If I drank I would be an alcoholic after these driving tests!

Pissed! Pissed! Can I use a stronger word? Yes I could, but crap, suck, freaking A, bite me, all seem to be doing pretty good right now. Go in for my 2nd round of taking the German Driving test today. I go in confident knowing that I am going to pass. I even have the celebratory Diet Coke in the fridge waiting for my glorious return home.

9:30 I start the test. First question is one of those number ones..skip, next 8 question no problem, skip one more, keep going you are doing great. Oh another stupid question, skip. Ok now I have done all the question I know for sure. So I am left with two 4 point question and 2 3 point question. So basically if I get both 4's wrong I fail. That is when the stress hit!

The question was "what is dangerous about this road". Well I see two cars on a cobble stone road with railroad tracks. Neither car is on the tracks in fact they are on either side coming towards me and going away from me. But one of the answers is "it is dangerous to drive on the tracks". So of course I over think it and say "no one is on the tracks, they are safely away from the tracks driving, so why would it be dangerous if no one drives on the tracks". But guess again, so I got that one wrong. The other was about the pedestrian Zebra crossing. Yes I know I have to stop in time not to scare the pedestrians, (that is a answer) and another one was have breaks locked. So I say to myself "when I am sitting at a zebra crossing, my breaks are locked, my car is not moving, so this must be right". No it is not! So now that is 8!

This was the other one

A class B driver's license allows you to drive a powered vehicle not more than 3.5 tones of permissible weight. You are allowed to carry a trailer not more than 750 kg (in addition 4250 kg for the combination). You are also allowed to carry trailers with a permissible mass not exceeding the empty mass of the vehicle in front.

Three questions all worded that way and I had to figure out the right one. Whatever! 3 points wrong!

Last one Which one is the Braking-distant rule of thumb

Speed in km/h

------------------ X 3

10

Speed in km/h X Speed in km/h

------------------ ------------------

10 10

Speed in km/h X 3 + Speed in km/h X Speed in km/h

------------------ ------------------ ------------------

10 10 10

Answer is the 2nd one in case you want to know. The first is Speed and stopping distance rule of thumb. The last is Stopping distance from the moment you realize the need to break. OH there is a cow, I am going 130 km/h do I have enough time to stop before I make hamburger all over the road. And then yes I am responsible for any soil or mess I cause to the road, so I would have to clean it up.

I know all the rules...except for the crazy tow axial permissible mass crap. Give me the damn license!! (yes I had to look up the spelling for damn and stupid)

I told Ben I am not taking it again! This is why people figure out ways to cheat on tests! Is there someway I can take a picture of the computer with my iPhone send it to someone, have them look up the answer in my book and send me back the answer? hmmm

Since my fail proof method of getting a AZ license while I was in the states for Christmas was foiled! I guess other people have tried doing that in the 45 states that do not have to take the German drivers license! You have to take the stupied test with the license that you came into the country with.

There is not enough diet coke in my house to drown out my sorrows! If you have not guessed yet, yes I failed. I knew when the instructor of the class and my driving instructor looked at their computer and both winced and sucked in air at the same time looking at their screen and then at me. Now I have to make muffins and crap for a Christmas market bake sale for my kids school tomorrow. There will be no Jolly Christmas music going on at this house. Maybe Bart Simpson will become my new hero in life. He has stayed in the same grade for over 10 years, why can't I!

Christmas Markets

Christmas markets start here on November 24. The markets have local craftsmen set up stands and sell their goods. You can find candy, food, wine all filling up the air with their intoxicating scents. The markets are in small towns, villages, and cities. I will keep adding the ones I visit to this post.

For history on the markets you can go to http://www.germany-christmas-market.org.uk/

On the 24 I took the kids to the opening night of Wiesbaden's market. They had performers in the sky, singers and fireworks.

November 26

We headed down to Rudesheim for their Christmas market. The town has set up the market through narrow streets which have been decorated with St. Nicholas and Christmas trees. We went here with my quality friends Jen, Bob and kids, and Trishia with her boys.

Bob of course was Bob....

Rudesheim is know to have the largest Nativity Set in Europe. You do have to pay .50 euro to take a picture. So make sure it is a good one!

