Aaaand Action!

Yep. Me. Holding a brolly there, btw... whilst climbing.

But first things first: Spring arrived!

So, you guessed it... instead of running, we went to the city.

This first time, though, it wasn´t just going to the city, oh, no, I had to take the navi.
I´m a woman, the only way to get where I want to?
Ha, no ;-)

But I had to follow the navi to get something back.

On the way we met Pippilotta:

Well, ot rather the graffiti, no idea if that shop still exists, or where.

And finally, after a stop at Schadt´s, (funny thing, btw, when you just hear that word it sounds like what many (too many) people call each other, Schatz (honey)), well after that....

Yep, that was fun (awww, here you see how much fun I had - anyone an idea how to really find fun in this? I want to, for Ingo!)...

I brought it back:

What do you think how long it´ll stay there???

Are you into Geo-caching? Teach me how to have fun doing it?
Guess I´ll just have to do it, right?

On another note: I switched from winter- to summer clothes!
And I threw so much away.
Have you read the book The Happiness Project? One of the best books I ever read.
Still working on it, guess it´s a lifetime-project.
And one thing is: Throw out what you don´t wear anymore.
I threw out what became two rather big bags to give away.
Some stuff turned too old (skirts I had for over 10 years! No wonder the color had faded?) And also...
Skirts I thought...

... too short for your age.

Bummer, huh?

It felt good, though. Why keep stuff you don´t wear anymore anyway. Ok, I kept two or three pieces just cause of good memories.
Or (not so) funny ones like when we very spontaneously in Wilhelmshaven went to see a submarine.
Did I mention it was spontaneous?
I was wearing a short, red skirt.
Bad combination.
Ingo literally had to push away that old man who wanted... well steep stairs, right?
I have no idea what he thought what´s there to see anyways, I wore undies. And naively climed up.
Can´t throw away that skirt.

But the rest... out!
Now: Spring, summer: Come over here!

CUBIFA... Or...

Not really “can I believe it´s Friday again”!!!! Because actually this title should´ve been “Poor Doggy”!

Despite a bad forecast the weather was very good (for this year, not for this month).
I´m coughing my head off atm, still I tried to run. It wasn´t fun really, but since I thought Ingo won´t be home before 5:30, I started running anyway.

Not even 4:20 and who showed up, calling in disbelief: “What?!!! You´re running in this great weather?! Let´s go to the city!!!” ?
Awww, good idea! :-)

So we went, got the last chairs outside at Schadt´s. Boy, it really was warm, lovely. At the other table some people gathered. More came, one with a shepheard´s dog.
Doggy went under the table and the waiter, after taking their order, came back with a bowl for said sad doggy, who jumped delighted to his feet. Food!

I never knew a dog could look that disappointed! It certainly was only water. He seemed to think it over, took some tongues full and layed down again and looked at me like he thought, “can you believe this?!”

Second Try

Or... growing up ;-)

I left our love-lock in place this time!

Awww. Liked it better here. But that´s not what it was made for - or... was it?

On the way home...

How weird is that? That place used to sell beds ages ago, it´s empty, but you find the weirdest changes.

A Maneki-neko with a clown (was it a clown?), some guy - this one maybe, dressed like Jesus, skulls... I should´ve taken pics.

Anyhows, the love-lock now hangs on Gauss-Bridge. Let´s hope Ingo doesn´t start his Geo-caching-stuff right away and put it someplace else!

Else? I owe Bro probably some money, not that little, either. After Mum´s death no one had a clue, I guess.
Asked for the place to put it.
No answer but: Get pregnant, a friend of ours "young" as you is pregnant with the first child.
Oh, Bro. You never give up, huh? I´m too old for this!

Admitting in the next sentence, Niece can be a little terror at times, driving them nuts. That doesn´t help, either ;-)

On the weekend our neighbour (his (nick-?)name is Moe like in the Simpson´s series, too funny, I always think he must be way more ugly...) plans to mow - maybe I ask him about George, but I guess there´s nothing to do but... compost.
Four months, maybe enough.
Just such a cute guesture from some unknown neighbours to set him out like that just when I needed some comfort...
Hopefully it gets warm enough for flowers for the balcony!!! We´re weeks behind for that beauty!

