Getting used to a military base is not like anything else I've encountered. I have an ID card which I use with a fingerprint scanner to get in. If I go to one base, after getting past armed guards, there is a mall with a macaroni grill and a movie theater among other things and a burger king alongside other military buildings.
Everyone I've met is very nice and extremely courteous. The only downside is that in-processing has been crazy. I've had lots to reorganize and attend to such as medical appointments, German driver's license appointments, calling stateside to keep finances in order, unpacking the house(which has been sidelined for all if the above), meeting with J's coworkers for little gatherings, getting Etsy dog trained, and the list goes on.
We recently learned of an officer's ball that we are to attend. J will have to wear her class A uniform instead of a ball gown. Her dreams of dancing with the stars have been bruised. This will be a new experience for both of us. It should be pretty classy though.
The nature here is interesting. The weather thus far is very much like Scotland: cool and daily misty rain, lots of moss, and generally overcast. However, the environment is very much like upstate Maine or upstate Minnesota: lots of pine, birds, and quiet. I have yet to see a bird that is identical to one in the US. I found a slug yesterday that was literally the size of my entire thumb!
We're hoping to vacation to a nearby city to roam about town over a weekend day. I'll update as best I can on that...with pictures:)
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Quick update, very limited Internet
Hey all!
Due to very limited net access right now, I will save my daily logs on my iPod and upload them when I can. Thanks for following!
Due to very limited net access right now, I will save my daily logs on my iPod and upload them when I can. Thanks for following!
Blackout
My Internet and phone access is virtually zero right now, so I'm saving these next several posts in my iPod until connection is restored.
Two days ago, I arrived in Ramstein. It was a unique experience because it was the first time I arrived in an air force base. There were several large cargo planes on the tarmac simply sitting around apparently scattered. Getting from the plane to baggage check was a lone long roundabout glass tunnel on the outside of the base. I got to streamline to the front because I had a pet. They only needed by DoD ID card and my SOFA passport (my no fee passport). I then met up with Etsy, but couldn't let her outside until the vet showed up. The vet never showed up as the plane was 5 hours late so we were told to forget about the vet and were lining up to get out when I saw J at the gate thought the glass. I went outside to give the dog a potty break and met up with J, with the understanding that I had to return to be cleared by customs. Verizon has no service in Germany, so my phone is only good as a paperweight right now.
I just got back into the door when I was informed that if J or some other military person was my , then I didn't need to go through customs. Total streamline!
J opted for a specific cab so we could get all of my stuff over in one trip. After I arrived at our new house, we walked around the neighborhood. There are a few trails, a velodrome, two soccer fields, what looks like a sports club restaurant building, several horses, and several small houses in Schopp...including a chicken pen! There also may be a train station, but we need to look into that a little further.
We explored Kaiserslautern a little and ate at the city's oldest wooden building. The food was good for the price and the waitress fortunately spoke English. We saw some locals playing cards. I thought they were playing 500, but it turned out that wasn't the case. When we got home, we started a checklist of Amy type of damage that existed in the house when we first moved in. I'm sure this will get pulled out when we move out.
Yesterday, our household goods arrived. That took almost the whole day. We organized it a little bit, set up our queen-size bed, and then ate at Casa de Maria. We thought it was a pizza place, but ended up being a nice Italian restaurant owned and run by Italian women who spoke English, German, and Italian. They had a regular daily fresh seafood catch menu. We both ordered pasta dishes: J got spaghetti and I got rigatoni. It was crazy good. J was exceptionally impressed. J was learning, as I did on my previous trip to Germany and Scotland, that European restaurant food is crazy good.
Today, I was supposed to only do a few things at home alone when J came home only an hour and a half after she left. She had a half day free and rushed me to base to get in-processed. I got signed up for medical, we signed for our COLA(cost of living adjustment) now that I was in Germany, met her sponsor and her boss, learned how to gas up a car using the army fuel vouchers, and returned just in time for our landlord to try to repair a few things around the house. Our TV satellite installation guys chose to come back next week as the roof was too slippery to work in from rain earlier today. Our landlord and his daughter seemed quite nice. Etsy barked once quietly, but it was enough for me to realize that we need to get her trained to not bark as soon as possible.
While at base, we got word of a last minute dinner party with J's boss and coworkers tonight. It's fortunately nice casual, so no ties this time, but I will have to be on my A game.
The more time I spend here the more I want to learn german so that J and I can mingle with the locals.
Two days ago, I arrived in Ramstein. It was a unique experience because it was the first time I arrived in an air force base. There were several large cargo planes on the tarmac simply sitting around apparently scattered. Getting from the plane to baggage check was a lone long roundabout glass tunnel on the outside of the base. I got to streamline to the front because I had a pet. They only needed by DoD ID card and my SOFA passport (my no fee passport). I then met up with Etsy, but couldn't let her outside until the vet showed up. The vet never showed up as the plane was 5 hours late so we were told to forget about the vet and were lining up to get out when I saw J at the gate thought the glass. I went outside to give the dog a potty break and met up with J, with the understanding that I had to return to be cleared by customs. Verizon has no service in Germany, so my phone is only good as a paperweight right now.
I just got back into the door when I was informed that if J or some other military person was my , then I didn't need to go through customs. Total streamline!
J opted for a specific cab so we could get all of my stuff over in one trip. After I arrived at our new house, we walked around the neighborhood. There are a few trails, a velodrome, two soccer fields, what looks like a sports club restaurant building, several horses, and several small houses in Schopp...including a chicken pen! There also may be a train station, but we need to look into that a little further.
We explored Kaiserslautern a little and ate at the city's oldest wooden building. The food was good for the price and the waitress fortunately spoke English. We saw some locals playing cards. I thought they were playing 500, but it turned out that wasn't the case. When we got home, we started a checklist of Amy type of damage that existed in the house when we first moved in. I'm sure this will get pulled out when we move out.
Yesterday, our household goods arrived. That took almost the whole day. We organized it a little bit, set up our queen-size bed, and then ate at Casa de Maria. We thought it was a pizza place, but ended up being a nice Italian restaurant owned and run by Italian women who spoke English, German, and Italian. They had a regular daily fresh seafood catch menu. We both ordered pasta dishes: J got spaghetti and I got rigatoni. It was crazy good. J was exceptionally impressed. J was learning, as I did on my previous trip to Germany and Scotland, that European restaurant food is crazy good.
Today, I was supposed to only do a few things at home alone when J came home only an hour and a half after she left. She had a half day free and rushed me to base to get in-processed. I got signed up for medical, we signed for our COLA(cost of living adjustment) now that I was in Germany, met her sponsor and her boss, learned how to gas up a car using the army fuel vouchers, and returned just in time for our landlord to try to repair a few things around the house. Our TV satellite installation guys chose to come back next week as the roof was too slippery to work in from rain earlier today. Our landlord and his daughter seemed quite nice. Etsy barked once quietly, but it was enough for me to realize that we need to get her trained to not bark as soon as possible.
