F.B.I. agents, hand.cuffs and a D.A.

You know the saying truth is stranger than fiction well it could be easily todays post title.

I have worked for 20+ days straight with having only had one off because I was to sick to go in. The weekend was hell. I worked Friday night at the German Restaurant. I decided to wear these shoes that I had bought some time ago with my outfit thinking it would look cute. They seemed comfy enough and it wasn't going to be THAT busy. Well I was wrong it was busy I made a lot of money and got nasty blisters. Saturday the Italian place was closed for a private party and I didn't get home till past midnight - my feet killing me - just to leave again a few hours later to work lunch at the German place.

My mom got here Sunday with her little dog - here is Grumpy with the little rat. So far the only blood lost was that of me when Cleo scratched my boob trying to get away from the little rat. Can't promise that will not change in a day or two with working so much my patients is running low and my mother is pushing the limits. I am to tired to deal with her. The past weekend drove a point home - I may not look like I am 30 (according to my customers) but I feel like I am 60. I had left a msg for my academic councilor asking why I hadn't heard if I graduated - and found out I did. So I applied for a bunch of jobs today.

It seems like not a minute to soon as the Italian place seems to become popular for arrests. Remember this post from a few weeks ago?
Well we were kind of busy and after most had left we all set down at a table to try some new wines. One of the girl's boyfriend is a wine seller and he had brought them in and there we were, Ronnie the girl and her boyfriend, my Scottish friend on my right. On my right one of the customers that comes in a lot and is friends with the owner sat down coming to eat and have some wine. All of a sudden 4 plain clothed guys walked in, grab the guy on my left make him get up cuff him on the way out and march onto the parking lot. We all sat there like WTH just happened??????????????? They didn't they who they were or why they took him. One of the tables left was 4 guys - 2 of them teens. The older (Dad) said we need to call the cops and when outside. He walked up to where they where with two cars and so are his "sons" at this point I go out too. The older son is on the phone calling the cops when one of the plain clothed guys gets in his face screaming he is FBI and he doesn't have to tell them Jack. Turns out the older customer is the District Attorney!!!!!!! Then he and his son start arguing with these Feds.
Eventually the Feds drove of with their prisoner and all of us went back inside guessing what the hell happened. Apparently the dude has been a Federal Fugitive for sometime. One of the waiters said one of the Feds came in minutes before all this asking for a take out menu so we are assuming he was scoping the place out. I work again tomorrow night so I'll see if I find out anything else - they forgot to grab his phones and left his car so maybe someone will be back and we get some more info.

But what are the odds that the guy sitting next to me on the table while I am waiting on my dinner is a federal fugitive and that the table next to us with being one of the few customers left - is a District Attorney - as I said Fiction is stranger than the truth

Florida vacation Part 1

This year for my moms birthday I decided to surprise her and go down for a few days to see here. Sadly our finances didn't allow Grumpy to come along to :( but at least this way the doggies and kitties wont have to go into a kennel. Since my flight didn't leave until 3 something I decided to go into the office till noon to get some work done - big mistake. The doc had me run around like crazy and I barely made it out in time. Grumpy and I went for lunch at my fav indian restaurant - Nawab. Yummy check out my lunch, spicy potatoes, vegetable komora, peas with paneer and the best of all CRISPIES!!! So good. Here is Grumpy's he had some meat too no clue what.

My flight was uneventful - on time which was great. When I checked the board in Charlotte I noticed that an earlier flight was leaving right across from where I got off. They were finished boarding but had a seat open so I hoped on that one vs the one 3h later.

Check out the sunset I saw on the way to my moms place. My cell cam really didn't capture the colors all that well.

The next day my mom wanted to check out some cars, go shopping and then I was to be on vacation - well we ended up buying her a new car - a 2007 Ford Focus which she loves. But as you all know that took forever so no shopping it was after 9pm when we got back. I tried to go to sleep but was up till 4am partly because she keeps the house at 80.

We had to get up early so get her old car to the dealer and then we were to go shopping and then my vacation was to start. Okay so this is day 3 and I have yet to see the pool!!!!! Anyway after 4 hours of sleep I was even grouchier than normal so before hitting the pool I wanted to take a nap.
Missy really didn't care that I was tired and tried to get me to play with her.

Well tomorrow is a new day hopefully I can get some pool time and make it to the gym.

so much for being on vacation

01-28-07_1312.jpg
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

Okay so yes I am progrestinating but I do need to finish this post.

