Ted is known for being frugal. Sometimes cheap, sometimes stingy. In order to save money on this trip, he combined all these characteristics and got a dental surgery here in Germany, saving himself at least $2000. In California his dentist told him to see a specialist for a root canal (dentist $400, root canal specialist $400), Ted decided to have his tooth extracted and I suggested to go do that in Germany instead of paying an arm and a leg in California.
So we arrived in Angermann on Wednesday and Thursday he went and saw a dentist (€27}, and a specialist on Friday morning for a consultation and the surgery at the same day a few hours later, which cost €300, since we don’t live in Germany, we don’t have health insurance, so these prices cover the entire cost! What an incredible $$$ difference this is!
Extracting a tooth is usually a $150 procedure, but Ted’s tooth was inflamed and it had developed a zyst inside his sinus that needed to be removed, with stitches and everything. So my offer to get the pliers and jank that tooth out with a few twists (and shouts) wouldn’t have been successful. And maybe would’ve ended up in a divorce…
The gold crown, a relict from the time when Ted’s teeth were still complete…
It’s a very easy recipe: a beautiful area (Altmühltal) + great company (my brother Jürgen) + a cute little convertible = a daytrip filled with fun, great talks, memories, connections! Very, VERY special!!!
We saw interesting buildings, for example a church built of willows. It was planted in 2009 and is growing since. We were lucky to watch a wedding ceremony there, just in time before the next rain shower!
We also saw a few interesting animals, some a few days old, others a few million years old:
Enjoying this beautiful day and exchanging stories from the time way back when we were little, which icecream we preferred, which games we played, etc. It’s always so much fun to spend time with Jürgen! And of course we had a stop at a cute little beergarden (the 13th apostle).
Germany in July: rubber boots would be a good idea. Or at least a rainproof jacket, insulated, an umbrella and don’t forget a scarf! Outdoor venues are closed, it is freezing f🥶ing cold! Yikes. I’m wearing underwear, socks, long pants, T-Shirt, Sweatshirt, layers and layers, and I’m still cold. I have an extra wool blanket on my bed and I’m cold, despite wearing a nightshirt!
Paso Robles, California on the other hand is dealing with a heat wave right now. 47 degrees Celsius (=116 F), that’s when the air flimmers and everything comes to a standstill. PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) are switching off the power, air conditions won’t work, your barbecue steaks in the freezer will defrost and there won’t be any ice cubes for your drinks. Americans like to drink everything with ice cubes. I mean, they have a little taste of something in their glasses filled with ice cubes and when they’re finished, half the glass of ice cubes will be thrown in the sink. Hard to understand when you grow up in Europe…
When I moved to the US 26 year ago, I always thought that everything will be the same, except the language, and since I learned English at school, I thought I’m prepared for the challenge. Little did I know! The language I learned turned out to be the medieval cousin of the American language spoken in the US. Not only do Americans have a chewing gum in their mouth when they speak vs English people, who have a hot potato in their mouth, they also use different words and you have to be careful to stick with the proper vocabulary. So don’t buy rubbers for your children’s first day of school equipment when they are just in 3rd or 4th grade. That’s more appropriate for 10th grade, when they really need a rubber / eraser / condom 😳. And calling a doctors office to ask for a date with a gynecologist isn’t such a fun idea either, because a date is something very different than an appointment, one less professional and more romantic than the other. And there are so many more examples of “sitting in the clanger” which means to “put one’s foot in one’s mouth”. But luckily I got a big portion of humor and I hope all the people around me got the same, otherwise they’d just turn around and laugh, roll their eyes, be shocked or otherwise not be my friends anymore.
