A Summer of Adventures!

2005-09-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

On the plane headed back to Phoenix I wrote:

I have honestly been blessed this summer. For the past 24 hours I have been flooded with gifts and cards and hugs and kisses. While I am so excited to get home, I am not going to lie. I am really going to miss the Strother family. They have been so loving. Jen has become such a close friend and the kids are a source of such pride for me. I look forward to the day I return.

Wattenheim has been such a great home to me for the last 3 months. I will miss Nadine (the neighbor's horse) and the running path, Jagerhof and wine schorles, Ute and Jorg. Germany is a country full of flavor and freshness. A country where the local farmer is famous and medieval weapons are a favorite collectors item. A country where castle ruins are the backdrop to daily life, and where alcohol is the beverage of choice for any occasion. A county that always has room for one more festival and one more wurst. It is a country whose past is one to be exalted, shunned, and rememebered, and where modesty is a trait awarded at birth. It is where the environment and community are top priorities and the garden gnome reigns as king. For the past three months I have learned about a culture as well as myself. I have learned that patience can get you through just about everything. That I wouldn't be a traveler without email and that my family and friends are what keep the sparkle in my eye. I have learned that children say the craziest things, and yet their innocent comments can teach us so much. I have learned that trust is the key to life, and that no one can get through it alone. I am so happy I took this summer to breath air on the other side of the globe. I am so happy that I went out on a limb. And I am so happy to be on my way home.

Signing off from Germany,
beth o.

2005-09-02T04:53:00.000-07:00

Ciao todos!!

Well...alex left yesterday morning and i can honestly say that we had a whirlwind of a visit. So many good memories that we will reminisce about for years to come.

We got back from Italy early wednesday morning--1 a.m. to be exact. We had the most amazing time---seeing both Rome and Venice. Unfortunately we did not make it to Florence, but that will just have to happen on another visit. I absolutely LOVED Italy (Katie...you would love it!!!!) Rather than try to give you the total recap of our adventures, I will give you our "highlights" that we put together at dinner once we got back here to Wattenheim.

Our Canadian boyfriends: Jefferey and Anthony. "When in Rome..." drink 4 bottles of wine and give kisses as the bus pulls out of the station! Loved it.
In a random hole in the wall restaurant when Alex and I were SOOOO hungry: "What's the problem?"..."We're hungry, we need something to eat"..."We have no food, look, we have nothing!"
Sleeping in a metal box (literally) in Venice during a lightening storm
Our French boys: Jonathan and Julian (although they told us to spell their names with G's....I dont think so...Gulian?)
"We're gonna die" says Alex as she looks out the window of the plane and sees the light from our wing, mistaking it for another plane about to hit us. She was a bit tired.
Black-eyed Peas: "My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely lady lumps."
Tearing up the dance floor at Alba D'Oro's club in Venice
Our little Italian shuttle driver that met us at the airport in Venice: too cute and perfect.
"I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away..." sings the 50 yr old Gondole driver as he pushes out of the port. HahahHA
Our first waitress in Venice and the Italian lessons she gave us.
The guy that said we were cheap for not eating at his restaurant. Uh....excuseee?
Santa Lucia's rotting feet. No seriously, we saw the body of Saint Lucy. Crazy shit.
"La mano la mano la mano..." a man yells at me for not covering my mouth while yawning. I was so over it.
The little hole in the wall where we got water and found out about the "Tribalistas"
The little Italian girl walking like a model...and all the adorable Italian kids in general.
The shuttle driver yelling at us saying, "uh...I guess you want to stay in Rome? Not getting on this shuttle?"
Translating for the annoying American couple that obviously wasnt used to traveling and gives a bad name to us all.
Beth drinking 1/2 a liter of red wine and Alex sneaking 1/4 liter into a water bottle to take back to our hostel.
The PERFECT/INEXPENSIVE breakfast on our last day in Rome
Sneaking apples from the buffet at some random hotel.
Not finding any molestable statues (Alex!)
The ancient penis on the Colloseum: aparently there was an ancient version of ALex w/ the same sense of humor.
Umm...did we mention Jeff and Anthony?
The consistent walking issues of Italians. Apparently everyone gets a cane for their 50th bday.
The little Jamaican boy on our Colloseum/Forum tour---so adorable.

2005-08-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

alo all...

so i have a hilar story. i know it has been a while---i havent updated about the weekend etc so bear with me. i will start with tonight's activities and work my way backwards because, well, i am cracking up inside about the events that just unfolded...

...so...tonight we went out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants--Jagerhof. It literally means, "hunter's house." As you may have guessed, the place is covered with hunting "trophies." There are hundreds of creatures---all shot by the owner---lining the walls of the restaurant. Hunting is not my cup of tea, and i'd prefer if people stuck to the fruits/vegies and occaisional chicken, but this guy was NUTS for meat! Everywhere---deer, wild boar, elk, carribou, muskrat. the works.

anyway, we have been to this restaurant once before, so i was prepared. Jen and I walked in, just like before (except this time we had no males accompanying us...aside from 12 yr old camerin). So we sit down and eat our delicious meal and drink our wine. we had seen the owner--aka the hunter of all the animals on the wall---when we first walked into the place. he had said hello, but nothing had been out of the ordinary until......

....we had just paid the bill. he came over and asked if he could bring us two shots of cognac (his treat). Jen looked at me and we said, "sure." Little had we realized that this would extend our evening quite a bit.

The cognac came...as well as a shot for the owner. he took a seat at our table and began to chat. He did a toast to our "husbands." I'll tell you, i could kill the kids. Minutes later, the kids are telling mr. hunter (i dont know his real name even though he introduced himself) that i am their au-pair and that i am, indeed, not married.

Within instants, I am being winked at....whistled at...and TOTALLY BLATENTLY HIT ON!!! Dont get me wrong, guys, i have been checked out and subtly hit on before, but this was OUT OF CONTROL. He asked me how old I was and where I was staying etc etc. I was soon to find out he was 62, but "young at heart." He's "good at shooting a target." I died.

By the time we left the place, he had given me a card w/ his number on it and a bunch of free meat (leberwurst and stuff i was going to buy for my dad anyway). So hilarious. Jen and I left the restaurant DYING.

He asked when we would be back and Jen said we would bring Alex back---we are going to die. It was a great time...Jen and I cracked up the entire way home in the car. Sometimes it pays off to be a girl. Camerin said, "were you uncomfortable?? I wasnt even being hit on and I was uncomfortable! You musst have been dying!" Haha...so great. You know its bad when all of the kids--kids that are usually just concerned with cartoons and chocolate--are suddenlly realizing that this man is just off his rocker. And to cap the evening off, i was given a kiss on the hand and was made to promise that I would come back to his restaurant before going back to the states. So classic. And even MORE classic: the woman that served us our drinks was his WIFE! Can you imagine?? If I was her, I would grab him by the balls and send him to bed!!!!! Ok....enough with that. I just wish I could've videotaped the whole encounter. It was so perfect.

The rest of the week has been great. Kids are being relatively good, but getting a bit restless with the crappy weather. I just cant wait for ALEX TO GET HERE!!! YAYA!!!

Last weekend I ended up going to Heidelburg. It was a beautiful day and I got to tour the Castle there. Another absolutely picturesque town. I just cant describe these places precisely enough to do them justice. Its awesome. Simply gorgeous.

Alright....take care all! I will be leaving for Italy on FRIDAY! And then back to the states on the 4th of Sept.

Tchussy,
Beth

2005-08-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

imagine the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen. now times that by ten. then, surround yourself with endless rolling hills speckled with some of the most beautful horses you have ever seen. now imagine that you are the only human for miles. that was me tonight. it killed me that i didnt have my camera...not to assume that having it would really have done justice to the whole scenario...but i could have at least captured a few images to post for you.

i dont know if it is the unusually nice weather, the fact that i can see the end of the tunnel, or maybe some tranquilizers that i was given in my sleep, but i am in great spirits today. the kids were great--we went on a bike ride to see the horses (same ones i ran to this evening) and just had an uber-fantastic day. very little whining and arguing. love it.

perhaps it is the fact that i have now been here for over two months, but today i seemed to have received a lot more "alo"s and "guten abend"s than normal. everyone was out and about--walking the dog, doing a jog, watering their flowers, reading in their doorway, or just sitting with a loved one. it was great. i helped a woman catch her cat. the entire time she was talking to me i hardly understood what she was saying--just that she had lost her cat because it ran out of the house. hilarious. i just smile and laugh and say "ja." i wish i was leaving here feeling completely accomplished with my german language skills, but im afraid to say that just aint gonna happen.

i cant believe i only have 6 more days with the kids---only 6 more days of their summer vacation. wow. it has gone by fast, but i am glad. i will be leaving at just the right time--enough time to feel comfortable and to fully discover how beautiful life is here, and yet not too much time to get sick of it all.

