Yeah… the AI picture is pretty much what it looked like.
Bill and I have now spent over half our marriage living in Germany. He spent three years here as a young lieutenant in the 1980s. Then, we moved here in 2007 for two more years. Then, we came back in 2014, and have been living in Germany ever since. We’ve also visited Germany on vacations, when we weren’t living here.
The one thing I don’t think I’ll ever get used to is the German “stare”. It’s a phenomenon I’ve experienced more times than I could ever count.
The German stare isn’t like your garden variety stare. It’s a certain look of disapproval. Sometimes it’s subtle, like a quiet side eye. Sometimes, it’s very obvious. Sometimes it’s silent. Sometimes it’s delivered with a stern dressing down.
It always amazes me that some people feel perfectly fine about conspicuously staring at what other people are doing, looking on in disdain, or even feeling like they have the right to “speak” to a perfect stranger who is just going about their business and wants to be left alone. But this this is a fact of life in Germany… which doesn’t mean I don’t love living here. It’s just something I feel like writing about today, as I wait for the laundry to finish drying.
I’m prompted to write about the German stare this morning because of something that happened yesterday, as I was walking Noyzi and Charlie. If you follow my other blog, you might know that yesterday’s post was a song parody. And while the song parody is basically just an old pop song with new lyrics about Trump’s flatulence, it still took me awhile to create it and turn it into a video.
I make music videos for fun, and as a way to express myself creatively. Sometimes, I actually feel compelled to write song parodies. They help me cope. But they take a lot of work, and significant time, and because of that, yesterday, I was walking the dogs later in the morning.
The Dorfplatz was busier than usual, as the dogs and I walked down the hill from Am Rathaus. Several people were sitting there, enjoying our town’s central meeting spot. There was a woman with a small child, another woman with a baby in a pram, and an elderly lady with a cane. I walked past them on my normal 15 minute route.
Less than a minute after we passed the ladies in the Dorfplatz, Noyzi suddenly decided to crouch in “dump” position. He dropped a big pile of crap on the side of the street.
As Noyzi was pooping, a man in a black SUV was approaching in the opposite direction. He obviously noticed Noyzi’s activity and STOPPED his car to rubberneck. I glared at him as I pulled a bright red shit bag out of my pocket, so I could clean up the pile of excrement.
As I opened the bag and bent over to pick up Noyzi’s deposit, the man sped off. Meanwhile, the elderly lady who had been in the Dorfplatz started yelling something at me. I could tell she was talking about the dogs, and it sounded like she was asking a question.
Unfortunately for her, I was in no mood for chatter, and I suspected she was concerned about having to share the sidewalk with us. I quickly picked up the poop and scurried off ahead of her. I didn’t want to cross the street or hinder, or be hindered, by her.
On the way back through the Dorfplatz, I dropped the sack of crap into a public trashcan. The walk was soon completed, and I temporarily put the incident out of my mind.
While I was chatting with Bill after dinner last night, I decided to do a Google search to see if other people had posted about this phenomenon… the German stare… which I definitely received from the guy in the SUV. I typed the following search string:
“german stopped his car when my dog pooped”
Google now has AI in its search bar, and my query prompted AI to give me an answer. I have to admit, it was an amusing exchange:
Well… yeah, nobody likes to step in dog poop. But why would you automatically take it upon yourself to police a total stranger? Especially when you’re driving?
I was intrigued by this exchange with AI, so I responded again.
“he moved on when I pulled out a bag and gave him a dirty look”
Yeah… but why did he feel like it was right and proper to just stop in the middle of the street, perhaps inconveniencing other people? Was it really that earth shattering to make sure I cleaned up after Noyzi?
And what if I didn’t clean up the mess? Was he going to get out of the car and yell at me? Would he roll down the window and chastise me? Call the Polizei, maybe? Obviously, what I was doing was VERY important to this dude. But to me, his sudden attention was creepy, weird, and most unwelcome.
I responded again with this:
“It was silent.”
AI gratified me by reassuring me that I did the right thing…
He didn’t “force” me to do anything, though. It’s my habit to clean up my dogs’ messes. He prompted me to look at him with extreme irritation.
I gave AI another response:
“I live in Germany.”
AI made another response, full of assumptions about the conditions of my life here.
They aren’t “trying” to be rude, but it IS kind of rude to assume someone might not clean up after their dogs. On the other hand, I have seen plenty of evidence that a lot of people don’t clean up their dogs’ shit. 🤷♀️
I ended the “chat” with AI with this:
“it definitely wasn’t my first time being stared at.”
AI, once again, complimented and edified me, congratulating me on my “thick skin”. Yeah, my skin is thick with adipose, but I’ll always find the “German stare” impolite and annoying… and I will respond accordingly, because I’m childish that way…
Again, another assumption. I don’t think I’ll ever “get used to” the monitoring. I do find it irritating. But I understand that’s just how life is here, and I’ll never change it.
At that point, I decided I was bored with my exchange with Google AI about cleaning up dog shit. However, that exchange made me realize why some people see AI as a friend they’ve never had. It’s weird to be having that kind of an exchange with my computer, with it reassuring me and teaching me about a place I’ve lived in for years, now. AI could be your best friend or worst enemy, I suppose.
I often think back on my life and realize that when I was born, The Brady Bunch was still in its first prime time run on ABC. Now, in my 54th year of life, I’m having conversations with artificial intelligence on my iPad, and it’s telling me about German laws.
As the man in the 90s used to sing, “How Bizarre!”
I guess this dates me, too…
Also… Facebook memories tells me that this same thing happened on September 1 five years ago…
Yup. Maybe it’s a seasonal thing. I do remember, in this case, taking my time cleaning it up, so she’d be forced to linger longer. What can I say? Sometimes, I’m pretty petty. 😈
Ah well… maybe today’s walk will be less obnoxious. On the way back home, I had to wait for several cars to pass before I could cross the street. And this is in our little village, which has no stop lights. But at least no one showed me their penis. So that’s a plus…
Yesterday, Bill asked me if I’d like to go out to lunch today. I said sure, so he booked us a table at Landhaus Diedert, one of our favorite local restaurants. I’ve written quite a lot about this restaurant, located on the outskirts of Wiesbaden. We go there a few times a year and enjoy their rustic dining room, or their beautiful Biergarten. Today, since the weather was fine, we sat outside. And, an added bonus… parking was plentiful!