A Little Hot Chocolate

A Little Bit of Santa Clause

December 4th

Ok this is the last Christmas Market. They all seem to start to look the same after awhile. The Mainz Christmas Market has a eleven metre (36') high Christmas pyramid from the Ore Mountains in eastern Germany. It stands directly at the center of Höfchen square. This was our last market of the season. I think I have had enough kinder wine, hot chocolate and brauts to last me until next year.

Naked Spa Day

Well I set off today for the great Naked Unknown. In my head I am thinking that everyone is going to be walking around naked, checking in naked, getting a drink naked, going into the sauna naked. So I had a 45 min drive to think about the naked unknown!!!

I get to the door and 8 other people are waiting outside for the doors to open at 10 AM. I check out my soon to be naked company and see that I am at least 20 years younger than these people. Good start. I stand in line at the end to see what they all do to check in. Most of them have big duffel bags....was I suppose to bring things? So when I see that some are renting towels and robes, I think...thank goodness!

I get up to check in and they say "oh you must be Kara Foulk", yes I am the one with all the appointments today. They tell me to go to the top floor to the change rooms and that my first apt is at 11:10. So I go up the stairs and I see 10 different changing rooms. No signs saying men to the right, women to the left, just dressing rooms. Now imagine what saloon doors look like, that is what the doors to the changing rooms look like. I can pass a room and see who is there changing since you can see from the shoulders up and knees down. First room is a couple, then another couple, then more men...so I keep passing the rooms until I find one to myself. Not ready for undressing in front of people yet.

I stick on my robe and head downstairs to the information desk. They tell me my first appointment is at 11:10 so I should enjoy the next hour exploring the rooms. So I head off to the sauna area. Already my German Naked counterparts are laying down basking in all their glory in almost every room. So I keep looking until I find a room where I can be by myself, work my way slowly into naked groups. I disrobe and go in naked. I can do this, no worries. Then the door opens, oh just some woman. She brings in her towel and lays down for the long haul. After 5 min I am done with that sauna, too hot. I head back out and go into the roman sauna which is a little bit cooler. I join the other 2 men and 2 ladies already laying down, feet up, and relaxing. As I go from room to room all the Germans have brought their own towels to sit on. In the brochure no one was sitting on towels, am I suppose to be sitting on a towel? Of course would I want to sit on this seat if some old naked hairy man was sitting here before me without a towel? So I go to get a towel to save the poor German's from sitting on my butt sweat.

Most of the people their were older couples in the morning, but as the day got later ladies would come with their girlfriends, and younger couples appeared. But for now its just me and myself for an hour, all alone, with all these naked people. Now I know we have all seen a naked man before, but to be surrounded by so many naked men...so many different shapes and sizes, all to be just hanging out, bobbing up and down in the whirl pool, swinging as they walk, it was a little to much. Especially when I had no one to talk about it with! So after an hour of my German bonding I went for my massage.

The massage was easy enough. Walk in, get naked, get on a table face down, have the lady roll up a little towel and put it on your crack. Yea that is totally covering me up. Then it is time to roll over. Again, roll over naked and then she puts a little towel on your privates. As soon as the oil comes on, the towel comes off the boobs. So as I am getting all lubed up someone knocks on the door to give my masseuse a message. Oh sure come on in, chat, take up a chair, I am just naked!

So off to lunch where I can wear a robe, thank you.

Now it is time for the facial. The lady greets me and tells me in German that she does not speak any English. I tell her in English, no problem and just point to my face hands and feet. We are good!

So I walk into the room and take off my robe. I sit in the chair, yes naked, she starts to put the chair down like a dentist and then puts a towel on me. Now normally when I get a facial, they are relaxing. I little probing, but for the most part relaxing.

