Incoherent Scribblings

Rent-a-Cat

2004-10-21T13:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, over at The Litterbox Jen came up with a perfect money-making scheme: She is going to rent out her cats!

The idea wouldn't be nearly so funny to me, except it reminded me of a time when My Little Chinese Guy approached me about doing almost that very same thing.

I have mentioned My Little Chinese Guy before. While in most respects he was a sweet guy and we had some very interesting and stimulating conversations, in some ways I found him a little eccentric. I never figured out why he thought he needed to give me a watermelon or why he preferred the bathrooms near my office, but the day that he softly knocked on my office door and politely asked if he could borrow one of my cats for a few days really took the cake.

At first I blinked a couple of times and shook my head as if to clear the cotton out of my ears. It had been one of those days where I had been staring too long and too hard at the computer screen and I thought maybe I hadn't heard him correctly. "Excuse me?" I said. He repeated his request to borrow one of my cats. "Why?" I asked, a little suspicious. He always seemed to like my cats, even though he was one of those people who was a little over-anxious around them.

Then story the came out. He lived in a little house and apparently, a rat had decided to move in with him. It was eating his bread and leaving turds all over the house. "A rat?" I asked, "Are you sure it isn't just a mouse?" No, he was convinced it was a rat, and a damned clever one at that. Up to that point, it had apparently avoided all of the traps he had set out. I suggested poison. He explained he didn't want to use poison when he though a cat would do nicely to catch the thing. This, he explained, was the reason for his visit. I was the only person he knew that had a cat.

He thought since Scooter was such a big tomcat, he would be the perfect rat-hunter and promised that he would take good care of him if I would loan him to him for a few days... just until he caught the rat.

When I tried to picture Scooter hunting a rat, I laughed out loud. I tried to explain to him that Scooter was a pampered indoor house cat who had never even smelled a rat. I wasn't even sure he would know what to do if he saw one. That was the problem, said my Little Chinese Guy. Scooter needed some experience in being a cat. He should be outdoors hunting. This would give him the perfect opportunity to tune into his instinct. "No," I said, "You are not borrowing my cat."

He then tried to convince me maybe Mouse would be better equipped for the task. After all, he said, it appeared to him that she had the right attitude for it. While I agreed Mouse would probably make a better rat-hunter, I held firm and would not let him borrow my cats. Crestfallen, he finally gave up. He told me to have a nice day and left my office.

I never did find out what happened to that rat...

"Passing Admirers" Progress

2004-10-20T16:33:00.000-05:00

I am back to working on "Passing Admirers." I just love this piece! It is so pretty!

I love the scene, I love the looks on the ladies' faces, and above all, I love the Victorian clothing! However, I must say with all those high necks, tight corsets, and extravagant bows I am sure glad I never had to wear those dresses!

A Girly Post

2004-10-20T08:37:00.000-05:00

The other day while I was walking through the mass pedestrian confusion that characterizes the approximate 500 meter journey from Karlsplatz to Marienplatz here in Munich I was saddened to discover that they had turned The Gap into yet another H&M.

What is it about H&M? Sure they have trendy clothes that come with a decent price tag, but does the shopping zone between Karlsplatz and Marienplatz really need five of them?! Well, maybe... one of the reasons I don't buy a lot from them is because I get so impatient waiting in line behind a bunch of teeny-boppers for a dressing room.

I am really not against another H&M store, but why did they have to close The Gap to make room for it? Not only have I always been a fan of The Gap, it was one of the few stores here in Germany where not only the sizes made sense, they were accurate! My other lamentation is that since I didn't know they were closing the store I missed out on all the great clearance items and prices.

But back to the issue of sizes. I have pretty much abandoned the attempt to translate American sizes into German sizes, because it just doesn't work. In the US, I usually wear a size 8 or 10. That is supposed to translate in Germany to 38 or 40. However, an American 8 or 10 is more accurately a 40 or 42.

Sure, you might think that I am lying to myself. When it comes to the issue of weight, body image, and sizes, women have been known not only to deceive others, but also themselves. Either I don't really wear a size 8 or 10 in America or I have gained weight and so the 40 or 42 might actually be a size 10 or 12 and I just don't want to admit it.

However, in both of these instances you would be wrong. Before I left America I was regularly wearing a size 10 and that was the largest size I had ever worn because I was at the heaviest point in my life. As a matter of fact, I have lost almost 25 pounds since I came to Germany two and a half years ago. When I first came here, I was buying 42s but now, as a general rule, I am buying 40s. In addition, I brought two pairs of my "skinny" jeans with me from the US (size 7/8) and for the first time in three years, I can wear them again. So obviously, when they try and give you American sizes that are equivalent to their German sizes here, they are wrong.

However, this doesn't surprise me. A long time ago I read an article somewhere that discussed how American sizes have shifted over the past 30 years or so. According to this article, American sizes have shifted downward about two sizes over this time period. Therefore, what was labeled as a size 12 in 1974 is labeled a size 8 in 2004. The reason for this is because even though we are heavier now than we were then, we like to think we are not. What better way to do this than by saying, "I wore a size 8 in 1974 when I got married. And two kids and 30 years later I still wear a size 8. Obviously, I can't be that fat!"

Of course, since the shopper is their livelihood, the fashion industry complies. After all, how tough can it be to design a size 12 but stick a size 8 tag in a pair of jeans? I suppose since European women tend to be thinner than their American counterparts, the fashion industry hasn't had to make those adjustments here. Therefore, European to American clothing conversion charts use 1974 figures instead of 2004 figures. I guess that would make sense... even though I am not too keen on the idea that even though I have lost weight I am still wearing the 1974 equivalent of double digit sizes!

Conspiracy Theory 101

2004-10-19T15:31:00.001-05:00

Disclaimer: By going any further you understand that once you read this we may have to kill you.
In order to understand Evolution you need to realize that everything is controlled by a secret society made up of illegal immigrants with help from stock brockers.

The conspiracy first started during Parting of the Red Sea in France. They have been responsible for many events throughout history, including The Disapperance of Atlantis.

Today, members of the conspiracy are everywhere. They can be identified by sneezing.

They want to bitch slap Rush Limbaugh and imprison resisters in Siberia using hot air balloons.

In order to prepare for this, we all must cross the street. Since the media is controlled by Planned Parenthood we should get our information from The NRA.

* * *

You too can create your own conspiracy theory... just click here!

An Endangered Species?

2004-10-19T13:50:00.000-05:00

Rumor has it that I am an endangered species. "What?!" you say, "How can you be an endangered species?" There are over 200 million Americans and the population is growing every day. It is true that the number of people who are of European decent is declining, but they are far from being an endangered species. So how can I, an American of European decent possibly be an endangered species? The answer is simple: I am a natural blonde.

According to this article from the BBC, "a study by experts in Germany suggests people with blonde hair are an endangered species and will become extinct by 2202." While I admit that this startling statement is a little bit unsettling, it also makes me feel special. Could it be that I am soon to be on the list next to the giant panda, the bottle-nosed dolphin, and the bald eagle? What sort of rights should I demand as an endangered species? How can I ensure that my kind and my habitat are protected? A whole new world of activism could open up for me...

On the other hand though, Professor Jonathan Rees claims it is unlikely that blondes would die out completely. While natural blondes could argue that we are being threatened by chemical pollutants and an invasive species - the unnatural blonde - unlike the giant panda, bottle-nosed dolphin, or bald eagle, blondes are not really threatened by a loss of habitat. Our disadvantage comes from the fact that blonde is a recessive gene.

Therefore, according to Professor Rees, "[t]he only reason blondes would disappear is if having the gene was a disadvantage" and most would say that is not the case. After all, there are a lot of advantages in being a natural blonde: Sayings like "Gentlemen prefer blondes" or that "Blondes have more fun" and celebrities like Pamela Anderson, Britney Spears, or Marilyn Monroe show that even though Western society labels us with a lot of negative stereotypes, a good number of people think looking like us is beneficial.

Natural blondes are victims of accepted discrimination. It is painful and demanding to be an intelligent blonde and have to fight against negative stereotypes every day. I put on a brave face and accept the challenges and paradoxes of being naturally blonde, but I would be lying if I said that I hadn't thought about how my life would be different if I wasn't a blonde: Would people take me more seriously? Would people still question my intelligence? Would people continue to make assumptions about my sexuality based on my hair color?

The blonde gene may be recessive, but if the blonde personality wasn't dominant we would avoid the problem by going brunette. So while I may not be at immediate risk of extinction, I would love to do something to endanger all those unnatural blondes out there! ;)

Must I?

2004-10-18T13:52:00.000-05:00

I am beginning to think I have lived in Germany too long. It isn't because I have mastered the German language, because I have started wearing a dirndl, or because I drink beer for breakfast. None of these things are true. I think I have lived in Germany too long because of a simple one syllable English word: "must."

As a general rule, we don't use the word "must" too often in English. Think about it. How often do you say that you must do or say something or that you must go somewhere? Normally, (American) English speakers say "have to" when one has no choice but to do or say something or go somewhere. (example: "I have to go to the grocery store before we run out of milk.") In these situations, one can use "must," but we don't do it.

"Must" is a word that has authoritative connotations in English and while you may tell yourself you must go to the store and get milk before you run out, if your neighbor tells you that you must mow your lawn, you are most likely offended because you get the feeling that your neighbor is trying to tell you what to do.

Before moving to Germany, I only used the word must when I was emphasizing something extremely important or urgent. However, after living in Germany for a while, I have noticed the word "must" has crept into my daily English vocabulary. The reason for this is a simple two syllable German word: "müssen."

Literally translated, "müssen" means "must." However, it is one of those words that has layers of meaning. It can also mean "have to," "should," or "may." It all depends on the translation. The translation of "müssen" into "must" by German speakers can be problematic. For example, Target GmBH, an English language training service based in Munich, has an entire webpage devoted to the problem of "must."

One of my early communication problems with my mother-in-law came from the fact that with her rudimentary English knowledge, she was unaware of how using the word "must" would rub me the wrong way. It wasn't until I learned a little bit of German that I understood she wasn't necessarily using "must" to be bossy, it was just a literal translation. (Actually, she is bossy and a *tad* overbearing by nature, but I think her using "must" in English is not so much a reflection of that as a translation problem.;) )

Regular use of "must" in English started out as a joke between A. and I. At first we used it when joking about the things his mother would tell us. Then we started using it when we had to things that we didn't want to do for one reason or another (examples: We must go to the gym tonight. I must change the cat litter tomorrow.) But now, I notice that I use in my everyday English usage. I guess only time will tell if it has reached the point where I must be careful when speaking to other English speakers so that they don't misinterpret me!

Clearance + Shoes = Happy blondelibrarian!

2004-10-18T10:40:00.000-05:00

Look at what I got on clearance today!

I saw these shoes some months ago and wanted them really bad, but didn't want to pay the price for them (65 Euros). Today I found out that since they are last year's style they had to go. Price paid: 35 Euros!

And as anyone who knows me well will tell you, I have a thing for stripes... So these are just so ME!

photo by blondelibrarian

Excuse me while I do a happy dance in my new Cons! I wonder if I remember how to moonwalk?

Signs of the Zodiac: Gemini

2004-10-17T15:43:00.000-05:00

Here it is!

© blondelibrarian

This piece is approximately 4" x 4" and is sewn on 18 count White Aida with only one strand of floss. I will be mounting it in a gold glitter hoop that was included in the kit.

Deviation

2004-10-17T12:40:00.000-05:00

After thinking about it for a couple of days, I decided to deviate from my 10 hour rotation system. I was so close to finishing "Signs of the Zodiac - Gemini" that I knew that I couldn't properly concentrate on another piece. So, I have been working on finishing it today. After 12 hours I am approximately 90% complete.

I am currently waiting around to chat with my best friend in the whole wide world right now, but after we are finished chatting this evening I will work on finishing "Gemini."

Meanwhile, I posted another progress picture...

Pizza Delivery

2004-10-15T14:33:00.000-05:00

Oh, what I wouldn't give for Domino's 30 minute pizza delivery service right about now!

We weren't hungry at our usual dinner time tonight, so we decided to watch a movie before dinner. We just bought the special edition of The Day After Tomorrow, so not only did we watch it, but also the one hour documentary on climate change that came with it. It is now approximately 9:30 and I told A. it is too late for me to cook. I suggested cheese and crackers. He suggested pizza.

Pizza is a good idea, but we will have to go up the block to the Italian place and order it and then bring it home or eat it there. And I am enjoying a lazy Friday night at home and don't really want to do that. I want it delivered!

That, I think, is the main difference between Italian pizza and American pizza. You can order an American pizza and have it delivered and when it arrives (the majority of the time at least) it is still OK. It is still warm, the crust isn't hard, and it still tastes like pizza.

Not so for Italian pizza. The pizza from the Italian restaurants here has thin crust and usually cooked in a traditional stone oven. Because of this, while is possible to call ahead and order it to go or have it delivered, I don't recommend it. Italian pizza is best when retrieved from the oven and eaten immediately. If not, it gets cold, the cheese starts to taste funny, and the crust gets hard.

Of course, I don't necessarily have to go. I could just send A. out with my order and have him bring it back... Hmm... Now there's an idea! ** sly grin **

Time to Stitch

2004-10-15T05:06:00.000-05:00

This has been a very busy week. I had job interview related things to do that kept me busy both on Monday and Tuesday. Then Tuesday, Wednesday, and part of yesterday I spent hours moving my blog from my now defunct free host back over to Blogger.

Finally, though, last evening I had some time to stitch. I finished my 10-hour rotation on "Signs of the Zodiac - Gemini" and am about 65% done with it. Of course I now am facing my first dilemma of the rotation system. I have the end of "Signs of the Zodiac - Gemini" in sight. I think I can finish it in about 5 more hours. In some ways I want to deviate from my rotation system and go ahead and finish it. However, I am ready for my second go-around in the rotation, which means I will be working on "Passing Admirers" again and I am really looking forward to that too. Decisions, decisions...

Contact Lens Trouble

2004-10-13T10:22:00.000-05:00

I have worn contact lenses for 16 years. (A little over half of my life!) I have always worn hard gas permeable lenses. I have had such good luck with this type of contact that in all that time I have only had three pair. The first pair I wore from the time I was 14 until I was 22. One drunken night when I was 22, I finally scratched one beyond repair and had to get new ones. The second pair I wore from the time I was 22 until last year. Last fall I decided I needed a new pair because my eyesight had changed enough that I was no longer seeing well. So, last November I went to my first German eye doctor and got a new pair of glasses and a new pair of contacts.

I was afraid that the contact lens people would try to convert me to disposable soft lenses, which I had absolutely no desire to try. Therefore, when I got fitted for my contacts I told them that I wanted to stick with gas permeable lenses because I had had such good luck with them in the past. They agreed with me. In fact, they told me that if you have always worn hard lenses it is better to stick with them.

With my hard lenses, I have also always used one type of care system (X) and have always had very good luck with it. At first I was worried that they wouldn't carry it in here Germany, but I had good fortune and didn't have any problem finding it. My lenses were comfortable, I could see very clearly, and my eyes didn't dry out. However, when I got my new lenses here in Germany the people told me that care system X was evil.

So, in addition to these new lenses, they gave me a different care system (Z). Since we have private insurance, my insurance not only paid for most of my lens costs, but when I got a prescription for the care system, they paid for it too. The eye doctor gave me a prescription and I got a year's supply (12 bottles) of care system Z.

For about 6 months I went about my business with my new contacts and discovered two things about care system Z: First, even though I had supposedly received a year's supply of it, it was obvious it wouldn't last for the entire year. Second, I noticed that with care system Z my eyes were dry and irritated much more frequently than they had ever been.

After considering the situation, I decided that I should go back to care system X. Sure the contact lens people had told me it was evil, but it was made by a different company than care system Z. Since they gave me no explanation of why care system X was evil, I figured this meant that care system X was evil because it was made by company X and that the contact lens people had a deal with company Z for care system Z. I decided that since I had never had any problems with care system X in the past I would just continue to use it. So about two or three months ago, I bought some of care system X and had been using it part of the time. When I used it I noticed my eyes weren't so dry anymore and wearing my lenses was comfortable again.

Then a couple of weeks ago I noticed that my left lens seemed foggy. At first I thought I hadn't cleaned it very well, so I enzymed it and it seemed a little better. However, the fog came back. At this point I ran out of care system X, so I used care system Z again and things improved, except my eyes were constantly red and dry.

Today I went over to my local Optiker (which is not the same as the eye doctor and not the place where I got my contacts) and found out what the problem was. Unbeknownst to me, there are actually two types of gas permeable lenses: those with some sort of coating and those without. In the US, the ones without the coating are the most common and care system X is highly recommended for them. In Germany, however, the most common lenses are the ones with coating and care system X is not recommended for them. (Yes, it is evil!) Coincidentally, my new contacts were the kind with coating. By using care system X with my new lenses, I had, in effect, removed the coating. Without the coating, the lenses were not only irritating my eyes and drying them out, but were more or less ruined. Luckily, since I hadn't been using care system X on them for too long, some of the coating is still there, but now I am afraid that if I wear them they may scratch my cornea or cause some other damage.

Hard gas permeable contact lenses are not cheap and my insurance only pays for a new pair every two or three years, so not only do I need to get a new pair of contacts or wear my glasses (oh the horror!), I have to pay for them myself.

Boy, do I need that job right about now!

Welcome Back!

2004-10-12T11:17:00.000-05:00

Oh, this has been a day!

First I stayed up WAY too late last night... especially since I had a job interview today.

(Note to self: You are too old to stay up until 2 a.m. reading a book and then getting up at 7 a.m. in order to get ready for a job interview.)

Anyway, I think that the interview went pretty well. But then I had to wrestle with the joys of public transportation.

After I got home, I went to publish an account of my adventures on my blog and what do you know?! The free blog host I had been using since March decided with no warning to start charging! Since I am a cheap skate, I refuse to do this.

What really pissed me off was that I couldn't even get to my archives. HA HA on them though! I just so happened to back up my archives only two days ago! However, I have spent all afternoon uploading my archives back to my old blogger spot. So, here I am back, but all new and improved!

Stay tuned for design modifications! :)

A Day in Dresden

2004-10-09T10:55:00.000-05:00

And now for the final installment in my "Adventures in Eastern Germany" series...

Ever since we moved to Germany, one of the cities that I have wanted to see was Dresden.

