Quote for Today

To continue on with the madcap feel this evening... Maybe I'll find some seriousness tomorrow. Doubtful, but maybe.

"To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."
Oscar Wilde

Go Steelers!

NO! I've not lost my mind and submitted to the brainwash attempts in my household. Nor did I join the Kool-Aid drinking community in western PA. BUT, all the hubbub over a comment made by Obama the other day made me laugh, and then reflect when the news reported the following news story tonight at 10pm.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_562310.html (text of letter)
http://www.newsmax.com/politics/obama_rooney/2008/04/14/87798.html (brief story recap of Obama and Rooney)

Why am I saying Go Steelers? Me? A diehard Browns fan? Oh I hope you've figured out some of my madness by now. :D It all makes sense, honest!

There is some truth to people being bitter, clutching their guns and clinging to religion. It's a right in the Constitution to do both! Did it become a crime since he spoke those words? I just wanted to check. Wasn't sure. Point being, I grew up with some of those folks. Un/underemployed coalminers and steel mill workers. The 80s came along and life died... incomes died... hopes died. Are they bitter? Dang straight! Many struggle to this day making ends meet. But must they be condemned for clinging to a church (something all our candidates make a big deal about) or holding a gun close?

I say GO STEELERS for this fact: if Dan Rooney wants to cheer Obama on, then by all means, get Steeler nation behind him. It has to assure that neither Dem will be on the platform in January 2009... I think enough people hate the Steelers to help fight that battle and find themselves voting AGAINST him the Steelers boss has so graciously supported. (two former players have thrown their support behind Obama as well - Bettis and Harris if I remember correctly) http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/the-gods-have-spoken-bettis-an.php

GO LAUGH A LITLE!! This stupid campaign started the day the 2006 elections ended. How freaking insane is that?!?!!? I wish some days I were in Europe still. The news cycle on AFN didn't flow with my time very well, so unless I sat down to specifically really watch the news, I didn't watch it. I caught most news on the radio, or online or on the radio online.

So, just this once, and notably in the OFF SEASON, I am rooting for the Steelers out there in this world. Go out and vote next week. I, for one, am going to be humored no matter the PA outcome. I have to laugh at this all. If not, I'd be crying.

I return you to the madness...

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere

By golly! And it had to be every hour here today. It was actually a beautiful day. We went to a friends' home to check out furniture for our "arctic room." (housing's phrase, not mine LOL - I'd been more creative - might have to ask for help on a name) Matthew actually was invited out by one of the neighbor boys. Soooooooooooo very happy to see that happen! Now that the bus will not be running for the base school kids, it's walking or driving the 1.5 blocks over to the school on chilly mornings.
CG is home from Fargo where they DID have SNOW and LOTS of snow this weekend. He had to run the mile in snow yesterday I believe. Glad it was him and not me. Not sure if I'd been able to take that weather after knowing how nice it is to be TOMORROW. 70+!

We went over after 6 tonight to look at a jeep. A jeep I'd love to have but not sure we really need another car payment at the moment. Big hunting season is done til fall. Don't need it til then. We get over there, and the wife offers me wine. YUMMMMMMMMMM! Then she asks if I like Rieslings. Oh yeah! (Guess I must have SOME German in my family lineage) She brings me out a bottle of Riesling. YUMMMMMMMM! BOTH David and I commented on her drinking "already" to which she says "ALREADY!?!? It's 630." LOL I like her! I hate to see them move! We've been stationed together before and that included him as a single guy the first time up here. Some people just leave a lasting impression upon your memory and life. :) or :*) or :X These guys? It's DEFINITELY a :D We hate to see them go, but when a Buff guy gets to escape the plane and get overseas WITH family, by all means, run as fast as you can and make sure you outrun AFPC! So in short, the riesling is in the frig to drink this week, probably tomorrow, because it is "FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE" every day!

This week I hope to work on my bad habits - getting rid of them, or formulating a plan to do so. I want to make my house a home and somewhere that people want to come and hang out for fun times. Part of surviving this awful place is friends, attitude and adjustment. Having people over from time to time, especially now with BBQ season in force, should help to make a HUGE difference. As will that furniture from our friends. And cleaning the living room up so people can enjoy just sitting comfy on the couch if they want. :) Bible Study starts back up this week as well. That reminds me that I need to email a friend for time info on that. I really would like to get involved again in something. I miss that "sisterhood" and warmth. Not that I exude it myself many days, but perhaps, that would be some of my attitude to work on!

Night!

It's Another Sunday Morning...

