Monday July 31 :: pure energy
MEtRoday: 2016, 5144, 2058, 2062
I want to know, what you're thinking. Tell me what's on your mind.
Jay turned me onto this site, because he wants to leave comments on my entries. It's something Fabio had set up before I went to Munich, but then in the rush of PC-people who couldn't read it properly (those people should click here; you know who you are.) I had to ditch all of Fab5Fabio's hard work and go for a simpler approach. A few people left comments before the layout was yanked, and I thank them and hope they add comments in the new format. This is just a test, y'all, so let's see how it works. (Don't mind the ads for now, if this free service is simple and efficient, I'll pay the $1 a month to remove them. Yes, that's all it costs.) Remember, your comments are there for all eyes to see, so let's keep it clean. If you can't keep it clean, at least attach a jpg.
Tomorrow and Wednesday it is supposed to be 101 degrees, breaking the record set in 2002 for both days. Good grief.
Sunday July 30
I finally slept in; I think my jetlag from Europe is gone. Since it was just as hot as it was yesterday I decided to see if I could stay indoors the entire day. I made some coffee, talked with Franklin for a bit while playing The Sims 2 and then Melba called and wanted to go to La Lomita. So then I had to go outside.
Saturday July 29 :: 'round the way girl
The gym was having a special Afro-Brazilian dance class today, so Ateya and I went to that. It was very fast, but very fun. My tshirt was about as wet as when I get out of Miss Bernice's class, which is good. Fun workouts are always the best.
I ran errands today, going to the market and dropping off film from yesterday's raft trip. Staying in the neighborhood, I ran into friends and saw acquaintances around the market. Despite the heat, it was still a bustling day. Katie had invited me over for dinner tonight, so I was out shopping for ingredients for a hearty salad that I volunteered to bring. Organic (not that I'm a fan of organic produce, but that's just how it worked out) spinach, portobellos, red pepper and toasted almonds. Yes, I toasted my almonds. A basic but delicious dressing of olive oil, rice wine vinegar, garlic and ground pepper topped it off. Katie was making roasted chicken and cauliflower with cheese. How can you go accent that meal, you ask? Cocktails and catching up with a friend I haven't seen for a while, natch; Katie has started a new job where she works 3pm–11pm so it's difficult to hang out with her. She was a regular at JoyLuck, but we hadn't seen each other in a while. So we hung out in her condo, chatted, caught up with each other's recent vacation pix via www, shared a meal and made art. What did you do?
The pic of Katie screaming is the reaction I got when I told her she had too many shoes.
Friday July 28 :: Harper's Fairies
MEtRoday: 3244, 3245, 1014, 5162, 2025
It was an early morning today, no gym, to make it over to Mila's for the carpool to our rafting day. I stopped by the Bagels & Baguettes on Mass to pick up breakfast for me, Mila and Stacey. Stacey got a sesame bagel with light cream cheese, Mila wanted a banana (which they actually had) and I got a sun-dried tomato bagel with veggie cream cheese. Hear that DL? That's where you go to get them. {wink}
This is where we're rafting today. It's a work team-building day, so naturally each team has to come up with a theme and a jingle. And you thought jingles weren't written anymore. Since we were launching from Harper's Ferry, our theme was to be the Harper's Fairies. We had pixie dust, lots of shiny things and bubbles. This is how our jingle went (sing this to the Battle Hymn of the Republic. You know, "Glory, glory, hallelujah..." on the chorus:
VERSE
You can travel down the river
With a raft or a canoe
You can take a rubber inner-tube
and that will surely do
But if instead of traveling down
You want to go across
Then we'll be there for you...
CHORUS
Everybody needs a fairy
We make traveling less scary
Cross the river with a fairy
And you’ll be A-okay!
Repeat CHORUS
then yell: Harper's Fairies!
It was cute and we thought we were a shoo-in for first place. We didn't win though. We lost to Team SLAKR, which had a really clever slacker rhyme with simple costumes. Good for them.
I brought an underwater disposable camera on the raft with me, but you'll have to wait until those pix are actually developed. Here are some of the morning and jingle presentations though. Oh, we also passed mayoral candidate Adrian Fenty on our way up Connecticut Avenue. He came over and spoke with us, asking if he could count on my support in 46 days. I said I was still reviewing all candidates. Not that I want to get too political in what I'm saying here, but here are all candidates running for Mayor on September 12. Please cast an informed and carefully evaluated vote. But only if you want to.