The reason that I wanted to visit Dresden is because of Anne Rice. One reason that she is my favorite author is because I love her descriptions of cities. I am convinced that New Orleans, Paris, and San Francisco are my favorite cities as a direct result of her writings.

Anyway, in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, one of my favorite characters, Marius, spends some time in Dresden during the 17th century in search of his long lost love, Pandora. Strangely enough, Rice doesn't describe Dresden in the intricate way that she does Paris, New Orleans, and San Francisco, but it still made enough of an impression on me that I wanted to go there.

Finally, on October 3, the day of "Deutsche Einheit" we made it there. It was a perfect fall day: it was warm, the sun was shining, and the sky was blue with just a few clouds. In addition to my desire to see Dresden for "Anne Rice" reasons, I also wanted to see its world famous opera house, the Semperoper. So that is where our tour of Dresden began. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, the opera house tours were over for the day and we didn't get to see the inside. However, the outside is gorgeous, and in my opinion, rivals the Opera House in Paris. We then wandered over to the square where the Frauenkirche is being rebuilt.

Actually, there is quite a bit of reconstruction going on in Dresden. For those of you not familiar with it, let me give a two sentence modern day history of Dresden: In February of 1945, the Allies bombed Dresden. The bombing was so intense that not only did it flatten Dresden, but a huge fire gutted the city.

A. gave me this quick history lesson on our way to Dresden, and then I learned more after seeing an exhibit showing pictures and other artifacts of the city in the aftermath of the bombing campaign and fire. The destruction was complete and even over fifty years later the sights were still very moving. Along with the photos were excerpts of diary entries of those days and other objects. One thing that caught my attention were the "Lebenszeichen." After the fire, the Allies allowed the survivors to fill out "Lebenszeichen" (life signs) so that relatives would know that they had survived. However, they were only allowed ten words, apparently so that no code messages could be sent. One that was on display simply stated, "Wir haben erlebt. Der Stadt ist weg." (We survived. The city is gone.)

Apparently, during the time of the DDR, very little was reconstructed in Dresden (or in all of eastern Germany for that matter). I asked A. if this was because they didn't have the money, or if it was because it wasn't deemed an important task, or if it was simply left as a reminder of the past. He stated he simply didn't know. For whatever reason East Germany hadn't been rebuilt, once Germany was reunited, lots of money went to former East Germany to help them reconstruct and modernize. While I didn't see much evidence of this in Chemnitz, in Dresden one way the money is being used is to renovate landmarks such as the Semperoper, the Frauenkirche, the Residenzschloß, and the Zwinger.

photo by blondelibrarian
This photo shows "Das Residenzschloß". The part of the building that houses the tower has been rebuilt and is open to the public. However, the south side is still being renovated.

From what I understand, in comparison to most places in the former DDR, Dresden is a bustling city and a moderate economic success story. I found it livelier and far more attractive than Chemnitz and would visit it again in the future.

* * * * *

See more photos from my trip in my photo gallery!

A Mining Experience

2004-10-08T15:03:00.000-05:00

When I go on vacation I like to visit cities and experience architecture, art, and other touristy-type things. I love to see the places that I have read about and I get a kick out of standing in the same spot some famous person did years ago. For example, when I visited Versailles I thought to myself, "Wow! This is so cool! I am standing somewhere where Louis XIV himself once stood!"

However, I am also game to do unusual things and since I met A. I have done some things that I probably never would have done except that he wanted to do them so I said, "Sure! Why not?!" We spent our honeymoon in Arizona and while we saw normal things like the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest, we also visited Kitt Peak, a major astronomical observatory outside of Tucson. So, when A. excitedly informed me that one of things that was planned when we visited eastern Germany last week was a mining tour, I gladly went along.

Between Chemnitz and Dreden lies the small town of Freiberg (not to be confused with Freiburg in southwestern Germany). Since medieval times Freiberg has been home to one of the world's oldest continuously used silver mines. Today the mine is used for mining education and tours and this is where we spent two and a half hours approximately 250 meters underground last Saturday.

I knew this would be an interesting tour when the first thing we were required to do was dress up as miners. The tour guide informed us that this was necessary because we needed to protect our clothing as we would be crawling for part of the tour. Rubber boots were mandatory as the mine was wet and since my feet are small, I had some trouble finding a pair to fit me. Once the nice tour guide got me some boots from the children's dressing room, I was set to go. After we were supplied with a lamp and a hardhat we took a small elevator down, down, down into the dark.

After a quick overview of the process of mining, we boarded railway cars and were taken even deeper into the mine. The tour guide then took us through some relatively flat and open areas of the mine where he pointed out the ore channels in the walls; all the while telling us more mining history and stories. Eventually we stopped in front of a rickety-looking ladder and after relating some more history of the Freiberg mine, we were informed that it was now time to climb!

There were a few women in our group and before we climbed, the tour guide informed us this was no place to be pussy-footing around and worrying about getting dirty. As I started up the ladder, I fully agreed; it was a long way down and I was holding on to the muddy ladder for all I was worth!

As we climbed, the tunnel got narrower and shorter, and indeed, we had to crawl. Even so, I kept bumping my head on the rock ceiling and was ever so thankful for my hardhat. Finally, we came to a small recess that I thought was a dead end.

photo by blondelibrarian

It turned out it wasn't; there was a minute passageway that we had to navigate. Eventually, we came to another alcove and instead of choosing the simple way through, the group decided to climb again.

Before starting this final stage, the tour guide told us that at the top of the ladder there were three routes; we were not to take the right one, I didn't catch much about the middle one, but I was pretty sure he told us to take the left one. I had been behind A. this whole time, but when I was to the top of the ladder he was out of my sight. I caught a glimpse of him going down one way, so I went that way too, not paying attention to which passageway I had chosen.

I was just beginning to hear the rest of the group behind me, when suddenly A. called out that he couldn't see anyone anymore. I said, "Did you go left?" He replied that he wasn't sure. I told him to yell out, which he did. After a second, the part of the group that was ahead of him called out that he was going the right way and to keep on coming; we were almost to the end.

After I got out of the tunnel that was no more than 18 inches wide by 5 foot tall, I realized my heart was racing, that I was having trouble catching my breath, and that I felt light headed. I thought at the time maybe I had had a claustrophobic episode, but now I am pretty sure I had a mild panic attack. The thought that we could have gotten lost in that mine really frightened me.

After climbing down one final ladder, walking past some stalagmites and stalactites, rinsing off our boots and hands, and a ride in the elevator back up, up, up into the light, the tour was over. With the exception of the little panic attack at the thought of being lost, I really enjoyed the experience and I would definitely do it again!

* * * * *

Currently playing: "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" by Metallica

Culture in Chemnitz

2004-10-07T12:22:00.000-05:00

Since my first impressions of Chemnitz seemed to point to a dull and lifeless city, you can imagine how pleased we were to find that it has a high-quality, all be it small, cultural scene.

Chemnitz has its own opera house and though it is tiny in comparison to the Semperoper which we also saw on this trip, it is charming and cozy. These characteristics make it the perfect place to enjoy an opera or a ballet.

photo by blondelibrarian

As luck would have it, there was a ballet performed on Friday evening and we had the opportunity to attend it. The ballet we saw was an adaptation of the lighthearted Coppélia. I have always enjoyed the ballet, so this was a special treat for me and even though he is a hard-core scientist, A. fancied it too.

On Tuesday evening, we had the occasion to see the play Acht Frauen at Chemnitz's "Shauspielhaus." (Acht Frauen is the translated title of a French play by Robert Thomas. It was made into a movie in 2002 and you can read the plot here.) We both liked this "who-done-it" comedy and even though sometimes they were talking extremely fast and I had to concentrate to keep up, I understood it relatively well.

According to the information packet that we received, there were other events we could have attended in the coming days, but since we were only there for a few days, we saw what we could.

* * * * *

Coming Soon: A Mining Experience and A Day in Dresden!

Murphy's Law

2004-10-07T09:10:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I had another job interview. I didn't get too excited about it on the blog, because first of all it wasn't a library job and second because with the way that my job hunting has been going here in Germany I didn't really have my hopes up.

So of course they called to ask me in for a second interview while I was on vacation.

Luckily they only called on Tuesday and for good measure sent me an email requesting that I give them a call. To sum it up: Next Tuesday I have a second interview for the position of "team assistant" at a local software firm. The library it ain't, but at least it is something to give me a little bit of spending money.

Maybe I won't have to default on my college loans after all...

First Impressions of Eastern Germany

2004-10-06T14:16:00.000-05:00

We just returned from our trip to eastern Germany. After two and a half years in Germany, this was my first time in eastern Germany and I have to say that it was a very enlightening experience.

The first thing that A. pointed out to me when we crossed the border from Bavaria into Sachsen was an old communist watch tower and a few other left-over relics from the DDR. He then informed me that during those times no villages or houses were allowed to be 5-10 kilometers from the border because there were barbed wire fences and mine fields.

Since coming to Germany I have heard tales about the depression and abandonment of East Germany: I had read that once the Iron Curtain fell, many people fled to the West seeking a better life and those left behind were mostly the poor and uneducated. I had also heard that there are buildings that are still standing where you can see the bullet holes left from the War. My mother-in-law once commented that every time she went to the east she felt that it was just rotting away.

However, it wasn't until we arrived in Chemnitz (which until 1990 was called Karl-Marx-Stadt) that these accounts made a significant impression on me. One of the first things I noticed was that beautiful architecture stood side by side with functional communist design and both were in similar states of decay. Windows weren't just boarded up, they were bricked up and the ones that weren't were covered with graffiti. The buildings that weren't falling apart were usually dirty and the lower floors that might house businesses were either for rent or looked like they were soon to go out of business. Rows and rows of apartment buildings were utterly dark and the streets were silent. Compared to a bustling metropolis like Munich, Chemnitz looked and felt deserted.

Population-wise, Chemnitz is much smaller than Munich, so I expected it to be quieter. However, it wasn't just a bit quieter: in comparison to a western German city of equal size, Chemnitz was DEAD! At 7:00 p.m. on a Friday evening the Fußgangerzone (pedestrian area) was almost completely empty. The streets had very little traffic and we saw very few people out and about. For many of my American readers this may not seem too strange, but for those of you living in Germany you know what I mean.

All of these observations came to me in the first six hours I was in eastern Germany. We were planning on being there for five days, so I wondered how other areas of eastern Germany would compare to my first impressions. Those thoughts later...

Odds n' Ends

2004-09-30T16:00:00.000-05:00

So I tried really hard when I went downtown today to observe something that would be blog-worthy. Unfortunately, I didn't have too much luck.

I saw a really cute guy of about 20 on the train in his traditional "Lederhosen" on his way to Oktoberfest. He was really tan, had thick dark brown hair, and extremely clear skin. I thought about making a pass at him, then I remembered: 1.) I am married. 2.) He was way too young for me! (Eek! When did that happen?!)

Speaking of Oktoberfest, I think this is the last weekend for it. I am not completely sure as I haven't been to one since the first year I was here. When you don't drink beer, Oktoberfest is only marginally interesting...

Then when I was riding the escalator an old man behind me complemented me on the color of my hair. Just when I was about to say thank you, he asked me if it was my natural color! I am used to that from women, and I always secretly enjoy telling them that my color does not come from a bottle, but men don't ask me that too often.

Otherwise, I spent today getting ready to leave on my trip tomorrow and finished my 10 hour rotation on "Cat in Garden." I have worked through my existing pieces and am ready to start a new one.

I have a smallish kit that I bought a while back that is my Zodiac Sign (Gemini) and I think that I will take it with me on my trip. Sometimes I take cross-stitch with me when I go places and sometimes I don't. However, since A. has to do some work on this trip, I may actually have a little time to stitch.

The interesting thing about this kit is that is Danish (or perhaps Swedish) I am not sure... the word "Gemini" on it is "Tvillingarna" and that is not German. (Help me out fellow expats... is it Danish, Swedish, or something else?) In German, "Gemini" is "Zwillinge."

It came with a really neat gold-glitter hoop for framing and also contains an alphabet, so I can stitch my own words. I may do it like I do the English/German Fruit Series and put both the English and German word on it. We'll see. Thus far I haven't examined it close enough to know whether or not both words will fit.

Quiz Time!

2004-09-29T16:19:00.000-05:00

Which Peanuts Character Are You?

You are Schroeder!
brought to you by Quizilla

David Hasselhof - Rock Star?

2004-09-29T15:32:00.000-05:00

When I was studying in Paris ten years ago, I had a little clock-radio that I listened to in my no-frills dorm room. I had a Discman (I was on the cutting edge back then!), but I have always liked listening to the radio and it really improved my language skills to listen to those French DJs.

The station I listened to was a random pop station that, for the most part, played awful music. However, they also played a whole lot of French pop music. I didn't think about it at the time, but a couple of months ago I read that The Voice of America was encountering problems in France because of a rule that a certain percentage (around 50%) of every broadcast must be in French.

I didn't follow up on the story, but today I read that some German politicians want to introduce a bill that would require something like that here. (article) Apparently, only about 10% of music played on the radio here in Germany is actually in German.

I don't doubt it. I don't listen to the radio much these days, but when I was listening to Bayern 3 (I have a crappy clock-radio that barely gets any station) a few months ago, I very seldom heard a song in German... mostly they just played crappy American pop or hip-hop.

I think that is too bad. I have discovered some pretty decent German bands that sing in German and think it would be doing everyone a favor if more bands like these had success here in Germany.

I mean seriously... I read that one of the biggest music personalities ever imported from the US to Germany is David Hasselhof!! Now, if that fact isn't just screaming out for some native musicians to have some success here then I don't know what is!

SBQOTW

2004-09-28T14:57:00.000-05:00

And now, for the Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week: Would you or have you designed your own cross stitch design? If you have can we see it?

Yes I have.

The thing that motivated me to begin stitching again last year was that I wanted to make Christmas presents for my family. At that time I hadn't located very many stitching supplies in Germany and couldn't find the patterns I was looking for online. (e.g. free and very small - I was doing fingertip towel borders ... Never fear! I have located tons of free patterns online since then.)

In addition to that, I had a specific theme in mind for my step-sister; a sea theme. I was feeling creative and had some graph paper so, I designed the following:

© blondelibrarian

These are not finished products, but samples I stitched so I could see if I liked the colors and such. For example, part way through back-stitching the sea horse I decided that black back-stitching would look better.

However, in the end none of these designs made it to the towel I stitched my step-sister. Instead, I designed a repeating dolphin pattern for her towel. (See the photo here. It is the one in the middle on the right side.)

In addition to that, I have also designed a couple of small pieces for myself. And finally, I have also designed some charts that I have never gotten around to stitching. Someday... someday...

A Little Holiday

2004-09-28T14:44:00.000-05:00

On Friday, we will be leaving for almost a week to visit eastern Germany: specifically, we will be going to Chemnitz, Freiberg, and Dresden.

A. has something related to work to do for part of the time in Chemnitz and since I have wanted to visit Dresden ever since we came to Germany, I am tagging along.

I don't know too much about Chemnitz, but I visited their online tourist office today and the town looks quite nice and offers some walking tours that I am planning on doing while A. is doing his thing.

We are going to Freiberg, a mining town since Medieval times, as part of activities planned for the group that will be in Chemnitz, and that should be very cool. We visited the Salt Mines in Salzburg a year or so ago and I loved them.

Dresden is just a stop that we are planning since we will be in the neighborhood. The main thing I want to see there is the world-famous Opera House, but from what I understand there are lots of other neat things there too.

Look for photos from my trip soon!

An Ode to Cats

2004-09-26T16:07:00.000-05:00

I am a certified crazy cat lady. I have always loved cats and have had a number of them in my lifetime. I grew up in the country and though we didn't have very much livestock, we always had lots and lots of cats. Here is a list of cats that have been special to me for one reason or another in my life:

Tigger: Tigger was the first cat I remember. I was about four when we had Tigger. Unfortunately, he ran away about the time my sister was born. I will always remember Tigger because one night when I tried to make him sleep with me, he scratched me between the eyes and left a scar near my right eyebrow that is still visible when I don't pluck my eyebrows!
Buttermilk: Buttermilk was a great big tomcat and he ruled our neighborhood. He fought a lot and one of his ears was partially ripped off. I wanted to call him Butterscotch, but was outvoted. Buttermilk ran away when we moved out to the farm. My old neighbors claimed that he had made the 8 mile journey back into town and prowled around our old neighborhood for years afterward.
Smokey: Smokey was a stray that I adopted. It was with Smokey that I witnessed birth for the first time. Smokey lived to be a very old cat and eventually all but one of her fangs fell out and her fur became bunny-soft.
Penny, Jake, Tumbleweed, and Lark: Kittens that I adored. Unfortunately, they didn't make it through more than one winter.
Panther: My all black tom cat. He wasn't a very big cat, but he was solid. He was a great mouser and one of the few cats my dad allowed indoors.
Little One: The only one of his November litter to survive through the winter. I babied him and Little One became one of the biggest tom cats I ever saw!
Olee: Olee was a gift from an ex-boyfriend. As a kitten she got her leg caught in a lawnmower and had to have it amputated. Twelve years later, three-legged Olee still lives with my mom.

Those were the cats of my youth and while I loved each and every one of them, I was never as attached to any of them as I am to the three that I have now: Mouse, Scooter, and Harley. I celebrate their birthdays in September and Mouse is now twelve years old, Scooter nine, and Harley three.

They have moved with me more times than I can count, they provide me with hours of entertainment, and make me feel better when I am down. They are spoiled rotten and are sometimes a huge pain in the ass, but I would be lost without them.

With the exception of Harley, I thought they were getting old until my neighbor lady informed me that two of her three cats are over 20 years old. It made me happy to think that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I could very well have them around for another 10 years!

Cross-Stitch Dilemma - Update

2004-09-23T16:36:00.000-05:00

First of all, I wanted to thank all of the stitching bloggers who answered my suggested "Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week." I carefully read everyone's thoughts on the topic and have convinced myself to try a stitching rotation. However, I would especially like to thank Erica of Moria's Little World for linking to the Shakespeare's Peddler Website and the wonderful article entitled "No More UFOs".