In college, where I teach fashion design, it is a bit challenging in its own way. Officially there are lots of possibilities to make mistakes and the list is long on what you can say or ask. For example I cannot ask a student where he/she/them is from. That is a micro-aggression, indicating that – because they look different or speak with an accent – I assume that they are not as good as their American classmates. I look different myself and my German accent is recognized as soon as I open my mouth. So I kinda sit in the same boat, but I’m not allowed to ask my students where they’re from?!? And in Fashion Design I’m supposed to say chest, high point, rear and bottocks instead of breast and butt. Sometimes I catch my students with this frozen expression of a shocked deer in the headlights because I say the name of a body part in an inappropriate way and I think: c’mon people, get rid of that prudish political correctness and start having fun again! 😳😳😳
Just another thunderstorm rolling in…Neuburg, where I spent a nice day with my sister Petra…Munich with everything your heart desires, family,the opera house,and Princess Sophie cake, rhubarb cake and delicious teaMy niece Saskia and her huge portion of tiramisu. I swear, I only tried a tiny bite! Or was it half of it? I can’t remember and it’s not that important…
The last time I attended a highschool reunion was 30 years ago. It was our 10th and it was not very well attended. Mostly the nerdy kids, that had landed a great job; they bragged about “my house, my car, my boat” stuff and I couldn’t keep up with any of their lives. I was a single mom with two boys, I had a masters degree, but no house, no car and no boat either.
Then…… and now
This time, 30 years later, we really enjoyed each other’s company. We gave each other hugs, because – as one of my class mates said – now we’re brave enough to do so! Very sweet! We talked about life, fate, disappointments, new beginnings. We talked about trauma, struggles, bumps and loosing loved ones. Starting families, blending families, we enjoyed talking about kids and a few already had grandchildren! No house, no car, no boat was mentioned. Very funny: now that I have a house, a car and a boat. Technically it’s 2.5 houses and it is Ted’s boat, but that’s not the point. The point is: I enjoyed seeing my classmates again and sharing stories. It was a very hot and humid day and the white wine was plenty. This event left a warm fuzzy feeling around my heart and I felt closer to my buddies than ever before. Except Ulrike, my BFF! Knowing somebody so well at the age of 20 and still be so close at the age of 60 is special and I feel spoiled…..
The main reason for this trip to Germany is my 40th highschool reunion. It is a good starting point to remember those times way back when, it is also a reflection of what happened since. And that is a lot!
Between the age of 20 and 30 was the most difficult time and the time when major life directions happened: I had my sons when I was 25 and 26 years old, I went to university, finished with an MA degree despite being a single mom and working for a photographer. It was tough! I moved, we moved many times, we had a tight budget, but I always found time and money to travel: a few times in Greece, France, Croatia and Italy, then Bali, Tunisia, Turkey, USA. In retrospect, I accomplished a lot, and if somebody would tell MY story now, I wouldn’t believe it!
Between the age of 30 and 40 still lots of changes happened: getting married, moving, still moving, but this time further away: to the US. The kids were slowly getting to be teenagers, exploring their own lives. This was fun to watch! And painful sometimes, watching them going through their identification process, separating from the mothership, creating their own characters. I was and still am very proud of them! I heard once that “once you are a parent, you wear your heart outside your body” and I’m sure every parent understands those words….. I started my own business, worked a lot and traveled to numerous juried art shows and wholesale shows all over the US. And if somebody would tell MY story now, I wouldn’t believe it!
Between the age of 40 and 50 I had more changes sweeping through the homefront: divorce, marriage, more moves. The sudden death of my father was a major hit, it haunted me many years! Professionally there were challenges, opportunities and finding passions that I forgot I had: I started teaching in College and I love it! Inspiring my students, sharing my experiences from my own business, helping them find their way, this was always meant to happen. As a little girl I had a “classroom” in our basement, a school board, some chalk and a hotchpotch of little chairs for the neighborhood kids and my sibling. And I played being a teacher. And I guess I was very good, because all of them ended up having a profession and I blame my highly advanced teaching skills for all their successes! And of course, if somebody would tell MY story,…..
Between the age 50 and 60 more changes, more moves, more challenges: being widowed, remarried, working on my career and being financially independent, settled and worry-free. Excessive traveling, for days, weeks, and even months, all is good. Being away for 8 months was only possible because of Covid 19: the lockdown + remote teaching + internet = flexibility on steroids! You just have to see it and create something so beautiful out of the many negative impacts this pandemic had for everybody. As mentioned in a previous post, I don’t consider myself a tourist, I am a traveler! Two days before my 60th birthday my younger son got engaged to his girlfriend and I guess, there will be more excitement in the next decade in my life! And of course, if somebody would tell MY story,…..
In 4 hours, my best friend from highschool, Ulrike, will pick me up and we will visit our school where the reunion will happen: we will be shocked to see all those old people, we will laugh, talk, and we will have a great time! Our graduation year had ~90 students and half of them will attend today. And I am most nervous of not recognizing anybody anymore. I do hope they’ll have name tags or something, so I’d better bring my reading glasses. Not that I ever need them, because, of course I didn’t age…..
