Hooking up and Hanging out

You know how you meet someone for the first time and instantly, you feel like you've known them for ten years already..….or you start talking to someone and you realize within 5 minutes, they have the same twisted sense of humor as you......or you find yourself talking about things you know you probably shouldn't with a stranger but it just feels right because they are totally normal and real and down to earth……or you talk and talk and laugh until your cheeks hurt and before you know it, three hours have passed by? Das ist Jen.

Sonntags Morgen Brot

Ich habe Vollkornbrot gebacken!

Karma

Do you believe in Karma? To me, it's the basic idea that what goes around, comes back around. What you put out in the universe is what you will receive in return. However you treat people is how people will treat you. I believe in Karma. I always try to be empathetic. And most of the time, G is the same way. This morning, after G came in from taking Roby out, he told me that while he was out, he saw an elderly couple parking in front of the hospital. After they got out of the car and began walking, he noticed a green wallet on the ground next to their car. He picked it up and immediately ran behind them yelling, "Entschuldigung, entschuldigung, entschuldigung!" He gave it back to the lady and of course, she was very appreciative. G tells me this story and then he said, "I wanted to make sure I gave it to them before someone else noticed. I mean, I would hate for that to happen to me." Karma. When we were leaving for Florida last month, we were going through airport security and as my purse and jewelry came through the opposite end of the x-ray machine, included with my things, was a cool tiny cell phone. It looked brand new and to me, although technologically challenged, it looked like one of those new phones that has a thousand other capabilities other than just being able to talk. I asked the people behind me and the people in front but no one claimed it. Even though we were running late, I took the phone over to the security desk. I would hate to lose my cell phone. Karma. When we were in Hawaii, someone left their wallet on a couch, in the lobby of our hotel, with their room key and cash sticking out. We returned it to the front desk. Karma. I'll never forget the time I was in the ATM drive-thru lane waiting for the woman in front of me to finish. She pulled off and when I pulled up, her ATM card was still in the machine and her account still open. The screen said, "Would you like another transaction?" I hit no, took out the card, parked, and took the card into the bank. If I forgot my card in the machine, I hope someone would turn it in instead of stealing money from my open account. Karma. I'm not telling you this to get cool points for myself and G. It's just that I believe that by choosing to do the right thing, even when the wrong thing is the easy and profitable choice, being honest will greatly affect our future. And even if someone doesn't return G's lost wallet or my cell phone from a taxi, the bottom line is that I'd rather just be a good person. Besides, everybody knows...God don't like ugly.

See something extraordinary.

The Usual Suspects

This weekend, we went to my favorite club in Munich, P1. Despite it's reputation for only catering to "the beautiful people", we always find an eclectic and international crowd. And of course, some of the usual suspects:

• Random Dancing Boy - no friends in sight and dancing nonstop in the same spot all night.
• "Mature" Man - old guy with young hot girl - this one was actually smoking a PIPE!
• The Girlfriends - newly single or out without the boys, sitting at the bar, only talking to each other.
• Roamer - strange man in strange clothes, aimlessly walking around looking for a) the girl he's stalking b) other weird friends or c) a new girl to stalk.
• PDA Couple - oblivious to everyone watching them make out.
• The Suits - Men who wear suits to a club....on a Saturday....at 2am.
• Sweaty Drunk Girl - obviously drunk, obviously trying not to fall, obviously won't remember a thing in the morning.

Think about it...

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

-Maya Angelou

The Walking Man

No matter how many times I pass this statue, I have to stop and stare. It is amazing. And today, I discovered one of Munich's most famous landmarks was created by an American artist.

Boys will be boys.

This week was really tough for us. I've had a nasty cold for almost two weeks. I've lost my voice and coughed constantly every night which = no sleep for me and no sleep for G. So of course, on Friday, we were both exhausted and in need of a celebratory TGIF cocktail. G started with his favorite beer of the moment, Helles. And like clockwork, the "Beer is good for dogs." speech begins. This means that it's inevitable that Robbie, always patiently waiting, will get a little taste too. I already know what you're thinking...





I know, it's a shame.

Jeder liebt Die Schlümpfe!

The Escape Artist

Today was a terrifying day. First, a little history. Robbie is and always has been, an escape artist. When he was five months old and we used a gate to keep him in the kitchen, we would leave the house and when we returned, he would be sitting in the window waiting for us. Not the kitchen window but the living room window. He wasn't allowed in the bedrooms but sometimes, as soon as we opened the door, he would appear out of nowhere, dash into the room and run directly under the bed...in the middle. I can not tell you how many times we have been on our knees, on either side of the bed, trying to catch the little monster. Whenever we open the front door, every single day, we have to make sure he's not in the foyer because he will try to escape. He has chewed through two "ultra strong" leashes, one resulting in G stopping four lanes of traffic to catch him - which is never easy. When he breaks free, he automatically goes into play mode. While we are calling and chasing him, he thinks it's a game. He will not stop, come back, or allow us to pick him up. It is a nightmare. Well, today was really scary. Because of his history, G bought Robbie a new steel chain collar. While we were walking on one of the busiest streets in downtown Munich, that steel chain collar broke. How can a 30 lb. Puggle break steel? Of course, Robbie ran away. G and I, along with many helpful strangers, tried to catch him before he ran into the street. I almost had a heart attack. I felt sick to my stomach and was near tears. What an utterly helpless feeling. He thought we were playing a game and we were trying to save his life. Thank God, he saw another dog and was distracted enough for G to grab him. We just don't understand. Robbie knows basic commands but he will not come back to us if he escapes. After today's episode, we are both committed to focusing only on the command, "COME" for the next couple of weeks...at home and at the park. He has to learn. It is vital. How can my boy be so adorable and at the same time be so horrible?

Aren't they Smurfarrific?

Growing up, everybody loved The Smurfs. I'm not exaggerating. Every kid from my generation in America can at least sing the melody of the theme song! I remember waking up really early on Saturday mornings, just to watch cartoons. The Smurfs were my favorite. I know it may sound lame, but looking back, The Smurfs taught us a lot about teamwork, about sticking together. The story lines were great. In order to get out of trouble or outsmart Gargamel and Azrael, they had to work together and use their individual strengths collectively, to their advantage. Remember these guys? I was always on pins and needles, waiting to see the outcome. Anyway, believe it or not, The Smurfs or Die Schlümpfe, are still on TV every morning at 6:30am and they are still very popular in Germany. G and I have a Smurf figurine collection. For real. Ok, stop laughing. So when we found these anti-slip decals for the bathtub, we were ecstatic!

Ein Frohes Neues Jahr!

Happy New Year! So, after rolling out of bed this afternoon and immediately taking pain medication for my schmerzhaft headache, I headed straight for the kitchen and started on my first batch of homemade waffles or Waffeln. I added cinnamon to the original recipe from G's Mother and because I'm a little manic about fat, I scaled down on the butter and eggs. After 20 minutes, G, Robbie, and I had delightfully delicious Waffeln! The color was a little inconsistent but overall, our new tradition of New Year's Day Waffeln was a success!