Thursday July 27 :: decide something less decisional
MEtRoday: 1248, 3238, 1105, 3019
{Buck's correction:the latin american tour was for work: multimedia anthology on deaf lives, education and equal access in the three leading countries in the field of education: mex, cr, argentina. i was the interviewer who traveled with the professional cinematographer who filmed everything. i should have a copy of the interviews, and one day i'll show them to you.Fair enough.}
Do you have your Pet Shop Boys tickets? No? If you're nice maybe you can go with me. I have extras. So I'm logging onto Ticketmaster this morning (they get no link for that $9.85 "convenience charge". Isn't that convenient?) to get my advance tickets, and I'm attempting to do the Seven Window Slam™ like I used to do on eBay. I pull up some seats, open another window, pull up more seats, see which is better, etc. So I'm going to buy these tickets midway back in the orchestra, row M, way off to stage right. I figured that wasn't bad. But I think since the last window I opened was SECTION M, in the back, that's the one it put into my purchase. I guess seeing the M's confused me, and I didn't realize it until the purchase was complete. But Mila's going with me, and women never like floor seats anyway because we'll stand and dance and they can't see. It's at Constitution Hall which is not that big, so I guess it really doesn't matter. I'm sure it'll sell out, and we'll all have a good show. Oh, and you know how when you log on to buy tickets now and you have to enter a special word that's all Photoshopped and twisty and has lines running through it and all? It's there to stop software from buying tickets or something. I know you've seen it. Do you want to see the word I had to put in?
Nice, huh? PSB has a nice new website, too. Finally.
Wednesday July 26 :: <a href="html=so/frustrating">
MEtRoday: 5000, 5053, 3236, 4098
{Buck has informed me that I'm not representing his activities truthfully, and that he has not, in fact, been twirling away south of the border for the past two months. So he will have to correct me and I'll let everyone know the truth. All six of you.}
To the title of today's entry: why is trying to get a link
to not underline yet be highlighted so difficult? If I have to paste "style="background:#FFCC00" in
the code to every link why isn't there a button on a floating palette that
automatically
does
this?
We all know what these buttons mean: 
.
It's not like you have to enter "type=align:left00:wrap?correct/break?no"
or some such nonsense, just click the
button and it's done. This
software costs
like $700 you think they'd figure it out. I don't need to know postscript in
order to print, why does this html.shit/code constantly need to be tweaked
in order to display correctly? ARGH. Now I know why
people use Blogger.
Here's a little something to break this foul mood:
Oh yes, that's much better.
Tuesday July 25
MEtRoday: 1050, 3016, 3107, 2030, 3058, 1123
I've been taking Miss Bernice's Cardio Dance Happy Hour for over two years now. In that time, we've become friends, to the point where we will occasionally call each other, but definitely will chat before/during/after class and get together occasionally afterwards. There are some other regulars: Ateya and Buck. Buck has been away for the summer, on a dancing tour of Central and South America. Tonight he was back in the country for a few days so the four of us planned to go out after class and catch up. Ateya couldn't make class, but said she would meet us afterwards. We decided to meet at Banana Cafe. Buck was going to pick up some friends from Mexico who were in town, and meet us there. Turns out he spent too much time on campus trying to find them and we never saw him. But me, Ateya and Bernice went to Banana and waited. Ateya was pretty tired from a weekend trip to New York and hosting friends from Minnesota, so I thought it would be an early evening. But Bernice and I wanted a nightcap, and Eddy started texting me, saying he and Jeff were up at Henry's. So we joined them for a drink and I got to introduce them to Bernice, which was nice. We all had fun talking about DC housing, exercise and of course, sex.
Monday July 24
MEtRoday: 4052, 3280, 3200, 2066
We welcome colour here
at futurejunkie. And doesn't this 
rule look
fabtastic with that Vette pictured below?
Sunday July 23 :: Happy Birthday Eddy
After a thorough shoulder workout and extended Spinning class, I move to La Lomita (a familiar Sunday-night tradition) for Eddy's birthday dinner. We wanted to get a table outside, but I guess with our party (there were 16 of us) we had to be moved inside. Oh well. We still had a good time, which was verified by the fact that when I went to the restroom, all I could hear was the laughter from our table. I met some new friends, including Darrin from South Africa, so maybe that whole reunion for World Cup 2010 might happen after all. He says he's more than happy to hook us up while we're there. He's hosted 60 people or so at times, so we'll have to see how that works out four years down the road.
We were all stuffed after a great LaLa meal, plus cake. Afterwards, many margaritas later, we dropped into Remington's to see the drag show and have a nightcap. Eddy's sister and brother-in-law were there, and we had fun embarrassing them with the drag queens, although they were really enjoying it too.
Looking back on Friday, Saturday and tonight's activities, what a fun weekend it's been!
Melba picked me up (after waking up late from a nap) to go to the Castralone Summer Cocktail Party #8. They had a great theme this year, all recycling and going green, with clever invitations. It came with stickers that said things like "Fight global warming, wear something cool", "Be kind to the Earth, it doubles as a dance floor" and "Conserve water, drink cocktails". A heavy downpour started just as we were on our way there, so unfortunately the party had to be moved indoors. They have a great house that could accommodate all the people though.
Melba had a rowing test early Sunday morning so she needed it to not be a long night, so I asked her to drop me off at Blowoff on the way home. It was held downstairs, like they used to do it a few years ago, which I really favor. The upstairs Blowoff attracts too many non-blowoff types, it's difficult to run into friends, Bob and Rich do live sets and then try and get the dancing going again after the live sets end at 1am; it just doesn't have the same feel. Don't get me wrong, all are welcome, but upstairs it felt too "Club Blowoff". So I was pretty excited about a return to form. Naturally, I ran into old friends and met a few new ones.