This facial was from HELL! I wanted to get up and run out! But I remembered that I was naked so not a good idea...maybe that is why we are naked. hmmm

So she washes my face and then gets out the scary bright light with the huge magnifying glass. My eyes are closed since if I had opened them I am sure I would have been blinded for life. I can hear her pulling open wrappers and metal objects falling onto a table. First she starts to pluck the eyebrows (did not ask for that, must have needed it). Then she starts to go for the clogged pores. I swear to you I have not felt this much pain since I was in labour! She is pushing so hard I swear she is going to put a hole into my skin. Just as I thought the pain could not get any worse I would hear her grab a different instrument and start to what sounded like clip and pick...was she digging, cutting, what was she doing! She was cleaning pores that I swear I did not have. She started on the forehead and then when down one side of my face. I kept thinking "go to my happy place, go to my happy place.....find my happy place, where the hell is my happy place! I don't have a happy place"! So after she gets to my chin I have started Lamaze breathing...hehehe whooooo, hehehe whooooo. She starts to laugh and takes the light off my face for a second. I am sweating up a storm from the pain. So after my 10 second break she starts on the other side. Now I am laughing to myself because I am thinking "I am so writing about this in my blog, should I write in the 3rd person, write out the sound effects"?When she was finally done I swear my face was swollen and hot! I thought this must what it feels like to have botox. I swear I did not have one wrinkle when she was finished because my face was swollen! She put cold ice on my face to calm it down. Did that sound like fun? No, no, no. In case you were wondering.

So she leaves me laying down and starts to work on my hands and feet. I guess and mani/pedi at this place means we shape your nails, push down your cuticles, buff the nails and put lotion on you.

I miss my $35.00 mani/pedi at Sandy nails in CT!!

Now in 3rd person, I say to myself "self I am done with all this great relaxing and I am going to cool off in the nice salt pool". Now the place is packed. People are everywhere. This is definitely something you want to do with your spouse or a friend. Us Americans just do not know how to relax, or maybe its just me. People are just laying on lounge chairs reading books, newspapers, sleeping, or just chatting. I can lay out to relax if I know I am getting something in return...like a suntan. I can read a book....if I know I get to go to sleep after the next chapter. I do not know how they do it, just relax.

So I think I have had enough German relaxation for awhile. Now for some good American relaxing, put my feet up, open a can of diet coke and watch a TV show! What can be better than that!

www.baederhaus.de

bring a robe, towel, sandals and leave your modesty at the door. ; )

Stupid, freaking, dumb German driving test!

There are 11 states that do not have a reciprocity agreement between that state and Germany. CT is one of them. Do they not think such a small state has cars? That we do not leave our states for long drives? That we do not know what a stop sign looks like?

This test, the lovely German written test is impossible! I have a 62 page translated book to memorize and a CD ROM with flash cards and practice tests to try and learn all the signs and rules for Gemany! Do these signs look like something we would ever need to know in the states? Come on! How many signs can you have for "no parking" and "where to park" I guess about 10 for Germany.

I took the practice exam about 6 times and kept failing! There are 30 questions. Each question in worth 2, 3, 4 or 5 points. So if you get two questions wrong that are worth 5 points you fail the exam. There is a big section on the effects of hashish. Do German's smoke a lot of hashish? A section on "The risk of being human" talking about keeping your feelings in check if you get angry on the road. How not to get distracted.

Or my favorite is Empty mass of the car + 75 kg/ 2 = permissible towed load

WHAT???

So anyway, I go in today to take my test that I have studied for. Completely stressing out. I have been told it takes people 4 times to pass, but I have talked to people that pass on the first try. So me and 10 other teenagers go into a room of computers to take the test. We can all see our drivers licenses on the teachers desk for him to hand out when we pass the test.

So we all start. One by one the kids get up from their desk, grab their jackets and exit out the door. None of them are taking there license. None of them are passing. So when I am one of the last ones in the room I realize that no one has passed the test! So I press "Mark Test" and the computer tells me

FAILED!!

So the teacher comes up to me and says "sorry too many wrong", really? Is that what the failed in the big red letters mean? So now I have to take the stupied, freaking, dumb German driving test again in another 2 weeks! I have one year to pass it! Lets see if I can do it.

My best Boyfriend

Today was a good day. My good friend Bryan who I have known since my days in OH came to Germany for business. He got here this morning from Wales, and was in Scottland and in London before that where he picked me up 6 diet cokes!! He was in...I don't know, like 10 different countries (probably more) before that, he has been traveling since the end of Sept for Microsoft. Insane!

