Halloween costumes

I do not usually dress up for Halloween, and often Josh is working. This year we have several party invites, so we are discussing costume options. I hate wigs, heavy makeup, plastic clothing, and wearing thrift store shoes. Kara and I had the predictable but fun idea to be a clan of vampires- the Meyer variety. We can wear posh clothes and shimmer and make our faces pale. Easy, cheap, and culturally relevant. I know it is not a supremely creative plan, nor is it ironic, so some people may find us pathetic... but I think it would be fun. And if I hang out with Kara's cat for a few hours pre-party, my eyes will be red. How deviant of me.

Thoughts?


- painstakingly keyed for your enjoyment via becky's iPod

A gift I remember

In some ways this post was conceived from those cliched writing prompts given to fifth graders and bloggers without a cause.

One of the most memorable gifts I have ever received sits on my bathroom counter, holding synthetic brushes and that eyelash "comb" that most women own but (let's be honest) find fairly useless. It is a light sage mug covered in gold script. I am terrified to wash this mug. It was given to me by those who attended the bridal shower thrown just before graduating from Wooster.

There are messages both silly and heartfelt from some very special people. I see it every morning and evening, and allow myself a few moments to reminisce and to think of the lovely people who gave me this special gift.

More proof that money does not buy happiness, but friendship grants you an abundance.

A Case of Worms

I'm happy to finally be able to add this to our written record. I was officially promoted and given a full-time position as of last Saturday. I won't bore you with the details, but I'm pleased to have gotten a small raise and to have more responsibilities.

There are only 18 days until we leave for vacation, and once our trip is finished there will be only a week until Corrie arrives to live with us. We made it through August!

We went to see "The Proposal" tonight- well actually, I (Becky) have seen it twice now. I almost never see movies in the theater, and to see one twice is a big deal. I love that movie! Betty White steals the show, but the entire cast does a terrific job and the comedic timing was priceless. Plus, aerial views of Alaska are always nice between scenes.

We found out Maggie was sick with an intestinal parasite, and it was by far the grossest thing I've ever researched. I've been terrified of tapeworms since I was about eight or nine and I saw some public television special about the horrid things, and now I feel like I am filming True Life- My Dog Has Worms. Ugh. Luckily there is very little you have to do once you discover the wretched things are leeching off of your pup, so now we're just waiting for a follow-up appointment to get the all-clear. We'll get Trixie checked, too, never fear!

I've been writing about insects way too much lately; this is a sign that I am dealing with them too frequently in real life. I need to change this trend.

This past weekend, our village had it's summer carnival- Kindsbacher Kerwe. We didn't go (maybe next year!) but as I was getting ready for bed, I could hear a band and people singing some kind of folk-type song. I imagine they were drunk on Bitberger and happily sloshing their way past the rose gardens, but perhaps I'm romanticizing the whole affair. Regardless- those voices carried!

Nothing more to share tonight. Alles gute.

No, it's true, we are still alive and thriving.

Am I the worst blogger in History? Quite possibly.

Je suis vraiment desole. (With accents.)

Right, now you can guess that I'm trying to pick up a bit of French. Italian is in the queue, and if I can understand basic questions and provide elementary responses by the time we leave for vacation in four weeks I'll be overjoyed.

But to business; and explanation is in order I suppose. Not an excuse, just the honest reasons I haven't been writing.

1. We moved. I don't know if I've written since that fiasco, but I'll just say that the Process of Moving is awful. An international move was somehow easier than the trip from an apartment to a house fifteen minutes away. This is probably because someone else paid for everything to be packed and shipped and loaded and unloaded in the first situation; this time we ended up frantically moving heavy boxes and cleaning for 20 hours a day, several days in a row.

2. We had a party. A housewarming barbecue, to be exact. Obviously it took a lot of effort to get our home to look comfortable and presentable for our guests. The party was really fun and I'm glad we were able to throw it prior to the departure of some of our friends from Germany to the states.

3. We had to watch our shows because when you have a DVD full of action-filled goodness you can't stop watching. Friends was nearing the end, Smallville had all kinds of crazy stuff going on, and of course there was So You Think You Can Dance. So yeah, television ate our brains and free time... of which there was little due to point FOUR.

4. Work. My job is honestly fabulous; a little chaotic just now, but great. We just opened a new branch and I'm feeling quite useful and much more knowledgeable than in the past. Also, co-workers are fun. May I just stress how pleased I am that Josh is finally back on the day schedule? I would like to especially emphasize this point: shift work is for the birds. No, actually, birds are too nice to deal with the crap of shift work. Shift work is for arachnids.

5. Oh speaking of arachnids, did you know that they can grow to be AS BIG AS MY HAND? Because they can, and then they can find their way into my house and cause me to lose my mind in a constant panic-stricken, nauseated, fearful state of being. Yes, it's that bad. Even now as I type, I check for spiders every few lines. I need therapy, but those spiders need to die.

I believe this should clear up some of the reasons for my absence, although I do have one last confession: the log-in page for Blogger is all in German and for some reason that bothers me immensely. I can read the simple instructions, but seriously... it's just not inviting right now. I'm so silly sometimes.

As soon as I find my media reader card (or alternatively the cord to connect the camera to the Mac), I will update with some photos of recent events. And I really will work on writing more frequently. I can probably pull myself away from re-watching the new DVD releases of Scrubs, Smallville, and The Big Bang Theory. Hah!

Life is both exciting and hectic.

We are both working often, and conflicting schedules minimize the time we can be together.  Even when we have time together, we spend it rushing through things- making plans, cleaning, trying to see friends and find a moment to relax within the span of a few consecutive hours.  

The better part of our news is that we are finally moving from our fourth-floor apartment.  We found a beautiful row home with a back yard, three floors, three bedrooms, two full bathrooms (by American standards) and even a garage.  As is typical of German homes in this area, the outside is not anything spectacular, but the inside is gorgeous.  We will be doing a self-move in late June, and we're weighing several moving options.  Actually, I've already decided which option I prefer and it involves using the bulk of the moving budget to hire my father as a crew chief and move director, and throwing a fantastic barbecue for all of our friends who lend a hand for any portion of the move.  I'm trying to convince my father that he should let us bring him over here for a few days of work and a few days of vacation.  I am hopeful that he will come.

I am dreaming of the things I'll do in this new house.  First and foremost, I will let my dogs be outside in the sunshine all summer long, as much as they desire, to run in circles and enjoy the fresh air in this beautiful country.  I'll spend time making a small garden in the tiny plot by the front door, and I'll maybe be able to keep some plants alive.  Maybe herbs for cooking.  I want to focus on design and decoration, because for the first time I have coherent themes we both enjoy and I can improve upon them.  Eventually my sister will be here for a while, and I'm really thrilled about her being with us.  Hopefully more friends will visit in the next few years- we'll have an actual guest room for their comfort.  More than anything, I hope that life will feel less disjointed, less temporary in this house.  I want to meet more people and speak German and go on walks through a village and buy bread from the Barbarossa down the street.  

I had resigned myself to staying in the apartment for the next two years, and once I let it go the house of our dreams- in the location we desired most- became available.  I should let go of things more, that's when all the good stuff happens.

A Harvest Party

Happy Easter

xo From all of us