Perhaps it is in my nature, I am a librarian after all, but I function best when I am organized and have a system. Therefore, once I had decided that I wanted to try rotating my cross-stitch projects, I had to get organized. First, I reorganized my stash. This helped me to get a good idea of what kinds of patterns I had, how much thread, etc. While doing this, I also jotted down some ideas for my rotation system. However, it wasn't until I read "No More UFOs" that anything really called to me. In principal it is a 10-hour rotation system and I am sure many of you are already familiar with it, so I won't go into any details here. (If you aren't familiar with it, read the article!)

So, I did what the article recommends: I pulled out ALL of my UFOs. Luckily I only had two of them in addition to "Cat in Garden." I then created an Excel spread sheet that gave each piece a number in the stitching rotation and a list of about 10 others I haven't started, but want to put into the rotation eventually. Finally, I also began a little "Stitch Diary" in Word to track other developments.

Since I had already done about 15 hours on "Passing Admirers," I went ahead and started working on the second project, "Siamese Kitty." I began it back in September of 1999 and actually thought I had lost the pattern! As luck would have it, during my Great Stash Reorganization last week I found it. In addition to "Cat in Garden," I have a small "Garfield" design in the rotation. I love Garfield, but after working on this pattern for an afternoon, it just didn't do anything for me. If it weren't for this "NO UFO" mentality I would probably never finish it.

Anyway, I am anxious to see how this whole rotation thing will work out for me and I just want to say thanks again to everyone who answered the question and gave me a bit of much needed guidance!

Update on "Garfield": I guess the Aida cloth that I had it on was kind of shitty, because I put a big rip in it when I was tightening it in the hoop. So I conceded defeat and threw it away. I didn't like that pattern anyway!

Shop Dreams

2004-09-23T16:12:00.000-05:00

If you could design your dream needlework/cross stitch shop, what would it be like?

* * * * * * * * * *

I guess it is just the librarian in me coming out, but my dream cross-stitch shop would closely resemble a library: It would be a welcome place with areas to stitch and/or browse, but above all it would be well-organized!

Metal Head

2004-09-22T15:20:00.000-05:00

I have had my ears pierced since I was eight years old. I remember how badly I wanted them pierced: I begged and pleaded for at least a year before my dad's cousin, who is a beautician, offered to pierce my mom and my ears one afternoon when she was visiting. (She often came for a visit and did her mother's and my grandma's hair... when she did she brought a "mini-salon" with her.) I still have one stud from that piercing; gold with a pink stone in it.

That satisfied me for about seven years. Then when I was 14, I decided I wanted my ears pierced a second time... it was all the rage in my middle school. But mom said no. Of course, since I was 14 I didn't listen. Instead, I went to a beautician that my mom never went to and got them pierced again. (This was before you had to have "parental permission" to get your ears pierced.) I tried to hide my new piercings, but Mom saw them within 48 hours. She wasn't happy and I was grounded for a week, but she didn't make me take them out.

My sophomore year of college was a tough year and I experimented with all sorts of things. As a result of one of my experiments, I pierced my ears a third time; but this time I did it myself with a great big, extremely sharp darning needle. Even after standing outside on a frigid January Iowa day for a long time in order to numb my ears properly, it still hurt like hell!

About a year and a half later, I wanted them pierced again. However, this time when I got the cartilage in my upper right ear pierced and had both ears pierced a fourth time I let a "professional" do it. (trans. I went to the mall.) Not 3 months later I got my right ear pierced two more times. It looked cute, piercing was all the rage, and it was a such conversation piece. "How many do you have?" (11) "Did it hurt?" (Not really) "Does it hurt to sleep on them?" (Not as long as you get the side pierced that you don't sleep on) "Are you pierced anywhere else?" - wink, wink (No) Etc., etc.

I have taken good care of my ears and have never had any problems with my piercings. I usually wear 4 pairs of hoops in the bottom and 3 studs in the remaining piercings in the right ear... in fact, I still wear that first stud with the pink stone in my upper cartilage piercing.

But, slowly, over the last year or so, each time I take my earrings out to clean them and then go through the hassle of putting them all back in and I look in the mirror at my earringless ears I have begun to think about leaving them out permanently.

The first and second piercings are OK and I am quite fond of the cartilage piercing, but the others I think I could live without. I don't think they will ever grow shut completely: I have left the earrings out for weeks at a time and never have a problem putting them back in, so I guess I can always change my mind. But gradually I just don't think it looks so cute anymore... I am beginning to think that it borders on tacky.

Peace and Quiet

2004-09-20T12:23:00.000-05:00

A. left yesterday morning and will be gone until Wednesday. I am totally enjoying the peace and quiet!

I haven't done much except cross-stitch while I watched the extended versions of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. I also watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

I made enough spaghetti last night so that I won't have to cook until A. comes home on Wednesday and I slept in the middle of the bed last night. I seriously considered really "bach"ing it up by not taking a shower, but that was asking a little too much.

Currently the only sounds in the house are the ticking of the wall clock, my typing fingers, and the snoring cats. Life is good. :)

The Itch to Stitch

2004-09-19T08:10:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning with the itch to stitch! The last couple of days I have been reorganizing my stash and in doing so I got lots of ideas for new projects! :) However, I also discovered that I am missing a color for "Passing Admirers." So instead of working around it today, I decided to start a new project.

While printing out some previously downloaded patterns the other day, I started to think about the holidays and I found out I have a bunch of Halloween (my favorite holiday!) patterns. This morning, it was DMC's "Witch on her Broomstick" that called to me. (Download the free pattern!) It is pretty small, so I imagine I will get it done in just a couple of days.

When I get my missing color for "Passing Admirers" it will be back to that project. I think I am going to like this whole "project rotation" thing!

The Contents of My Purse

2004-09-18T16:04:00.000-05:00

They say that the contents of a woman's purse say a lot about her. What do you think the contents of my purse say about me?

Book (currently Nick Hornby's High Fidelity to read on the train into town - or anywhere else for that matter!)
Large light blue hair brush with lots of blonde hair
Half-full bottle of Volvic Water
Purse-pack of tissues
Wild Berry Smint
Umbrella
Sack of (Caribbean-style) trail-mix
Digital camera
Sunglasses with pink and purple tinted lenses
Fingernail file
Pen and pencil
Eye drops
Carmex
Strawberry-flavored Labello lip balm
2 old reciepts (one from a bookstore, the other from a craft store)
Rubber band
Purple velvet ponytail holder
Passport
Subway map
Munich street map
Small mirror
AAA battery
Oh Yeah... My Wallet (with assorted business cards, credit cards, and about â‚¬20)
But NO kitchen sink!

I'll tell you what this list told me about myself... I may be prepared for anything, but it wouldn't hurt me to clean out my purse once in a while!

Lesen auf Deutsch

2004-09-16T10:50:00.000-05:00

About a week ago, A. and I had a discussion about my German reading ability and I didn't much like what he said. He thought that I bordered on illiteracy in German. And let me tell you something... not only did that really rub me the wrong way me, but it got me to thinking.

I'll be honest. Since I finished German classes a year ago I haven't read too much German. I might glance at the newspaper headlines or the tele-text on TV once in a while, but that's about it. When I really started thinking about it, I realized that it is very sad that I, who claim to like reading so much, have not taken the initiative to read in the language of the country where I live.

My main ~~reasons~~ excuses for not reading in German are:

I haven't found any German authors I like.
Anything that sounds good to me is usually a German translation from English and why should I read something in German if I can read it in English?
I don't enjoy reading in German because it requires so much concentration.
Since I don't think in German, I have a hard time visualizing the story in my head.
I have the reading level of a child and the reading tastes of an adult.
It is just so frustrating!

But in addition to all that, is this: While it is true that I learned the basics of reading in English fairly quickly, the refinement of my reading skills took years. Therefore, why should I expect myself to read at the same level in German as I do in English when I only learned German two years ago? Of course, I also admit that I will never improve my German reading skills if I don't practice them. And honestly, I do want to be able to read as well in German as I do in English.

So, I decided the other day I needed to think about reading in German. Not only why I didn't want to do it, but how I could approach it so that I would want do it!

One thing I thought about was my oral comprehension: At first I had a very hard time understanding German and it wasn't until (and I am a little ashamed to admit it) that I started watching TV that I really began to understand German. But even more, it wasn't just TV watching in general that increased my ability; it was watching American movies and shows that I had already seen translated into German. I started watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Gilmore Girls, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Friends, The Simpsons, and a host of other shows that I was familiar with. I found that when I knew the basic plot of the show I started to understand the language... not only of the show, but also of the conversations around me.

How could I apply this to reading, I wondered. First I decided that I must discard that second excuse for not reading in German. If something sounds good to me, I can always read it in English, but I shouldn't refuse to read it in German. Second, I thought about my method for improving my oral comprehension ability and modified it to this: Why not try to read books that I am already familiar with? Since I will already know the plot and will be able to visualize it, I can focus on thinking/reading in German.

I also thought about my reading level in German and thought books written for a younger audience might be the way to go. So, I have decided to start by reading Harry Potter in German. First I need to buy them and then I can start with my experiment. Since A. is going to be away on a business trip the first part of next week and I will be home alone, I think it will be the perfect time to start!

Confessions of a Coke Addict

2004-09-15T11:43:00.000-05:00

They say the first step in solving a problem is to admit that you have one:

So, here goes... My name is the blondelibrarian and I am addicted to Coke. How addicted I am to that sweet, bubbly, brown, cola-flavored liquid that I jokingly refer to as "Liquid Gold" I never fully realized until I decided to stop.

First let's get one thing straight: I do not now, nor have I ever been able to drink Diet Coke. It just doesn't taste like the "real thing" in my opinion. People have told me to keep drinking it because I will get used to it, but I just can't. My Diet Coke experiment lasted all of three days. I don't care what you say. It DOES NOT taste like Coke... just NutraSweet!

Second of all, while I can drink Pepsi, RC, or even a Jolt Cola in times of desperation, I choose Coke. I once did the (in)famous "Pepsi Challenge" and I chose Coke. The people doing the whole thing were so rude about it too: They wouldn't even give me the rest of the Coke when I asked for it!

I used to drink a lot of Coke. In my heyday I could easily drink at least 2 or 3 liters a day. I drank Coke for breakfast and before I went to bed. My favorite drink was Jack and Coke and a friend once gave me a cook book entitled Classic Cooking with Coca-Cola. I drank Coke when I ate chocolate, potato chips, nuts, or cookies. Everything goes with Coke!

In the last few years I have tried to reduce my Coke intake and think I have done a pretty good job. I try to limit myself to about 3/4 liter per day and usually succeed.

However, a couple of weeks ago A. decided that he was no longer going to drink Coke and encouraged me to think about it too. After all, he told me, think of the calories and money I would save. I was resistant at first, but finally agreed to give it a whirl.

For three days I didn't have so much as one sip of Coke. I drank plenty of milk, water, and even some wine, but no Coke. I had a headache, was tired for no apparent reason, and today I nearly snapped the lady's head off at the book store when I was trying to explain that though I obviously speak English, I wanted Harry Potter in German.

I walked home grouchy and when I got home I was very thirsty. I looked in the fridge with every intention of drinking water, but the Coke was there looking so cold and refreshing... I just couldn't take it anymore! I nearly ripped off the lid and in one long, swift drink drained half the bottle! And let me tell you something, never had a Coke tasted so good and I feel better now than I have in days. Yes, it is true. I admit it: I am addicted to Coke and you know what? I don't care!

A Day Late

2004-09-12T13:14:00.000-05:00

It seems to me someone is giving me a little bit of crap about my choice of posts yesterday.

After all, yesterday was... you know. I thought about writing something concerning that particular date, but the thing is September 11, 2001 has very different memories for me than it does for most Americans.

See I was on my first vacation with my husband-to-be. We were in New Orleans and we got up around 10:30 am. The first thing we did was turn on the Weather Channel to see if it was going to rain because we were planning a swamp tour that afternoon.

I remember the first thing the weather dude said was, "I repeat, all airports in the United States are closed until further notice."

And my reaction was "What the fuck?!"

We turned over to CNN and that's when we found out. But we were in New Orleans and felt as if we were in another world. The bars on Bourbon Street were still open, the swamp tours were still going, and we were still on vacation. So we continued with our plans and we had a good time.

And so when the anniversary of that day comes along, I tend to keep quiet about my personal memories of that day because I know that it changed the lives of lots of people and I don't want to belittle their feelings of that day with my own pleasant memories.

Stitching Diary

2004-09-11T15:39:00.000-05:00

I started " Passing Admirers" the other day, but didn't really seriously begin stitching on it until today.

Summary:

"Passing Admirers" will be stitched on Zweigart ® 32 count Cream 100% Linen Evenweave Fabric: This is my very first project on Linen!; For the first time ever I sewed the edges of my fabric down to prevent it from unraveling.
The chart, and therefore the design, is divided into 6 sections.: My goal is to work a section at a time, starting with Section 2 (the middle).
After each 7 hours of stitching time, I will post a progress scan in my cross stitch gallery.

Completed Stitch Time: 5 hours 15 minutes

Busy as a Bee

2004-09-10T10:34:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I decided to play Gertrude Gardener. A couple of days ago I bought some pansies at the flower shop and decided I needed to plant them.

Unfortunately for the sweet little pansies, the "Curse of the Black Thumb" very nearly struck again. When I went outside two of the three flowers were visibly wilted. I watered them the other day, but forgot to do so yesterday. I was afraid that I had killed them already.

So, instead of planting them in the window box as I had planned, I planted the one that still looked OK in a little pot. I watered the other two and put them in the shade. I think that by tomorrow they will either perk back up (if so, I will replant them) or be dead (in which case I will get rid of them). I did that about three hours ago and now as I glance at them I have strong hopes that they will survive.

As I was fiddling with the pansies, I also decided to empty the pots that had my geraniums in them. I didn't do so hot with my geranium experiment. I didn't out and out kill them, but a bad storm whipped them around pretty bad a while back and hurt the stems. They never really recovered from that. In addition, I hadn't been watering them and taking care of them the last month or so as I should have been because it was hot.

In fact, around mid July I had a flower epiphany: I came to the conclusion that I am a spring and fall flower girl. I love to play with flowers in the spring and fall when it is cool outside, but once it gets hot... I don't want to be outside and always manage to not water them enough. I don't do it on purpose, but I guess subconsciously I am trying to kill them so I don't have to be outside.

So, since the geranium pots were empty, I then decided to repot this tree that I have. I think I have mentioned my tree before. It is about 2 feet high and in addition to leaves, it has these fuzzy red fronds. I bought it about 2 years ago from the local florist. At the time she told me what it was, but I didn't understand enough German then to figure out what she was saying. Since it looks like it belongs on another world, we just call it my "Alien Tree."

A. had told me not to repot it because it will just grow, but I couldn't resist. I know it will get bigger now, but I told myself that this will be its last pot (hmm... we'll see about that!) Here is a picture of it in its new pot. No, it doesn't have two stems... there is a stick holding it up because it is too tall for its skinny trunk.

photo by blondelibrarian

By the way, if anyone knows what the heck this thing is, could you please let me know? :)

Lily White vs. Golden Brown

2004-09-09T17:54:00.000-05:00

Since May I have been using the tanning bed at our local gym once a week for ten minutes at a time. Since I am naturally blonde, I don't want to be too tan. I not only think that it looks fake, but I honestly don't think my fair skin could handle it. However, I feel that I look healthier with a hint of a tan.

I have often thought that in the skin department I live in the wrong century. If I would have lived in the 18th or 19th centuries, I would have had the skin that all of the damsels envied. When I have no tan, my skin is so white that you can clearly see the blue veins underneath. Many European Aristocrats and Southern Belles spent hours soaking their skin in buttermilk, carefully shading their faces under mammoth hats, and dusting themselves with rice powder for the skin that comes to me naturally.

But alas, I live in the 21st century and even with a tan I have to choose the lightest shade of foundation at the makeup counter and it is still too dark. I told a friend of mine about a month ago that I had been tanning. Until I showed her my visible tan line, she didn't believe a word of it. But I know. I see it when I notice that the blue lines on my shoulders aren't nearly as visible anymore. I enjoy it when I am able to be outside all day in the sun with just a minimum of sun protection.

One day while I was surfing the Web I quite accidentally came across a very interesting article concerning skin tone in the earlier centuries versus today. (Sorry, I read this long ago so I no longer have any idea where the article was located) The article discussed how western society's ideas of the beautiful shade of skin have changed in the past hundred (or so) years.

Once it was fashionable to have lily white skin because it was a sign of wealth and leisure. During that time it was the working class who had to be (i.e., work) outside and, as a result, ended up with tanned bodies. Obviously, for a person of leisure the thought of having to work outside was highly undesirable. Therefore, any sign that he or she did so (like tanned skin) was also unwelcome. Consequently, fair white skin was an indication that the person did not have to be outside or work.

Fast forward to the last half of 20th century. Suddenly working people had to spend the majority of their time indoors. Everyone* developed white skin per default. People wanted to be outside surfing, gardening, swimming, or a thousand other things that would, unsurprisingly, result in a tan during their hard-earned free-time. This shift to favoring a golden brown tan over lily white skin indicated not only that being outside was a good thing, but also communicated that the person in question had time and money to spend outside enjoying these things. And what better way to prove that you can spend time relaxing on the beach or smelling your well-groomed roses than with a tan?

Today we all know the dangers of skin cancer and some listen more carefully than others, but it still doesn't prevent a large majority of people from thinking that a person with a slight tan looks healthier than someone with lily white legs poking out from underneath his or her shorts.

* = Allow my indulgence here for the sake of argument.

Viva Cactus!

2004-09-09T10:18:00.000-05:00

Tonight is Mexican night at our house. The reason is two-fold:

First, last weekend we were in the mood to eat out and thought Mexican sounded good. So, we went to the pitiful excuse for a Mexican restaurant (called Viva with a cactus mascot, hence the title of the post) in our little town and ordered margaritas and chimichangas that left much to be desired. This is the third time we have tried Mexican in the Munich area and the third time we were disappointed. We came to the conclusion that though I am from the Midwestern United States, at least I have been to Mexico and lived in Texas; therefore I should have a good idea of what Mexican is supposed to taste like and am probably a better Mexican cook than your average German. (Hint: Carrots DO NOT belong in Fajitas!)

Second, we have a lonely bottle of tequila that is just screaming to be drunk, so yesterday when we were at the grocery store I got everything I need to make margaritas, chicken nachos, and homemade salsa. Aahreeba, Aahreeba!

