Thanksgiving 2009

Well, this year I hosted Thanksgiving Part II. It went much better than last year as I learned a few lessons along the way. The Irish were still late (next time the paddy doesn't get to go to Ireland before a holiday as he can't be trusted to remember his passport)...long story. I still wasn't able to organize a turkey for the event so we made due with chickens. We had a lovely meal! My friends and I are such good cooks, if I do say so myself. Eva made a beef stew that was served in a pumpkin, Andreas made knödel (german bread dumplings), Judith made rolle (beef rolls stuffed with pickle and cheese)....so much food and it was all delicious! No pictures this year so I will add that to the list of things to get right for next year. 1. Turkey 2. pictures. 2010 will be the best one yet!

Good News!

I am so excited to say that soon I will be self employed! It has been a long road to get here and really has only come about because of a complicated visa situation but the day will soon be here. I have health insurance, a business number, a tax number and all that is left is to pay the visa office €40 and the deal will be done. January 8, I will be officially self employed!

Also in the news is that I will arrive stateside for my offical christmas visit in exactly 5 days! I am so excited to be coming home this year. I am most excited to be bringing a special someone with me. He hasn't been to the US before so it will be fun to show him around and introduce him to my family. It will be a short trip (only 8 days) but it is a much needed rest. See you soon!!!

The Next Adventure

Eva, Craig and I (and the 2 dogs) decided on a 2 day hike in the Black Forest. Eva made all the arrangments and mapped our course and we were off. The hike was supposed to involve hiking up 2 mountains in the Black Forest (Belchen and Blauen). The hike was to take 2 days and cover a distance of 37km.

The hike was beautiful and mostly uneventful except for 2 things. One, we were nearly stampeded by a herd of cows. Our hiking path went though their field and lets just say they did not appreciate tourists. Two, it snowed! I think we must have been at 1100 meters or so when it started snowing. By the time we reached the top of Belchen we could barely see. We got to experience the first snowfall of the season.

The second day of the hike was canceled due to rain. It was raining so hard that we would have been soaked in under 5 minutes. And it would not have been fun to hike for 6 hours, wet and cold.

2 girls, 2 hound dogs and a map

Earlier in the week, I suggested to Eva that we go for a bike ride. She suggested an alternative plan, hiking in the Black Forest. Of course I agreed so we set out on Saturday morning for a 19km hike with her 2 dogs. We hiked from Oberrot to Bad Herrenalb. The guide book said it would take 5 hours and only the first 2.5 would be strenuous as it was all uphill. In reality it took 6.5 hours and the first 3.5 hours were uphill. The views were amazing but it was exhausting. Today my glutes are sore but I feel relaxed. Soon I will be ready for another adventure with Eva.

What's the craic? Part IV

While in Ireland I saw my first Gaelic football match. It is a combination of soccer and rugby. I was quite impressed with the brutality and foul language. I don't understand all the rules but I do know it is illegal to kick another guy in the head. See the video. Cound the number of times they yell the word "bollocks".

What's the craic? Part III

While in Ireland I spent some time in Kinlough and Bondouran. Lot of lakes and of course the ocean. How knew that you could surf in Ireland? And no, I didn't try it. I stayed on dry land.

What's the craic? Part II

On the plane ride over to Ireland I sat next to a retired American couple from Nebraska. We had a nice chat about their trip to Europe and how I liked living in Germany. Until they said the following sentence, "Your English is quite good." Seriously? Yep, I am an American and that is the language that I grew up speaking so yes, it is quite good. I ended the conversation there because I just couldn't bear to go on.

What's the Craic? Part I

Well, I just arrived back in Germany from a week in Ireland. Not only did I start my new job but I also met Sean's family. First the job. I accepted a job at Vistamed which is an Irish based catheter manufacturing company. They are quite small (about 70 people) and I am the first sales person ever hired. My official title is Techical Sales Development Manager. As was with my old job I will work from home when not traveling the globe. So far I like working there. Everyone is very helpful and nice. It is great to be back at a small company again where there isn't so much of a political environement and I report directly to one of the owners so I get a say in how things are done.

