Cow Tales

OK, before I tell this story, let's get one thing straight - I am not ignorant. I openly admit (and am proud to say) that I know NOTHING of agriculture. I grew up in the Suburbs - not a whole lotta livestock in the 'Burbs ( Ok, we had a goat and a duck, but they were out of their element and another story altogether...). AND, while my private school had many clubs - 4H was not then, and I can assure you - WILL never be- one of them.

Anyway, that being said - I just had to share what, to me, was a rather hilarious incident on the way home from our weekend retreat in Garmisch....

So, after a long day of exploring the Alps it was time to head back home. I should have known something was a little odd when "Mandi" (the GPS) immediately informed me that the new route she had JUST recalculated for us, due to traffic, had a NEW traffic delay of unknown origin and duration and she DIDN'T recalculate a new route. She'd never done that before. Maybe a new accident since it had just started to rain ?

We're heading down the very busy main road thru town ( think old, 2 lane ,280 during rush hour) and within just a few blocks - all cars come to a stop. And the cars on BOTH sides start trying to move over...
"What the...?" Coming straight down the middle of the road, splitting traffic like it was nothing - was the largest animal, with horns, I had seen up close, not at a zoo.

Immediately, I thought "What is a bull doing strolling thru traffic in downtown Garmisch"? But wait - right behind it were several more. Thoughts THEN went something along the lines of " A running of the bulls? Nope. They're not running and this is Germany ,not Spain. Not their thing - the only time German's get that worked up about something is if it involves some sort of football (soccer) cup...." "Hummm.... maybe it's just a lost cow of some sort?" This last part was spoken out loud, it seems...

Kailey pipes up from the back " NO, Mommy!!! it's the ones that work at the Texas Roadhouse!" Huh? "What, baby?" Kailey - "You KNOW! They have their heads on the wall?"....

LOL. Ah, yes! My brilliant little girl - you are correct. This large cow with horns is a STEER. WOW! and walking in a herd thru the middle of town no less... Colby then says " Is it a stampede?" "No, honey. I think they are just being herded, maybe?" Colby - "well then, where's the cowboys and dogs?" Good question......

So, now there are MANY large steers on this tiny, 2 lane, packed traffic way. German's drive micro cars (have you seen the Smart Car or Mini Cooper? German....) and their roads have always been built accordingly. I, on the other hand, drive the large Jeep Grand Cherokee that is always too big for the roads here and this moment was going to be tricky.

Colby pops up from the back again, "Hey Mommy ? What happens if we hit one of those things?" ( Just what I was thinking, actually...) "Well, I guess USAA buys me a new car, the farmer gets half our next paycheck, and Daddy finally gets that steak he's been wanting... ha, ha, ha...." ( yeah - so if Germans DON'T eat or serve beef ANYWHERE - why ARE there steers in the middle of this road?)

At this point Colby panics -" Are they MAD?!?!" ( This is a common fear of Colby's ever since we got to Germany and mistakenly explained to him that the reason we don't eat meat here is because of the MAD cow disease that was a problem when we lived here before. It's just habit).

Kailey - missing what Colby is getting at - goes " Well,Bro, they're walking thru town in the middle of cars that might make them dead, no farmer, and it's poring down rain...but they don't LOOK mad...confused,maybe...."

LOL! I LOVE taking these two out - they provide such hilarious commentary on life....

Kailey then turns around to look at the steers that have already passed and says "Hey, Mom? I think they escaped. That middle one just turned left at the 'Ray's table dancing' sign. I don't think he wants go where the other ones are going. Maybe he wants to see tables dance, too....Uh, Mom? How DO they make the tables dance ?".... Yeahhhhh, um, Garmisch has a US Army post as well.....

So, we continue on thru the herd, trying not buy any steaks ( but funnily enough - all 3 of us munching on Beef Jerky, our favorite road trip snack) and FINALLY! we get down to one....sad, slow, steer....accompanied by what looked like a tiny 100 yr old man......on a BICYCLE..... with a road hazard triangle attached to the front.....

It was a fabulously entertaining end to a relaxing weekend.

While an unusual experience for us - it must be common in Garmisch. When I got home and pulled out the stack of postcards I had purchased ? One of them had a "scenes of Garmisch" collage which prominently featured, yes, a farmer holding a steer, on the street....

We got cows....

Everytime my sitter, Lydia, goes with me anywhere - she always has to move my camera out of the front seat. One time she asked me "Do you always have it with you where you go?".

Yes, I do. And this is why...You never know when life is going to need to be captured on digital media.