I Don´t Have The Heart...

..to just do it!!!

I did try!

When spring is here, I´ll give it away, I said.

So... here it is:

Since December it sat on my desk.

Then here it was:

Right, was...

Cause... on the way back...

Over night? Alone?
Out there? Couldn´t do that...

Oh, right. Santa is still there, too.
He´ll stay, George, though...

George is dead since weeks. Colleague T said... deep-frozen he was.

So, with a heavy heart (is that a German saying?) I "unstripped" George.
Ingo will do the rest.

And I? I will bing back our "love-lock" back to Gauss-bridge. Promised.
Right?
I´m clingy...

Like my car is...

Ok, just a joke. But... we´re in the city and these are both our cars - in one place!

We´re in the city. Right? Just... why ist die Terrasse "open"? Is this international? The words "terrace" and "is" is too much?

Speaking of international... See that orange deer in the pic above?
Yep, ask google maps, it´s just 12,1 km from here, where Jägermeister is produced, in Wolfenbüttel. Yikes. Sweet and "gluey". You need to eat something salty after that. All you can, probably...

Umm... "Alles, was Sie essen können" does sound stupid, right? Just take three other languages. La vie est comme ça...

CUBIFA

HELP ME PLEASE! / BE WELCOME Here we do, too! :-)
Please notice the Braunschweig-helmets!

Wow, Friday again, can you believe that?!
Not that I expect any new readers (I´m a rather boring person) but in case: CUBIFA stands for "Can You Believe It´s Friday Again"). I got the idea from dear PerthDailyPhoto.
I try a little regular post-series for as long as I feel like it. Rules? None, but...

Friday, some Friday, 2009, maybe?
We lived in Karl-Street, I still went to the gym in Wilhelm-Street (right, this is Germany ;-)...).
It was dang cold.
Winter. Brrrr.

Pic above? Our bikes in summer that year. My first great bike (the black-green one) - usually I got my Mum´s used bikes (still good, great quality (heavy like a car!) - this one from the hardware store 99,99 euro!

Anyhows... brrr. I wanted to drive home.
And got stuck - in the dark, in full speed - in the tram´s rail. Or the ice of the rail - the tram didn´t drive anymore due to the construction site.

Bahm!!!! The front-wheel went crazy and I went right over the handlebar.
Dunno... Steel is hard, right? Is it harder when it´s icy-cold? No, right?
I fell on my right side, where else, I always do.
I have a metal-plate in my arm there (for a reason?), due to an accident, bad doctors, good doctors...

My knee went hot. I knew... blood!!! What else is hot in minus-temps?

- Now here comes: Immediately three persons, two other (mad? Who drives in these conditions?...) cyclists (I don´t do that anymore!) stopped to ask if I´m ok, one pedestrain, too.
Imagine. Dark, spare light (construction site) - and they see me! And do care!
(Nothing happened but a hematoma - unbelievable, huh??)

The other day I was in a shop.
Not a Friday,
At the cash-out. A woman, who didn´t speak German, wanted to buy something. She didn´t have enough money. All her money was on the table, kinda humiliating? The next customer asked the cash-out-girl how much was missing and handled over the 6 cents.
Six cents!!!

Me, "emergency" (weekend ahead) at the eye specialist. Last year you had to pay 10 euro for each quarter for doctors, plus any specialists. I had 6 euro (emergency!) - and yes, six... I got helped out, had a hard time accepting help (stupid me, see above!)

2001. I was in my now-hometown with my Mum´s car - number-plate, GS (Goslar), not BS (Braunschweig). I stopped to check with a "paper-map" (!) if I´m right (year 2001). Instantly some woman knocked at the window; "Can I help?"

(You get a clue why I love this town???)

More?

