Random thoughts...

I’ve been totally slacking lately with keeping up with my blog, sorry. You know how it goes; you tend to get caught up in other things. Normally, I like to have a specific topic that I want to write about, but today I’ll just ramble.

First of all, I’ve thought about updating a few things in my user profile. Silly things like favorite movies or the type of music that I like. I seem to have a hard time identifying these things when I have to actually sit down and write them down. I thought of a few favorite movies that I forgot and a type of music that I didn’t add. My bad.

It snowed for three days last week and then the snow promptly disappeared and it’s now sixty degrees out. Crazy. It kind of cracks me up to see people driving around in their convertibles with the tops down during weather that isn’t exactly “top-down” weather. I think Germans will take what they can get. I would freeze, although I did try it one time here. You just roll up the windows to prevent the wind blowing as much and crank the heat. It was Ok, but not ideal. Not for me anyway.

Warm weather also brings out the scooters, although they’re ridden in all sorts of weather too. It’s an annoying occurrence here because there are zillions of them and they hold up traffic because they don’t go as fast as cars so you have to constantly pass them. The traffic is insane here as it is.

Everyone looks forward to springtime grilling as well. Germans love to grill whenever possible, but we Americans will always be king of that pastime. We grill all winter and have bigger and better grills and accessories. Good friends of ours live in a large apartment building and have a decent size balcony. They have a small electric grill that they use, like the size of a propane grill you’d bring camping. Hey, whatever works. We brought some big ‘ol t-bones over and blew their minds. My husband, like most, is a grill master. They like the spices we use. You’re hard pressed to find a good steak here in a restaurant.

We live on the third floor in an apartment building and do not have a balcony. This makes me crazy. I like nothing better than eating, drinking, reading, and just relaxing outside and I can’t stand the fact that I have to leave my home to do it. Another thing taken for granted.

Easter is coming up soon and I think Easter in Germany is as big as Christmas. There’s quite the assortment of decorations and candy available and they even have Easter markets, like the Christmas markets. I’m not sure what the traditions are, I don’t remember from last year, like if they have a special meal or not. I think we always had ham and the Easter bunny. The “Osternhase” comes here in Germany, but I don’t know if it’s the same deal as in the USA with Easter egg hunts and Easter baskets. I have seen a few filled baskets in the stores, but not like ours. I particularly enjoy getting the Easter basket every year and a stuffed bunny or two, still do. Hint, hint. I left the majority of my bunny collection at my mother’s house for her to watch over. I hope they’re safe Mom. I wasn’t sure if I’d have the room here or if my husband would enjoy having stuffed rabbits all over the house, although he does tolerate the several stuffed animals that have replaced them. I just can’t help it. Hey, he even bought a few of them.

Quick story: I was moving into a new house with a former significant other and he had the garbage bag of bunnies and other miscellaneous stuffed critters in the back of his truck. The bag flew out all over the Gold Star bridge in Groton, unbeknownst to me. It occurred to me about six or so months later, just before Easter, that I hadn’t seen them anywhere. When I asked him if he had seen them, he confessed and apologized profusely. I cried. Is that pathetic or what?