While at base, we got word of a last minute dinner party with J's boss and coworkers tonight. It's fortunately nice casual, so no ties this time, but I will have to be on my A game.
The more time I spend here the more I want to learn german so that J and I can mingle with the locals.
Enroute to Deutschland
Got up this morning and had an agenda: get on the plane without a hitch. Failed.
I called the airline to make sure when to arrive. I was instructed to arrive no earlier than my itinerary and that I'd any paperwork was wrong, I would not fly...a stark contrast from the previous baggage person who said there was an offsite vet who could help if something went wrong with the pet paperwork.
We walked the dog for several hours. She ate and drank a little, but not much due to the stress. She behaved very well through the day with only one barking fit that was readily controlled.
The baggage man started out a bit harsh, but after realizing that I had never done this before, we became quick friends. He joked with my mom and dad about the whole process, told us about his travels from California to Maryland, and told me that all of the paperwork was in order except the orders had no baggage amount or weight limit for me. This was only a problem "when my wife has to file a claim." Even after asking about it, I'm still not sure what claim had to be filed or why or if one needed to be filed at all.
I carefully fed and gave water to Etsy at the vet recommended times before departure. I went to drop her off before heading to security for the gate when I was abruptly stopped at the pet drop off. I had arrived at 1200 and waited until 1630 to drop the dog off for the 1700 flight.
"The flight has been delayed."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah"
"For how long?"
"We don't know yet?"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah"
"Seriously?" -clearly, I didn't believe him.
"Yeah"
"Look. My boarding time is 1700, what is it now?"
"Well, we think it's more like 1900 now."
Later...
"Any update? I'm thinking of having dinner with my parents."
"Oh don't do that. We're currently working on getting food vouchers for everyone due to the delay."
Later...
"Everyone! The boarding time is now 2110 and the departure time is 2210. You may leave your pets here while you get dinner."
Soooo...I had dinner with mom and dad. It actually worked well to calm my nerves. I was getting teary the first time I almost left Etsy...sad as that sounds.
We walked Etsy some more. She was thoroughly beat. The delay will ironically work on my favor for her. It's close to her actual bedtime, she's tired so will likely sleep well, and arrival time will be in eight hours at midday...close enough to her regular wake up time and eating time.
I said goodbye and thank you to my parents. My mom teared up, but we were all happy to be there for each other. It was especially nice that my parents stayed with me through the whole flight snafu. Being alone at the airport for 9 hours with the dog in tow would have been a lot to handle in terms maneuvering around the airport and waiting for the next thing to happen. It was a weird feeling to know that I wouldn't see them again for potentially 3 years.
The lobby at the gate was odd in a way. Lots of young families and couples, a disproportionate number of young me my age, several older people...all complete strangers, yet we all held one unique common bond...the military. I have never worked for a large company before, but I think this is what it must feel like...lots of strangers all with the same employer directly or indirectly. You're all on the same team but you only know a tiny fraction of the players.
Anyhoo, I ended up boarding the flight almost dead last at 2230. I guess I'll just chalk that up as one more item. I will say that EVERYONE has been extremely patient and NO on has complained. A real plus for the military.
I called the airline to make sure when to arrive. I was instructed to arrive no earlier than my itinerary and that I'd any paperwork was wrong, I would not fly...a stark contrast from the previous baggage person who said there was an offsite vet who could help if something went wrong with the pet paperwork.
We walked the dog for several hours. She ate and drank a little, but not much due to the stress. She behaved very well through the day with only one barking fit that was readily controlled.
The baggage man started out a bit harsh, but after realizing that I had never done this before, we became quick friends. He joked with my mom and dad about the whole process, told us about his travels from California to Maryland, and told me that all of the paperwork was in order except the orders had no baggage amount or weight limit for me. This was only a problem "when my wife has to file a claim." Even after asking about it, I'm still not sure what claim had to be filed or why or if one needed to be filed at all.
I carefully fed and gave water to Etsy at the vet recommended times before departure. I went to drop her off before heading to security for the gate when I was abruptly stopped at the pet drop off. I had arrived at 1200 and waited until 1630 to drop the dog off for the 1700 flight.
"The flight has been delayed."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah"
"For how long?"
"We don't know yet?"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah"
"Seriously?" -clearly, I didn't believe him.
"Yeah"
"Look. My boarding time is 1700, what is it now?"
"Well, we think it's more like 1900 now."
Later...
"Any update? I'm thinking of having dinner with my parents."
"Oh don't do that. We're currently working on getting food vouchers for everyone due to the delay."
Later...
"Everyone! The boarding time is now 2110 and the departure time is 2210. You may leave your pets here while you get dinner."
Soooo...I had dinner with mom and dad. It actually worked well to calm my nerves. I was getting teary the first time I almost left Etsy...sad as that sounds.
We walked Etsy some more. She was thoroughly beat. The delay will ironically work on my favor for her. It's close to her actual bedtime, she's tired so will likely sleep well, and arrival time will be in eight hours at midday...close enough to her regular wake up time and eating time.
I said goodbye and thank you to my parents. My mom teared up, but we were all happy to be there for each other. It was especially nice that my parents stayed with me through the whole flight snafu. Being alone at the airport for 9 hours with the dog in tow would have been a lot to handle in terms maneuvering around the airport and waiting for the next thing to happen. It was a weird feeling to know that I wouldn't see them again for potentially 3 years.
The lobby at the gate was odd in a way. Lots of young families and couples, a disproportionate number of young me my age, several older people...all complete strangers, yet we all held one unique common bond...the military. I have never worked for a large company before, but I think this is what it must feel like...lots of strangers all with the same employer directly or indirectly. You're all on the same team but you only know a tiny fraction of the players.
Anyhoo, I ended up boarding the flight almost dead last at 2230. I guess I'll just chalk that up as one more item. I will say that EVERYONE has been extremely patient and NO on has complained. A real plus for the military.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Deadline tomorrow
Before my parents drove me and Etsy to Baltimore this morning, we had a quick breakfast with C and R and said our goodbyes. I hope C and R find the thank you note I left them.
My parents drove me and Etsy to Baltimore all day today. We had nice conversation, nice lunch, and nice dinner. The whole trip actually only took about 10 hours including breaks.
Etsy went into travel mode and didn't eat, drink, or go to the bathroom much during the trip, but settled back to normal once we got to the hotel. It's actually nice to know that she has a "travel mode" and what it is. I think she will fare well during the flight.
There was a mature plot of periwinkle outside our room. It was nice to see what periwinkle looks like when fully grown.