Perth, I was searching for an address. Asked some guy. He went all the way back with me (not such a good help, actually), till we found the place and turned around again - all the way we came from! He smiled, too. Guess I took away his lunch-break, but he was happy to help :-)

Wyndham, WA. I was bitten bad by sandflies and in the Tourist-Office, without asking me for help, they gave me Tea-Tree-Oil - for free and with instruction.

Wyndham, WA. My back hurt badly - we thought it might be the kidney as well and went to the hospital. They took blood, urine, all good. The doc "stretched" my back a bit. Told us what´s worth to visit and that was it. Money? He didn´t want any "I didn´t do anything, did I?"

Germany, supermarket (this goes back and forth at times) - "You got only this? Take my place." Both ways, often (at times, though, people don´t wanna see you).

CUBITA??

I love life. I love (most) people (what was this in Boston????)

My Mom always told me (!!) I´m a pessimistic person.
Nah. Not since I live in/visited beautiful, friendly places like I did so far!

Happy weekend, be friendly, take care, for yourself, and others. They are thankful (Aw, who am I??? A priest???)
Have fun!

My Weather

See, after all the work yesterday the weather was kinda good - I wear a RED T-Shirt (Elmo :-)...)

It was so windy, though, they advised empty trucks to go off the streets.

Just in the news they called it "Kaiser"-weather (thanks, I do feel honoured) and said it´s over already :-(

We didn´t find anything better than a Cheeseburger at Mc D (WHY can´t someone open up a Pie-Shop over here???
So.Dang.Needed!) and whilst munching it down we went to see what bookstore Graff has.

Haha!!!

Got the coolest book!

Yep, that´s our place!!!!
Well, the house opposite ours, but our street!

And here:

My/our last place before Karlstreet.

(also notice Ingo´s T-Shirt: "No worries"!

All places I lived here are in that book! It´s about the ring-area, awww did we "reminisce" (to take Freddie´s words).

We sat with heaps of retirees and, my they were oh so funny!
Woman: "woah, we waited SO long for warmer weather!!!"
Me: ""Yeah, as they said in the news, the longest winter since 138 years!"
She: "Yeah, I remember back then!!! :-)"

What a day (of a daydream?)

On the way home:

Ingo said: "Heute??? Why not 'today'?" Well. Maybe languages just live along? I hate "Denglish", too, but "workshop", I kinda grew up with.

Any thoughts on your side?

No Ten Without Ham

Nope, no ten without ham (Pizza from my hometown), this is - I admit, at a very ripe age - the first Pizza I made from scratch - and all alone, not by myself only, but alone.
See... I am so dang afraid to burn myself, the sheer thought makes me dizzy.
But the other month some weekend I had to get the french fries out of the oven cause Ingo was running for a different ketchup - I had no choice! And managed, NOT burned myself.

So...

I thought: give it a try! Took the receipe Bro gave: You only need flour, yoghurt, baking powder, salt and olive oil. Mix and work with it, no waiting, nothing!

For the sauce I took tomato-paste, oregano, basil, olive oil, topping: fresh pepper, some of Ingo´s "salami", fresh mushroom, olives, cheese.

I didn´t dare to wait till the oven had reached 200C, but 150C is great for me! Took some courage...

The dough turned out a bit dry, as did the sauce. I should´ve taken way more mushroom and pepper, too. But, hey, for a start not too bad, I´d say!

Guess it´ll last three more times (Ingo doesn´t like Pizza anymore - and I wouldn´t give him anything of this first try, anyway, not good enough!)

As you may have guessed: I have a day off!
Actually 4 days, Thursday to Tuesday. Got up at 05:40 and by 1:50 I was able to give that status at good ole FB:

Recycling - done, running errands - done, Bathroom - done, kitchen-floor - done, clothes washing and hanging - done, Pizza-making from scratch - done (needs improvement, but I managed the oven!!), dishes - done, effecitve running-time: 1 1/2 hours, time now 1:50.
Time-left for about some 30 minutes more running: 1 hour, because:

Despite bad forcast it´s 21C, sunny - bet Spouse wants to go to the city (and I really need a shower first!).

Gosh if my feet wouldn´t hurt so much on that crosstrainer I could run all day!

