damn computers

LOL We are online, but only on Jess' computer. Mine doesn't have XP, so am having problems. Then bought a wireless router yesterday and blew out the power adapter using it on German electricity. GRRRRRRRRR... have to bring that back and also going to thrift store to look for hub and or cheaper router. i don't even care about wireless anymore, just want MY computer online.

internet

We now have broadband internet at home!!!!!!!! Yessir.....
I will now be online with Aim or Yahoo or MSN Messenger at times where you are either sleeping or in the evenings after you work. LOL

Off to work..........

Stuff

It's 9:30 in the morning here in Hanau and i have been awake for the last hour. Almost unheard of in my world to be up this early, but I had to give Jess a ride to work, then I stopped at the US mailboxes to check mine, I am waiting for a couple of movies to come in from Netflix. I was walking from my car to the Post Office and thought how weird it is to be in Europe yet be surrounded be in a US Army post. My life is a strange concoction of US and European lifestyle that is not always pleasant. A large part of the reason I left the US was because of the people. Not all of them obviously, but the general population. And now I find myself spending a good portion of my day working with them, Mind you, I am so grateful for the work here that allows me to stay in Europe, yet having to deal with them can be very wearing.
For example yesterday (Monday). I don't usually work Monday and Tuesday, they are the slowest days of the week and therefore I usually have them off, but the restaurant was short a closer, and since closing is what I do best (5 of 7 days) I was asked to come in. The people who visit the restaurant on weekends are in a vastly different mood than the Monday people. Maybe it is because, obviously, it is the weekend. But yesterday the people I served were so rude, I had a difficult time even putting on a smile after a while. They were, to me, typical rude Americans. They wanted what they wanted NOW, and their looks of disgust made them very unattractive. Everything they ordered had 16 modifications, etc. The men, especially the young soldiers, never seem to be the problem. They are always smiling, joking, polite, ma'am is used etc. It is the wives who are PAINS IN THE ASS. Rude, condescending, impatient. I thought it was funny at first to be looked down upon. I mean, I CHOSE to leave a very comfortable lifestyle to come work at this dinky Taco Bell in the middle of Germany. OK, so I didn't exactly CHOOSE this part, but I chose to take the chance that I might end up at a job like this. And I don't mind at all helping the soldiers, regardless of what I think about the war, America etc, these are the guys who are coming and going from Iraq that I am helping, and I am very proud of that.
OK, I have sort of drifted off the main subject that I wanted to write about, but hey, that's the fun of having a blog (where no one can comment), I get to wander in any verbal direction I want to and no one can complain. Read it, or go away. LOL.

Anyway, what I started out wanted to write about was the weirdest of being caught between two different, VERY different cultures. Especially when one is the military.
I find it fun and different to have one half of my life lived out on an Army post, without actually having enlisted in the Army! You have the typical army type buildings, vehicles etc. Shoppettes, post offices, PXs, dining halls, laundry facilities, libraries etc. Even a thrift store where we have managed to come away with some pretty neat free things, including my daughter's 19 inch color TV with remote. ( she wanted a TV of her own so badly but could not afford even a used one in the thrift shop), then one day we walked in and they were giving one away ( too many TVs for sale) what a deal. LOL.

Anyway, so we come to work, show our civilian Department of Defense IDs to the German guards in uniform outside the post, go and do our jobs with Americans, then leave post and drive home to our apartment in the middle of a German town. Weird, but interesting. I really do try to stay away from buying things on post, especially food, but sometimes you need things not available on the economy (off post).

I have probably taking way too many words to say what I wanted, but again, it is so early in the morning. I don't usually get up until at least noon.