Leaving California is not easy. You leave gorgeous weather, perfect temperatures, crisp ocean water, and a lot of happy people, because the weather does affect your mood, in case you didn’t know!
Leaving California is also great for your wallet: nowhere else are prices so ridiculous, over the top and beyond, nowhere else they expect tips for services not performed, and nowhere else those tips are expected to be 30% [[additionally to a $790 dinner at Justin – I almost had to postpone my trip 😬! But I have to admit that we did receive a gift bag, a special goody bag, filled with a tiny micro jar of seasalt (1/2 teaspoon) and a small bottle of Fiji water, I’m talking plain drinking water]]. So I’m glad to go to „anywhere-is-cheaper-than-California“ country now! Good bye!!!
Anticipation is a mixture between expectation and prediction. Expectation leans more to wishes, predictions more to the known. Maybe it is a right side vs left side of the brain thing? Who knows???
I know anticipation really well, I’m in the middle of an overdose right now: the next trip awaits me and it’s packed with predictions (high school reunion in the heart of Bavaria! Cruise through the Caribbean! Broadway shows in New York City! etc) and expectations (will I recognize those people I went to school with? Will the hurricane season be in full swing? Will my non-profit loose momentum during those 6 weeks while I’m gone?, etc) All those hard facts, the predictions have a „!“, whereas the expectations end up with a „?“. What’s more exciting?
We shall see and I’ll make sure to keep you posted. Let the journey begin…
You might wonder by all the food posting I do (and therefore all the food I am eating), that I must have gained weight like never before! Infact, I wonder myself 🤣
But would you say no if somebody – like my sister Petra – invited you for breakfast and it looks like this?
Or you meet your friend Wendl from highschool to cook dinner together, and you create this Bavarian classic: bread dumplings with chanterelle cream sauce and endive salad, would you say no to this?
As Wendl says: cooking is the sex of old age
Wendl and I have a history together, it’s kind of a love affair, but not with each other: we share the love of cooking and eating. So every time I am in Germany, Wendl and I cook something delicious 🥬🍲🌶️🥗🫒🍷 And did I mention that we know each other for 40+ years?
Or would you refuse to eat those spinach and cheese dumplings I ate today for lunch? Would you? Followed by Kaiserschmarrn, a dessert classic in Bavaria 🥰
My good bye dinner party two days ago was not only lots of fun – 15 family members showed up with fun stories, good mood and big appetites – we also had delicious food!
My sister asked me a few days ago what I’d like to do if I had the chance to try something totally different. My answer: something food related, not being a chef, but a taster (if there is such a thing). Somebody trying, tasting, combining, presenting food to perfection. That’s what I would do! No wonder that I like to eat and drink…..
Every year in October, the Farm Museum in Ingolstadt let the past come alive by inviting art and craft, food and music vendors to keep old traditions alive.
With my sister and my niece we spent a few hours there, we admired a photo exhibit, we bought some handmade craft and enjoyed the permanent exhibition of the museum.
Petra, Edith and Stephanie (from left to right)Stephanie and Petra at the photo exhibition❤️Sisters❤️I bought some hand dyed wool 🧶 but since I’m not sure what to knit, I’ll just wear it as a turban in the meantime…
Unfortunately – fortunately the weather goddess is already sad that I’m leaving soon. She’s crying and so we have to deal with rain. It looks like she’s very sad: the prediction is rain until I’ll leave!
The good thing is that there are plenty of indoor activities (cooking, eating and drinking as a last resort 🤣🥗🍷)
Petra and I visited a Salt cave today and spent 45 min relaxing inside this grotto, breathing saline air, listening to a waterfall, soft background music and being lulled in warm light shining through thick rocks of pink salt. Having a warm blanket wrapped around – it was challenging not to fall asleep…
And what else to do? Walk, talk, party!
Erwin & PetraIf there is such a thing like a great-aunt, that’s me. With my great-nephew NiklasGood-bye party with my mom & Helmut, Erwin, Stephanie, Jürgen & Anja, Tamara, Saskia, Roberto & Kira, David, Jessica & Maxi and Niklas. Age range: between 2 month and 85 years! Winner of the cuteness contest: Niklas