I just finished the salsa and will start on the nachos in a couple of hours. However, if you are interested, here is the recipe for

blondelibrarian Hot and Spicy Salsa

2-6 coarsely chopped tomatoes: Though I love things made from tomatoes, I am not a big whole tomato fan, therefore I use the bare minimum of tomatoes... if you like tomatoes, I would suggest the full number.
1 3/4 cup tomato sauce
6-9 minced garlic cloves: However, I love garlic, so I use the maximum amount... you might choose otherwise.
2 small jalapeño chilies, seeded finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup dry white wine or unsweetened apple juice: I have used both and prefer the wine
¼ cup lemon juice
½ - 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne): The hotter you want it, the more pepper you add. :)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro: Cilantro is also called Coriander leaves.

In medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except cilantro. Bring to a boil over hight heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in cilantro. Ladle mixture into clean jars and cover with tight-fitting lids.

Keeps up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

That's all there is to it! Enjoy!

* * * * * * * * * *

9:30 Update
Hmm... my margaritas didn't really have the desired effect... after drinking approximately 4 of them A. is out like a light!

Stricken vs. Sticken

2004-09-07T06:14:00.000-05:00

Stitching Bloggers' Question of the Week:

How do you explain cross stitch to non-cross stitching people?
Do they get it or do they say "Oh, right.. you do knitting then (or sewing, or needlepoint)?"

I don't try to explain cross-stitch to non-stitching people very often. However, I have lived in Germany for the past 2½ years and when I decided to take cross-stitching back up about a year ago, I quickly learned that I had to figure out a way to explain cross-stitching to people in German so I could find supplies!

I didn't have any trouble finding embroidery floss, but didn't even have the slightest clue as to the word for "cross-stitch" in German, and to make matters worse when I looked in my "Unabridged" German Dictionary the word wasn't even there! Of course, asking my husband (who is a native German speaker) was pointless, because at the time, he barely knew what cross-stitch was. His suggestion was "stricken," which is "knitting!"

One day I was in a very large department store and stumbled upon the sewing department. As luck would have it, they had a decent selection of stitching supplies. Not only did I buy things for my stash that day, I made notes of all the German vocabulary related to stitching that I came across.

At first I thought that "sticken" was the word I was looking for. Not only is "sticken" very close to "stricken" (which of course means I must be careful with my pronunciation so that the store clerks don't get confused), I later learned that "sticken" just means "to embroider." It wasn't until I came across the chart section that I found out that "cross-stitch" in German is "Kreuzstich" and is actually a literal translation (Kreuz = cross; Stich = stitch)! Armed with this knowledge, I now have very little trouble explaining what I do and what I want to store clerks.

Although about a month ago, I did find out the importance of correct pronunciation between "stricken" and "sticken." When I attempted to tell my mother-in-law that I did "sticken," she misunderstood me and offered to buy me a pair of knitting needles!

Cross-Stitch Dilemma

2004-09-06T18:13:00.000-05:00

Here are the thoughts that led me to suggest this week's Stitching Bloggers' Question of the Week:

"Do you stitch small projects one at a time that you can finish quickly, have numerous large projects going at once that you rotate, or both? How does your current system work for you and have you thought about changing it?"

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I am facing a cross-stitch dilemma. I am considering completely changing the way that I cross-stitch. No, I don't mean the actual cross-stitching. I still cross-stitch from the bottom right corner to the top left and then from the bottom left to the top right.

When I learned to cross-stitch back in 1999, I did one piece at time until it was finished. I didn't have a big stash back then and I was still learning the techniques. Before my enormous 2½ year break from stitching I had begun larger pieces that I never finished... Works in Progress, if you will. I worked on something until I got bored and then started something new. When I picked my stitching back up last October, I had 3 unfinished projects that I finished before I started anything new.

At that point I told myself that I didn't like those unfinished projects and in order to avoid having more of them in the future, I decided to only stitch small projects that I knew I could finish before becoming bored. And that has worked well. Since last October I have completed close to 40 small projects.

But here is the thing. I have recently come across some large complex patterns that I really want to stitch. I have not yet started them because I am afraid I will get bored with them before I finish them. And here is where I am thinking about changing my cross-stitch style.

Most other stitchers out there (at least those who blog) seem to have numerous large and complex projects going at once. In order (I assume) to avoid getting bored with one particular piece they rotate them. And that is what I am thinking about doing. I really want to do the "Passing Admirers" and would like to work some more on my "Cat in Garden," in addition to doing a couple of Pam Kellogg designs. But the thing is, I do like to finish my projects.

So, after thinking about it, I decided to begin a rotation with two projects and leave myself room to do small projects as the desire arises. If it works out well, perhaps I will add more projects to my rotation.

Maternal Instinct and the Biological Clock

2004-09-06T14:58:00.000-05:00

In all honesty, I have never had much a desire to become a mother. The mere idea of being pregnant makes my insides flip-flop. I think babies are cute when they smile and laugh, but when they cry or dirty their diapers... not so cute! Other people's kids are fine. I have a niece whom I adore and I feel extremely protective of my best friend's kids, even though I am wary of children that I don't know. A good friend of mine will have a baby in November and I'm really excited for her. But the idea of having my own and the life-long responsibility that goes along with it makes me shudder.

When I was a little girl, I hated playing "house," and I remember telling my friend Carla when I was six or seven that I didn't want to have babies. Even at 6, Carla wanted to be a mommy and in her infinite little girl wisdom assured me that when I got older I would want a baby.

At 15, my cousin, who is 2 years younger than me, couldn't wait to have a baby and become a mom. In fact, within two years she was one. Now 10 years later she has a happy family that includes three little girls. However, when she was 15 I remember telling her she was crazy because there was so much to see and do; so much life to live before becoming a mother.

When I was 19 and had my first serious relationship I doomed it by telling him that I was unsure if I would ever want to get married or have kids. Two and a half years later, I found out he was married and expecting his first child.

I then endured a five year relationship that ended in heartache and misery and when it was over, I thanked my lucky stars that we had no kids. The custody battle over the cats was bad enough.

By that time I was 25. Lots of my friends were married and either already had begun a family or were getting ready to do so. I questioned whether or not I even had maternal instinct when people told me that I would change my mind once I heard my biological clock or after I met "the one." I wasn't convinced, but thought anything is possible.

Well, now I'm 30 and I met "Mr. Right" three years ago. We enjoy spending time together and being able to do what we please when we want to do it and not have to worry about whether or not it is "kid-friendly" or if we have a babysitter. Maybe someday we will change our minds, but for now we are content with being child-free.

Sick Business at the Pharmacy

2004-09-05T13:37:00.000-05:00

Friday afternoon I came across another one of those ridiculous things about Germany that both scandalize and amaze me.

I needed some hydrogen peroxide. In America, you can go to Wal-Mart, or even the corner convenient store, and pick up a pint (approx ½ a liter) for under $1.00. Not so in Germany. It is one of those items you must buy at the Apotheke (the pharmacy).

For my American readers that are confused, let me explain. There are no Wal-Mart pharmacies in Germany and over-the-counter drugs (or other similarly dangerous things like Hydrogen Peroxide and BAKING SODA) are only sold at pharmacies. Need some aspirin? Well, don't bother looking for it at Wal-Mart, cuz it ain't gonna be there!

Not only are these items only available at the pharmacy, you must request them from the man or woman behind the counter in the white coat and when you do, you get the third degree. What is it that you need? Why do you need it? What are you going to do with it? How much of it do you need? Personally, I don't think it is anybody's business why I need hydrogen peroxide, I just want some!

So on Friday, once A. and I finally convinced the woman behind the counter that we only wanted hydrogen peroxide for disinfection and not to make a hydrogen peroxide bomb, we came across another utterly repulsive thing: the price! 100 ml (a little more than 1/3 cup) of hydrogen peroxide was going to set us back almost 9 Euros! I nearly fainted! However, we really needed some, so after a lot of grumbling by me to A., we plunked down our money.

Two days later, I am still reeling in shock. It wasn't that we had to go the pharmacy, I was prepared for that. But even now, the price makes me sick to my stomach... but not too sick, I don't want to have to go back and find out how much Pepto-Bismol costs!

The Stand

2004-09-04T16:56:00.000-05:00

Today I finished reading The Stand, Stephen King's epic of a post-epidemic apocalyptical future world.

The year is 1985 (the book was first published around 1980) and approximately 90% of the world's population has been destroyed by a sickness that is dubbed "Captain Trips." Those that are mysteriously immune to the superflu are humanity's last hope and as they are drawn together, dreams of an old woman and a dark man haunt them.

Two communities of survivors form, one in Colorado known as the "Free Zone" and one in Las Vegas. The diety-like figure of the Free Zone is the old woman, Mother Abigail, and as they begin to rebuild society, they become aware that the other community in Las Vegas, led by the dark man, is planning to wipe them out. Some members of the Free Zone are sent to Las Vegas where the final "Stand" is made.

I know that Stephen King is usually classified as a "horror writer," but I have never found his books to be all that frightening, and while I think he is a good story-teller, I find most of his books unbelievable. The problem with this is not that I don't like "fantasy," (I do!) but the fact is that the settings of his books make me want his stories to be believable. However, I didn't find that to be the case with The Stand. In my opinion, this story was not only believable, but also possible, and that was the most disturbing part of the book.

What I really liked in this book was the second part where the people begin gathering in Colorado and the way that they work together to start rebuilding society. A system of government forms, but many things that were cornerstones of the former society never reappear. For example, the institution of marriage is never formally re-introduced and the concept of money disappears.

There were a lot of religious undertones in the book. How can there not be in a story concerning the Apocalypse, right? But what the book boiled down to was a classic "Good vs. Evil" story. Who wins? Well, you will have to read it to find out... but remember the author IS Stephen King!

Buying the Classics

2004-09-02T14:09:00.000-05:00

Today I went to my favorite English bookstore in Munich, Words' Worth, and spent quite a while browsing through the books.

I could spend all of our monthly rent money in there. Not so much because there are so many books I want (well, actually there are...) but because English language books in Munich are so damn expensive! On average, a paperback runs between 10 and 12 Euros. (current exchange rate 1 Euro = $1.21) Of course, part of this has to do with trying to make a profit on imported books, but it is so irritating to see what such a book would cost in US dollars and then have to spend so much more on it. I can't help but feel like I'm getting ripped off!

However, they do have a section of books that are decently priced. They are "Penguin Popular Classics" and "Dover Thrift Editions." The up side is that they tend to run 3,50 to 5,50 Euros per book. However, these editions do not offer popular fiction, but "classics." Luckily, not only was I an English major in college, I also liked the "classics." :)

Today I added Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop and Wharton's The Age of Innocence to my ever-expanding "classics" collection. I have read neither of them before, so I am looking forward to enjoying some good Victorian fiction.

Passing Admirers

2004-09-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

A while back I came across this at my local cross-stitch shop and fell in love with it:

© A. Pullen

At the time I didn't buy it because I normally like small and simple designs and this one is not only big by my standards (on 32 count linen it will be almost 10 x 14 inches), it is also pretty complicated.

But I liked it so much that I kept thinking about it. Today I was in the neighborhood and went into the shop. I figured with my luck they would have sold it, but it was still there. So I bought it. We'll see if I ever get up enough ambition to actually stitch it!

The Cat in the Mirror

2004-08-29T14:48:00.000-05:00

Harley was sitting in her favorite spot this morning and suddenly became very interested in something across the room. I didn't see a fly or spider, so I wondered what had caught her attention. Before I could investigate, she jumped up and ran over to the TV where she began to intently examine the kitty that was there. She wasn't seeing cats on TV, as the television was off, but her own reflection.

As she peered into the television and occasionally pawed at the "other kitty," I started to think about animals, cats, and their "sense of selves." The "sense of self" has many levels, and the one that I was thinking about was an animal's ability to recognize him/herself, most frequently, in the mirror. Scientists believe that some animals, like chimps, are capable of self recognition. Yet, most scientists claim that animals like cats and dogs, while capable of feeling primary emotions, don't have a sense of self recognition. Whether or not I believe that, I am not sure.

Once we had a dog who always growled at herself in the mirror, but by contrast, my cats stopped being interested in the "other kitties" in the mirror long ago. Is it because they recognize themselves, have accepted the "cat" in the mirror as part of our family, or is it just because since the reflected cat is not a threat they find it inconsequential and ignore it? Maybe I am biased and see human qualities in my cats that really aren't there, but I would like to believe it is because they recognize themselves.

Of course, that brings me back to Harley and the TV. She never gives her reflection a second glance in the full-length mirror in the bedroom, so if she recognizes herself, why did she paw at her TV reflection? It was the first time I have ever noticed her doing that. Was she actually aware that it was her reflection and was just pawing at it to entertain herself? I'd like to think so!

Blast from the Past

2004-08-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

This morning, I was greeted by something very odd in my email inbox.

Out of the blue, I got an email from this dude that I hung out with twelve years ago! It was a good thing that I was sitting down, because if I hadn't been I probably would have fallen down!

Turns out, he still hangs out with the same people we did then and, coincidentally, my cousin married one of those dudes. I guess that is how he got my email address. I will confess that I did go out on a date or two with him, but it never developed into anything more than friendship.

When I was getting ready to go to college, I pretty much severed ties with those people. I think the last time I saw him was about ten years ago when he was dating a (fair-weather) friend of mine. I wish I was still in touch with her, because I would love to rub her nose in the fact that after all this time he dropped ME (not her!) an email! ha ha ha ha...

He was always a pretty pessimistic person, so the email mostly detailed how horribly his life has turned out, but he did say congratulations on my marriage.

I think I will be nice and reply to him, but damn! What am I going to say after ten years? So much has happened to me in that time, he might recognize me on sight, but otherwise I doubt he would recognize the person I have become.

Joke of the Day

2004-08-26T15:42:00.000-05:00

At a recent computer expo, Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon"

In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.
Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.
Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You could have to pull over to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and then reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.
Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.
The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.
Before deploying, the airbag system would ask, "Are you sure?"
Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
Every time a new car was introduced, car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again, because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn off the engine.

A Year in Provence

2004-08-25T15:56:00.000-05:00

I have decided that even though I don't write the best book reviews in the world, I would like to share on a more regular basis what I have been reading lately. So, here goes...

First published in 1991, A Year in Provence is Peter Mayle's witty look at life in a small Provencal village from an outsider's point of view. It is divided into twelve chapters, each chronicling one month of the year and mainly follows the saga of the narrator's adjustment to life in Provence and the remodeling of his antique stone house; from the burst pipes in January to the Sunday before Christmas when a smartly planned party for the workers and their wives by the narrator's wife finally encourages all of the workers to finish their year-long efforts. There are plenty of stereotypical amusing French villagers thrown in and extraordinary details of the enjoyable cuisine to top off this book candy.

As someone who has been living abroad for the past two and a half years, I particularly enjoyed this book. I found it extremely entertaining and even though French culture and German culture are different in many ways, I could identify the way in which the narrator learned to take the good and bad things about the Provencal lifestyle in stride.

It is a quick, easy, and fun read and I would highly recommend it.

George W. Bush Resume

2004-08-25T10:49:00.000-05:00

Please consider this when casting your vote in November:

RESUME

GEORGE W. BUSH
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20520

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Law Enforcement:
I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been "lost" and is not available.

Military:
I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam.

College:
I graduated from Yale University with a low C average.
I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:
I ran for U.S. Congress and lost. I began my career in the oil business in Midland, Texas, in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas. The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock. I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money. With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS:

- I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America.

- I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.

- I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.

- With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida, and my father's ppointments to the Supreme Court, I became President after losing by over 500,000 votes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:

- I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.

- I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.

- I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.

- I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.

- I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.

- I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.

- I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market. In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month.

- I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My "poorest millionaire," Condoleeza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.

- I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President.

- I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.

- My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. History: Enron.

- My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to ensure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.

- I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history.

- I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.

- I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.

- I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.

- I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history.

- I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government.

- I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.

- I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.

- I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.

- I refused to allow inspector's access to U.S. "prisoners of war" detainees, and have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.

- I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. elections).

- I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.

- I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August 2001, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.

- I garnered the most sympathy ever for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world---the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.

- I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind.

- I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, preemptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community.

- I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families in wartime.

- In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.

- I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.

- I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD.

- I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES:

- All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view.

- All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.

- All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review.

Little Red Mustang

2004-08-23T18:16:00.000-05:00

I used to drive a 1982 Red Ford Mustang. She wasn't particularly fast for a Mustang and had worn-out seats, faded-red interior, a leaky transmission, and until I replaced it, a real shitty radio. But she was a Mustang, she was red, and she was mine.

I drove the hell out of that car in the 2 ½ years that I had her. When I owned her, I lived 30 miles from school and 30 miles from work... in opposite directions. I went to school everyday and to work three times a week. I put almost 500 miles on that car and about 3 tanks of gas (at $7.00 a pop) in her a week. The gas gage was broken, so I never knew if I was filling her up or not, but I was paranoid about getting stranded in the barren Iowa cornfields between school and home or work and home. (These were the days before every three year old had his own cell phone.)

But I was young and right out of college. I had two good jobs, excellent credit, and was saving money. I got tired of worrying about the amount of gas in my tank and having to dump a quart of transmission fluid in her every week to ten days. So, I came to a life-altering decision: Should I take the money I had saved and get the transmission fixed and drive her for another 2-5 years or should I take the money and use it to put a down-payment on a bright, shiny, new car?

You guessed it. I decided to go with the bright, shiny, new car. So, I took some pictures of my Mustang, removed the stereo, and folded the seat covers up and put them away. I kept telling myself, "She's only a car," as they gave me $500 credit towards my new car and took her away.

In my worst nightmares she never got another chance. She went straight to the scrap-heap and was crushed into a cube no bigger than my fist. In my far-flung hopes, they fixed her transmission and she served another kid until he or she got the new car itch.

A year later, my bright, shiny, new car had been in a wreck and was totaled. A year and a half later, my 2nd bright, shiny, new car had been repossessed and I was driving a four door 1980 Chevy Malibu with the stereo and memories of my Mustang in it. And now every time I see a Mustang, new or old, driving down the street I silently curse myself because I really wish I had fixed the damn transmission in my little red Mustang and kept on driving her.

photo by blondelibrarian

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Now Playing: "Cover of the Rolling Stone" by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show

Zucchini Pancakes

2004-08-21T17:22:00.000-05:00

One of the vegtables that I like is zucchini. I really like stuffed zucchini, fried zucchini, zucchini bread, zucchini cookies, and I have even been known to eat zucchini cassorole.