And I ain't got nobody... oh ... wrong song. If there isn't a song about frozen wastelands, before we move from here, I WILL WRITE one. :) You can mark my words. Actually, I can't complain too much about life on the plains this weekend. Well, other than I'm in NoDak. Perhaps Jailhouse Rock is more appropro a song? LOL

We spent the ENTIRE day at home yesterday. You'd think we'd have gotten the house cleaned and organized. RIGHT! HA! I did get some stitching done on Matthew's teacher's gift for next month. I started a LITTLE late in the day on that to realistically get it done by May 22 I think. Who knows... I might get it done sooner than I expect but have to tell her "Where can I get it to you this summer AFTER I FRAME IT?!!?" Cleaned piles of dirty stinky teen boy clothes out of CGs room and his bed sheets. He returns today... I was HOPING to have had the room cleaned out but alas! It will only be a little less "mess." Matthew's room? Oh forget it! We did make an offer on a 2004 jeep rubicon. They didn't call back. Guess he's still laughing about it. And we found a couch and love seat to throw in the arctic room for now. The patio furniture that has been our table out here, need to go OUTSIDE. Can you imagine? It's supposed to be, read SUPPOSED, 70+ degrees tomorrow. :) Just need to fill the propane tank now so we can GRILL. The grill has sat out back for two weeks now.

That stitching piece you were wondering about? From Bobbie G Designs, "My Teacher." http://www.alwaysinstitches.com/detail.cfm?ID=18243 Very cute! And hits the alphabet like a kindy teacher should :) I have to figure out what to do about her name though because Mrs Smith (not her real name) doesn't fit into the space allowed, so it may be just Magilicuddy for space sake. For me, the pattern isn't just the only thing I have to sit and ponder when doing the project... putting my name or initials, year and so on. Especially for a teacher gift, you want to put the school info in there too, but on this piece there isnt' much room to do so. I've got a little time to work yet. I'm still working on the inner part of the red schoolhouse in the middle of the piece yet. I hope to finish the schoolhouse by midweek so I can start on the alphabet.

Plans for today? I've got to get CGs bed made back up so he has a place to sleep and I should probably dig under that bed to see just what junk is under there. Tomorrow when he's gone, maybe I'll deal more with it.

Tomorrow I have to run the PTA meeting for our current president, to include having someone run our elections for NEXT year's board, including, yes, yours truly, as president. What did I think I was getting into volunteering for that? LOL Oh well! I want to be busy next year, and boy!

I'm sure I'll be back to ponder more today. It's quiet here while David is out doing his thing and CG is on his way back from Fargo and Matthew is patiently waiting to play online. :)

Quote for Today

"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."
– Audre Lord

Math 101

We live in a new base house. Love my house. It's sweeeeeeeeeeeet! Newest house I'll likely ever live in, unless we build our own upon retirement.

Announcement a few days ago: New squadron.

Looking around my neighborhood and down the street to see: Desolation (even more, if you can imagine that for North Dakota) and destruction. They spent the last 2 weeks or so, tearing down the original housing built all those years ago. (Minot opened in 1957 it would seem and they're still thinking that way - ie, real commercial, business growth) The majority of the houses torn down around me? Fourplexes. Those going in? Duplexes.

Williston can't build housing fast enough for its abundance of oil workers, it would seem. Solution? Drive to Minot and commute from Minot for work and live in Minot. Ok, housing crunch now becoming apparent to those of us living on base and in the area.

Math 101? You tear down 100s of units that many were fourplexes, replace with duplexes. Loss of approximately 600 units total. God in DC has spoken, and it is so: "There will be a new B52 squadron stood up." Well, Wonder Triplets! What shall you join together and form? I highly recommend forming HOUSES. Supposedly a new squadron is 1000 more people in the area, and at least another $75Million for the city fathers. The Wonder Triplets have just dug themselves a HUGE hole, and are trying to not get covered by the piss poor planning on Minot city fathers or THEMSELVES in just how this affects the area and the base and most importantly THE PEOPLE of Minot AFB.
All the Triplets care about is the almighty $$$$$$$$$$$ staying in this hole. Basically one of them said the other day that since we've paid for the plane, we might as well use it. Children visiting our Capitol in DC, please skip the North Dakota delegation on the tour. Or demand a refund. These people make decisions for ALL OF US... supposedly. If we could make it ONE WEEK without seeing any of those 3 on the local (or national for that matter) news, I'd be happy.

Something for the Triplets to ponder this evening as you finish my rants for the night.........
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Lord Acton, Letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 1887

Importing to North Dakota

When one thinks they've seen it all, one pretty much gets smacked upside the head. Some days I feel like Tony on NCIS.