I will be leaving for home in 17 days!! Cant wait to see you mom and pops!! love you all so much and hope you arent too sick of me yet!

Tchuss,
Beth O.

2005-08-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

so i have been here exactly two months as of today...and yet i just found a new favorite spot in wattenheim. well...its technically not wattenheim--its actually some gray area between watteheim and necktarhof. it was so great--today was a great day.

we woke up this morning and did our daily dossage of cartoons and had some bfast before heading out on a walk. i swear, if it was up to those kids we would just sit on our asses all day and do nothing. So i told them to get their sneaker and their scooters and we were going for a walk/ride. no questions.

so they got their stuff and i brought three plastic bags as a surprise. you see, last night, when i was running, i found these huge blackberry bushes!! they looked perfect, so i thought it would be a fun thing to do with the kiddos. we got going and when i showed them the bushes the died. we spent about a half hour picking berries and getting poked by thorns and attacked by bugs. when we got back to the house i made a yummy blackberry pie that we shared with the neighbors tonight at an impromptu get together. it was great.

anyway, i cant get ahead of myself. the kids took a nap because they were having trouble getting along. then when their mom got home, she really wanted to get out on her bike and take advantage of the nice weather we had today. so...we all hopped on bikes and got going. it was great. we rode to the next town and then i told jen that i wanted to explore down one of the side roads that went between the two towns. we got going and then we were passed by our neighbors--Segrid. She was in her car on her way to feed her horse and told us to follow her so that we could see her horse.

It was gorgeous!! The horses name is Nadine. It is a beautiful arabian horse that is full of spunk and very strong. She keeps it at this stable that is amazing!! This is my new favorite place. I will run there every night now---it was just breathtaking. You see...Wattenheim is right on the edge of this valley that is completely wooded. It is sooo beautiful and the horses get to roam the fields that are blocked off right on the edge before getting to the forest. If i was a horse, there is no other place i would want to be. So much open space and such a well taken care of area. I just sat there for an hour brushing the horses and giving them loving. Segrid goes there every night and says that I am welcome to come whenever I would like. I was in heaven.

We rode our bikes back to the house--downhill most of the way. I felt so free and alive and happy. Everyone was out riding their bikes or walking their dogs or just walking hand in hand. it was awesome.

I got back...read my email update from my sis!!...ate a piece of berry pie...and cracked up with courtnie. yes...it was a good day. it started with smiles and ended with smiles. not much more i can ask for.

just a week from tomorrow Alex will be arriving and I can show her all of these great things. That way ya'll will know that im not making this sheiza up.

tchuss...
bean.

2005-08-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

what can i say...some days i cant stand her and other days i love her. today was a mixture of both. we had a relatively mellow day--just hangin out while it rained outside. i love the rain, but it can make the kids restless after a while.

last night i headed off to bed only to see the biggest living spider of my LIFE crawling right next to my bed. I screamed and ran to find Jen. Between the two of us and Brian's pep-talking on the phone we managed to kill it and get its remains into the nearest trash can. Ugh...it was so gross. I didnt realize how much spiders scared me until I saw that thing. This was no daddy long leg. wowzers.

im beginning my count down for alex's arrival!! today is august 15--almost 16 for me--which means she will be here in 9 days!!! Holy shit!! yeeehaw!

not much else to report. jen signed the papers for the new house tonight and i went for a run. i cant wait to come back and visit...and bing one of ya'll with me. their new house will have 10 bedrooms...ridiculous i know!!! but it will be so great for visitors and extra living space. i love the house---classic german looking house.

i miss caitlin. she must be getting rained on a lot in horse camp---it hasnt let up since she left.

oh yeah...lexi (the dog) slept with me last night for the first time!!! we bonded...i LOVE that dog. she is so smart!! not as cuddley as Cali, but she is sweet and playful and active and clever.

alright...im done. ciao...have a good monday...and i hope to hear from ya.

tchuss (aka bye!/ciao!/adios!/cheers!)
beth.

2005-08-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

alo world...

its been a while since an update. today it is rainy and cold. i just woke up about an hour ago--around 11---the latest since i first got here.

so this week was a rough week--i would say the roughest since i have been here. not for obvious reasons, but for reasons beyond my control. i had issues with courtnie all week because she wasnt listening, but it was more than that. i had my first real bout with homesickness. i was having weird dreams involving my old friends and just having a real hard time coming to terms with it all. its hard not only FEELING disconnected from the whole world, but actually BEING disconnected and not being able to come to terms or find validation in the loving look of an old friend or family member. but its over now and i have survived. my positive attitude just kind of slipped away for a second, but i think it has recovered. i can see the end of the tunnel now--i will be back "home" before you know it.

today was a good day---a day of many firsts. we went to the farmers market this morning in K-town and ate some amazing produce and saw my first ever horse meat. Yes, they had a stand at the farmers market that sold fresh horse meat--pretty much the sickest and saddest thing ever. Especially b/c we were headed to Caitlin's Horse Camp right after that.

I went to my first ever H & M Department store and LOVED it. Had so much fun watching Jen pick out 300 dollars worth of clothes for the girls. I swear, within minutes she had 20 different outfits picked out--it was like speed shopping!

After the shopping we took Caitlin to her camp and it was AWESOME! She will be away for the whole week, which is sad because she is secretly my favorite. The place was so cool---there were 32 girls at the camp. They all moved in today and they are ALL german. Luckiliy Caitlin is there with a friend that can translate for her b/c she speaks both english and german. Its basically a huge house filled with horse paraphanalia and they spend the whole time learning how to care for horses and ride. I snuck back into the barn after making Caitlin's bed and had such an interesting little adventure...

Some of the older girls that helped run the camp were in the barn and were taking the horses out to get brushed etc. The horses that werent being pampered were just out grazing or sleeping and were just so peaceful--and there were like 50 of these horses!! So I was sitting there watching them--totally admiring how gorgeous they are--when i look right in front of me and happen to notice the rather enlarged sex anatomy on the male horse that was just "hangin out" in the corral. Well, before I know it, it hops on top of the female horse right next to it and they start mating. It was AMAZING! They got into it too...like the male horse was full on humping...pretty crazy!!!! I called Jen over and she was cracking up. The best part was trying to explain it to the girls. Courtnie asked, "how can you tell the difference between boy and girl horses?" Jen just died and I had to take the answer. I simply said, "Well, boy and girl horses look different. You just have to look closely." Jen and I looked at eachother and cracked up!!! Caitlin was going to be learning a whole lot more at this camp than Jen had her signed up for!!! HAhaha!

After the camp we took Courtnie to her friend Bailey's house to spend the night. She was so excited (and so were Jen and I because it meant we had a full 24 hrs. without her around!). So now all we had was one kid...one kid that went over to Mr. Pat's house for the night. Ahhh....relief.

Jen and I went to a Pampered Chef party. I must say, it was HILARIOUS. I swear, I feel like I have mastered acting like I am 40 yrs old. We sat around and talked about kitchen appliances--all of which Jen had and I had used. I talked my little ear off and won all kinds of prizes...it was AWESOME! We also talked about diets and pregnancy and annoying husbands--so classic. I felt like I was in a play or something and I was just acting it up. Ya'll would've died to hear me. Anyway, I bought a few small things and then we were on our way. We picked up Camerin from Mr. Pat's and went home for a LONG and peaceful night!

Today is a lazy day. I think I will go for a run and then just put on some loungy clothes. Mr. Pat--a friend of the fam (who is basically an extended part of the fam)-- is coming over to cook for us tonight. His birthday was a few days ago and his tradition is to take all of his friends out to dinner one night (which we did on thursday) and then to make dinner for his friends another night. Its really cool too because he went to culinary school and used to be a chef so he's got his shit together. He's impressed with how much I know though. Like he and I will be talking in cooking terms and Jen will just sit there cracking up. Anyway, yeah. Im really looking forward to what he has to make us.