J and I didn't get to see the final effect on our Saint Paul house, but it was nice to imagine it. Speaking of which, my mom showed me pictures of the flowers at our old house. It looked like our little landscape project did at least a little of what we intended. That's encouraging for whatever we do in Germany.
J spent yesterday today tending to our flower garden. She bought some new plants and found existing living bulbs under garden fabric from the previous tenants. She removed the fabric and has a good looking garden started. The neighbors were very happy to see the work she was doing. Apparently, the previous tenants didn't tend the garden at all. More bonus points for J!
I get to hold her again in about 24 hours! So excited!
My parents drove me and Etsy to Baltimore all day today. We had nice conversation, nice lunch, and nice dinner. The whole trip actually only took about 10 hours including breaks.
Etsy went into travel mode and didn't eat, drink, or go to the bathroom much during the trip, but settled back to normal once we got to the hotel. It's actually nice to know that she has a "travel mode" and what it is. I think she will fare well during the flight.
There was a mature plot of periwinkle outside our room. It was nice to see what periwinkle looks like when fully grown.
J and I didn't get to see the final effect on our Saint Paul house, but it was nice to imagine it. Speaking of which, my mom showed me pictures of the flowers at our old house. It looked like our little landscape project did at least a little of what we intended. That's encouraging for whatever we do in Germany.
J spent yesterday today tending to our flower garden. She bought some new plants and found existing living bulbs under garden fabric from the previous tenants. She removed the fabric and has a good looking garden started. The neighbors were very happy to see the work she was doing. Apparently, the previous tenants didn't tend the garden at all. More bonus points for J!
I get to hold her again in about 24 hours! So excited!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Last night at the farm
Today was spent packing all of my things for the flight to Germany. Wow. That took ALL morning.
Afterward, I worked on some thank you gifts and then my parents arrived. It was the first time I had seen them since I left Minnesota. It was kind of surreal, but it was good to see them again.
We went to church then had dinner with C and R at the local Cracker Barrel. We mingled around the restaurant store and found this crazy awesome hat along with other cool things.
Good stuff! I has the bacon cheeseburger, R had the stew, and everyone else had the granola pancakes. I samples one... It was crazy good!
I got back to the farm and finally got the video of the coup. I thought people might find this a nice tidbit of farm tending that I helped out in. Tomorrow join my parents on the trek to Baltimore. The last leg in America is about to commence!
I have more vids. They just seem to take a bit of time on blogger. This will continue to be updated until they are all on here.
Afterward, I worked on some thank you gifts and then my parents arrived. It was the first time I had seen them since I left Minnesota. It was kind of surreal, but it was good to see them again.
We went to church then had dinner with C and R at the local Cracker Barrel. We mingled around the restaurant store and found this crazy awesome hat along with other cool things.
I got back to the farm and finally got the video of the coup. I thought people might find this a nice tidbit of farm tending that I helped out in. Tomorrow join my parents on the trek to Baltimore. The last leg in America is about to commence!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Countdown feels real now
Today was spent working on a final checklist.
This morning I spent most of the time at the USDA...again. While the ladies there were nice, it was pointed out that the vet used whiteout on the bilingual form. This could very possibly be rejected in Germany. I'll see what Baltimore baggage says. They offer an offsite vet if something goes wrong. Worst case scenario, I send Etsy back to Indiana. I really truly hope it doesn't come to that. Arr!
The afternoon was spent mailing things, changing addresses, and packing my things. C and R generously took me out to a send off dinner. We ate at Callagh's Pub. T joined us. We ate a Jameson burger, a corned beef and cabbage plate, a plate of ribs, and some tasty chicken. Below is a picture of the burger. I had the beef and cabbage. It was definitely freshly made and was very filling!
J had a good day today. She's getting into a bit more of a routine at work. She also got a chance to bond with her boss a little bit. Today, she accidentally locked herself out of our home in Germany. When she informed her boss that she needed to leave early to take care of it, he was okay with her request and joked with her. He apparently made the same mistake but broke into his house before calling a locksmith! I'm glad she's finally starting to bond with her coworkers. Just like any other job, it will take time.
Oy! Another crazy day tomorrow. I get to see my parents for the first time in weeks. Should be fun times!
This morning I spent most of the time at the USDA...again. While the ladies there were nice, it was pointed out that the vet used whiteout on the bilingual form. This could very possibly be rejected in Germany. I'll see what Baltimore baggage says. They offer an offsite vet if something goes wrong. Worst case scenario, I send Etsy back to Indiana. I really truly hope it doesn't come to that. Arr!
The afternoon was spent mailing things, changing addresses, and packing my things. C and R generously took me out to a send off dinner. We ate at Callagh's Pub. T joined us. We ate a Jameson burger, a corned beef and cabbage plate, a plate of ribs, and some tasty chicken. Below is a picture of the burger. I had the beef and cabbage. It was definitely freshly made and was very filling!
J had a good day today. She's getting into a bit more of a routine at work. She also got a chance to bond with her boss a little bit. Today, she accidentally locked herself out of our home in Germany. When she informed her boss that she needed to leave early to take care of it, he was okay with her request and joked with her. He apparently made the same mistake but broke into his house before calling a locksmith! I'm glad she's finally starting to bond with her coworkers. Just like any other job, it will take time.
Oy! Another crazy day tomorrow. I get to see my parents for the first time in weeks. Should be fun times!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
And back and forth and back...
So I went to the vet yesterday with the intention of going to the USDA right afterward and getting Etsy's paperwork all done in one day. Planning for the worst, I did allow for two days afterward in case things went wrong.
The new bilingual Germany pet import papers are so new and complicated that the vet didn't know how to fill them out. I had to reschedule my USDA appointment yesterday to today. I arrived at the USDA office to find that the vet didn't fill the paperwork out correctly and I had to visit them all over again. This time she gave her number at the USDA and asked us to call with absolutely any questions so that I don't have to double-back again.
After an hour and a half at the vet, I called the USDA and had them walk me through all the paperwork one last time. With them on the phone, all the paperwork only took 15 minutes! One case where having help makes things get done far more quickly. Now, I go to the USDA tomorrow (again) and hope that everything is correct and ready to go.
I had dinner at JJ's house with the nieces, JJ, M, C, R, and T. Excellent Papa Murphy's! I then watched the first few episodes of The Walking Dead. I approve of this series:). K-Borg also called me, victorious from yet another burger challenge. I'll get details from him tomorrow.
I presently have quite the to-do list for tomorrow with my departure from Indiana fast approaching.
J was feeling a little blue today. She didn't accomplish all she hoped to. She did get to see her commanding officer get promoted to Major today. She also had more classes of in-processing before that. We are both looking forward to being with each other again. Six months is a long time to live apart. It definitely takes its toll. So excited! I see her again in only four more days! It still hasn't totally set in yet!