Today's base paper comes to mind and I'll share the link for you... http://www.northernsentry.com/MAFB%20Internet%202.pdf
If all else fails, check northernsentry.com and go to the second section of the paper. It's PDF and might take a moment to download.

The gist of the story follows along with a story from last week. The new reigning Miss Magic City was crowned recently and will be competing in the Miss North Dakota contest in June. The import part of this story? The winner of Minot's beauty contest wasn't from Minot. She's from Hotlanta! She's an Air Force officer stationed at Minot. (COOOOOOOOOOOLness for her! I'm happy for her! hope she doesn't deploy over the next 12 months of her reign over state fairs, Hostfest appearances, opening day at the zoo, cattle call contests, and so on... you get the idea LOL) She competed against what might have been 6 natives of the state of vast frozen wasteland, and she WON! Young people are starting to leave the state realizing this isn't a bustling metropolis, but how sad is it that the winner of the city beauty contest doesn't even call Minot home regularly, let alone for the past 8 months or so.

The story last week? There's a young wife on the base competing in the Mrs Minot contest. She's CLOSER to being from Minot at least... she hails from across the northern border. I hope she can pull in another win for the base. This week certainly has been full of them: What with a new squadron and the young officer winning the city beauty contest... Minot may soon be on the map again! (map of forgotten places no one wants to visit? It's for you to decide... in my corner of the web, I can hope for world peace one day. Hope you get that reference :D)

Still looking for a picture to add to the post from a couple of days ago. I can't seem to find one of the gate here at our great homestead. One day before we leave, I want to "fix" the sign to say "Only the Rest come north" instead of the Best. There is actually some goodness and light quote that goes beyond the only the best come north... let me find that...
"Only the best come north, and the best are better when they go forth..."
Need to fix one more word (along with best) in this phrase... bItter instead of bEtter.

It took no time to fall back into the crewdog mentality and political incorrectness. I love the flying life!! Well, at least being married to it.

It's another Friday night... and I ain't got no money...

WONDER TRIPLETS

http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/513878.html?nav=5010

Must I really say more?

Ok, I do. I'm not pregnant. I'm going insane. I volunteered to come back to this pit for my children's sake of a good education. I'm beginning to wonder what was I thinking. Well, obviously, I wasn't. Maybe it was drug induced? Nahhhh... I don't get that good of drugs to make Minot THAT appetizing. Something possessed me! That's gotta be it.

Brief history... been here, done that, got the near divorce and still are married 12 years later (God thank you! I don't know how still)... that's Minot in a nutshell. Nut... eheheheh... I said nut. As in crazy. Anyways... we're back. While we were gone, they experimented with the 72nd BS. Actually, doing some surfing, I found it was open most of the time we were here and closed down after we left. They closed a bunch of B52 bases down in the 90s for a reason!!!!! Solution? Open new squadrons.

That's the wonder triplets part of this conversation, one sided as it may be...

WARNING! WARNING! RANT AHEAD. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.

NO! I'm not pregnant. It's a comment on the state of affairs in this region.

If you haven't heard the latest rumor, MAFB is getting a NEW Buff squadron, AGAIN. (they did this back in the mid-90s and it lasted oh... a couple years maybe) Anyways, to hear the news people around this state (local and Bismarck radio), it was orgasmic the last two days. "MAFB is EXCITED to get a new squadron." Well, hold me back. If they were to take a poll of those who would actually be a part of this, well, the excitement wouldn't be there. This probably just sealed the nail in our coffin. It's now going to be official if and when the squadron is stood up, that we will have started and ended our career in this pit. Ok, it's not 100% but it's damn near going to be now.

The triplets part you're sitting there scratching your heads over I suppose? How on earth does a state with less than 1 million population have 3 such powerful people in Congress to sway opinion to bring another squadron online? Especially when DOD doesn't want the plane. ARGH! The same three guys are STILL representing this state that were 12 years ago. Since they seem to like and breed simplicity and familiarity in this state, perhaps they'll reelect their governor in the fall. At least the governor is a republican, I think. You can't buy a republican representative to save a life in ND, but by golly, you can the big state guy.

So I am trying to find a picture of the infamous front gate slogan, and can't. I'll continue that search tomorrow. I leave you with this tidbit from Wikipedia about this city of Minot, fourth largest in the state: Boris Karloff - star of 1931's Frankenstein and other films, lived in Minot for a year. Apparently he got smart and LEFT!

Another tidbit... Milk is the official state beverage. Not for some of us... one needs something a little more "warming" to get thru long, dreadfully, cold winter nights.

Dakota is a Sioux word meaning friends or allies. Do I really need to elaborate my thoughts on this one?

