Soooo....

Now that I have been home for a little while--2 weeks, it feels way shorter than that--I have some projects to work on.
I am writing like crazy! I have 3 books in the works, but even though I get flashes of inspiration for all of them at odd times, I really only want to seriously work on one. I also plan on pushing my other book with my agent more. Who knows how much work they are really doing with it, you know? I am getting skeptical...
I also plan on rearranging my room. I have this whole scenario worked out in my head. Perhaps it won't work, but we'll see. What I really want is a huge hammock. That probably won't happen.
Of course, the big J O B thing will have to happen soon. I am rather lackadaisical about that one, mostly because I really do hate the idea of working. Especially a job that is just for 'right now' and that I probably won't be too crazy about. I'll give myself a swift kick and get into action soon.
I also got a new phone! At first I couldn't figure out how to answer it, let alone any of the other things it does, but now I get it. It was sad to stop using my last phone. Does anyone else get these insane attachments to non-animate objects, or is that just me?
It is becoming fall here! I love fall. I love the smells, the pumpkins, the rustly leaves, Halloween, the smells again, and just the feeling of it being fall. Unfortunately, it is always too short and then winter hits and I don't feel the same level of amicability toward winter as I do towards fall.

Ewwww

I have arrived! The flights weren't that bad--despite being awake for 24 hours. I slept like a rock--or like a cadillac, as Kaelan says--on the last flight and only woke up once we landed. I hate the looks you get when you're the only one on the plane who looks like you haven't slept in a week! I wish I could have a sticker to put on my forehead that advertises my travels so they all know why I look so awful.
Now for the ewwwww....
Remember that mushroom hunt I went on? Well, I picked up about 4 ticks from that excursion. All the previous hikes I have been on where there is a tick danger, I have known what to look for. German ticks are tiny. I didn't see them until it was too late. So I removed them and have been researching ticks now just in case I come down with some horrible German tick disease.
I feel dirty.
AND completely happy to be home! Yeah USA!

Castle Manderscheid

Yesterday we were at Kat's grandparents' house in Landscheid. During that time, I got to go on a spectacular mushroom hunting trip, where I learned that I don't know squat about which mushrooms are acceptable to eat. However, Kat's dad pointed out that every mushroom can be eaten at least once--and if it was the wrong mushroom, well, you'll never eat it again. I got incredibly muddy and wet on that trip, but we did find tons of mushrooms and I am glad to say that they know what they were looking for.

Then we drove to another castle that is nearby, called Castle Manderscheid. It was probably my favorite, for the express reason that they let me crawl all over it! I loved being able to explore every inch. Plus, it was the most medieval looking of all the castles we have seen.

View from the overlook at Castle Manderscheid. There is another tower higher up, but we didn't bother walking to it.

A replica of the castle--I don't know if they made it for a map, or what, but it is old! And very cool.

The view from the top of the highest tower toward the bottom. I loved being able to climb to the very top! And you get in for only 2 e, which is so good compared to the other entry fees we've been paying.

Today we are going back to Mannheim to meet some friends of Kat, and then we are just going to hang out there. Afterwards, we will be packing!

We are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning--7:30 the airport shuttle will come pick us up. We fly out at 10:40--which is like 2:40 AM MST back in America. We get into Detroit at 2:30 in the afternoon and then have 2 more flights to look forward after that. I hate long flights.

And then I will be home!

Food

I am a little bit ready to come home. I am going to miss seeing castles and Roman ruins--and I am not looking forward to that loooong flight. However, I am pretty excited about hearing English again and knowing what everyone around me is talking about. I feel like the only person in the room who doesn't get the joke over here. I have become really good at tuning out German completely--I barely hear anyone talking now, because I'm so used to it never being to me and it always being in a language I don't understand!
Another thing I am excited about returning to America for? Food! The food over here has been good--I haven't starved. And I really like the ice cream and the pastries. The rest of it, though, is a bit strange and makes me feel homesick. And I think I'm done eating sandwiches for quite a long time.
I am excited for microwave popcorn, for yogurt that I recognize, for our 2 gallon milk containers, for cold drinks and not lukewarm ones, for cheddar cheese--it doesn't exist here. I am also really excited about being able to read the signs and to know what the heck I'm supposed to do, even in a strange situation.
We went to another castle today and it was probably my favorite--it was the most medieval and even though it wasn't completely standing, you could climb all over it! I loved that part. I'll put up pictures tomorrow.