The summer between my sophomore and junior year of college, I lived in a house with 3 other girls. One of them was Korean and loved to cook. At the time not only did I not like to cook, but I wasn't all that interested in food or cooking techniques. Anyway, the girl in our house that cooked made these very delicious zucchini/squash pancake things that summer. And I loved them. All throughout August when the summer zucchini and squash were at their best she brought fresh zucchini and squash home from the farmer's market and made those pancake things for us. I never asked for the recipe or how to make them, and within weeks after that summer was over we lost contact and I never saw her again.

Since then I have bought many a zucchini and tried many a recipe that I thought were similar, but have never been able to figure out exactly how she made them and with what. It is such a bummer!

If anyone has any idea how to make Korean Zucchini/Squash Pancakes, would they please let me know? You would be doing me (and my stomach) a huge favor!

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Now Playing: "Son of a Preacher Man" - Dusty Springfield

The Great DVD Rip Off

2004-08-21T08:59:00.000-05:00

I have always liked living on the edge of the law. I used to do things that could have landed me in jail if I would have gotten caught. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) somewhere along the way I settled down and became a mostly law-abiding citizen. But sometimes I still do naughty things... even though I haven't done anything underhanded for a long time. However, that changed yesterday when I ripped off a local music/video store that is going out of business. And I must say, I was pretty pleased with myself.

So, what underhanded deed did I do? Since this particular store, which shall remain nameless, is going out of business, they have all their stuff discounted from 10 - 50%. I found a DVD that I wanted really badly (The Three Amigos!), but it only had a 10% sticker on it. It had no barcode, just an old-fashioned price tag that indicated 22 Euros. This irritated me, because it is an old movie and there was no reason in the world that it should be that much. In addition, A. and I have a rule when it comes to DVDs: We do not spend more than 15 Euros on them. That meant that even with the 10% discount, the movie was still out of my price range.

At first I thought about switching stickers. (They had colored stickers, yellow for 10%... red for 50%) but I couldn't get a red sticker off anything else without mangling it and making it obvious that someone had messed with it. So, I thought about it and decided that since it didn't have a barcode maybe if I just ripped off the price tag I might get a better deal. So that is what I did. I ripped the price tag off and then went to the counter. I told the girl that the DVD had a dot (it did!), but no price tag. Could she tell me the price? After looking at the DVD, (she didn't even attempt to scan it or call the manager or anything) she announced that it must be a 12,99 movie. So, with the discount it would be 11,69, how did that suit me? I said it suited me just fine and bought the DVD.

Yep, I sure am pleased that I got my DVD cheaper and was sneaky and underhanded in the process. But on the same token since the store is going out of business, I'm sure they didn't really care at what price they sold the DVD, just as long as they got rid of it.

Iowa State Fair Memories

2004-08-17T13:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I read an article in USA Today about the Iowa State Fair.

Being a native Iowan, I couldn't help but remember all the times I visited the State Fair in the 23 years that I lived there. I don't think I went every year, but I estimate that I went for at least one day no less than fifteen of those years. In fact, it wasn't until I moved away from Iowa that I found out that not every state has an annual celebration like the Iowa State Fair. This year is special though because the Iowa State Fair is celebrating its sesquicentennial and after 150 years, it is "Still the One."

Whether or you were born there or not, if you live in Iowa, it is almost certain that you will spend a mimimum of one day during ten days in August at the State Fair... usually the hottest and most humid days of the year. Not only is it a rite of passage, it is one of the three biggest events in Iowa throughout the year. (The other two are the State Basketball Tournament and the State Wrestling Tournament.)

Like many rural Iowa kids, when I was old enough (i.e. 9 years old) I joined 4-H and spent all year dreaming up projects that would not only receive a blue ribbon, but would be good enough to attain the honor of a place at the State Fair. Since my family didn't raise livestock, my projects were of the home economics and visual art types. More than once during my six or seven year tenure in 4-H my projects went to the State Fair, and of course, I went along with them.

In those years I ate many bizarre foods on sticks, saw several butter sculptures, and attended numerous wood chopping contests. I remember the year the bungee jump was introduced to the Fair and betting amongst my friends who would be the first one crazy enough to try it. (Note: It was NOT me!) I saw Metallica at the State Fair and got both my tattoos there.

When I lived in Des Moines, I had friends who lived near the fairgrounds and every year they made a tidy profit charging people $5.00 to park in their yard. I remember the first year I was old enough to visit the beer tent, even though I don't remember how I got home that night. I spent plenty of time in the Midway and more than one ex-boyfriend spent plenty of dough trying to win me a stuffed animal there.

Eventually each State Fair blends into another and the excitement you had as a kid wears off, but that doesn't keep you from paying the admission fee each year and checking out the butter cow while eating fried cheese curds on a stick.

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Now Playing: "A Lap Dance is so Much Better when the Stripper is Cryin' " - The Bloodhound Gang

Super Size Me

2004-08-16T06:15:00.000-05:00

A while back I saw a preview for that documentary called "Super Size Me." Honestly, I have no desire to see the movie, but from what I understand one of the rules of his little experiment was that when he was ordering his food, if someone asked him if he wanted to "Super Size" he had to say yes.

In a round-about way, that reminded me of something from my waitress days that we referred to as "up-selling." I worked at Chain Restaurant ABC for about 2½ years. When I began, I had to go through a training program and after you learned the basics of waiting tables, you had a session about "up-selling" as a way to maximize your tips (and the restaurant's profits).

As I am sure the majority of my readers know, in America, waitresses/waiters (the politically correct term is "server," but I always referred to myself as a waitress) essentially work for tips. I haven't waited tables for almost 8 years, but in 1996 (God! has it really been that long?!), the hourly wage of a waitress was between $2.25 and $3.75. As you can plainly see, in order to make the job worth while, obviously a waitress wants tips. A good waitress (meaning you are willing to work hard and give good service) usually makes pretty good tips and can turn waiting tables into a fairly profitable job.

Theoretically, a tip is 15% of the total amount of the diner's bill, therefore (so the thinking goes), the higher the bill, the higher the tip. This is where "up-selling" comes into play. The idea is to add to the diner's bill in a rather indistinguishable way. For example, the customer orders a Margarita that is (forgive the 1996 prices) $3.50. The margarita is made with "bar" tequila (aka the cheap, generic brand). The waitress who is practicing "up-selling," asks if you want a particular kind of tequila in the margarita. You say, "Cuervo Gold." KA-CHING! That is premium liquor and now your $3.50 margarita is $4.25! All throughout your meal you are asked these questions: Do you want fries with that? How about a side of ranch dressing? Maybe dessert? Ka-ching! KA-ching! KA-CHING! All those little extras add up and without thinking about it, the customer gives a 15% tip on a bill that ended up being $36 instead of the $30 it could have been.

Even though I was a successful waitress, I was never comfortable with the practice of "up-selling." I wasn't afraid of working hard and even when I had a long night I could serve a table with a smile on my face and take home generous tips. I thought, and still think, "up-selling" is a not only a sneaky practice, but extremely pushy. I don't like pushy people and didn't want to be a pushy waitress. When I was a trainer, I would tell my trainees about "up-selling" and leave it up to them whether or not they wanted to do it.

Essentially, "Super or King Sizing" a fast food meal is a form of "up-selling." Of course in such a "restaurant," there is no waitress putting herself through college to benefit, only the corporation. So next time you think about super-sizing your Big Mac meal, remember they don't care about your super-sized waist, only your incredibly shrinking pocket book.

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Now playing: "I'm Going Slightly Mad" - Queen

Flying Kitties

2004-08-10T14:18:00.000-05:00

This has got to be the best news story I have read in a while. Of course the story details the concerns of the flight crew and the inconvenience to the passengers, but being the crazy cat lady that I am, I sympathized with the poor kitty and his owner.

Air travel with pets is a very stressful ordeal for all involved. I know this first-hand because when we moved to Germany from the US, we brought my three cats with us. The rule of thumb for animals in the cabin is one person, one animal and the number of animals on a flight is limited. Since A. and I were only two, we had a choice: We could each bring a cat in a soft carrier and the other could ride in the luggage compartment, or all three could ride in the luggage compartment. I wasn't too happy with either choice, but since I felt I should be fair to my cats, I chose to have all three ride in the luggage compartment.

We flew from Portland, Oregon to Detroit, had about a two hour layover and then flew from Detroit to Frankfurt. All together, about a 12 hour flight and a 36 hour day. I am usually pretty laid back, but I had never been so stressed out in my entire life!

In Portland, I stayed with them until the last possible second and strongly warned anyone that was part of the Northwest Airlines family that they would face my wrath if anything happened to my highly valuable cats. (They are priceless to me, and besides, with all the money I had to invest to get them ready to go, I felt that I had a right to tell everyone they were valuable!)

In Detroit, I stood in the lobby with my nose glued to the window as I watched the baggage handlers load my cats into the luggage compartment. I had marked their carriers with highly visible "Live Animal" signs and florescent tape specifically for that purpose.

Every 15 minutes from Detroit to Frankfurt, I whined and cried on A.'s shoulder that I hoped they wouldn't be too traumatized, while he reassured me they were OK. I wasn't so sure: I had read horror stories of how badly animals were treated in the luggage compartments and others of how animals disappeared in transit. I was a nervous wreck until I saw them in Frankfurt, where all three greeted me with highly pissed-off looks on their faces. But to me at that moment, they had never looked so sweet and adorable.

Yet, I must give Northwest Airlines credit. On each plane, before it took off, I was given a special "Pet Passport" that verified that the pilot knew that my cats were aboard and that they had made it safely into the luggage compartment. However, it is an ordeal that I am not anxious to repeat and my advice to anyone who is considering flying with their pets is: Don't do it unless it is absolutely necessary. It is much less stressful for all involved.

On a final note, I want to reassure everyone that my cats came through their first Trans-Atlantic flight without being too traumatized (even Harley, who was at the time only about 8 months old) ...Even though they do still mysteriously disappear every time they see the kitty carriers!

It's All Relative

2004-08-09T13:30:00.000-05:00

Summer has finally arrived in Munich! For the past two weeks temperatures have hovered between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius. (That's between 77 and 86 Fahrenheit.) All through June and most of July it was cool and rainy. And we complained. Now it is warm and sunny and we are still complaining.

The funny thing is, it really isn't all that hot. For example, summertime in Iowa can be quite a scorcher. There are many summer days in Iowa that are above 90 F (32 C) and usually there are even a few days around the 100 mark (37 C). In addition, after living for 2½ years in Texas and another 2½ in Mississippi, I think I can say with certainty that I know what hot is. But the difference is, in all of those places I had air conditioning! Here air conditioning is the exception, rather than the rule. Therefore, when it is 30 C outside and 24 C inside, it seems hotter than it really is.

Because I know it isn't as hot as I would like to think it is and because all through June I anxiously waited for the sun to peek out from behind the clouds, I have tried to resist the urge to complain about the weather. However, I would just about give my left arm to come home to an apartment that has been cooled all day to a comfy 20 C (68 F), sip an ice-cold lemonade, and chuckle at all of the poor fools that don't have air conditioning!

Die deutsche "Recht"schreibung

2004-08-08T11:57:00.000-05:00

One of the big news stories here in Germany for the past few days revolves around the German spelling reform (die deutsche Rechtschreibung). In 1996, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland introduced reforms "changing, among other things, the rules about where to place a comma in a sentence, and altering the spelling of about 12,000 words."

Ever since these reforms were introduced they have been controversial. The reforms are supposed to become mandatory next year. However, one of Germany's most prominent newspapers The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, abandoned the rules about four years ago and this past week, two of Germany's main publishers, Axel-Springer and Spiegel-Verlag, announced that they will too will abandon the new rules and urged other German publishers to do the same.

Opponents say that though the reforms were meant to simplify the language, in actuality they have made things more confusing. For example, people that didn't make spelling and grammar mistakes before now do. In addition, since the reforms have been taught in schools since 1998, parents and children now observe different rules.

Yet shortly after the calls to abandon the reforms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland announced that they will be keeping the new rules.

I have observed the situation first-hand. Since I didn't know any German when I first moved here, I attended the Goethe-Institut, a prominent German Language School and they teach the "Rechtschreibung." In my very first class, I ran headfirst into the spelling reforms. In order to help me with my German, I had some German reference materials that, unbeknownst to me at the time, included the old spelling. Needless to say, my first two weeks of learning German were riddled with confusion. Finally one day I mentioned something in that direction to my teacher. It turned out that I wasn't the only one that was bewildered. My classmates were also running into the old vs. new rules at every turn.

As my German language learning progressed, I would observe my teachers slipping into the old rules as they wrote examples on the board, even though they were supposed to be "reformed." I also learned that students who had learned German prior to 1998 were struggling to incorporate the new rules.

But the "Rechtschreibung" didn't just affect me at school. A. was absent when the German-speaking countries introduced the reforms and though he was aware of them, he was completely clueless about them. Sometimes when I would show him my homework, he would point out what he thought were mistakes. But in actuality, they were the reforms in action.

While it is a confusing mess, I don't really have an opinion on whether the spelling reforms should be kept or not. True, I learned the new rules and prefer to write that way. However, I also recognize the old ways when I see them and it doesn't bother me to read them.

I guess when your native language is one that has as many variations (American English, British English, Canadian English, etc.) as English does, it is easier to accept discrepancies in a language.

A Melon Story

2004-08-05T13:23:00.000-05:00

Tonight, while I was cutting up a honeydew melon, I was reminded of another time and another melon...

When I was living in Mississippi, I had a Chinese friend, who I always referred to as "my little Chinese guy." There was absolutely nothing offensive meant by this. I am 5'7" (170cm) and he was no taller than 5'3", so I always referred to him that way, because from my perspective, he was a (cute) little guy.

Anyway, we became friends because he walked by my office one day on his way to the restroom. In my old library, there were one-person men's and ladies' restrooms near my office. I later found out that the reason he had spotted me was because this was the restroom in the library that he preferred to use. He thought I was pretty and made up his mind to meet me.

I remember the day we met. He knocked on my door and struck up a conversation with me like we already knew each other. Since it was near the beginning of the school year, I had been all over campus talking to people and thought maybe I had met him and forgot. So, when he came into my office that day, I didn't want to be rude and act like I didn't remember him. It turned out that I had never met him, but we soon became friends anyway.

One day, about a year after we first met, he asked me if I liked watermelon. I confirmed that I did. He then told me he wanted to bring me a watermelon. At this time I was living alone and though I like watermelon, I could never eat a whole watermelon before it went bad. I told him so and tried to discourage the gift of watermelon. For two or three weeks he persisted. He wanted to buy me a watermelon. To this day, I am not exactly sure why...

Then one hot, humid, August evening (is there any other kind in Mississippi?), there was a knock on my door. It was my little Chinese guy with a big grin on his face. He had stopped by because he had brought my watermelon. He went to his car and when I looked, I saw him carrying a watermelon across my lawn that was almost as big as he was! I told him I hoped that he was in the mood for watermelon because we were going to have to eat it then and there.

Unfortunately, the watermelon wasn't quite ripe. So he brought it inside and sat it on my counter (it took up half my counter space!). It sat there for almost a week, untouched. Then one day I realized that it was probably getting close to overripe.

So, I took it over to my best friend's house and along with her husband and three kids, we had a watermelon feast! My only regret is that I didn't share that delicious watermelon with my little Chinese guy.

Ladybugs

2004-08-05T12:35:00.000-05:00

I had some left-over material from a bookmark I made for a friend a while back and since I wasn't in the mood to start a new big project, I threw this little bookmark together for myself over the past couple of days. For some reason I didn't center the image properly, so I had extra space at the top. In order to make the piece a little more balanced, I added the saying.

© blondelibrarian

Delicate Dragonflies

2004-08-02T16:19:00.000-05:00

Today I finished my latest cross-stitch piece. It is called "Delicate Dragonflies."

"Delicate Dragonflies" Log:

Start Date: July 19, 2004
Finish Date: August 2, 2004
Stitch Time: 8 Days and approximately 30 hours

Remarks:

"Delicate Dragonflies" is a Dimensions Kit that I bought in 2002. It is sewn on 14 count printed Aida cloth.
It was necessary to soak the fabric beforehand because it was too stiff to put in my hoop. Perhaps the fabric had too much starch...
One of the interesting features of this piece is that except for the white in the flower, it is stitched using only one strand of floss. (Normally I sew 14 count with 2 or 3 strands) I think this gives the piece a soft and delicate look, almost like it has been painted instead of stitched.
I quickly learned that one has to be careful when stitching with only one strand of floss because it breaks very easily if pulled too tight.
A smaller needle went through the fabric easier, but the eye was too small and frayed the floss. After breaking 3 or 4 threads, I returned to my regular needle.
I found this piece difficult to backstitch, because it required lots of long stitches, which I am not too comfortable with.
As I was backstitching I was afraid I wouldn't be happy with it. However, when viewed from a distance, I think the piece looks very nice.
The Chinese Symbols in the top right corner are "Wind" and "Sky."

© blondelibrarian

Cologne/Köln - Part 2

2004-08-01T14:31:00.000-05:00

On Thursday (7/29), we visited Cologne and had a really great time. The weather was warm and windy, but it wasn't too humid. After we figured out the Cologne subway system we were primed for our adventure.

The first stop was, of course, Cologne's most famous landmark, the Dom. It is a beautiful Gothic cathedral that was begun in the 13th century. It suffered heavy damage during World War II and when you see the stained glass windows you can tell (or at least pretend to) which ones are originals. It seemed to me that the light shines through them differently. Maybe the glass is thicker or something.

After touring the inside and viewing the artwork and the beautiful stained glass windows, we climbed over 500 stairs to the near-top of the south tower. Of course, we had to stop about half way to check out the bells and catch our breath! However, I will say I am in better shape now than when I climbed St. Peter's in Rome. I wasn't panting nearly so bad when I reached the top! It is also a good thing that I am not afraid of heights, because though most of the way up the stairs are enclosed, the last 50 or so are semi-open and you can see an awful long way down! After we came back down we visited the Treasury. Compared to the Vatican's treasury it is quite modest, but it is still impressive to see all the gold and jewels.

photo by blondelibrarian

After the Dom, we took a walk along the Rhine on our way to visit the Chocolate Museum. It details the history and process of chocolate making. There is a small manufacturing demonstration and you get free samples! If that wasn't enough, there is the obligatory gift/souvenir shop where you can buy anything and everything chocolate! A. and I were in Heaven!