Alicante Spain

It was decided that some R&R was much needed. Afterall, being unemployed isn't easy. So we took off to Alicante Spain for 4 days. We stayed in Sean's uncles house which overlooks the ocean. We spend a little time at the beach. a little time by the pool and a little time in Alicante. The weather was perfect, not too hot or too cold. The only problem we encountered is the eating hours. We were always hungry at 5 but the restaurants do not open until 8. Siesta time was a bit of an inconvenience. Other than that it was great albeit too short. Hopefully we will go back soon and spend more time.

My First Fußball Match

Sean is teaching me to play football or soccer as it is called in the US. We have found a little park with a football pitch just down the street from my house which is very convenient. We have been out to the park 2 or 3 times teaching me how to kick the ball and coordinate my gangly limbs. So far I am doing quite well. Yesterday I had my first improptu match in the park. My competition had an average age of 10 years. Sean and I teamed up against 3 kids and won. 5-3. Despite my fears of kicking a little kid in the shin or head, I managed to score 2 goals!! Then the old people had to call it quits as we were both out of breath after chasing around the little ones. :-)

Bruchsal Frühlingsfest 2009

May 1st is a big celebration day in Germany. There is no work and everyone gets together with friends and family to celebrate spring. A group of us went to Bruchsal and spent the day cycling, drinking and eating. We cycled around the village stopping at different beer gardens to sample the food and beer. I had my first currywurst and some sort of pork sandwich. All were tasty. Also to drink along the way we had an erdbeerbowle. It is punch made from sparkling wine and strawberries. It was goood but leaves you with a bit of a headache in the morning. I hope to do it again next year.

Wohnung Update

So the curtains were hung by the chimney with care.....oh wait, that is a different story. The curtains were hung without incident. Also the shelves went up with out a fight. Meo loves his new blanket. I love it too as it keeps his hair off the sofa.It looks like my living room is completed. Well, unless I decide to paint.

The refrigerator is awesome! I love having food that doesn't spoil. I also like having really cold milk. Mmmmmm!

Update

Once again it seems like it has been a while since my last post. One would think that being unemployed would leave me with all sorts of time to keep my blog updated but that hasn't been the case.

The job search is going well. I have 2 offers coming from 2 different companies in Ireland. I also have another interview for an American based company next week in Paris. I also received an email from Bosch requesting an interview but I think that I am going to decline that one. For the job at Bosch I would have to commute or move to Stuttgart. With any of the others I would be able to stay where I am and that is the most important thing to me.

I went to my last doctor appointment today. They tested me for all sorts of blood clotting disorders (factor 5, lupus etc..) and all were negative. So I am healthy and hopefully this blood clot business was a 1 time occurance.

Today I am going to try to hang curtains in my living room. I have had them for 4 months now so I think it about time that they were hung. Hopefully it goes better than the last time I attempted it. The last time was in the US and I had problems drilling the holes deep enough to accept the wall anchors. After drilling 8 holes in the wall to get 2 that worked I finally gave up and started gluing the anchors in place. Gorilla glue works wonders for this type of work. Again, hopefully this type of maneuver will not be needed this time.

My cat has turned into a cold blooded killer. In the past 2 weeks, he had killed and brought home 5 mice. Some were not entirely dead. I would have taken photos but that just seemed disgusting. I don't know why he has all of a sudden gone on a killing spree but I can only hope that it is short lived.

The last bit of exciting news is that I am getting a new refrigerator delivered tomorrow. I know, stop yourself from passing out at from extreme excitment. After living with my crap used refrigerator for the past 8 months that doesn't really keep anything much colder than room temperature, I finally got around to spending the €300 for a new one. The timing is great as the weather is warm enough that I can no longer store perishables outside. :-)

Scotland

Hi all,

Sorry for the delay. I posted the pictures weeks ago with out any text. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to say. The trip was cut short due to illness. Both Anki and Alexa were not feeling well. I did get to spend a day in Glasgow shopping and another day in Edinbough bumming around. Both were fun. My favorite thing was in Edinbough. Alexa and I saw a 3D film on the Loch Ness monster. I think it was supposed to be serious but we couldn't stop laughing. Thankfully we were the only 2 in the theater so no one elses experience was ruined.

That is all folks!

I'm Cured!!

Just wanted to share the good news. I had an ultrasound on Tuesday and the doctor said that the clot is gone. No more warfarin and I can resume normal life. Running, eating broccoli, drinking etc....you get the idea. Oh happy day!! In 2 weeks I do need to go back to the doctor for a follow up blood test just to make sure everything is ok. I also will be tested for blood disorders such as factor 5 and lupus. I hope that it all goes well and I can put this all behind me.