So I pick him up in Frankfurt at the Sheraton Airport hotel, but it takes me 3 times to go around the airport before I figure out how to get to the hotel. Just kept passing it from the outside. Germany will have 5 different signs to tell you where you can park, but not one sign that says "turn here for hotel"?

So I take him back to Wiesbaden and find a traditional German restaurant. The closest people in the place to our age were the 60 year olds behind us. So this means it had to be good, right? Well we could not figure out the menu, I had out my iPhone to translate "Slaughter plate", not going with that one. So the server was able to find some english menus and we were set. I saw German potato pancakes with apple sauce. I just had some of these in Poland so I knew they would be good...except when these came out, they were big size McDonalds hashbrowns! I first ordered 5 and the server said "oh no, 3 is good enough". So after I ate one, I was good! Bryan had some type of Schnitzel and shared that with me. So basically we were still hungry after that meal. We found a bakery and had some more good and healthy apple strudel. We were not feeling too good after that, but we were full.

So after picking up my kids we head off to my house to wait for my handyman to check out my fridge that has not worked since Sat night! All my food is sitting outside since it is colder outside, than in my fridge. Handyman came and said my fridge was kaput! So I get a new one, yea!!

Ben missed out on all the quality bonding time with Bryan, but Bryan left Ben candy corn (Ben's favorite) and Oreo's for my girls. Bryan is a keeper! Our friends from OH were all quality people!! Felt good to have home visit Germany.

Traffic Lights

You have to love the traffic lights here in Germany. Not only do they go from Green, yellow to red. They also go from red, yellow to green. I always feel like I am at the Indy 500, or I am getting ready for a drag race. As I sit at the red light I start to rev my engine as the light turns yellow, ready to kick it into high gear and leave the Smart car beside me in my dust! The light is green, I giddy up and go...my little Volkswagen Golf is in high gear reaching such high speeds in a single bound! Only to finally get up to the 50 km speed limit and have to slow down again for the next light..but wait I can see that the red light is turning yellow, which means, it will be green in 2 seconds..keep the pedal to the metal and fly right through that light!

Girls Poland Shopping Trip

My first girls weekend here!! Ben was in the US so Jenn's husband Bob took care of my girls with his own for the night and then handed them off to a babysitter the next day. Whatever it takes to get out of the house!

So 5 in one car and 4 in another and we headed off to our first stop, Seiffen, Germany. (about 5 hours away) This little town was way up in the mountains, snow everywhere! And our faithful leaders drove their cars with summer tires all the way up with not one fatality! In Germany you do not have all weather tires. You have to have summer and winter, which means you have to store your tires that you are not using in a tire hotel. Nice! Wonder if there is room service.

Anyway this town sells Christmas items all year round and is the officia

l Christmas village in Germany. The locals make many wooden Christmas items and sell them in their shops. Like wooden candle pyramids, angels, nutcrackers, and toys. This is the main income of the village.

I just followed Natalie around the town, she was looking for a wooden pyramid with 3 different colors of wood. She said she had been looking for a year for this item. So when she found one that she loved and for a good price I asked "do you mind if I copy you? If you have been looking for a year at all the Christmas fairs and this is the best one, I will get the same one". I mean really why should I look around if she has already done it for me? Quality friend.

So after 1 1/2 hours we loaded our cars with all our goodies and got back into the

car for another 2 hour drive in the sleet, rain, cold, dark night.

We arrived in Poland around 9 and went straight to our Blue Beetroot Bed and Breakfast. Very cute place, highly recommend. We quickly order food since the kitchen closes at 10. Perogies for everyone! Yum!! Then we head upstairs where we see 3 other American ladies getting pedicures and mani's! We were like "they do this here"?! It was only 5 eruo for the pedi, come on! The exchange rate was ridiculous! If you spent a 100 Zloty it was 40 euro!

So the next morning we are up for breakfast at 7 and out the door. After a few hours we filled up our 7 passenger van and roof trunk, again very impressive shopping.

Then we had to get back into the van, with less room...and drive back for 6 hours in close comfort. What better way to find out about your friends, then to be trapped with them for 7 hours with no elbow room.

Now we just have to find our next destination.