Landhaus Diedert is not just a restaurant. It’s also a hotel, and a former monastery. We have not had the pleasure of staying at this place, but we have dined there quite a few times. Every time, the food and service have been excellent. Today was no exception.
Our server was a lovely young woman who spoke English and lamented that there were a few words she couldn’t translate for us. For instance, the catch of the day was Lachs Forelle. She didn’t know the English words for this. Surprisingly enough to her, we know what Lachs Forelle is. We reassured her that we know some German. Failing that, there’s always Google Translate on our phones. 😁
Bill started with a non-alcholic cherry juice. I went with the house aperitif, which was orange and rose based and effervescent. I noticed that when they were next to each other, they looked like my high school colors.
Go Dukes! Red and gold forever! 🤪
Our waitress explained that they’re getting ready to change menus. Tuesday, September 1, the fall choices will be offered. Consequently, some of the items on the summer menu are no longer available. For example, if we’d ordered anything with Spargel (asparagus), that would be replaced by broccoli. Also, one of the desserts– a plum vanilla parfait– was replaced by chocolate mousse.
Bill ordered our usual sparkling water and a bottle of Italian Primitivo. They brought out white and whole grain bread with butter and chili flavored hummus. And then we made our choices. I started with a pea and mint soup. Bill had burrata…
Both of these dishes were outstanding, but I especially loved the soup, which was creamy and comforting. Bill marveled at the tomatoes in the burrata, which he said were kind of “jammy”.
For our main courses, I chose the catch of the day, Lachs Forelle (salmon trout), which came with polenta, artichoke hearts, Barigoule sauce, and potato chips. Bill had the venison loin, which came with Pinot Noir jus, potato, mousseline, and sugar snap peas.
And then, after a leisurely second course, we had dessert. He had the chocolate mousse with mango sorbet, which replaced the plum vanilla parfait. I had the Yuzu lemon cake, which came with salted caramel candy and verbena sorrel ice cream.
Both of the desserts were delightful, and we didn’t feel totally stuffed when we left. I don’t know how many Americans Landhaus Diedert gets. My guess is that those of us who live there don’t venture out to that restaurant often. Of that, I’m pretty grateful, because it’s a nice find. It’s especially nice to enjoy the beautiful Biergarten, with it’s huge oak and sycamore trees.
Very soon, it will be cold and rainy again, so it’s great to be able to enjoy the nice weather while we still can. This particular meal came to about 233 euros, which isn’t cheap, but the food was definitely worth the expense. I always enjoy this restaurant on Sundays, and I look forward to our next visit with great anticipation! The soup alone was well worth the trip!
Today is the last day of the Rheingauer Weinwoche in downtown Wiesbaden. Bill and I are usually enthusiastic participants of that particular fest, which features lots of great food, entertainment, and thousands of wines.
But this year, we just haven’t felt like attending. We know what to expect there, because we’ve done it so many times in the past. It’s fun, but kind of “old hat”. Today, the weather is actually pretty nice. The sun is out, but it’s not super hot. I still didn’t feel like going, and Bill had to do some shopping at the commissary, anyway.
So I figured that since I’m not at the fest, awkwardly milling around, looking for a place to sit that won’t offend others… drinking wines that mostly taste the same… promising myself a hangover for tomorrow… I’ll just write about our upcoming fall vacation.
Bill has been working very hard at his job. He has a bunch of conferences coming up, some of which will take him out of town for days at a time. He’s going to Budapest again this year.
I went with him last year, but we decided I’d stay home this time. He’s got back to back conferences in Budapest, and the hotel he booked is in a less tourist oriented area. It does actually look like this year’s hotel might be better lodging than last year’s spot, even though it’s an Ibis. But it gets old trying to dodge the housekeepers, plus it’s no fun going to tourist spots alone, while Bill works.
Bill recently told his bosses that he really needs a vacation, so he arranged to take leave from October 1st until the 13th. Normally, we’d do a champagne bucket drawing to decide where we’d be going. However, this year, we both decided we wanted to do a road trip. I was particularly keen to visit Slovakia, because although we have technically been there, we’ve never done a proper stay there.
My first visit to Slovakia was in 1997, and I stayed in a university dormitory with friends. The second time I visited was a day trip to Bratislava from Vienna, back in 2015. I wanted to see a different part of the country, and maybe get some pretty photos of fall foliage. I also wanted to buy some art for the house, and have a nice rest in a spa.
Slovakia is not that close, if you’re going by car. That meant we had to decide where to stop on the way there and back. Initially, I thought I’d like to visit Gorlitz, which is a German border town where a lot of movies have been shot. I actually didn’t know that until I started looking for a good halfway point between Wiesbaden and the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and southern Poland.
But as I was looking at Gorlitz, I realized that it’s really an underrated gem, and there’s a lot to see there. I also realized that I wanted to visit nearby Bautzen, too. And although we went to Dresden in 2008, I think we’re overdue for a visit there, again. I realized that hitting all of those spots would eat up precious time we didn’t have, and we wouldn’t get much “bang for the buck”. That area really demands a separate, more concentrated look.
I hadn’t originally thought of going to Czechia, since we’ve been there a bunch of times already… Valentine’s Day weekend 2009, we went to Chodova Plana and visited Beer Wellness Land, Chodovar. We had a great time, although that was when we learned we would be leaving Germany a year earlier than expected. 🤬
Anyway, after spending a couple of hours deliberating, I finally decided to look for a hotel in Karlovy Vary (also known as Karlsbad), a beautiful spa town in Czechia that is close to Chodovar. Bill and I did a day trip there in 2009, and I was impressed by how grand it was. It’s also where we met Nikolaj Korelov, the Russian artist who painted my favorite piece of art from our travels.
I actually wouldn’t have minded going to Chodovar again, and having a beer bath and a massage. They’ve really built up and expanded that place since 2009, and added a beautiful pool complex. The restaurants are nice– unless things have changed a lot. But I wanted to see more of Karlovy Vary and get some photos. I forgot to bring my camera on that 2009 trip, so I don’t have any good pictures from then. Karlovy Vary is a beautiful town. I’m sure in October, it’s a lot prettier than it is in February!
So, we will spend three nights in Karlovy Vary at Hotel Chateau Cilheny, a property located just outside of the city. There’s a train there, that will get us to Karlovy Vary in eight minutes. It’s also near a golf course (not that we play), and trails for walking.