Fasching

Well, it is that time of year again.....Fasching. Fasching is the german version of Karnival or Mardi Gras. There are parades and parties and general mayhem. I took this opportunity to break my sobriety. Yeah, it was a great time. As you can see some of my friends dressed up for the occassion. I did not. My costume was that of a drunk person. All I can say is that the Buckfast made me do it.

Library

I am now the proud owner of 2 library cards. Today I went to the American Library here in Karlsruhe and signed up to be a "Friend of the Amercian Library." They have a nice selection of books and DVD's in English. Then I also went to the normal library in Karlsruhe to get another library card. There I can check out books in German. I checked out "Heidi" from the children's sections. Shall we start a betting pool as to how long it takes me to read 127 pages in German? It might be a while but I have the time. Hopefully my "hiatus" from the working world will allow me time to improve my German skills.

Yesterday I booked a plane ticket to Glascow. I am going to see Anki the 3rd week of March. My ticket only cost 30€ so it was a bargin!

Paris....again

On Thursday night I took the train over to Paris. My good friend JoDee from AZ came all the way to Paris for work. I decided to join here. I hadn't seen her in 3 years (??) so it was great to see her. Friday I slept in, had a leisurely lunch at a cafe and then visited the Musee D'Orsay. I was able to see orginal works of art from Degas, Monet, Manet.....all incredible. I met up with JoDee at Notre Dame that evening. Poor girl had a run in with a nasty French cab driver. He screamed at her for not speaking french as well as not having cash. We had dinner and then stayed up until 3am chatting away.

Saturday I braved the snow and visited Sacre Coeur. It was beautiful! It is a Roman Catholic basilica which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The basilica is at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. The views are amazing as is the interior of the church. There is so much mosaic tile work all in blue and gold which is breathtaking. Unfortunately, they don't allow photos in the church. After Sacre Coeur, I took the train home. Another lovely visit to Paris accomplished.

Weekend

Not to much new and exciting things happening here this week or weekend. I did send off my resume to 2 companies so I have officially started the job searching process. My cold is gone and I am feeling much better. On Saturday a group of us went out bowling. There was a 3 hour wait for bowling so we had to settle for air hockey which was quite fun. The best part of the night was driving there and back. We had 6 people and only room for 5 in my car. So that meant that Eoin had to ride in the boot. He was the drunkest one therefore the most logical choice. Eoin also ended up being the air hockey champion. None of are sure how that happened. Well, I should get to studying my German. I am very behind on all my homework. I am a very bad student.

Anything else?

Sorry that I have been delayed in posting. Not too much is new here. First let me apologize for any typing errors. I am using my new lap top and it has a German key board. The letters and punctuations are not in the same place. I am also struggling with the software as it too is in German. It feels as if it is the first time that I have used a computer.

Right now I am suffering from a chest cold. Lots of coughing. The Germans seem to be crazy for teas that heal you. Drinking a "Husten tee" as I write. It is for coughs (Husten is German for cough) and tastes a bit like licorice. It is very odd but seems to be helping.

I am half heartedly working on searching for a job. I have a prospect in sight and hopefully it will work out. The job would allow me to stay here in Karlsruhe as well as be in the medical device field. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Bad News

Already 2009 is starting off with a bang. As if a blood clot in the leg wasn't enough, I have just been notified that Accellent will no longer need my services. I will not be working there after February 9th.

I am not sure what I will be doing next. I do know that I want to stay in Germany or Europe. Other than that my plan is not clear but I will keep everyone posted.

Prost Neu Jahr!

Happy New Year everyone!! After delays caused by my clot, I finally made it back home on January 1. I spent New Year's on an airplane but it was worth it. I enjoyed my time in the US but am happy to be back home in Karlsruhe.

Oddly enough, as soon as I arrived back the weather here seems to have taken a turn for the worse. It is as if I brought the Wisconsin weather back with me. It is cold (-7C) and we have snow (~2inches)! Normally Karlsruhe doesn't see much snow but it is here and appears to be staying.

I visited the doctor this morning for a blood draw and check up on the clot. Hopefully all will be well and I continue on the road to recovery.