I work til at least 10:30 pm, and have been known to be there until 2 am, helping out my supervisor until 11 or midnight, then standing out in the parking lot talking for a couple of hours. In our parking lot at night there are always at least one or two deer walking around. Midget deer, at first I thought they were fawns, but they are actually full sized deer. There are also always bunnies hopping around in the grass by the dumpsters. Being the weird person I am, I always say “Bunny, bunny, bunny!” to them, knowing damn well they have no clue what I am saying, that I should probably be calling out the German word for bunny, which of course they would still not understand. LOL

Annnnyway... Next week we are FINALLY taking our first road trip to......... (cue drum roll) ..... Amsterdam! Yeah, party on Garth..... We intend to have a hell of a time. Jess and I are driving up with a woman who works at the bowling ally on post, where Jess' Subway (where she works) is located. It is Amber's birthday, and she wanted to go up, so we said lets go! Yes, I intend to smoke the reefer and do any other slightly illegal thing possible to do in Amsterdam, damn right!

We are driving up Monday morning, coming back Tuesday sometime. It is I think a 4 hour drive away, and with the three of us sharing expenses, shouldn't cost too much. AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands.. YES SIR! Should be a lot of fun. Just hoping I don't land in jail or anything.. (just kidding mom..)

We finally decided to get landline and Internet at the apartment. The phone is up and running, but we have to get a DSL modem from the company today to get the Internet going. OH MY GOD, one of life's luxuries back again, Internet at my actual home. I mean, I will be able to be on the internet any time day or night. WOW! LOL... Been almost a year without it. Been almost a year since this whole adventure started. I think I gave my notice at work on April 18th, a year ago. Seems like forever.

The anniversary of my sister's death was just a couple of days ago. NINE YEARS she has been gone. I still think of her every day. Funny how that is, and strange how she will never age or be old in our minds. Eternally young, as she should be remembered.

Well, I have to get up in two hours to return something to the thrift shop, we tried getting a used DSL modem there, but it is not working. So I need to get back to bed so that I can wake up in two hours. (note – later found out that DSL: will not be up and running until tomorrow (WED))

I am guessing you will be seeing way more rambling blogs once we are connected at home. I am not sure if that will be good or bad, but will certainly be a fact of life. Later......

pictures

no time to write,late for work. I decided to actually move into a bedroom like i was going to stay for awhile. pics below.

Picture time!

OK, going to post some pictures. I am sacrificing my dignity and putting two of myself on here also. Hope you can tell I lost 50 pounds, I did not however, get any more photogenic. *LOL* Here goes.

Our apartment when we first moved in. When they say unfurnished, they mean nothing on the walls and floor, no light fixtures, NOTHING! Luckily after a month they installed a kitchen, that is unusual. We have done nothing to the floors and walls yet until we decide if we are staying in Hanau or going elsewhere. We are leaning towards the staying in Hanau.

Same view, a bit better with our obligatory cat climber we made.


Shot of the plants I have gotten.They will probably be dead in a month or two.I try so hard, but cannot keep a plant alive. *sigh*

Bammy on the cat thing. Even though she doesn't look it, she is much happier since having 6 teeth pulled last month.

Miss Kitty sleeping

Karnival in Hanu. (coincides(sp)with Mardi Grasin the States)

The view down the street from my window.


Me,50 pounds lighter. I didn't realize my new pants were already baggy again. YEAH!


Closer view(for my mom) to show her my hair, etc...

That's it! Nothing much else new....... Later!

The car

Yeah, yeah. i know, who wants to hear more about the car..LOL Too bad...
Actually not much to say, we have gone through a lot of gas, Germany is SUCH a pain to get around, well at least the city of Hanau. We end up going in circles forever to find NY PLACE, SHEESH. So we have gone through 3/4 of my $35 of gas in just 3 or so days. We did drive about an hour away to Wiesbaden, but of course got lost. What should have been a 57 km drive ended up as 135 km. *g* We also ended up eating at a Persian restaurant and i finally got a chance to smoke a hooka(spelling??) We had melon flarvor, they were out of orange, and apple didn't sound very good. Even JESS smoked it after a bit of prodding!!!!!!

Anyway, it is really wonderful to have a car. We are parking at the very ends of lots so that we have to keep walking. Also, if we go into the marktplatz area of town to shop, you can't park there, so we leave the car at home and walk. I am doing my best to make sure I stay at this weight, as well as loose more.

