Sunday Stroll

Kelly: This week's Sunday stroll was a bit different. All of the stores in Kaiserslautern were open on Sunday for a few hours (happens once a year). So, with my birthday money buring a hole in my pocket, we made our way to the pedestrian shopping area and the Christmas market in K-town. The shops line a pedestrian zone that streches half a mile in each direction. The Christmas markets (located in the plazas in the midst of the pedestrian zones) were much like the ones that we visited in Heidelberg on Saturday...a stand with cheesey mugs, gluwein (spiced wine), beer (of course), pretzel/doughie baked-good, repeat, repeat, repeat. I did enjoy the music and the Christmas spirit until the downpour began.

Finding clothes is harder than it was in the states. The two varieties seem to be: 1)Expensive, well-made clothes and 2)Cheap, will-shrink-or-fall-apart-after-washing clothes. I'm used to buying the well-made clothes at cheap prices at consignment stores, outlets, or discount stores....I'll just have to keep looking...wearing my boots, of course!

Thanksgiving

Kelly: I've spent many Thanksgivings happily preparing and eating a variety of root vegetables and squash with my family. I've spent time visiting local crafters on Santa's sleighride with my mom and sisters. This year was different. I spent Thanksgiving boot shopping, and I was successful! I wouldn't classify myself as materialistic; however, there are a few "things" that I love....good chocolate, good tea, nice sweaters, and last but not least, good footwear, especially boots. Boots are the "it" item here. Young, old, round, thin, stylish, not-so-stylish...they all wear boots. I have walked by the shoe store a few blocks from the house almost daily, waiting first for my VAT forms, then for a sale, and then with the help of money from parents, in-laws, and sisters, I ventured in. Success!

Birthday Blues

Kelly: I've never been a "roll out the red carpet because it is my birthday" kind of gal, but I really wasn't into my birthday this year...at all. I didn't even see it coming. We have been so busy just trying to put one foot in front of the other that I didn't even feel the anticipatory excitement building. I told Matt that I wanted to postpone the acknowledgement of the day until the weekend. So, he obeyed. He got me a nice card, ice cream, and a foot rub :)

I didn't expect the change to be this tiring. I was in bed at 8:30 last night...on my birthday...after way too much chocolate ice cream.New job, new county, new house, new language, new rules and customs, no friends, less income (Matt alternating between freaking out about our financial situation and reassuring us both that we won't be eating gluten-free Ramen noodles for the remainder of our stay in Germany)...objectively I can see that these things would be stressful to any mortal, but somehow, when applied to myself, I didn't think that it would be so consuming. I've decided that I need to start doing more of my own things. So, last night I cooked. I really haven't cooked much since we arrived. I made amazing vegetarian chili YUM! We ate it again for dinner tonight. So good! I'm going to get back into yoga, too...as much as my bum hamstring will allow.

Tonight, Matt and I are going to go for a walk around town and then watch a movie...good stuff.

One monthiversary

Kelly: We've been in Europe for one month. It seems longer. I met a social worker last week who told me that it takes about 6 months to feel settled here. She had lived all over the world including Korea, Europe (prior to this trip), Iraq, Korea, and the states, and said that Germany was the most difficult and longest adjustment because everything happens so s..l..o..w..l..y. Five more months to go until we feel settled, I suppose.

We celebrated our one monithversary and my birthday with a trip to Brugge, Belgium. We went as part of a USO tour which had its good and its bad points.
The good: We didn't have to think. It was cheap.
The bad: We had no control over the timing of events... left at 0400 on Saturday and didn't get back until 1:00 AM Sunday (today). The bus was really uncomfortable, especially for Matt. We had to watch two really bad movies.
All in all, it was a good day. The weather was nice (50s and partly cloudy). We were able to find the little cafe that we visited two years ago in Brugge. I found a delightful tea shop, and I bought rose like I found in the Spice Store in Philly when SWS lived there. I brewed a big pot for breakfast this morning...yum. We are both dragging today.

