I think I may be allergic to Madison. Since I've been in Germany I haven't had problems with my nose at all! No snot, no snorting, no NOTHING!
Madison is known to have a REALLY high pollen count 3/4 of the year.
I figure it's either that or I have an allergy to corn. Here not everything is made from corn. In fact, I haven't had anything with corn in it since I left home. The pop, juices, candies and stuff are sweetened with real cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.
Hmm I'll have to look into this corn allergy thing!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Yellow bus good, white bus bad!
So, I went on an adventure today.
Right in the middle of downtown Aalen there's major construction going on so a lot of the buses aren't running their normal routes.
I went into town today to familiarize myself with the city more and to go what I call "real" grocery shopping. For those of you who don't know me very well, I become a big ugly green hairy monster when I'm hungry. "Real" grocery shopping means making sure the house is stocked full of food so Emi couldn't possibly get hungry. I got 2 1L. bottles of apfelschorle, 1 1L bottle of water, butter, crackers, chips, popcorn, milk, muesli, peppers, onions, cabbage, carrots, grapes, salami, pizza, pretzels, milk, cookies, peanut butter, bread, rolls, and cheese.
I decided to try out a new grocery store today. It was a little further away than the one I'd been going to, but it turned out to be a good thing because they had a bigger selection and the prices were about the same or cheaper. I can't get over how cheap food is here. You'd think with how overweight and obese Americans are that we'd be the ones to have the cheap food. Well, I guess our cheap food is the junk food, here everything is cheap. For instance I got a cardboard pizza for 1,80 Euros, 3 red peppers for .89 Euro, apple juice for .89 Euro and grapes for .75. (1 EURO= $.76)
I also found stenchless cleaning supplies today and they too didn't cost an arm and a leg. Imagine that!
Ok, so anyway, back to my story. After I went back to the train station which is where the buses are currently dropping people off because of the road construction I must have waited for my bus for over an hour. FINALLY a bus with my bus stop's name on it came through. I get on it and it drives away. Eventually we get near my neighborhood, but then it doesn't turn where it usually does and it keeps going and going and going and going. Two hours later I ended up right back at the train station where I'd gotten on the bus after driving out in the middle of nowhere through all these little farm towns. I saw lots of cows and lots of corn. Lots of cute houses though too.
So we finally get back to the train station where I can get on the right bus and it turns out that I've missed it by one minute and the next bus doesn't come for another hour..... and it has started pouring... and I'm still carrying all these groceries around. So, I said screw it and took a taxi home.
Turns out there are two different types of buses in Aalen and that the name of my bus stop is also the name of the neighborhood I live in. The white buses, one of which I took out to the middle of nowhere today, only drive on the main streets and not out into the neighborhoods. The yellow buses drive out into the neighborhoods. So the sign I saw on the white bus I got onto today was telling me that it drives past the Grauelshof neighborhood, not through it to my bus stop called Grauelshof.
Oh well! Live and learn. When I explained to the bus driver where I wanted to go, he told me that he could see how somebody who isn't familiar with the city could make that mistake really easily.
Right in the middle of downtown Aalen there's major construction going on so a lot of the buses aren't running their normal routes.
I went into town today to familiarize myself with the city more and to go what I call "real" grocery shopping. For those of you who don't know me very well, I become a big ugly green hairy monster when I'm hungry. "Real" grocery shopping means making sure the house is stocked full of food so Emi couldn't possibly get hungry. I got 2 1L. bottles of apfelschorle, 1 1L bottle of water, butter, crackers, chips, popcorn, milk, muesli, peppers, onions, cabbage, carrots, grapes, salami, pizza, pretzels, milk, cookies, peanut butter, bread, rolls, and cheese.
I decided to try out a new grocery store today. It was a little further away than the one I'd been going to, but it turned out to be a good thing because they had a bigger selection and the prices were about the same or cheaper. I can't get over how cheap food is here. You'd think with how overweight and obese Americans are that we'd be the ones to have the cheap food. Well, I guess our cheap food is the junk food, here everything is cheap. For instance I got a cardboard pizza for 1,80 Euros, 3 red peppers for .89 Euro, apple juice for .89 Euro and grapes for .75. (1 EURO= $.76)
I also found stenchless cleaning supplies today and they too didn't cost an arm and a leg. Imagine that!