"What do you do for fun here in Casselton?" - I have an answer: Max G. Taubert of Casselton built a 50 foot high pyramid of empty oil cans. It is believed to be the highest oil can structure in the world.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... perhaps a saving grace? Wonder if they get FRESH german beer imported in? Doubtful, but let me fantasize a few moments on this one... New Leipzig is known as The Small, Friendly German Town on the Dakota Prairie and hosts an annual Oktoberfest. Guess there aren't any ND natives living there if it's friendly and German. :X

Ohh Ohhh Ohhhhh Mr Kotter... Mr Kotter! MR KOTTER!!!! Turtle Lake celebrates turtles, hard-shelled reptiles often found in the water. Turtle Lake has erected a two-ton sculpture of a turtle near the entrance to the city. The town is the home of the annual United States Turtle Racing Championship.

Well, perhaps the Wonder Triplets should be advertising some of this stuff instead of pushing another unfortunate 1000 airmen and their families into an assignment here. Just a thought. Spread the love (aka $$$$$$$$$$$$$) around the state, not just to Min(dr)ot. Just a thought... honest. Perhaps the rest of the state would be as orgasmic as Minot and Bismarck seem to be.

I'm off... don't go there.. it's nearly 230 am and I have to work the thrift shop in the morning. May you all have a great night!

Fun Online

Gotta Love the Northern Plains

... or else I'd be crying more than I do now!

Today, February 11, 2008, I have a snowdrift in my front yard of about 3'. Sidewalk up front is covered. Sidewalk to the house is drifted over. Drive has small drift and snow still in it. I think they should issue a snowblower with the house if you're going to have to clean the cement, especially when it's SUBZERO!

Anyways... the kindergartener comes home this afternoon from school, a good day was had. YAY! I'm going thru his backpack and find a drawing (maybe I'll get around to posting it) and ask about it, "It's a tornado." Hmmmm... ok. I keep going thru the pack and find a booklet of tornado safety in there. It's FEBRUARY and there is SNOW on the ground and we're discussing tornados. Some days I wonder about the people and the cold up here and one's sanity. :D

That said, the kids at the school have a reading program they are doing this month and next and each week they have something that they are learning about. To their credit, it's tornados this week. But it just makes me chuckle thinking about tornados when I have snow up to my arse in the yard.

I LOVE THIS PLACE.

Making It Easier For Men?

I swear sometimes the world makes things easy for men.

The latest thing? I was at the BX the other day and looking at Valentine's cards for my honey. Searching the aisle, I notice something about some of the cards. They had a few that kind of stuck out a ways from the rest of the cards. Do you know which ones protruded from the others? The ones for the guys to send their wives. Yep! They stuck out unlike the ones for us to send the hubbies.

So when men are running into the store this Thursday afternoon going "OMG, I forgot it's VDay! Where are those WIFE cards?!?!" They'll know now they stick out further, at least in my BX.

Baby It's COLD Outside!!!!

To borrow from a song title.... the Northern Plains suck to be living in at the moment. At least the snow quit... it's just windy and freaking freezing. Why not Minot? Freezins' the reason.

Did the pioneers think to themselves "My what pretty wasteland, flat and filled with sunflowers... let's build a town here." I've met several locals who swear this is the best place on earth. "I came back after I lived in many other places." Short of the crime rate being prime, and decent schools, I'm still searching for that miraculous enlightenment to say "Susan, this is your promised land. Make it yours."

Someone asked me recently, "Did you like ANYWHERE you've been stationed?" Truth be told... I've complained about every assignment. I've complained lots about some (ie MINDROT) and not so much about others (ie Deutschland and Europa). I have tried blooming where I am planted - mostly shallow roots that never took hold for not wanting to get to know people only to leave shortly down the road. I chose to return to Minot for my boys' sakes and getting them a good education for free. My favorite places were Virginia and Germany. Too crowded in one and an ocean away from family in the other. But the sites to see. In an hour, historical Williamsburg or a castle ruin. In Minot? I'm still halfway to Bismarck, or another 8 hours to Minneapolis.

So back to today's title and hopes for the week. Weather advisory said up to MINUS 53 degree windchill factor tomorrow. Nice, eh? This is what BLIZZARD means. Blowing snow, blustery gusts of wind, and down right frigid temperatures no human or animal should be out in. Here's hoping this blows thru as fast as the snow did today! I want to look at this as our coldest encounter for the winter of 2007-08 back in North Dakota.

Hopefully I will have a picture of my van surrounded by drifts in the morning. HOpefully DH will get out of the garage ok! Have a lovely night! i'll continue my snow rant tomorrow... snow plows are next...

