It's been a good week. Maybe not the best week ever, but that would be a pretty big ask, and I personally don't like to inflate the expectations. It's kind of like those folks who head out for the night on the town with plans to make it the "best night ever," only to find themselves severely disappointed at the end of the evening.
Sure, I was pretty disappointed in myself right after I watched the dumbest movie on Netflix at the start of the week. It was not so much that I was disappointed in the quality of the film, but rather the irritation with myself for simply not turning off the TV and not throwing away 2 hours of my life.
This week I continued my goal of drinking about 4 to 5 liters of water each day. It is a whole lot easier to do when the temperatures are as warm as they have been. Overall, I am quite sure that my body appreciates what I am doing. Yes, going to the Klo every 15 minutes can be a bit annoying, but the benefits certainly outweigh the negatives.
At the Kiosk on Monday evening, I was telling a friend about my recent water chugging initiative, and the word "chug" became one of the words of the evening. There is really not a German equivalent, though I suppose saufen could work.
(Quick pause while I step away from the computer to visit the bathroom; it's 10am and I have already drunk a liter of water).
So, as we continued our Kiosk Abend, Teddy told us about his concern that his season ticket to the Eintracht had not yet arrived. Normally, the pass arrives to the ticket holder a few weeks after the season ends. I pointed out that this was a World Cup year, and sometimes that changes up the summer schedule a little bit. He conceded this point, but was still curious as to why it had not arrived. Furthermore, he wanted to make sure that he was home when it arrived in the post, so he hoped that it would arrive before he started his holidays.
At the kiosk, there is a little counter where one can rest their beer (or whatever), but the space is not huge. Our group is usually 4 to 5 guys, so we take up a little bit of room. This regularly means that other patrons will ask if we are part of the queue. Sometimes it can get pretty busy for Papri (the nice woman who runs the kiosk) and people do try an make sure that there is some sort of order.
At any rate, this particular evening, a blind guy with his guide dog approached the kiosk, and I moved out of the way so as to give him sufficient room to get to the counter. He has come by the kiosk before, and I had noticed that with all of us standing there, it might appear that we were all waiting in line. Meanwhile, Teddy was continuing his complaint about the delay in getting his season pass, and wondered aloud if he should call the ticket office. As the guy waited for Papri to give him his change, he turned to us and said, "Did you not read the notice that they sent out, saying that the season tickets would not be sent out until the end of June, so don't bother calling?"
We were all a little surprised, not least of all, Teddy, who sheepishly clarified that he had not read the "fine print" from the notice. The guy continued chatting with us for a few minutes, and explained that he had always been a season ticket holder to Eintracht, also. When he was younger (he is around my age, I think) he still had his sight, and apparently once he started losing his sight and knew he would eventually be blind, he made the decision to continue going to the stadium for the matches. It turns out that there is a little section in the stadium where a fan can sit and have access to a sort of "play by play" podcast. So, he attends all the home matches, too.
I think this is a really cool thing. I never have considered this before, and it gave me something to think about. Teddy immediately asked if the guide dog got to go in the stadium, too, which is a question I wanted to ask, myself. The guy answered that his dog had to remain at home, but the access to the stadium was sufficient. With that, he wished us a pleasant evening, and headed on his way.
It is experiences like this that make the Kiosk evenings so absolutely brilliant.
I remained in a good mood during the next several days, even though the heat and humidity was starting to annoy me. Of course, the oceans of water I was consuming kept my body pretty fluid. I had a chance to skype with just about everyone in my family and it was good to catch up, even with the frequent interruptions ("I'll be right back, just need to step down the hall a moment")
Thursday morning, I started having some problems with my espresso machine. The normal pressure for proper espresso should be between 9 and 12 bars. I was suddenly only getting 4-5 bars. This usually meant that the coffee was too coarse, so I had to adjust the settings on my grinder. Unfortunately, this proved more difficult than I thought, and I ended up wasting about 250 grams of coffee as I mucked around with my machine. I exhausted my supply without resolving the issue, so, after a quick trip to the bathroom, headed to my local Rösterei and purchased another kilo or two of coffee. It was extremely hot and humid, and I was feeling really frustrated.