Well, Jess is sitting at the computer next to me, staring at me, she wants to go, we both work this afternoon, so I am gone. Take care!!

FINALLY got the car in my name

Woo-hoo! 1987 Audi 100, is BIG for cars here, holds a whopping 80 liters of gas, which I THINK is only 20 gallons. Thank god I get a gas ration card so that I can buy on post at 68 cents a liter vs $4 a liter on the economy.

Well, am paying big bucks for this time online, on on post, the computers at the library are down. We are going to take a hour drive to the Wiesbaden Amry post after Jess gets off work at 4 today. There is a big bookstore there she wanted to go to, so SINCE WE HAVE A CAR we can go... A permit to park on the street in front of our apt only costs 25 euro a year, so that was great. The car also needs an oil change badly and a new air filter. I have a feeling it might also need brakes, but there is a man who works at the shoppette which is connected to Taco bell that says he is a certified mechanic. (He also likes me, so that might be of help too) *g*

Ok, will write more when I get onto a computer that is free or WAY cheaper. Take care.

Driving times

I did a bit of checking online today for driving times from Hanau, Germany. (If the car can make it long distances.) A couple of places it would be better to fly, but below are the results. Amazing the places you can drive to with gas bought with the money you made at Taco Bell. LOL

less than 4 hours driving time to Brussels, Belgium
6 hours to Paris, France.
6 hours to Vienna, Austria
9 hours to London, UK
3.5 hours to Holland, Netherlands.
8 hours to Venice, Italy
16 hours to Madrid, Spain
4 hours to Amsterdam, Netherlands
4 hours to Zurich, Switzerland
3 hours to Luxembourg
3.5 hours to Munich, Germany
5 hours to Berlin, Germany
5 hours to Prague, Czheck(sp) Republic
15 hours to Dublin, Ireland
9 hours to Monaco (French Riviera)
A whopping 24 hours to Athens, Greece
24 hours to Lisbon, Portugal
15 hours to Stockholm, Sweden.

That is all I have to say today.. :-)

Sing with me now!........

Diana's gonna have a caaaaar... Diana's gonna have a caaaaaarr.

Yes people, I will be buying a 1982 Audi something or other with 149,000 miles on it. *LOL*

The woman at work whose son is going back to the Phillipines (sp) keeps offering it to me, she says she won't sell it to anyone else but me. (i remind her of her grandmother whom she loves very much!!) I don't know whether to take that as an insult (do I look that old?) or not, but I am secretly very proud. PLUS even though I was going to buy it before, but then I lost all my state tax refund to the kids student loans that I cosigned for.. she still keeps offering it to me, even saying i can pay part now, part later. Also my supervisor, Nick, who is is also Philipino(why does that spelling look SOOO wrong??), and is going to see if she will bring the price down a bit.. Soooo.....

I think that means no flying trip to Spain, but I am now researching road trips. We are only a couple of hours away from France I know, and probably only 4 or so from Beligium, and I think the Netherlands too, Plus Austria, Prague, etc... We will just have to see if the car will hold up to long trips....

Anyway, not much else new. (NOT MUCH ELSE NEW?????? I AM RESEARCHING ROAD TRIPS ALL OVER EUROPE, HOW COOL IS THAT????)

I am getting to really like working at Taco Bell, I JUST NEED MORE MONEY!!!!!

I like that the work is physical, it feels good to be moving around, bending lifting, etc.... and the people I work with are pretty amazing, with the exception of the manager of the store, but what else is new there, that is the ancient curse of working at all. LOL

So I am getting into pretty good shape I think. I am still down about 52 pounds, so that is good. I really need another 20 pounds I think, I will be so thrilled, you will have no idea. HOT 48 year old woman. *g*
I really wouldn't mind working here for a while, but I know I need more money to survive. For now though, I am pretty frigging happy where I am, thank you. Maybe my goal in life WAS to work at a Taco Bell.. *g* I am sure I will move on to something else, but as I said, i am pretty happy where I am right now.

