SPRING!

The weather in Garmisch was gorgeous today.  I couldn't help but wander outside every couple hours to run these so called errands that I had.  It was even nice enough to take my old wine stained sheet out to the courtyard for some lazy grass reading/iPod listening.  Even though it was a little wet, I soaked up the sun and re-energized for my 3 day work week and upcoming trip to Florence.  My doubts about taking the Florence trip for Corinne's birthday are slowly fading.  As the departure date approaches I'm getting more and more excited.  Andrew and I made a pact that we will bring a cooler with snacks and sandwiches so we can cut on food costs.  Will we actually use the savings cooler?  Not sure, but it's a good idea.

So, back to SPRING.  It's here and I love it.

Last week I utilized the handy man down the hall and had him give my bike a tune up.  I don't know how I went so long riding it the way that it was.  It's like an entirely new bike.  Now I just need him to reinstall my mud flap so that I can cruise the mean streets of Garmisch when it rains too.  This is kind of nerdy of me, but I can't wait to have some real money so I can purchase a really nice bike.  And by really nice, I mean a couple hundred dollars worth of nice.

I forgot to mention my flight dates in my earlier blog.  Marcel and I will be arriving in Chicago on June 4th and flying back to Germany on the 14th.  10 days of Indiana/Illinois bliss.  There are so many things I want to do and see.  I already know there won't be enough time.  I hate to say it, but I might have to cut out my daily naps....

Z or Zed?

 Due to the recent purchase of two round trip tickets to Chicago O'hare, money is at a steep decline.  It definitely has nothing to do with the two trips that I've taken this month or the upcoming two I have planned.  I don't think I have ever worried this much about money and it is entirely my fault.  Thank god I don't have any regular bills and that I have a forgiving Mom who will let my loan payments trickle in slower than planned.

Honorary Hoosier.  I've taught him well.

For Corinne's birthday a large and in charge van has been rented.  We will be taking said van to Italy where we will spend some time in Florence sampling the wine and being nuisances to the locals.  As the trip approaches I slightly regret agreeing to go on it. For money reasons, again.  But I know that, as always, it will be an unforgettable trip full of mistakes, laughs, and Andrew blacking out.

In friend news, we recently lost another of our fellow Abramites to family illness.  Our good friend Sean packed up his bags, well drunkenly threw his dirty clothes into a suitcase at 4am, and headed to the Munich airport to move back to the states.  His Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and the outcome is not in his favor.  It's a rude awakening when things happen back in the real world.  You sometimes get caught up in the moment and forget about your friends and family and how fragile everything really is.  After Christina lost her Mom it was an insight for all of us that the world doesn't stop just because we're playing overseas.  BUT on a happier note, Christina will be back on the 28th!  I am beyond excited for her return, but a little apprehensive.  A lot has changed since she has been here and I'm nervous she won't be in love with Edelweiss and the Abrams like she was before.  For starters, her job at Alpine has been given up, so it is entirely possible that she will be relocated to housekeeping or custodial.  Cross your fingers that this doesn't happen.  To think positive, she will have a new roommate that hopefully won't suck nearly as bad as her last.  Overall, I'm excited to go to Antica Roma, our favorite Italian place, drink a Weiss bier, and catch up on everything we've missed over the last months.  Well, and to make dirty jokes and laugh at how immature we are.  I miss her!!

Hotel Creep Show

Marcel and I had a lovely little trip to Prague planned last weekend.  It was rudely canceled due to a sucky insurance policy that Avis has.  Apparently they don't allow you to drive their rental cars into the Czech Republic because it's too "dangerous" and you have to pay for any damages or stolen vehicles. Yada, yada, yada, Marcel and I don't have 20,000 Euro to pay for a new vehicle so we kept our business local and drove to Heidelberg.  It's interesting how different we are.  I instantly though "Oh well, let's risk it" and he instantly thought "NO WAY".  Those darn Germans and their practicality.  Heidelberg is about a 3 hour drive and as hard I tried I couldn't stay awake.  As soon as the GPS had a significant amount of kilometers until our next turn I put the seat back and took a little snooze.  I may not be the best navigator, but I did buy iced animal crackers and Oreos for our car snacks and I think that more than makes up for it.  We had no place to rest our hats, so we did a little online research and found a cheap hotel in the industrial district.  I think I became a little sketchy when the man who checked us in told us it was 60 for one night.  Marcel responded with "online it says it's 50" and then the old man goes "Ooooh ok, yeah 50 is ok too".  Even though I could have sworn the creepy hotel guy had cameras in the room and someone coming in the middle of the night to kidnap us, it wasn't so bad.  It gave us something to laugh about over the next few days and is definitely something I'll always remember.  The following day we stayed outside of the city in a cute guest house.  We've already decided we will be returning to this place.  Although I had no idea what was going on the entire time, Marcel absolutely loved the owners.  If I ever own a guest house that is exactly how I would like to run it.  Laid back and insanely nice.  The surprising thing is they never took down any of our information and when we tried to pay when we first arrived the woman just told us that she would see us again and we could figure it out then.  We had an amazing dinner there and got to sleep in the next day and have a private breakfast in the dining room.  The food was cheap and the beer was cheaper.  We had our own drinks up in the room but kept talking ourselves into just one more beer because we hardly ever see it at this price.  After breakfast we headed back into Heidelberg to tour the zoo.  If you ask me, this is always a good choice.  Fairly inexpensive and a guaranteed good time, we've decided we will go to the zoo in every city we visit.