Below are some parking lot pictures I took today. The USDA parking lot was so busy that the geese were able to lay comfortably in it. At the vet's office, some random classic car was parked. Can anyone identify this car?
The new bilingual Germany pet import papers are so new and complicated that the vet didn't know how to fill them out. I had to reschedule my USDA appointment yesterday to today. I arrived at the USDA office to find that the vet didn't fill the paperwork out correctly and I had to visit them all over again. This time she gave her number at the USDA and asked us to call with absolutely any questions so that I don't have to double-back again.
After an hour and a half at the vet, I called the USDA and had them walk me through all the paperwork one last time. With them on the phone, all the paperwork only took 15 minutes! One case where having help makes things get done far more quickly. Now, I go to the USDA tomorrow (again) and hope that everything is correct and ready to go.
I had dinner at JJ's house with the nieces, JJ, M, C, R, and T. Excellent Papa Murphy's! I then watched the first few episodes of The Walking Dead. I approve of this series:). K-Borg also called me, victorious from yet another burger challenge. I'll get details from him tomorrow.
I presently have quite the to-do list for tomorrow with my departure from Indiana fast approaching.
J was feeling a little blue today. She didn't accomplish all she hoped to. She did get to see her commanding officer get promoted to Major today. She also had more classes of in-processing before that. We are both looking forward to being with each other again. Six months is a long time to live apart. It definitely takes its toll. So excited! I see her again in only four more days! It still hasn't totally set in yet!
Below are some parking lot pictures I took today. The USDA parking lot was so busy that the geese were able to lay comfortably in it. At the vet's office, some random classic car was parked. Can anyone identify this car?
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Paperwork and studying
Today was dedicated toward getting Etsy's travel paperwork taken care of and studying for the german driver's test.
I got most of Etsy's paperwork today. The bilingual export to Germany certificate is so new that the veterinarian needed the day to understand it and fill it out while also attending to her other patients. I contacted the airline baggage check I'm flying through (not their customer service because customer service won't talk to non-service members), a military vet at Fort Irwin in California (long story), the USDA-APHIS office in Indianapolis, and two other veterinary clinics to make sure that I have all of the paperwork Etsy needs. I'm still not 100% sure I've got it all, as the rules for these papers and procedures literally change almost every year, but they all say that I have the right paperwork. USDA has to review it first before the airline, so I'm hoping that if they say I'm okay and the vet says I'm okay, then the airline will say I'm okay. The airline said that if something does go wrong, there is a recommended nearby vet who can help so it's best that I arrive as early as possible. If things go absolutely horribly wrong, then I will have my parents take Etsy back to Indiana, then probably cry about it for an hour or so.
I then studied for the german driver's license test. It seems this test is actually through the US Army, so only a written test is required. Most of the traffic rules are very similar if not flat out identical to US traffic laws e.g. right-of-way, passing lanes, defensive driving, default speed limits, yield signs, and stop signs. The signs that are different are pretty easy to figure out as their color and shape system is an overall simple structure. They intentionally design it that way though because international drivers are just as common as interstate drivers in America. They are apparently very serious about being familiar with the signs (roughly 144 of them or so), so I will need to study it again. It feels very much like soccer referee certification all over again: the ideas are pretty simple and straightforward but the details need to be paid attention to.
I also tested an anti-barking sensor on Etsy. It's a battery-powered device that emits a high frequency pitch when a dog barks nearby. I think it has some impact on Etsy, but it's not perfect. The vet suggested that training with a professional is the best way to go, but for those who don't have that time she's found that a shock collar (although she's not proud of it) works virtually guaranteed. Downside: shock-collars are not allowed in Germany. Looks like I'll be looking for a better high-pitched wall device for indoor purposes and get a trainer for outdoor and indoor purposes.
J must have had a tiring but good day at work. She didn't talk about what she did at work today, but she did mention that she finally met up with her classmate D who has had limited help from his sponsor thus far. J has been trying to help D out whenever she can, but her in-processing classes make such interaction difficult. Their superior officer is getting promoted tomorrow, and it sounds like they will at least get a chance to mingle with co-workers in a more casual environment so I hope they get to meet more people. D is looking forward to hanging out with me and J and his wife in the near future. D and his wife are also recently married. I've met them during J and D's training in Charlottesville. D and his wife are good people.
Less than a week to be with J! The countdown has started. Hopefully, tomorrow I will have Etsy's paperwork ready and then I will start serious packing on Friday or Saturday.
On a final note, R and I went morel hunting one last time. Three of the four we spotted last time were gone. We found one of them still there and another new one. R picked those two, but they were a tad dried. We think the slim pickings are due to someone or something else eating from the same patch and also that the crazy spring weather (started with a week of 80's when I first arrived and this past week have had two frosts) has messed with their typical spring growth pattern. Hopefully, they will come back better next year.
I got most of Etsy's paperwork today. The bilingual export to Germany certificate is so new that the veterinarian needed the day to understand it and fill it out while also attending to her other patients. I contacted the airline baggage check I'm flying through (not their customer service because customer service won't talk to non-service members), a military vet at Fort Irwin in California (long story), the USDA-APHIS office in Indianapolis, and two other veterinary clinics to make sure that I have all of the paperwork Etsy needs. I'm still not 100% sure I've got it all, as the rules for these papers and procedures literally change almost every year, but they all say that I have the right paperwork. USDA has to review it first before the airline, so I'm hoping that if they say I'm okay and the vet says I'm okay, then the airline will say I'm okay. The airline said that if something does go wrong, there is a recommended nearby vet who can help so it's best that I arrive as early as possible. If things go absolutely horribly wrong, then I will have my parents take Etsy back to Indiana, then probably cry about it for an hour or so.
I then studied for the german driver's license test. It seems this test is actually through the US Army, so only a written test is required. Most of the traffic rules are very similar if not flat out identical to US traffic laws e.g. right-of-way, passing lanes, defensive driving, default speed limits, yield signs, and stop signs. The signs that are different are pretty easy to figure out as their color and shape system is an overall simple structure. They intentionally design it that way though because international drivers are just as common as interstate drivers in America. They are apparently very serious about being familiar with the signs (roughly 144 of them or so), so I will need to study it again. It feels very much like soccer referee certification all over again: the ideas are pretty simple and straightforward but the details need to be paid attention to.
I also tested an anti-barking sensor on Etsy. It's a battery-powered device that emits a high frequency pitch when a dog barks nearby. I think it has some impact on Etsy, but it's not perfect. The vet suggested that training with a professional is the best way to go, but for those who don't have that time she's found that a shock collar (although she's not proud of it) works virtually guaranteed. Downside: shock-collars are not allowed in Germany. Looks like I'll be looking for a better high-pitched wall device for indoor purposes and get a trainer for outdoor and indoor purposes.