Trier and Roman Ruins

We went to Trier yesterday to see the Roman ruins. It was amazing! Probably my second-favorite city, just behind Mannheim. I really liked the vibe I got from the people and the places and, of course, the sheer volume of cool Roman things still present.

We parked by the Porte Nigro--or the Black Gate--and then ate some lunch and went on a bus tour of the place. It was a short one--just an hour, with a guide who spoke English, hallelujah! We drove all through the city and saw the Roman baths, the Roman ampitheatre, and some more of the Porte Nigro.

Porte Nigro--Black Gate, not because it was in a fire like it appears, but because the sandstone has turned black over time. It is the only gate still standing from the Roman Empire in Trier. Very cool! I think the black is actually from lichen on the stone.

The Roman baths--this was the ruins of the Empireal Baths, which means the public were not allowed.

After that we walked to the Roman baths and walked all over in there. You could go downstairs in where the water was, where the servants would go to make sure everything was working correctly, I assume. It was like the Labyrinth down there! It smelled incredibly old. I really liked the baths. I wish someone would build a real working replica that you could go into and see what it was like inside. It was probably amazingly ornate.

Me on the medieval wall that was put up around the baths--it was pretty cool, because the Roman bath ruins are ancient and then there are old medieval walls everywhere, too. Anyway, I climbed a sketchy flight of stairs to get up here.

Then we walked to the ampitheatre, and that was even more amazing! Granted, I don't think I would have liked to watch the Roman games--maybe the Gladiator games--but like Kat pointed out, we now have a whole new outlet for our blood-thirst: Grand Theft Auto! Very true, but playing it on a video game is so different from actually tossing poor souls into an arena to be eaten by tigers.

The Ampitheater! A view from the very top. See the holes in the floor that go down? All the seats were removed to build stuff in later years, but they uncovered this much that was still standing.

We went underneath the floor, where they kept the poor unfortunates who were going to be thrown to the beasts, and the animal pen in the back. It was filled with water and very drippy down there. Then we hiked to the top and looked down at everything. It was amazing!

I really like Roman ruins.

Then we decided that since we were so close we would drive to Luxembourg. Kat and I said it would be an adventure, and Kurt said we were crazy, but we went anyway. And then promptly got stuck in a traffic jam as soon as we tried to cross back into Germany. Which took us off the highway we wanted and sent us an hour in the wrong direction. We finally pulled off somewhere in East Deliverance, Germany, and asked for directions. We discovered that we then drove right past Kat's grandparents, where we are going in the morning!

We ended up pulling in a little after 10, which was way later than we had originally intended, but it was fun. At least the kids slept in the back.

I don't know what we are doing today. Everyone is still sleeping from all the excitement of yesterday.

Mannheim

Yesterday we went to Mannheim to shop and see the castle. The shopping went really well--I found some things that I liked and even bought some books. Let me tell you, books here are more expensive than clothes! We found a big enough bookstore that actually had more than 10 books in English, so I was able to find 3 that I actually wanted, rather than would be forced out of necessity to read.

The castle is huge! I couldn't even fit the whole thing in one shot. And I didn't get to see the parts that wrap around, either. I only saw what was right in front of me, in the courtyard. We were too late to get the guided tour, so we did the audio tour. No pictures inside! Bum deal. However, it has mostly been rebuilt, as we bombed it in WWII. Imagine that. Probably made a nice big target from the air. The tour wasn't the most fascinating thing in the world, but I enjoyed seeing the little that we did get to see. Only a tiny part of it is on display. The rest is used for government offices and then the University on the other half.

The front of the palace--and it wraps around in a big square shape, but that is impossible to get in a picture.

Chacos on cobblestones--my footwear has been very excellent for European travel. I have a pair of Merrell hikers that I wear for tramping around where my nem--stinging nettles--hang out.