MEtRoday: 5147, 2012; Thursday: 4022, 2031, 3279, 3197
Today is our intern, Nicole's, last day. She's starting at Fathom, which I think is a great studio: in the heart of Dupont, good creative, plus Anjeanette and Anne work there, so it's going to be a blast. I freelanced with Anjeanette at Schum & Associates a while back and with Anne at Howard Clare an even further while back. I remember it being very windy and cold that winter as I walked to the Union Station metro in my WWII-issue U.S. military trenchcoat. At least the coat was warm. I won't mention how long my hair was then.
In addition to having an ice cream sendoff for Nicole at work, some of us decided to take her out after work but then Kristin suggested we should do a bbq at her place, which I was all over. So Mike and I stopped after work to get burger fixings from Giant: bratwurst, ground beef, potato rolls, jalapeños, garlic, onion and pickles. I throw in some spices from Kristin's kitchen and we've got some tasty burgers to put on the grill. We also got some bacon, which, according to Mike's instructions, you can actually cook on a grill. Some handmade foil trays on the upper grill shelf and that bacon turned out perfect. Kristin also had some ears of corn that she put garlic and butter in, and they were quite tasty.
So a good meal, some cold beer on a hot night, and hanging out in Kristin's newly pergola-populated backyard with friends makes for a great Friday evening.
And I know you can't read yet, but Happy Birthday Sarah Jane!
MEtRoday: 5135, 2049, 3113, 4008
Now do you see how yesterday's train numbers were so connected and these seem so random? Maybe today's are all divisible by 37 or some other prime, but my mind isn't that quick. If you see a connection between today's train numbers, be sure to let me know.
Tonight I spent talking about lovelife with my friend Kristin. We will do this from time to time, just me and her, catching up outside of work. At work it can be all business with some joking around and sharing of limited personal info, but it's good for both of us to remove ourselves from the walls of the studio and go out and be real people together. We went to a new restaurant in Old Town, full of white corporate golfer types {yawn}. The beer selection was very impressive, though. Some of the decor was nice, with interesting tile work. It is one of those places that has 'instant atmosphere' and no matches. Meaning that it's newly constructed and full of people, but yet everyone is in their own pocket of reality without interacting with anybody else. And of course, NO SMOKING. Kristin and I had fun though, sharing past QuickDates™ and future possibilities.
Oh, and this is what I will be doing next Friday!
MEtRoday: 3005, 3000, 3020, 1020
Look at those numbers! I thought possibly I'd end up with my credit card number one day, but these 16 digits are numerology heaven. There are three three-thousand-level with each third- and fourth-digit in smooth multiples of 5. These four four-digits work too smoothly together not to graph them. Let's have some fun!
I'll take the first two digits of each number, with correct proportional relationships and color-coded for which Metro line I was on, (3005, 3000, 3020, 1020) which is three three-to-one ratios: 30-30-30-10.
Next, I'll hold the diameter of the 30 as a benchmark for our third and fourth digits (3005, 3000, 3020, 1020) which gives me 1/6 size for the 05, 2/3 for the 20s: 05-00-20-20, so our 05 is 1/4 the size of the 20, with 00 not being represented.
For
each
line's digits combined the
3005 would be represented like this 
the
3000 like this 
the
3020 like this 
and
the 1020 like this 
.
So
together
my MEtRoday numbers look like this 
.
Maybe crop circles are really just transit centers, explaining which rail lines come through each station and possible a timetable for departures? Make sure you have your transfer.
For those who have not seen it yet, here's the funniest thing I've seen on the dubdubdub in a while. I can't get enough of it. The artist's website is here.
Yesterday evening I took a train to visit my parents, then we were off to my brother's today for Sarah Jane's Elmo-themed 2nd birthday party. This was going to be scheduled for next weekend (her birthday is Friday) but my Uncle David is very ill in Florida and my parents want to go see him and my Aunt Carol next week, so we did SJ's birthday this weekend instead. Since SJ's room is farm-themed, I bought her this. Being two, she still had the most fun with the wrapping and the packaging. My brother grilled out, and we sat outside on their screened-in porch although it was 90 degrees. It was warm but enjoyable. Plus, he kept the cold beer flowing which was nice. It still feels like I have not unpacked from Germany or had time to get into the swing of things, so this next weekend I'm staying in DC, and relaxing.
Saturday July 15
This was my favorite car when I went to Scotland in 1999. It is the Ford Ka. It's very round and, of course, tiny. I saw several in Munich, but I discovered other favorites this trip. Maybe because we're in Germany, with all the VWs, Benzizes and BMWs, thee's a lot of German engineering present, but here are the new faves.
***
Of course there's the Smart. There's this original version, which came in a slew of colors and patterns, and even in a convertible version which I think would be really fun. There's no crumple zone, so lesser accidents might prove more dangerous, but its footprint is so small that you can almost park in sideways instead of parallel parking. Imagine how much less congestion there would be on the roads if everyone's SUV shrunk to 1/3 its size? Ponder that. DC-area residents are notorious for complaining about 'traffic' so the next time you hear one of them ramping up for the 'my commute sucks' speech, just tell them to get one of these or STFU. Note the size relationship with a BMW 3-Series.
Smart, which I believe is owned by Mercedes, also makes a four-door and a sports coupe, which is also shown here. (The four-door is nothing to get excited about.)