Just imagine the 2 1/2 weeks I had off around Christmas I wouldn´t have been sick.
I would´ve been productive!! And fit!

So, here I sit, listening to Sonshine fm (where we visited when they were still in Morley back then, Rodney was so kind to show us around).
Ingo just comes in, and, well, guess it´s 22C or more in the sun by now.

George really doesn´t like it. I gave him some more water, but...

Guess I´ll "unstrip" him tomorrow, colleague T, who knows a lot about plants, thinks, too, it´s over. George was deep-frozen too long :-(

Some nice pics to end with:

Sponges for little Niece :-)

Frog and Chicken - that said: Off to the city, our beloved Lion-City!

(G)Olden Years

Guess this bike has seen better times, huh? But I think it´s kinda beautiful, despite being so rusty.
At least there are some beautiful details, no?

Anyone a guess how old this “Drahtesel” might be?

Mid-/late-50´s? Younger?

Oh, by golly, these days I have the feeling, my golden years are over, too. I´m so tired lately, my muscles hurt – I do run two hours Tue-Fri (crosstrainer), still it doesn´t get any better.

Now, if you think, woah, you must be in great shape!
Nah.
See... Saturday:

Though, actually this is declared an appetizer and actually there are two pieces of Toast, I ordered one. Honestly, who can eat two and then have a main course on top?? I was full after this, this always is a main course for me.
Well, this was: To Mum. Guess Toast Hawaii and Mum will be one for me now always, reminding me of those days in hospital Hannover, where she tried to be so brave. And my, the best Toast Hawaii over there, ever!

Yesterday, not better!

Though, as usual, we shared this Currywurst at Schadt´s. And the waitress could only shake her head that I didn´t even manage to eat my half to the end.

But, well, noticed something?

Ye-hes! Ingo isn´t wearing a thick jacket anymore, oh, no! 28,5C we had yesterday, whopping, huh? Who can have something “heavy” like a half Currywurst in such a sudden heat-wave?

Ahhhh, life comes back over here, slowly, but we get there!

Something was wrong, though, either with my cam or the weather, here you can hardly see the fake stork on top of “Mutter Habenicht”´s house:

So stupid story attached to this: Ages and ages ago my friend´s Dad, a lawyer back then, had to sue Mutter Habenicht (what a name, actually! “Mother have-not”) for not being clean enough, it´s a Pub/restaurant.
That might be twenty years back. Still I have no desire to go in there and give it a go.
Give them a chance, huh? The last Braunschweig-crime thriller I read took partially place in there.
But for me, kinda, the golden years of Mutter Habenicht are over?

Let´s see.
Today we´re down to 20C, foggy, nasty weather again.
Time to hop on the crosstrainer and make up for the “sins” of the last days ;-)

And let´s hope this coughing and sneezing won´t turn into another flu! I have some days off, I wanna do so much, no time to get sick!

My First Clock

Weee.... what a day of Spring! We´re in the plus-grades, finally! 10C! Plus!
Windy, nasty, no joy to be outside.
What´s with the weather this year???

So... fastet way...

Why did we even go outside?
Well. There is no snow or ice anymore.
Nah, really....

Just on Thursday we ordered some stuff and my, are those guys fast! It arrived today at Packstation!

Since Omi and (never met) Opi, who live in heaven now, both were, amongst other, watch-makers, we just had to get this:

A clock for this certain someone:

Yeah, that kiddo does look soooo sleepy, right?!

...to assemble with Ingo´s help :-)

Who got himself an "old" radio to assemble.

Oh! The sun is coming out!!! And!!! "She" (in German the sun is a she, the moon is male) has power! 13C!!!

Somehow, though...

George...

...seems to not like it!
What´s up, guy, why are you fading to brown?

Oh, please. let´s hope he makes it! I was just about to buy a bigger plant pot and fresh soil!

Spring and George, please make friends!

Happy weekend, let´s hope for the best! :-)

Addendum... certainly Ingo couldn´t wait for Niece to visit:

Addendum II: I was interviewed by Red! Thanks, Red, it was a lot of fun, I love the whole bloggy-thing!