Momma, I am going to call you tonight so hopefully ya'll are home. I'll probably try around 9 pm our time---which is noon your time. I could call earlier, but i dont know when we're eating dinner. Thanks for the mid-week encouragement...you're the best.

alright...back to my relaxing day. hope you are all doing well and enjoying this last month of summer.

auf wiedersehen,
beth o.

2005-08-10T04:45:00.000-07:00

Hello world...

Not much to report today. Just another wednesday--kids are doing great. The weather has been cold for quite a while now. I miss the sun. Aparently its one of the coldest summers--the farmers are worried that the grapes wont be very good this year. We'll see.

All the wheat has been picked. During my run last night it was just so bizarre to see how different the landscape looks with these tilled fields. Its so great. The air smelled like manure because they are started to turn the crops and replenish the soil. I never realized that farming is such a science--pretty cool stuff.

We have been playing Dance Dance Revolution these last few days. It is so great--and I am getting really good I kinda scare myself. For those of you who have never heard of it, its a game made for xbox (the game system) and it comes with a mat that you use to step on and do the dance moves as directed by the tv screen. Kinda confusing to explain, but thats about as good as I can do. Anyway, its a perfect way for Camerin to get out his ADHD tendencies and let the rest of us go about our day in peace and quiet. That is, of course, if Im not playing. Its a great way to work out--no joke. There's a fitness mode on it that will count the calories that you are burning. So far I've burned 400 calories--hahahahaha! Sooo good.

Anyway, thats about it. I'm ready to start packing and get home. Just a few more travels--first Amsterdam and then Italy--and then home. Let me know how ya'll are doing.

Ciao,
beth o.

2005-08-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

Wow.

So...I just got back from Munich, and I must say, it was an amazing trip. If you ever get a chance to go, you must. Really...such a fun place.

It all started on Saturday morning. Well...I guess I should start on Friday night. We (Jen and I) took the kids out to dinner with our friend Pat to tell them that Jen would be coming to Munich with me. We went to this great restaurant and I had the most amazing salad! I swear, the salads here are to DIE for----i could eat one for every meal and not feel like I was missing out on a thing. Anyway, we broke the news to the kids and they were SOOOO excited to be spending the weekend with Mr. Pat. We finished the meal with a complementary shot of sour apple schnapps and were on our way.

Saturday morning, after very little sleep, we hopped on the ICE train to Munich. For 64 Euro each way, I was hoping to be picked up by a knight in shining armor. I mean, that's about 150 bucks round trip to go to a city that is only 4 hours away!!!! Anyway, with only a few minutes to spare we hopped on the train and tried to find seats. We were quite unsuccessful however. We found two seats together only to be kicked out by a young girl who said she had that seat "reserved." What the f??? We didnt even have seat numbers on our tickets!! So...we went back to the dining car and had a cup of coffee, contemplating our next move. Basically, we bounced around the train--from the smoking car to the non-smoking car--until we arrived 3 hours later to Munich. I must say, I was impressed with the train. It travels up to 200 mph, and is extremely comfortable...once you find a seat anyway.

So...once in Munich we decided to put our stuff down in our hostel. We hadnt made reservations, so we just walked around until we found a nice place and a really good price. For 19 euro (about 13 bucks) we were put in a room w/ 10 other people and given breakfast the next morning. Not too shabby. We locked up our valuables and decided to head out on the town and see what trouble we could get ourselves into.

Jen was so excited to be out and away from the kids. She is only 28, but when she got married she was thrown into motherhood and has had a hard time just being able to "act her age."

Anyway, we walked around and grabbed lunch at Augustiner Restaurant and Brewery--there are like 8 of them in downtown Munich. We continued to walk and shop. It was perfect weather--it kind of felt like fall. Anyway, we just so happened to be there during their "Summer Fest." So we tried all kinds of fresh fruits and veggies and even my all time favorite bruschetta!! SOO good. I bought some red curry powder--a huge bag for 1 euro!! I cant wait to try it out!!!!

We continued walking through the city. We found a coffee shop and sat down for a bit to rest our feet. The coffee shop, however, was actually a shoe store that had a coffee shop in the back--two of my FAVORITE things in one!!! Anyway, I bought two pairs of shoes and two AMAZINGLY ADORABLE belts for under 30 euro...i was soooo stoked!! They were all made in Italy and they honestly could have been sold for 200 bucks total in the states!! What a find!! (dont worry mom, ill get rid of old shoes here in order to make room for the new ones!! hehe!!)

Anyway, after the coffee shop, we walked and walked for like 4 hours until it was time to find a place to eat dinner. I'm sure many of you have heard of the famous Hofbrauhaus. WELL...we decided we would check it out. Basically, it is the most popular tourist spot in Munich. Its a brewery that is a party all the time. There is an "oompa" band that plays and there is constantly beer being poured from the tap. Its like walking into Oktoberfest at any time of the year.

Anyway, we walked around for about 30 minutes looking for a seat and finally found ourselves outside on the patio. We had found seats inside, but it was soooo smokey that i could hardly breathe.

I'll tell you, two girls walking through that place by themselves sure to get a lot of attention. We had hoots and hollers from every direction--which was even more hilarious walking out of the place. We had our drinks and spent about 3 hours just chatting and drinking and people watching. When it was time to go, we walked back through the place and were summoned in every direction. Amazing what a little beer can do to guys. Anyway, we kept our cool and decided we would walk around the city a bit and find another hot spot to get a drink. The beer was so good though--I dont know what kind of beer it is or what makes it so good, but the Hofbrauhaus Original is now my favorite beer. MMMmmm.

We walked around and had fun laughing and being goofy. Jen popped a squat and left her mark on Munich as I kept watch for passers by. We eventually made our way to a sports bar where we had our final drink of the evening and watched some locals get in a scuff. Some guy refused to pay his tab at the bar and it was about a 45 minute ordeal with the security guy getting involved and everything. Our waitress was sooo nice and was so excited to see tourists visit this little hole in the wall. It was adorable.

Anyway, we made our way back to the hostel on the tram, only to find our beds covered with someone elses stuff. We walked into the room quietly because a lot of people were already asleep. We moved the stuff off our beds and just hopped in with jeans on and all--I didnt bother changing b/c we couldnt turn the light on. Anyway, at around 4 am, the guy who's stuff was on Jens bed woke her up saying, "This is my bed." Well...we had checked in earlier that day and been given cards with our names on them which are supposed to be placed in the plastic sleeves on the bed posts, indicating they are occupied. Apparently, this guy didnt know that. So, she explained it to him and he stumbled out of our room with his stuff. Im not sure where he ended up sleeping, but oh well.

It was hilarious waking up and realizing that we were surrounded by a bunch of strangers. We were only 2 of 3 girls in that room--the other 7 people were guys. I think guys outnumber girls in Munich. Something about beer and male-bonding in Munich that just attracts more guys...classic. Anyway, we met a few characters and breakfast, only to say goodbye as we started out on the town again.

We checked out of our room and stored our big bags of purchases from the previous day in the luggage room. It was pouring rain when we left the hostel, but we didnt care. Within seconds, I was soaked to the bone. We hopped on the tram and headed to the center of town. All of the shops were closed, but the churches were opened. We went into about 5 churches--they were so gorgeous!! I love the architecture!!!! Each one has its unique style, but it is interesting to me how they use symbols of both good AND evil in their decor. Our modern churches have left out the evil aspect--something that I would like to explore and maybe read about. Anyway...it was cool.

Eventually we ran out of churches and still needed a place to take cover from the rain. We just so happened to be across the street from the Hofbrauhaus, so we went back!!!!!!! I am sooo happy we did, because it was SOOOO awesome the second time around.

So...sunday morning, aparently, is when the locals come out. We walked in and found ourselves in a completely different atmosphere than the night before. There was less smoke and more dancing and music. We sat ourselves right next to the "stamptisch" which is a table where the locals/regulars sit. It is constantly reserved for them and no one else is allowed to sit there. It was about 11:30 am...but Jen and I decided to order beers. We intended to order 1/2 liter beers, BUT to our surprise, we were presented with LITER GLASSES!!!

Let me tell you, EVERY MAN IN THAT PLACE STARED AT US AND CRACKED UP!! Here we are, two women sitting at a table by themselves drinking liters of beer on sunday morning!!! We immediately drew the attention of everyone around as we began to do the drinking cheers. Pretty soon, the entire Stamptisch was making toasts to us and summoning us to their table. We stayed put, but continued to raise our glasses to them. The women at the stamptish were hilarious. There were 4 of them--all of them well over 60. The youngest of the bunch, probably in her mid 60's, was the hot ticket. All of the men wanted to dance with her--she was AMAZING!! She had piercings all the way down her ear...and in her nose...and she just danced with everyone around. She wore the traditional bavarian outfit and was just loving every moment of her time dancing.