***
Here's the Mercedes 170. Albin has one of these, and he drove us up the chalet for the wedding party. Jonathan and I were in the back seat, and it was surprisingly roomy and comfortable. Although it looks like a minivan, it's really about the same size as a Chrysler P/T Cruiser. Note the more sculpted front and rear taillamps in the new model's product shots. Unfortunately the new rear window does not wrap to the sides as much, if at all.
***
This is the Audi A2. I noticed that Ford had a model too, so it's jointly produced between the two companies. I didn't get any shots of it, but here are publicity shots from their website. It has a wonderfully rounded roofline. It is about the same size as the Mercedes 170 above.
***
And while in Vienna I saw the new VW Eos on their promo tour. VW is going to introduce them to America soon. Think: Jetta coupe convertible.
Friday July 14
Friday, a payday, and the end of a three-day workweek. I suggest to Mila we go out for happy hour, and she's game. We go here, for the 2-4-1 special. Two each is enough for us and we pop next door for a bite to eat. I love their ginger calamari so we get that and some mushroom fillets with crab. Afterwards I walk Mila home, play with her cat Opi for a bit and then I'm on my way home. I was so exhausted that I couldn't even make it to the 'tro; I grabbed a cab. I guess I'm still having some jet lag? Tomorrow I'll skip kickboxing and sleep in.
Thursday July 13
Tonight is class and then Joyluck at Henry's with the usual crew. Eddy and Jeff has scored the perfect table to harrass the uninitiated strolling by, which is something Eddy thrives on. It is fun, but I think one of these days some Marines are going to kick our asses.
MEtRoday: 5069, 3061, 3002, 3030
Last night I got together with Melba and Goldy, who took care of the Twins™ while I was away. I gave them their 'Thank You Keychains' which they both seem delighted with. I also gave Melba her official Deutschland World Cup Jersey, which Ziska is modeling here. I bought the red one on the right, which Jonathan is holding up here. We went to La Lomita, of course, because I needed a good dose of Mexican food. And the taste of a margarita. Frequently when Melba and I go, they will give us a free tequila shot for being such regulars. They did the same last night.
Today was the first day back at work, so there was a lot of summarizing the trip for everybody. I guess I'll have to put together a montage of photos for those who are not reading the fuju. Frankly, I don't want all at work to be reading anyway, but if they do then they do. I put out both a.m. and p.m. chocolate goodies from Germany for everybody, but I really think I should have brought back another box of the Toffifay. Those suckers are good.
I'm going to start documenting the Metro train numbers that I ride everyday, to see if I ever hit the same one twice. I've noticed some nice ones, like 1210 which is my birthday, or 2000 even. Maybe posting these numbers will be somebody else's birthday, and it will make their day, or some other random number they find appealing. Any numerologists out there?
MEtRoday: 2069, 3112, 4010, 2062
I'm up early this morning, wishing I could get a 12-hour sleep-in but that isn't meant to be. The sun is coming up, around 6:00 and I watch some tv, load and rotate all my pics in iPhoto, make a pot of coffee and give attention to the Twins™. I'm also listening to 80s pop bands on euro-issue only cd's I got in Munich.
Back in America. Bleach blondes, hoochie mamas talking loudly on cellphones, yuppies talking loudly on cellphones, vehicles that are way too large than they need to be. Why can't everyone just get one of these? But English is being spoken everywhere, and that makes me feel a little at ease. Language is a funny thing, and when you're in a place where you can't read or understand it, it tends to isolate you a bit.
I'm glad I have this day off before returning for work, because I don't think mentally I'm ready for it. A EuroTrip always has a cultural detox factor of at least 48 hrs. It's such an amazing place, I wish I could take 6 mos and travel all over Europe (we didn't make it to Prague or Berlin, so that will have to wait until the next trip).
Some observations/ramblings about my time in Munich:
• Kilian and Ziska make each other laugh.
• Beergardens are plentiful and it is acceptable to drink beer before noon. It is considered a 'food item'.
• Europe is blissfully free of GM products (except Opel.)
• Marlene likes to draw on things (herself, the television screen, etc.)
• Cars, bicyclists and pedestrians actually respect and pay attention to each other, moving cohesively through traffic.
• Public transportation (buses, subways, light rail) is efficient and smooth.
• Coffee is served in tiny cups, not large mugs. (Drat!)
• Overweight people are rare.
• You can smoke anywhere you want, even in the airport.
• People are friendly. (Read: less attitude.)
• Not showering everyday is okay.
• Fruit is sold at stands throughout the city. When is the last time you saw a vendor downtown selling strawberries and apricots instead of hot dogs and chips?
+++ Car, Plane, Bus, Bus, Plane, Bus, Train
This is the method I took to get home. I have to say that the trip back was a lot smoother than the trip over. The weather played in my favor, but so did the timing of connections. It's 4:07am Munich time (10:07pm local), I'm running on little sleep so I'm giving you these few last photos and then I'm going to bed. My bed. Tomorrow is recovery/unpack day. I plan on doing a post on wrap-up thoughts, as well as a Munich vs. Vienna category. Sweet dreams!