This is my mom while shopping yesterday. She wanted me to cook dinner for her friends on Monday so we went shopping and got a lot of stuff. My mom doesn't like to cook and does not makes foods she likes if they take a long time to prepare. So since I figured I'd be cooking anywho I may as well get some stuff done for her that she likes but wouldn't fuss with. Little did I know. After we left the store we went home and after lunch and a well desserved nap on my part I started on this culinary escursion. I wanted to take pictures (my mom took a few and I'll add them once I got them) of the final outcome but was to exhaused to do so. I cook for 5+ hours straight. I didn't finish until 11pm. I made Split Peas soup, Lentil soup, 40 stuffed cabbages, 10 Rindsrouladen (actually since they were filled with ground meat, pickles and a bit of mustard - they where spanish birds), a whole head of red cabbage, curry (white) cabbage and Koenigsberger Klopse . Upon finishing my mother thought it would be good to air ourselves out while taking a little bike tour. Mhh little try 4km at around midnight!!! It was kind of chilly too. So after getting back I went to knock out some homework and fell into bed.

Today I was woken once again early. After breakfast we had to stop by at the club house so I could be "introduced". Then we were off to drop of quilts at the LAMP project. Its actually a cool place where they offer underaged mothers a way to finish school while providing childcare. After that it was off to the maternity ward at a hospital to drop of baby hats my mom and her friends made. After getting home and lunch I played around on the computer while chatting with Jin and Bathroom Hippo until it was time to finish up dinner. I had to still make the Potato Dumplings (I cheated here and bought the once in the box).

The dinner as interesting to say the least. My moms friend and neighbor was invited and he brought one of his girlfriends. She is deaf which makes communication a bit difficult since I do not know sign language and he is still learning. Anyhow so she comes in and is gesturing with a camera and clearly upset. I gathered something about him dressing up???? So after a while he walks in (she takes of picture) dressed as to attend some formal function. Apparently it was meant as to joke to my mother. Well she was mad since she just wore jeans and t-shirt. And when I say mad I mean really P.O.'d Well then he said she already had 2 martinis. Great she's drunk before dinner lovely. So he goes back and throws on a shirt and looses the jacket. We try to start dinner as we try to get her to come over to the table she falls over the makeshift desk my mom had set up for me and nearly cost me my computer. Thank god my mom was right there and caught the laptop before it hit the ground. DAMN DRUNKS! So once she gets some food in her she is getting quieter. Talking is still a challenge while she can read lips I have a hard time to make sense out of her signs, gestures and sounds. (BTW everyone loved the food I made!!!!)
Of course my mother insists on serving wine with dinner which I still think was a bad idea but oh well. After dessert my mom and the lady wanted some pictures so we did that and when my mom asked her to take one of us it took her forever to figure out my moms camera. We tried to tell her all she had to do was to keep pressing the button but we just couldn't get the point across. She finally did it but again was agitated and frustrated (can't blame her). I felt kind of bad knowing that our lack of sign language frustrated her. I finally excused myself and went to my room to start on my paper. They ended up leaving not to much later after my mother promised I'd go over to say good bye tomorrow WTH!???!?!?

So lets review vacation means sleeping in, going out for food, hanging at the pool/spa and relaxing right?

• Mhh got an early wake up call every day
• cooked for a total of probably 8h (5+ consecutive)
• aside from passing the pool to leave the park have not seen it
• and I sure as hell haven't relaxed

Of course the part where my mother made me talk to my sister whom she called (note my mother called her - even so my sister knew I'd be here) sucked too. I swear she has to be the most deluted, selfish person out there. She wants Grumpy and I to come STAY with her when we go home to Germany in December. Okay this person has never written me a letter/card in the years I have been here. Not even a thank you note for the holiday/birthday cards I sent her. I have never recieved a phonecall from her. I haven't seen her in years (not that I mind). So of course I decline the staying over part. I mean she lives in my hometown and we got my moms place to stay at why would I want to stay at hers?