As we were leaving, the Stamptisch again invited us to sit down with them. While it was tempting to stay, we decided just to chat for a while, take some pictures, and then be on our way. They are there every sunday, however, so if you ever find yourselves in Munich on a Sunday morning, make your way to the Hofbrauhaus and say hello to our friends.

After that, we headed back to the hostel to pick up our stuff and made our way to the train station. We got on the train early and found seats so we could take a rest on the way home.

While it was a great trip, i was ready to make it back to Wattenheim. Jen and I had such a great time just doing whatever we felt like. I was so happy to have someone to travel with. While I'm sure I could have done it on my own, I dont think I would have been nearly as daring as I was with her. Similarly, she said she never would have done this on her own. She told me, "i definetly went out on a limb this trip." See...she is a classic southern belle that just wouldnt have stayed in a hostel or anything like that. Also...when we went shoe shopping, she bought shoes like mine in order to "Stay up with the latest U.S. fashions!!" haha!! Loveit.

The kids were so excited to see us--we got jumped on the second we walked off the train. I must say, it was nice getting such big hugs from them. While they drive me crazy, they are so loving and sweet. Jen and I talked a lot about the issues that lay ahead and the difficulty she has had with their birth mother situation, but right now all they need is love.

Sorry for the long post--there are pictures posted on kodakgallery.com. By special request, there are more picture of me...as opposed to just buildings and structures. Hope that you enjoy and that summer is going smoothly for all of you!!!

much lovin,
beano.

2005-08-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALANA!!

Today has been a great/relaxing day. It has been relatively calm, with very few quarrels and arguments....well...until about 15 minutes ago. We watched A Knights Tale and I was reassured in my belief that Heath Ledger is officially the most attractive man on this universe. Other than that, nothing else to report!

OOOOOOO YEAH! JEN is coming with me to MUNICH!!!! I am soooo excited. She called me this morning from work screaming and giggling she was so excited!! She says, "I cant tell you the last time I went anywhere without the kids!!!" YAYAYAYAYAYAY! Its going to be great. We are staying at a really nice hostel for 13 euro a night--about 19 bucks. It has a free breakfast buffet, free city tour, and free ten minutes of internet...so i'll think we'll be set! Even though she has already been there, I think this trip will be just as exciting for her as it will be for me. No kids in munich makes a big difference--especially when it comes to the nightlife!

Anyway, I guess that is big news. Oh yea...I also got an email from one of the directors from the program in Chile for January 2006!!!! SOO excited about that...except not so excited about buying the plane ticket.

Alright, I guess thats it for today. Tonight we are going to look at a house we looked at last week. Its a 12 bedroom place--HUGE. The backyard is adorable and it has these ginormous zucchini and other squash plants (mom, you'd LOVE it!). I dont know if they are going to go with it. Its in a town even SMALLER than the one we're living in now (which is pretty difficult to fathom). We shall see.

I cant wait for Mario--the ice cream man. Well, actually, its gelato. He is so adorable. He is italian, but he speaks german and french as well (people over here amaze me w/ how many languages they speak). He makes the most AMAZING ice cream. My favorite so far: Spaghetti Ice. I think I talked about it in one of my emails--its ice cream that is made to look like spaghetti. DELEESH! Anyway, I have been cutting back on my ice cream intake for the past week and have decided that today will be my day to indulge. After all, its Friday! Cant wait to hear him ring his bell coming down the street!! Yeehaw.

Love to all,
Betho.

2005-08-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hello Again...

Another relatively uneventful day around here. Courtnie cried three times today--more than yesterday--but they were all taken care of.

I got a call around 11 am from Phillip from EnjoyTours--the tour company that was running the Bavaria trip. It was cancelled. SOOOO....my NEW plan is to take the train. While it is a bit more expensive than the Bavaria trip, I get to spend the night and hang out in Munich longer--which is awesome!! AND GET THIS--Jen is thinking about coming with me!!!!!!!! I just talked to her...about three minutes ago...and she was saying how much she wanted to come and hang out with me and just act young again!!!! Our friend Pat offered to take the kids for the weekend...so...if all goes as planned, i will have a travel buddy! I'm so excited!!! Jen really needs to get away for a little bit, even if it is only two days. She hasnt really had a break from the kids AND Brian since they got married. I dont know about you, but I would feel so trapped if that was me. Anyway, we'll see...i'll keep ya'll updated.

Anyone want anything from Munich in particular?? A beer opener? A beer? Oktoberfest paraphanalia?

So... I'm thinking about going back to my old job at Estancia when I get back to San Diego. I wasnt planning on it, but it would be so nice to earn some money before heading out on my adventures in south america. I was told that my job would be waiting for me when I got back from this trip, but I'm not sure if theyd be willing to take me back just until december. I'll have to go in when I get back and see what they'll offer me. We'll see.

Anyway, thats all for now. I continued to be impressed w/ the gardens today when I was running. The driveways are so clean that I could eat dinner off of them and remain unharmed. So great. Oh...and I noticed a sanctuary today with a lit candle that I had never noticed before. It has a statue of the Virgin Mary in it--seems to be a common theme here. Every shrineyou see usually has some emblem of Mary on it. Its pretty interesting, but I couldn't read what it said so I wasnt sure what it was all about.

Okay...thats officially all for now. Take Care!!!!!

More Hugs and More kisses,
Bean O.

2005-08-04T00:31:00.000-07:00

hey y'all....

well, im in better spirits today. the kids were a little better yesterday, although courtnie was sent to her room. whats new.

anyway, i didnt get a chance to sit down and write yesterday, and there wasnt really much to report, so i wanted to just share something that maybe you would find interesting about german culture.

i was running yesterday and saw a man sweeping the sidewalk outside of his house and it triggered my memory. my mom told me prior to leaving for germany that the germans take much pride in the outside of their houses. they will sweep their driveway, sidewalk, and porch every day. dirt and leaves on the driveway are just as bad as pieces of trash. anyway..

i was talking to jen and she was telling me that by law, the residents of the house are responsible for the sidewalk in front of their house. This means that if someone trips on something on your sidewalk and gets hurt, you are responsible. of course, its not like the u.s. where they would sue you, although they could. so...during the winter, if your sidewalk has ice on it, you are in trouble.

jen says that more germans walk during the winter than the summer. if it is 0 degrees and snowing outside, you will see more people walking than in the summer when its 90 degrees. they just dont do well with heat. so keeping the sidewalk salted and cleared is super important.

also, there is a secret to the flowers here. i have seen impatient plants twenty times the size of my head. they are absolutely AMAZING. I am trying to figure out the secret, but i really just think that they give their gardens and plants extra tender loving care. or maybe its the gnomes--like the one pictured above--that you see in EVERY garden. im going to bring one home...they are SOO cute!! I've seen gardens that have more gnomes than flowers. Any one else want one?? They sell them at every store!! mom, im going to try to sneak home some of the bulbs from holland and see if we can get them to grow. jen has some and they are GORGEOUS!

anyway, thats all i have for now. as of today i have exactly one month!! im getting excited thinking about home. i think im going to get rid of a lot of the clothes i have here and load up lots of stuff to take home. there's just so much great stuff here--endless souveniers and gadgets and gizmos for friends and fam.

i love you all!!

betho.

ps...i had some of the most AMAZING berries yesterday. blackberries, raspberries, blueberries. I swear, if our produce was this fresh in the U.S. i would be skinny as can be. I am happy with a bowl of blueberries instead of ice cream....SO GOOD!

2005-08-02T04:27:00.000-07:00

Oh Dear.

Today I am frustrated. It is as if I have reached max capacity for complaints. These children are the most ungrateful beasts. Everyday I make them lunch and there is a complaint. Someone is unhappy. Someone doesnt want their homemade biscuit. Someone doesnt like tomatoe sauce. Someone would have rather had ramen noodles. I mean HONEST TO GOD...Shut the F UP! I really yell that (in my head of course) some days. I cannot stand to hear it one more time.

What is frustrating is that it isnt just me. Poor Jen gets it all the time and she is getting fed up as well. It is as if 3 years of being raised only by their father and being taken out to McDonald's every night has made them into animals that will settle for nothing less....not to say that my food doesnt beat McDonalds, but they want the free toy and the soda and the CRAP food.