Car Snack Extraordinaire

Schloss Heidelberg

Quality Photo taken by Punjabi

Raccoon.  Not to be confused with red panda.

Did that 8 year old just whistle at us?

Who: Corinne and I

What: 48 hours of fiesta
Where: Malaga, Spain
When: Feb 22-24
Why:  Why not?

With the endless onslaught of snow, Corinne and I decided to escape to the beaches of Spain and forget our cold troubles.  It was a whirlwind trip that ended far too soon and left me longing for a quick return to the coast of Spain so I could enjoy the sand and sangria yet again.  The trip began with our beloved Sean driving us to the airport in Memmingen (Munich West Airport - actually about an hour outside of Munich) in our short term rental car.  Public transportation is the preferred method, but with an early flight and trains starting at 5am it was impossible to make it to the airport in time.  Luckily, our round trip flight was a mere $50, so we didn't mind parting with a few extra dollars.  We made the departing flight without any struggles and even had time for a quick "goodbye Germany" beer in the terminal.  On empty stomachs we said a tipsy auf wiedersehen, G-town and headed to seventy degree Malaga.

We had our usual moments of being lost and confused trying to find our hostel when a young American girl stopped us and asked where we were headed.  She was from North Carolina and in Malaga teaching English.  She took the time to show us some of her favorite restaurants, our hostel, the night hot spots, and her flat where we had planned to meet up later to play beer pong and flippy cup.  We can never really escape our American ways.  After setting down our bags we basically ran out of the hostel in search of food.  A long morning of travel left us starving so we were ready to get our tapas on at a nearby local favorite.  The waiter knew zero English and that definitely added to the fun of the experience.  We ordered what we thought was a cheese dip with bread and chicken tapas.  About 10 minutes later our server arrives with a plate of chicken wings, a basket of bread, and mozzarella slices....where did we go wrong?!  Obviously, our Spanish was a little more rusty than we had thought and we couldn't help but hysterically laugh at ourselves for about 5 minutes.  We then ordered a bottle of wine and several other things off of the menu.  Our next choices were better and we left the restaurant full and happy and on our way to the beach.  Later in the night we hit up a bar that was having a bluegrass inspired band and cheap cervesas.  On the way out of the hostel we ventured down a wrong street and before we knew it we were on unmarked roads with graffiti, suspicious cars, and cat calling porch sitters.  This was my first time in Europe that I have ever felt unsafe and it was a real eye opener.  I had the feeling that any moment someone was going to slink out of a dark alley or doorway and take my belongings or even worse, hurt us.  We discussed why turning around was not an option and both kept silent about the bad situation we were in and marched forward in hopes of finding a busy street with people on it. It was only after we emerged into a more populated pedestrian area that we sighed in relief and relayed to each other all of the horrible scenarios that were playing through our heads.  After that we vowed to double check the map before we started walking.  Thankfully, I left Spain unscathed and with a little more awareness of my fragility in foreign countries.  WHEW.  The bar, ZZ Bar, or as Corinne likes to call it after several cervezas, ZZ Top, had a really fun atmosphere and the band was absolutely awesome.  To ease our nerves from our frightening walk, we took two shots of tequila immediately upon arriving. Cliche, but also a great idea.  The band was more than entertaining - check out this link I found on Youtube of their performance from that night.  I'm pretty sure whoever took that video was standing right next to me.  Our walk home was just as fun with more giggles than I'd care to share with the rest of the world. Upon our arrival at the hostel we made ourselves sit in the common area until we had calmed down to the point where we weren't bursting into laughter every thirty seconds.  And this is not an exaggeration.

