Funny how it is

It is so easy to forget how fortunate we are we take so many things for granted. We moan if there is a cable or power outage and complain when our computer goes down and it rarely occurs to us that there are people out there that until recently didn't even know what artificial light is. I came across this article about a tiny village in India that didn't have light until recently when one of their own became a solar engineer and brought solar power to his village. Can you imagine no power???? That means no TV, no microwave, no computer .......

Wish me luck

sorry for not having posted awhile.

I was going to write Friday but I was still to annoyed. See some time ago a friend of mine said she'd give us tickets to her cousins show. Which I thought would be cool but by no chance ever thought to ask for. Anyhow she had said she asked for 20 tickets and it shouldn't be a problem. Well as the concert date came closer I asked her about it and she said the is still waiting to hear. Thats cool. But then I talked to her the week of the concert and found out she had gotten the 20 tickets but is waiting to get more. So for whatever reason she gave our tickets to someone else. Well long story short she never got any (more)for us and we did not go. The thing is I would have never expected tickets or asked for them. I mean I think her cousin has a lot of talent but frankly its not our type of music so it never occurred to me. It just annoyed me that she would invite us and then give the tickets to someone else.

Anyway Saturday was okay I had crappy tippers but what else it new.

Sunday Grumpy and I were both off which is a rare occasion so we decided to head to the Omni Hotel near by for brunch. Grumpy used to cook for them and has been telling me about it for years but one of us usually worked so we could never make it. So we slept in and then headed there. While the hostess is seating us someone calls both of our names. I see this short lady walking up to us that looks vaguely familiar and turn to him to ask who it is. When I turned back she is in front of me hugging me and I read her name tag - its Grumpy's old girlfriend. (she claims I stole him from her the truth is when I was still married and we were just friends I used to spend ours defending her and sending him back to her! Crap so the hostess sits us in her section. So we just look at each other like "great". Well aside from that Brunch was good. I had two Mimosas and lots of food. She did do a good job and I do not think she put something in our food. She also let us use a buy one get one free coupon so we paid 20 vs 40. Very nice indeed. The rest of the day was spent doing homework for me and Grumpy went to go by a new microwave and detailing the truck. Later on we had a pretty bad storm and we noticed water dripping from the ceiling. After some investigation we came to the conclusion that the water must have come down to hard for the gutter to handle so now we need to find out where it comes in and how to patch it up.

as for the title of this post. I got an email Friday from someone whom I worked with for years on G.S. K trials. Anyhow it was an empty email just the subject saying G.S. K is looking for C.R.A in your area apply on the website. I couldn't find it Friday and emailed her back. So she emailed me what to look for and I just sent of my application. It would be so awesome if it worked out but I don't want to get my hopes up.

hi

Finally got a better picture of Sassy looking over the fence

hi
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

Grumpy and I went and saw Evan Almighty which was really funny. I love that we have been able to go back to seeing movies once a week. We used to do that when we were just hanging out as friends. Then it was Sunday afternoons - now its Wednesday afternoon. After that I headed to the bookstore to meet the AP's. I was surprised to see how many showed up as only three had not made it to Sundays meeting. So now its off to do homework.

I got something from Canada

Check it out my order from Jewels arrived today.


Of course I had to put it on right away. Check out the necklace isn't it pretty. She put it in there since I was her first E-customer. Thank you thank you now everyone hope over to Le Beadoir and order some for yourself, your family, friends, relatives ....

How is it ...

... that time on weekends goes faster???? I didn't have to go into the restaurant so I figured I'd have sooooo much time. Bull here it is Sunday afternoon and I haven't done laundry, cleaned, homework ....

I did however make it to the American Indian Festival. It was cool to see the dances and arts and crafts. I even tried some Fried Bread made by the DakotaOnce I got home I got a mirgrane and didn't get anything else done. Today I set out to make the Maultaschen I will post the entire recipe over at BWC but here are the pictures

Making the dough is easy but labor intensive.

The filling is spinach, spices and ground beef/chicken. I ran it through the mixer to make it smooth (I love my magic bullet)

I don't have cutters so this had to do

When I was finished I noticed I had so much filling left. But I ran out of time so I consulted with Sassy my trusted helper and we decided that we should make them into meatballs with the left over ground chicken and beef. Here are the finished Maultaschen. You can serve them in the broth or cut them in stripes and fry them. So I got to run to meet the Au pairs at the beach. I will send the recipe to BWC later.