Jen and I have talked about it a number of times. She LOVES to cook like I do....and she is really really good at it (she has like every gadget in the world...from a cheese grater to a salad spinner to an avocado scraper) but she is giving up because these kids just pick apart and criticize everything.

To add to my frustration...something that happened yesterday...I had this great idea for something nice to do for Brian before he left (hes in Baltimore until after I leave). Toward the beginning of my stay I made my famous Chocolate Chip cookies and he loved them, so I thought it would be nice to make them again. I told the kids the idea. We would put them in a big ziploc bag that the kids decorated and wrote notes on. I wrote a small note and labeled the bag "Brian's Airplane Goodies." Well...the kids wrote their notes and then sat down to eat lunch. I told them to hurry up so that they could help me make cookies. I went back into the kitchen to start getting things ready. I checked back in with them every 15 minutes to see how they were coming along, and after an hour they were arguing and had hardly put a dent in the food I made them. I finally went and picked up all of their plates...dumped the food...and started working on the cookies. None of them helped, until the very end when they argued about who would pour in the chocolate chips. I was so damn frustrated I couldnt get over it. And to make matters worse, when their dad got home courtnie said, "DADDY, LOOK WHAT WE MADE FOR YOU!!" Ugh. Whatever. I guess I just miss you old roomies that never complained about what I made and all you guys that would devour any food product that sat in front of you. Where you at?? I cant wait to be around my good 'ol grateful friends and family. Daddyo...I know you would have loved those cookies--I would have much rather been making them for you.

Anyway, on the bright side (kinda) its been rainy for over 24 hours now and has therefore put me in a Christmas mood. This is my favorite kind of day. While I love the sun, I also love snuggling up with a blanket and a good book---or without a good book---and just relaxing. I have been listening to Christmas carols for the last few hours with the kids. But their idea of Christmas is just classic kid-like. They say, "why do you like christmas so much? because its Jesus' birthday? or the presents?" When I explained about how you can like Christmas without presents...like my family does...they got so confused! I guess I would too if I was a kid, but for some reason it seems like material things are so much more important to these kids. Like they said, "I cant wait for daddy to come home so that I can get my present!" --He brings them presents every time he comes home from a trip. That comment alone made me want to vomit.

I have always said that I have to take lessons from my parents before I decide to have any kids. Now, I definetly know I do--if I end up with kids like this, I will go crazy. They are sooo ridiculous. I dont know if any of you remeber the show "Tiny Toons," but if you do, there is one character--Elvira (or maybe its Elmira) that is the biggest brat and destroys everything in her wake. That is kind of how these kids are...all combined. We watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory the other day and I decided that they are like a mix between Veruca and Mike Radio. Camerin is actually EXACTLY Mike Radio...and actually looks like him too. Weird.

Anyway, these are my latest frustrations. Dont worry though, I'll get over it. I have always said that I need to work on my patience, and this summer is definetly my time to do so.

I signed up for the Bavaria trip again...although I think it will be canceled again because of the lack of people taking the trip. We'll see. If they cancel it this time, I will just plan on taking the train to Munich myself.

I guess that is all I have to say for now. I'm not sure that anyone actually reads these things, but I'm over it. Its a nice way for me to just let it all out on the page.

Take Care
Beth O.

2005-07-31T04:44:00.000-07:00

Hello to All...

So...approximately 12 hours ago I returned home from Paris, and I have been sleeping since. I have so much to say before I will feel fulfilled in sharing my adventures with you, so bear with me.

It all started at--well--6:30 pm on Friday. The fam hopped in the truck and we went to Vogelweh Air Base to kill some time before I got picked up at 10:30. The fam likes doing Friday night movies, so we went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was AWESOME! I highly recommend it. While it doesn't capture everything from the original, it does a good job with what it had time for. An absolute must see. I have decided that if I ever become a billionaire, I am going to build a chocolate factory. Thats another story.

So...after the movie we headed toward Sembach. On our way, we saw a bus pulled on the side of the road and people were getting in. Jen said that it was my bus, but I didnt think so. Regardless, we kept driving to my pick up point and waited, and waited. I finally called the emergency number to see where the bus was and why it hadnt picked me up. Turns out the bus we saw on the side of the road was mine--they were delayed and would be there any minute.

Alright....so I finally got on the bus. Im on the bus for about an hour and all of a sudden we stop. Apparently there is a transfer point (which I didnt know about). Good thing I wasnt asleep. We had to get off the bus and everyone had to go to their appropriate trip bus. There were four different buses (labeled 1-4) and I was on bus 4....the one bus that was yet to arrive. So we waited...and waited. I began to feel like the goosebumps on my legs were going to become permenant if i didnt do something. So, in the middle of the parking lot I pulled the spandex out of my bag and began to put them on. Hilarious, everyone thought I was crazy...myself included.

Alright... so our bus arrived and we got on. After traveling for an hour and a half I saw that we had JUSTED passed the exit for my house in Watteheim. So far I had beeen en route for 3 hours and hadnt even gotten a step closer to Paris!!!!! AAAHHHH!!!!! I decided I would try to sleep in order to let time pass faster. Of course, right when I decided to do that, the temperature began to drop. I was the only one on the bus without a blanket or pillow, so I put on my ipod and decided to brace myself for a long trip.

Okay...so 4.5 hours later, with no sleep, we begin approaching Paris. We dropped off the people going to disneyland for the day and continued to our first stop--breakfast. Jen had advised me that the breakfast wasnt that great, but i decided I'd go for it anyway. I figured a good croissant and a cup of coffee would end up costing me 10 bucks anywhere, so whatever. It was classic. I got eggs, a croissant, and a cup of coffee through the buffet line and sat there with my tray looking for a seat. It was packed--two tour buses had been dropped off there at the same time as ours, so it was impossible to find a seat. I felt like a kid on the first day of school. No friends. Hilarious. Anyway, a couple near me stood up and cleared their place and I snagged a seat.

Within a few minutes a girl sat down and we began to chat. She was the only other person on my tour that was on her own--all the rest of the people were families and stuff. So we got to talking. Her name is Robbie and she is 22...from Iowa. She runs a day camp for military children at one of the bases. Its a pretty cool program. The military pays your airfare anywhere in the world(she went to Tokyo last year) and then pays you 22 bucks a day to play with kids and take them on local trips and stuff. Not too shabby--a good way to travel w/out paying for hardly anything. So anyway...robbie and I decide that we are going to be travel buddies for the rest of the day and ditch the optional tour at the end of the day...details are on the way...

Ok...after breakfast we start the city tour. I THOUGHT it was going to be a walking city tour, but I am wrong. Basically, our tour guide gives us the history of every remotely interesting looking building in the Paris area and we jump out of the bus and take pics when the bus stops. It was a good way to get generally acquainted with the city, but not my idea of "getting to experience paris." So...after the last stop of the tour, Robbie and I talk to the tour guide....

We asked the tour guide if we could take off on our own and meet up with them somewhere that afternoon...and she said YES! The optional tour was on a boat...basically the same thing we had just done on the bus...taking pictures without getting close to SEEING anything...so Robbie and I were stoked that we got to bail out. Okay...so we mapped out what we for SURE wanted to see. We wanted to make it through the Louvre, to the Eiffel Tower, to the Army Museum, the Arch de Triumphe, and the Notre Dame Cathedral and still have some time for souvenier shopping...but we only had 4 hours. SOOO...we rushed to the Louvre first. It was AMAZING!! We spent about two hours there...seeing the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of France...and MANY others!!! It was awesome!!!

We left there with two hours on the clock. We basically power walked/ran the entire stretch to the Eiffel Tower in the pouring rain. It had been gorgeous that morning (while we were on the bus) and now the weather was just wild. ANyway...we made it to the tower and took our pictures--classic tourist stuff. The line to get up the tower was insane and I wasnt about to stand in it for the only hour we had left so we ran back toward Concorde Square and saw the Arch de Triumphe and everything....it was just amazing.

By the time we got back on the bus, I was soaked from head to toe and my body was in pain...but it was sooo worth it. We were headed to a restaurant for our 3 course dinner which was included---so goood. I had french onion soup, chicken, crem de caramel, and a glas of wine. Such a great way to end the day.