Day two was great.  We got in lots of shopping with the rationalization that we were spending very little on travel expenses and then spent the rest of the afternoon laying on the beach.  Words can't describe how much I needed some good time in the sun.  I felt so relaxed and recharged, it was just what I needed to face the never ending winter of mountain town.  We successfully only did one toursity thing during the trip and even that was done halfheartedly.  While the sun was going down we hiked up a itty bitty mountain where some moorish ruins settled and took pictures of the coast and glowing city.

We wanted the trip to end with a bang, and with a 6:30am flight we decided the only way to do this was to stay up all night.  This is better in theory than in practice.  Although we had a great last night in Spain, we were regretting our decision the entire travel day.  Especially when we had to sprint through the airport because the gate check informed us that the agent who originally checked us in made a mistake and WE had to correct it...10 minutes before our gate closed, of course.  Still drunk and running to the absolute farthest possible destination from our gate at 5am was the last thing we thought we would be doing and we made sure to complain about it as we thought we would nearly die.  Ok, that might be an exaggeration, but we weren't happy.  Six hours later we were back in Garmisch neatly tucked into our beds sleeping off our night of party machen.

Something important I should note.....During our party machen on the last night Corinne and I were approached by a group of young Spaniards accompanied by an older British couple.  The couple explained that they were teaching the 20 somethings in an intensive English course that consisted of them all living together doing every day tasks for an extended period of time, so that they could learn English in an informal setting that was more appropriate to them.  They were all very nice, but Corinne and I both shared a look of apprehension when they continuously offered us drinks and probed us with questions about why we were in Europe and what we did at our jobs.  We make it a point to never mention that we work for the U.S. military so we answered their questions in a round about way and continued on with the conversation.  I feel very bad saying this because they were all very nice and never did anything to make me think differently, but I had a very uneasy feeling the entire time we were with them.  After about a half hour of light conversation they asked us to move on to the next bar with them.  We politely declined explaining that we were leaving in about ten minutes to collect our bags and head to the airport.  My suspicions were confirmed when they looked disappointed and offered to drive us to the airport because it was "on the way" to the next bar (the airport in Malaga is far from the city out in the middle of no where).  They then became insistent that we continue our night with them.  Corinne and I shared the look again and made a speedy exit.  Although it wasn't a scary situation, it definitely caused me to feel anxious and alerted me to the fact that you can't trust everyone.  From the wise mouth of Dave Martin - Always trust your gut.

I failed to mention the overly aggressive nature of Spanish men.  If you have low self confidence Spain is the place to go.  No matter what you're wearing or how you look these men will make kissing noises at you, whistle, sing, make suggestive comments (in English and Spanish), and make you feel all around uncomfortable.  In the beginning we found this pretty amusing, but by the end of day two it was just annoying.  Even the youngins playing in the park found it necessary to follow in their elder's steps.  Hence the blog title.

Ducks and Monkey Butts

Marcel's visit came and went quicker than I would have liked.  Even though we got a late start our trip to the zoo was a success.  We missed the elephants and giraffes which was a huge disappointment, but the orangutan and other primate exhibits more than made up for it.  We easily spent 75% of our time laughing at their funny antics and human like behavior.  The chimpanzees were so animated and despite the  masturbating creeper in the corner they were all so cute.  I kid you not, this chimp took a pile of hay and placed it in front of himself to hide his shameful activities.  After a few moments the hay fell to the side and then we were certain of his motives.  It wasn't until he turned and stared at me for several minutes while he continued that we were weirded out.  Seconds later the female dominant chimp caught her poop and ate it.  After that it was time to move on.  Of course, all of the animals were great and we would have stayed many more hours if it weren't for the frigid conditions and the setting sun.  After that we made our way to a pub off of the marienplatz to watch soccer and drink a beer to warm up.

One of the many fun perks of spending time with Marcel is when we get to share things about our culture with each other.  For instance, on Saturday morning he had his first bite of french toast.  His reaction was something along the lines of "Americans eat this every morning....?".  Despite his initial reaction of how heavy and sweet it was I think he enjoyed it and is looking forward to more taste tests.  Making the breakfast treat for him was a stroll down memory lane for me.  It reminded me of the special occasions when Ed would make it for Bret and I.  Ed was always the best when it came to making food fun.  Whether it was a smiley face in ketchup on your plate or butterfly shaped grilled cheese.  To give Marcel another dose of America we visited the commissary where he noted that every snack we have involves cheese in some form.  I made sure he left with a sampling of goodies to take back to Freiburg with him.  After base we made a pit stop at the resort where we had a couple drinks at the bar and then made our way to Bollywood for some of my favorite Indian food.  The night ended with us stopping in Zirbels for one beer which inevitably turned into three.... 