Well, off to look up road trips, find out about changing my MN license into a German one, etc... Hope you all are well in Minnesota!!!

Some exploring

Well, I have decided to take $150 of my tax money and take a three day trip somewhere, probably the south of Spain. It is warmer than here and I can speak Spanish, and the food??? Do I have to say anything? YUM..

Am still not sure though, I may do southern Italy or the Island of Sadinia off Iitaly.. Ryanair has flights for about 1.99€ plus about 20 in taxes, each way.. The places I am looking at also have youth hostels where you can stay for about $20 a night... sooooooo.....

Half the fun is in the planning I think. *G* Jess may or may not go, she has not said. If she goes I will see if the landlord/Vet's secretary might stop up and feed and water the cats and plants in the apartment since the office is right in back of us.


So I can go to london, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Spain., Portugal, Switzerland, France, you name it. Maybe I should save Spain for when it is warmer and do London or Paris.... AUUGGHHH... Don't you just love that these hard decisions are so FUN?? not bad for a Taco Bell worker.... :-p

I decided I need to get off my butt and start taking some short trips. Actually London or paris I could probably do in two days......

Hmmmm..

OH! I finally got my hair dyed back to blonde.. It was almost completely the natural, dull brown color before I had the money to dye it back blonde, it was such a shock, I didn't know if I even liked it, but now I am glad, makes me look younger again, not so old and haggard.

I am helping to pay off my mom's credit card now, so i feel a lot better about that. Living with the minimum amount of things and costs allows me to be able to start paying her back...
Anway, i work at 5:30, so I need to run home and get my work clothes, stop off at the market for some fruit and yogurt. I'll keep you updated on the travel thing. I plan to go mid March, I always have two day off work in the middle of the week, so I will take those and maybe one other day. Not sure yet. Hope you all are fine there in Minnesota!!!!

maintaining

Sorry it has been a while, I couldn't get into blogger the other day to give an update. I got my federal taxes back and was able to get my hair dyed back to blonde. YEAH! Also was able to buy jeans and topes that fit me.. For those of you who know me, you know I used to wear big mens shirts over tops. NO MORE! I bought a bunch of knit shell sort of tops, short sleeved scoop necked close fitting tops. GRIN. 50 pounds and a person can definitely wear things they could not wear before.

Otherwise not much else new, just haunting the UN and military job boards, putting in for all the IT jobs I can, waiting to hear back. I haven't heard back from the UN, but it is still possible, has not quite been 4 weeks since the interview.

Flower shops are awesome here. I bought a little bonsai tree, would run about $30 in the US, for 6€.... and a few flowering plants, most about 99 cents, the most expensive was 4€.


I had to take my cat in a few weeks ago to have her mouht operated on. She is older, had to get about 6 teeth pulled. OW.. Luckily the vet is our landlord and her office is right behind the apartment! Bammy is doing great and you can tell feels soooo much better with the teeth out..


Jess and I were going to get a car with our tax money, but decided to wait until we know where we are going to be permanently, plus I am paying back my mom at $100 a month, so car insurance would be too expensive to pay with everything else, on our pay.........

Weather is great, springlike, getting more sunny days, I was able to walk across the comples where I work without a jacket the other day.. Woo-hoo!

Well, I need to hit the shops in town before they close at 6, this is one of my days off......

Hope everyone is doing fine........... Take care!!!

Thunder and snow

Strange weather here in Germany, been windy and rainy, then suddenly snow and thunder, and then by 1 pm sunny and everything melted. *L*

Still not much going on, waiting to here about jobs, that's about it. Jess and her boyfriend broke up, thankfully before she left to go live with him in Portugal, so she will be following me wherever I get a job. (YEAH)

We went to the movies the other night! On post, Jess wanted to see Harry Potter, it was the last time it was playing. I had gotten a couple of free passes from my supervisor for being so wonerful *blush*. We had not been to a movie since the US.

