Nope, that joke never gets old for me, but saying it in German takes a little away from the goofy humor.
My stateside visit over Christmas was really good; it meant a lot to me to spend time with family and friends. As expected, the trip was emotional, but all the better to be together with everyone to share in memories, take time to reflect, cry a little, and laugh a lot. The time flew by, and unlike other visits (which were always enjoyable, too, I must stress), I was somewhat sorry when the time came for me to board my flight back to Frankfurt.
I like how the spirit of the season allows me to dismiss minor annoyances with a chuckle. For example, immediately upon my arrival in Dallas when I switched on my mobile, I received a nice text message from Lufthansa informing me that my luggage was delayed, and would not be on the baggage carousel. In fact, I was not really too hacked when I was forced to wait until Sunday before they finally delivered my suitcase. Hey, it's Christmas.
A couple of days later, I was in Target intending to buy some long johns. I was only slightly dismayed when I discovered that they were out of stock of my size. I was not thrilled at the thought of having to visit more stores, as I do not like to shop too much. Fortunately, my sister was with me, and she, as always, rallied quickly to find a solution. In this case, it was to grab a store employee, who promptly put in an online order for me. Quick, convenient, and sort of a new concept for me. I do not like shopping, as I just said, but despite the ease of buying things online, I am fearful that we will eventually stop having brick and mortar stores.
My father and I did have to visit a couple of department stores to complete the Christmas shopping. Otherwise, there would not have been anything under the tree for me from my dad or my grandmother. Dad and I share a similar indifference to shopping, aka browsing. Unlike my sister and grandmother, who can spend hours just looking, we prefer to get in, find our item, and get out.
I initially had thought I could find a couple of sweaters in Macy's, but when we walked into the store and felt like we were visiting a place that had just been hit by a tornado, I felt discouraged. I did manage to find one sweater that I kind of liked, but was so put off by the condition of the store, that we elected to walk to the next department store in the mall. Well, the contrast was amazing. Sure, it was Nordstrom, after all, but the garments were well displayed, the staff were friendly, and I found a super sweater; probably the nicest sweater I would ever have. Yes, it had a matching price, but hey, it's Christmas.
After we made the purchase, we returned to Macy's to pick up the second sweater (that I had already found), and true to form, we had a less than pleasant experience with the sales person, who looked and acted like they had just been at a skate park. It was really no surprise to find that the security tag had not been removed from the sweater when I "opened" the gift on Christmas day. Before I completely thrash said department store, I will concede that my quick visit to another location on Boxing day to have them remove the tag was friendly and pleasant. Hey, it's Christmas.
My last post was actually one of the gifts that I gave my father for Christmas. The week before Christmas, we had some good father and son time taking care of some unplanned household problems. First, the sink in my bathroom started leaking. It took three trips to the hardware store and a handful of swear words, but we eventually got the problem fixed. And yes, I got to hold the light for my dad while he played with the pipes under the sink.
Neither one of us was ecstatic when we discovered that the water heater wasn't working, particularly since we noticed this on Christmas Eve. Fortunately, my dad recognized the complexity of the task and called the repairmen, and by lunchtime, Geronimo and Jose had replaced the entire unit. True to his sense of humor, my father put on a Santa hat and took a selfie in front of the new heater. "Merry Christmas to me," he joked, only slightly wincing at the hefty sum he just paid.
A couple of days later, Chris and I shared a laugh about the recent incidents as he acknowledged my post. Who would have guessed that a few weeks after writing about doing projects with dad, I would actually get to do them again?
And, when my father came and gave me a big hug after reading my story that I gave him, it pretty much made my Christmas complete. I wasn't expecting him to tell me that it was one of the best presents he had ever received. That means a lot to me.
The whole visit was special, and there are too many highlights to mention. My grandmother's new place has a grand piano in the lobby, and I was lucky to get to play for her (and the staff, and other residents and guests) several times. I was truly touched when the staff gushed with appreciation, and it certainly helped with my self esteem.
All in all, it was a great way to end a pretty tough 2018. We had our emotional farewells, and as always, I experienced my let down as I returned to my home in Frankfurt. Fortunately I have had a quiet couple of days getting back into my routine, and it always helps to meet up with friends my first couple of nights back. I am still feeling a bit jet lagged, and I have a few friends still to catch up with, but I am glad to be back in Germany.
On Monday, the plumber will come to fix my leaky kitchen faucet, and I am quite sure that there will be many more little challenges (maybe big ones, too) in 2019.
But I am ready for them, and particularly ready to realize my potential. Bring it on.
See you out there
bryan
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