Our last stop was at 4711; the boutique that is famous for its "eau de cologne" (water of Cologne - that's French, not German). There was a little exhibit that explained how a monk brought a secret formula to Cologne and in its heyday "Cologne" was ingested and honored as a magic elixir. Today it is merely the world's most famous perfume and to this day, the formula for "Cologne" remains secret.

By that time it was nearly time for dinner, so we jumped on the subway and headed back to the in-laws. A couple of hours later we were stuffing ourselves with Greek food and wine.

Friday we did a little more shopping, took a nap, packed up the cats in the car, and in the evening headed home. I love to travel, but I always appreciate coming home and sleeping in my own bed.

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You can see more pictures from my trip to Cologne in my photo album.

Stitching Notes

2004-07-31T15:19:00.000-05:00

I thought about bringing my latest cross-stitch piece with me when we went to Cologne this past week, but I didn't. A. didn't take his notebook and neither one of us took a book so that we would be "forced" to spend quality time together. (ha ha)

Anyway here are some stitching-related notes...

I am very close to being finished with the dragonfly piece that I am working on. I hope that I will be motivated to finish it this coming week.
A couple of weeks ago I bought paint so that I can paint a couple of frames. I will then frame "Keeping the Eggs Dry" and "Precious Family."
Now that I have my sewing machine I need to buy some material so I can practice my sewing and make pillows. I have at least one cross-stitch piece ("Cat Sampler") I want to make into a pillow.
Maybe I will someday get around to making that quilt with my cross-stitch pieces now...

Bored housewives and crafts sure do go together... just like peanut butter and jelly!

Cologne/Köln

2004-07-31T14:44:00.000-05:00

We have returned from a trip to Cologne. Here is a summary:

We left Munich about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. We were hoping to avoid holiday and rush hour traffic. We were making really good time until we got caught for nearly three (3) hours in a 20 km (12.5 mile) traffic jam! For any American who has ever dreamed of driving on the speed limitless German Autobahn, let me tell you, even in Germany most of the time it is still a dream.

Since we were staying with the in-laws we took all three cats with us. They are well-traveled and made the trip up with no problems and only a little crying by Scooter. On the way back, Mouse had an upset tummy and managed to puke in her carrier, but it was minor in comparison to some of her hairballs.

Wednesday was hang out with the in-laws day. A.'s mother and I seem to getting along a little better every time we visit. A while back A. mentioned to her that I wanted a sewing machine, but hadn't bought one because I didn't really know too much about them. So, while I was there we began discussing sewing machines and after she gave me a crash-course with hers, she took me shopping and bought me one! I can't wait to make some pillows!

Sometime on Tuesday between loading the car and reaching our destination I cracked the face of my Fossil watch. I have had that watch for almost 5 years and damn! I really loved that watch! My mother-in-law noticed that it was cracked and while we were out shopping she also bought me a new watch... A Swatch!

At first I thought, a Swatch? Isn't that a little 80s?! But this one doesn't look like a cheesy one out of The Breakfast Club or anything. First, it is a man's watch. I only buy men's watches. I hate women's watches. They are so small I have to squint to tell the time. Second, it is black and silver, just like I like, and has a red star at the 12. My mother-in-law was teasing me about the red "commie star" and then when I examined it a little closer I discovered it is a James Bond Secret Spy Watch! It has 007 and From Russia with Love on the band! I love it! It has everything a secret spy watch should: the commie star, the date, and it even glows in the dark! :)

Thursday was our day to visit Cologne. We planned three things: a visit to the Dom, a stop at Boutique 4711 where they make the famous "Eau de Cologne," and a visit to the chocolate museum... yum! That update later....

Helen Homemaker

2004-07-22T16:09:00.000-05:00

Today I went to see The Stepford Wives. Quick plot summary: This super-successful career woman gets fired from her job, has a nervous breakdown, and then moves to the suburbs of Connecticut with her husband and two kids. However, there is something weird about the community of Stepford.... the wives are all 1950s Helen Homemaker perfect! I won't say anything more about the movie here because I don't want to spoil it if you haven't seen it, but it got me to thinking about the whole "Helen Homemaker" persona and things I have often pondered since I got married and don't work.

As I have mentioned before, I never planned on not having to work my adult life. However, because of circumstances that I chose, I have taken a break from working and now am (if truth be told) only half-heartedly looking for a job. Presently, I don't mind not working. But that wasn't always the case. When I decided to move in with (and later marry) A., I up and quit my job with no promise of a new job on the horizon. It was a big and scary step. I was scared he would eventually resent me for not working, and I was terrified of losing my independence and identity. We talked and talked about it and finally A. convinced me that he didn't mind if I didn't work and wanted to take care of me. He also convinced me that while financially I would be dependent on him that didn't prevent me from being independent. I wrestled with the decision, but in the end I chose (excuse the sap) to take a chance on love.

My girlfriends quizzed me relentlessly when I told them this. They wanted to know if he truly didn't care one way or another whether or not I worked or if he was a traditional European man and in actuality didn't want me to work. I was amazed that they stuck this traditional European macho-man stereotype on him, when most American men I know are much more traditional in that sense than European men I have known. Since then when he grills me about what I really want to do in life and where I want to go, I have unfairly accused him of not wanting me to work. Honestly, I don't think this is true at all. He is just trying to help me with my decisions, but when he says something I don't want to hear, I guess I start grasping at straws.

Yet, when I see this movie and think about it, it is definitely I question I wonder about: Deep down inside, do men (no matter what nationality, race, age, etc.) want their woman (wife or otherwise) to stay home, look beautiful, cook, clean, and live only as an extension of them? Of course nowadays, it is very politically incorrect to even mention these things, but is it there?

One thing I do notice is that even though we are married, A. does still care about my appearance. Most days I wear comfortable clothes around the house and only wear makeup and fancy shoes when I go out. But unless we are going somewhere together, he doesn't see me then. So when he comes home on a day that I have been out and about, he always makes a comment about how nice I look. The compliments are nice, but inevitably they are always followed by, "Why don't you dress nicely more often?" I am not offended by the question and it is true... I do dress sloppily when I am not going anywhere or doing anything. I should look nice not only for him, but also myself, more often.

However, he has also acknowledged my difficulty at being a housewife. At first I tried to make him three square meals a day and keep the house spotless while looking beautiful. It was driving me mad and making me depressed. One day when it was just too much I exploded and in the end I found out he is much more concerned that I am happy and healthy than whether or not I vacuum the carpet every Wednesday.

I guess the only way I will ever be the perfect "Helen Homemaker" is if I am turned into the "Housewife Robot 2004". Luckily for me, A. doesn't want a robot for a wife. :)

Stitching Blogger's Question of the Week #1

2004-07-21T09:22:00.000-05:00

As a way to participate in my new cross-stitching blogger's webring, I am posting my thoughts on the Question of the Week:

Would you consider yourself 'addicted to stitching'? Why or why not?

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Hmm... usually when I hear the term "addicted" I associate it with an activity that the person in question has a difficult time controlling. I like to say I am addicted to sugar. As much as I try, I just cannot control my love of sugar!

Can I control my desire to cross-stitch? Yes... so I would say that I am not addicted to cross-stitch. I control it, it doesn't control me. However, I will admit that my hobby is sometimes more like a habit that one might associate with addiction. :)

Occasionally I have been known to go through phases where I do basically nothing else but cross-stitch. Then again, some days I deliberately do not cross-stitch so that I can enjoy my progress and don't get bored with a piece and I seldom start a new piece unless the previous one is finished.

So, even though I may spend all of some days cross-stitching, start planning my next project as soon as I begin my current one, and sometimes get irritated when my stitching groove is interrupted... of course I don't have a problem! :)

12 Simple Rules

2004-07-21T08:27:00.000-05:00

I have often said that in my next life I want to come back as a pampered indoor housecat. In order to get a jump on the situation, I decided to observe my cats and try to live my life like they do. In doing so, I have drafted...

12 Simple Rules for Living a Cat's Life:

You can never take too many naps.
Take time to enjoy lying in the sun.
Bathing is an art form.
Sometimes you just gotta throw up a hairball.
There is no shame in being a carnivore.
Never clean your own litter box.
Avoid unnecessary bursts of energy.
Everything needs to be inspected once a day.
Looking cute gets you a long way in life.
Protest loudly when offended or not getting your own way.
Always place yourself in the center of attention.
Always Remember: You are the Boss!

Waiting for the Repairman...

2004-07-20T15:04:00.000-05:00

I am on pins and needles waiting for the dishwasher repairman to come and look at my dishwasher later today...

What will he tell us? Will he have the part that he needs and fix it right away? Will it cost so much that we can't go on vacation? Will it be cheaper to buy a new dishwasher?

And most importantly, when can I stop washing dishes?!

2:30 Update
The dishwasher repairman came and fixed my dishwasher! Yeah! If A. hadn't been standing there, I might have kissed him! (hee hee)

Robin Hood: Dialect Thief

2004-07-19T13:51:00.000-05:00

Last week, we added Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves to our DVD Collection. Remember that movie? The one where you got a glimpse of Kevin Costner's butt and for months on end Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do (I Do It for You)" was on every time you turned on the radio? (At least it was in America!) I always liked the movie and we got a good deal on it at Wal-Mart.

I hadn't seen it for a long time, so today I decided to watch it while I cross-stitched. (I started a new project today.)

The first thing I noticed while watching the movie with fresh eyes was that the dude that plays the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham had an uncanny resemblance to the dude that plays Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies. So when the credits rolled I noted who the Sheriff was (Alan Rickman) and double checked in the Internet Movie Database. I was right! The Sheriff of Nottingham was played by none other than Professor Snape!

However, what really struck me was Kevin Costner and Christian Slater's (lack of) English accent.

The time period of this movie is around the time of the First Crusades (around 1100 AD). At this time, the English language was in a state of change. Old English was dying out and Middle English was becoming the standard dialect. Some scholars even think that the accent of Middle English sounded closer to that of American English than present day British English. (Whether or not this is actually true, isn't really the discussion here. I am only mentioning this so that I can eventually come to my point...)

In the movie, Alan Rickman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and most of the other actors spoke with what I would consider a British accent. However, Kevin Costner and Christian Slater didn't even TRY to adopt one.

The movie takes place in England. Today we identify the English with a particular accent/dialect, so I would have thought they could have at least hired Costner and Slater a dialect coach to give the audience the impression that they were actually English.

Or... if we go with the premise that early Middle English sounded more like American English, everyone else could have spoken like Costner and Slater. Either way, I think everyone (except Morgan Freeman who plays a Moor) should have been speaking with the same accent and in the same dialect. (Nottingham uses the word "twit" at one point, is that a Middle English word? No, according to my Oxford Dictionary of English, "twit" meaning a silly or foolish person originated in the 1930s.)

Overall, I think Costner made a decent Robin Hood and Slater an alright Will Scarlet, but their lack of an English accent really troubled me...

* * * * * * * * * *

Disclaimer:
Lest my British, English, Scottish, Irish, and/or Welsh readers be offended, I want to point out that I do know about the difference in the dialects/accents between you. However, like you might have a difficult time pointing out where in the US I come from by my accent/dialect, I have some trouble differentiating amongst your dialects/accents. I also know that Britain is made up of more than just England, so I hope in the spirit of my post you will understand that I am not trying to pigeon-hole you, just complain about the lack of consistency in this movie!

Tunnel Party!

2004-07-18T17:29:00.000-05:00

Like all large cities, Munich is under constant construction. Its subway is no exception. Currently, I know of at least 3 new subway extensions that are being built. Two of these are on the U6 line. The U6 line is one of the longest in all of Munich and runs by many of the town hubs, including the University.

However, there are two Universities in Munich. The first is the LMU and the second is the TU (Technical University). In the past the TU was housed near the LMU, but the majority of the TU is now located north of town in Garching. Currently the only way to reach the TU is by bus or car, but one of the subway stops under construction is one that goes out to the TU. Sometime around 2006, you will be able to ride the subway all the way out to the TU.

Between the one going to the TU and the last finished one on that line, is another stop that has been under construction since before we moved to Munich in 2002. This one is almost finished. (It seems like about all that they have left to do is to lay the tracks.) As a way to celebrate the new, almost-finished subway stop, Saturday night there was a "Tunnel Party."

Curious as to what a "Tunnel Party" entailed, A. and I went to check it out. After waiting in line for about an hour, we paid our way into the new subway tunnel. The tunnel itself was decorated like a disco and there was food, drink, music, and about 500 meters of empty subway tunnel open for the enjoyment of Munich's residents. It was neat to walk through the tunnel, even though it was jam-packed with people and the music sounded awful (the tunnel didn't make for very good acoustics).

Cross-Stitch Disaster

2004-07-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

I was hoping to have a new cross-stitch piece to display today. It was going to be a bookmark with hotair balloons.

However, I had problems with it from the beginning. I miscounted the amount of fabric I needed and I miscounted while stitching the balloons. I tried to compensate for this by adding some wording to it ("Up, Up, and Away!"). But nothing helped.

I have been struggling with it all week and today I finally got so frustrated with it I cut it into small pieces (Yes, I really did!) and threw it in the trash.

Maybe I need a cross-stitch breather...

Cross-Stitch Blog?

2004-07-15T13:35:00.000-05:00

When I first started my blog I was actually looking at starting a "cross-stitch blog." My main goal was to use it as a showcase for my finished cross-stitch and maybe talk a little bit about why I chose to do such pieces.

However, when I started my blog at Blogger they had no photo-uploading capabilities with free accounts. So, I just started babbling about my life.

Since the advent of "Hello" I have, on occasion, shown off my cross-stitch pieces, but up until now, I haven't really talked too much about my inspirations and such. However, I think from now on I will talk about it a little bit more.

Why? Well, first of all I joined a cross-stitch web ring and if I am a member I think I should do more than just show off my stuff. Besides, it was what I wanted to do in the first place.

However, dear readers who enjoy my "Culture Shock and the blondelibrarian" stories... Don't go any where! The cross-stitch babbling will just be an addition to my other babbling.

A Dishwasher Story

2004-07-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

Two years ago, days after we moved into our apartment, we ordered all of the necessary appliances: a washer, a dryer, a refrigerator, and a dishwasher. The dryer gave us a small problem about a year ago, but otherwise all of them have worked perfectly for the past two years. Four days ago, our two year warranty on these appliances ran out...

Last night, when A. came home I exclaimed, "Oh, hi honey. I am SO glad you are home."

As he walked into the kitchen, he eyed me skeptically. After all, I usually say, "Hi, how was your day?" when he comes home.

"Why?" he said.

"Because I think the dishwasher is clogged." And that is how our evening began.

We spent all evening scooping water that smelled like it came from a sewer out of the dishwasher, blowing through hoses, and unscrewing parts that probably shouldn't have been unscrewed before finally coming to the conclusion that the pump is probably kaput.

This morning, A. called the repair man, who promptly told us that he can't come until NEXT Thursday! Oh the horror! He also told us that he can't tell us how much the repair will cost until AFTER he looks at the machine. Just to look at the machine will cost us 58 Euros that must be paid in cash at the time of the visit. Only at that time will the repair man be able to tell us how much it will cost to fix the damn thing. We have already discussed it may be cheaper to buy a new dishwasher.

The down side is that until then I will have to wash dishes. I HATE to wash dishes.

The up side is we will be eating out a lot in the next week! :)

4:00 Update

I just got a call from the repair man's office. They will be able to squeeze us in on Tuesday!

The "Fitness Studio"

2004-07-13T14:01:00.000-05:00

Back in March, A. and I joined our local "fitness studio," which is one of those fancy-sounding imported English words that simply means "gym." It was our intention to go twice a week. We did really good for about a month. Then with the onset of summer we were struggling to go once week. However, after discussing how much money we spent on a year-long membership, we renewed our vow to go twice a week. For the past two weeks we have managed to keep our word.

As part of our membership, we get sessions with a trainer every 20-25 visits. They give you a fitness test, check your blood pressure, measure your weight and fat, and show you new exercises.

Last night, was my second training session (since March I have gone 23 times!). The trainer measured me and the bad news (at least in MHO) was that we found neither my weight nor fat mass had changed. (I had hoped to reduce them both) The good news was that my fitness level had gone up two-fold and my blood pressure had gone down a bit. Considering that I had been more concerned with visiting the "Solarium" (tanning bed) than doing my exercises the last couple of months, I guess it wasn't all that bad. In all honesty, I had been getting bored with my exercises anyway, so it is a good thing the trainer showed me some new ones. As of today, I am motivated again. How long it will last I don't know...

Firefox

2004-07-13T13:48:00.000-05:00

I first heard about it from JingleLady. Then I read it about it on Wired. Last night, A. downloaded Firefox on his computer. After playing around with it a little bit, I decided to download it on mine too.

I experimented with it most of the afternoon and by adding on the desired extentions, I find it to be extremely flexible. We will see how I like it in the coming days, but I think it looks pretty promising...

Of course, after examining my various web pages with it, I realized I need to do some tweaking so they look as good in Firefox as they do in IE. Luckily though, this blog looks good in both. (Even though I have been kicking around the idea of redesigning my blog template...)

1200 Years!

2004-07-11T15:05:00.000-05:00

Today, in the cold and rain, along with our neighbor lady, A. and I went to a parade that opened week-long festivites celebrating the 1200th (yes, one thousand two hundred!) anniversary of our little village.

The parade was fun. I got to see all sorts of townspeople dressed up in traditional Bavarian clothing. Many of the floats highlighted the things in the town's history. For example: There was a float celebrating the first school house and one celebrating the church. There were also lots people celebrating different jobs: the farmers, the fishermen, the peat workers, and the seamstresses.

I took loads of pictures and will be uploading them into my photo gallery eventually. During a small break because of the rain, the float that had the seamstresses on it stopped right in front of me, so I got a pretty good picture of this little old lady sitting at an old-fashioned pedal sewing machine.

