Life in Germ Drei

I'm more behind than I thought....and the food in my local hospital

2010-01-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

I knew I had not blogged in a long time, but I also did not think it had been FOREVER....almost a year. I'm ashamed but just now have something to say. Actually I made notes for this post in my trusty Moleskin notebook back in September while I was in the hospital for a long weekend. I came down with a case of spastic bronchitis, could not breathe, and needed a weekend of IV antibiotics. I was dreading the whole admission deal since we have public insurance which for sure at all times means a shared room. My roommates turned out to be kind and very nice and I was super glad to have had them for company. But the food. Dear God the food. The following are my notes from that weekend:

Food from the I can't breathe asthma tour of 2009

1. Friday lunch - Spinach, egg and potatoes. Soup with stars. Almond pudding. Ate this but otherwise too sick to eat.
2. Dinner Friday - Still too sick to care but bread, cheese, soup with something that looks like rice but isn't, took one bite and fertig (finished).
3. Breakfast - 2 pieces of ham, bread. You kidding me?
4. Quark strudel NASTY. Mandarin oranges (good), grapefruit slices (good) Bernd got me a cheeseburger and fries from McDonald's (very good). My roommates sent compliments to the chef via the nurse. Dear God. I think airline food would be a huge improvement over this slop.
5. Pasta salad drowning in mayo with carrots and peas here and there. Cold chicken thigh. Bread, more bread.
6. Breakfast - Surprise! Bread! I'm starving.
7. Lunch - Some kind of cream soup that was good. Cabbage rolls with mystery stuffing (animal? vegetable? I think I ordered vegetarian come to think of it). Mashed potatoes with zero flavor. And for dessert a little cake in a package like you might buy in an American gas station if you were starving and then be mad that you had wasted your money on it.
8 Dinner - My last one. BREAD! Lunchmeat with horseradish sauce, yogurt (decent)

Checked out at this point AMA. Not really because of the food but because I was 1000% better than I had been on Friday when I checked in, because I had no more veins left from all the antibiotics (all blown in my wrists at least), and because the doctor had promised me that if I could manage 24 hours with no fever I could go....he forgot to mention that he would not be around on Sunday to see if I managed the 24 hours with no fever. Got the nurse to find another doctor to sign me out. One thing about German hospitals...once you are in it is for definately sure hard to get back out.

Another Whack Job Freakshow of a guy

2009-02-21T01:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had my first auto accident in Germany. It was very minor thankfully, but a taxi driver hit my side view mirror, demolished it with a loud bang (he was on my side of the road) and then made a run for it. Great. There was a lady on the street walking her dog and she managed to get his license plate number. I spent the morning at the police department making a report in German, learned some new words and realized I did not have the vocabulary for auto mishaps. My policeman was very nice, very understanding, and was also really relieved when he got to talk to my husband on the phone in speedy German and Bairish.

We got some kind of great service from the police, and they called us in the evening to let us know they had identified the hit and run driver and they gave us his address and phone number so that we could call and work out the details of the financial settlement. Ok good. So Bernd calls and a 15 minute discussion ensues and I could tell it was not really going all that well for us to get the money for the mirror. We are only discussing a grand total of 186 Euros but no, our whack job freakshow does not want to pay. He admits hitting me but his logic is that everyone should just pay for their own damages. He luckily did not have any. When asked why he did not stop he said he did recognize that his mirror flipped in toward his car after hitting mine, but he thought the big bang was a rock. He also said it was just not his fault because the street was too narrow because of all the snow lately (the car ahead of him managed to get by me without hitting me and there are not a lot of rocks laying around on top of the snow waiting to hit a taxi cab).
So he also has points on his driving record and wants us to drop the charges (we have no idea if this is even possible) because if he is charged with a hit and run his points will not just fade into the sunset like he had hoped they would.

Now would not the normal folks around us first of all have 1. stopped 2. apologized and 3. been just happy that they only had to pay 186 Euros?

Well not our whack job. We hardly even care about the 186 Euros but now since he's being totally insane it has become the principle of the thing that we have to fight over. And fight over it we will. I suggested to Bernd that he tell the dude that not only will we fight this out in court but we'll ask the court to bill him for the very expensive translator who will have to be hired for me since the judge is particular about German being correct in his courtroom. And then there should be court costs, etc....so if he wants this to get really expensive, feel free to continue to live in a reality where everyone should be responsible for their own damages no matter who is at fault. I would have thought this was maybe an immigrant from somewhere Eastern Europe but no, this is a native German. He told Bernd he would think it all over and call back today. We expect to not ever get that phone call. I would have felt a little sorry for him if he had called, said he was really sorry that he just did not realize, that he's poor and needs to make payments or whatever, but since he's being a complete idiot, game on.