A day of Day Tripping

Wake up this morning thinking "what a great day for a day trip to Burg Eltz Castle". Not a great day to trip down my stairs. These stairs turn at a 360˚ and every morning we all hang on to the railing for our lives. I have heard Ben fall down the stairs (he said he tripped on something..I don't think so). So as I come down the ( smaller than my foot) stairs and I trip, slip, fall, whatever you want to call it. Kayla caught me at the bottom after I slid down over 1/2 of the stairs. My poor kids are crying and thinking I have just died. I try and tell them I am fine just a few bruises, thats all. Stupid stairs!

So as we get ready for my big trip the kids get my cane. They think that I fell because of my one bad leg, I tell them no, not my leg was not the problem, just my big feet and slippery socks. But I take the cane with me anyway to make them feel better.

We drive our 2 hour drive and get to the Castle parking lot (that I found all by myself, understood 150 euro to park and where to park from the elderly parking attendant, thank you very much).

We walk to the path to the castle and I ask a man beside a van how far to the castle. He says it is a 800 meter walk, forgets to tell us that it is also straight down on wet pavement. Kids are holding onto me for dear life thinking that I am going to crash. But no, not me...Kayla is the first to go down sliding. She gets up brushes herself off and we keep going. Then Emilee goes face first down landing on her belly. At the same time the Van that we saw at the top of the mountain starts driving down and has to stop as I pick up Emilee to get her out of the way. He makes sure she is ok, then continues with passengers in the van. Kayla yells "we could have taken the VAN DOWN"! Like how would we know that. I tell Kayla, we will get him on the way up I promise.

So after a wonderful tour of the Burg Eltz Castle we took the van up for 5 euro and saved our shins!

Doctors, Hospitals, Insurance???

So today I think will be like any other doctor apt. Most of you know that I have MS, and I have had it for 16 years, and doing good with it. A little limp in the right leg, but other than that, OK. For the past ..almost 3 years I have been on a drug known as Tysabri. I go every 4 weeks, never a day sooner. Now I do not know if the 28 days is a safety issue or an insurance issue, but I do not want to take a chance.
In the states if you are on this drug, you have your blood pressure checked, temperature checked, and then they ask you questions making sure you are in good health before they let you start the medicine. Once you have cleared all the red tape, you have the IV for one hour and then observation for an hour.
My first apt here they put the needle in my arm, put up the IV and in 10 min I was done. I freaked out. "What, I am done? Why so fast? What is going on"? The doctor comes in and says I am sure the states has you there for 2 hours so that they can bill you. hmmm
So today I come in for my 4 week apt and the office says, "no you missed your apt yesterday" I told them for 3 years my apt has always been on a Wed, not a Tues. So obviously lost in translation, the nurse 4 weeks ago made my apt for 27 days since the doctor was not going to be in the office for a week, starting today. I revolve all my vacations around this medicine. It has to be TODAY!! So I ask them to find me a hospital to go to since I have already paid for the drug, 2600 euro of it! Yes convert that! (and yes we are reimbursed for most of it, no worries) So as she is calling I ask her "is there a nurse here that can do the IV"? and she tells me that she is a nurse but there is no doctor here.
That being said she gives me an apt for the emergency room at 14:00 (they use military time here) and gives me the iv, the needle, the saline solution...I can now do the whole thing myself at home...but she cannot do it. WHAT??
So now I am nervous about going to a hospital and what happens there. So 2:00 I show up and they tell me no, its 4:00. I do the math in my head while showing my apt card. 12 + 2 = 14..2:00! But they tell me, no doctor until 4. So I call my friend Jenn to see if she can look after my kids since I have to come back in 2 hours and cannot pick up my kids from school!
She could look after them, bless her heart!
So now I am back at the hospital and in with the doctor. The doctor is unsure of what to do and reads the instructions, consults his blackberry of medicine and starts to open containers. I have not seen him wash his hands, nor put on gloves to do any of the mixing. He then comes to the table puts up the IV, sprays my arm with something and puts the metal needle in (no they do not thread the plastic flexible, walk around if you need to needle here, no moving around with metal, stay still!).
So 10 min goes by and I am done.
Now since I have a cold I ask him about my ear, since I am sure it is infected. Is this too much information? He asks me if I have a temp. I don't know! So he takes my temp, then looks at my ear and low and behold, infected! So he writes me a prescription for ear drops and ibuprofen. (yes you cannot get that over the counter here).
He then tells me that he is not going to bill me for the visit (never hear that in America), but suggests to me that I tip the coffee lady on the way out.
I think he is joking until I pass a little coffee place..does his wife work there? Sorry I do not drink coffee and I am late for my kids, next time.
I tell Ben all my drama for the day and he says "you can't make this stuff up! My clothes, flat tire, speeding ticket, getting sick, now this. You just do this so you have something to write on my blog". Yea I wish that was the case!
Well its been over 5 weeks and I am still alive in Germany! Maybe not my dog for long if she does not learn how to go to the bathroom in the right spot! But that is another blog!