J must have had a tiring but good day at work. She didn't talk about what she did at work today, but she did mention that she finally met up with her classmate D who has had limited help from his sponsor thus far. J has been trying to help D out whenever she can, but her in-processing classes make such interaction difficult. Their superior officer is getting promoted tomorrow, and it sounds like they will at least get a chance to mingle with co-workers in a more casual environment so I hope they get to meet more people. D is looking forward to hanging out with me and J and his wife in the near future. D and his wife are also recently married. I've met them during J and D's training in Charlottesville. D and his wife are good people.
Less than a week to be with J! The countdown has started. Hopefully, tomorrow I will have Etsy's paperwork ready and then I will start serious packing on Friday or Saturday.
On a final note, R and I went morel hunting one last time. Three of the four we spotted last time were gone. We found one of them still there and another new one. R picked those two, but they were a tad dried. We think the slim pickings are due to someone or something else eating from the same patch and also that the crazy spring weather (started with a week of 80's when I first arrived and this past week have had two frosts) has messed with their typical spring growth pattern. Hopefully, they will come back better next year.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Cat and dog
This morning, instead of an alarm, Tobias woke me up...repeatedly.
I then proceeded to read a little, walk the dog, chat with J, then organize paperwork needed for Etsy. Tomorrow, I ideally get Etsy's paperwork taken care of for travel. The only thing I'm unsure on is the airline's requirements for travel paperwork. I checked with an army vet who confirmed that I have everything in line that I would need. I still would like to check with the airline, but they wouldn't talk to me the last time I called because I wasn't a service member. I'll be more insistent when I call them tomorrow.
Gotta put on my game face tomorrow. Hopefully, it will look better than what it did this morning.
J's day was up and down. She's making progress on her project, but has not been able to connect to the Internet at home or at work yet. I imagine that would be quite a hurdle to overcome. She bought Internet time at a local PX, but it seems to be restricting bandwidth by not accepting army correspondences. I helped as best I could. Today was a day where being so far apart was tough because the distance made helping each other out so hard. Less than one week!
I then proceeded to read a little, walk the dog, chat with J, then organize paperwork needed for Etsy. Tomorrow, I ideally get Etsy's paperwork taken care of for travel. The only thing I'm unsure on is the airline's requirements for travel paperwork. I checked with an army vet who confirmed that I have everything in line that I would need. I still would like to check with the airline, but they wouldn't talk to me the last time I called because I wasn't a service member. I'll be more insistent when I call them tomorrow.
Gotta put on my game face tomorrow. Hopefully, it will look better than what it did this morning.
J's day was up and down. She's making progress on her project, but has not been able to connect to the Internet at home or at work yet. I imagine that would be quite a hurdle to overcome. She bought Internet time at a local PX, but it seems to be restricting bandwidth by not accepting army correspondences. I helped as best I could. Today was a day where being so far apart was tough because the distance made helping each other out so hard. Less than one week!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Easter aftermath
I woke up this morning and decided to raid some of my Easter candy. Upon further inspection, I found that J further spoiled me by giving me a documentary on the space race! It's so unfair that she knows my every interest.
I then spent the next several hours sorting bills and getting new lysine for Tobias.
J then called. We chatted for at least two hours straight. We're both ready to be together again and to have some sort of a routine if nothing else than for the sake of being more productive. Just one more week!
I then helped start planting the garden with C. I sadly ran out of time during the day to do the chore R asked me to do. I'll do it tomorrow.
Here is a picture of the LEGO's J got me! So fun! I totally need to keep one of these on hand at all times :)
I then spent the next several hours sorting bills and getting new lysine for Tobias.
J then called. We chatted for at least two hours straight. We're both ready to be together again and to have some sort of a routine if nothing else than for the sake of being more productive. Just one more week!
I then helped start planting the garden with C. I sadly ran out of time during the day to do the chore R asked me to do. I'll do it tomorrow.
Here is a picture of the LEGO's J got me! So fun! I totally need to keep one of these on hand at all times :)
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Easter!
Today was spent celebrating Easter.
First off, C and R took me to the local Catholic church, St. Susanna, for the morning mass. It was a stark contrast from Saint Paul, MN where there is an overabundance of parishes. In Saint Paul, where they are downsizing, there are over 12 churches in a 20 mile radius and several of them have only older populations where the church is only half full at best. Compare to St. Susanna, where they were overfilled, a very evenly spread out age demographic, and the only Catholic church in a 20 mile radius.
Next, I took Etsy out for a walk and called my parents and my sister. Then, almost right on cue, J called me. She left me an Easter basket that C dropped off for me with both the book "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and two small LEGO sets. J spoils me rotten! I am totally taking her out to a really nice dinner when I get to Germany. She had no church bells to listen to today, which I found curious and was a little saddened to hear. She pretty much spent the day alone, which hurts my heart. I wish I could have been there for her. She did chat with her parents after our conversation, so that was nice.
JJ, J, A, C, T, J, N, A, A, L, C, and R (did you get all of that? :) ) showed up for Easter at C and R's house. C was extra sweet and got recipes from my mom so that some of my family Easter traditions could be present for me at Easter meal. She made german potato salad, ham, and "easter nests" - a marshmallow creme and M&M dessert - along with quiche, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, and cauliflower, and JJ brought olive-cheese bread (quite good), the ham aforementioned, and cheesecake. Needless to say, we were all very stuffed.
Etsy did not handle the commotion well. I may have been a little lax with her training due to the different environment. Today was a lesson to me of what I need to further train her on and what also to anticipate.
After lunch, I chatted with in-law relatives while most flew kites with the kids. It was a nice windy day for it. Golf later developed and T decided to cut some dead tree branches down. J, T's girlfriend, became very highly sought after by A and L for storytime...I think they went through 3 or 4 books!
I then finished watching the final round of the Master's Golf Tournament with R. It was a special tournament, with the fourth double-eagle swung in the entire tournament's history and a sudden death showdown at the end which was only the ninth in the tournament's history.
I then watched a 60 Minutes story on the status of the European Euro and why the crisis in Europe is happening and what is anticipated to happen next. I found it interesting that most analysts are confident that Greece will completely crumble financially, it's just a matter of when and what effect it will have on the rest of Europe. Also, Germany is the most stable country in all of Europe right now. The reason why it concerns America is that if Greece's collapse causes a European collapse, then America will certainly be affected in some way. It's crazy and exciting to know that J and I will be smack in the middle of it all.
I also narrowed down where my Jaeger line ancestor's came from via ancestry.com today. Herman Jaeger, born in 1844, was born in Prussia and entered into the United States via Quebec, Canada between 1859 (on his naturalization card) and 1867 (in one of the US Censuses). His wife, Mary, born in 1847, was born in Mecklenburg and actually came into the US much earlier, around 1853, but never received naturalization papers. If Prussia and Mecklenburg sound unfamiliar, here is a picture of Germany around 1871.