Of course, I don't usually recommend it while driving...in the rain...in a cattle-something. Germans have VERY strict laws about using cell. phones while driving. Not sure they'd be too happy with photography while driving either....

Weekend Getaway

Yea!

A group from Steven's work is providing a weekend getaway down South in the Alps. I didn't know anything about it, so it was news to me when my friend April asked if I was going.

All expenses paid weekend (minus lunch) in the most beautiful part of this country AND a Kids Club to keep Kai and Cole occupied ?!?! Hello! I SO wanted to go!!!!!
Unfortunately, it was booked...

You would THINK you couldn't miss something you didn't know about in the first place - but that REALLY ticked me off. It's the sort of thing I missed out on Steven's LAST extended vacation and it just seemed wrong that I had agreed to another vacation right after the first BECAUSE I would HAVE these opportunities....and got left out again due to crappy chain of information.

However. I'm a lucky girl and friend April loves me very much. She also happens to work with the girl organizing this getaway and late this afternoon, when someone called to cancel - she got me IN!!!
Oh YEAH!!!! Now, I owe her big time.....

THEN, I got even luckier and found a place to board Toby for the weekend at such late notice ( I totally forgot about him in the excitement - not used to having a high maintenance pet).

Hopefully, will have tons of breathtaking pics to post when I get back, but for now - I have 26 hrs until time to go...

YIKES!

Wo ist Papa?

When Steven is home, we eat out a LOT. Almost every night ,in fact. Here in Germany our dining choices are pretty much limited to Greek, Italian, and German Pub food. There is also a Chinese restaurant in Graf. that we visit, and a kinda lousy, but better than nothing TexMex place on Post at Rose Barracks.

Our two MOST favorite places to eat are: our local, Pizzaria Christina at the Auerbach SportsClub, on the edge or our neighborhood, and one of the 2 best Greek places in Germany - Taverna Atlantia in Pegnitz. We eat at these places at least once, sometimes twice a week. Not once have we ever run into any other Americans at either place.

When Steven is NOT home - the kids and I just go with the flow. Eat when we feel like it and usually pretty low rent - cereal, micro meals, soup and sandwiches, lots of salads... usually too busy to eat out.

Last week we decided we needed to eat out a few times since the 3 of us were having serious Greek cravings. So off to Pegnitz we went. The lady who served us seemed happy to see us again and while I'm pretty sure she speaks less English than I do German, the first thing she said said after "Hallo" was "Wo is Papa?". I then got to explain it to her in German-ish. Then she hugged me.

Wow! Can't tell you how heartwarming it was for one of the local nationals to ask about my husband.To acknowledge that we were regulars instead of tourists. And then she proceeded to bring the kids more candy than usual and to sit down and "chat" with me after we were finished. ( Steven would have been laughing his rear off - he thinks my 'German' is a joke....).

A few days after that Twinz and Mom decided we needed schnitzel at Christina. Again, I was asked "Wo ist mein Mann?". LOL And again there was more attempt at conversation throughout dinner. I make do the best I can. I asked for the 'zahlen' ( check) and the waitress comes and sits down and has a prefectly pleasant conversation with me ....in English. Turns out that she and her husband visit her sister and HER soldier husband in the States frequently.
Germans do this to me a lot, for some reason. Force me to humiliate myself with my lousy German skills repeatedly, before deciding to have a real conversation in their almost perfect schoolhouse English.

That's Ok, though. I LOVE that out here in the middle of nowhere Germany? A few locals acknowledge our existence and have, somewhat, made us feel welcomed. Like we belong. I really LOVE that one of the checkout ladies at my grocery store of choice, Kauflands, looks for me when I come in and calls me 'her American'. She speaks just enough English, too.... :D

Yes. Auerbach is finally becoming "home". The little cracker box house is less stifling and ugly. The drive is even less tedious... One night, not too long ago, I was putting Colby to bed and the night range at Graf. was exceptionally loud. Loud enough for us to hear the explosions and gunfire and see the flares from the windows. I tucked my little bear in and he made a funny face. I asked him "What's a matter, Cubs? Too loud outside?" He just grabbed the edge of his blankie, snuggled in, closed his eyes..."No. ( smiling sleepily) Sounds like home...."

Yes, it does, my Angel. Yes. It does.

Pics

Just wanted to share a few pics from the places we have visited.

From top to bottom are: Rathaus(City Hall) in Schweinfurt,Rothenburg guest haus, Pottenstein hillside and lake.