We had ice cream after the tour and just hung out with Kat's friend, who rode the train to see her.

My overall impression of Mannheim is that it is the prettiest city we have been in yet. I really liked it. The entire atmosphere is pretty cool. I think I could see myself living there--minus the fact that I don't speak the language at all. It is the sight of a very large American Base, though, so there are many Americans. I probably saw more American on signs there than anywhere else.

Beautiful Mannheim!

Tomorrow we go see Roman ruins in Trier!

Today we just took it easy. Everyone was tired and Kameron has a bit of a cold. Poor baby. It was nice to sleep in--well, it would have been nice, but whoever is working on the house decided to do something involving a loud power drill at 7 this morning. Holy buckets! So Kaelan and I got up and ate some chocolate for b'fast. I went back to bed at noon and woke up in time for lunch and then felt better.

I can't believe we fly home on Tuesday already. Where did the time go?

General Impressions

I do not like the water here. Everyone drinks mineral, sparkling, bubbly, or whatever you want to call it. I prefer plain old, non-mineral, non-sparkling, quiet water. I just don't like the taste of the other. So now everywhere we go there is a bottle filled with tap water for me. I get strange looks whenever I say I don't want bubbles in my water, but oh well.
The roads here are small. One lane at best. And sometimes the roads make me carsick, which never happens back in America. Back home I can read in the car all the time. Here, I would be puking within seconds. Here, unless I'm in the front seat I get slightly green around the edges.
The cars here are small. I love the teeny tiny little Bozo cars--I think they call them Smart cars. I would love to drive one.
I have also discovered that not knowing the language is a pain in the butt! I know how to say danke and bitte, but sometimes when I am confronted with someone speaking German--say a cashier--my mind freezes up and I totally want to speak Spanish! I never realized how much of that I actually learned until I was here. Crazy, huh? Especially since I am not even in a remotely Spanish speaking country! And yet, all these Spanish phrases come to mind and I realize that I can say more than I realized. Perhaps it is time to dust off the Spanish vocab books and get back into that.
I'll write more tomorrow. We just got home and I'm going to have a bowl of cereal--oats and chocolate, what more could you ask for? And then I'm going to bed! Gute Nacht! Auf Wiedersehen!

Heidelberg

We are finally in Carlsberg--after a very long drive yesterday of being squished into the back of the Beemer. The weather is definitely better here--which is interesting, because we drove 3 hours over from Herton, leaving the cloudy, rainy weather behind. Here near Mannheim it is sunny (for the most part) and warm. I think I like it over here better, too. It is prettier and there are more castles. I dig castles.

We drove to Heidelberg today to see Castle Heidelberg. That thing is amazing! It is huge, with rambling grounds, and more crumbly, half-fallen down towers and things than I could have asked for. The only downside is that they don't let you explore any of it. Blah safety rules. Ok, so it's probably good to further preserve the integrity of the castle, but still. They should make an exception for me--or at least that is what I tell myself.

My favorite part of the castle--this tower used to hold gunpowder, and during a battle, they got off a really good shot and blew themselves up! I really wished I could go explore that part of the tower the most.The legend is that a knight of the castle was in a big hurry to get out, so he leaped from the top and landed on the balcony outside, making this indent as he rushed off to do battle or something--who knows why he was rushing? My foot didn't fit inside it. Must have been a very short knight.A panoramic shot of how big this place is--and it is only from one side! And no, I didn't get to go explore this, either. Boo.

Anyway, we got tons of pictures and then drove up the hill to the very top and ate lunch. We sat where they take off in their gliders, and I was really wishing I could be in one of those! The view was amazing, but imagine it from the air!

We then drove to yet another castle--which turned out to be a private residence and only open on Sundays. Bummer. So we crammed back into the Beemer and drove to Lotsch--I think that is how you spell it--and looked at this monastery that was built in 780 or something. The main gate house part is on the world's registery for oldest buildings--authentic, too! It was pretty cool. Kaelan and I had fun picking up all the huge snails in the garden and poking them so they would stick their heads out. We are talking escargo-size snails here.