Mecklenburg is now a state of Germany, but Prussia got heavily hacked up after the first and second World Wars. While Prussia pretty much spanned all of Germany at one point, it's probably a safe bet that Herman lived near one of Mecklenburg's borders. How funny would it be if he was actually from Rhineland? I would really technically be going back to the motherland then!
First off, C and R took me to the local Catholic church, St. Susanna, for the morning mass. It was a stark contrast from Saint Paul, MN where there is an overabundance of parishes. In Saint Paul, where they are downsizing, there are over 12 churches in a 20 mile radius and several of them have only older populations where the church is only half full at best. Compare to St. Susanna, where they were overfilled, a very evenly spread out age demographic, and the only Catholic church in a 20 mile radius.
Next, I took Etsy out for a walk and called my parents and my sister. Then, almost right on cue, J called me. She left me an Easter basket that C dropped off for me with both the book "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and two small LEGO sets. J spoils me rotten! I am totally taking her out to a really nice dinner when I get to Germany. She had no church bells to listen to today, which I found curious and was a little saddened to hear. She pretty much spent the day alone, which hurts my heart. I wish I could have been there for her. She did chat with her parents after our conversation, so that was nice.
JJ, J, A, C, T, J, N, A, A, L, C, and R (did you get all of that? :) ) showed up for Easter at C and R's house. C was extra sweet and got recipes from my mom so that some of my family Easter traditions could be present for me at Easter meal. She made german potato salad, ham, and "easter nests" - a marshmallow creme and M&M dessert - along with quiche, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, and cauliflower, and JJ brought olive-cheese bread (quite good), the ham aforementioned, and cheesecake. Needless to say, we were all very stuffed.
Etsy did not handle the commotion well. I may have been a little lax with her training due to the different environment. Today was a lesson to me of what I need to further train her on and what also to anticipate.
After lunch, I chatted with in-law relatives while most flew kites with the kids. It was a nice windy day for it. Golf later developed and T decided to cut some dead tree branches down. J, T's girlfriend, became very highly sought after by A and L for storytime...I think they went through 3 or 4 books!
I then finished watching the final round of the Master's Golf Tournament with R. It was a special tournament, with the fourth double-eagle swung in the entire tournament's history and a sudden death showdown at the end which was only the ninth in the tournament's history.
I then watched a 60 Minutes story on the status of the European Euro and why the crisis in Europe is happening and what is anticipated to happen next. I found it interesting that most analysts are confident that Greece will completely crumble financially, it's just a matter of when and what effect it will have on the rest of Europe. Also, Germany is the most stable country in all of Europe right now. The reason why it concerns America is that if Greece's collapse causes a European collapse, then America will certainly be affected in some way. It's crazy and exciting to know that J and I will be smack in the middle of it all.
I also narrowed down where my Jaeger line ancestor's came from via ancestry.com today. Herman Jaeger, born in 1844, was born in Prussia and entered into the United States via Quebec, Canada between 1859 (on his naturalization card) and 1867 (in one of the US Censuses). His wife, Mary, born in 1847, was born in Mecklenburg and actually came into the US much earlier, around 1853, but never received naturalization papers. If Prussia and Mecklenburg sound unfamiliar, here is a picture of Germany around 1871.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Water and stuffing
Today was largely spent cleaning the house in preparation for Easter tomorrow: vacuuming, cleaning pet stuff, going through my items in prep for moving next week.
There were still some moments of humor, some of which I managed to capture on video. First, I cleaned out and refilled all of the pet water bowls upstairs. Tobias apparently decided that Etsy's water bowl was the best this time, although it was clearly the most awkward for him.
Second, a "white" nuthatch was digging through the stuffing of a dog toy for nest material. Sadly, you can barely make it out in the video at all.
Barn cat got into a scuffle with what seemed to be a cat that looked just like him except it had slightly darker grey.
I also managed to get C and R completely hooked on their family tree using ancestry.com. They have apparently been able to go back to the early 1600's thus far. My issue is that almost all of my ancestor's came during the early 1800 "last" wave of European immigrants to America. For me, 1780 is pretty much a wall to be climbed for my family tree, but it is still a work in progress.
In Germany, J has been laying low and walking around the area by the town house. She was hoping the catch up with O'C, a classmate of hers who is stationed in the same office as she is. He came over only yesterday, and she does not have his contact information. It would be nice to see a familiar face and share the "I-don't-know-what's-going-on" experience. At 1800, she did hear all of the church bells ringing. The little I did hear on the phone sounded almost like a raucous.
I see her in Germany in about a week! So excited!
There were still some moments of humor, some of which I managed to capture on video. First, I cleaned out and refilled all of the pet water bowls upstairs. Tobias apparently decided that Etsy's water bowl was the best this time, although it was clearly the most awkward for him.
I also managed to get C and R completely hooked on their family tree using ancestry.com. They have apparently been able to go back to the early 1600's thus far. My issue is that almost all of my ancestor's came during the early 1800 "last" wave of European immigrants to America. For me, 1780 is pretty much a wall to be climbed for my family tree, but it is still a work in progress.
In Germany, J has been laying low and walking around the area by the town house. She was hoping the catch up with O'C, a classmate of hers who is stationed in the same office as she is. He came over only yesterday, and she does not have his contact information. It would be nice to see a familiar face and share the "I-don't-know-what's-going-on" experience. At 1800, she did hear all of the church bells ringing. The little I did hear on the phone sounded almost like a raucous.
I see her in Germany in about a week! So excited!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Bringing down the barn...pen
Today, I planted some pansies and tore down one of the chicken pens as requested by C and R. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon.
J called right before I did that. She was busy shopping at ikea and the PX. Outside of that, she spent the morning waiting for the landlords to swing by for something but they ultimately did not show. Needless to say she was a little frustrates about that. Tomorrow she plans on relaxing.
Full moon tonight. I took a picture to share below. I also had the misfortune of my laptop power cord dying on me. Just as well, because it will be probably easier to get a replacement here than in Europe.
So tomorrow, I go shopping and probably help out preparing for Easter.
J called right before I did that. She was busy shopping at ikea and the PX. Outside of that, she spent the morning waiting for the landlords to swing by for something but they ultimately did not show. Needless to say she was a little frustrates about that. Tomorrow she plans on relaxing.
Full moon tonight. I took a picture to share below. I also had the misfortune of my laptop power cord dying on me. Just as well, because it will be probably easier to get a replacement here than in Europe.
So tomorrow, I go shopping and probably help out preparing for Easter.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
More pictures
Oh! I found a few more stray pictures of interest. Yesterday, while walking Etsy around the yard, the barn cat was racing past us a few times. Once, it ran from a building behind us, past us, and up a tree in front of us. It was crazy and random.