Monday July 10
It's four hours later, and time to get up for the day. Marlene is throwing one of those tantrums that makes everyone, including the most patient of parents, question parenthood. I think she just doesn't want me to leave. We'll leave Munich in about half an hour, drop Kilian off at work, and then make our way to the airport. A brief overlay in Paris and then it's back to the New World. See you soon, Twins™!
Across The Pond Pheeding Photo Credit: © Melba 2006
+++
it's late and I'm going to bed now. This is my last night in München
and I've had a wonderful time. Even though I'm the only one up still don't
want to go to sleep because I know
when I wake up tomorrow it will all be over and I'll have to be dealing with
airports and a long day of travel. I look back on the entries of just a week
ago and it seems like a month has passed. It was great to see German friends,
old and new, and spend time with Jonathan. I'll try to post in the morning
before leaving for the airport, maybe just a photo or something, but we'll
have to see how the morning rush goes. I've got everything packed except
for my digital stuff: copy html files to iPods, archive photos and all that.
Wait! I've just done the math for the photos I've taken in my time here:
last photo number 
minus first photo number 
is exactly 1700! What do you think about that?
I awake from our sleepover to the sound of church bells being rung all over town. Different rhythms and notes and pitches. I lie there trying to find a rhythm in it all; it was quite soothing even without a melody. Bam, everybody's up and ready to go to breakfast. We're having a traditional Bavarian breakfast of weißwürste (white sausage). It is only served until noon, so we had a deadline. This was a lunch that Paul initially wanted to have on mine and Jonathan's first Friday over a week ago, but we arrived at the restaurant past noon and they said "Nein!" White sausages are rather large, and boiled instead of fried. This means the casing is not to be eaten so they need to be peeled. It is not an appetizing process, but the sausage inside was tasty with sweet mustard. They have a drink here which is apple juice and club soda which made a perfect morning complement.
Seeing as it was my last day in Munich and the weather was desperately trying to cooperate by breaking the clouds so the sun could shine through, we decided to go to the Austrian Alps. The drive up there (about an hour) was gorgeous, spotted with huge fresh-water lakes and streams that were the most beautiful light blue. This is where Munich gets its drinking water. I'm sure the pictures will not give it justice. We made it to the top (by car) and there was an Alpine Inn where we had ice cream and sodas. We were so high up that we were almost in the clouds, which were kissing the top of the mountains. Wildflowers were everywhere. A quick photoshoot and then the rain came back so we decided to move on. But from this place where the road ends, there were many hiking trails further up into the mountains and I wish we'd had the time and equipment to venture further.
On our way home we stopped by Mary and Michael's place in the country. We were going to stay for their bbq for the World Cup final, but we were exhausted and I had to pack things up. We stayed for a while, had a couple of beers and enjoyed the sunshine, which had reappeared.
Once home, Paul cooks a great meal and we're all so full that I was the only one awake during the overtime period of the game! Everyone woke up for the penalty kicks though, seeing Italy beat France 6-4 after a 1-1 tie. I was kind of hoping France would win, since I'm flying Air France tomorrow and was hoping for unlimited champagne for the trans-Atlantic leg. Zut!
Saturday July 08
After a long 10-hour sleep, I feel rested but still a little tired overall. We slept until late, late morning. Kilian wants Knödel for breakfast, so we go to a restaurant that gives a good sampling. A plate and a Radler later, and I'm stuffed and feeling up for the day. Since most shops are closed on Sundays, all shopping must be wrapped up today so that becomes our mission. I wanted to go back to this chocolatier we were at earlier in the week to pick up some boxed chocs for my parents and relatives, plus some other shops I wanted to revisit. We still hadn't hit a record store yet, so we go to a big one downtown. The drizzly morning has turned into a sun-soaked afternoon, and it's very crowded in the shopping district. We decide to ditch the car back at Z's and hop on the bikes. Much more easier to get around, plus we don't have to worry about parking. I get some Euro-issue only CDs and Ziska gets the first two seasons of Dallas on DVD. She started watching the show at the gym and now she's hooked. Plus Kilian is going to Florida for his studies in a week, so I guess Ziska won't be getting off the couch during that time. Hmn.
Ziska's mother has invited us over for dinner this evening. After shopping we hurry back home for a quick freshen up and into the car with Kilian we go. We pick up Ziska's grandmother along the way, whose English is about as good as my German. Ziska's mother's boyfriend George and best friend Lena are also there, and Paul as well. We have wine and a delicious homemade Romanian dinner: tomatoes, onions & garlic on bread, and ground meat with onions wrapped in grape leaves with a creamy dill sauce. Yum! They are very polite to me, and speak in English for most of the time.
After dinner we chat around the table a bit with more wine with the Euro-traditional cheese-and-cracker plate (which I think is delicious course), then Marlene is starting to get sleepy so we leave to take her home and to bed. We're going to meet Mary and boyfriend Michael at the Paulaner beergarden for what is called the "Golden Pineapple". It is the losers of the last two World Cup matches, to determine who comes in third place. Basically it means nothing, only ceremony, for third place is never remembered for anybody or anything. Regardless, Deutschland beats Portugal 3-1, which saves a little face for the hosting country. People are still celebrating in the beergarden and in the streets later, and it's fun being in the beergarden each time they score a point. Afterwards we do some barhopping downtown to catch the victorious mood. A late-night stop for bratwurst and a Fanta and then it's time to call it a night. Mary, Michael and Paul all sleep over so we've got a bit of a pajama party going on on the living room. We giggle for a while the it's a short distance to slumber.