First Road Trip- Heidelberg

Today was my first outing in Germany! It took having guests to get us out of this box infested house. But I also have to say that I FINISHED THE MAIN FLOOR AND UPPER! The bottom is all Ben's! So I deserved a break!

We traveled an hour outside Wiesbaden to Heidelberg.

Along the way Ben was photographed 2 times for a speeding ticket!I told him its Karma's sweet revenge!! Telling me to watch my speed limit! HA!!

So our first stop in Heidelberg was the castle.Now this is a steep walk! Ben cannot find parking so he drops us off as close as we can get and then takes the car to park it, he tells us, he will meet us at the top. So anyway we ( Ben's dad, his wife Gina, and us girls) find a tram that will take us up this steep hill to the top in 1 min flat! Ben calls us on the cell phone panting and asking us, where are we? Ben's dad tells him...oh we are getting there slowly. Poor Ben walking up the steep hill all by himself.

In the castel is the biggest wooden barrl in the world ever to have been filled with wine! Sorry ladies, it is empty now.

Coffee & Kiss how could we not!

This picture here, come on..Fahrtgasse, how could I not!!

To Market, to market to buy a fat pig...or at least rotisserie chicken

Today I experienced my first outdoor market in Wiesbaden.
It was filled with local farmers with all their fresh goods. My friend Tricia (the blond) goes here every Wed, so today I tagged along. Jenn (the brunette) arrived here in Germany the same time as me, and also got her 100 boxes of crap from home the same day as me. And yes, in case you were wondering I am still unpacking, and still finding items that were supposed to stay in CT! Idiots!
So after walking through the market for an hour my basket was getting full and heavy. Now for someone that goes to the gym at least 4 times a week, I consider myself strong. I guess I am not grocery bag strong! I am hobbling on the cobblestone carrying a huge bag and tossing to and fro to keep on my arms, shoulders, hands, anything to keep it from dropping to the ground with all my goods. So after my good friends see me struggling they grab my bag and carry their own. What is up with that! They told me I should get the grocery bags that have wheels on the bottom to carry all my goods. Great now I am going to look like a hobbling grandma...wait that probably is an insult to grandma's, the grandma's I know are pretty buff.
Ok so my plan is to walk around my house with weights in grocery bags to get my arms shopping ready!

This is a picture of a German lady giving me the typical German
I am not impressed look. I see it a lot! Is it me?

Golfing in Germany...could you pass the test?

Ok, I found my clubs and they were all still intact, with no help from the movers. Today would be my first and last time playing golf this year in Germany. Ben and I headed out to Golf Club Idstein-Worsdoft to play with other parents and faculty in a small school tournament. So as we drive to the course it starts to rain...Ben and I look at each other and say "We are not playing in the rain"!

So anyway it stops raining long enough for us to get a cart and get to hole #3! Out come the rain pants, top, hat. Ben called me Grandma...like I care, I am warm! We were playing only because we had to play. Those crazy German's that were not in the tournament were out in full force, walking around that course and enjoying every minute of it! Not us! Get me out of here!!

Between all the rules that were listed on the first tee that I could not understand, having a letter from your home club pro to prove that you could play golf, and having to reserve a cart before you play (since most people walk...highly over rated), it was a cold, cold day...but fun.

For most of you that do not know if you are German and you want to play golf in Germany you need a golfing license.

