Week 5 Germany moving in

Week 5

Hello All,

Well since I reported last a lot has happened. First and foremost Gregg got in Wednesday.  YEA!!!

The first of the week I spent trying to hook up with the soldier who sold me the car he was supposed to get me a spare tire for my baby car as one of his friends had blown his tire out just before he sold it and he was going to replace it. I decided to go ahead and take the car so I could drive and he was going to replace it later. But I couldn’t ever hook up with him so he is bringing the tire by Monday.  Then I will feel comfortable driving on the autobahn, just a little nervous driving on it without that spare. 

Before Gregg got here I went to the legal office and got some power of attorney papers so Gregg could sign some stuff.  That took forever as they would only give me one power of attorney for each thing but anyway I did get that. It seems since I’m the one they hired I have to okay everything.
When Gregg came in, we spent half the day getting him his ID and I tried to show him around.  It was weird that I had been here a month and he had been here about two hours and he found a slot machine room.  LOL  But I got the last laugh as we both played five dollars and I hit one for 80 bucks and he lost his five.  But it was fun.  He also found golfers all over this place and had people ordering him his special powerade from the commissary.  He really knows how to enter a place. HA HA
Thursday he went with a friend’s husband to our house and he did the walk through.  He didn’t drive though so when he picked me up at school we were supposed to go back but we drove around for about 40 minutes and it started to get dark and we came back.  So we couldn’t find a house, we could rent the house—we just couldn’t find the house.  We all had a great laugh about that on skype.  Anyway he went to work with me on Friday and the Principal drew him a map to show him how to get there.  So he went on two runs out there and now he knows where it is- which is good because he had to show me.  We decided we probably needed a Garmin so we purchased one at the PX.  I think it will be a big help.
We have already gotten most of our stuff in the house.  I am going to post on my facebook a couple videos of the tour of the house but there are some pictures at the bottom of this blog.  I like the house and we took a walk around the neighborhood on Saturday and everyone said hello.  Gregg found a golf course 5 minutes from our house so he is in hog heaven. It is such a small town I’m sure they all know we are the Americans moving in.  But I’m excited to have our own place.  We already bought a grill and plan to cook out.
We went to a big bazaar this Saturday and I bought some ornaments and woodwork and steins.  I also bought another dirndl.  I had Gregg take a picture of me so you could see what a dirndl was. They have some beautiful wood work and rugs in Germany.
It’s been great having Gregg here.  I have driven off base quite a bit now –our house is about 15 minutes away from work so we will have that beautiful drive every day.    Gregg is going to concentrate on his driving test this week (he is only able to drive for 30 days with his state license) and I will be setting up the house as we are without internet until the end of the week. 
We have a phone and internet coming then. Below pictures are of the house and the town and me.
Until next week,
Hugs from Germany,
Susan

Week 4 Oktoberfest

Week Four

Hello from Germany,

I started the week out with Zumba.  I went twice and then to spinning.  I need to since these croissants with the Nutella are just so good.  Lol    I am trying to collect up some 220 appliances and some things they tell me will have to be bought on the “economy”  that means in the German stores so I will have to check that out and write you about that.

It got cold here a couple of mornings down to 40 but it warmed up to 70ish during the day.  It gave me a good excuse to buy some of my high school jackets and such.  We had our open house this week and it was great.  Everyone came and was very interested in their children.  I loved it.  I had one parent who sat there just staring at me as I went through my little spill about my class.  When I finished he just looked at me and said, “Where are you from?”  I told him Florida and he replied that I had "some accent.” This of course is true.

The big thrill for everyone here is to go to the post office.  If you have a package then you get a ticket.  They call it the golden tickets.  Kind of like Charlie and his Chocolate factory. I haven't gotten a golden ticket yet.  Maybe I need to order something. lol

Friday, I got to watch a couple of shows. Because our time is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Time the shows are shown the next night.  I did go and sign us up for our internet and phone for our house but the television has so many choices I’m going to let Gregg do that when he gets here which is Wednesday Yea!!

Saturday I went to Oktoberfest.  The bus ride was a hoot.  It seems that everybody was going. As a matter of fact in the bus parking lot there were 8 buses full of people from Australia.  I’ve never seen so many drunken people in all of my life.  If you look at the pictures below the women were all dressed in the dirndls and I had to buy two.  So I will take a picture in mine at some point.  The guys were all dressed in leather pants with checked shirts.  You can see them the guys in the first picture and the girls in the second.  The police were having a good time too.  There were fights and a couple of arrests.  I posted a few flashes of the parade and entering so you could see how it was.  I walked the streets and went into a couple of churches that were magnificent.  There churches are so elaborate it is unreal.  I went to the shopping mall and used their subway system which is very similar to New York.  The mall was huge.  I then went on a sightseeing trip and they took us by a lot of their buildings, it always amazes me how young America really is when I see these building that were built way before America was discovered. They described their time from WW2 as a dark time in their history but did show a lot of Hitler’s offices and places that historical things had taken place. Munich was a very friendly city and I of course helped their economy by buying steins and t shirts and souvenirs including the keg hat that I have on in one of the pictures. 

One of the things I remember about visiting Europe when I was younger is that you had to pay to pee.  So yesterday I paid to pee about everywhere I went.  But at least it is all on one system the euro and not all the different ones.