Friday July 07
Server issues resolved! All previous missing images should appear correct now. Reload, people, reload! Or Refresh, whatever, it's the button with the circular arrow. Click it now. Yes, now.
This morning, after 3 hours of sleep (2 for some) we all had to get up and do our thing. Mary and Kilian to work, Paul maybe back to Vienna?? And me, Ziska, Marlene and Jonathan to the S-Bahn. Although everyone was pretty tired, we all seemed to be where we needed to be on time. Saying goodbye to Jonathan was troubling, I know he wanted to stay and I wished he could. Especially after last night's run down of potential events this weekend: Kilian's work party on Friday night, dinner @ Ziska's mother's on Saturday night, the World Cup final on Sunday. Regardless, he had a flight to catch. He hadn't seen Ziska in 3 three years, and I think the three of us should just plan to meet up every 4 years during World Cup, regardless of where it's being held. Hopefully we'll see each other during that 4-year time, but this would be a catch-all just in case none of our schedules work out. People out there, take the time to see your friends and family. Even if you're doing the most mundane thing with them at the time, it will become your history and down the road you'll appreciate the time spent doing that mundane thing.
Back in Munich, on the way home Ziska and I stop at a Turkish bakery and get some swirly pastry thingie with ground meat and onions inside of it which makes the perfect breakfast. We get back home, I start posting, Marlene gets fed, it's time to nap and at about noon-thirty, this is what I do. Ziska's mother comes by and picks up Marlene for the evening, then more napping ensues. Z and I get our act together in the afternoon for shopping, it's a little rainy, so not a lot of pix, but shopping was successful, spending about €230. We went into this Japanese store called MUJI and I'm telling you, it was so Danger Will Robinson that I had to get out there, it was so fabtastic. (I bought some clothes and stationery plus art supplies for Sarah Jane.) On the way home, Z and I realized it was 7:30 and we'd been walking around for 4 hours and were about 2 hours late to Kilian's party. A quick shower and clothes refresh and we're on our way. The company Kilian's works for is celebrating its 5th year anniversary. So there's plenty of food, caipirinihas and some people that are familiar from the wedding party the previous weekend. The party is in their office, which has a huge rooftop deck. One of the great ideas for the party was to raffle off a foosball table, but everyone had to compete to win it. You see, they cleverly held their own World Cup: everyone drew names for countries, were put into a bracket, and they played to win. The winner received the foosball table. Fun was had by all, even those like me who were spectators.
Tonight is (thankfully) an early evening, getting home a little after midnight, knowing that the three of us (me, Kilian & Ziska; remember Marlene is at grandma's) get to sleep in until whenever we wake up tomorrow. Bliss!
Thursday July 06
Wednesday morning started bad, then good, then worse, then everything got better. Waking up and trying to post I found I had some server problems, so some images below are not showing up. I've contacted my ISP to see what the problem is. That's the bad. The good: me, Paul and Jonathan went to go pick up our car for our Vienna trip, and instead of a VW Polo (Euro only, smaller than a Golf) we had been upgraded to a VW Passat. Fab! Then the worst happened. Jonathan and Paul dropped me off back at the apartment so I could shower, pack and get ready for the trip. They were going to run to the market to get breakfast and coffees. Ziska's apartment has a key like this and it broke off in the keyhole. After repeating words like "$#@!" and "#%@+§" I sat down on the steps and waited for 1) Ziska and Marlene to return for Marlene's noon nap or 2) Jonathan and Paul to return. How were we going to get in for Marlene's nap? To get packed for the trip? Would we be locked out all day trying to find a locksmith? Z+M get home and I tell them what happened. In true Ziska style, she laughs and says "Ok, help me get up through the window." Luckily they only live on the 2nd floor. I hoist Z up and she opens the door. She says it was a cheap key and not to worry. Phew. Everything is okay. So, a quick prep for the trip, and me, Paul and Jonathan are off to Vienna!