NICE, high backed chairs, etc. We bought a bag of popcorn, smooothered it with fake butter and salt, and a drink, also some chocolate, what a treat!

As soon as we sat down I had flashbacks to when I was in the Air Force, and I told Jess to be prepared for the National Anthom, that we would have to stand up during it. She didn't believe me, said that was a long time ago. But I said we were on a US military base, trust me, they will have the national anthom before the movies starts. Sure enough, it played. I should have bet Jess money. *g*

So that was a nice treat. I think I gained 2 pounds from all the butter and salt I consumed.. (American food, evil, fattening!) LOL

Work is the same, i have gotten into the swing of thing really well with one particular supervisor, so when we work together, it's not too bad.

What else?? I know I had things to talk about, but once I get online, my mind goes blank.

Well, going to go, am just hanging by a thread hoping to get a call about one or another job in Geneva.

Take care!

United Nations interview.

Shew.. that is over... I spoke with a man named Anders and another gentleman whose name I did not understand. He may have been from Nigeria or some such place.

They asked me a lot of questions about my work background. Very straight forward, none of the "How would your best friend decribe you" types of questions.
They wanted to know how I felt about traveling. It seems the job will be based out of Geneva, not the Hague, so scratch the Hague link from yesterday. When he asked me about traveling, he said the places they go to were not the usual tourist spots, he actually said it could be "deepest Africa" or southeast Asia. LOL.

I am not sure how I did, i know I am weak on a couple of things they are looking for, such as Zenworks and any programming. BUT, it also sounds like they use Novell, because one of them was asking me about my GroupWise experience as well as asking if i had any Novell certifications, so that is a good sign.........

We spoke about 1/2 hour. The human resources person that was supposed to be there got lost finding the place, so they just went over a bit about the hiring process. That they had more interviews, and that I would probably hear nothing until about 3-4 weeks from then. Then if I got the job an HR person would contact me with an offer.

Another thing they asked was that if i received an offer, how long before I could be in Geneva. I said it would take no more than two weeks, that I was renting month to month and would just need to get things together back here and go. AAUUGGHHHH... :-)

Pretty cool huh, being called up by a couple of people from the United Nations in Geneva about a job where I could be traveling to "deepest Africa" and Southeast Asia??? *G*

Well, I will just be keeping my fingers crossed. I am going to have to talk to Jess and see if she would move to Geneva with me (and Rob could come) so that they could share an apartment and take care of the cats for me. Otherwise i am not sure I can take the job, depending on how often I travel.....

Not going to plan too much though, since there is no promise that I will even get the job, but it is nice to not be sideblinded if I get it, by having made no plans.

I am also kind of hoping about the AF job in the Azores. The waiting 3-4 weeks for a reply from the UN kind of gives me time to hear from the other job.

So things are looking up at least. more sun in Germany..... i was standing at the bus stop waiting to catch the bus here (I am at the USO on post using a computer at the library) and I was just watching these three boys play football (soccer) in the street, and the bells from the town square started ringing at the top of the hour, and I have to tell you, I was pretty frigging content with where I am right now.. So that it good.... Much better off then I was a month ago.

Anyway, i need to get going and get some other things done here before I go to work. 6-10:30pm for the next 3 nights.

Bye!

Things are looking up

Well, at last some interesting things to put on the blog. I was at the vet today with one of the cats when i received call from the united Nations in Geneva wanting to do a phone interview with me on Wed about a job I applied for a few months ago.. It is for a computer assistant job in the Hague (Netherlands) at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia! (try saying that three times fast.. Here is the site for those interested: http://www.un.org/icty/

I also checked on the status of a computer job for the Air Force in the Azores, Portugal, and I am eligible for it, so we will see if I get a call or email from them! Here is a link to the Island that the base is located on: http://www.destinazores.com/index.php , The job would be on the island of Terceira. The islands are actually about 900 miles west of Lisbon, it is the most Western part of Europe. See what you think! I just started checking out the two places myself, though obviously there is no guarentee I will get either job..