Once I got back home, sweating heavily, I picked up my phone to send a text to Nadja, saying, "it's hot." Out of nowhere, suddenly the skies turned grey, the bottom fell out, and for the next 30 minutes, I experienced one of the finest storms I can recall in the past 5 years. The temperature dropped about 8 degrees.
It was awesome.
I changed the content of my text message to "hooray for rain" and pressed send. Nadja and I had been caught in a rain storm a few weeks ago, which required me to dash home and get her a rain jacket so that she could walk home. This storm from a couple of days ago was much more lively. Rain was blowing into my kitchen, but I didn't care. I felt like that guy from the 80s 7up commercial. We traded a few more messages, and then finally the rain subsided, leaving things quite a bit more pleasant than they had been earlier in the day.
My coffee machine seemed to react, also. After a couple of adjustments to the grinder, my coffee was back on track, and I was back to 11 bars of pressure. In fact, I seem to have gone from one extreme to the other, but personally I like a bit more oomph in my espresso.
So, as the work week came to an end, I traded a couple of mails with Chris, wishing Lori and him a happy anniversary. He gave me the quick update that his oldest daughter was off to a little college experience for the next few weeks. We had discussed this last year, and, not only was I quite impressed and proud, I was very thrilled that she would likely be going to my alma mater (re: bacon roo post from a few weeks ago). As it turns out, she will be going to another strong school for this academic experience. Still, it is a great opportunity for her. I am really pleased.
Let me be clear, this is not really a Doogie Houser thing, but it is quite remarkable. She is a 7th grader, after all. For me, I like the contrast of a girl who is quietly brilliant, but very apt to misplace her sunglasses and/or manage to get her tennis shoes wet by slipping into a fountain, sometimes simultaneously. Of course, that does not sound too different from the average college freshman, all things considered.
For me, I think it just cool. We need to encourage our young folks to pursue education, and let them find their way. Another friend of mine has just started taking her 8 year old daughter to the library more frequently, and is amazed at how she is really getting into reading.
I have always been an avid reader, and have very fond memories of spending time in the library myself as a child. I firmly believe that the experience helped me to be a pretty good student, and here years later, I can proudly say that I am a guy with an ever so slightly above average intelligence that has to urgently go down the hall to the gent's. Again. 3 liters (now) of water doesn't like to sit around for too long. Should make for an interesting afternoon sitting outside the pub, which is where I am headed as soon as I finish this piece.
see you out there
bryan
Saturday, June 09, 2018
Friday, June 01, 2018
Random Things from a Really Quick Month
It is just crazy how quickly time seems to be flying by.
Just one month ago, my father had just returned to the states after his visit to Frankfurt. It seems like last week that he was here. Meanwhile, lots of things have happened during May, but nothing too dramatic.
About a week after my dad got home, I got a letter in the mail from the Finanzamt, basically demanding that I submit my tax return from the year 2016. This came as a bit of a surprise, and I got a little anxious for a week or so as I tried to figure out what to do. It wasn't so much that I did not know what to do, but rather why I was being asked to do it now. Furthermore, it was a little strange that they would ask for a return from a previous year as opposed to the current year.
I asked a few friends for their advice, and eventually went to a local tax guy around the corner from my house. Fortunately, he was able to take a few minutes to discuss my situation with me, and helped me to understand a few of the finer points of the German tax laws. In the end, we agreed that he would file my 2016 return for me.
It all went pretty smoothly, and I must admit I was very relieved when I got the confirmation (and bill) that the return had been successfully filed. That same day, I happened to get another letter from the Finanzamt asking for the return from the year 2015, which sort of irritated me. Why wouldn't they have just sent out the request for all the years at once?
Anyway, I went back over to the tax guy, showed him my new letter, and gave him not only my documents for the requested year, but being that I was due a small refund for 2016, I figured it might be sensible to file year 2017, also.