A day in review

2009-01-21T01:29:00.001-08:00

I got up this morning, watched even more inauguration coverage on TV, and then switched to the internet. I found this photo in an MSNBC slide show and for me this just says it all.

This is a soldier in Baghdad watching the inauguration. I'm sure he has hope for getting the hell out of Baghdad. I hope for the same.

Happy Obama day everyone

2009-01-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

Relief. And more relief.

I've been complaining non-stop about the Bush regime for 8 years now, and now that he's gone all I'm left to gripe about is weather and maybe snow levels and the need to shovel the driveway. Beats having to worry anymore about Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld any old day. Welcome President Obama to all of our lives. Phew.

Icking

2009-01-19T10:43:00.001-08:00

I'm not crazy about cold weather, but it sure can be beautiful around here on a frosty winter morning.

Uben and our guest dog Rosie

Icking is up on the hill in the background

Have we waited forever or what??????

2009-01-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

The Hills and The City

2009-01-05T13:22:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure what is going on around here, but I can watch episodes of The Hills and The City on my computer as if I was in the United States. Normally these videos just won't play here based I suppose on the foreign country ip address, but good old MTV is at least working for me at the moment. Now I should probably be deeply embarrassed that I even watch these shows, but not only do I watch them I frigging love them. I hate Spencer, think Heidi's lost her mind and has no self esteem, wish Audrina had better taste in men, think all the girls are cute and have great clothes. I'm worried about Whitney and the new boy Jay. If you are reading this and you also watch these shows, please leave a comment so I don't feel like such a freakshow.
Thank you.

2008-12-27T12:58:00.000-08:00

Scenes from the daily walking of the dogs in the fall.

Various fall pictures from Bavaria

2008-12-27T12:52:00.000-08:00

Moritz, Valentin and Felix in our shed

Valentin, the sunniest guy around

Felix has a nice profile

Daisy, my brother's dog

The mighty Uben Hertwig

Grazin' in the grass is a gas

Late October

2008-12-27T12:41:00.000-08:00

Bernd's mom turned 90! She's still feisty and fit and a real handful. We had a party on her birthday at al local restaurant and a good time was had by all. She has 3 children, 6 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. The newest is below.

Omi

Magdalena

End of September, first of October

2008-12-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

Liz Z. and her new husband Scott Z. came to town while on their European honeymoon. We did a tour of Oktoberfest which is always some fun. Liz got a cool new hat. We were happy they came to Munich and it was great to see Liz and to meet Scott.

September and my dad's new digs

2008-12-27T12:30:00.000-08:00

In September I flew to Tennessee to help my dear dad get moved to Indiana. Above is a picture of him, sad after my mom's death but an otherwise good picture of him. The other photo is his new apartment in Greenwood, Indiana. He likes it there, my brother is nearby, my sister-in-law is a saint, the food at his facility is good, he's swimming 3x a week and riding his bike weather permitting. The weather does not agree with him to put it mildly. He's been in Tennessee for 43 years with mild winters and last week it was 0 degrees Farenheit in Indiana. I'd be freaking too.

Corso

2008-09-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

I went today to the euthanasia of my friend's dog. He was 17 years old, tired, and it seemed like it was time. Just like me with my last dog who had to be put to sleep, my friend did not want to watch and I felt honored to be with dear old Corso in his last few minutes of life. He had a nice weiner like a good German dog, laid down in his bed and let the vet (who was kindness personified) do her thing. I was alone with him for a minute while no one else was around, and though he probably did not speak English I think at 17 he was a wise old fellow...I told him not to be scared, to just go to sleep and go toward the light. He went very peacefully and was wrapped in a beautiful white linen tablecloth for burial. It is always hard to say goodbye to an old, loyal friend. Auf wiedersehen Corso.

One sore thigh

2008-08-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

This week Uben got his butt kicked by a girl. He was taking a walk with his dad and 2 guest dogs, and like a good Brittany he was of course out ahead, but calmly making his way down the street. A Swiss Mountain dog came flying out of her yard, jumped him and sunk her teeth into his thigh. He had one nice, deep puncture wound which required a little attention. When we went to talk to the owners we found out that the attack dog was a girl. Uben would be embarrassed if he knew, so we are not going to tell him. The day after the attack he behaved as if he was thinking about dying. He's clearly a boy who knows how to milk it.

Summa vacation

2008-07-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

We limped down to France after my mom's funeral. I had a hard first week but then our friends showed up from Italy and my sad mood mostly lifted. Three weeks in Provence...one should try hard not to suffer through it.