The following text is in Bavarian and obviously has something to do with sewing. If there is anybody out there who knows Bavarian, what the heck does this say anyway? (The complete text is from another photo I took, but isn't quite so clear.)

photo by blondelibrarian

"Die Näherin ist auf da "Stear" heut do in da Stubn fangt sie scho s'zuaschneidn o da Muadda nähts a Kirchagwand de Kinda brauchan allerhand do warn no a paar schöne Fleckerl des wird fürs Dirndl no a Röckerl ja s'Geld is knapp es leid net (lost word) a Hosn braucht da Bua für d' (lost word) an Schawa griagt da Vadda (lost word) und die Näherin 4 Mark Tageslohn.

Beyond the obvious that I know I understand, I also understand (I think) the following words: Die Näherin - the seamstress; Muadda - mother?; Vadda - father?; zuaschneidn - to cut?; Kinda - children; brauchan - to need; Hosn - pants; 4 Mark Tageslohn - 4 Marks day's wage

Impulse Shopping

2004-07-07T14:53:00.000-05:00

Oh, the joys of IKEA!

The other day we went to IKEA to find me some type of new container to put my cross-stitching supplies in as I had outgrown my old milk crate. We found a very nice wicker basket that has a lid with buckles.

However, as anyone who has ever been to IKEA knows, in order to get to the check-out you are forced to walk through the entire store. This gives you plenty of time to browse through all of the other things you don't really need, but will buy just because... Talk about impulse shopping!

Well, we succumbed to it. There was a display of cookbooks and since A. is always encouraging me to try new recipes, we stopped a moment to look at them. First we looked at "Recipes from your Grandmother's Kitchen," which included a recipe for dandelion salad. (I could have sworn that dandelions were poisonous...) We also looked at a cookbook with Austrian recipes, one for pasta, and one for the wok (I don't have a wok).

As I have mentioned before, A. and I like food with flavor and are very fond of Mediterranean, Mid-Eastern, and Indian-style cooking. So when we happened upon a Turkish cookbook and then an Arabian cookbook, we just HAD to get them.

I am looking forward to trying out some of these recipes. As luck would have it, there is a Turkish market very near my apartment so I might actually be able to get some of the ingredients that are called for.

Going Away

2004-07-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

My friend Susie and her husband are moving back to the US in about a month. I will really miss her. Just when I finally made a good friend here in Germany that I can go to lunch, shopping, or to a museum with she has to leave.

But I guess that is just the way it goes. However, due to the miracle of the email and blogging we will still be able to keep in touch. The good part is now I have someone besides my mom to send me all of those little things from back home that I miss...

Anyway, I cross-stitched her a bookmark for a going-away present. Since I have gave it to her today, I can post it here and show it to everyone else.

© blondelibrarian

On a Lighter Note...

2004-07-05T13:12:00.000-05:00

I always enjoy looking at my blog stats. Seeing that people actually read my blog gives me some sort of perverse satisfaction.

I also like seeing the keywords that land people here. Normally they include some variation of "blonde," "culture shock," "Germany," and "America." However, the other day someone got here by searching for "cats throwing up shock." HA! HA!

While it is true that I have three cats, two of which being long-haired and prone to throwing up hairballs, I don't recall ever writing about that. Afterall, not everyone sees the humor in cat puke that I do...

Patriotism vs. Nationalism

2004-07-05T06:26:00.000-05:00

In my last post I wrote, "While patriotism simply means the love of one's county, I think these days in America it has much more to do with feelings of superiority."

However, it has come to my attention that with this comment I was perhaps blending two distinct concepts, patriotism and nationalism, together and sending a confusing message. What I was trying to highlight with this comment is that these days I believe many Americans are taking their feelings of superiority, or perhaps more precisely nationalism, and unfairly slapping the term patriotism on them.

Patriotism means the love of one's country and of course one can be patriotic without feeling superior. Every 4th of July Americans celebrate not only their independence, but the love of their country and their pride at being American. People cry during the National Anthem not only because it is a song with a beautiful melody, but because it has a powerful message.

Nationalism means devotion to national interests, unity, and independence and by stating that, it is obvious that nationalism can have both positive and negative connotations. Nationalism keeps America united and helps give Americans their identity. However, nationalism can also give people a selfish view of the world and foster feelings of superiority. When hidden under the disguise of patriotism, it is this mind-set that sometimes makes me reluctant to admit that I am an American.

When I read about the Supreme Court upholding the First Amendment, I am proud to be an American. I love my country for the belief that in America with enough determination you can be anything you want to be. I am so thankful that I grew up in a country where women have the right to vote and girls have the right to an education and a career. Hearing the National Anthem makes me reflect on these things and if tears come to my eyes I guess it is because in that moment I am feeling patriotic.

An American Identity

2004-07-04T12:46:00.000-05:00

Since today is the 4th of July, I believe it is the perfect opportunity to reflect a little bit on the following questions: How does one define "American Identity?" and What does it mean to have an "American Identity?"

The American Heritage Dictionary has approximately six definitions for the word "identity." Of those, two are useful when attempting to describe the "American Identity:" 1.) The collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is definitively recognizable or known. 2.) The set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group.

I would use the first definition to identify things as American. If I see something that is red, white, and blue and covered in stars and stripes, I identify that as "American." Today many products and brands are identified as American because that is where they were developed. If foreigners are asked to describe America, they might say things like McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Nike, and Britney Spears. Of course, there are many other things to America, but these are the media giants and what foreigners are exposed to. Unfortunately, together with foreign policy it is these things that outsiders use to characterize America.

The second definition is how people are classified as "American." For example, when Americans travel overseas their loud voices can immediately give them away. Americans may also be seen abroad as materialistic, flag-waving, church-going, Chevrolet-driving, monolingual morons that have no concept of the world beyond their borders. However, by the same token, many Americans would identity themselves the same way only putting a different spin on things. They would say they are hard-working, patriotic, moralistic, domestic car-driving, English speakers that know that there is no world beyond their borders. Either way, these people can be, without a doubt, identified as Americans.

I was born and lived most of my life in America. I possess an American passport and dearly love my Coca-Cola. I still prefer to watch American sitcoms (even though they are dubbed in German) and don't know diddley squat about soccer. Obviously all of these things identify me as an American.

Although my cultural experiences would classify me as American, I am not sure how many of my behavioral or personal characteristics would still define me as American. Taking the above example, hard work doesn't really do anything for me. I would rather laze about relaxing and reading than worrying about the next project deadline. While patriotism simply means the love of one's county, I think these days in America it has much more to do with feelings of superiority. There are many people in that country that I love, but I am not really all that attached to the land itself and I am definitely not under the impression that America is greater than any other country. I believe that I am a moral person in the sense that I know the difference between right and wrong. However, as an agnostic, the association of morality with the church and its so-called "family values" are nothing but a thorn in my side. Unlike a true American, I no longer drive everywhere. If I need to go to the local grocery store for milk, I now walk. I take public transportation into town, and between my husband and me we only have one car, which he drives to work. Even before moving to Germany I had learned another language and now living in a land that is English-aware but not English-speaking in order to make my way I have learned yet another language. Simply living across the Atlantic makes me conscious that there is a world beyond America, but beyond that I feel I have a much larger global perspective than that average American.

So, what of my own personal American identity? On paper, I am an American, but otherwise I would like to be able to identify myself as a "Global Citizen."

Johannesfeuer

2004-07-02T10:41:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday night, our little town celebrated Johannesfeuer with a bonfire. Interestingly enough, many other places in the northern hemisphere were celebrating the summer solstice the same weekend.

Seeing that the Catholic Youth League in town was sponsoring the bonfire, I came to the conclusion that Johannesfeuer must not have just been a summer solstice celebration, but one with Catholic overtones. After a little research, I discovered that my hunch was right. Like many other Catholic festivals, this one is celebrated during a time that pagans also find significant.

One thing that has always bugged me about Catholicism (and Christianity in general) is their habit to take festivals that were/are significant to pagans and with a little "creative accounting" make them their own. I suppose in the past this was a semi-effective way to "convert" the masses. Since the masses were celebrating anyway I guess it was a perfect opportunity for the Church to tell them that what they thought they were celebrating was in actuality something else.

Since I am not religious the bonfire had absolutely no significance to me other than it was a pretty spectacle.

photo by blondelibrarian

Small Change

2004-06-29T13:13:00.000-05:00

When I lived back in the US I had this great big beer mug (I have no idea where I actually got it... but it originated in Vegas and had this lovely slogan on it, "Poker in the front, liquor in the back"... but I digress) that I used to put my spare change in. It mostly contained pennies, but also had the occasional nickels, dimes, and quarters. When my paycheck didn't last until the next payday that mug came in mighty handy. It meant hamburgers at McDonald's for dinner and a gallon of gas to get to work.

I think nearly everyone that I have ever known in America has had one of these "change mugs" at one time or another. Once I was able to make my paycheck last until the end of the month, I kept throwing my spare change in the mug, but wasn't taking so much out anymore. Finally, when I was packing up and getting ready to move to Germany I took my mug to the bank and ended up getting about $36 in cash for my change. As you can plainly see, if you don't have to use the spare change for the necessities it can really add up. (Even though to be honest, it DID take about 2 years for it to do so.)

Since moving to Germany I have not begun the small change mug again. I no longer have my Poker/Liquor Mug (it got thrown in with a box of dishes that I got rid of) and small change here really isn't so small.

In America, the largest common coin denomination is the quarter (25 cents). Therefore you can have a lot of change in your change mug, but it takes a while to add up. Sure occasionally you might run across a Susan B. Anthony Dollar or a fifty-cent piece, but most people keep them as collectibles. But here there are coins that are worth 1 and 2 Euros (current exchange rate 1 Euro = about $1.20). Those large denomination coins don't make it so easy for me to throw them in my mug and forget about them.

Even so, I guess the small change phenomenon has struck the rest of the population here in Germany. In fact, according to this report, the Germans are apparently so good at hoarding their small change that there is a shortage of it. They literally have to bring change in from Austria by the truck load and "[t]he Bundesbank has called on Germans to spend their stores of small change and has urged retailers to accept larger sums in coins."

So next time I am holding up the line at dm because I am paying for my deodorant and toothpaste in coins instead of handing them a 10 Euro bill, I won't feel bad. After all, I am only answering the plea of the Bundesbank.

A Keyboard Story

2004-06-28T16:45:00.000-05:00

To begin with... why do I always get inspired to write my blog entries when I really should be in bed asleep?

Anyway, for tonight's topic...

While A. and I were discussing getting me a new computer, he asked me to make a list of things that I wanted it to have. One of things that I said I would like, but I did not find absolutely necessary, was an American keyboard.

First of all, let me tell my American readers who may not know this: keyboards all around the world are not the same. Some languages have completely different alphabets than we do and yet others have letters with accent marks or umlauts that are a necessary part of the language. For example, in German there are three letters (a, o, and u) that also come in the "umlaut" variety (ä, ö, and ü), not to mention the ß. Because these letters are used frequently, they must have a place on the keyboard. Therefore, the keyboard layout is different.

In the afore-mentioned situation, A. was a big supporter of getting me a computer with a German keyboard. His argument was simple and logical. We live in Germany and I will someday work and use a computer in Germany. As a cultural integration step, I should make the move to a German keyboard. Not to mention the fact computers in Germany come with German keyboards unless you order them specifically to come with an American keyboard.

After many heated discussions which usually ended up with me pouting about how I didn't want to use a German keyboard and that at home I will "always" type in English, I finally relented. I would get a German keyboard. After all, his "we live in Germany" claim did have a certain logic to it.

So, we went to our local hole in the wall, run by the Russian mob, for IT specialists or computer geeks only computer store. We had a particular computer for me in mind. I looked at it, played with the keyboard a little, and then we asked if they had any of that particular model in stock. No, they didn't. They had to order one. I saw a window of opportunity. Slyly, I asked how much it would cost to order it with an American keyboard. It was a mere 60 Euros. So, before A. could protest, I told the friendly Russian mobster that I would like to order it with an American keyboard. A. gave me the evil eye, but didn't say anything.

Upon leaving the store A. asked me what was up with the whole German integration thing. I replied that I changed my mind (at least as far as the computer keyboard went). I wanted an American keyboard all along and he knew it. So, I got what I wanted after all.

But here is the punch line...

Two days later we went to pick up the computer and learned that what they did was order a German laptop and an American laptop keyboard... separately. So, I got my computer, but the keyboard won't be here for another couple of weeks. I will have to take the computer into the shop so they can change the keyboards for me when the American keyboard arrives.

And after all that rigmarole, I am currently typing from a German keyboard but have Windows XP set up to default to an American keyboard layout... and it isn't so bad as long as I don't look at my hands when I type.

Nein, Danke...

2004-06-25T15:17:00.000-05:00

Today I saw a really impressive commercial on MTV.

The scene opens in coffee house. A young man in his 20s is sitting at a table drinking a coffee and smoking a cigarette. Suddenly, he spies a very attractive young woman at the next table. After making eye contact a couple of times, he goes over to her table and smiling, he offers her a cigarette. She waves them away and reaches into her purse as if to get her own cigarettes. Instead she pulls out a microphone-like contraption, puts it to her throat, and says in an electronic voice, "Nein danke, ich rauche nicht mehr." (trans. "No thank you, I don't smoke anymore.")

All I can say is, "Wow. That's quite a message."

I wish I could show that to my sister, my best friend, and everyone else I know who smokes...

Deutsch für den Beruf - Part 2

2004-06-24T04:50:00.000-05:00

Since my German Business class ends in approximately one week, I thought I would take the opportunity to reflect a little bit on the whole experience.

First the positive aspects:

I had a chance to practice my German twice a week. This was by far the biggest benefit from this class. Since I don't currently work in Germany, have few German-speaking friends, and always speak English at home with A. I don't speak German as fluently as I would like. Any chance I have to speak German is definitely a good thing.

Another advantage of this class is that I learned a lot of practical and business-related vocabulary. For example, I spent an entire year at the Goethe-Institut and never added the word for "to deliver" (liefern) to my active vocabulary. Now I am not knocking GI... I don't think I would be as far in my German today as I am without them, but in the time since I have finished there I have found that I don't always know practical everyday vocabulary as well as I should.

Finally, my teacher was quite good. In addition to her regular duties, she was also willing to answer questions about and give me feedback concerning my first German resume and cover letter.

The negative aspect:

Overall I didn't feel the class was as "job-oriented" as I was looking for. I was looking for a class whose goal was, "OK, you are a foreigner living in Germany and want to work here. Here is the proper way to design a German-resume, answer a job ad, write a proper business letter, and overall deal with the German business climate."

Now it wasn't that we DIDN'T do these things. We did. We practiced telephone conversations, submitted a resume, and wrote various letters in groups. However, I would have liked the lessons to have been built around these business tasks but instead they were just tacked on in the midst of the different lessons.

But I guess any practice with these tasks is beneficial. Since I began the class, I have applied for a couple of different library jobs. And for the first time since I moved to Germany I felt comfortable enough writing email and letters that I didn't feel it absolutely necessary to have A. go through what I did with a fine-tooth comb before I sent it.

Overall, I would say that this class was a satisfactory experience for me. If I don't get a job this summer though whether or not I will take "Deutsch für den Beruf II" remains to be seen.

Rebel Librarians

2004-06-20T16:09:00.000-05:00

The tag line to this article on the BBC News' front page reads: "Rebel Librarian: The U.S. PATRIOT Act encounters some unlikely opposition."

I'm quite aggravated with this tag line because I believe it portrays librarians as stereotypically quiet, conservative, and compliant, with only a select few protesting the U.S. PATRIOT Act. In fact, the U.S. PATRIOT Act has widely upset the library community and moved it to speak out and campaign against the consequences that this Act has had and is having on American Civil Liberties.

Ever since it was passed in October 2001, the U.S. PATRIOT Act has encountered opposition from the library community. The main bone of contention lies in the fact that using the PATRIOT Act, the Department of Justice (including the FBI) can access a patron's library records using a grand jury subpoena without judicial approval at all. In addition, one provision orders any person or institution served with a search warrant not to disclose that such a warrant has been served or that records have been produced pursuant to the warrant. (More information about the U.S. PATRIOT and libraries can be found at the ALA PATRIOT Act Site.)

Librarians are stark defenders of the First Amendment and believe that "privacy is essential to the exercise of free speech, free thought, and free association. In libraries, the right to privacy is the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one's interest examined or scrutinized by others." (from ALA's Guidelines for Developing a Library Privacy Policy) As a general rule, librarians guard a person's library records much like a doctor protects a patient's medical records. Not only is the PATRIOT Act an assault on patron privacy and freedom to access information free from scrutiny, it is an insult to the Library Bill of Rights and our Code of Ethics.

To Protect and Serve

2004-06-19T14:48:00.000-05:00

A while back, my dad sent me an email informing me that he was considering running for county sheriff in the area where I grew up. Today, I found out that he won the primary and will be on the ballot come election time. I am really rooting for him. Not only would it mean a pay raise and the responsibility he craves, but in a country where police don't always have the best reputations, my dad is a damn good cop and I am proud of him.

Truthfully, however, I wasn't always proud to have a dad that was a cop. My dad became a police officer the year that I turned 16 and I viewed this as a complete and utter tragedy. The entire population of Iowa is less than 3 million people (That is less than the population of Berlin!) and the area that comprises a 100 mile radius of where I grew up is probably around 30,000 at the most. In an area with such a small population, chances are that no matter where you are someone knows your family. Even if you try, there are no secrets.

The police officers in these counties have always had a good working relationship and keep each other informed about the area's shady characters. They also tell each other whose kids are hanging out with whose and if one police officer's kid gets pulled over for speeding or caught drinking underage that kid's police officer parent knows before the ink is dry on the ticket... which is exactly what happened to me on more than one occasion between the time I was 15 and 18.

There was the time that I was driving a little too fast on a gravel road to the lake when I was supposed to babysitting (a cheap cover, but it worked) and skidded off into the ditch and broke the ti-rod on my truck. I didnâ€™t get a ticket that time, but the officer that came to make sure everything was alright also called my dad. After that, the babysitting cover story didn't work so well anymore.

There was also the time that as I was driving home late for curfew and I "rolled" through the stop sign at the major intersection in town. I got pulled over and received a stern warning, but when I got home (just about 5 minutes late) I got an earful about coming to a "full stop" at stop signs.

And then there was the time that I was with some friends and two of us (my cousin and I) got Minor in Possession (of alcohol - a BAD thing in the US) and the other two of us (my boyfriend and hers) got Supplying to Minors. That time I did get a ticket (and a court date and an evaluation with a psychologist) and when I got my phone call at the police station to call my mom, she said Dad was already on the way. In all honesty, I would have preferred to spend the night in jail than endure the ride home that night.