Something must be in the air because I just got a call from Heidelberg asking if I wanted a job in the commissarry. that one I said no to, i don't have a care right now, etc, and it is an hour train ride away. i would not make enough money at that job to justify going.

Well, cross your fingers that one of these jobs comes through (I personally want the one in the Azores.) It is only a 5 hour flight from there to Boston, so the US would be closer, and maybe I could get my mom to come over........ Now if I was in the Hague, Nick would be more likely to come, he wants to visit Amsterdam, soo..... Either way both pay about the same money, obviously the UN one would look better on a resume.... there are porbably a lot more perks to it also. Well, we will just have to see if either pans out. cross your fingers!!


OK, Holland itself looks pretty fricking interesting... *sigh* Here is a link: http://www.holland.com/us/

New direction maybe?

Well, that old travelin jones is hitting again. Looks like we will be trying to get to Portugal in the next few months. Jess' boyfriend is living there and she wants to be closer to him. To be honest, warmer weather sounds wonderful. I have been watching the military sites for job openings. I just applied for a computer assistant, it closes the 20th, so we will see if I hear anything after that.

The other thing we have decided to do is buy a car if we get enough tax money back. It's really needed, esp when you first get to a place, looking for apts, applying for jobs etc. So we will se how much we get back.

Been working, working, working. Still only getting about 30 hours a week, no benefits, but it is enought for the apt and utilities, and some spending money.

I have been working closings, so I come in around 1 or so and work til 10:30 a couple of days, then come in at 5:30 or so and work til closing. I LOVE sleeping late, man how I love it.

My weight loss is now up to 40 pounds!!!!!!!!!! Yes, that is the happiest thing of this trip, losing all the weight.


Living in Germany is OK, the weather in the winter sucks, a bit of snow here and there, in the 30s mostly, but no sun most of the time, and to me it look slike MN in the spring when everything is sort of dirty and no leaves on the trees yet.

Living in Dt Hanau has been nice, you just walk into town to do your shopping, etc.... The main downtown blocks are all paved and cobbled, with blocks and blocks of stores. I still have not been impressed with the cooked food available. pork mostly, and sandwiches. There is this one butcher shop where you can get a leg/thigh of chicken roasted with paprika for 1.7 euro. YUM, but not a lot of other places to eat. We still have no kitchen in the apt, so we are unable to cook. This means I am eating a lot of Taco Bell. YUCK...

So now it is just work work work while we look into going to Portugal.

Note: Visit to a local dr here cost TEN euros, about $11!!!!! Can't beat that.... :-)

Back

Sorry, I was deciding whether or not to keep doing the blog, which is why I haven't updated this for a while. I had a rough time during Christmas, and am just now getting back on my feet and up to speed. I only have a minute before work, so I can't go into everything now, but I have Tuesday off so then I will have time to hit the computer and update you all on what has been going on. Take care until then!

Life in Germany

Lots going on, little time to be online.

I am going down to Heidelberg Army post tomorrow to interview for a Computer Support job. It is a LONG commute, so not sure if I will take the job or not, will have to see. About half of what I made in the states, but double what I am making now, plus health care, etc.

We are in the new apartment, no kitchen for a month, nothing on the walls or floors (welcome to renting in in Europe!) not even light fixtures. We will be buying wallpaper and will be taking advantage of the long weekend for Christmas to paper the walls.

Have bought a couple of beds, that is it. we have the TV, basic cable comes with the apt..... will be getting a land line in this next week i hope. internet (YES!!!!) in a few weeks.

Cats are confused, the place is huge and empty so it echoes.

Am short on time, will try to write more in the next couple of days....... Bye!

Officially Army

well, before I get into my day,I just to reply to the comment made about my adventure having a purpose...

This blog was was simply created so that I could communicate with friends and family without having to write emails to everyone. That's it.