I am so happy that I can say that I have seen Paris. I truly enjoyed myself, and yet Im not sure if I will make it back. Don't get me wrong, it is a beautiful city with so much history, but it is just a very hectic place based a lot on material goods. I hardly got a chance to shop for souveniers, but we did pass about a thousand jewelery and designer handbag/clothing shops. SO many people just go to Paris to shop...and I just dont really feel like spending 300 bucks on a shoelace. Anyway, it was a great experience nontheless. For those of you that have been, I hope you were able to see other parts of France as well. While Paris houses a lot of history, I dont feel like it gives you a good taste of French culture. I feel like Strassburg did a better job of giving me a taste and feel of the French culture and allowed me to appreciate the country a lot more than Paris. The tour guide told us that Paris has become so expensive to live in that only the richest of the rich can afford it. Kinda sad that the students of the University in downtown Paris dont even hang out or do anything there because it is too expensive. I guess I just missed the wandering artists and musicians that were all over Strassburg. I guess they just didnt meet the standards in Paris.

It felt great to get out and do some traveling on my own. I didnt get back until 1 a.m. and then I didnt wake up until 1 p.m....so i'm a little drowsy. I hope all is well with everyone. I posted my new photos on kodakgallery.com...so go ahead and take a look. I miss you all and I think fondly of the day that I get to go home.

Hugs and Kisses,
Beth O.

2005-07-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

hey guys!!

so...not much news to report today. i woke up this morning and it was GORGEOUS outside...so we decided to head out to the pool. that is, of course, after washing courtnie's sheets--she wet the bed (i forgot about that part of being a kid).

when we got back from the pool there was a message blinking. i listened to it and it was for me!!! that was my first phone call...kind of a weird sensation getting a phone call at a house that isnt yours!! any way, it was the people from the tour agency that i booked with a few months ago. I am supposed to be going on a Bavaria Tour this weekend to Munich and the whole Bavaria region. WELLL....aparently they didnt meet the minimum for the number of people who had to sign up...so it was canceled. They did, however, offered me the trip to Paris this weekend in exchange for Bavaria.....SOOOOOO...it looks like I'm going to PARIS! I've never had a huge desire to go to Paris, but I'm in the middle of reading the Da Vince code and now i feel like i really should go!!! (thanks for the encouragement mama...you always say the right thing!!!!) I figure that an extra hundred dollars now is better than 1,000 dollars+ later. you know??? anyway...it looks like munich will be rescheduled for the 5-7 of August.

anyway...after that drama the fam went out to dinner and shop for school supplies. they wanted me to go, but i already had my mind set on running tonight...and i knew if i went out to dinner there was no way i would run. so, i stayed behind for some quiet time and some run time.

My run was very interesting. Well...for many reasons. First of all, i havent run in a week (ugh) so that was interesting. But even cooler was that the farmers have begun harvesting the wheat. Its sooooo cool. This big machine chops the wheat tops off and stores it and then cuts the stalks of the wheat into hay bales. it was soo cool to watch!!

Seeing the wheat being harvested also made me feel like i've been here for a long time. when i got here, all the wheat fields were bright green. Watching them turn to brown, and now be cut down has really made it feel like I have seen a full cycle completed.

I hope everything is great where you all are. Happy Birthday to Chase tomorrow if you read this--and if not, you may just be getting a phone call from me!! Oh yea---TINA is going to meet up with Alex and I in Rome!! YAY girl!! We will have so much fun!!

Ok....thats all for now.

all my lovin'
beth o.

2005-07-25T03:37:00.000-07:00

guten tag...
well, im back to the same old routine today. you know, eating fruit loops for breakfast and watching old yeller and playing dress-up. being a kid is the best.

we said goodbye to donna and kathryn this morning--jens mom and niece. it was weird seeing them come and go. i feel like i truly live here now...i didnt feel that way until they visited. seeing them pack up and leave for the airport made me think about what its going to be like for me to leave. so weird...but i will definetly be ready.

there's not much to report from this side of the world. the weather is pretty overcast today so we are staying cozy inside.

take care...i love you all
bean

2005-07-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

Alo...

Wow. Another long day of vacation is under my belt. I tell you, this family sure does vacation differently than my own. I am used to days just enjoying each others company...not venturing off on long train rides from dawn until dusk. Wild.

Today we headed out to Rudesheim. I will be honest, I wasnt so stoked for this trip for a number of reasons. First, this is day number 8 of vacation, and I'm kind of ready to get back to the basic schedule. Second, I wasn't really looking forward to the train because we just did that a few weekends ago and it just makes things a bit more stressful. And Thirdly, we had been to this general area of the Rhein twice already and I didnt really understand why we were going back exactly. However, I was to be proven wrong in just a few hours.

We hopped on the train in Grunsdat and made all of our transfers, turning up in Bingen by 1130. Nothing new so far--I've already seen Bingen in previous visits. However, we THEN took a ferry across the river to Rudesheim. This is where the fun begins. The only thing I knew about Rudesheim was that it was the location of the Asbach brewery (Asbach is a liquor that is kind of like whiskey but smoother...and it can get you very wasted. i learned that at the block party i went to a few weeks ago!! wowzers). Anyway, we arrived in Rudesheim and i was stunned at the picturesque little town. The streets were lined with shops and adorable restaurants and wineries. My negative attitude and doubts about the trip were quickly erased--especially at the sight of a specific store.

The Kathe Wohlfahrt store is a Christmas shop that is famous around Germany and apparently all around the world. I walked inside and became a child. It was AMAZING. All of these hand crafted Christmas decorations that were magical. I saw all of the old decor that my mother has had since I was first born--I saw the origin of the smoking santa and the pyramid. I smelled the old incense cones that we havent been able to find anywhere. I saw the origin of the Lion ornament that does jumping jacks when you pull its tail. It was all there--every little thing that I loved about our Oristian Christmas---everything that made our decor unique. I was SO excited.

Those of you that know me understand my obsession with Christmas. It is just one of those things that can make me smile at any moment. I have this love for Christmas that melts my pessimism and makes everything okay. Christmas carols get me through my stress at school and make me feel at home. In fact, I am listening to carols right now. I dont know what it is, but there is a magical sense of compassion and excitement that I get with the anticipation of Christmas, and it is one of my goals in life to try and keep that spirit alive all year round. I found that I am not alone in that endeavor...aparently many Germans feel the same way.

Anyway, after our venture through the Christmas store we ate an amazing lunch and then tasted ice wine. Ice wine is a very sweet wine that is usually served as a dessert wine. Bottles usually run between 70-80 bucks in the states...its good stuff. Anyway, as I understand it, the grapes are frozen while still on the vine and then when they thaw the flavor is much more condensed. It almost tastes like you are drinking white grape juice with triple sec or something. It doesnt taste like wine. Pretty crazy.

After our wine adventure we headed to what looked like an old ski lift. This lift took us over the hills covered with grape vines and up to a walking path. We took the walking path about a half mile through the forest until we came upon a HUGE statue that we had seen from the base of the hills. This statue was built in 1877 after the French-German war. It represented the rebirth of Germany and uses many symbols to emphasize the pride for the German nation. After walking about 3 miles and walking through a supposed "enchanted cave" of some prince or something (names are difficult to remember here...especially when i hear so many in a day), we made it to another ski lift that took us down to a boat...which we then took back to our starting point in Bingen. That ski lift ride was pretty much the most peaceful time ever---remember that mom?? That was our favorite, the peaceful time we had on the ski lifts when we would go up to the Sierra! So great.

Bottom line: we had a big/long day. We got back at 8 oclock w/out having had dinner, so Brian and his friend Pat decided to make a gourmet meal....seriously. Dad, you would have loved it. We started with fresh liverwurst spread on german wheat bread. Then we had garlic stuffed olives and cream cheese stuffed marinated red peppers. Then we had tomato cream soup. and THEN we had malitochin (sp?). Its like raviolis w/ pork and spinach, but the dense consistency and thick noodle wrapping makes it taste more like a potsticker. Its SOO good. Dont worry everyone...I have learned to cook a lot of this stuff---and Im sending home boxes of seasonings and ingredients so that I can share this amazing food with you all.

I guess I will leave it at that for now. Tomorrow morning we are getting brunch at a Brewery in downtown Kaiserslautern and then taking it easy (i hope) for the rest of the day. I swear, I have never eaten out this much in my life. And they wont let me pay for a dime of it! I mean, I feel like a princess or something...ridiculous! Monday all is back to normal-- Jen's mom Darlene and her niece Kathryn take off for Alabama and we begin the week as usual. Of course, then I will be off to Bavaria...the traveling has really just BEGUN!