Also, for dinner tonight, R pulled out some "Captain Rodney" he picked up at the Tavern by Monticello. It was very much like sweet sour sauce from Leeann Chin. Next time, we'll grill with it.
I've noticed how time has flown for me here. The first several days I was here, it was a new moon. It felt like two days ago that it was a half moon. This evening, as pictured, it was almost completely a full moon! Those two weeks felt like only one.
Also, for dinner tonight, R pulled out some "Captain Rodney" he picked up at the Tavern by Monticello. It was very much like sweet sour sauce from Leeann Chin. Next time, we'll grill with it.
I've noticed how time has flown for me here. The first several days I was here, it was a new moon. It felt like two days ago that it was a half moon. This evening, as pictured, it was almost completely a full moon! Those two weeks felt like only one.
Another slow day
Today, I finished mowing the lawn, did several rounds of dishes, walked the dog, read a book chapter, helped make dinner, did some more morel hunting, and did a little more genealogy research.
J had a busier day today. Half of the day was being at the town house for house ware drop off, UB drop off, and electrical activation. No Internet yet. She now has 3 wardrobes, a bed, a table, a few appliances, a table, 2 bikes, and some assorted dishware and towels. The other half of the day she ran around doing errands before buildings closed for holiday starting tomorrow. She thoroughly enjoyed doing a little shopping and setting up our new nest.
I look forward to a few small projects around the house tomorrow. Below are the pictures of the morels I found. R picked the 3 we found last time as they were fully grown by now. I figure the other will be fully grown in another week of the weather is accommodating.
J had a busier day today. Half of the day was being at the town house for house ware drop off, UB drop off, and electrical activation. No Internet yet. She now has 3 wardrobes, a bed, a table, a few appliances, a table, 2 bikes, and some assorted dishware and towels. The other half of the day she ran around doing errands before buildings closed for holiday starting tomorrow. She thoroughly enjoyed doing a little shopping and setting up our new nest.
I look forward to a few small projects around the house tomorrow. Below are the pictures of the morels I found. R picked the 3 we found last time as they were fully grown by now. I figure the other will be fully grown in another week of the weather is accommodating.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Lazy day
While my intent was to mow a good part of the lawn, it rained half of the morning and half the afternoon. Being caught up with most paperwork, I spent the day transcribing genealogy notes into a small notebook for ease of travel and more compact records.
J had a run-around day. She managed to get her rental car, but was unable to accomplish much else. Getting her rental car set the stage to no longer be hostage in her hotel room. It also gives her a chance to use her recently acquired German driver's license. Tomorrow will be her first day to do what she wants. Tomorrow, Germany's four day weekend starts as it seems to the first weekend of every month. It will be a true holiday for her. It will be the first day to do what she likes since she arrived in Germany. She will also be moving into our town home soon, which should also be a good feeling for her.
T joined me, C, and R for dinner. We discussed Easter plans and plans for the farm, to include removing a pen by the hen house, possibly building a fence, and planting the garden.
I finished the day by doing extra genealogy research online. Wow. I have a lot of German ancestors...every extended family branch is German except for two. All the more exciting that I go to Germany soon. Sadly, the only cities I have narrowed down thus far are Darmstadt, Duesseldorf, and Alsace-Lorraine. I'll have to keep working on it.
J had a run-around day. She managed to get her rental car, but was unable to accomplish much else. Getting her rental car set the stage to no longer be hostage in her hotel room. It also gives her a chance to use her recently acquired German driver's license. Tomorrow will be her first day to do what she wants. Tomorrow, Germany's four day weekend starts as it seems to the first weekend of every month. It will be a true holiday for her. It will be the first day to do what she likes since she arrived in Germany. She will also be moving into our town home soon, which should also be a good feeling for her.
T joined me, C, and R for dinner. We discussed Easter plans and plans for the farm, to include removing a pen by the hen house, possibly building a fence, and planting the garden.
I finished the day by doing extra genealogy research online. Wow. I have a lot of German ancestors...every extended family branch is German except for two. All the more exciting that I go to Germany soon. Sadly, the only cities I have narrowed down thus far are Darmstadt, Duesseldorf, and Alsace-Lorraine. I'll have to keep working on it.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Good start, rough end
Today started well. I got up and drove around a lot. I mailed two letters, then got back to the farm to find that the extra SD chip for the Garmin arrived in my absence. We got it so J could have a navigation system with european maps on it. I installed it (simple enough), then went to ship it.
Ok. Here is apparently how the APO system works. Only the United States Postal Service will mail to APO addresses (UPS and Fedex won't do it). You can only priority at best to an APO address. Once it arrives, then the US Army controls where it goes and when. Today starts the time trial for how long a package takes to get through the APO system. It should be received by the Army Thursday at the earliest and Friday at the latest. From there, we'll see how long it takes J to receive it. In the future, if there was an urgent package to mail, I may consider sending it to the town house address, although I understand that hundreds of dollars would not absurd to be quoted. Mailing to the APO only cost me $8.50 priority from Indiana, so it could prove a very inexpensive way to ship. Time will tell.
I also learned from J today that she passed her German driver's license test. Yay! It consisted of around 100 questions, 25 of which were on road signs. Passing is 85 out of 100 and is only a written test. She now has a car rental lined up for the month. That will run us $1000, but the Army may help pay for that depending upon the situation. I chose to wait on buying a used car until I arrive. I want to scope out what my transportation needs will be once I'm there.
I finally learned why the dog rules are so strict in Germany...it's because dogs are allowed anywhere...even restaurants! It's the trade-off for the free-reign the dogs are allowed. The only problem I expect with Etsy would be encounters with other dogs. She just doesn't seem to have the hang of simply co-existing without a 10 second rambunctious greeting. J and I will look into more extensive training with her on that.
J has received her first project at work. Just like every project, it has its challenges, but I know she's happy to get started with work. She does have much more in-processing to do, but it's now on a half-day schedule.
R and I had turkey burgers, breakfast potatoes, and brown beans for dinner with one of the latest flavors of Crystal Light: "Apple-tini." Good food, but I had way too much. My stomach was hurting for the next 3 hours I was so stuffed.
I saw several pretty flowers in bloom today. Here are a few I took pictures of. First, blossoms on the fruit trees on the farm. Sadly, I don't know what type of tree this is.
This next one is of Etsy sniffing some "black" tulips. They were the healthiest black tulips I have ever seen.
This last one is of some bleeding hearts I saw in the flower garden by the front door. I didn't notice them there until now.
Last, but not least, an old friend of mine, K, decided with his long time girlfriend to up and relocate to New Zealand, if only for a half a year. He quit his job of 7 years and she will telecommute to work. He will also be blogging his adventures. Funny how life works out so similarly for some people.