So she is like "We are sisters we need to meet!"????? I told her we can do coffee in town but we will not stay over.
She goes "But don't you want to meet my boyfriend and his Mom?" I was like I met him and again she can come to the coffee.
Her answer "But we haven't seen eachother in ages we are siblings!" To which I replied Well I was in Germany 3 times within a year last time being last May.
Of course she is like what? I didn't know. Well if you don't stay in touch you wouldn't now would you.
She of course argued that she was in touch with our Mom which I knew she wasn't. I told her that in the almost 8 years I have been here she never wrote a card or letter - her excuse well you know I don't like to write I rather talk on the phone.
To which I replied well you haven't called either!. I finally had enough told her I had to go and I'd get in touch about meeting for coffee. ( I will do my best to forget to do so - after all I only got 2 weeks and there are plenty of people there wanting to see us that do write and call!!!!!!!

I have to say I am glad she wasn't allowed to come here because I would have killed her these past days. I have no intention so spend more than 15min alone with her anywhere.

So I will leave early tomorrow in hopes of going standby to get home early (or at all) since they had flights canceled right and left today. Wish me luck

some people ....

Alright so after my meeting was over this morning I hoped in the shuttle to the airport to get my car. I was still starving since breakfast was horrible. Once I got my rental (a cute dodge caliber) I headed on to Fort Myers. I was trying to decide where to stop when I saw a sign for Olive Garden. Yes I know its not the best but after 3 days of yucky food it sounded good. I do like their Bruschetta ( not as good as ours of course) and I love their Mushroom Ravioli. So I enjoyed my lunch, took my time had some cappuchino while reading my book (not that I was procrastinating getting to my mothers ...). the drive was uneventful and she picked me up from the airport after I dropped of the rental. I always drive her when I am here so she gave me the keys and off we went. It was about 5ish and I had suggested to hit a restaurant since my dinner would be paid for by the company. Well she wanted to go to her friends to play Domino. So we drove to the Island and then she gave me a bicycle to ride (Now mind you I had now time to change, eat or drink) in my flip flops!!! So we get to this "house" and everyone introduces themselves to me. This younger lady (about 40ish I'd say) introduces this kid to me. "THIS IS ... WE ADOPTED HER FROM RUSSIA" now mind you the girl is about 8 or nine. Cute as a button and I was kind of like okay??? I figured maybe she just got here and that's why they introduced her like that. So they teach me to play domino which was kind of fun. The kid was helping me which was cool I liked her but her mother kept telling her to leave and watch TV?!??!?!??!!? WTF why would you bring a kid to an adult game and not let her be there. We didn't mind. It was about 9pmish when I finally asked my mother if she planned on feeding me. There was no drinks or food at this game (1pm was the last time I had drank and ate something) and I just couldn't stand it any longer. I got some disgusting tea from that wired adoption lady and a piece of soso cake. So as we were done that lady kept talking about the kid and the adoption and stuff like that - with the kid right there! Now I just met this person and she keeps talking about the girl like a prized piece of jewelry. I just wanted to slam my hand on the table and ask her if she loved her daughter or just considered her an ornament. I mean you should have heard the way she talked ... and her husband just sat there. Turns out they had her since she was a baby and then she went on telling us that the interpreter said her mother was young and couldn't handle her, and they didn't know who the father was and in this derogatory tone I just wanted to smack her. The kid was there - listened to all of this and apparently not the first time. On the way home my mom asked me my impression and I told her - she agreed with my observation and noted that our host has the suspicion that while the kid is taken care of in the financial view she is not getting the love she deserves. It is obvious that her parents don't play with her she must have asked me ten times if I was going to be here tomorrow and if she could see me. Argggg I am going to have to bite my tounge around that lady big time tomorrow. (I made the pic blurry and B/W on purpose as I do not think they'd like her picture on here but you can still make out that she is a cutie and she was so well behaved.

I am starving

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Originally uploaded by dino0477.

So I am in Florida for work and the hotel is nice but the food sucks. I am totally starving. I bought a piece of pizza out of despiration. Now I never eat pizza so you got to see how desperate I am. Anyhow the meeting is over tomorrow noonish and I'll go get my rental car and drive down to see my mom in Pine Island for a few days.

so sorry

I know its been a while that I posted and I haven't been able to keep up with all my blog reading. Be assured I did glance at some and things will be better starting next weekend. This Sunday is my last day at Busch Gardens for the season so that means I will have a day off again. I am very much looking forward to that. I am regaining my strength [and weight :( ] these days and am almost 100%. Things have been pretty busy around here with school and work. I took of Tuesday from the office to get some rest but with schools and the au pairs and all I really didn't get much of it. Right now I am watching my taped shows and catch up on school work.