Question of the day: Just what does it take for a school to close in North Dakota? Or better yet, in MINOT? Letting kids out in 15 below windchill for recess still makes me scratch my head. Tomorrow morning bus pickup is going to be well below zero AIR TEMP.

Finishing Up Our Tour of Europe

Sadly, it's all too quickly coming to an end. We finally got orders, have tentative pack up dates and tentative date to fly to VA, to start making our way to Minot. <6>

The last few days we spent walking thru the lovely city of Madrid Spain. Beautiful! Magnificent! A city that struck me enough to say I want to return. I mean I've enjoyed all the cities we've been to while here the last 2+ years, but Madrid just felt wonderful. Maybe it was the hotel location. We literally were a stone's throw from the Plaza Mayor and all its little outdoor cafes and tapa bars. Life was just grand! We did a tour of Toledo (HIGHLY recommend!), Valle de los Caidos and El Escorial. Today's picture is of Matthew and I outside the Prado museum where I got to see Goya, Valezquez, Murillo, Ruebens and El Greco to name a few of the painters. Talk about WOW! AWESOME! Something I'd been wanting to do for years, and I got to do it!

El Escorial is an old monastery/palace built by Felipe II. It's an incredible building. I forgot to ask if they brewed beer like the German monks did :D I'll have photos up on webshots later this weekend from the trip.

Toledo was neat. Had a nice lunch there. Saw an El Greco painting there in the San Tome church. It's one thing to see pictures of paintings; it's another far better thing to see them up close! In the Prado, I was amazed at how big a picture Las Meninas by Valesquez was. A link to Greco's painting in Toledo is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burial_of_the_Count_of_Orgaz

Valle de los Caidos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_de_los_Caidos was another site we saw. It's a memorial site to those who fell during the Spanish Civil War. You can see this cross for MILES across the plains heading toward it. It sits high in the midst of a hill and is massive. Another site with pictures: http://www.feelmadrid.com/valleyofthefallen.html The basilica built under the cross is amazing. It's like 270 metres long and was dug into the hillside. There is a small chapel to mark each of the services along the wall on the way up to the altar site.

Now if I could figure out why Toledo, Ohio, has its name! LOL It's nothing like the one in Spain, and it's a shame. Maybe Michigan will take it back? :)

I sum up our trip as super! It was great time away from the worries here for a few days. And a great way to celebrate my birthday this year. (I've been terribly blessed with goodness by David this year!)

More as we get moving along our final plans here in Germany!

You Know You Have Too Much...

...stuff when you can't rearrange into other boxes! I'm digging out of my attic. I'm ripping up old magazines, pitching the leftovers, inventorying the stamps, throwing out old paints, and on it goes. Really haven't figured out yet just WHY I'm worried about getting this done. We don't have orders yet! ARGH!

BUT, the problem is moving the things from the pile of inventoried to the pile in a box to be sure it's put out of the way of the other stuff. Someone has to cut me off from the stores! LOL I could be a junkie of other things besides craft goods. Then again, I don't have time to be obsessed with other things LOL

Van is still broken. Got it over there to be fixed yesterday and found it's got another broken part. Gee! Wonder if that has to do with driving it on crappy German roads while waiting a week to get the ORIGINAL broken piece. I really think it's the roads here. We didn't have so many problems with vehicles and alignment/bearings and so on until we got here! Oh well! Another 5 months and I'll be moaning about the snow up to my arse. Remind me of that when November rolls around - "You wanted snow in Germany! Why not NOW?"

Today's picture is of Matthew and his Dutch gal. She's a little stony, not much on moving. Even the flowers were stiff. Oh, did I mention she's a perfect Matthew sized STATUE? We told him to go stand by her, and he kisses her on the cheek. LOL Such a doll! I had to have him do it again because he was so quick in doing it. LOL I always ask him if he kisses girls to make them cry, and he says, "I kiss the girls and make them VERY HAPPY." Oh yeah! He's a lady's man in the making.

I get a phone call this morning from the daycare... Matthew's still here, and it's 1150. Oh no! I apologize, "we only have one car" blah blah blah. I tried to call David, and of course, his phone is OFF. He finally shows up there at like 1215. Did he pay to get Matthew out of hock? No. Guess who gets to do that next week!?!?! Geee thanks for the help today! At least they're home (and David on his way back to work) safe and sound. :)

Will write more later... I'm making headway up here. Now if I could just get ahead of the ants downstairs! :)

Crunch Time

And other assorted things occupying my mind...