Ok, so anyway, back to my story. After I went back to the train station which is where the buses are currently dropping people off because of the road construction I must have waited for my bus for over an hour. FINALLY a bus with my bus stop's name on it came through. I get on it and it drives away. Eventually we get near my neighborhood, but then it doesn't turn where it usually does and it keeps going and going and going and going. Two hours later I ended up right back at the train station where I'd gotten on the bus after driving out in the middle of nowhere through all these little farm towns. I saw lots of cows and lots of corn. Lots of cute houses though too.
So we finally get back to the train station where I can get on the right bus and it turns out that I've missed it by one minute and the next bus doesn't come for another hour..... and it has started pouring... and I'm still carrying all these groceries around. So, I said screw it and took a taxi home.
Turns out there are two different types of buses in Aalen and that the name of my bus stop is also the name of the neighborhood I live in. The white buses, one of which I took out to the middle of nowhere today, only drive on the main streets and not out into the neighborhoods. The yellow buses drive out into the neighborhoods. So the sign I saw on the white bus I got onto today was telling me that it drives past the Grauelshof neighborhood, not through it to my bus stop called Grauelshof.
Oh well! Live and learn. When I explained to the bus driver where I wanted to go, he told me that he could see how somebody who isn't familiar with the city could make that mistake really easily.
 |
| Good Bus |
 |
| Bad Bus |
Thursday, August 26, 2010
We're here!
Suki and I made it to Germany at 6:30 in the morning German time yesterday. Suki made me such a proud mama! She did SUPER well on the plane and trains. She slept almost the entire flight to Frankfurt. She did however eat almost my entire piece of cheese that was part of my meal on the plane. She only meowed twice on the plane and those meows were in response to me talking to her.
First we flew to Frankfurt from Chicago. Then we flew from there to Stuttgart. After that we took 2 train rides to Aalen and from the train station in Aalen to our apartment we took a taxi. I think I probably shrank a foot from carrying all my stuff. I had two 50lb. suitcases, a 25lb. backpack, and a 7 lb. cat. Suki was the easy think to carry. There was only time that I had to do some stairs with all that stuff... THANK GOD!!! The stairs were HUGE though. They were at the main train station in Stuttgart. There were 4 sets of 20 steps. I had to take one suit case up a set and then go back down and get the other suitcase and then do it again and again until I got to the top. I bet I looked like a freaking weirdo! Of course when I got to the top I look down the hall to my left and see a sign for an elevator. Go figure!
All the stuff I had to do to get the cats ready for Germany turned out to be a waste of time. I told the people at customs I had a cat and asked them if they wanted her papers. They glanced at Suki, stamped my passport, and waived us through. There was NOBODY behind me either, so it wasn't like they had a ton of people to deal with and just wanted to get rid of me. They just didn't care! Hopefully it's that easy when Tony brings the other kitties over. It may be different in Frankfurt.
Going through security with a cat was interesting. They make you take the cat out of the cage and hold her while you walk through security. The lady behind me had a cute little puppy. Her puppy just sat there all cute looking around. Suki was freaking out, meowing and crawling all over me. She was even worse in Frankfurt when I had to go through security. The people there were super efficient and helpful and made it super easy for me to get in and out of there with her. Leave it to the Germans to be REALLY efficient. Poor kitty. I'd be scared of the crabby security people if I were just a lil kitty too.
All three time I went through security they had to go through my bags. Not because of the years worth of medicine I had with me, but for my neti pot salt. They had to take sample of it and put it in this machine to see what it was made up of. I suppose it could look like Anthrax or something else like it.
The apartment is REALLY nice. ANNNNNNNND it smells like NOTHING! Imagine that! Internet and phone were all set up for me. I bought a cell phone today. It's pink. I also had to buy a bag of cat litter. Then I had to carry it up a big hill. I'm pretty sure I lost another inch or two doing that! How long until Tony gets here?
Transportation is a breeze here. There's a bus stop 100ft.ish from our apartment and the buses come often and ALWAYS on time. Again leave it to the Germans.
I had my first Doener in 4 years. Suki enjoyed it too. I also got my Apfelshorle, Multivitaminsaft, pretzels with sesame seeds on them, and salami. Life is good.