The Licence Examination

The Platzreife examination comes in two parts:

• The practical test: tests driving, putting and chipping skills. Golfers must complete an 18-hole round in 108 strokes or fewer with a DGV-certified golf pro
• The written examination: tests knowledge of the rules of golf and golfing etiquette. A minimum of 24 out of 30 correct answers is required to pass. The test is in German

Good thing this is not in American! No one would play!

Speeding

Did you know that you can get a speeding ticket for going 7 km/h over the speed limit? That is only 3 m/h over! Ben got a letter in the mail with a fuzzy picture of me driving at 8:09 PM to be exact. ( I mean really, are you sure it's me?) It was taken 3 weeks ago when we first got here. I can only imagine how many of these tickets I might have! I know I never go exactly the speed limit, who does? If you say YOU, I do not believe you! So it will cost me 15 euro to pay, so not too bad. Just before I moved here I got a $200 ticket going to pick up by B.I.L from the Westchester airport, going 13 above the speed limit. I guess the roads were just not made for me. Well maybe the Indie 500 road is made for me, but who wants to keep driving around in circles, I am sure I have better things to do.

Can it get worse?

Ok, still unpacking. Not sure when that will end. Still amazed at how these movers packed my items. I am finding our recycled papers, now to be recycled in Germany. I am finding my pile of Goodwill items, that I could not find in my house in CT so I assumed that I had already taken them in. Deer repellent (that really stinky spray) in with the winter clothes! Keeping that in the garage for now. To top it all off I find one of their tool bags, filled with tools, a t-shirt and a rechargeable hand held drill with all the bits! Who packs their own tool bag? Idiots!
Then as I go get my girls from the school bus I get a flat tire! Yes this car is only 1 week old. The grills on the street are not flush to the sidewalk...as I know know, and the corner tore my wheel! The cars park 1/2 on the sidewalk so that other cars can get by on the narrow roads. So that is what I was doing, what I have been doing for 3 weeks now. I guess I will not park there anymore. So since I do not have a cell phone yet (thank you iPhone back order) the girls and I had to walk home, straight up our big, monstrous hill! Then I have to find someone that fixes tires (Ben is in meetings all day...like he could fix one anyway). So I get a tow truck and he speaks English! yea me! I told him call me when he was 10 min away so that I could walk back down the hill. They came, they got, I walked back. Really can my day get any worse?

Oh the pain!! The agony of defeat! Pain of my back, and of my feat!!...get it de feat..haha, too tired to joke. The movers came today. Boxes after boxes! Paper stuffed and stuffed in boxes, bubble wrap up to my arm pits! I would start on one box, empty it, and think to myself "you can do this" only to turn around and see that they have put another 3 boxes in my room! Then to top things off, the stupid movers in CT stuffed my items in a box like they had never packed before! They told me to put my "unmentionables" in a box. So there I put all my lovely VS bra's with all the cups facing the right way, all the padding perfectly in place ( I need all the help I can get) so after 3 weeks I open the box to find that they stuffed a laundry basket into the box and shoved all my items over to the side! Now my boobs will look lumpy and deformed! I know the least of my problems! Sweaters wrinkled like paper, a toilet plunger and cleaner with my kitchen items. I mean really come on! Oh my back!! Diet Coke #4

Sandwich

Ok, to those who know me, lunch is my fav! Here in Germany they make fresh bread every day! In fact if you buy a roll today, its it hard and dry by the next day. So I frequent the bakery every day. So today I get a loaf of bread for 3 euro. It is still warm when I take it home! I have asked for 3 different kids of meat..ham, ham and what was suppose to be a chicken..I think more like a spicy baloney. So I get home to my spread of sandwich supplies thinking to myself...how am I going to cut this bread? I still do not have my shipment of kitchen items! So out with the butter knife I slowly cut away at this crispy loaf of bread with a soft inside...yum, yum!! My Dad's mom was German and she always made us the best lunches, I felt like she was there making this with me!
Who's coming for lunch!!

