Sticky Apple Kisses

This weekend we are going to the Black Forest for motorcycle training (curve training to be exact, rather a good idea Id say) and because I am feeling rather ill (you know, really tired, the flu is not there yet but it is thinking about it, and you want to spend 2 days on a motorcycle and therefore the last thing you want is to actually be sick before it, because you will be after it for sure if you do) we are staying in to watch movies. And we have rented Germans one as well. So although I wont be getting much studying done this weekend, I will at least be working towards my other two 365 goals. Having said that I have splurged and bought a membership to the gym as well. So I do not know how that works into budgeting. Albeit it is a much cheaper membership than the one I had prior to now, and it is a small all girls gym. But I want to jump on the Zumba bandwagon, I want to do Yoga, and if nothing else, on those days when I am working to the point where I can not make it during the hours my Taekwondo trainer has open hours, I can at least jump on an elliptical before trying to lift some weights to get my arms ready for digging Betty out of the dirt and picking her up next year!

Betty:

Move for tonight:

Here in the Fatherland there are two things (among many others, but whatever), ahem, there are things that have drastically changed. Actually make that 3. THREE things that my friends when they have come to visit me have remarked on. The biggest shock seems to be that I cook. The other is my lack of shoes (and included in that would be a lack of new clothes). Lack of shoes and clothes are part of the other big change, I go out of my way to save money. (This may also be where some of the cooking comes in). Anyway, point being, as mentioned in a previous post, while home I took advantage of the awesome Boxing Day sales that this area of Germany lacks. Shoes here are expensive, and I would rather travel. Plus I am also super hard on my shoes; case in point:

and the other pair I have been wearing non stop:

But the others are far too pretty to destroy! PLUS after breaking the other pairs in I am far too lazy to put in the required effort when I know there are 2 broken in pairs.

and in fairness I think I choose pretty AND practical

The heels on most are not super high:

I love these ones as well, and they are super comfy, but I dont want them to end up like my last ones!

However my absolute favs are in fact the worse offenders:

However this picture makes me want to slow down the desire to rush out and buy from this list of best diet pills, because I KNOW my feet dont squish out like that, which makes me think that I am not as squishy as the camera portrays me as as well!

Either way, preeeeeeeeeeetttttttttttttyyyyyyyyyyy

I love this, Tracey rocks.  (She was horrified to find out that we dont celebrate Halloween in Germany and that Santa Claus comes on December 6th and just leaves chocolate in shoes).  In an effort to set the record straight she has created this, which made me smile enough that I had to share it!

"This is for Patrick (in order of appearance):  Valentines Day - give Sherrie pink flowers, chocolate

and a small token of your love

St. Patricks Day- wear green and drink green beer with Sherrie

Easter- give Sherrie a stuffed bunny and lots of chocolate bunnies

Victoria Day (24 May)- go camping and drink with Sherrie

Canada Day- wear Red and drink with Sherrie while watching fireworks

9 August - do whatever Sherrie wants you to

Labour Day - go camping with Sherrie, be sure to roast marshmallows

Thanksgiving- feed Sherrie Turkey

Rememberance Day- wear a poppy and sing In Flanders Field to Sherrie

Christmas- give Sherrie lots of presents from Santa and fill her stocking with chocolate

New Years Eve- get drunk with Sherrie, and countdown from 10 (in ENGLISH)

Did I miss any?? ;o)"

So it is official! We leave Friday, which means yes, I PASSED On Saturday morning, (which was only yesterday morning, which is sickening in that it seems like 2 weeks ago!!!).

After a night of nightmares, and being so nervous I literally feared I was going to vomit into my helmet, I passed!!!!

I had been told to expect about 45 minutes, and 2 of the compound exercises. Some instructors take you to the highway, others the back roads, usually in combination with some driving through town. But they COULD do whatever they felt like to you. 1 hour and 15 minutes later I had driven through town, through the side streets of town, the highway, and the back roads where they do that whole what the speed limit ISN’T. And of the 6 possible exercises on the compound, I did 5. The only thing not asked was circles in second gear, which is fine by me, as how useful is the ability to do giant circles around trees anyway????
Before you go thinking I can now drive however, I have to sadly state that this is Germany, and nothing is so easy! I was given a piece of paper that I now bring to the drivers license office, and they take my old license and give me a new one with the permission to drive a motorcycle on it. Originally I had thought this was fine, I would at least be driving on Monday. Now I check the office hours, and I had forgotten all about German bureaucracy, with its office hours as limited as the paperwork is extensive. 8 30 - 12 30 every day, where I work 8 30 - 12 15 ALL this week. Thursday is the only day they are open past 1 30, and that is the day I am suppose to have lessons with the landlord.

Hopefully they will let Patrick pick it up with my passport, as we leave Friday for 3 months of motorcycling through Eastern Europe into Greece and Turkey and back!