Of course, now all the returns have been completed, and I have paid the guy for his services. Now I just have to sit back and wait for the government to cooperate and provide my refunds.
May in Germany has four public holidays, which, depending on how you look at it, can be either completely awesome or completely unproductive. I used to get really worked up about having so many days off during the course of the month, but over the years while I have lived here, I have come to think it is absolutely brilliant to have so many holidays. Of course, yesterday was our final holiday of the month, and the last public holiday until October. I actually had to do some work myself, since many of my partners are not in Germany and did not have the day off. Monthend is always a bit of a production, so the timing was not the greatest. Still, I managed to enjoy a bit of quiet and did not have to work too much.
The weather finally got warm and a few friends and I have had a few moments where we have had to complain about the heat. On the positive side, there are many more opportunities to be outside enjoying the various activities that come with the start of summer. The football leagues ended in early May, and the following weekend, the cup finals were played. Eintracht pulled off a major upset by beating Bayern Munich, and it was really great to be able to celebrate with all the fans. Eintracht had not one the cup in 30 years, so this was a really big deal.
With the weather so pleasant, it was not surprising to attend a few cookouts. Last weekend, I got invited to one that was hosted by a few groups from the neighborhood. They tend to throw this party twice per year, and for some reason, I never attended previously, despite being invited once or twice.
I had some friends in town visiting, so I managed to get them invited, also. This made for a fun outing, and I greatly enjoyed their company. My friend's daughter is soon to be 8, so I was reminded of last summer when Chris and co. were here; we also did a bit of cookout stuff. This time round, I wisely cut back on the beer consumption, although some of that had to do with the fact that I was trying to compensate. The previous weekend during the Pokal finals, I had managed to hit the other end of that spectrum, which required several days of recovery.
At the cookout, my buddy Mono said "Look what I got," and pulled a liter of French mustard out of his satchel; it was a gift from one of the guys doing the cookout. He told me that the mustard was super super spicy (scharf). A couple of days later at the Kiosk, he gave me a small container to sample. Indeed, the mustard is quite hot, but delicious. And, I no longer seem to have any allergy issues that I endured over the past few weeks as the pollen count has shot through the roof.
While my friends and I enjoyed hanging out last weekend, we laughed regularly as we repeated a few of our catchphrases, notably "the chicken just falls off the bone," (which referred to our dinner from Friday evening as well as the Saturday afternoon barbecue) and "It's all Dad's fault," which is what the daughter said a couple of times throughout the weekend. This second phrase was circumstantial, and within the context, it was hilarious. (thanks K, T and H...that was a great weekend).
My friends also introduced me to a really really funny tongue twister (German - Zungenbrecher) about a woman named Barbara who was really well known for her Rhubarb Pie. If you have the desire, do a search on Rhabarberbarbara and you can better understand why I am so amazed. I found a video where a girl actually films herself telling the story, and it is impressive. So, I have been saying "rhabarberbarbara" regularly throughout the past week.
So, here today on the first of June, we start yet another month. My nephew finishes school today, and I just worked out arrangement where he and his mother will visit me in Frankfurt at the end of the month, which, if anything like the month of May, will just zing right by.
Taxes, barbecue, a little heat, and a bit of Rhabarberbarbara....that's what May was all about.
A good month? Absolutely. I would say it cut the mustard.
see you out there
bryan
Just one month ago, my father had just returned to the states after his visit to Frankfurt. It seems like last week that he was here. Meanwhile, lots of things have happened during May, but nothing too dramatic.
About a week after my dad got home, I got a letter in the mail from the Finanzamt, basically demanding that I submit my tax return from the year 2016. This came as a bit of a surprise, and I got a little anxious for a week or so as I tried to figure out what to do. It wasn't so much that I did not know what to do, but rather why I was being asked to do it now. Furthermore, it was a little strange that they would ask for a return from a previous year as opposed to the current year.