The weather here is great! Sunny, but not humid. There are also no mosquitoes. I leave the windows open all day and they only thing that comes in is an occasional fly and Suki takes care of that in no time!
Suki def. isn't used to the hard wood floors yet. When we play fetch, she runs after her santa and then always slides past it. Twice she has slid face first into the wall.
First we flew to Frankfurt from Chicago. Then we flew from there to Stuttgart. After that we took 2 train rides to Aalen and from the train station in Aalen to our apartment we took a taxi. I think I probably shrank a foot from carrying all my stuff. I had two 50lb. suitcases, a 25lb. backpack, and a 7 lb. cat. Suki was the easy think to carry. There was only time that I had to do some stairs with all that stuff... THANK GOD!!! The stairs were HUGE though. They were at the main train station in Stuttgart. There were 4 sets of 20 steps. I had to take one suit case up a set and then go back down and get the other suitcase and then do it again and again until I got to the top. I bet I looked like a freaking weirdo! Of course when I got to the top I look down the hall to my left and see a sign for an elevator. Go figure!
All the stuff I had to do to get the cats ready for Germany turned out to be a waste of time. I told the people at customs I had a cat and asked them if they wanted her papers. They glanced at Suki, stamped my passport, and waived us through. There was NOBODY behind me either, so it wasn't like they had a ton of people to deal with and just wanted to get rid of me. They just didn't care! Hopefully it's that easy when Tony brings the other kitties over. It may be different in Frankfurt.
Going through security with a cat was interesting. They make you take the cat out of the cage and hold her while you walk through security. The lady behind me had a cute little puppy. Her puppy just sat there all cute looking around. Suki was freaking out, meowing and crawling all over me. She was even worse in Frankfurt when I had to go through security. The people there were super efficient and helpful and made it super easy for me to get in and out of there with her. Leave it to the Germans to be REALLY efficient. Poor kitty. I'd be scared of the crabby security people if I were just a lil kitty too.
All three time I went through security they had to go through my bags. Not because of the years worth of medicine I had with me, but for my neti pot salt. They had to take sample of it and put it in this machine to see what it was made up of. I suppose it could look like Anthrax or something else like it.
The apartment is REALLY nice. ANNNNNNNND it smells like NOTHING! Imagine that! Internet and phone were all set up for me. I bought a cell phone today. It's pink. I also had to buy a bag of cat litter. Then I had to carry it up a big hill. I'm pretty sure I lost another inch or two doing that! How long until Tony gets here?
Transportation is a breeze here. There's a bus stop 100ft.ish from our apartment and the buses come often and ALWAYS on time. Again leave it to the Germans.
I had my first Doener in 4 years. Suki enjoyed it too. I also got my Apfelshorle, Multivitaminsaft, pretzels with sesame seeds on them, and salami. Life is good.
The weather here is great! Sunny, but not humid. There are also no mosquitoes. I leave the windows open all day and they only thing that comes in is an occasional fly and Suki takes care of that in no time!
Suki def. isn't used to the hard wood floors yet. When we play fetch, she runs after her santa and then always slides past it. Twice she has slid face first into the wall.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Change of Plans/ Book
So as it turns out Spunky can't come with me because her rabies vaccination won't be valid in time. It becomes valid the day AFTER I leave. Go figure. Oh well, Suki had a rabies shot in January, so she is still considered valid and will be coming with me. It shall be interesting because she's a wailer when you put her in her cage. I think she'll be the annoying screaming "baby" on the plane that deep down everybody feels bad for, but by hour 6 are honestly picturing smothering with a pillow. Oh well, I'll just bring my ear plugs so I don't have to listen to it. I'm horrible!
I started reading the book Eat Pray Love today. I had to put it down to make sure I have enough left for the plan ride. I'm debating whether or not I want to go see the movie before I leave even though I won't be done with the book. I'm sure it will come out in Germany, but.... ok I'll just be honest... it looks like such a great movie that I'm not sure I want to wait for it to come out in Germany. Julia Roberts is my favorite actress. I just lover her laugh!
18 days and counting!
