hotel. So I changed gears and decided to tour the Jameson Distillary instead. It was very education and I learned much about making whiskey. In order to make sure that my education was complete, I sampled a few as well.

Next morning I quickly toured the Guiness Storehouse. I could have spent hours in there as that was much more interesting to me when compared to the Jameson distillary. The views of Dublin from the Gravity Bar are amazing. I took some photos on my new blackberry but am having problem downloading them. But as soon as I have them I will post them for all to see. After chugging a pint of Guiness it was time to head to Galway. And that is where my sightseeing fun eneded. I worked the whole time I was in Galway. All I saw in Galway was Accellent's manufacturing site and the inside of a few pubs. I need to plan a proper holiday there and see all that the island has to offer. Hopefully it won't be long before I get back there.

Saturday I leave for holiday. I am traveling to Mitterfels Germany which is in the Barvarian Alps for a week of hiking, biking and relaxing. I haven't had a vacation in over a year so it is going to be a welcome break from the madness that is known as my life.

Cassie

First Post

Hello! After talking about blogging for months I finally have gotten the site up and running. In the interest of time I am not going to go back and chronicle the last 5 months of my life in Germany. I do have some interesting stories to tell but I would need to spend the next week in front of my computer to write it all down. Not to mention I have already told many of you my stories and don't want to bore my audience. Here is a quick recap of events:

+sold most of what I owned and moved to a foreign country
+started working for the same company but with a new boss
+moved in with boyfriend who turned out to be a douche bag (Erb, thank you for the nickname)
+broke up with aforementioned boyfriend
+still living with gobshite boyfriend but looking for a flat of my own (Anki, thank you for this nickname)
+joined a health club with a co-ed sauna area...very European
+few encounters with the authorities (2 parking tickets, 1 speeding ticket, stopped at a police checkpoint and "met" the US military police in Heidelberg)

Ongoing events include:
+obtain a German drivers license
+learning a to speak German. my ability to speak the language is in direct proportion to the amount of beer that I have consumed (just ask my mother)
+making new friends at the Irish pub who in their own way are helping me with my language skills. You will start to hear new swears (gobshite, wank bag etc...) and words from me like tele, knackered, mum etc...). All of which are the result of my new English, Finnish, Irish, Canadian and Scotish friends.
+trying to join a running club in Heidelberg. I keep getting lost on the way. Yes, I do have a naviagion system in the car. To give you an idea on how well it worked see above statement about US Miliary Police. I blame the Audi navigation system entirely for that encounter.
+getting out and seeing EU. For work I have traveled to Paris, Copenhagen, Milan, Stockholm etc...but not seen a damn thing. This is going to stop and I am going to take advantage of being in EU.

That is about what I can remeber at this point. I will post on a regular basis going forward so that you all can keep up to date on life in Germany from the perspective of a good ol' Wisconsin girl.

Miss you all and wish you were here.
Cassie