The gatehouse, built in 780 or even earlier. I didn't get a full shot because I was too close.

After that we had some more ice cream--I really like the ice cream here. I'm going to come home having gained some poundage due to ice cream and bakery items. Oh boy. And I haven't even eaten any chocolate! I'd better get right on that requirement.

Spoon Artist And Spoon Pirate On The Horizon

I have finally found my calling!
We went to this open air museum in Hagen--I think that's the name of the town--Kat will tell me if I'm wrong. :)
Anyway, it was this enormous village type thing dedicated to how people lived way-back-when. Some of the buildings were already there and some have been moved in since. They have people who recreate the old trades and make their own horseshoes and other metals, old printing presses, an old brewery, shoes, etc. And spoons! Yes, spoons made from wood, along with other eating utensils.
It is on a HUGE area of ground, so we walked and walked and walked and got tired about 3/4s of the way through, but we pushed on. I took many pictures before losing interest in old metal instruments and huge fireplaces. I did really dig the architecture, though. And the area was pretty beautiful. I really wanted to slide down the big overspill thingie, but since it was out of bounds I figured I would get us kicked out before I had a chance to buy a wooden spoon! I refrained.
The one place I wanted to see was the spoon building area, and it was this tiny little workshop in the back of where they make wooden clog type shoes. I fell in love! It was amazing. I wish there had been someone inside, making spoons, but apparently that is now a lost art. Wooden spoons and utensils don't hold up real well in dishwashers, you know. Bummer. I think I need to resurrect the art of the perfect spoon from wood. I learned that they used to ship the spoons and utensils all over--which means I could also be a Spoon Pirate! I could sell my spoons, ship them off, and steal them back! More profit for me...
I went to the gift shop to buy a genuine wooden spoon and--no bueno--they don't sell genuine, hand-crafted, wooden spoons. They did sell a genuine hand-made teeny-tiny scoop for flour or something, so I had to content myself with that. Now do you see the need for my new hobby? I could be selling these things to tourists for 10 euro a spoon! And in return, they wouldn't have to be disallusioned like I was! Amazing spoons and other utensils! If I had been born back then, this is what I would have done! Just think, I could have been the one to invent the spork.Where the spoons and other utensils are actually constructed...be careful not to lose a thumb, as that is probably the biggest deterrent facing spoon-makers.

I have a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell! This is where they made their own cowbells. It was their own little cowbell forge...This tunnel was pretty cool. It was built for midgets, though...I had to bend almost over in some places.

Anyway, we are leaving here in the morning--back to Carlsburg to stay with Kat's dad and step-mom again for the week.
We have been going shopping and the only thing I have purchased is that lame-o wooden scoop! We have big plans for shopping in Mannheim, though. I also need to hit the English sections of the bookstores because I did not pack enough books!

Exploring the Neighborhood

Kaelan and I went out to explore the neighborhood tonight. Today is Kurt and Kat's 9-year anniversary, so they went out to eat. Kaelan and I started off by going to the park and then went exploring on all the little paths around the house. We pretended we were pirates--in jackets, of course. Kaelan told me at first that pirates don't wear jackets, but he decided that he could make a concession since it was a little chilly out. Anyway, all good pirates have to have some danger to avoid and ours was stinging nettles and fat slugs on the ground!

Photo Op

View from the top!
Kam-Kam looking like a little gnome. He loved the stroller ride.
Part of the stairs that took you all the way up.
A fat little goaty at the petting zoo.

Sci-Fi and Birds

The other day we climbed up a big hill to see the view from the top. They are building this huge horizon-detector thing at the top, and it looks all sci-fi and space-age. Or like the beginnings of an out of control roller coaster. Or, wait, have you ever seen that Jody Foster movie? Contact! It looks like the thing she sits in, with the rings spinning out from it. Well, at any rate, here's a picture of it.

And I gather the point of it is to pinpoint the exact location of the stars. Anyway, it was pretty cool, and the hill afforded a sweet view. It was incredibly windy up there!