Oktoberfest is a huge parade and a grand fair complete with rides.  There are beer gardens all over and everyone drinks a lot.  It was a fun time. The bus area was entertaining as it rained and people were throwing off clothes down to underwear and running around.  It was just one big party.

So that was my week four.  Hope you had a great week.

Hugs from Germany,

Susan

Week 3 Germany

Hello all

Third week in Germany and I finally passed the dreaded German driver’s license test-  I got a 80 on it the first time I took it  (you have to make a 85 or better) but I passed with flying colors the second time.  In my defense, I didn’t have the book the first time and I didn’t know the German words for one way, detour for the signs and such.  Okay,it’s a tough test.

So how did I celebrate I bought a “baby car”—it’s a Ford Fiat KA the smallest little thing I’ve ever seen.  It’s a 5 speed- but because I’ve just driven it on base I haven’t got it out of 3^rd gear yet- the top speed limit on base is 50 kilometers which I found out an easy way to convert (thanks to my driver’s test ) is to multiply the speed limit by 6 and drop the last zero  so that would be 30 miles per hour.  See the picture it looks very small compared to the van.  They call them hoopties here.  That is a car to get by until your car is shipped from the states-  I didn’t pay much for it, as a matter of fact what I paid for it would be equal to 2 months of a rental car- so I justified it if my “baby car” lasts two months I’m money ahead or at least I've broken even. They have a car lot here that people put their cars on so other people can buy them.  I bought mine from a soldier who is going back to the states and has two real babies and the baby car is just too small he got a bigger car to ship back. Plus this is a European car with kilometers and such. It's a pretty cool little car.

I went and got me and Gregg ( for when he gets here so we can call each other)burner phones- those are prepaid cell phones- someone had loaned me one from here-- one of the teachers who adopted me. I FEEL SO Jason Bourne.  Lol   Someone had scared me off signing a contract here they say you can sign a contract but it just keeps on going and it’s hard to get out of them.  So we have burner phones.  I also went by to ask about the internet and phone- it seems that you pay one flat rate and you get a phone that you can call land lines for as long as you want and the internet.  I’m setting that up next week so it will be in our house when we move in--I cant do without my internet. I’m checking these things off one by one.

Gregg has had a time with the packers it seems that they double booked our move so one called the house phone and one on his cell phone at the same time so he put the two phones together and put them on speaker and said you two moving companies figure it out which they did. They split the chore. One is doing the quick shipment and one the long shipment. It's the little things that make you smile.

I went to a high school football game this Friday.  It was like watching a football game with the Sound of Music hills in the background.  I wanted to break out in song-  “the hills are alive with the sound of music…”  but I contained myself.  Lol

Saturday, I went to the thrift store- that is where the people leaving put their stuff up for sale like a big garage sale all in one place.  I bought 220 appliance, iron, mixer, coffee maker, dell printer, extension cords, a couple of adapters, hair dryer all for 26 dollars pretty cheap huh?

Also,I moved to a suite in the hotel this week.  I was in a one room place and now I have a living room and kitchen much nicer and more than one chair and a living room set.  I was just glad for the cushioned seats and a place to sit and eat. And my butt thanks me, too.

This morning, I went to church and they had a real nice service centered around 9/11- it was a very moving service especially with the soldiers in the service.

I have ventured out and got set up for Zumba classes- Peggy you would be proud. 

Anyway that is about all this week- hope you guys have a nice next week. I ought to have some good pictures next week- I’m going to Munich for Oktoberfest—

Until next time.
Hugs from Germany,
Susan

Week 2 Amsterdam

Hello all

Week two at Germany whizzed by. I am still in the hotel waiting for the hubby to come to get into our rental house. He is coming 9/21 after Oklahoma. LOL  I have picked the house out though.  Going to try to get a junk car this week to get us by till ours comes.  I visited Amsterdam this weekend by bus.  Did Anne Frank, the Van Gogh Museum, Wax museum, canal cruise, red light district and a city tour.  It is a fabulous town.  Lots of bikes.  I posted some pics on face book.  Still loving the job.  The weather here has been pretty  50's 60's  in the morning and up to mid 70's in the afternoon. Course I realize that wont last.  I read the Tallahassee Democrat everyday on line so am able to keep up with Tally- was glad to see the great write up about Godby.    And all I can say is Skype rules --it is the greatest invention ever and its free.  If you are on face book and I'm not your friend please friend me.  Hope this finds you and yours happy and dry from the storm that hit you guys.  Goodbye till next week.

week 1 Germany

I made it to Germany and seem to be over most of my jet lag.
It has been a whirlwind of activity. I have gone to the school and done pre planning. I am staying on the  base and am searching for a house.  I have gone to look at a few and am now studying for the German driver's license a little hard to get I guess--lots of road signs.  I have gone out to eat or been invited over to eat by a lot of the teachers and they have adopted me and taken care of me really well. I went to my first German festival last night and it was fun, lots of beer drinking and celebrating,  note the band in the picture below, the German people are very happy people.
 I am really enjoying this. I have booked a  sponsored trip next weekend to Amsterdam so really looking forward to that. I have visited the PX and have lots more I can do--just am taking it slowly.
Anyway I am posting a bit on face book-- Gregg wont get her till mid Sept.
I am having a good time .
Hugs  from Germany
Susan