After our stay in Czechia, we will move on to Slovakia, where I have booked three nights at panoraMic Mountain Residence, a self-catering apartment in Stary Smokovec, a touristy area in the Tatra Mountains. The apartment, which is our cheapest spot, gets rave reviews. That’s why I chose it over the much pricier Kempinski Hotel. I think we’ll enjoy it, because we’re mainly hoping for peace and quiet, forest views, and maybe some gentle hikes.
From Stary Smokovec, we will continue to Krakow, Poland, a city neither of us have yet visited. People have repeatedly recommended Krakow, although I had a hell of a time finding a hotel I liked. I finally settled on Kanonicza 22 another self-catering apartment located in the heart of the city. We will be parking at a nearby garage. This property has three apartments. We took the Duke Suite, which was the only one still available.
I picked Krakow because I heard it’s beautiful, but I also think we’ll try to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, which is about an hour’s drive from Krakow. I know it will be a very somber, depressing experience visiting that museum, but I really think it’s important to go there and see it. I’ve read a lot about the Holocaust, but nothing beats actually going to the place where this terrible history occurred and seeing it firsthand.
I looked into staying in Oświęcim, where the museum is actually located, but again, had trouble finding a hotel I liked. And we did want to see Krakow itself. If it turns out we like the area, maybe we’ll go back… I thought about staying in Zakopane, too, but that’s in Poland, and I did want to stay in Slovakia, just to say I did.
After three nights in Krakow, we’ll move on to Dresden, and stay at Hotel Suitess, a lovely small luxury hotel we stayed in back in November 2008. I thought long and hard about booking the Kempinski there, too, but it was so much more expensive than the Suitess. We know where the Suitess is, and we know it has all we need. Why spend so much more for the most basic room at the Kempinski, when I can book us an upgraded room at the Suitess for so much less? Yes, the Kempinski has a pool and a sushi restaurant, but I’m not sure that’s worth several hundred euros more.
A few November 2008 era photos from our first Dresden trip.
I think this will be a great trip that will spawn plenty of memories. I hope to find some more art for the house, pick up some Chodovar beers and Il Santo water, and get lots of beautiful photos. If, for some reason, we aren’t able to get to Auschwitz, we’ll just come back… and maybe pair that with a trip to Gorlitze, Bautzen, and the surrounding area. I am still intrigued by those towns and want to do a trip that focuses time on that area. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that before it’s time for us to leave Europe.
I will say this… we’ve been here so long, and done so many great trips. I feel very fortunate to be so spoiled for choices. And no matter what, we really can’t lose. We always have a great time, no matter where we go. But I did want to do something that doesn’t involve huge cities. I think I have succeeded in these plans. Wish us luck as I research things to do and places to dine. 😁
Every once in awhile, I like to write useful blog posts. Today is one of those days. This subject comes up as a result of a search I did yesterday, purely out of curiosity.
I had just watched a YouTube video by a lawyer named Hawk, who was explaining why Joe Rogan was pleading with Republicans in Texas to chill out, lest they turn the state blue in the midterms. Why? Because as of July 31, 2026, Texas has new draconian laws regarding possession marijuana and THC. Apparently, just having an illegal gummy in your possession can now send you to prison. 🤬
I don’t usually share political stuff on the travel blog, but this subject led me to read up on Germany’s laws on this… On another note, Texas is so FUCKED.
Since I happen to be a resident of Texas, at least technically, this topic is interesting to me. But I live in Germany, where, as of April 1, 2024, it is now legal to possess and use marijuana for recreational purposes. No, it’s not like going to Amsterdam and hitting up a coffee shop. Tourists are not allowed to buy marijuana here, and there are a lot of rules about how and where the pot can be purchased and consumed. But in spite of all of that, after years of arguing, Germany has finally legalized marijuana… or, at least it’s more legal than it was.
German citizens and legal residents, over the age of 18, are allowed to partake of weed. On July 1, 2024, Germany introduced Cannabis Social Clubs (CSCs), and this is how most people here can get their cannabis fix (they’ve got a club for EVERYTHING!). Folks are also allowed to grow marijuana plants for personal use. Check the above link for more specific information on this fairly new law.
Tourists and newcomers (arrived within six months) are not allowed to purchase cannabis in Germany. Edibles are also not legal in Germany, because the powers that be think edibles are more enticing to children and youth. In fact, marijuana is not permitted to be consumed in places where children are likely to be, like within proximity to schools or “kitas” (daycares). And… as I found out yesterday, people who live in Germany– or really, Europe as a whole– on SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) status, are forbidden from purchasing, possessing, or partaking of cannabis. 🥲
More info on this… for GERMANS. This is a pretty great video!
It does seem strange that I, as someone who has spent the last 12 years living in Germany, am not considered an ordinary resident… 🤭. Alas, those of us who live in Europe on SOFA status, don’t have ordinary resident status, and that means we aren’t allowed to enjoy cannabis as our German neighbors can.
Why not?
People who are affiliated with the US military, the Department of Defense, or other branches of the US government are strictly forbidden from using marijuana products or other recreational drugs. And since most of us are not considered ordinary residents by the German government, we might as well be living in the United States. There are a few exceptions– some Americans who work as contractors become residents and pay German taxes– however, they probably still would not be allowed to enjoy consuming weed due to policies set by their companies, which are employed by the US government.
What happens if you ignore the rules?
It depends on who you are, and where you work. If you are a member of the uniformed services, you will be subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Federal and branch-specific military regulations explicitly forbid controlled substances like THC. Violations can result in disciplinary action, non-judicial punishment, courts-martial, or termination of employment and revocation of SOFA privileges.
If you are working as a government employee, you’re not allowed pot because of the federal Controlled Substances Act. While marijuana is legal in some states, cannabis is classified as a controlled substance on the federal level. Executive Order 12564 mandates a drug-free federal workplace. You can be fired, lose your security clearance, or otherwise disciplined.
If you work as a contractor, you are subject to the same rules as government employees are, as well as any policies set by your company. If you get caught using drugs, your company may be forced to terminate your employment or move you somewhere else. The Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 requires that any company that receives a federal contract of $100,000 or more must enforce drug free workplace policies. That law would apply to just about any government contractor operating in Europe.
What if you’re just a spouse?
Spouses are held to the same rules employees are, as are any other “dependents”. Spouses and other family members who use marijuana may be sent home (early return of dependents) at their own expense. Or they may lose their SOFA status, and lose installation access. Remember, the sponsor is responsible for the conduct of any of their dependents (ick)– so, even if you are just a spouse who is getting baked, you can still get your other half in hot water.
What if I just light up at home?