I asked a few friends for their advice, and eventually went to a local tax guy around the corner from my house. Fortunately, he was able to take a few minutes to discuss my situation with me, and helped me to understand a few of the finer points of the German tax laws. In the end, we agreed that he would file my 2016 return for me.
It all went pretty smoothly, and I must admit I was very relieved when I got the confirmation (and bill) that the return had been successfully filed. That same day, I happened to get another letter from the Finanzamt asking for the return from the year 2015, which sort of irritated me. Why wouldn't they have just sent out the request for all the years at once?
Anyway, I went back over to the tax guy, showed him my new letter, and gave him not only my documents for the requested year, but being that I was due a small refund for 2016, I figured it might be sensible to file year 2017, also.
Of course, now all the returns have been completed, and I have paid the guy for his services. Now I just have to sit back and wait for the government to cooperate and provide my refunds.
May in Germany has four public holidays, which, depending on how you look at it, can be either completely awesome or completely unproductive. I used to get really worked up about having so many days off during the course of the month, but over the years while I have lived here, I have come to think it is absolutely brilliant to have so many holidays. Of course, yesterday was our final holiday of the month, and the last public holiday until October. I actually had to do some work myself, since many of my partners are not in Germany and did not have the day off. Monthend is always a bit of a production, so the timing was not the greatest. Still, I managed to enjoy a bit of quiet and did not have to work too much.
The weather finally got warm and a few friends and I have had a few moments where we have had to complain about the heat. On the positive side, there are many more opportunities to be outside enjoying the various activities that come with the start of summer. The football leagues ended in early May, and the following weekend, the cup finals were played. Eintracht pulled off a major upset by beating Bayern Munich, and it was really great to be able to celebrate with all the fans. Eintracht had not one the cup in 30 years, so this was a really big deal.
With the weather so pleasant, it was not surprising to attend a few cookouts. Last weekend, I got invited to one that was hosted by a few groups from the neighborhood. They tend to throw this party twice per year, and for some reason, I never attended previously, despite being invited once or twice.
I had some friends in town visiting, so I managed to get them invited, also. This made for a fun outing, and I greatly enjoyed their company. My friend's daughter is soon to be 8, so I was reminded of last summer when Chris and co. were here; we also did a bit of cookout stuff. This time round, I wisely cut back on the beer consumption, although some of that had to do with the fact that I was trying to compensate. The previous weekend during the Pokal finals, I had managed to hit the other end of that spectrum, which required several days of recovery.
At the cookout, my buddy Mono said "Look what I got," and pulled a liter of French mustard out of his satchel; it was a gift from one of the guys doing the cookout. He told me that the mustard was super super spicy (scharf). A couple of days later at the Kiosk, he gave me a small container to sample. Indeed, the mustard is quite hot, but delicious. And, I no longer seem to have any allergy issues that I endured over the past few weeks as the pollen count has shot through the roof.
While my friends and I enjoyed hanging out last weekend, we laughed regularly as we repeated a few of our catchphrases, notably "the chicken just falls off the bone," (which referred to our dinner from Friday evening as well as the Saturday afternoon barbecue) and "It's all Dad's fault," which is what the daughter said a couple of times throughout the weekend. This second phrase was circumstantial, and within the context, it was hilarious. (thanks K, T and H...that was a great weekend).
My friends also introduced me to a really really funny tongue twister (German - Zungenbrecher) about a woman named Barbara who was really well known for her Rhubarb Pie. If you have the desire, do a search on Rhabarberbarbara and you can better understand why I am so amazed. I found a video where a girl actually films herself telling the story, and it is impressive. So, I have been saying "rhabarberbarbara" regularly throughout the past week.
So, here today on the first of June, we start yet another month. My nephew finishes school today, and I just worked out arrangement where he and his mother will visit me in Frankfurt at the end of the month, which, if anything like the month of May, will just zing right by.
Taxes, barbecue, a little heat, and a bit of Rhabarberbarbara....that's what May was all about.
A good month? Absolutely. I would say it cut the mustard.
see you out there
bryan
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