I am certain that the train station goodbyes will only get more difficult as time passes.  Sunday was no exception to this and I spent the remainder of the evening watching Sopranos, drinking hot chocolate, and feeling sorry for myself.  I did manage to finish my latest book, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.  I've decided to attempt to go back and read some of the novels I didn't give the time of day in high school.  I not only enjoyed the book, but found it very informational and it inspired me to do some additional research on that era, so hopefully this little project will broaden both my literary and historical knowledge.

Oh, and did I tell you that I will be coming back to the states in June for approximately 9 days?  Because I am.  I will also be bringing along the aforementioned Marcel.  Wish him luck and we'll see you then :)

Lazy Sunday

With an impending grave shift tonight, I have spent the entire day doing nothing in dread for what is to come tonight.  One pot of coffee and 6 episodes of The Sopranos later, I am only a couple hours away from going to work and I feel like a huge bum.  Unable to nap (strangest thing that has happened to me in years) and bored as ever, I'm not sure how I'll make it until the 10:30 start mark or how I'll even get through the night.  This must explain why I'm starting a new blog when I have nothing of importance to add....
Maybe later I'll return to this post with a thought to add and some inspiration.  Until then, don't mind the useless post.

Update:  I finally got a full day of sleep and I'm adjusted to the nocturnal lifestyle, just in time for my last go round on the night shift.  I'm anxious and ready for 7:30 to arrive so I can sleep for a couple hours then go meet Marcel at the train station for a couple days of rest and relaxation.  We're not sure what the agenda will hold, but one day we are going to take a trip to Munich to explore the zoo and spend some time in and out of various pubs and cafes.  I've only really explored the night life of Munich so it will be nice to get in some day time, and to see the cute animals, of course.
Although I bash graves at every given opportunity, I do have to say that it is so great to be able to call family and friends from a land line.  This means good reception and NO dropped calls. Yes, friends.  ZERO dropped calls.  With the exception of drunken soldiers stumbling through the lobby, I get to have uninterrupted conversations with my loved ones in the states.  Tonight I called Bret and Dad.  I'm so lucky to have these hilarious, amazing men in my life.  Talking to either of them always makes my night 100% better and even though I usually end the call missing them more than ever, it's worth it.  Dad was full of the usual funny comments and I've decided to start my own "Shit My Dad Says" book.  I wish I would have had this idea years before.  I would not only be laughing nonstop, but remembering all of the wise things he has told me.  Gotta love the man.

The Nicest City in Germany

My travels recently took me to Freiburg, Germany.  Some would say it's the nicest city in Germany.  By some, I am talking about Marcel, my newly acquired German friend.  I met Marcel at Peaches (really, of all places?) during the holidays while he was in Garmisch vacationing with friends.  My train ride there went smoothly and was faily uneventful compared to my first solo experience.  I made all of my connections with the help of the alarm on my cell phone and even had the opportunity to grab a bite to eat during a delay.  All in all a good day of travel for this easy napper.

Serious German Faces

When I arrived in Freiburg Marcel met me at the train station and from there we went to his favorite coffee spot, Art Cafe.  After a chai tea latte we took off to the city center so he could show me around his favorite city in all of Germany.  Throughout my stay we frequented several pubs, cafes, and restaurants to sample the local brew and cuisine.  His friends were all really nice and went out of their way to make me feel welcome with their eager attempts at English.  His roommates, Ramona and Steffi, were a different story.  They didn't believe their English was good enough and were nervous to talk with me.  It made me feel horrible that they weren't comfortable in their own flat and no matter how many times I relayed the fact that I'm the one who should be nervous because I don't speak ANY German, they still avoided any sort of confrontation.  Maybe by the next time I visit I will have some more basic German skills.  Maybe? I would sure hope so.  Marcel has been having me learn tidbits here and there, but he is too relaxed with my lessons and lets me get away with not studying, which I frequently do. I think I will blame it on being a lazy American. So anyway, we spent my last day taking the Schaunisland cable car up 1,300 meters to enjoy the view of the surrounding area, drink hot tea, and eat some delicious German baked goods.  The goodbye was difficult, but the promise of a near future visit and his silly antics outside the train window made it more bearable. Freiburg was a beautiful city with a university feel.  It reminded me a lot of Bloomington with a unique vibe and a side of hippie.