While it’s not exactly clear how these policies would apply to people who consume their pot at home, even off base houses are considered “islands of prohibition.” So, if you are a US citizen on SOFA status, and you get caught with marijuana at home, you can still get in big trouble, even if your German neighbors are lighting up in their backyards every night and grow their own weed.
You can read a lot more about this conundrum on Stripes.com, which has a great article about marijuana rules. It was written by journalist Alexander Riedel.
Personally, I think this particular rule should be relaxed, especially given that drinking alcohol is still fine, and alcohol arguably does a lot more damage on every level. But, what I think and a nickel will get you nowhere. 😏 Remember, this is a place where we Americans can get in deep shit for ordering coffee through the APO. They’re certainly not gonna let us have weed. 🤬
As for my personal thoughts on cannabis… Well, I’ve only tried it a couple of times. I went to The Netherlands for my 43rd birthday, back in 2015, and I enjoyed an edible or three. That was my first and, to date, only experience with marijuana. I did enjoy it, and would partake again, but I can certainly live without it. On the other hand, I’ve used hemp and CBD products with great success on my dogs, when they had cancer. I think people should have more access to weed based products that truly are health promoting.
I wouldn’t mind having access to marijuana. In fact, I’d probably prefer it to drinking beer. But even if it was available to me, I probably couldn’t be arsed to seek it out… and given that marijuana can make a person lazy, it’s probably better that I continue to avoid such things. I’m clearly not all that industrious under the best of circumstances. 🤭
REMEMBER— it doesn’t matter where you are in Europe. Even if marijuana is totally legal where you are, technically, it’s against US federal law for US citizens to partake, if they are living in Europe under Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) regulations. So there’s your answer… and your warning. Now, how often this particular rule is actually enforced is another matter, altogether. 🤔
The featured photo was taken from our backyard during last night’s partial eclipse.
I wanted to write a quick post about yesterday’s historic solar eclipse. I did actually witness it, although it was totally by happenstance.
A few days ago, Icelandair sent me an email encouraging me to fly to Reykjavik to witness the total eclipse. Spain and Iceland were places on Earth that were destined to be the best places to experience the solar eclipse that occurred yesterday evening.
Of course, I wasn’t in the position to jet off to Iceland on a whim. I’ve also experienced my share of eclipses in my lifetime. I disregarded the email and forgot about the then upcoming eclipse. Then, yesterday, I got another email from Icelandair expressing pity that I didn’t book a ticket to go to Iceland for the rare event. They joked that I could catch the next one, in 2196…
Shucks… but I wouldn’t turn down a trip to Iceland in September, even if the weather is pretty dicey!
I actually really enjoyed our flights on Icelandair. I would happily fly them again.
As for the eclipse, it was kind of a yawner here in Germany. We were sitting outside, enjoying the pleasant weather, and I noticed the sky dimming a bit earlier than usual. But it was about 8:00 PM, and in the States, that would be about right at this time of year. In Germany, it stays light for a long time in the summer months.
Then I noticed our landlord had company over, and they were in the backyard. I remembered the Icelandair emails, and said… “Oh shit… we’re having an eclipse!” 🤣
Unfortunately, from our backyard, which is pretty thick with hedges and a tall fence, it wasn’t easy to watch it. And you don’t want to stare at the sun, anyway. I sure don’t. Not with my aging eyes that are genetically prone to macular degeneration.
I took a photo, anyway, and it serves as today’s featured pic. No, it’s not very exciting, although the usual evening light was a bit eerie and dimmer earlier than usual. I’m sure there are much better photos on the Internet than mine. But you can’t say I didn’t report on it.
Phew… Featured photo is of the interior of the new fridge!
This week has been somewhat momentous in our household. We’ve made a couple of significant upgrades to certain essential and expensive electronic devices in our home.
On Monday, I got a brand new iMac desktop computer. I hadn’t really been planning to buy one in July, but my old computer was simply too full of data to use efficiently. It was driving me crazy, and I was wasting a lot of time finding things to delete so I’d have room for more stuff.
I bought the old computer in February 2023, so it’s disappointing that I needed to replace it so soon. But, in fairness, I am a power user, especially since I started making song parody videos, and I didn’t spring for generous storage or RAM when I bought that computer. This time, I decided to upgrade both RAM and storage, so this machine should be good for awhile.
I made my decision to upgrade about ten days ago, when I spent a couple of hours trying to find raw video footage I could part with so I could run Apple’s updates. It took FOREVER to finally hit that sweet spot of 14 GB available. And yes, I do have an external drive, but a lot of the stuff taking up space is stuff I can’t really put on an external drive.
I ordered the new computer on Monday morning, July 6th, and it arrived at about 11:30 AM on July 13th. It took the rest of the day to set it up, but it now feels both like I’ve really upped my game, and never stopped using the old computer. I have a lot more room on this new computer, but thanks to the migration assistant on Apple, it’s pretty easy to move everything. So I have pretty much all of my stuff from the old computer, and lots more room to grow on the new computer.
The physical setting up, though, was a bit of a pain. I bought a VESA arm for the last computer, because somehow I ended up ordering a VESA configuration. I didn’t even know what a VESA arm was when I got my computer with no stand! Now, after three years of using a VESA set up, I realize that I prefer it to the stand. For one thing, it takes up less space and gives me more room to put my crap. For another, it makes the display easier to adjust.
However, I had forgotten how the arm works, and didn’t realize that all you have to do is push on it to manipulate it. So I probably spent about 90 minutes trying to figure that out… And then there was the actual physical strength needed to hang the screen on the arm. It was a bit awkward and taxing. But… I did it! I only spent a few minutes wishing I’d opted for the stand, instead of the VESA arm.
Below are a couple of pictures of the new computer, as well as the VESA back. I’d take a photo of the computer on the arm, but it looks the same as the old one did.
This thing is surprisingly heavy!
The next big upgrade this week was our refrigerator. If you read this blog regularly, or you follow me on social media, you might know that on June 5, 2026, our landlord’s fridge finally died on us. I wrote about it here.
That old fridge, which was stowed inconspicuously in a cabinet, needed to croak. It was sitting on a rotting platform that needed to be repaired, but it was also just old and obsolete. Nevertheless, when it died, things became very inconvenient for us.
Fortunately, we did have a refrigerator that we bought when we moved to Jettingen in 2014. It’s not a great fridge, nor is it very big, but it was able to handle full refrigeration duties while our landlord tracked down our new refrigerator. We had false hopes in late June, when a fridge was brought to us, but our landlord rejected it because of a cosmetic defect. Plus, the platform needed to be repaired.
