A week of upgrades at home…

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.

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…

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.*

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.

Small colorful houses linked by a complex network of tangled wires.

German lifestyle, Hessen

Like a good neighbor… 🙄 😁

Cool AI depiction of neighborhood relations…

Neighbor relations can be a tricky thing. Bill and I have had our share of moves, and we’ve encountered plenty of people who became our neighbors. We have lived in our current neighborhood since late 2018, and to date, Breckenheim is the neighborhood where we’ve lived the longest as a married couple.

I’ve really liked living here. I often think about how, back in 2018, I was nervous about the prospect of moving. I didn’t like our previous house much, although I did like where it was situated. Our former landlady and I didn’t get along at all, and I hated dealing with her. She could be very toxic. And yet, in spite of that, I was hesitant to move. I worried that the next place would be as bad, or perhaps even worse.

Well, as it turns out, we have enjoyed life in Wiesbaden. Our landlord is our next door neighbor. Although the idea of living next to the landlord initially had made me nervous, I really didn’t need to be concerned. He’s great. He does what needs to be done and we don’t bother each other. He doesn’t freak out over things like dog hair in the doorway, and when something needs to be fixed, he takes care of it promptly, and without negativity.

Yesterday, he came over to tell Bill that he’d ordered us a new refrigerator. It will likely get to us next week, although he and his wife won’t be home. But the landlord has a “guy” who takes care of such things, so the guy will call Bill and arrange a time to change out the fridge. That will mean it will be done before Bill and I go to Switzerland on the 19th.

The landlord even asked us if we minded if the refrigerator was different. Of course not! We just want one that works! He said that only three companies make refrigerators that will fit in the “cabinet” in our kitchen, but he’d bought the best one.

I suspect the kitchen set up in this house is pretty old, and is from an era when it was stylish to hide the fridge with “cabinet” facades. I’d actually love it if the landlord got rid of the cabinet and got us a bigger fridge, but then we’d have less storage space. We do need the storage space, because German houses don’t have closets. Instead, they typically use Schranks (portable cabinet/wardrobe).

Anyway… hopefully next week, we’ll have our new fridge, and that will mean we won’t have to go to the basement to get our cold stuff. That will be a good thing.

Now… on to the next neighbor story…

Back in January, our little cul-de-sac was abnormally packed with cars. People were visiting their loved ones for the holiday season, which made the street especially and uncharacteristically crowded.

One night, Bill was coming home from work, and our neighbor, who works at a car dealership, had parked one of his employer’s cars in an unusual spot, and that made it difficult to squeeze past and reach our house.

Bill was trying to get to our driveway, and as he passed the neighbor’s house, he accidentally traded paint with the neighbor’s employer’s car. Because he’s a very honest guy, Bill immediately told our neighbor what had happened. Our neighbor, who is a really nice guy from Italy, had answered the door in his bathrobe, and was pretty understanding. Bill told him to let him know what the damage was, and he’d pay for it.

Months passed with no word. Then I went to the mailbox yesterday, and found a handwritten note in German, along with an estimate for the damages done to the car. The note was cheerful and apologetic, explaining that the estimate had been sitting in a desk drawer since January.

The damages came to about 1900 euros after tax. Because we’re Americans on SOFA status, we can use a VAT form to get the taxes removed. Bill said he’ll call our neighbor today and come to an arrangement.

Yeah, it is an expensive bill, and it took a really long time to get it. And it could be argued that the car got scratched, in part, because it was blocking ingress to our driveway. But then, we shouldn’t be surprised it took so long to settle this. It took the local hospital a full year to send us a bill for my 2024 colonoscopy. 🤷‍♀️

Bill will probably just pay the bill in full… because he can, and because he’s honest. And we want to show people over here that while our country is a bit messed up right now, not all Americans are assholes. Next time the neighbor parks in an unusual spot that makes parking difficult, Bill will just knock on his door and get him to move.

In spite of all of this inconvenient stuff that has happened, this neighborhood is probably the one where I’ve felt the most like I was part of a community. I also can’t ignore the fact that living here was a good financial decision. There was a time when a bill like the one we got yesterday would have sent us into heart palpitations. But at least for now, it’s not a big deal. We really have been blessed.

Edited to add: Our neighbor talked to Bill and said he gets a 35% employee discount that perhaps could be applied to the total… If that is possible, it would be out of sight, dude. 🥰

Hessen, holidays

Christmas 2025… one for the ages!