We are just back from a super weekend in Amsterdam. Might not have seen many sites, but it was relaxing and we got cultured. A visit to the VanGogh museum did that for us. Brought home some prints from that too! Got to see the Anne Frank House. Wanted to go to Haarlem to see the Corrie Ten Boom house (recommended by someone at the gun club), but we didn't have the time to make it there. The Anne Frank house was definitely worth doing anyways. It definitely moved me to tears while reading the info of dates the annex inhabitants died and where, and seeing their pictures again. And to see the actual diary in a case in another room. To feel so enclosed if only for a few moments while walking thru the rooms they lived in for so many months. The picture is of me next to the statue of Anne Frank, that is just a minute or two walk from her hiding place.

We stayed in the town of Soestduenin, or something similiar in spelling. :D Several little villages with the Soest part are in the neighborhood of the hotel. It's a resort of sorts. 9 hole golf course, indoor pool, trails to bike and walk. Kind of pricey but beautiful scenery. It's just moments from the Dutch airbase that our folks do altitude chamber stuff in. Not sure if we'll go, but David has to do his chamber next month. I might have to go back up with him so I can see a few more things in Amsterdam! The houses are beautiful! The streets remind me so much of America vs Germany. It's the drive to and from that kills you. It wasn't bad: give or take 4-5 hours depending on where you're going. We went to the Hague first to see the miniature city of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madurodam That is a cool place to explore for a couple of hours. It's like Legoland but more grown up in the presentation of buildings! Here's another link for more info. http://www.hollandvoice.net/madurodam2.html

Well, it's another busy week in my life. CG is going Scout camping this weekend. Waiting on the part for the van STILL to come in so it's legal to drive and then we can ship it eventually back home in a few weeks. Still NO ORDERS. I just can see me being stuck in Germany til sometime next fall waiting to get packed out. Wouldn't that be a kick in the pants. After trying to get out of here so we could get housing in Minot then get screwed about orders. It never ends.

Here's to a good Tuesday! It's a holiday shortened week so we'll be busy this weekend.

Another Day in Paradise

Actually I get to go out tonight! Sarah and her hubby and David and I are going to go to one of the little restaurants in their village of Rettingheim. :) It's literally from my house to theirs, about 2 miles! If the big hill wasn't in between, I'd consider walking over so we could stumble home from wine drinking! Sarah and I had mommy time yesterday. I brought hanchen (chicken) and dessert in exchange for my VERY DEAD ends being chopped off. Not really a big cut but enough to make my hair not so fried looking. :)

The throwing out of junk is still ongoing. It's looking like 3 more months and we'll be gone. Still no orders, nothing in stone. With gas costs, I'm thinking we ship the car to ND and just fly into Minot and then drive home to Ohio, ONCE, to visit and go to my 20th HS reunion.

Speaking of the reunion... where did the last 20 years go? Time crawled, painfully slowly, when we were kids! Now, I'm sitting here on 4 May 2007 and can't figure out where the last 4 months went. They're gone! And I'm still far from being ready to move. All this time wasted.

Today, Matthew and I met up for a playdate after preschool at the Kids' Zone at the bowling alley on post. Was nice to get to know Ryan's mom much better. Much like the neighbors the other night, I seriously wish we'd met sooner or gotten together sooner! Kori's oldest son is going to West Point next year and she sounds excited for him :) That's awesome! Two of our Heidelberg kids are going to West Point next fall.

David seriously says last night "It's going to snow in Germany next week." Ever just want to swift kick him? :D I'm sure he means like in the Alps, or like last year JUNE FIRST, in the Black Forest. Sad thing is I'd like snow, say two months ago, and it sure as heck won't stick if it does snow. I don't think it's been cold here since December. :D I have a picture dated from FEBRURARY this year, and the daffodils were in bloom WAY BACK THEN! Imagine the tourism business in Amsterdam this spring... wonder how badly it's off when the tulips were likely done blooming in February. :X

Children... I wish I had grandchildren first! Mine don't know but one volume, pissed off mommy level because they use the whiny pain in the hiney child level. I love them! They're really good kids, but man... the two still do not get along. Oldest just teases baby and baby screams at the older antagonist who just won't learn "DO NOT TOUCH, LEAVE ALONE, STOP TALKING"!!!!

I'm off to clean some more out. Found some stuff I forgot about. :X Say it ain't so! One day I'll have it together and we'll be retired and no where to move!