IT'S FRIDAYYYYYYYYYY

I do have to say now that I am no longer working all weekend I do look forward to them. I am actually off alllll weekend. Well kinda. See one of the guys asked if I could work for him tonight and he'd take my Saturday shift. I do have stuff to do this weekend. Tomorrow its first of the the gym then I want to go check out this American Indian Festival after that I have to go visit one of my families who just got an au pair. Then I was going to make some of these -Maultaschen- They are kind of like a German ravioli you eat them in broth like in the picture or cut them and fry them with egg and onions. Sunday is the au pair meeting - all about playground and water safety. The weather is supposed to be nice and pleasant in the 80's all weekend so I am hoping to get a chance to take the pups out for a walk. They have this new city center with a cool fountain and a coffee shop that has a water bowl for doggies that we need to go exploring.

awesome

awesome
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

much better

I made great tips tonight and no one was to annoying so all in all it was a great night.

I have been trying to get a picture of Sassy when she says goodbye to me if she is in the yard. She climbs up the benches so she can look over the fence to see me back out of the drive way.

Sorry my cell cam is not that great and Sassy photographs hard.

Tomorrow Grumpy and I will go see Transformers - yeahh date night well sort of

just a picture

I was laying on the couch reading when Misty decided to use me as a pillow. Then when Grumpy came home Sassy took up station next to me just in time for him to snap a picture of us three. Happy Monday everyone!

we finally made it to the beach

We have been trying forever to go to the beach with the pups but our schedules either didn't match up or the weather wasn't playing along or we were just to tired. But today we made it! Grumpy took a nap after work so we didn't head out until about 6pm. But it worked out well we met up with my buddy that was fixing my little laptop and got that. And then it was of to the beach.

Here are the pups in the car they love going for rides. sassy looks like she is stoned or something in the first one. I have no idea what the hell happened to my cam all my pictures after the ones in the car were almost black. The camera program let me enlight them but its still not that great. However the shot was just to cute. Of course Mac wouldn't even go near the water. After the swim we went for a walk down the Promenade. I took my phone for the pictures to be sure we had some in case a cute shot presented itself and sure enough ...
Awww aren't they cute????

Here is Grumpy with his girls. I am glad we finally made it to the beach but especially after last night. I hadn't seen Grumpy all day yesterday so after homework I decided to stay up till he got home from the bar. I asked him how is night went and he said okay aside from a guy getting shot outside the bar. He said he was about to go out and tell some people they couldn't hang out on that sidewalk when he heard what he thought were fire crackers and then a car drove off. One dude got shot 3 times in his leg. Arg I can't wait till he can get out of that bar that neighbor hood is trouble. When he got back from the store he said one of the EMT's stopped by and said there were 3 more shootings in that area in a matter of 2 hours.

Sunday

Sunday
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

Napping with misty

Miss Manners

Man what a f*****g waste of a weekend. I made less money today than yesterday and most of my tables needed as serious lesson in table manners and how to behave in public. I had my usual section and had enough tables but they were even worst tippers than yesterday. One chick even stiffed me! Then there was this dude who literally shoveled the food into his mouth. It was disgusting. I mean he grabed the fork like its a shovel and didn't even use the spoon to roll up the linguine. It was so disgusting to see. I don't know more weekends like this ....

Anyway maybe if I get lucky Grumpy and I will make it to the beach tomorrow with the pups even if its just for a little bit. The poor guy has been working all day today and wont be home till 2am just to go back to the store at 6am.

Well got to finish homework and then get some sleep - oh I am off all next weekend!!!!!! One of the guys asked to switch with me so I am working Friday and am off Saturday. I have the AP meeting Sunday but that should be fun

working hard

Okay I just spent the last 2 days labeling all my posts (all 240!) so now I am up to date.

Yesterday started of very annoying and I ended up being really pissed till later in the day because of it. I am NOT a morning person. Those that know me in person will attest to that. Anyhow I had not even clocked in when my manager cornered me asking if I had put the bagels someone had brought the day before. I told her no I had told our lab tech she could take them home. So my manager is like KATY!!!! those were MY bagels. I was like you mean ours and she responded no MINE. Apparently her monitor had brought her a dozen. I was like sorry. But here is where I got pissed off. Everyone in our office knows that the stuff on the kitchen table is for everyone. She didn't tell anyone there are hers nor did she put them away when she left. I refuse to feel bad about giving them to our lab tech. Her husband lost his job, they have to kids and right now have no money. While my manager has a ton of money. Why the fuck would you get that upset about 4 lousy bagels that were given to someone that can't afford groceries right now? See our tech wont accept if you offer her "charity" but she will do it like that. We also have another lady in the office who has her kids and grandkids to feed. She and her husband ended up raising the grandkids because her daughter is dying from MS and her son is also disabled. They don't have money so when people bring us food and its still on the table by the end of the day I tell her take it. She told me my manager yelled at her for that. Nobody will eat it the next day so whats the big deal. She also bitches when I tell the guards that escort patients that are in jail they can have some food. That kind of cheapness just pisses me of to no end.