Also the pics in the post below are:

1.Rosenhof from the town pond. First it's the Auerbach Sports Club, and then the beginning of our neighborhood ( Rosenhof) in the very back. Our house would be way on the other side in the back...

2. Back field tree line. We don't have a yard - we have acres and acres of farmland bordered by forest.

3."Digging" for Easter Eggs

4. Griffin's sledding in the back field

5. Nurnberg Zoo

Welcome to Germany! (The Condensed Version)

Our departure from Atlanta and the subsequent arrival in Germany was really more drama than I care to remember anytime soon, but hopefully, some day - we'll laugh about it.

However, arrive in Germany we did on Friday, February 29th in the wee hours of the morning. It was dark, cold , and raining - exactly as we remembered and it felt like coming home.

We all arrived safe and sound, minus any luggage at all except the backpacks we carried and the kids carry-ons. It took us all day and a couple of bus trips , but we arrived in Vilseck at Rose Barracks by Friday evening. And so the adventure began. No car, no clothes,hungry, and nothing open on the small post, so misery was the description of that 1st weekend.

By the next week, though, we had a home in a beautiful town called Auerbach, in the OberPfalz ( UpperLand) and because it is VERY far away from Vilseck - a rental car as well. Life was much improved. We spent the next 30 days trying to get settled in and getting a routine for the kids. They started school ( horrible schools! very far behind where the kids were at) and got signed up for soccer, dance, and karate.

By the next month our furniture had arrived and so had my car. Was much happier to see car than all those boxes... We should have unpacked the house straight away, but one excuse or another kicked in and we only got the bare minimum done. First there was a bit of traveling to do - our former home in Schweinfurt, our favorite medieval town of Rothenburg,The zoo at Nurnburg, the nearby beautiful towns of Pottenstein, Pegnitz, Amberg, and Neuhaus. Not to mention the towns of Vilseck and Grafenwohr, where the Army posts are...

THEN, there was the weather - it was either raining or snowing. Easter weekend was a huge snow storm which made for beautiful pictures, but lousy egg hunting. Our last "snow day" was April 22nd. Kailey and Colby would have been happy if it had snowed forever....I LOVED the fact that they could come home from school everyday and go sledding in the back field until dark...

Finally, summer arrived. With a vengeance! It went from mild to hot in just a week. Now, mind you, it's not Southern US hot by NO means - but we have glorious, expensive air conditioning in the South and in Germany there is NONE! No air, nada, zip. There WAS however, still hot water running under the floors to provide heat for our radiators, that had yet to be turned off. So, it was like living in a sauna.

We bought a few fans, opened the windows, and Colby moved down from the 3rd floor to Kailey's room on the 2nd - where we spent ALL of our time. Nothing ever got done at home, of course. We never even ate at home during that time...

Before long, Steven got his departure date for his latest 'vacation' and we had 3 weeks to get the house unpacked and get him ready to go. It was chaos and craziness and we made it - but it was a miserable way to spend that time together. The kids had their last day of school - and Steven left that night to go play in the sand. Again.

Peace and quiet returned to the Griffin household and so began OUR summer vacation. All activites for the summer stopped , except for K & C's Shotokan Karate class 2x a week. Most of our friends and neighbors went stateside for the summer... We shop a lot. We discovered our local schwimmbad (pool), a few blocks away,which is like a small water park and had started going everyday. Then summer took a vacation, I guess. It's been too rainy, and/or chilly to go for the past 3 weeks.

Loving the new cooler weather, but now I'm stuck with whiny, bored 8 yr olds...

School starts back in a month. Thank Goodness!

So that's our story so far. Sounds boring, but it really HAS been adventurous - just not always in a good way. Now that I'm caught up on our tale - Posts will be shorter, but more detailed. I also should be able to include pics and video.

Hope everyone is doing well - we miss you all! Take care and keep in touch,

Chelle

Another New Blog

Ok, SO....

I had to find a new blog. The old blog and my German IP just weren't getting along and I couldn't take it anymore.
We have been here 4 months now and not being able to update anyone as promised was causing some issues. I still have my private journal , and I thought about sharing THAT one, but after a lot of contemplation - I just couldn't do it. Some things just need to be for me alone.
Many of the Waiting Spouses use blogspot and so I finally decided to join them. ( Thanks Girls! Hope all is well...).

Now, family and friends - bear with me as I play around here until I get it the way I want it ( oh boy! new toy!) and then I will get you all filled in on the 'Germany Adventure'.

See you soon!