SOOOOOO.. today we went in, and finally got our ID cards that gives us access to the base. We also received a card that goes with our passports that will allow us unrestricted access in and out of Germany, since our three month tourist visas will be up.

Of course I went and got the covetted(sp) bars of Coast soap and the can of Sierra Mist. (Just about as good as I hoped, but will taste much better in a glass with ice when I am sitting in our new apartment.

We think we have an apartment right in Hanau! This means a 5 minute bus right to and from work, not bad!! It is also owned but a woman Veterinarian, SCORE again, she said no porblem to the 4 cats. it is also located right next door to her Vet clinic, score again for the cats! i can't stand it, cn hardly wait until Monday to see it.

Whe have an appt Monday at 9 am to see it, but unless there are gaping holes in the walls, we will take it. That means we only have to pay for bus to and from work, about a 5 minutes ride from the apt. What a deal. monday and Tuesday we also have real orientation.... Two all day sessions.

Jess actually worked until 6 tonight, I am waiting for her to come back any time. I work tomorrow from 1 pm to 9 pm....so I get to sleep late....

What else, oh yes! We both opened up APO boxes, meaning that we can get mail from the US at regular stamp prices. This means my mother no longer has to put 5 stamps on everything, if she sends it to the APO box. Cool!

What else, oh yes, tomorrow we have to go before I start work and open up accounts at the community bank on base. This way we get direct depost and also are able to pay our German bills through this account.

I am so tired, really can't think of much else to say right now, so am off for the evening. Take care!!!

THANK GOD FOR MOTHERS!!!!!!!!

Ok please, I would like every one of you to post a comment thanking my mother for being there and being generous enough to save our butts again! I can't really explain how and why she did it, but you will have to trust me, short of giving up a kidney she made the ultimate sacrifice so that we were able to stay here, get back and forth to our jobs, find an apartment etc. All I am asking of you who read this is to put an anoymous comment on this blog thanking her....


I LOVE YOU MOM!!!!! thank you for being there for us.... nothing I can say will truly express how thankful I m that you have been there behind us!!!!!!!!

Both Jess and I received a call today saying that we have been apporved to work before we even go to orientation on Monday, so tomorrow morning we go in, fill out paperwork, and start our respective jobs at Subway and Taco Bell. LOL

Should be a lot of fun to be busy again, and be around people esp those that speak English!

That is all for now, bye! (mom, to read any comments, just click on the number of comments at the end of this blog.)

The best of both worlds?

Anothe short blog, sorry.

We went on post today, the woman at Taco Bell didn't even really interview me, just said how many hours a week were available, anywhere from 25-35 or more. Asked if I could work evenings, weekends, holidays. I said yep, I have no life, will be glad to, so i now work at Taco Bell!! piece of cake...less problems with carpal tunnel! plus there may be a supervisor position coming up, which changes my staus from intermittent to PT, which gives me more benefits, though not sure health....

We went in to the commissarie, and I found COAST SOAP and SIERRA MIST! I actually started crying (ok, that is mostly because I have been off meds a month, and I have a tendency to cry when not on them.) but it was soooooooo nice to find things like that. Hey, I left America because of the crime, etc. No one said i could not have coast soap and Sierra Mist if I left.

I had 3 bars of Coast, a can of Sierra Mist (all I could afford) a Slim Jim and some ladies items that Jess can not find in Germany stores. AND THEY WOULD NOT LET US CHECK OUT WITHOUT AN ID from on Post.. I about died... no fair.... *SIGH* That is OK, we will get them within the next week. We have orientation on monday and Tues and should be able to start as of next Wed.

There is an unfurnished apt we want to take a look at. Unfiurnished being nothing in the kitchen but walls and outlets. Bathroom had toilet and tub, but the place is huge, two bedrooms, and cheap, 360€ a month, which is about $400, so I am waiting to hear from the agent tomorrow about going up and seeing it.. YES!! It woul dbe so nice to be in a place of our own by xmas. ok, have to go, using the expensive coputer time at the hotel. No cash right now. Love you all and take care!!!