You could either climb straight up via stairs, or take the windy stroller-bike-jogging path. We did a bit of both. Kameron sat in his stroller and after climbing half way up the hill on the path, Kaelan and I took the stairs. Whoo! That could get you into shape quick. I was feeling the burn in my legs. We had a nice picnic lunch up there and then climbed back down.

After that--which was one of my favorite things that we have done so far, my love of castles notwithstanding--we went to a little petting zoo. Everything there was fat! Fat little goats, fat peacocks, really fat monkeys, fat piggies, etc. I would say that they are well-fed. It was fun. We went into the birdhouse and it was amazing! You stand inside with the birds and they are swooping all over the place, dive-bombing your head. So loud in there! In a good way. No one got pooped on, so that was lucky. There are every type of bird imaginable in there--morning doves, sparrows, parrots, cornish game hens that can't fly, finches, and tons of others that I don't know the names of but like to look at. I posted a video of what it was like to be in there.

It was a good day.

I Love Castles!

Day...I have no idea what day it is for me here in Germany. Let me take a stab at it. Umm, 4? Today is Monday, so it must be day four. Anyway, while still in Carlsburg, the little town where Kat's dad and step-mom Maggie live, we took a hike through the forest to a castle that is now a youth hostel. It was built in 1100 something and was destroyed by the French in 1600 something. It has since been rebuilt into a youth hostel, but parts of the old walls are still standing. I took pictures of that one. It wasn't that spectacular, but it was my first castle. Spaghetti Ice Cream!

Then we drove to Bad Durkheim, where we surprised upon a bike festival that was going on and nearly got run over everywhere we walked. We went to a little cafe and had ice cream. I tried spaghetti ice cream, which isn't nearly as gross as it sounds. It is actually vanilla ice cream squeezed through tubes to look like spaghetti noodles, and then strawberry sauce on top to look like red sauce. It was really good! Ice cream here is a production.

After that we drove through this really windy one lane road--and one lane here does not mean one-way traffic, either! You have to pull off in some spots to let other people drive by. We were driving through the forest, though, and it was beautiful! At one point we could see all the way to the horizon of the Rhine valley, all filled with little towns and vinyards. There are tons of vinyards in this area.

After that we packed up and drove Kat's dad's BMW to Herton, where Kat's mom lives. The drive was an experience! We couldn't fit our luggage in the trunk, so we packed what we thought we would need in bags. I am now living out of my backpack and a garbage bag. And then we squeezed ourselves in the car--a feat with 2 car seats in the back--and headed out. Everyone here drives 160 kilometers per hour or faster, which is roughly 100 mph. So we were going at that speed almost the entire time, and it doesn't even feel like you are going that fast, because everyone else is passing you! I also must add that the chances of me ever riding in a more expensive car are slim to none. I did ride in Maggie's Mercedes, though, so...

And now we are here to stay for the week. I have my own room once again, but everyone shares the bathrooms.

This morning we took a walk to see the school where Kat used to go and then we drove to this old village where the houses are super old--some from the 1600s. I took many pictures. There was a castle there, but it doesn't really looke like a castle. Then we drove downtown and had lunch--a doner, which is pronounced doo-na, and should have the double dot doohickey over the o. It is basically a turkish version of the gyro, but bigger, and they use turkey instead of whatever the greeks use. It was good. Then we walked to the castle in the middle of this huge park with 200 year old trees. It was fascinating. We stopped at this playground to climb this huge cargo net. I felt like I should have been clipped in with a 'biner while someone belayed me!

This thing was intense! I love castles!

I do not love stinging nettles! The darn things are everywhere here, lurking where you least expect them. Thus far I have avoided a sting, but I know it is only inevitable, considering my penchant for wandering off the path to look at things. I crawled down off this bridge to get the perfect shot of the castle, and there were stinging nettles everywhere! I managed not to fall in to the moat and not to grab a stinging nettle by accident.

Another thing I am not used to is eating lunchmeat for breakfast. Salami, ham, many types of cheeses--all on a roll, eaten for breakfast. I do like trying out the different types of cheeses, though. They have some good ones here. I plan on trying many more. I'm not into the different types of sausages, but cheese is good!

More later!