We have a beautiful drive with the Alps to the south of us. It takes about 4 hours. On the way, Jonathan starts quizzing Paul about German history, and really gets into some depth about WWI & II, and how Bavaria stretches through southern Germany, northern Italy and Austria. As we pass the border into Austria, "Cars" by Gary Numan is playing on the radio. We arrive into Vienna and Paul gives us a quick but thorough tour by car. He then takes us to the city market where we have a little snack, then stop by his apartment to freshen up a bit, (Paul's building has the smallest elevator I've ever seen. About 3' x 4'. That mirror they put in there didn't make it look any bigger, either) then we're off to a restaurant at the top of one of the mountains there, to overlook the city just at sundown. Albin joins us, but since France was beating Portugal in the World Cup and Michi had had about 5 beers at that point, Michi decided not to come but said he would see us tomorrow. We have some wine and a tray of appetizers and talk of the EU and how its economy competes with others, and also about this powerplay that is going on between the EU and its country members. Fascinating information about the EU that I was not aware of. From there Albin calls it a night since he has to work in the morning. The three of us travel downtown to check out the scene in the Museum District. We go to Cafe Leopold, where I break from the beer-drinking tradition and order a martini. They serve martini cocktails here, which is different than elsewhere. It was made with sweet vermouth and served on the rocks. When in Rome... or Vienna... A while later we end up at one of Paul's favorite bars, which used to be a bordello. Here, an Austrian woman comes up to me and Jonathan, figures out we're American, and starts laying into us. She's calling us "suspicious" and once she learns J lives in Chicago, then the talk is about crime, crime, crime. Apparently she has watched too many episodes of COPS. I laugh at something she says, and since I'm wearing a pink shirt, she assigns me the "liberal". J is then labeled the "conversative". She goes on (she's had too much wine by this point) and says that J has "a ranch in Arizona, with lots and lots of guns." I'm thinking this is really starting to turn funny, but J is a little offended and everytime he tries to explain himself, it just digs his hole deeper because there was no reasoning with this woman. Anyway, we call it a night by having cheese bratwurst and Fanta from a sidewalk vendor.
The next morning we wake up a little late, but still in time to meet up with Albin for lunch. Michi joins us too. Jonathan was not going to leave Vienna without having traditional wiener schnitzel, which we ordered at our outdoor cafe. The schnitzel was delicious, basically being a southern chicken-fried steak, but with veal instead of chicken. We do a little shopping and more sightseeing on foot, and by mid-afternoon we're needing to hit the road and come back to Munich. We run into some really hard rain which slows our return. We go straight to Jonathan's final dinner in Munich, a placed called, appropriately enough, The Last Supper. Kilian, Ziska and Mary are there waiting for us. We have a delicious meal (I had arrugula salad with fresh parmesan, salmon and creme brulee) and then out to have a couple of drinks. We end up at The Prosecco, a little disco with a few people in it. We dance a little, drink a little, smoke a little, with mine and Jonathan's cameras popping flashes like papparazzi. We get home around 4:30, with the sky starting to turn blue from the sun coming up, hesitantly aware that Marlene will wake us up in 2 hours.
[all photos now posted]
Tuesday July 04
Today Jonathan, Paul and I met Mary for lunch. She works as a copywriter. We went to a Thai place called Ginger which had very delicious food. It was great to meet up with her for lunch, but unfortunately she couldn't join us for the rest of the afternoon. We spent the day shopping, as this is going to be Jonathan's last full day in Munich. Ziska joined us for the shopping, which we took the subway for the first time. So smooth compared to DC. Eventually Jonathan and I (Paul had to go run errands) had to say goodbye to Ziska so she could pick up Marlene from daycare. It was the first time the Americans were on their own. We did quite well, navigating, hitting shops we wanted to, and making it home without having to call her and tell her where we were to get directions. I guess all that map studying paid off.
Jonathan and I didn't get home until around 8, which was pretty late considering we were again having people over for the football match, but this time out in the back courtyard, which is shared by everyone in the building. So there was no time for napping. 10 minutes filling out postcards and then it was onto the party, which consisted of a delicious pasta salad prepared by Ziska, and barbequed lamb, beef, chicken and sausages by Paul. All was yummy with plenty of beer and a World Cup game ahead to watch on the outside TV. If you don't already know, unfortunately, Germany lost to Italy in a stinging 2-0 overtime. Italy scored and then about a minute later scored again, dashing all hopes of a home team win for the final. We still went out across the river to see the celebration, for it seems that Germany is full of peoples from all the countries that are playing. It was somber, but still fun to see. A couple of barhops later, and we are home. Tomorrow will be an early rise to go to Vienna. It seems it was cheaper to rent a car roundtrip than to take the train, so that's what we're going to do. I actually prefer it that way, because then we can leave when we want, have the car in Vienna to tool around, and come back when we need to, instead of having to rely on the train schedule.
Monday July 03
Today was Leisure Day in Munich. I awoke to find a map outside the living room (were Jonathan and I are bunking) illustrating directions to the park where Ziska has taken Marlene. We quickly get ready and join them. Helena is also there with her two sons, Paul (Marlene's best friend) and Max. We go to a bakery around the corner for chocolate croissants and coffees for everyone. After the park we come back to the Albanistraße so Marlene could take her regular nap. We all napped with her. Then we dropped her off at her daycare and went on a bike tour through the city. Having become famliar with the city layout on maps and Google Earth before coming, I could kind of figure out where we were, usually within a few blocks or so. Even though the museums were closed, we found some great sculptures to take photos. One was this HUGE orange speaker, that the workers were still installing. Once completed, it is going to make a loud, loud tone for two minutes at the same time every day. The workers were nice enough to let us in behind the fence to shoot. Then we had lunch at an Italian sandwich shop and did a little shopping.
We also biked through the English Gardens, which is the largest park inside a city in Europe. It reminded me of Central Park, with lots of things to do. Some were sunbathing, others swimming in the river, some even surfing on a point in the river. The water comes directly from the mountains so it's very pure. After spending most of the day on the bikes we were a little tired so we stopped by the beergarden on the way home for a Radler and a pretzel. Could you do that in America?