Last week, a couple of handymen came over and made the new platform. You can see the progression in the photos…
Eeew!All fixed up!
All week, we’ve had an empty space where the fridge usually goes. Then yesterday, a different appliance vendor brought us a brand new Liebherr refrigerator that would fit in that space. It cost about 2100 euros, and it’s a big improvement over the last fridge. However, I think the high cost comes from it being able to fit in a cupboard, rather than it having a lot of features. It doesn’t have an ice maker or a water line, for instance, for dispensing cold water. But then, the fridge is not actually based near a water source, anyway.
Below are a few photos of the new fridge. It has a touch screen that allows it to be turned on or off, special modes for different occasions, and it can be connected to the Internet. Also, if you leave the door open too long, the lights flash at you, and you get a little red nastygram that orders you to shut the door!
It was a pain to take all of the plastic off of everything.This thing will also order you to shut the door!
I was wearing my TRUMP SUCKS t-shirt when the delivery guys came. I think they got a kick out of it. I heard them talking to the landlord about it… and the landlord also talked to me about “our president”… a man I don’t wish to claim as a leader.
They told me not to turn on the fridge for 24 hours, but I lasted about four hours before I turned it on. The 24 hour rule comes from the risk of the fridge lying on its side and not having the oils properly circulating in the compressor. Turning on the fridge too soon can lead to damage to the machine. But I don’t think this fridge was stored on its side or back. It definitely wasn’t delivered that way, and was already standing upright for some time before it got to us. So I turned it on, and later, the landlord saw Bill and asked if it was working okay. This morning, it was working fine, so I think I made the right call.
The delivery guys also warned me about the age of the cupboard, and that it wasn’t quite perfect anymore, due to “warping”. Because of the warping, the door might not close properly. I know… but it’s not my kitchen set up. It is an old set up that needs replacing, but I’m not sure the landlord is going to want to do that if the cupboards have now gone out of style. He just spent 2100 euros on this new fridge!
For those who don’t know… in many German rentals, people buy their own kitchen set ups and install them when they move into the house or apartment. This house came with a setup already installed, but it’s pretty old and needs to be updated.
We’re so grateful to have a fridge in the kitchen again. It’s a real pain to have to go up and down a flight of stairs to get food and drinks. However, Bill has admitted that doing that has helped him get his steps in this month… He’s also been sick, though, so the extra steps were especially vexing.
Our landlord apologized that it took so long to get the new fridge. I assured him it was okay, and of course he can’t control how long these things take. I’m just glad he didn’t yell at me when the fridge finally gave up the ghost. I fear that’s what would have happened in Jettingen. I know we pay a lot more to live in this house, but it’s worth every euro cent, simply because the landlord doesn’t act like a tyrranical asshole.
Tonight, we’ll have a wine stand, and I think Bill will want to go, if it’s not raining. We sure could use the rain! But it’s always fun to drink wine with the locals. And maybe this weekend, we’ll go out and have a proper celebration of Bill’s birthday, now that he’s not so sick.
Today, our village had its annual yard sale. As usual, it was well organized and attended, with plenty of locals walking around, buying their neighbors stuff, and then enjoying wine, Brats, and ice cream. At one point, some guy rang our doorbell, wanting to know if he could park at the end of our street. Bill told him it was our landlord’s/neighbor’s decision, since it’s his property. He’s in Munich right now, though.
Bill and I didn’t really buy or sell anything, save for some strawberries that appeared to come from a local strawberry vendor. We did stop by the wine stand and enjoyed wine and ice cream. The ice cream vendor was friendly, and we were telling him about how we were hiding out from our government. He was sympathetic, and said Germans wanted to talk about it, but couldn’t really.
We also ran into the guy who has Stella, the awesome dog we met Friday night. He said hello, and tried out our neighborhood toilet, which I had lamented that I never seem to lock properly!
We saw our city manager, who is always attentive and shows up at every event. He brought a woman with him. I assume it was his wife. He may not appreciate Americans, because we can’t vote for him, but I do think he does a really good job. I’ve noticed an uptick of fun events since he got his job. It’s made Breckenheim an even better place to live.
The sale is set to go on until 4 PM, which is about 40 minutes from now. Below are some photos I took as we walked around…
I was particularly fond of the cat, who was friendly and looked like he or she wanted to hunt. Some German kids came over to ask what we were looking at while we were standing there at the creek. We answered in English, pointing out the cat… One girl was talking about the cat jumping, but that was about as far as I got.
I really love that our little community does these things, people show up, and they are very neighborly and friendly. We even ran into our neighbor, Massimo, who has always been so nice to us.
I know there will come a day when our time in Breckenheim will be in the past, but I am pretty sure it will always be a bright spot in my memories. We really lucked into a wonderful community. On another note, I saw some art I liked. I need more for our house. But maybe it’s better to find it on our trips.
Featured photo is of our train leaving Bern for Zürich on June 21, 2026. You can see the Aare River from the window.
How I chose our accommodations…
Last June, when Bill went to his first summer course at the Jung Institute, we stayed at the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt, in a really nice self-catering one bedroom apartment in Seefeld, a bustling district in Zürich. There were a lot of things I liked about our stay last year.
The apartment was very convenient and super clean, and renting it allowed for me to do my own thing most of the time. I only had to clear out of the apartment to give the staff time to clean every other day. The lake was two blocks away, while the University of Zürich’s botanical garden was maybe three blocks away. There were also some gardens and museums nearby.
However, the Seefeld area, while very practical, was also a bit noisy. The tram stop was literally steps away from our door, and I was frequently startled by the people in the apartment above us. I think they had a child with them who was playing ball or something. There were a lot of sudden thudding noises from the ceiling that I found unnerving and annoying.
Also, the place did offer one parking spot, which we claimed, but we were blocked in the whole time. So if we’d wanted to drive somewhere, we would have had to get the staff to move their car, so we could leave the parking spot.
In October, we stayed at the Sonne Hotel in Küsnacht, which is popular with students who attend the Jung Institute, because it is within walking distance of institute. Indeed, Carl Jung himself used to like to visit the hotel and drink beer in the Biergarten. During our fall visit, the Biergarten and the main restaurant were closed for extensive renovations, but that didn’t bother us much.