Earlier in the week, I found a natural grocery store in Kaiserslautern (15 minutes away) and even more excited that the store was open on Sunday. So, Matt and I headed to Alnatura today with our new GPS only to find that it is closed! How disappointing. It looks really cute, too. So, maybe we'll try one evening this week after work. The no-store-anywhere is open on Sunday thing is very frustrating!

On an unrelated note, I love the comments! Thanks :)

Weekend Update

Kelly: This weekend was filled with more home organizing and many thwarted trips to the BX (Base exchange...sort of like a Wal-mart on steroids). We are realizing that we need many converters so that our 110 volt lights and computers will work with the 220 volt system, and even though the converter bins were running over when we arrived, they are dry now. So, we shuttle the three converters back and forth among computers and lights.

We had a really fun night out on Saturday. We invited our three friends over for drinks and then we all walked to the Korean restaurant for sushi. We didn't entertain much in MD, probably because Matt worked long hours and had a long commute and I had a long commute and had three jobs. In fact, most of our entertaining was done in the months leading up to our departure! We are breaking that pattern here...we aren't even unpacked and decided to be social! We laughed a lot...very fun. Today we continued our Sunday walk tradition (if doing something for two weeks can make it a tradition) of walking in a new location. Today, we walked in the residential and commercial sections of Landstuhl. The weather was brisk but sunny...perfect for a stroll. I was inspired to use our new island that we purchased from Ikea on Saturday morning (after I had realized that I had left my CAC at work and we had to go through the hoops to get accesss to get it, but that's another story), and I made my favorite Lentil soup...yum! Then, Matt spent way too long moving all of our internet gear up to his office only to realize that the signal isn't good on the first floor. ugh. We'll leave it like this until he has more energy for moving it all back to the living room...not a good subject in our home right now. We experienced a bit of German culture by attending a craft fair at the cultural center in town...lots of beaded necklaces.

I was feeling stressed about work...expected to have some action plan in place by next Tuesday's meeting but realizing that I'm in formal training 3 days this week and probably still have another day or two of computer trainings to go. Mialley must have sensed it, because she jumped up on my legs and promptly fell asleep. So, my heart melted and I proceded to pet her for a while until my anxiety peaked and I moved her gently to the side and proceeded to create a powerpoint presentation on the COSR program organization and way ahead.

Our town

My first week at work

Kelly: This week marked my first few days at work without in-processing. I've entered the wonderful world of computer training. If you have any questions about the bubonic plague, hospital safety committees, or the limits on the retail value of gift to a contractor, just let me know! I spent most all of the day Thursday learning about chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear issues. Useful. The highlight was lunch with my surgeon friend, Jennifer. We laughed and discussed the virtues and challenges of having a househusband. Mine sounds like German toddler. Hers sounds like Crocodile Dundee!

I have an office...sort of. I saw the space that will be my office but the computer wasn't set up, so I had to be a squatter in another office on the hall. Much to my surprise, the computer was set up in my office this morning, but it hadn't been "authorized" yet which meant another day of borrowing someone's office. I attended three meetings today and learned a little bit more about what I will be doing, although everyone seems to have a different take on it. I also learned that the psychologist who I really like my take over the clinic position...how exciting! He reminds me of my favorite supervisor from internship...kind, a sense of humor, and very smart. One thing that I'm not liking is the rigid schedule. The little ants march in to the hospital at 7:30 sharp, pool out at noon for an hour lunch break, and then make their final exodus at 4:30 on the dot...ugh. I'm hoping to shift my schedule for a day or two a week to come in later and see some of the providers who start their shifts at 4:30 and allow a little variety and flexibility into my schedule. Most seem to like the structure and predictability of the day. Even though I have OC tendencies, I'm not a fan of the rigid schedule.

My househusband cleaned today and started dinner this evening...being the sugarmomma has its privileges!