Dinner was a delicious homemade dinner by Ziska, consisting of two kinds of green salads (with all the sausage-eating around here, the veggies are a little difficult to incorporate into one's diet), three kinds of olives that we picked up by the market, bread and cheese. It was nice to sit at home with everyone and share a meal (Jonathan, Ziska, Kilian, Paul & Marlene were there).
Then after putting Marlene down for the night me, Ziska, Paul and Jonathan went out to have a few drinks. We know the next Deutschland World Cup game is tomorrow, so we were determined to make it an easy (and short) night. We meet up with some friends of Paul's and do a little barhopping, nothing major; we're home at a respectable time.
Tomorrow is morning shopping, then meeting Ziska's friend Mary for lunch, more shopping in the afternoon and getting our tickets to Vienna. Since we'll be coming back Thursday night and Jonathan leaves Friday, this will be his last opportunity to shop for gifts and such. Then tomorrow evening is the game, and when Deutschland wins again, I'm sure the city will erupt like it did on Friday.
Sunday July 02 :: THE PARTY
We're out to the country, about 1.5 hours outside of Munich. Suddenly everything is lush green, gorgeous sky and lots of topography. We get to the chalet where we're staying around mid-afternoon, and since I'm with the hosts we're the first to arrive. Jonathan and I stake out our beds in the 'Lager' room, which has about 20 beds in it. There were other semi-private rooms, but those rooms offered queen beds, while we were able to snatch the only single beds in the place. We figured it was worth the gamble to be in a room with more people but have our own private beds.
Here's the chalet setup: Ziska und Kilian have rented out the whole place, so everything's taken care of. We order what drinks we want, what food we want, and it's brought to us. I change into my lederhosen and we grab a table outside on the patio in the gorgeous sunshine and start having beers. The specialty of this part of Bavaria is a wheat beer called Weisse, which means that's to be the beverage of choice. Many beers later, the food arrives and it is a feast. I had two _full_ plates; it was very similar to a Thanksgiving dinner where everything tastes fanatastic and you can't get enough of it. Soon after dinner (and many beers) the men are called to fetch loose wood from the forest, which we take on with gusto. I may or may not have permanently ruined my white Ben Sherman shirt on the process, but it was something that had to be done. The wood is for the bonfire, which starts right at sundown, since a chill has developed and a fire is a necessity at this point. I mean, how can one continue to drink the Weisse without feeling a little toasty? The bonfire is great, feels great, and everybody is standing around chatting and drinking and smoking cigs, me included. A few hours later and the schapps are broken out in the bar area, which we're having to frequent to make beer trips for people who are not willing to leave the fire. Several schnapps later, and this one has to turn in for the evening. I've been timing what time we are getting home/going to bed by the time stamp on the last photo taken. This night's was 2:45.
Breakfast is served early early early at 8. Everyone is moving slowly and wearing sunglasses, even inside. During breakfast I find out what happened after I went to bed, and let's just say I'm glad I went to bed when I did. A few people started getting a little crazy and I'm glad I wasn't there to witness/partake in any of it.
After packing up and getting back to the car (the chalet is about a mile away from the main road, and cars are forbidden on the direct road to it. There were lots of cyclists and hikers though.) we decide to hit a local brewery on the way back to Munich, to have a more proper breakfast and enjoy some of the gorgeous weather. Unfortunately Jonathan was not feeling too well, and spent the lunchtime sleeping in a field, so he's as pink as this 
right now. But myself, Paul, Kathrin, her sister Susan and Susan's boyfriend David had a nice Bavarian lunch of pork chops and potato dumplings. With Radler beer, which is a beer/lemonade mix. Quite refreshing on a slightly hungover Sunday.
Coming back into town of course we all had to take well-deserved naps after our three days of non-stop partying. Later in the evening we quickly check out a street festival for a quick sausage dinner, then meet Ziska's friends Mary and Michael at the beergarden for a quick beer. We're home by 11 (which is early for us) so we can all have a good start to the week. I think Jonathan and I are going to go to Vienna on Wednesday with Paul to visit for a couple of days. Jonathan leaves on Friday so we'll come back Thursday evening. Gute Nacht!
GERMANY ADVANCES! In a nailbitting game, Germany beat Argentina to advance to the quarterfinals of World Cup. (Please offer condolences to Audrey and her Argentinian team.) Argentina scored quickly into the 2nd half, which put a real damper on everyone's mood at the party (there was about 20 people here). Then Germany scored almost at the end of the 2nd half, which couldn't come quickly enough. The energy and enthusiasm in Ziska's living room soared. No one goaled in the overtime, so it was down to the penalty kicks. I noticed the German goalie was going in the direction of the kicked ball, just sometimes not quick enough while the Italian goalie was psyched out and dove left when we kicked right and vice versa every time. So Germany advances, and it was out to the streets. People everywhere, the sound of broken bottles every ten seconds, Polizei watching but not interrupting.
We're in a hurry now to get ready to go to the mountain party, so pic-posting will have to wait until tomorrow.
~PHOTO RECAP±