Mountain view

In Garmisch related news the Alpine World Ski Competition is taking place here in town.  The tourists are a plenty and the marienplatz is in full swing with my favorite food/gluhwein booths and concerts every night.  There is plenty to keep entertained with, so it should be another crazy couple weeks in my little America.  Hopefully a longer post soon to come.

5 months later

I promised pictures in one of my earlier blogs.  Five months later, I have a dose of what 158 looks like.  Enjoy.

The "kitchen" and "entertainment studio"

 Danielle caught a rare moment, me sitting in bed on my computer.

 Standing on my bed, finally hanging posters that we've had for months.  Note, the pink neck pillow.  Best Christmas present ever.

 This is where we brush our teeth in the dark on most mornings.  One of the many perks of having a roommate with a different schedule.  Also where we wash dishes, put our faces on, warm boots and gloves on the radiator, and listen to drunk conversations from our window.  It's a very versatile area.

Danielle's bed and the table where we enjoy many meals and morning coffees.











In closing I will reveal a little something to the world.  Maybe in my revelation I will gain even more motivation.  I have decided to run a half marathon with a group of my friends here.  Location and time TBD but the training has begun.  I even splurged and bought myself a new pair of running shoes.  As much as I love my Nikes, I realized it has been 5 years since I bought them.  It was definitely time for an upgrade.  I'll keep you updated on my progress and complaining.

Alright, if Facebook says it's ok....

When living in Europe....

Eat up
and don't feel guilty
Drink up
since beer is cheaper than water
...but most of all
Live it up
Take too many vacations,
and spend money you don't have.
You'll end up thanking yourself later.

I recently saw this on a friend's status and it made me regret all of the stress that I've given myself over my excessive food/drink intake, my sleeping habits, and my trigger happy ATM finger.  With that being said, I won't be any more liberal with my funds and/or lifestyle, but I think I'll be ok at my current level of over indulgence.  I don't have any trips planned until the beginning of February, and even then I'm staying in Germany (Freiburg) and my train tickets round trip were only 78 Euro.  Not too shabby. 

I picked up a babysitting gig this morning and it was yet another reminder that I'm unfit to parent a young child for many more years.  Poop being my biggest concern.  I seriously had to wrap my scarf around my face to keep from vomming all over this poor little girl.  How do parents do it?  I will never know...

Swamptown

Dance Floor Debauchery

BERLIN.  Wow, what an amazing place.  The three days we spent roaming the streets wreaking havoc were not enough to completely embrace the history and culture of this city.  We did manage to get a good grasp on it and decided we would definitely be returning in the summer for another spin.  Upon arrival we decided we would do the free bar crawl our hostel sponsored because we had heard it was mellow and laid back.  We blindly followed the guide through the S-bahn system into the city to discover that it was the paid pub crawl that is known for being out of control, featuring four bars and an exclusive night club.  We were not mentally or physically prepared for the mayhem that was to come, but we decided it was Berlin and we could tackle the fun.  And boy did we.  It was halfway through the 3rd bar that I realized we were on a path of destruction.  We had started a revolution on the dance floor and made sure that no other patron would even attempt to join us.  The text book dancing American.  We easily took a minimum of 100 hundred pictures at this bar.  We were having such a good time dancing, singing, and being silly that we didn't care what anyone thought.  When it was announced that it was time to move on to the next place we all grumbled and were hesitant to leave.  Don't worry, the same nonsense occurred at the following bars, but with less disco ball lights and camera flashes.  We ended the night with a taxi ride back outside of the city to our hostel and a late night BK throw down.  Thank god for a fast food place open late because in our hurry to get to the crawl we had missed dinner earlier that evening.  Perhaps an explanation for our eagerness to hit the dance floor?



