Reflections of a Perfect September Sunday

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. -Edwin Way Teale

Flower plucking, silent tractors, travelers returning home, long bike rides, and spending time with family ... just another Sunday in Germany.

p.s. It wouldn't be fair to not mention that Saturday was pretty sweet too. While I was shopping downtown with Kendra... Chad was cleaning house and mowing the lawn. As if that wasn't enough... he mowed Kendra's lawn and then made us dinner. Whatta guy!

no title will suffice

Today was horrible. Silver lining... ya, I don't think so. It went a little something like this (in short):

go to bed at 10

wake up at 11 due to car alarm

wake up at 2 am due to phone ringing

can't go back to bed

alarm goes off at 430 (already?)

scratch mosquito bites to smithereens

get up

eat breakfast

get ready

leave for Heidelberg

realize I have no drivers license... money.... ATM cards....

might need to put gas in the EDGE

call Chad

tells me to meet him at Panzer... he'll leave now and bring items above

sitting in parking lot... kinda gotta go pee... everything is closed

Chad brings stuff

off to Heidelberg {still having to go pee}

drive an hour

get stuck in stau [traffic jam]

bird flies into windshield

no doubt... bird dies

really have to go pee

get to Heidelberg

about to pee pants

can't find building

about to hide behind bush and go pee with little worry about who sees me... bladder is painfully full

find building... say.... 'hi, where's your bathroom?'

relief

go to like 7 different offices

am told I need flu mist and Hep B shots

installation internet network crashes

can do NOTHING

network fixed... get mist up my nose... get shot in arm...

try to do a favor for someone... can't find office

woman in information sends me up 8 flights of stairs... twice

no office

another 8 flights of stairs

find office

don't have the cards I was supposed to pick up

whatever

go to car

get in car

feeling... tired... hungry... thirsty... it's noon

definitely need gas

GPS not working... heading North?

call Chad... official meltdown... crying... screaming... can't find place to pull over

still need gas

am wasting precious gas driving around aimlessly LOST

more crying

Chad puts money on Esso card

decide to screw getting gas and see how far I get

more crying

drive slow to save gas

only one stau

miraculously get home

can't make dinner... too tired... Chad has got it under control...

so, the only pleasant thing about today was that I have a loving husband who allows me to scream and cry hysterically (maybe a little irrationally as well) while putting money on my gas card.

I ♥Chad

OKTOBERFEST 2009

Two roundtrip tickets to Oktoberfest via the USO- 100 Euro

One bathroom break on the way to Munich- 1 Euro

Pretzel and Schnitzel sandwich- 12 Euro

1/2 Meter long hot dog- 3.50 Euro

Beer- 20+ Euro

Seeing, experiencing, eating, laughing, drinking, having one of the best times of your life at Oktoberfest 2009- PRICELESS...

Our new friends...

Don't stop me now...

Even though my throat kinda feels like I've swallowed a brillo pad and walking up one flight of stairs takes all of my energy for the next two hours... Chad and I are bound and determined to go to Oktoberfest Opening Day on Saturday. Actually, unless I wake up paralyzed on Saturday we ARE going because we booked our non-refundable tickets.

It's just one of those things you have to do ONCE if you live in Germany.

A Saturday in Stuttgart...

when given the opportunity to venture outside of this place we call 'home,' we typically take advantage. However, this weekend we were invited by friends to stay put and instead do some exploring in our own backyard. Our friends (who also conveniently live downtown... can you say, free parking?) enticed us with promises of zoo visits, food, and bike riding (shucks, flat tire) and were were sold. So here is our Saturday in Stuttgart...

I normally wouldn't wear this outfit out and about in Europe (hello, American) but we thought we were riding bikes... which would make this ensemble entirely appropriate. It all worked out though because it allowed me to shop at H&M later in an attempt to fit in better (well, that was my excuse anyway).

This photo was Chad's idea... hence the awkward pose and apprehensive smirk on my face.

I don't know about you but I suddenly have the urge to read Secret Garden.

I'm not sure when Redwoods became appropriate zoo exhibits but we hugged this tree for two reasons. We are from California and it felt like home.

We ended the night with this sunset (and tacos, UNO, & Taboo).

The End.