We had a pleasant stay at the Sonne Hotel during the fall, so when I was planning this year’s trip in March, I looked to see what was available at the Sonne Hotel for this week. I seem to remember the only room they had was a junior suite, which was fine. We stayed in a junior suite in the fall, too. Yes, it’s quite expensive, but it offers plenty of space for a lengthy stay, and a wonderful view of the lake.
I had a harder time choosing our Bern hotel. In January 2025, we visited Basel, Switzerland for the first time. I had also been interested in visiting Bern, but I didn’t see any hotels that were particularly appealing. There was a hotel in Basel I wanted to book, and it had a Michelin 3 star restaurant that I knew Bill wanted to try. So we went to Basel, and had a good time… although now that I’ve been to Bern, I think I much prefer Bern (when there isn’t a city wide party going on, that is).
After a lot of deliberating, I ended up choosing two nights in a junior suite at the Hotel Schweizerhof Bern. As expensive as our junior suite at the Sonne Hotel is, the Schweizerhof was even pricier. However, I believe the Bern hotel is a five star establishment, while the Sonne Hotel is rated as a four star superior.
This is a good time to explain the hotel ratings system in Europe, for those who don’t know about it. Hotels are awarded stars based on the facilities they offer. The Schweizerhof has a spa, complete with a pool, steam bath, sauna and whirlpool. It also has an exercise room. We didn’t have time to try out the spa. I wish we’d had one more night in Bern, so I could have seen more of the city and checked out the spa.
The Schweizerhof is also air conditioned, which makes it a rare find in Switzerland. Air conditioning has definitely not caught on in this country!
The Sonne Hotel also has a spa area and exercise room, but it does not have a pool. However, the Sonne Hotel does have a lovely private lakeside area, where hotel guests can sunbathe and directly access Lake Zürich. The Sonne Hotel is not air conditioned.
Both hotels have full scale restaurants and bars. We did not try the Schweizerhof’s restaurant, Jack’s Brasserie, except for when we had breakfast. We opted not to eat there because the menu didn’t really appeal to us. In retrospect, maybe we should have tried it. Our breakfasts at the Schweizerhof were very good, especially given our charming waiter, an older gentleman named Philippe.
Both hotels are very convenient to train stations. The Schweizerhof is literally a two minute walk from Bern’s main station. The Sonne Hotel is maybe a five minute walk from the Küsnacht stop on the regional train. Since we took the train from Frankfurt Airport to Bern, and then from Bern to Küsnacht, that was a definite perk. On Saturday, when we head back to Germany, we will take the train from Küsnacht to Zürich’s main station, and then from Zürich to Frankfurt Airport.
Now that we’ve finished the Bern part of the trip, and are now on our second full day at the Sonne Hotel, I think I can safely say that I prefer the Sonne Hotel. It offers a stunning view of Lake Zürich, and a very laid back vibe. While our room is a bit warm because it’s summer, we do have a fan and windows that open on three sides of the room.
There’s also a great Biergarten right by the lake, and in spite of the occasional horn blasts from passing ferries, it’s a lot quieter at night than the Schweizerhof was. The noise at the Schweizerhof was probably not a normal thing, since it was caused by the city fest that was going on during our stay. Nevertheless, the pulsating music was not stopped by the windows, and I felt like I was back in college, waiting for the frat parties to end so I could fall asleep.
No chandeliers here!
One other thing I prefer at the Sonne Hotel is the lighting in the room. Although a couple of the outlets in the room seem to be hardwired to only work if the main switch is turned on, we don’t have to deal with a really bright overhead light. We are in the top room on a broad tower that faces the lake. So the ceiling in our room at the Sonne is very high. See the above photo.
There were two of these in our room at the Schweizerhof. They were pretty to look at, but very BRIGHT and harsh!
Our room at the Schweizerhof had two big chandeliers, which gave off very bright light. It was impossible to just use the lamps in the room. Neither Bill nor I like overhead lighting. We find it too harsh, and we have trouble relaxing when the lighting in a room is too bright.
But when we asked the front desk staff about turning off the chandeliers and simply using the lamps, they didn’t know if it could be done. A technician later confirmed that the chandeliers were programmed to be on, if the lights were turned on. For two nights, it wasn’t a big deal, but I do think for 600 Swiss Francs a night, guests should be able to turn off the overhead lights and just use the lamps if they like.
The light situation and the loud noise (even though it was beyond the hotel staff’s control) would cause me to rate the Schweizerhof lower than I might have. However, Philippe in the restaurant made up for some of my annoyance about the lights and the noise. He was extremely charming, professional, and just plain cool. He even brought out a delicious chocolate mousse cake and a card for my birthday, which Bill and I enjoyed over several sessions!
I know this treatment is probably the standard at the hotel. I think they only knew it was my birthday because when we checked in, the receptionist asked what brought us to Bern and I said we were celebrating my birthday. It was the truth. But they made a note of it and surprised me with this…
That cake was awesome!
So… I probably would consider booking the Schweizerhof again… but I think for our purposes, the Sonne Hotel is a better fit. However, I also liked the self-catering apartment we used last year, the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt, and would not hesitate to recommend it, either. I think it’s difficult to find subpar accommodations in Switzerland!
One last thing… Both hotels this year were booked through Expedia.de. Last year, I used Booking.com for the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt.
Bear with me, folks. It’s a surprisingly long story…The featured photo is AI, but it kind of looks like the eye test from yesterday, only it’s not as blurry.
Bill and I were greeted with beautiful sunny skies yesterday morning. The temperature was perfectly comfortable. It would have been a great day to drive my Mini Cooper convertible, which really could use the “exercise”. We decided to drive the Volvo, instead, and made our way to Ramstein Air Force Base, so I could take care of my vision test for my driver’s license renewal.
Ramstein is about a 90 minute drive from where we live. It’s not far from the French border– maybe 45 minutes or so. The area around the base is really beautiful, although it’s pretty much a mini America. Ramstein has many facilities and is a convenient perq for those of us with military privileges, living in Germany. Although part of the usual route we take is currently closed for renovation, we made it to the base with plenty of time before the optometry clinic would be closing (3:30 ish).
I didn’t think the test would be a huge deal. We already had the passable results of the eye test I had struggled to take in Wiesbaden last month. However, the optical shop in Wiesbaden couldn’t do the apparently newly required peripheral vision test, so I had to get a new exam done at Ramstein. At least the test in Wiesbaden was free of charge.