Happy Boxing Day, everybody. Bill has gone off to work today, and I’m sitting here tying up loose ends from our Christmas celebration. It was actually a pretty good day for us. The weather was appropriately bitterly cold, so we got to light a fire, which we kept going for most of the day. We got lots of cool stuff, mostly for the kitchen. I got a new banjo, which was a bucket list item for me, ever since I was a child. Bill says there’s more stuff coming; unfortunately, he ordered from a place that is shipping from China. 😬

Our morning started off with Eggs Benedict, excellent Peet’s Big Bang coffee, and orange juice…

Then, after I started our fire going and turned on some Christmas music, we sat down to open the presents. As usual, I bought most of them, so Bill did most of the unwrapping. I got lots of photos of that…

We got some cool Italian designed kitchen and dining gadgets, several new cookbooks featuring cuisine from Turkey, the Baltic countries, and the Caucasus countries, a new coffeemaker and a new blender, tarot cards, glasses and glass drinking straws, and a couple of Jungian books for Bill… I got him two new Alpa sweaters from Finland, and sweater soap, a new pen and Moleskine writing pad, a new bread knife, Chemex carafe, and mixing bowls, bags for the sous vide, food storage containers, and ginger jam… Charlie was there to supervise, while Noyzi stayed in his “room” upstairs.

*This is a really interesting looking book about our favorite chocolatier!*

And then came the most exciting gift of all…

Bill ordered a bluegrass banjo from Ireland. It came from McNeela, the same company that made the bodhran drum Bill got me last year at Christmas. I am very impressed with the quality. It was a lot heavier than I was expecting it to be, which is why Bill is holding it in the photo! I’ve always been fascinated by banjos, and have always wanted to learn how to play one… So we’ll see how it goes. I’m still working on my guitar(s), after all!

*I had to do a little rearranging of my “studio” to accommodate the new banjo. And now I have space for two more instruments!*

Below are a couple more photos of noteworthy Christmas gifts. I was particularly amused by the Eggsecutor, a handy device used to open boiled eggs. I loved the witty description of it on the box! Bill said it was kind of like a guillotine for eggs!

All in all, it was a pleasant holiday celebration for us… and I managed to capture a few moments on video…

My laugh is annoying… sorry! Maybe my mother-in-law will watch this.

And then for dinner, Bill cooked duck legs, roasted potatoes, and green beans, fresh baked bread, Italian red wine, and brownies and ice cream for dessert…

Man… how did I get so lucky? My husband is an absolute KEEPER. He’s a great cook and bartender, and a wonderful lover and friend!

Below is a photo of this morning’s breakfast. Bill made the bread, and “eggsecuted” the egg with our new gadget! At the end of the above video, you can see how it works!

We’ve got one more week to go before this annus horribilus is finally over… But I am grateful that I get to spend this time with my dearest friend and husband, Bill, who always makes me smile and lets me live life in high style. 😘

I hope those of you who have taken the time to read this also had a great holiday! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

anecdotes, housekeeping tips

My kitchen annex…

I haven’t taken any photos of our little kitchen because, frankly, it’s a bit of a mess and I didn’t feel like cleaning it just so I could get a few pictures. But I did want to post a few photos of how we used one of the little rooms on the first floor. We have two small rooms down there that aren’t really suitable for bedrooms unless you have very small kids. I decided to turn one of them into a pantry.

I bought the refrigerator last week to supplement the small “dorm sized” one the landlords supplied. It’s an AEG model and so far, I’m pretty pleased with it. It’s a good size for two people and gives us a better place to store all the things that take up too much space in a little fridge. We put all the magnets we collected on our many trips on that fridge. I caught one of the neighbor kids looking through the window at them. 😉

The shelves I bought years ago at Rose’s. They are very sturdy wood and fold out conveniently. I usually use them for books, but we didn’t bring many books to Germany on account of our 5000 pound shipping limit. They make a great place for my china and some dry goods, along with bakeware that doesn’t fit in the kitchen cabinets. And you can also see the obligatory twenty pack crate of beer…

I bought this handy little cart from Amazon.de. The top opens up so you can store stuff under it. There are two drawers, room for wine storage, and space under the rack and drawers for other stuff. The wheels make it easy to move. Although this cart is pretty heavy, I think we’ll probably take it back to the States with us.

The vacuum is a Dirt Devil. I’m not all that happy with it because it has a design flaw. The on/off button is on the side of the machine, so if you accidentally run into the door or something, it shuts off. Also, the head isn’t powered, so it’s not that great for carpet. Luckily, we don’t have much carpet in this house.

Another shot of the shelves.

The other small room we’ve turned into the trash sorting room. In Germany, you have to sort your trash by what it is. It’s not just putting recyclables in a recycling bin. It’s separating paper, plastics, metals, biodegradables, and residual trash. That means having just one trash can isn’t feasible. I don’t mind separating trash, I guess, though I really need to find a single trash can with several compartments in it.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: kitchen

A week of upgrades at home…

Like a good neighbor… 🙄 😁

Christmas 2025… one for the ages!

My kitchen annex…