Take care...I love you all...
bean.

ps...if any of you are interested in visiting let me know. alex is the only brave one so far!!!!! YEEHAW!

pps...today i pet bambi!!! I swear it was bambi and his family--we went to a deer park or something. it was great...i got to feed them and touch them. they are such beautiful creatures. i dont know why anyone would walk to kill something so innocent. ok...peaceout.

2005-07-22T02:13:00.000-07:00

Hello there world...

So this past week I made it to my 8th country--Switzerland. It was actually a surprise to me because Jen hadnt told me the entire itinerary for the vacation. Anyway, it was amazing. I just have to figure out where to begin.

I guess I should start with us picking up the rental car. Jen and Brian decided that it would probably be cheaper to rent a car that would fit all 9 of us then it would to take two cars and pay for the gas on those two vehicles. sooo....we picked up a 9 passenger van. it was hilarious. sparkling silver--it looked like a space vehicle. I have a picture posted. We officially became the Brady Bunch.

Anyway, the huge van proved to be the perfect thing to make the trip. Brian has now decided that he wants to trade in their truck and buy one--hilarious. We ended up saving hundreds of dollars on gas because it takes diesel. Gas here is soooooooo expensive and its sold by the liter, not by the gallon. So we could have easily spent 200 dollars on gas, but we only ended up spending about 70 bucks. So great.

Alright...enough about the car. Our trip technically began on Tuesday with us departing to the Bodensee region, but on Monday we took the car for a test drive to legoland. It was great, but not as great as I had thought in my head. I mean, the lego creations were AMAZING! I could have been satisfied just looking at those all day. However the rides, which I was mostly looking forward to, were not quite up to par. Regardless, it was a great first trip and the start of a wonderful vacation.

So...on Tuesday we began our trip to Lake Constance. We loaded into the car at 7 a.m. with our bags packed. All was going smoothly--we had our GPS operating and were on our way to an amazing vacation when all of a sudden I hear, "Brian, pull over. Courtnie is about to get sick." Sure enough, within a few seconds, Courtnie was bawling and puking into a cup. Now, for those of you who know me well, I am scared shitless of vomit. I will do whatever I can to avoid it and stay away from it. So....immediately I opened my window and stuck my head out, sucking in the fresh air. After a few minutes on the side of the road we packed back in and were on our way. Apparently it wasnt written into the job description, but the girls tend to get carsick quite often. I just hoped that would be the only incident of the trip...and it was.

Anyway, after 3 1/2 hours of driving, we made it to Insel Mainao. I was originally under the impression that we would be going straight to our campsite and then hiking through the Island on another day. However, Jen is a believer in staying busy during vacations, so we went straight to the Island to explore.

Insel Mainao is an Island in the middle of Lake Constance that is filled with flowers and a big palace with a gorgeous chapel. Every day tourists flock to the Island to see the beatiful landscaping and the butterfly farm that have given the Island its beauty. It truly is a serene place that is perfect for laying in the grass and reading a good book. It was so romantic...I was wishing that I was there with someone to share it with.

The children proved themselves as typical annoying children. They ran around being disruptive and reuining everything in their wake. It was extremely frustrating to all of us adults that were simply trying to enjoy ourselves. After several reminders, they began to calm down and we were able to enjoy the surroundings.

After leaving the Insel, we took off to our campsite in Tengen. We had a hard time finding the place and our GPS was giving us bogus directions. However, after several U-turns, we found our way.

The campsite was AMAZING. It lay in a huge valley surrounded by wheat fields. It was truly a retreat from the world. We had rented two "caravans." When Jen told me that, I had NO idea what to expect. But I was soon to find out.

A caravan is a camper trailer. It is just like the kind that you pull behind your car. However, at this camp site, they keep them in place and allow people like us to just stop by and use them. It was amazing--we fit 6 people in one and 3 people in the other. We split it up between girls and boys. Originally Courtnie was going to stay in the guys place, but after a little crying and whining she got her way (whats new).

So, we were very hungry upon arrival and asked the lady at the front desk where we could eat. She gave us a few recommendations of good places in town (because their restaurant there on the camp site wasnt open that day). We chose a place that looked like it could accomodate both the kids and the adults and headed on our way.

When we got to the restaurant, I was the first to walk in. I said, "Noyn, bite" (nine, please). She looked at me and smiled and said that they already had a table for us. She asked if we were from the campsite and I said yes. The lady at the front desk apparently had called her and told her we were on our way. Hilarious.

I ordered schnitzel...my second one of this trip. Once again it was out of this world. SOOO good. After dinner Jen convinced us to order two things of ice cream fondue. Lets just say that it was decadent....and 150 bucks later we were out the door. The other people in the restaurant laughed as we left and were amazed at how much we Americans can eat. I swore I would never be hungry again.

The next day was AMAZING. We went to a place called Affenberg--which literally means "Monkey Mountain" in German. Upon arriving we see these HUGE white storks. They were SOOOO cool....and they were EVERYWHERE!!! I just about died...i took soooo manny pictures! Anyway, we entered the park and the adventure began. This park, mostly run by young looking college students, is a sanctuary for storchs, North African Monkeys, deer and carribou, fish, swans, ducks, frogs, and i think thats it. The monkeys were the most impressive.

As we were walking through the first part of the park, we were waiting for the monkeys to show up. Then, we started walking uphill and noticed a gate ahead. People were slowing down and dipping there hand into a huge bag of something. Once we got closer I realized that it was POPCORN....for feeding the monkeys!!!!

Basically, this park has created a mock environment for these monkeys to flourish. It is huge!! They have planted these special trees that are much like the ones found in Algeria and Morroco and have re-made the natural environment for these monkeys. Apprently, these monkeys are number 2 on the endangered species list and this park is trying to change that. As we were walking, these monkeys would just come up to us and eat out of our hands. It was truly amazing. While the kids ran ahead, we adults started doing some tests to see how smart these little creatures really were.

We took a piece of popcorn and fed it to one monkey. Then, we took a piece that had dropped on the ground and tried to feed it to him, but he wouldn't take it. So...we went to a completely different monkey--one that hadnt seen us drop it--and tried to give it to him. He wouldn't take it and proceeded to make a face of aggression toward us for even suggesting that this was a piece of popcorn that he would eat. We countinued to take two pieces of popcorn--one that was dropped and one that wasn't--and held them out to yet another monkey. He chose the one that hadnt been dropped. They were amazing!! One last test...we took the piece to another monkey and watched him as he picked off the part that had fallen on the ground and then ate the rest. I was amazed...these animals are sooooo intelligent.

After leaving the park, we moved onto another part of Lake Constance called Pfahlbau that was a re-creation of a village from 4000 B.C. Apparently, scuba archaelogists back in the 1920s found these stakes in the ground that were in an abnormal figure. After doing some carbon dating and graphing out the placement of these poles, they concluded that this was an ancient settlement from the stone age. By 1940, they had recreated the village and made a museum to go along with it, teaching people about the history of this region. It was pretty amazing, but my feet could only take so much walking. After visiting the museum for about an hour and a half, we were on our way back to the campsite. Another day packed with fun.

Upon returning to the campsite we decided to take it easy and just eat dinner there at the restaurant. We were expecting a pretty casual restaurant...after all...this was camping. But once we got in, we realized we were in for a suprise. I ordered pork tenderloin with spetzle and fresh veggies. It was amazing!! As was the gelato following the meal!! We were so impressed...and so full...again.

After the meal I conquered the playground. I have rated it number 2 in my lifetime playground experiences. Just below the West Point Elementary school playground, this playground was phenomenal. It had a hang-glider thing and a slide. It even had a tire swing--oh childhood memories!! I'll tell ya, nothing can beat wooden playgrounds. They are simply the best.

Ok...so the next morning (thursday) was our checkout day. We still hadnt made it to the pool on the campsite because we had been so busy. So that morning we picked up fresh bread at the bakery and headed to the pool. It was a great way to start the day. I did some laps, relaxed in the hot tub, and even did some tanning. All the pools here in germany are indoor (well most anyway), but they make up for that by including tanning chairs where they use special lightbulbs to tan. It was awesome.