The Texas driver’s license officials had indicated that they only needed proof that my peripheral vision was passable, since my vision test results from Wiesbaden were passing. I thought our visit would be brief and uncomplicated. We definitely hadn’t planned on spending so much time with the optometry technician in Ramstein, a tiny white woman who appeared to be about Bill’s age. She immediately made an impression as we approached.
The lights in the optometry clinic were turned off, and she was sitting behind the desk, barely noticeable from outside. At first, I was afraid the office was closed. But then we saw her, and the hours posted on the door. The lady behind the desk– I’ll call her “Mary” (likely not her real name)– was very friendly, but as soon as we started trying to explain what we needed, she broke in and told us that the clinic was going to be shut down in July. Then she started ranting about the driver’s license exams, and how they would not be able to do them, because the two optometrists at the clinic are leaving and there are not any plans to replace them.
I started to worry that she was going to tell us she wouldn’t be able to help us, but then she said the magic words.
“I’m going to take care of you today. We’ll get you squared away.”
She addressed me directly, which I appreciated. After a few moments listening to Mary, I definitely got the sense that I was one of the lucky ones coming in under the wire for services at Ramstein. Unless, of course, something happens, and they get new optometrists to work in lovely Germany, so that people like us can be taken care of by Americans with American credentials, and still be able to renew our driver’s licenses, so we’ll be legal to drive.
I listened to Mary talk about how the requirements for the exams could not be met once the doctors left, because the driver’s license offices in the United States required stamps from licensed US based optometrists. I was thinking about all of the times I’ve renewed my driver’s licenses in person. Never on any of those occasions have I had to submit paperwork from a licensed eye doctor. I just did a very basic test involving looking into a machine with both eyes, conducted by the government flunky handling my request.
I guess things have changed. To hear Mary explain it, officials in the States are getting a lot stricter about eye tests for driver’s licenses. I gather it’s because officials don’t want anyone getting a driver’s license who isn’t “legal”. 🙄 But maybe it really is about public safety. Who knows?
I explained to Mary that I’d already (barely) passed the eye test in Wiesbaden, and the Texas officials had only requested a peripheral vision test. Mary told us she had to charge us $34, whether we did the whole thing or just a part. She seemed to think I needed a new test, and scoffed at what they’d done in Wiesbaden. She even said we should get our money back, and laughed when we said the test had been done for free. I didn’t really care about the $34, I just wanted to get this over with… but Mary seemed intent on doing her job, so I did the whole thing over again.
Thank GOD I brought my glasses with me, because if I hadn’t, I would not have passed. I certainly CAN see well enough to drive, but I am in need of a new prescription. I have astigmatism that isn’t currently corrected by my multifocal lenses. I can see better if I wear toric lenses, but I can’t read with the toric lenses. I can read with multifocal lenses, but my vision isn’t as sharp. My prescription is way off anyway, because it’s been years since I last went to the eye doctor. In Germany, you can just buy your lenses without a prescription. I’m pretty sure I need bifocals.
Mary was very nice, but she was really stressing me out during the exam. She exuded the slight shaming and judging one gets from medical professionals when patients don’t do things exactly as they should or haven’t been “living properly”.
I didn’t use the eye cover exactly right, and she corrected me for that. She was a little disapproving because I had dusty glasses, as I only wear them to watch TV at night, and then only for a few minutes. She chastised me when she did the peripheral test for turning my head as she talked to me. I hate it when medical people act that way. I have authority issues as it is, but it’s especially annoying when you have to pay for that treatment.
Another example of that kind of behavior…
My husband, Bill, has had to take blood pressure meds for almost as long as I’ve known him. He gets nervous when he goes to the doctor, so his blood pressure goes up. One time, he went to see the doctor, and the nurse who took his blood pressure gave him a disapproving look, implying that he wasn’t taking his medication. Bill is an excellent patient. He takes his medications religiously. But the nurse wasn’t convinced, because his pressure was high during that visit. Her castigating was making things worse. She was stressing him out with her disapproval, making his blood pressure rise even higher.
Bill later got diagnosed with white coat hypertension. I, too, was diagnosed with that, back in 2007. But now, I’m pretty sure I have high blood pressure and need to be on meds… and that will require a doctor’s visit, which really freaks me out.
Moving on…
I really wanted to pass the test, even though I almost never drive, because I just wanted to get this pesky chore done. I don’t want my driver’s license to expire, in case there’s an emergency. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if I didn’t pass, but it would be a huge pain in my ass. Mary said that US officials won’t take German doctors’ signatures on the forms (which seems rather preposterous to me, especially if the optometrists are going away). I can’t stand dealing with medical people, and find addressing healthcare issues a huge hassle. I didn’t want to have to come back, or find somewhere else to go.
Mary warned that if I let my license expire, I would end up having to take the driver’s tests again. This was precisely why I have been bugging Bill for a year about completing this particular bureaucratic chore. I knew I’d probably have to furnish a lot of documents and official signatures, thanks to Trump’s micromanaging style of “leading”. I still have six weeks or so until my license expires. Mary was making it all seem so catastrophic and difficult, and this was the last hurdle I needed to clear before I’d be done with this process.
The last thing I want to do is retake the driver’s tests in the US, or have to take them in Germany (although I believe Texas has an agreement that would allow me to just trade in my license). I wasn’t going to argue with Mary, though, because she seemed to think she was 100 percent right about all of the current policies in the USA and Germany. Perhaps she is… but I got the sense she was making much more of a big deal of this than was actually required. All I wanted to do is pass the fucking eye test so I can stay legal to drive, in case I need to in an emergency.
As time passed during my exam, Mary could see I was getting progressively more upset, so as she was chastising and disapproving, she was also reassuring me. She kept saying, “You’re going to pass! Don’t worry!” she chirped, as she made me read off numbers to prove I’m not color blind. (good LORD!). When it came time to do the peripheral vision test, she had me do it without my lenses in. I could see her hands and fuzzy outlines of her fingers as she moved behind me. Thankfully, I did pass that part of the test with no issues. That was what I had come in to do.
So finally, at the end of the exam, as many medical professionals have before her, Mary “passed” me, with a stern warning that I need a new prescription (no shit). She warned that if we tried to call them tomorrow, it would be total bedlam. There are very few appointments left until July, when the office will be closed. I got the sense that maybe a main part of the reason Mary was so angsty is because people were going to be losing their jobs. Bill paid her the $34, and she set me up with an hour long appointment for June 13th, a week before my birthday, and before my license will be officially expired.