Anyway I downloaded skype yesterday. Have you checked this out? Its the thing that lets you call people via computer. If they have it its free. Hendrik uses it and said to download it so we can chat. Turns out a couple of my other friends are using it too. Yeahhh

Work tonight sucked must have been the friday the 13th thing. The daytime manager worked and so my section was set alot most tables turned over. My tables all had drinks, some had appetizers and the checks were nice sized but the tips just sucked I mean like this one dude left me $80 on $73 and then I got $128 for $115 and so on. I mean i should have made $150-$200 and made $80!!! Hopefully tomorrow will be better since I only worked today and tomorrow so my paycheck next week will suck.

Well its time to go to bed here is a picture of Cleo roaming Macs bed - I think she just wanted to remind the Great Dane that it is her house and she just lets her stay in it.

Small world

I love technology. Well you all know that. So I had my messenger sitting at available today for whatever reason - normally its invisible or says what I am doing. Anyhow so I am working away when an IM window pops up and it says Hi Kathi?. Mhh wonder who that is the ID sounds familiar and I thought man I think thats H. from back home. So we start chatting and I go check his profile and sure enough its him. We used to hang out back home but lost touch somewhere in 2001. We've been chatting all day today so much to catch up on. Oh wanna hear something funny he had talked to someone in the city I live in now - they have some software his firm wants. So of course I told him he needs to insist with his boss that he has to come here for the negotiations - that way I get to see him too. Here are some pictures from my good bye party Dec99.

My childhood friend Nadine, Hendrick and I. Maik, Hendrick and me. We met while we were working at Burger King we used to have so much fun there.

So here we are 6 years later and we chatted away the entire day. I love my friends.

Oh so I ran out for lunch since I checked my bank account and noticed a check had bounced and I didn't want the check for the court to do the same. I went to the restaurant got my paycheck and some lunch and after putting the money back in the bank I drove back to the office. Well as I get in the parking lot there is this guy sitting on the lawn with a gitar and he is singing. WTH this is an office not a public park. Noone inside knew how he was - strange

Well I am off to see Die Hard 4

saved $20

Well I had to pay. The judge did take down the number of miles I was over so less points and it reduced my fine by $20. I got there around 10:20 nervous as hell. I didn't get called till an hour later. I saw one of my former host moms she was there with a client. I did watch the judge sent some snob to jail. He and his P.aris H.ilton wannabe fiance were telling him that she was driving but felt nauseous and so he had to drive despite his suspended license. He got 10 days in jail and she was giving a marvelous PH impression with crocodile tears and all. So I plan not to ever go back there so its only speed limit from here on out!

Wish me luck

Wish me luck
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

At court for my ticket. Hopefully i wont have to pay

Dream analysis please

So I know we all dream and most of you remember your dreams - I never do - did.

So 2 days ago I woke from a dream remembering everything. As often in dreams the location was a mix I was in my home town in German but it really wasn't. I was trying to catch up with my friend M. and Denny the guy that just became a dad. It was wet and cold outside like in November and they went up this hill with cobblestone. I was trying to catch them but kept slipping on the stones and just couldn't get to the top.
I kind of figured that dream had to do with me wanting kids and them having kids already.

So then this morning I woke up from another dream - remembering it, waking up with this panicky feeling still lingering.
I was waiting tables in a restaurant that was kind of the Italian one but not really. The staff was the same but they served German food and the kitchen was different. We were busy and i was running around trying to take care of my tables. One of them had the guy from "The Shield" Vic Mackey and some others on it. For some reason I could not get their order straight. I couldn't read what I wrote on the ticket and I couldn't remember what they ordered. It was awful. When I went back after a long time trying again to get their order straight one of the women just snickered and then they all made fun of me. I felt like a total failure. I woke up with that feeling.

I think I'd rather not remember my dreams from here on out.

better you than me

So I love waitressing and don't care if its a big party (20+people) or just a bunch of small tables. But every so often I hope that I don't have to work a certain party. Last night we had one of those. It was a Army retirement dinner thing and was to be 48 people. They had preordered the food and were given an estimate of how much the dinner was going to be and they would all pay separate!!! When I saw the reservation in the book Tuesday all I could do is hope I wasn't having to work it.

