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.