At some point, Mary told us that she’s a nurse. AHA! That explains her authoritative, but friendly, demeanor. She also said she’d worked in ICUs. I got the sense that maybe she missed the action of the ICU, given the relative drama of this appointment. Good thing no one else was waiting!
As Mary was signing me up to see the doctor– a man she says is a “talker”– she warned us to show up on time or face a $40 no show fee. And she reiterated that I needed a very thorough exam, which will involve dilating my eyes. I’m sure that will come with a lecture about my blood pressure, which probably does need correcting…
The question is, though… am I strong enough to deal with either authoritative military doctors at Landstuhl, or another German doctor who treats me like dog shit scraped off of their shoes? Time will tell. But I do look forward to getting a new prescription, at least. I do need one.
After my time with Mary, Bill and I decided to have lunch. Ramstein has a huge food court, and a Macaroni Grill. There’s also a Five Guys in the place where a Burger King once stood (and later burned to the ground). We decided to go to the German restaurant, which was set up to look like an indoor Biergarten. They had brews on tap, and I really felt like I needed one. As for lunch, I had a Munich Burger, while Bill had Schnitzel. Neither came with sides, which was a good thing, as the items were huge and messy. I could barely finish the dripping burger, but it did taste pretty good.
It’s not that convincing as a Biergarten, but they did give it a good try at authenticity.Come to mama…The burger was good, but it was hard to finish. It also gave me pretty serious indigestion later.
After lunch, we stopped in an Italian gourmet shop in the mall. The lady running it was an absolutely adorable and friendly Italian, who was very helpful and spoke with a delightfully thick accent! She was impressed as she watched us loading up on products, and asked us if we were PCSing back to the States. I wanted to get some olive oil and balsamic vinegar for Bill’s younger daughter, who has never had any of the “good” stuff from Italy. I threw in a bag of pasta, too. We also got some stuff for home, including Orangello.
About 160 euros worth of stuff!
Then I heard music coming from the food court. It looked like a band consisting mostly of high schoolers were playing jazz. They were quite good. The young lady who was singing was very impressive. She had a lovely voice! If I hadn’t been so stressed out by the eye test, I might have stayed to listen for a bit longer, but we needed to get back to the dogs. I wanted to slip into something more comfortable and take a nice deep breath as I recovered from re-entering the “little America” of Ramstein Air Force Base.
Hopefully, the people in Texas will accept this last bit of proof of my worthiness for a Texas driver’s license. Mary said we were lucky. She had to fly back to Mississippi for hers. I guess Mississippi doesn’t make exceptions for people who live on different continents, but vote in Mississippi. I thought I’d have to go back to Texas, too… which, frankly, I would barely prefer over going to Mississippi. No offense to my Mississippi based friends. 🥰
I do appreciate Mary’s help. All in all, she was very kind to me, and I do need to get this taken care of. But it really was a lot more stressful and involved than I was expecting. I pray yesterday’s visit will be the end of the saga, at least in terms of getting my license renewed.
In my last post, I wrote about an unfortunate encounter the dogs and I had with a pervert who is helping to build a new home on our street. That experience freaked me out a bit, and I hoped it was a “one off”. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.
Yesterday, I walked Noyzi and Charlie again. It was a relatively pleasant day, although it was a bit cooler and more overcast than it was on Thursday. I was taking the dogs out later, because I got busy on a music project and had technical difficulties that delayed me. So, it was around 1:45 PM when the dogs took their walk yesterday. I was relieved to see several people working on the house yesterday when I passed it. There were even a couple of teenagers doing some work there.
My usual route takes me over a bridge that spans over a creek. I was happy to see the ducks in the creek, so I took a few photos. The ducks usually seem to come out more at this time of year, which results in some very nice photo opportunities.
As I passed the house again, on my way home, I looked up on the balcony, and there was that guy again. I wasn’t sure it was him at first, but he smiled at me and said “Hallo.” He had his pants up, much to my relief.
I said a curt “Hallo” and hurried home. I took a shower, changed into something more comfortable, and ate lunch. As I was cleaning up the lunch dishes, I noticed the trash receptacles were stinky from salmon packaging Bill threw in there. So, even though the bins weren’t full, I decided to empty them. As I was walking back to the house, I looked up, and I saw that worker, once again, very confidently lower his pants while standing on the unfinished balcony.
My jaw dropped as, once again, I witnessed this man apparently urinating up there, his junk on full display for everyone to see. Across the street from our house is a home with a balcony. The male half of the couple living there was on the balcony putting up a shade. He was fixated on the shade, and apparently didn’t notice what was going on across the street.
I watched the worker for a minute or so. He was not at all in. a hurry or worried about who would see him. As I passed the house yesterday, I confirmed that anyone could see him standing there with his private parts hanging out. There is no solid barrier to block the view.
I looked outside again a little while later, to see if he was still exposing himself from the balcony. I didn’t see him then, but when I went out on our front balcony, I looked over to that house and took a photo. I looked down, and the guy was there by his car, looking up at me. I wonder if he thought I took a picture of him. I didn’t… but below, you can see what the balcony looks like from our house, and from just under it, where I saw the man’s genitals.
From my house’s front balcony. There is no barrier preventing anyone from seeing on the balcony.This was about where I was standing when I saw the man peeing. He was between the two far left pillars on the balcony. The scaffolding did not block the view.
I told Bill about what happened, and I’m considering filing a police report. I don’t want to invite trouble, but that house is right next to a school. There are kids and elderly people who live in this neighborhood. Above all, I DON’T WANT TO SEE THIS PERSON’S PRIVATE PARTS! It’s annoying, creepy, shocking, and disgusting. I shouldn’t have to tolerate that shit. It’s a CRIME.
We did have a good wine stand last night, even though it was a bit chilly. That very friendly elderly German couple joined us last night, and we tried to speak terrible German with them. I showed them some pictures from our wedding, and a few from my horsey days. The lady saw a photo of my mom and asked if that was my sister! I’ll have to tell her about that. It will make her day! I got a couple of photos of a plane passing, too… We’re right on the flight course to Frankfurt.
Today, I have plans to go on post, get an eye exam and a passport photo, and pick up a couple of items I need. Texas has told us we can renew my driver’s license by mail, since we’re still living out of state. That’s a relief, because I don’t want to have to go back to Texas just to update my license, and I don’t particularly want to trade my license for a German version. Let me just say, it was a real PITA to get a live person in Texas to tell us this was going to work. AI is a pox on customer service. But at least I’ll still be legal to drive after my birthday in June.
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