Even with the frustrations, I am beyond elated, and its more fun than an xbox 360.

Janine, upon seeing my Facebook photo from the other night where I had on this hat:

Wrote me this lovely email: (Janine is a German historian, also a Newfoundlander living in Germany, and we did our Masters together. Whereas I then ran from anything and everything academic, J9 has embraced it and is now living in Germany while working on her PhD.

Ms. McCarthy,
It is a well known fact among German historians that the development of the German nation state was directly related to a growth of nationalism that was fostered, not by the nation, but from the ground level. Of key importance to this growth was the use of associations, particularly those dedicated to sports such as shooting and gymnastics.

Some time has past and we have witnessed the defeat of German nationalism. However low and behold once again, its growth is influenced by sports. In this case given that times have changed, gymnastics would only work for anorexics and shooting clubs are out of the question because the rest of the world are weary of German with guns for some unknown reason, the torch has been past on to football.

I have been resisting the attempt to wear the red, gold and black for this reason. They have convinced me that not watching football is a sin and I have learned my lesson that if you ever used the words, “well hockey is much more exciting”, I may find my way on a train and might not live to see deportation. However I have resisted becoming a full on foosie. (I just made that up, do you like it, its a combination of the derogatory word for someone from the east and for someone from the west;)
However, I was quite shocked to see that you have been unable to resist. I know that you have been living here much longer than i and given your relationship status, resistance is not the best policy but I still thought that you would join in the resistance and refuse the colors.

So tonight I will be watching the finals, rooting for Germany but not giving into their nationalism, as my loyalties still remain with Newfoundland which might be why I am getting deported.

But remember Ms McCarthy, I am not mad, I am just merely disappointed. You may redeem yourself in my eyes by painting a NL pink white and green on your face on the opposite side of your newly anointed colors.

Germany did lose, which prompted these guys to crawl around on cross walks whenever a car supporting Spain tried to pass.

My tomorrow has been ruined, and yes I am a spoiled princess. Instead of having class tomorrow evening like scheduled, I now have my lesson 6 30 am for 2 units before having to run straight back to work to begin at 8 30 and to go on straight til 12 15. Why is this bad? I teach English just so that I never HAVE to get up before 7 in the morning, EVER!!!! (In Korea I took the job because it began at 2 in the afternoon). Plus I am going to be so sweaty for my almost 4 hours of private lessons. Next time Orlando vacations, because that may be easier than getting a license before Saturday.

This describes German roads in a way I never could. Good for a giggle, and come July 5th should I fail (which I am not planning to do, but who knows in this country what I am actually SUPPOSE to do on the roads at any given point in time), well you have a better idea why I might have.

So yes, July 5th I dance the happy dance, or I scream cry and curse.

I really hope its the happy dance.

 German Signs Do Not Tell You The Speed Limit

I despise this:

German Traffic Lights Are Directly Above Your Head

and finally:

Germans Drive Binary  (I have had my instructor yell at me for not racing up to a red light at full speed,as well as for not accelerating at “full gas” when I see the yellow about to go green.)

Sigh, I may be able to start the bike on a mountain (a requirement of the test) but if I fail because I dont fly out of a red light I will dropkick.

What is the first thing you expect when a friend calls and shrieks into your ear OH MY GOD I JUST NEED A GIRLFRIEND TO TALK TO RIGHT NOW. You start to think that you will be off with her to help her pick out baby bedding, instead it turns out that it was a missed train, (and I know this pain and this rage as you realize that you are stuck in the middle of Germany for the next 3 hours to stare at a train wall and think about all the pain you would like to inflict upon the mother f**ker who messed up your life by screwing with the perfect German timetable and causing you to be 5 minutes late and therefore 4 hours longer as you miss your only connection for the foreseeable future.)

But that makes me breathe easier. But figured I would share that little blip as the day has been completely uneventful otherwise.

I passed, I passed, I passed!!! I got the do you run over children question (worth 5 points) wa ha, and the math question came with 3 possibly answers which I always just pick the highest, and it worked!!!

Me leaving TUV (ok on the Black Devil, but whatever, still a motorcycle helmet!) : waha!!

Although I do have a question, I was sent a link on natural acne treatment, which is all fine and dandy, however I have noticed that since I have started motorcycling the past 3 years my skin has become crappier. Is it the wind? The sun baking me through the visor? Or just age?

As well as a place to vent frustration, but studying for this test is driving me mad, one moment it asks can you drive without car insurance? Or my favorite - there is a child in the middle of the street, but they are not on a cross walk, do you continue driving anyway? (The variation on this is “a car has pulled out in front of you, do you wave your priority or continue on to a head on collision?”).

The next question: You are driving at 100 kms an hour, you have a reaction time of one second, and the road is wet with a wind velocity of (insert cruel number here) - what is your stopping distance?

Consistency people!!!!  Work with me!