I started reading the book Eat Pray Love today. I had to put it down to make sure I have enough left for the plan ride. I'm debating whether or not I want to go see the movie before I leave even though I won't be done with the book. I'm sure it will come out in Germany, but.... ok I'll just be honest... it looks like such a great movie that I'm not sure I want to wait for it to come out in Germany. Julia Roberts is my favorite actress. I just lover her laugh!
18 days and counting!
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Packing Begins
I've packed my life away for a year in one suitcase before, but for some reason, this time it seems more complicated. I guess it's because I'm more high maintenance than I was the last two times I went over there for a year. What I mean by that is... Now I have to bring things like lotion, shampoo, conditioner, peppermint oil, Neti Pot, nasal spray etc. with me because of the stupid smell problem I have now. I suppose having to bring teaching materials and the kitties makes it more complicated too. Packing in the vacuum seal bags definitely makes it easier though. Oh well! It will all work out.
Got the kitties calming drops and wipes today. Hopefully they work! We got them water bottle things too. Like the ones you put in rodent cages. Now I just have to find little plastic food dishes/bowls.
I have laundry coming out my ears. I think I've done like 9 loads and have 2 more to do.
I found a bunch of cheap teaching materials at Target. (Thanks Susan for the heads up.) I found a bunch of flashcards... US States, Presidents, Animals, Homonyms, and Rhyming. I had to throw out a few of the rhyming cards though because they tried telling me that the word "spot" rhymes with bought, ought, and sought and that the word "doll" rhymes with wall, ball, call, tall. I can see how maybe if you're from a different part of the country and pronounced vowels differently how you could rhyme "doll" with those words, but how they think "spot" rhymes with bought, thought, etc. is beyond me. I also found a book on Native Americans and Laura Ingalls Wilder. I am bringing some measuring cups and rulers with me as well, so students can compare the metric systems to ours. That and all my recipes are in our system and I'm too lazy to do the math and convert them all the time.
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| Suki thinks she's going packed in the suitcase. |
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Poop on the Vet
So, my vet has to be the biggest moron ever.
You have to have certain accreditation to sign papers for animals going abroad. I specifically chose the vet we go to 6 months ago because they said they had the proper accreditation.
So, in order to fly to the European Union you have to get a rabies vaccine, a health certificate, and a Pet certificate in German. I get all this stuff filled out and make an appointment to get is signed by the USDA. I go down to the USDA's office yesterday to get everything signed and sit there for 45 min. wondering what the heck is taking so long for them to simply sign a piece of paper. Come to find out the vet who signed my papers does not have the proper accreditation. She apparently thought she did. How you can think you have creditation that you don't have is a mystery to me. That would be like me saying: "I thought I was licensed to teach Social Studies just because I am already certified to teach German". Would somebody please explain to me how a vet doesn't know what he or she is or isn't certified for?
So, now I get to refill out all the paperwork, take it back to the vet, have the other vet at the place we take out cats sign the papers and then go back down and sit at the USDA again.
I've just about had it with this vet. First they put the wrong mircrochips, now this! I'm starting to think they got their licenses out of a Cracker Jack box.
When we get back to the States I will most def. be finding a new vet.
Grrrr!
You have to have certain accreditation to sign papers for animals going abroad. I specifically chose the vet we go to 6 months ago because they said they had the proper accreditation.
So, in order to fly to the European Union you have to get a rabies vaccine, a health certificate, and a Pet certificate in German. I get all this stuff filled out and make an appointment to get is signed by the USDA. I go down to the USDA's office yesterday to get everything signed and sit there for 45 min. wondering what the heck is taking so long for them to simply sign a piece of paper. Come to find out the vet who signed my papers does not have the proper accreditation. She apparently thought she did. How you can think you have creditation that you don't have is a mystery to me. That would be like me saying: "I thought I was licensed to teach Social Studies just because I am already certified to teach German". Would somebody please explain to me how a vet doesn't know what he or she is or isn't certified for?
So, now I get to refill out all the paperwork, take it back to the vet, have the other vet at the place we take out cats sign the papers and then go back down and sit at the USDA again.
I've just about had it with this vet. First they put the wrong mircrochips, now this! I'm starting to think they got their licenses out of a Cracker Jack box.
When we get back to the States I will most def. be finding a new vet.
Grrrr!
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