So...I thought that after checkout we were headed straight home. WRONG. We hopped in the car around 11:45 and headed out to SWITZERLAND!! It was AWESOME! Within 20 minutes were were across the border and into some beautiful country side. We made it to Stein am Rhein, an adorable village right on the Rhein River. All of the buildings are hand painted and the roads are all cobblestone. We grabbed lunch at an Italian Restaurant where I had a tomato salad. I figured I would keep it light--too much meat over the last few days. Plus, I needed to save room to sample some swiss chocolates. We went to a few touristy shops and I bought some gifts and postcards. Sometimes I just hate being a tourist, but then I realize that its necessary. The cashier at the souvenier shop was a young (attractive) guy with a New York City shirt on. He spoke perfect english and we got to talking a bit. I found out that he had just come back from the states. He was an exchange student in Minnesota for a year and then toured through the States and loved it. So funny. Minnesota...of all places! Hilar.

After leaving Stein am Rhein, we headed out to Rheinfalls--the biggest waterfall in Europe. It was spectacular. At first I wasn't too impressed. I mean, compared to pictures of Victoria Falls and Niagra Falls, i was expecting something a bit bigger. But, once we got on the boat and were taken to the base of the falls, I was blown away--literally. We were on this puny boat that takes you right to where the water crashes and sends you flying everywhere. The boat took off before I had a seat and I went flying--it was HILARIOUS! I was happy to get on shore in one piece.

We packed up the van for the last time...got our caffeine fix...and headed out. We had no car sickness on the way home (thank god) and made it home safely. We only stopped once, to eat dinner. Im telling you, they know how to do truck stops here. They had fresh cooked meals: from shnitzel to spaghetti to pork tenderloin to mashed potatoes. I stuck with the salad--I was still full from the last two nights of AMAZING dinners.

Anyway, now I am back...safe and sound. It really does feel like this room is my room and this house is my psuedo-home. I felt that "safe" feeling when walking through the door and I slept like an angel last night. Funny how perpective can change everything.

I am sorry for those of you who I have bored with this long and endless blog, but no one forced you to read it. I feel like I left out so much...there was so much emotion during each of these little trips that I just cant portray through writing. There is too much to explain...it is a hopeless effort.

There is just a feeling of immensity here. While at the camp site in Lake Constance Jen's mom and I went for a hike toward the Swiss forest. We were walking up this hill and came upon a tree with an empty bench beneath it. I thought about who had sat there and what they had pondered. I thought about Van Gogh and how he would have appreciated the emptiness of this scene. I thought about my family and friends that would have loved to sit there and just breathe the fresh air with me. Next to the bench was this sanctuary--it was a stone with a latin inscription and a figure of Mary. I dont know what it was for, or what it meant, or who made it, but it just seemed to fit. Even if it hadnt been there, this place was already a sanctuary....and I dont mean a religious sanctuary that is filled with expectations and regulations and laws and hierarchies and politics. It was just a sanctuary to life...a place for pondering--pondering belief and meaning and love. There was no answer, no question, just ambiguity and mystery up there on top of that mountain. All around us were tiny farms run by families that were just living. And that was enough for happiness.

I hope this blog finds you well and that maybe my thoughts will trigger something within you. If you pass it off as bullshit, that is fine too. I dont mind--I am the ultimate bullshitter. I love you all and look forward to this final month and a half before returning home.

Truly,
bean.

2005-07-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hey there world...

So, I had some issues with the last blog setup--hopefully this one will last me longer than two posts. We shall see.

I am having such an amazing time---I have so much to say, so much to see, so much to learn about life and experience and love and all of it. I feel like it is all just building up inside and I'll lose it if I dont write it down.

Its strange to me that I have come all the way over here just to make the simplest realizations about humanity--realizations that I could have made anywhere. I have realized that a smile can count for so much. That anyone can be a friend. That we are just a spec of a timeline. Family and friends are so important. True happiness is a point of view, only attainable with an open mind and a strong imagination.

I have also made realizations that I think I could only make here. Time spent sitting in a cafe is not time wasted--even if it may take four hours out of your day...everyday. There is no such thing as a time and place for drinking--all hours of the day are viable drinking hours. Theres nothing wrong with peeing on the side of the freeway. There is no need for air conditioning--just open the windows. Any piece of meat--even if its a heart or a liver or a lung of an animal--are capable of being made in the delectable treats. There's nothing wrong with going 140 mph on the freeway. I could go on...and Im sure I will have a long list by the end of all of this.

One of my favorite and most valuable realizations through this all has been captured through the story of Jen--the mother of the three children I am watching and the wife of Brian. Jen's story is a rough one, and one that you would never guess by seeing her cheery face and listening to her gossip with her long southern drawl. She is a classic Alabama girl--hilarious.

Jen's story is moving because it is filled with some rough times. She was one of two kids--well three if you count her cousin who was raised with her and her brother. Thats a whole other story. Anyway, Jen grew up in Tuscaloosa Alabama. Her and her brother were extremely close. I believe they were only about two years apart in age. Anyway, Im not exactly sure of the time frame, but I think Jen was just about to start college and her brother had just received a new job and was feeling really excited about it all. He was finally makin good money and decided that he was going to celebrate on his first day off. He an his buddies used to spend their days off together by going out and hunting (classic southern pasttime). Anyway, Doug (her brothers name) decided he would go out with his first pay check and buy a hunting rifle for himself as a treat. Usually he and his friends would just share...they werent serious hunters. So, he wanted to take this new gun out and celebrate and try it out, but his buddies were all working that day. So he decided to go by himself--he didnt want to waste his day off! So, he took the gun out to the forest and didnt really think anything of it. He hadn't taken the appropriate precautions of putting on the orange vest to ward off other hunters, to keep him from being mistaken for a deer or something. Doug was shot and sat there for 2 days missing while the family frantically sent out searches. He was dead.

I just about cried my tears out when I heard to story. Doug and his wife had just had a baby and he wouldnt see her grow up. The baby's name was Kathryn--she is visiting with us here in Germany right now. The effect that her father's lack of prescence in her life is apparent just by looking into her eyes and seeing the sadness that she has in her heart. Jen took it upon herself to make Kathryn feel loved. After Doug was shot, Monica (his wife) disappeared for months. She took the baby Kathryn with her and went into seclusion immediately--changing her last name back to her maiden name just 9 days after his death! As soon as they returned, Jen took it upon herself to provide daycare for the child and take night classes. That baby was all that remained of her brother.

The hardship doesnt end there. Jens mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Not the easy cure kind--the hard core/you are going to die kind. Sorry to be so blunt, but thats the way Jen's mom looks at the situation. I spoke with her about it for a long time yesterday. She was diagnosed in 1991 (i think) and has been undergoing treatment ever since. She has gone through kemotherapy and surgery after surgery. She is currently taking medication that should give her 5 more years to live. Her outlook is, "well...in five years they will have come up with technology and new medications that will give me a few more years. I'll take five more years for now." She is so positive, it is great.

She was seriously ill when Jen was being sent to Iraq back in1995 or something like that. After being in the Desert for 10 days, the American Red Cross contacted Jen and told her she had to come back immediately--her mother was in the hospital. She was provided with free transportation back to Alabama. What is ironic is that in those 10 days, Jen met Brian--the man she would end up marrying.

Well, treatment went well and Jen's mother got better for the time being. Within 6 weeks, Jen and Brian met again. They spent hours together...learned everything about each other. Except Brian withheld one important detail. While sitting on the beach one day, one of Brian's old "girl" friends walked by and said, "hey Brian! How are yOU? Hey...when you get a chance, I'd love to see a picture of your three kids!!" Jen just about shit her pants, "you have KIDS!? 3 KIDS???!!!!" And that was that. Jen freaked out, but she was in love. She love him. And at the age of 24 she adopted a 4 year old girl, 5 year old girl, and an 8 year old boy. The mother of the kids is in jail, psycho, and is only mentioned in conversations as "birth mother." Its almost as if she is some mystical figure that looms over the past of these children...it will be interesting to see how that develops as time goes on.

Anyway, that is the story of Jen. Amazing huh? She has impressed me with her wit and her love for life. Today is her birthday and I just thought it would be fun to share her story with you all. She has made me feel just so welcome here and made me realize that a mom can still be young and have fun (like you mommy!).

Life can throw us a lot of shit sometimes. Its just important that we take it for what its worth. Life is actually a lot simpler than we tend to make it with our busy lifestyles in the United States. There is morning, afternoon, and night. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Get through that with mostly smiles and you have accomplished your goal for the day. If not, there is always tomorrow.

all my love,
beth