Ok. Here is apparently how the APO system works. Only the United States Postal Service will mail to APO addresses (UPS and Fedex won't do it). You can only priority at best to an APO address. Once it arrives, then the US Army controls where it goes and when. Today starts the time trial for how long a package takes to get through the APO system. It should be received by the Army Thursday at the earliest and Friday at the latest. From there, we'll see how long it takes J to receive it. In the future, if there was an urgent package to mail, I may consider sending it to the town house address, although I understand that hundreds of dollars would not absurd to be quoted. Mailing to the APO only cost me $8.50 priority from Indiana, so it could prove a very inexpensive way to ship. Time will tell.
I also learned from J today that she passed her German driver's license test. Yay! It consisted of around 100 questions, 25 of which were on road signs. Passing is 85 out of 100 and is only a written test. She now has a car rental lined up for the month. That will run us $1000, but the Army may help pay for that depending upon the situation. I chose to wait on buying a used car until I arrive. I want to scope out what my transportation needs will be once I'm there.
I finally learned why the dog rules are so strict in Germany...it's because dogs are allowed anywhere...even restaurants! It's the trade-off for the free-reign the dogs are allowed. The only problem I expect with Etsy would be encounters with other dogs. She just doesn't seem to have the hang of simply co-existing without a 10 second rambunctious greeting. J and I will look into more extensive training with her on that.
J has received her first project at work. Just like every project, it has its challenges, but I know she's happy to get started with work. She does have much more in-processing to do, but it's now on a half-day schedule.
R and I had turkey burgers, breakfast potatoes, and brown beans for dinner with one of the latest flavors of Crystal Light: "Apple-tini." Good food, but I had way too much. My stomach was hurting for the next 3 hours I was so stuffed.
I saw several pretty flowers in bloom today. Here are a few I took pictures of. First, blossoms on the fruit trees on the farm. Sadly, I don't know what type of tree this is.
This next one is of Etsy sniffing some "black" tulips. They were the healthiest black tulips I have ever seen.
This last one is of some bleeding hearts I saw in the flower garden by the front door. I didn't notice them there until now.
Last, but not least, an old friend of mine, K, decided with his long time girlfriend to up and relocate to New Zealand, if only for a half a year. He quit his job of 7 years and she will telecommute to work. He will also be blogging his adventures. Funny how life works out so similarly for some people.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Morels and asparagus
Due to unknown reasons, I slept until 10am this morning, only awoken due to a wave of text messages from J. For whatever reason, the past 12 hours of her texts got stalled until 10am. I later found that she has apparently had the same problem with my texts. We also had issues with her phone cutting out today. No one ever said communicating overseas was easy.
I was surprised to find C still at home. She was actually supposed to have the full day off, but went in at noon due to something going wrong at work while she was away. I proceeded to spend the remainder of the afternoon organizing paperwork to be brought to Germany. I will also go through other miscellaneous items to leave at the farm as J has learned that our HHG will arrive the 13th of April, only 4 days before I arrive as well.
J spent most of today studying for her German driver's license. It would be beat if she passed tomorrow. I'm sure she will.
J took more pictures of the townhouse we will be living in. 6 actual stories with two of them split level. It's a sizable and quaint place. I google mapped it and found a soccer field and track within a half of a mile from the house too! Should be a great soccer opportunity! The only bummer is that we will have to get Etsy a bark collar. Barking dogs are prohibited, so we have to be careful about it considering we want to bring the cats along if possible. Oh! There is also a train station within about 1/2 mile as well. We're totally set!
JJ, J, A, and C dropped by to visit. We played hide-and-seek for a while, had dinner together, and wandered around the yard a little.
After they left, R decided to go morel mushroom hunting. He apparently found a patch last year nearby the farm creek. I went along, having never morel hunted before. After about 10 minutes, R found the first one. We then found two more nearby. They were only just starting to sprout. I took a picture of one here. I also had the honor of finding the first wood tick on my neck.
Upon our return, we checked the asparagus patch on the farm and found a few sprigs as well.
It was another fun day on the farm.
I was surprised to find C still at home. She was actually supposed to have the full day off, but went in at noon due to something going wrong at work while she was away. I proceeded to spend the remainder of the afternoon organizing paperwork to be brought to Germany. I will also go through other miscellaneous items to leave at the farm as J has learned that our HHG will arrive the 13th of April, only 4 days before I arrive as well.
J spent most of today studying for her German driver's license. It would be beat if she passed tomorrow. I'm sure she will.
J took more pictures of the townhouse we will be living in. 6 actual stories with two of them split level. It's a sizable and quaint place. I google mapped it and found a soccer field and track within a half of a mile from the house too! Should be a great soccer opportunity! The only bummer is that we will have to get Etsy a bark collar. Barking dogs are prohibited, so we have to be careful about it considering we want to bring the cats along if possible. Oh! There is also a train station within about 1/2 mile as well. We're totally set!
JJ, J, A, and C dropped by to visit. We played hide-and-seek for a while, had dinner together, and wandered around the yard a little.
After they left, R decided to go morel mushroom hunting. He apparently found a patch last year nearby the farm creek. I went along, having never morel hunted before. After about 10 minutes, R found the first one. We then found two more nearby. They were only just starting to sprout. I took a picture of one here. I also had the honor of finding the first wood tick on my neck.
Upon our return, we checked the asparagus patch on the farm and found a few sprigs as well.
It was another fun day on the farm.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
C and R return home
Today, I spent a good portion of the day organizing paperwork as I should attempt to lighten the load for travel to Germany. I also need to organize my notes, as I had 3 to-do lists and one completely unorganized folder with around 3 semi-organized folders and 7 actually organized folders from my wife.
My wife also had not done much today. She has been studying like crazy for her german driver's license test. She was informed that it was best that she pass it the first time as failure would be a significant inconvenience for both her and her colleagues. The pressures on a little bit, but I'm very confident that she can do it.
My parents called today and my good friend k-Borg called today rather unexpectedly. It was good conversations this afternoon.
C and R returned from their trip to Cancun today. They had a great time enjoying the sun, catching tuna, visiting Mayan pyramid, visiting a large sinkhole, and spending good time with S, K, and C.
I still have not gotten that video of the hem house yet. I'll try for tomorrow.
My wife also had not done much today. She has been studying like crazy for her german driver's license test. She was informed that it was best that she pass it the first time as failure would be a significant inconvenience for both her and her colleagues. The pressures on a little bit, but I'm very confident that she can do it.
My parents called today and my good friend k-Borg called today rather unexpectedly. It was good conversations this afternoon.
C and R returned from their trip to Cancun today. They had a great time enjoying the sun, catching tuna, visiting Mayan pyramid, visiting a large sinkhole, and spending good time with S, K, and C.
I still have not gotten that video of the hem house yet. I'll try for tomorrow.
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