Montagnac at night

Moon over Montagnac

The local Boule dudes

4th of July in France

Bee on lavender

DJ and K8

My Mom

2008-07-24T00:28:00.001-07:00

Josephine Besal Fleming

2-13-22 to 6-15-08

Rest in peace mom

We love you

This is a picture from the visit when I last saw my mother. She was sitting in her favorite spot working a crossword puzzle which she loved and was great at. My dad is struggling now with the daily puzzle without her help (but he calls me, a bad substitute but I'm kind of good at the French clues). When I took this picture I thankfully did not know it would be the last time I would see her, or I would have been destroyed. Thank you God for that small favor. If any of you would like to make a contribution in her memory, go here https://www.angelcovers.org/donate_now.html and buy a brick for the Humble Hearts orphanage. The bricks cost $10 and you can specify a name for the brick. She was orphaned herself at a young age and I think she would like to know that her passing is somehow helping other orphans.

In the alternative, if you are all about animals she donations can also be made here:

http://www.mrhumane.org/about_us.html#helping

She loved her little cat Happy as well as the rest of the family....fiercely.

Vacations

2008-07-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

I'm a really bad blogger lately but here is a feeble attempt to catch up just a bit. We went to the U.S. in late April for a 3 week vacation. We squeezed in a trip to Tennessee to see my parents, who due to illness were not able to come to Indiana to visit with us at my brother's house as planned.

Here are my cute neices in Indiana with our rental car which we named Butter, or something more like Butta. We had fun driving it but it was a gas guzzler so I can't recommend the PT Cruiser in these days of high gas prices.

In Tennessee we stayed in a FABBY B&B in my hometown of Athens, Tennessee. If you have to go there google Majestic Mansion and make yourself a reservation. But mainly we were there to see my parents who were having some health issues. Thank goodness we made this trip as it turned out to be the last time I would see my mom. sigh.

We proceeded on to Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver, Olympia, coastal Oregon, Bend, Oregon, Sacramento, Yosemite (Bernd only) and Los Angeles to see friends who we have not seen in ages. We had a terrific time and here are a few shots...

Thank you to everyone who we saw and visited and thank you for letting us stay with you. We had a terrific time.

So we flew home after 3 weeks, and I went to France with a friend who stayed with me for 10 days in the rain. Now normally it does not rain much in Provence, but this year it rained every day for 6 weeks according to the locals. We had a nice time but to miss typical Provence weather and blue skies was just a shame for my friend. Here is Nina contemplating the rotten weather.

So Nina went home to Munich from Nice on a Tuesday, and I was in Montagnac alone with the dog until Sunday. I was doing laundry up in the main house when the phone rang, and it was my husband who called to tell me my mom had just died. I spent the day frantically packing and closing up houses and headed back to Munich and from there on to Atlanta and then on to Tennessee for the funeral.

The German dudes

2008-04-17T04:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of 3 out of 4 of my husband's grandchildren in France last year. A friend commented that the little dude looks like a train conductor. Around here he may have a future as an S-bahn or U-bahn driver. They are nice boys one and all, but the little one Valentin is some kind of special little guy....sunny best describes him. Happy all the time. His big brothers love him so I guess this also makes life kind of nice for him.

Buy a brick

2008-04-16T23:46:00.000-07:00

We are happily involved in an ALL volunteer charity called Angel Covers which is based in Colorado. The charity supports needy children and orphans around the world. We specifically sponsor a child and a teacher at a school for the deaf in Nairobi, Kenya. The school houses some of the children who are orphans or otherwise have no place to live, and because there is not a decent facility at the moment for these kids, they live in what used to be the chicken coop in the back yard of the parent's of the school's director. The roof is leaking and it is raining in Kenya. Here is a small photo of the daily living conditions:

The charity is involved in building a real shelter for the kids who have nowhere else to live, but the fund raising is going painfully slowly and the costs for building the shelter are increasing faster than money can be raised. Bricks are being sold to raise money, and they look something like this:

These bricks can be had for a mere $10 and you can have whatever name on them that you specify. I have bought a few as memorials, but I think they are also good for you, your dogs, your cats, your mom and dad, your grandmothers, and anyone you want to remember...and it all goes to a good cause.
Click here http://www.angelcovers.org/donation.html to go to the page where you can start to buy your brick. Click on the credit card graphic and it will take you to the next page where you can specify that you want to buy a brick and what name you want on it. The charity has told us that we'll ultimately get photos of the bricks that you buy and that will be a great thing too. Please think about this then click and help get these kids out of the mud.

Uben with pig

2008-04-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

Just because I love him.

I'm back

2008-04-12T04:04:00.001-07:00

I've unfortunately moved around quite a bit with this blog, originally due to a glitch with blogger when they had a migration to google mail for sign in purposes. I started out here http://lifeingerm.blogspot.com/ then moved to here http://clearblogs.com/lifeingerm and now I'm back to blogger with a new address. Clearblogs works just fine and I have nothing bad to say about them other than I did not much like all the ads and how my blog looked, so I'm back with a clean slate on blogger. I hope I'm really motivated to keep carrying on.