Oh yesterday looked to end on a bad note but when I got home a little after 9, my neighbors were walking around the corner. :) They stopped and were talking to me for a little while. They built a new home and moved in last summer. They speak super English and have always been warm to my family. Anyways, I asked the woman about knocking on their door, and she says "Oh please, do! We can have coffee." Well, but for next week, when she goes to BORNEO for work. LOL She's a travel agent. But when she returns, she said she'd ring or knock on the door to let us know she's home and that David and I could come over for coffee. I'm quite excited! I love their house. It's bright and open and has a CLOSET!!!!!!!!!!!! No! Normally, German homes do without that luxury, thus the invention of the schrank. Theirs is a full sized huge walk in. :) And their kitchen is huge, not a cracker box like so many I've seen in our two years here. Counters! Huge Frig! Lots of storage! Soooooooooooooo not German! (mind you from what "I" have seen, or not seen LOL) So that perked up my night. :)

At the PC party I went to last night, my friend was there who does hair. I had to ask about going over today to get mine chopped at the ends, at least that much. She said SURE! So after Matthew is on the bus to school, I'm going to go over to her house for a couple hours of adult conversation and a new do! It's the little things that excite us so. :D So, should I go boldly where I haven't before and chop it all off? Or just go for the ends and go on being a little bit BORING? Yeah, probably the boring.

Last Saturday we did some siteseeing. We drove up to Ramstein on the iPod mission, without success there, Vogelweh or Mannheim's PX. AAFES sucks if you don't know that already or have any experience with them. Employees there to collect a check and be of little help as possible. Anyways............. BURG NANSTEIN sits on the hill above Landstuhl and looks out over the valley where you can see the flightline at Ramstein. It's BEAUTIFUL up there! Green green green! (God bless an early EARLY spring and not much rain in weeks) The boys had fun walking around the grounds and climbing various stairs, and even a wall. This castle can be seen lit up at night as well. Still more castles to see! Lots to do. Maybe Saturday we'll drive up to Koln and check it out. They have some music festival going on this year that happens every 3 years. (per David) I haven't been to the Cathedral there yet so it'd be nice to get up there and to Aachen. The picture today is of the boys at Burg Nanstein.

Well, I'm off to battle dustbunnies and piles of crap. We hope to have orders shortly as I want to ship the van June 1 or so. And we hope to fly stateside August 1 or so. We shall see. Patience is something I missed out on! :)

Just thinking and writing

... Found this quote today on the web while searching for something on Meriweather Lewis' death. FYI: LOTS found on the actual Lewis & Clark trip, but little on their lives. Not good when one has to write a 5 paragraph paper on whether or not he was murdered or committed suicide.

Oh the quote. :D I get a little sidetracked. "The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had." -unknown author (if you know who, please share!)

Time in my life is flying by without much in the way of speed bumps. Another 3 weeks and we mark 2 years in Germany. We're gone this summer. (did I say that yet? LOL) So much to do. Packing out the house, shipping two cars, siteseeing, sending CG to summer scout camp in Switzerland again. How much can we possibly cram into 3 months? How much will we actually get done with the house in mind? After my run to Ktown tomorrow I plan to pick up where I left off on Friday with the basement. I got alot done, then did laundry and it's falling apart again. If we just didn't have to live in the house, it'd be clean all the time! I'll touch more on time tomorrow or the next time.

Today's picture is of CG at the Jewish Memorial in Berlin. It's just a block away from the Brandenberg Gate and couple away from the Reichstag. If you're going to the first two, you can spend a few moments walking thru the memorial.

Berlin

That checklist of places to see while in Europe is getting smaller by the moment!

Spring Break week we took the train to Berlin for a couple of days of siteseeing in the old city. Man! If planes had legroom like 1st class trains, I'd not mind flying in a sardine can for 8 hours at a time! Room for Matthew to get up and stretch those little legs full of energy. Someone comes to get my drink order. Just a little much for the cost. (we paid a little over $500 for us to all go up there)

Next on our list? Amsterdam in May. With winter non-exsistent in Europe this year and flowers having bloomed so early, I think we'll really miss out on any tulips. :( Isn't that main reason to visit AMSTERDAM and the Netherlands? We are also knocking Madrid off the list the month before we're scheduled (in our minds anyways!) to head back to the states. 3 full days in Spain, including a trip to Toledo. I've wanted to go since high school spanish class (all 4 years of it LOL) and now I'll get to live it. A day in the Prado... what more could I ask for? SEVERAL days? A month? I am SOOOOOOOOO very excited to be making this trip.

The picture today is from Berlin. It is the boys in front of the Reichstag on the marker stating this is where the Berlin Wall once stood.