Thankfully when I got in Thursday I was able to name my section and with that was not having to deal with them. God they were awefull. I mean I resent military parties as a general thing because they are rude and they run you to death while tipping you lousy. This one was no worse they fricken followed us around trying to get their drink order in. Dude if you just sit in your fucking chair we'll get the order and guess what we know there the fuck to take it too. They kept standing in the walk way right through out my section while I was trying to get to my tables. I ended up having to help out a little bit. They were so loud we had to close the door to the patio. Then while we were still serving food the first came out trying to get their checks WTF. Then one of the morons decided to yell across the restaurant HEY SERGEANT MAJOR again WTF. So as I try to deal with my tables I had to tell the same group of guys to move out of my way (while I was carrying hot plates!) they just didn't get it.

I am sorry but there is not enough money in the world for me to want to work those type of parties. Sorry no military parties in my future if I can help that. I made close to the same amount than the girls working that party but didn't have to work half as hard for it.

Spaceage parking garage

So I get this email today from my mom (a fwd she got) about this new parking garage in Munich that is all automatic and takes only 20% of room to store of normal parking garages holding the same number of cars. Included in the email were the following two pictures. And since its all automatic its not like the parking attendant is gonna scratch your car right. As I am looking at these pictures I finally figure out why they look so familiar. This isn't a parking garage this is the VW storage facility in Wolfsburg.

And how do I know that you ask well well, when Grumpy and I went to Germany 2 years ago for our honeymoon one of my friends had given us tickets to a Sunday brunch at the Transparent Phaeton factory including a tour of the facility. It is really neat you can see everything. And the tower where they store the cars is like the one above. The factory is right next to the botanical garden and the area of the factory is beautifully landscaped.

I told Grumpy right then and there that I WILL have one of those.

I will pick out every feature I like, go to the factory and pick it up after a yummy lunch in their restaurant (the brunch was amazing!!!) It will save me the money for a rental car while in Germany. And at the end of my trip I will drop it of at a port (now being a used car) and have it shipped here. I can't wait I figured maybe 5 years from now give or take a few. I know it looks just like any other sedan but you can't see the goodies that are inside!

Happy Fourth

Well it looks like weather wise today will be great. Not that I am planning on doing anything beyond reading and finishing my paper.

Work last night was pretty good I got home before 10 and made good money. I had a six-top that left me $20 in addition to the $29 which were automatically added in. I like working days during the week. Since there are only 3 of us your more likely to make money than on weekend where there are 6. Dinner was Penne ala vodka mhhh so yummy I hadn't had it in months and lately I have been leaving early which means no dinner so it was even better.

This is gonna be a great week since I am off today and I took of Friday. I have my annual eye exam and since I am usually blind after those stupid drops so I figured I may as well play hookie for the rest of the day.

well let me get to my homework. Maybe Grumpy gets off on time so we can go catch a movie.

Ding dong the witch is gone

I can't get that line out of my head. Its been in there since I heard that a certain waitress is no longer on the schedule. That made my day.

Then I get home after the gym and get a call from one of my AP's that changed families. I had my reservations about her being able to handle 3 small kids and had recommended her to be in a family where the mom stays home. Well no one ever listens to me! So its been 2 weeks that she left and she called today telling me she booked a flight home leaving Wednesday. She said she just doesn't think being an AP is for her. I haven't been able to find out what happened in 2 weeks but it doesn't matter I do think its better that way.

Well got to go back and finish homework

why don't you just buy a convertible?

So I am slowy clawing my way back to normalcy downloading programs, reinstalling programs and getting use to the new stuff my friend put on this computer. I also managed to read all day! I finished Blood Trail from Tanya Huff this one hasn't been on the life time show Blood ties which is based on featuring hottie vampire Henry Fitzroy. Well Blood Trail was very good I guess the fact that it wasn't very PG rated was why the series did not pick it up. Now I got to go back to Barnes and Noble tomorrow to pick up all the other books. After all I have 2 days off this week. Plenty of time to read

Here are some kittie pictures. I had gone to Sams Saturday and brought home a box which was quickly claimed by the cats. And Cleo tool her old place up on my desk now that my computer is back of course she had to rub her scent back all over the laptop just to be sure everyone knows its her property. Anyway to get back to the subject line. I was behind one of those Harley's today that had AC, radio and a reverse gear and just wanted to tell the guy to buy a damn convertible. I am sorry those bikes have nothing to do with riding a motorcycle they are ludacris. I love riding motorcycles and can't wait to have another one. Grumpy said I have to pay of the truck before I can get another one. Here is my old one - I had to sell it to get money for the new roof the house needed. I cried when I handed the keys over. I had bought that bike brand new in Wisconsin then drove it down here by myself. It was awesome the weekend after Sturgis so lots of bikes out. And it didn't rain until 30min away from home. It was a 750 American Classic Edition from Honda the bike was a dark purple with a pearl design. It was gorgeous I miss it so much especially days like today where the weather would have been perfect to ride.