Oh yes, during my teenage years I cursed the fact that my dad was a cop so many times I lost count. We had huge arguments at home where he accused me of being a rebellious teenager and I accused him of never taking his cop uniform off long enough to remember that he was also a dad.

Once I finally moved out and our relationship cooled enough that we got along again, I looked back at his first years as a police officer and realized that it was tough for him to "leave his uniform at the door" because once you become a cop, you are a role model whether you like it or not. You can either choose not to take the role seriously and become the hypocritical cop that has a secret alcohol problem and spends more time at the donut shop than at the police station or you can become the kind of cop that wants to make a difference in the lives of people by the traditional motto of "protect and serve." My dad chose the latter and that is why today I am proud of him and think that he deserves all the prestige and responsibility that goes with the title of sheriff.

One Voter's Apathy

2004-06-15T16:41:00.000-05:00

While looking at campaign posters for the European Parliament Election a couple of weeks ago, I started thinking about the upcoming American Presidential Election and what I would need to do to be able to vote from overseas.

I went out on the Web and found the web site for the Fedreal Voting Assistance Program and spent most of one afternoon reading all the rules and regulations.

The first thing that I learned is that I must vote according to the last place where I was registered to vote and then I must follow the guidelines for that state. For me that is Mississippi. There is, of course, paperwork to fill out, a journey to the Embassy (or Consulate) to get the paperwork notarized, and trips to the post office involved. Here it sounds simple, but add on the required deadlines and it suddenly began to look to me like a major hassle.

As previously discussed, I don't like Bush and I am about 98% sure that Mississippi will go Republican in this election, as they did in the last one. I quickly realized that I was asking myself if the whole thing was worth the time and effort I would need to put into it, since for all intents and purposes, by not voting Republican in Mississippi, my vote won't count anyway. And while I think Bush's foreign policy stinks, I am not sure Kerry's would be much better as he would have so much fence-mending to do that nothing would really happen. As for domestic issues, I still glance over the Internet to find out what they are, but they just don't really matter that much to me anymore.

I have voted in every presidential election and in a few special elections (one was for the possible flag change in Mississippi) since I turned 18 (1992). As a kid, I always looked forward to voting as a way to participate in democracy. As a teenager when I was discovering my feminist side, I was determined to vote whenever there was an election to exercise the right that so many women had worked so long and hard for. But as I grew up, politics really didn't interest me all that much and even before the Election Fiasco of 2000, I was quite cynical about the whole process.

Webster defines "apathy" as "lack of emotion or interest," and that may be exactly what compels me this time to exercise my right to vote by not doing it.

Glaciers in the Greenhouse

2004-06-11T15:46:00.000-05:00

"Glaciers in the Greenhouse" is a photographic trip through time looking at how well Alpine glaciers are withstanding the "greenhouse effect."

Using over 50 historical postcards and photographs from around 1900 and comparing them with contemporary photographs, this exhibit documents the retreat of the Alpine glaciers in Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, and Germany. The photographers of the recent photographs went to great lengths to provide as exact duplication of the historical postcards and photographs as possible. Through these comparative studies, one can then use landmarks to see the change in the glaciers.

In addition to the comparative photographs, a write-up includes a wealth of information about how the summer of 2003 affected the glaciers. For example, approximately 2 meters of ice melted from the Zugspitze and the "Zero-Degree Border" was above 4000 meters until mid-September.

The effects of the melting Alpine glaciers are numerous and influence everything from tourism to farming. Winter sports become problematic, melting permafrost leaves the ground unstable, water reserves disappear, and when the glaciers fade the mountains aren't kept as cool causing the greenhouse effect to accelerate. Like the rainforests, the glaciers of the Alps provide priceless benefits that we have only begun to comprehend.

"Glaciers in the Greenhouse" runs until January 26, 2005, at the Alpine Museum in Munich (Praterinsel 5, 80538 Munich). The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The New Harry Potter Movie

2004-06-11T15:12:00.000-05:00

We saw the new Harry Potter movie today!

As a movie, I thought it was pretty good. But honestly I was a little disappointed, because as a book adaptation, it left something to be desired. I felt that the director made the assumption that the audience had read the book. Therefore, he skimmed over a lot a things and didn't develop the plot as fully as he should have. Overall, I don't think the movie did the book the justice it deserved.

Perhaps when the DVD comes out there will be an extended edition (like The Lord of the Rings) that will fill in the things that were left out and make it a worthy successor of the other two Harry Potter films.

The Little Old Lady

2004-06-09T15:51:00.000-05:00

Today, after my job interview (which went very well... I will be hearing more in the next week or so) I was sitting in the S-Bahn station waiting for my train. While I was sitting there I pulled this plastic folder that had all my job interview stuff in it out of my bag.

The folder is a little larger than a piece of paper (holds both letter and A4 size nicely) and is sort of like a flat box. It is closed by two rubber bands, one on either side of it. It is a very handy contraption. After sorting a couple of things, I put it back in my bag.

Then this little old lady (probably near 80) that was sitting next to me very quietly and politely inquired where I got it. I thought for a second (I bought it quite a few years ago, but think I got it at Wal-Mart) and responded, "Ich habe es in den USA gekauft." (trans: I bought it in the USA) At this point the lady must have realized from my awful accent that I was a foreigner. She then proceeded to ask me (in English) if I was American.

"Yes," I said. We then proceeded to have a nice conversation about Germany, the US, how you can buy things here that you can't there and vice versa, and how I came to be in Germany.

The funny part is that during this conversation, the lady spoke to me in English and I spoke to her in German. I was in a German frame of mind today and decided that I would not lapse into English as I am prone to do when people speak English to me here.

She was a very nice little old lady, but what struck me was her extremely good English. What I mean by this is that here in Germany I pretty much expect people my age (give or take 10 years) to at least know a little English, since it is taught in the schools from a very early age. But with older people, I don't have such expectations.

She was obviously pretty well-versed in English and enjoyed the opportunity to speak it with me. In addition, she told me that my German was very good and that she thought it was great that I had learned German so quickly. (Remember, I spoke NO German before coming here.)

After the 4 or 5 minute conversation she hopped into her train and I guess I will never see her again. However, she will always have a place as one of my wonderful memories of Germany.

Venus Transit

2004-06-08T12:14:00.000-05:00

If you weren't already aware of it, today there was a Venus Transit, an event that occurs only twice every (approximately) 120 years. The last Venus Transit was in 1882, the next will be in 2012, and then there won't be another until 2117.

Being amateur astronomers, (OK, A. is the amateur astronomer, I just tag along and look into the telescope) A. and I lugged our telescope outside at the ungodly hour of 7 a.m. (I am not a morning person!) to check it out. When we were discussing it last night, I suggested we try and take some pictures of it with my digital camera. It took some shots to get the hang of it, but some of them came out quite nicely.

If you look at the below pictures, Venus is the black dot in the Sun. Our telescope shows things upside down, so we saw Venus at the top of the Sun, but technically it was at the bottom.

photo by blondelibrarian

Pretty cool, huh?

Wedding Regrets

2004-06-07T11:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we visited Landshut and St. Martinskirche, a Gothic church with the highest brick tower (131 meters; 430 ft) in the world. Next to it is a smaller "Women's Chapel." We went inside and found this very intimate chapel that was a little worn, but still quite beautiful. While sitting there looking at the frescos on the ceiling A. said to me, "You know, sometimes I wish we had gotten married somewhere like this."

We got married in Las Vegas and it was sort of a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. It was a little bit better planned than some Vegas weddings, (I reserved the chapel about a month in advance and sent an announcement to people) but it was sort of an add-on to a trip we were taking anyway. My mom, dad, step-mom, sister, and aunt were there. We got a little dressed-up, said our "I dos," and were out of there and on our way to dinner (paid for by Dad) about 30 minutes later. That was it. It was fun and funtional.

Unlike some girls who plan their weddings from the time they are six, I honesty never really had an idea of what sort of wedding I wanted. I thought the chances that I would get married were very slim, so when I actually decided to get married, the Vegas thing seemed to be as good as anything.

However, after we got married and the happier I was being married, the more I thought about the kind of wedding I wished I would have had. Shortly after moving here, I saw a dress in a bridal shop window that would have been perfect and though I am not religious, I envisioned a small ceremony in a chapel like the one we saw yesterday. (I guess certain fantasies pounded into little girls' heads die hard.)

With the exception of the fact that I briefly mentioned to A. that I had seen the dress, I have never told him that while I don't regret getting married, sometimes I wish we would have done something more for our wedding. Yesterday, when he expressed basically the same thing that I had been thinking off and on for some time now, tears came to my eyes. I am not hopelessly romantic (actually the exact opposite), but it was the sweetest thing he has ever said to me and made me realize just how much I love him.

I guess we could always renew our vows in a ceremony, and I could buy that dress and we could find a little chapel like that, but it just wouldn't be the same. Today I am just so sad that I didn't take more time to think about our wedding and what I could have had.

On Language and Counting

2004-06-05T14:43:00.000-05:00

Last night we had pizza for dinner. Upon paying for the pizza, A. noticed that our good Italian waiter (who speaks extremely good German) was counting back our change in Italian. Since I wasn't dealing with the money I didn't notice, but upon our walk home A. remarked,

"It doesn't matter how many languages you speak or where you are, you always count in your native language, don't you?"

When I looked at him a little puzzled he explained how he noticed the waiter was counting our change in Italian.

I then asked him if even after living in the US for 8 years if he always has counted in German. Even though he is quite a mathematician and thinks in English when he does mathematics and algebra, he confirmed what I suspected: He still counts in German.

No question about it, I always count in English.

Interestingly enough, I once read something about that very subject: No matter where someone lives or how long they live there, they almost always count in their native lanuage.

And the reason for this is:

People tend to perform mental tasks with the language in which they learned them. For instance, some bilingual French Alsatians living near the border with Germany report that they count in French and do algebra in German. This is because they learned their counting skills and simple mathematics in French at primary schools and abstract algebra in German at secondary schools.
-- from "Language and Culture: Learning Language"

(Note: This is not an excerpt from the original article I read on this subject. I can't recall where I found it now, but the points raised here are, in a nutshell, what I remember reading.)

I am getting better at thinking in German more often when I am out and about nowadays, but if I never count in German, since there is a scientific reason for it, I guess won't feel bad.

Framed!

2004-06-05T14:17:00.000-05:00

After much struggle, I finished framing my RCG Kitchen Alphabet today. I know I said I was going to hang it in my kitchen, but I don't know... it looks so good and I am afraid it will get dirty in the kitchen (it isn't exactly the cleanest room in my apartment, you know). Maybe I will hang it in the hallway outside the kitchen... hmm

Kitchen Alphabet

2004-06-03T13:56:00.000-05:00

Last winter, when I first started downloading free cross-stitch patterns off the web, I downloaded Ellen Maurer-Stroh's Kitchen Alphabet Series. Yep, all 26 letters. I left the downloaded patterns in my computer's Cross Stitch Directory and didn't think too much more about them.

Then a couple of weeks ago at breakfast, I looked above my table and noticed this glaring white space that was crying out for decoration. The proverbial light-bulb went off above my head: It was a perfect place for the Kitchen Alphabet!

However, I don't like to do big projects and all 26 letters, plus a border, plus two chef hats was a pretty daunting thought. Once again, I had an idea: How about just my initials? That is only three of the 26 letters and was a manageable project. I had even seen a frame at the craft store that looked to be about the right size.

Well, I bought the frame and finished painting it today. I finished the cross-stitching today too. I will photograph the entire project when finished, but for now I am sharing the finished cross-stitch piece.

© blondelibrarian

As I asked A. last night, why is it that bored housewives inevitability turn to crafts?

On Working

2004-06-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up, my mom only had one dream for me: That I go to college and have a career. I don't remember her ever talking to me about someday getting married and/or having children. And while I have always been an independent-minded person, I never questioned that I would go to college and have a career. I figured I would be one of those women who lived alone with her cats and would work at least 60 hours a week.

Well, I did go to college. I liked it so much that I then went on to grad school with every intention of first establishing myself a good career as a librarian and then eventually I would go back to school, get my PhD. and finish my life as a lonely Comparative Literature Scholar and Professor. Some dream, eh?

However, things didn'y work out as planned. First of all, the more I thought about it, the more I decided Comparative Literature wasn't what interested me, but Linguistics. Not too far of a departure from the literature and languages I had studied in the past, but by then I was working as a librarian. For the first time in my life I was getting my debts paid off and though I was "only" working 40 hours a week, I was exhausted. I didn't have enough energy to think too much about more grad school, let alone fill out all the paperwork to get there, and the thought of the time required to do a PhD. was daunting. I longed for the days of going to school (just class with a few term papers here and there) and my 20 hour a week assistantship position. Very quickly after beginning my career as a librarian, I came to this conclusion: working is highly overrated. Did I want to spend my life exhausted, with nothing but work to do? Not really. But what could I do? I was single and I had cats to support.

Quite unexpectedly, during this mini-crisis, I fell in love. This complicated things. Now I was trying to work and have a long-distance social life too. Pretty soon I was just going through the motions at work and spending only the bare minimum time there. I started looking for a different job so I could be closer to my man. I got some interviews and then he asked me to move in with him and then to marry him. I was concerned at the time because I didn't have a job, but he said that it was OK. He could support us, and I thought maybe it was a good time for a break from working. (After all, I HAD been working for two and a half years by then!) So, I accepted. Then we moved to Europe and I had a new language to learn before I could even think about working again.

Well, I have learned the language and now I can think about working again. But in the time that has passed I have discovered so many sides of myself that I never knew were there. They were repressed by the belief that I MUST be a career woman and didn't have the time to enjoy other things. But I do enjoy those things and don't want to give them up.

So, I have some decisions: First, I do want to go back to work. (I am just not cut out to be a housewife) Second, I must be able to balance my working life with my personal life. Third, building a career didn't make me as happy as I thought it would. Fourth, the ideal position for me is one where I can do what I like and am trained to do: i.e., be a librarian, but isn't so demanding that it takes me away from enjoying the rest of my life.

Now, where can I find such a job?

Maybe if I get lucky with one of the two part-time library positions I recently applied for, I will have found the answer.

Spelling, Speling, Spelin

2004-06-02T16:54:00.000-05:00

I can't spell... in any language.

As anyone who reads, writes, or speaks English will tell you, English spelling is a jumbled, illogical mess. Supposedly in German you spell things exactly the way you pronounce them... however, when your German pronunciation is only so-so, your spelling is also so-so. I know French too, but my spelling is no better there either.

When I was in eighth grade, my dad bought me a wonder of modern (ca. 1988) technology: The Franklin Spelling Ace. The premise is simple. You type in word like you think it should be spelled and if you are right, nothing happens. If you are wrong, it gives you a list of possible words to choose from. Sometimes if you grossly misspell a word it doesn't work, but manages it about 90% of the time. It was (and still is) a life-saver! It also happens to come in handy if you do cross-word puzzles because it has a feature where you type in something with missing letters and it give you choices... but I digress.

Now I am totally dependent on my spell checker. It is sad, but true. About half of the time when I write these blog entries I copy them into Word before I ever publish them.

But the problem is, when you can't spell people may make many assumptions that are completely inaccurate. The worst assumption they may make is that you are either stupid or functionally illiterate. And while this may be true in some cases, many times it is not.

But today seven members of the American Literacy Society delivered a message by protesting at the National Spelling Bee: "Enuf is Enuf!" they say. Advocating the modernization of English spelling, they claim that "English spelling is illogical. And the national spelling bee only reinforces the crazy spellings that lead to dyslexia, high illiteracy, and harder lives for immigrants."

And I koodn't agre more!

Tennis Anyone?

2004-06-01T15:57:00.000-05:00

I play tennis. Not very often anymore, but I do.

I used to like to watch tennis. It started out back in high school when I first learned to play tennis. This was in the late 80s/early 90s and Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras had entered the scene. I was in love with Agassi because he had long hair (Yes, I know he is bald now, but seriously, he used to have long hair!) and was, at least for me, the ideal "tennis rebel."

The first match I watched between Agassi and Sampras was the 1993 Wimbeldon Quarter-finals. Though I didn't know much about Sampras at the time, since he beat Agassi, I vowed to hate him forever. But the more I watched tennis, though I was loyal to Agassi, Sampras began to grow on me. I realized that he was a great player and I began to admire him. For a decade I watched as many matches with these two players as I could and inevitably, my favorites were when they played each other.

I was a tennis fan and because the women also played at the Grand Slam Events, I also started watching them too. If I had favorites, they would have been Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport. Somewhere around 1998 I noticed this energetic American woman on the scene: her name was Venus Williams. And soon after, I noticed her sister, Serena.

At this time Agassi and Sampras were slumping a little and so I started having more fun watching women's tennis. However, somewhere along the way, Venus and Serena developed attitudes I didn't like and while Agassi is still chugging along, Sampras has retired. Occasionally I will catch a match, but tennis just isn't as fun for me anymore.

However, today I happened to catch a little bit of the Quarter-final match at the French Open between Capriati and S. Williams. Capriati has really managed to turn her career around in recent years and because I used to watch her when she first turned pro, I still like her. Coupled with the fact that I am not as fond of the Williams Sisters as I used to be, I was very happy to see Capriati make it to the Semis. Good Luck Jennifer. Here's to a win at the 2004 French Open!

The Death of the Johnny Jump-ups

2004-05-31T11:50:00.000-05:00

As my regular readers know, I have been trying to grow Johnny Jump-ups for the last 2½ months. Overall, they have done very well and I am proud to say that I have not killed them.

However...

I noticed about a week ago that one of the four plants was shorter than the other three and upon closer investigation found that the leaves were getting scraggly and beginning to yellow. A little sad at the thought I was losing one of my plants, I went out and did a little research. I learned that Johnny Jump-ups are cool weather flowers. This means when the weather heats up, the flowers naturally begin to wilt and by July they have finished their growing season.

Being that is June, I guess it is natural that they should begin to fade away. However, according to my mother, who is a real gardener, even if they finish blooming now they may come back in the fall.

In general, I'm very pleased with the success I have had with my Johnny Jump-ups this spring. Plus, my geraniums are starting to look really good. I may not yet have a green thumb, but perhaps it is not as black as I had thought...