Some travel tips for Berlin:

1. Take the train, first class. (see above note)

2. If you're starved for some American touches, you can find BK, McDs, even DUNKIN DONUTS, in town. Actually the donuts were in many of the train stations. And our lunch on Thursday was at Schlotzsky's. That's just down the block from Checkpoint Charlie! Filler on their sandwiches is ONION though. I think they had the sourdough type bread, and a limited menu, but it was just a touch of home I needed.

3. Reichstag tourist tip: Take a child under the age of 7 with you to stand in line. We were probably an hour from getting in. Gentleman in a Bundestag jacket came and asked David how old Matthew was. (of course, he's just 5) We followed him down to the handicapped entrance and were at the top in mere moments! The new dome is quite a place to see Berlin in panarama. Little scary if you're not fond of heights but worth the walk up the ramp to see from there. Today's history lesson is this: Reichstag is the building where the Bundestag meets. Bundestag is the parliament body of Germany. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_building has some basic info on the building.

4. Pay the couple euro to go up in the Victory Monument. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_victory_column Another view (I didn't go up as the stairs were a little much) but the picture around the first level upstairs is amazing. It's like a mosaic. And something I didn't mention of til we left this site, was a monument to Bismarck. If you go thru the park near the column, there is a monument to Bismarck.

5. Get that picture of the Brandenburg gate. It's just a block or so away from the Reichstag.

6. Get the pass in the Hauptbahnhof to ride the buses and trains for the duration of your stay. For 48 hours, we paid 34 euro for David and I with the boys free.

7. If going to Berlin in summer and going to the Olympic stadium where Jesse Owens shined in 1936, be sure to arrive before 7pm. They close then. ALSO, if you want to get their audio tour, (I don't think they did regular tours in English), arrive before 530 as they will NOT give you the tour if you're there after 530. We arrived at 540 and were denied the audio tour. No point in paying to go on the grounds if you can't learn more about it! Lady was quite unfriendly. Do you think mentioning I went to Ohio State would have helped get me the tour? Might have run me off quicker I imagine!

8. Our hotel was minutes from Schloss Charlottenburg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Charlottenburg We spent a couple of hours walking the gardens and the palace. Much like American plantation homes, it's a big wooden farmhouse. Well, with some luxuries, but it the thought I had when we were walking up the stairs. (we went to the San Francisco in Louisiana and when CG ran down the hall there, it just was wooden boards thudding) They have musical performances in the palace on different occasions and sounded like something I would have liked if we'd had somewhere for two boys to stay while we went.

Speaking of the hotel, it was the Econotel. It was quite nice with a European continental breakfast (pricey but pretty good) The rooms were actually nice sized considering many hotels in Europe are much smaller than what we find in the states. And when you read reviews about hotels here, that is one major complaint about European hotels. If you come over with the knowledge of smaller rooms, it might still be a good experience. You're only SLEEPING there! An underground station is just 1.5 blocks from the hotel. An Edeka markt (grocery) store is just around the corner, next to the hotel. So if you don't want to drink the water, they have bottled water and lots of other beverages there. A nice pizzeria was down near the station. Decent food for not too bad of prices.

That's my review for now. If I think of anything else to share, I'll pass it on!

Where Oh Where!?

... are we going? And WHEN are we going? It's April, we're overseas, and we have no orders yet. Just over four months to the requal class for David and here we sit. I don't know how people do it... MOVE WITH NO NOTICE or just a few weeks. I've known since late last year that we "had" to move. Yet, we're overseas, have to ship not one but TWO cars home and get packed out.

Did I mention that the bright idea now David has is to STAY UNTIL HE CAN GET THE JOB with the AGR? Meaning that my kids aren't up to date on shots and in jeopardy of not being allowed into the school come September. Right now, my biggest complaint is with DODDS. "We follow the shots requirements of the states." Guess what! Some don't require Hep A. "It's not a third world country." Whatever. So now registration is next week. Do I bother going to register the kids? Hmmmmm cattle call registration? I might just call and ask about it. I see no need to go thru the frustrating part of that situation if we're not even sure. The fact that they lose the paperwork each and every year (in the same school) and make you go thru the stupidity (orders, shot records, so on) each and every year to register the kids. I asked last year for the Bonfire Superintendent job and they didn't seem amused. Then WTH happens to the paperwork I first filled out in 2005??!?! CG has been in the same school for two years now. We've not moved. The only thing I needed to REALLY update was the emergency contact info.

Oh back to David and his growing up issues. :D Peoria, Ft Drum, God only knows where else he's discovered a place to try and get a job. At this point, I'm like JUST SIGN THE CONTINUATION PAPERWORK and go to Minot and get screwed by the AF a few more years by being forced to retire out of Minot. He's 5 years from retirement.