They Said It Could Not Be Done

Yes I Kara, queen of bargain shopping (for high end items), lover of all children (as long as they are mine), work out machine ( so I can eat everything!!), have finished my first wardrobe of 100 x 239 cm!! (only 4 more to go). With a little help from a 5 & 8 year old, we were able to lift this monstrous wardrobe high into the air and have it stand all on its own! As I jumped up and down expecting everyone to high five me (kids were like "what the crap mom, how many diet cokes did you have"?) I realized, yes Kara you can do anything! You will learn German and be fluent in 4 years. You will know where all the speed traps are for speeding and never get caught. You will find someone to clean your house for 20 euro and not feel guilty about it. Yes Kara, as my good friend Bob the Builder always says "Can we fix it? Yes we can".
Ok back to earth, just remembered that I left all the clothes in the stinking hot german drier! What is up with that! It steams the clothes so hot, you can barely touch them. I am surprised that all Germans are not walking around with flood pants.

Seriously IKEA!

So here I am thinking I am a super woman, no nuts and bolts are going to get me down. No S curvy European tool thing going to throw me off my game. I will build this desk, for if I build it, my Mac will come! So after stopping last night because of a wrong piece I head to IKEA this morning. I type on my iPhone, "I have two doors, I only need one. I need a back piece". The guy behind the counter did not understand. So out comes my iPhone photo's of what I need. No, really you still do not understand? Ok so I hand thrm their pamphlet of their great black and white, Ziggy do it yourself diagram of what I am suppose to have. Got it? Oh, now you need a receipt because people just come off the street slowly trading in pieces of wood every day to eventually build a house? So long story short I get my right piece.
Come home start building, got my Coke Zero, my cookies, my music playing in the background, ...something with Miley Cyrus and Fly on the wall? hmmm
I am now getting to the end and I am thinking "this does not go together" yes people another part! I took it to a friends house tonight to get a 2nd opinion since I did not want to explain to the German's that their Swedish counter parts, got it wrong in English! So yes I will be making a trip to IKEA Monday!! But I now have a power drill, will try and accomplish putting together a wardrobe tomorrow. Maybe

Missing Piece

Really? After all that? A missing piece? Come on IKEA, you make me kill my back, rub my hands raw, by screwing in each little screw, only to find out 2 hours into making this thing that you gave me two doors! Not one! Now I have to try and translate "no you blond headed fool, I do not need two doors, I need a back! No not my back, my back hurts though thanks for asking...My desk's back"!

IKEA

What is up with IKEA and all the bits and pieces that go into making something? The desk was 130 euro, I would have paid 200 just to have it be put together! Where is my diet coke? Wait...its only coca light here! Oh the pain and sorrow of it all! 6 pm...do you think I can finish before I go to bed? Wait I think I smell chicken nuggets burning. Oh man!

Life in Germany Thus Far

I was told to do a blog, I guess my posts on Facebook were just not enough for some of my faithful friends! I have been here in Wiesbaden, Germany for 3 weeks now. I have learned that you cannot get a box spring bed, they do not use sheets, and that pillows are 80 x 80 cm. 1/2 the size of my children. German homes for the most part do not have closets...why? German's have clothes? Why do they want to fill their rooms with wardrobes?
I have been living at IKEA..I swear! Everyday I go there to fill my little German home. Every day I come home and have to put something together. Don't even get me started on that. Later.
Another thing that I learned here. When you walk into a room you say good morning (guten Morgen, tag, whatever) to everyone..waiting room at doctor, elevator.
Garbage! Ahhh You have paper, plastic, glass, Bio (banana peels, apple cores, leaves, grass clippings, etc) and then everything else. 5 bins and all on different pick up dates. Ridiculous!
They are very eco friendly here...hence the garbage.
Grocery store. Bring your own bag or you have to buy one there to put your groceries in. Also grocery carts. You cannot just take one from the group. They are all connected by chains. You have to put in a euro to make the key come out and set the cart free. Did not know that as I ask a young girl if I can have her cart as she was finished with it. She looks at me and says something...something that I had no clue about. Then she returns her cart and shows me her euro. ohhh Of course I do not have a euro on me, so I guess no cart. I have no found that the bigger shopping markets give out plastic coins to act as euro to open the carts. I can tell ya this, you never see a stray cart in the parking lots here!
Ok thats it for now, lets see how this looks.