I think the other reason I have not posted is that I finally talked to my mother last week. She hadn't spoken to me in several weeks. Supposedly I didn't sent her something (but I did) and now she says I cost her a few hundred dollar. She also says she doesn't want anything to do with me while I am this egotistical person I turned into according to her. Anyhow obviously the conversation didn't go all that well so I was surprised to find a missed call from her the next day. I called her back also to let her know that the office was going to be closed for 5 days over X-mas and to explore the idea of going down to see her in Florida. Her response to that was "why would you?". The conversation when south after that and at some point she mentioned my estranged sister was going to be there for a few months. I haven't talked to my sister in years and my mom only talks to her through email and more to her boyfriend then my sister so I was taken aback at this and made a comment along the lines - well then you don't need me to come-. Well that's when my mom told me to be ashamed of myself, how dare do I say that while my sister is terminal ill. She let me run into the open knife with that one. The thing that makes me wonder is why I don't feel bad about my sister. Now we have been estranged for 12 years now and we never got along which I partly contribute to the fact that she was to old when my mom adopted her from an orphanage (she and her brother were taken away from their parents after those were deemed unfit). So anyhow I guess not feeling sorry for my sister and the why, has been on my mind. Maybe my Mom is right and I am egotistical you decide.

The INS, the beach and a blind date [part 1]

I am beat. So I worked a half day at the office where I balanced patients, paperwork and finding yet another au pair candidate for that family. After leaving there I ran home to get my mom and then to drive 30min to the INS office. My mom is always stressing about being late so she made me leave an 1 1/2 before the meeting. Well we got there with an hour to spare. Our Lawyer met us there and we went to the back with the interviewer. He was an odd duck, came across very nervous and spoke very fast making it impossible for my mom to understand him. Our case was easy as we are mother and daughter (and you can tell that by looking at us). Things went pretty well and he said he did not expect any problems and we should have her card within the next month or so.

Sorry I fell asleep trying to upload the pictures I took with my Razr phone.

Okay so the INS thing went pretty well (or so we think) after that we had some time to kill before we were to meet my two favorite Marines. I had never taken my mom (in the pic below) to Virginia Beach (the actual Beach). It was a nice day so we walked the prominade and stopped to get some coffee and cake. The waitress sucked but the dessert was good.

When we got back to the car I checked in with "my" Marines and we started driving to the base. They both met us at the gate and we went to get some ice cream. Now believe it on not I used the be the young ladies au pair. Man I feel old right now. They are both in the music part of the corp and are in music school down here. I got to go quickly shopping in the commissary (so much cheaper and they have German stuff).

After saying goodbye to those two ( my mom had not seen the young lady since she was 9!), we headed back to the peninsula to meet up with my moms blind date. One of my coworkers and I had been talking about our parents a while back and discovered they had much incommon including being alone. So we met my coworker and her Dad at the restaurant where I work. While we are waiting my boss (the doctor) and his wife walks in. Hes like yeah we called requesting you but they said you are not working but actually have a reservation. The dinner all in all was pleasant. We talked and enjoyed good food and the waitress was my scottish friend. She told me when she brought me my food (Farfalle with Piccatta sauce - mushrooms, roma tomatoes, capers in white wine) that one of the cooks had asked if I was eating here. She asked him how he knew and he pointed to my dinner - which is my own creation. So that was it. We went home and I tried to post but fell asleep fighting the blogger to upload the pics. I dropped of my mom at the airport this morning, she is flying back to Florida. Today should be mellow those will serve as a post for 2 days (maybe I start working on the other blog).

I had a few other pics of a big neptune statue at the beach but the blogger wont let me upload it. I will see if I can post them directly from flickr as I did some in previous posts.

Food Porn for Jin

Fettucini al Fredo with carrots N broc.
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

As requested here is a vegetarian dish. This was actually my dinner tonight. The cooks had screwed up one of my orders, the table wanted Fettucini al Fredo but Angel Hair pasta instead of Fettucini. After telling the cooks to make it again and with the right pasta, I had asked if they could save it for my dinner and they did. I did have them add some carrots and broccoli to it. It was so yummy. Today was a pretty crappy day, I can't even write about it.

My mom is driving me nuts too. She came yesterday for her INS appointment tomorrow. So far all she has done is bitch and complain and tells me how everything is better in Florida. GRRRRRRR. Anyhow I have to go look for more matches for that family so just a short post today.