Memorial to the Murder Jews of Europe



We awoke around 9 am free of hangovers (I'm not sure how that happened) and chose to do the free walking tour.  This was my first one of these and I'm so disappointed I haven't taken advantage of them in the past.  All of the bigger cities have them.  You go for free, tip the guide as you see fit and listen to them promote other tours that cost Euro to take.  It works, we ended up taking the Alternative Tour the following day, which highlighted street art and the hipster scene.  Definitely worth the 10 Euro to see the side of Berlin that didn't involve a history book.  Although a bit repetitive it was really interesting to see the "scene" and get a feel for Berlin's sexy grunge it is known for.  The free tour featured all the main points of Berlin; Checkpoint Charlie, a section of the Berlin wall, Brandenburg Gate, Hotel Adlon (where MJ dangled the baby from the balcony), Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and some other pretty buildings I'm not sure of the names.  The memorial was easily one of my favorite structures ever.  While walking up to it I thought it looked boring and void of any thought or character.  It honestly looked like a city block of stone coffins, but when you walk into the memorial the elevation of the blocks all differ and as you continue in you feel more isolated and distant.  The sounds carry strangely and it we lost each other within moments of entering.  After we finished our free tour we journeyed back to the hostel to gain some energy before venturing out to find dinner.  We used the handy dandy GPS to locate a nearby Mexican place.  What was supposed to be a 5km walk turned into a death march into the side streets of Berlin.  When we finally saw the neon glow of the restaurant it felt like a miracle.  After all of that energy and near fighting I was sure it would be closed or infested with roaches, so I was pleasantly surprised with the mango margaritas and curry sauce on my burrito.  Definitely not the Mexican we're used to, but a tasty way to end the hike. 



Kunsthaus Tacheles

 Corinne and I discovered that although we long to relinquish control/parent status on trips, once we do we are unhappy with that too.  We usually take the reins and dictate what we do, give directions, and are the ones to figure out the lay of the land.  On the way home from Berlin we wanted to relax so we let the boys drive and be in control of navigation.  We both found ourselves growing more and more annoyed at their stupidity and lack of care when they realized they'd been reading the GPS wrong.  So even though we say we want to give up the responsibility, I think in the future we will continue to be the grown ups of the trip.
When we returned to Garmisch everyone had to work at 6 or 7am the following morning.  I was the only one with the day off, so I was elected to fill up the rental and return it to Hertz.  Said car has a manual transmission and guess who drove it to base, filled it up, and returned it while only stalling out twice?  ME.


Berlin Wall




Rachel, Corinne, and I in front of Brandenburg Gate



Me? Responsible?

After my history of hungover exhausted mornings at work I find it hard to believe that I actually stayed in on New Years Eve.  Despite the knocking on my door every ten minutes and the constant taunting from my fellow Abrams residents, I successfully did not go out or drink a drop of alcohol on the most celebrated night of the year.  It was a strange feeling, watching the clock strike midnight and hearing the fireworks but having no one to share the moment with.  During the minutes of my of regret after realizing that I could be in the Marienplatz with all of my friends I texted Dad and recounted a NYE we spent together watching a Twilight Zone marathon on the SciFi channel and then the night in didn't seem like such a bad idea.  Sure I missed out on what I can only guess was an amazing time, but this morning I was overjoyed when I saw the bloodshot eyes, unkempt hair, and general sluggishness of every person sipping on their burnt coffee in the staff cafeteria.  Even though I missed last night's adventure, I had quite the adventure myself on the 30th.  A concert in Kur Park, the biathlon in the marienplatz, and too much gluhwein.  The biathlon was an interesting sight.  They fenced off areas of the marienplatz and put a 3 foot layer of snow for them to ski on.  Towards the end of the loop they had the targets set up where the athletes layed on their stomaches and shot their rifles after skiing speedily around the arena.  After the event the competitors raced around and touched the crowd.  It was then that Corinne and I decided we could give up our life at Edelweiss to marry a biathlete.  The concert was next.  It was easy to spot us Americans, we were all right up against the stage dancing the night away singing all of the words and passing around a flask of something that made our tummies warm and our dance moves better, or so we thought.  Yet another force protection fail.

Having the family come and go was a whirlwind for me.  I still find it hard to believe that they were here.  It was a great time, but I only wish I could have spent more time with Mom.  The size of the vacation rental made it nearly impossible for all of us to stay there, so Bret and I would part ways with the parentals and venture back to the Abrams every night.  It also didn't help that I had to work the whole week.  Welcome to the hospitality industry.  Despite my 40 hour work week, I think they enjoyed their time here.  They did more touristy Garmisch things than I have in my 4 months here.  I rationalized not going to the attractions with them because I have another 9 months here.  Well, closer to 8 months.  WOW.  I need to do work on my travel list.  This Monday a group of us are renting a car and heading to Berlin.  Should be a promising trip of sight seeing and chaos as always. 

A new year is ahead of me and I can only hope it will be as great as the last.