And it was just slightly over 1000 miles away

Holy schnikes!

I just realized that I missed Oktoberfest this year :( It ended yesterday.

And this mess was on a Monday!

Yes, ended, even though it is just NOW October. All those festivals back at home are fakes and phonies starting up in the 10th month. The real Oktoberfest starts in September. Because anything worth doing German, is worth doing backwards.

They should really trademark that saying :) Love ya, Deutschers!

For three glorious years, I had the amazing opportunity to visit the world's largest fair. I met a lot of fun people, really got a feel for Bavarian culture, experienced worldly and mind provoking things, got shit faced with 6,000 of my closets friends in a massive tent.

Hey, yesterday's post had the words "chubby breasts" in it. I can say "shit faced".

Don't lie, all you pervs who missed yesterdays are jumping back there to see what I am talking about!

Parents, ya'll still reading??
Anyways, good times.

There was that one time that my bad German finagled our way up on stage and and we danced with the band. In front of 4,000 people.

In a barrel.

That rose some odd feet into the air and stayed there for several long German classics.

I did not realize this picture was blurry until the next day....

Another time when I met Vincent Chase. Nah, he doesn't have a real name.

And one instance where I shouted over hundreds of people "TITO'S VODKA!!!" because anyone who went to college in the Lone Star State knows what I'm talkin' 'bout. Its a very cough, reputable, cough, vodka from Texas and someone was wearing a hat with the logo and I just knew we were meant to be life long friends.

Oh, and last year when the flippin' train split into two at a stop - don't worry, it is supposed to do that - and we were on the wrong half and traveled about 100 km in the wrong direction. Oh that was fun....you try sleeping in a train station in a dirndl.


Random post, I know, but I had friends that went this year (and if you reading this, miss :), I would love to see a post on it!) and it made me realize that I never wrote about Oktoberfest. I re-started up my blog last November, so I missed out on recounting all those fun times I don't really, actually remember.

I have no idea who these people are, but thanks for gracing my photo. Sheesh, this is just getting bad.

Looking back, we really did have a good run those three years.  But I fear that I cannot tell any more stories here without hurting my reputation too badly....



...says the girl who writes about truck nuts.

:(

I'm Still Here....somewhat

No, the snow hasn't gobbled me up just yet.

I haven't fallen overboard at the lake bar. 

And reindeers haven't taken me hostage and slowly made me their leader. 

I've just been danged ol' busy! The beginning of the season is always that way. Between getting the apartment settled (thank you Ikea!), taking advantage of the beautiful weather while it is here, and all the team functions (read: parties), I am kept pretty busy. 

And now a trip to Germany. A less than 48 hour trip to Germany. Should be interesting, to say the least. And I am somehow managing to fit in seeing a few friends while there too, which will be nice.

So, more M.I.A. time from bloggyland. But everyone looooves to keep reminding me, it will be so flippin' cold here that I will have plenty of time to sit behind the computer come first snow fall.

And I am looking forward to more time here in bloggyland. After all, there are no-poo updates, a final NW2011 rundown, Finnish pictures of everything, Frackin' Fridays, More You Know Mondays, and everything in between. 

But until then, enjoy the soothing sounds of Finnish Reggae. 

Wait, what?!


Yep, the Finns love their Reggae. The first two songs on the hit charts are reggae-style sounds. This one just happens to be my favorite at the moment. 

(does that tiny tid-bit of info count as a More You Know Monday??)

Don't worry, you won't understand the words and will still have it stuck in your head. 

Sorry 'bout that!

'Bout that time of year again

Well, we are officially in countdown mode.

I haven't written about the hockey season in a while, so I thought I would give you a itsy run down on what we are getting ourselves into this year.

For those of you who are new to the blog or old but really bad at paying attention, we are off to Finland this season for a new hockey adventure! Eeee! I can't tell you how excited I am to be seeing a new part of the world.

Those 12 hour plane rides NEVER get old! (source)

The hubs leaves in a week and a half for the true great white north. I'm talking north. Same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska. Which is great, if hockey was played in summer months. But its not. Weird, right?! Had no idea it was a winter sport! I'm talking 4 hours of sunlight in the dead of winter. Yikes.

Keep repeating: It's an adventure, it's an adventure.

:)

Haha, no, that won't even deter my enthusiasm about this year. But if I seem grouchy by January, then you might just know why!

I'd look guuuud on one of these bad boys! (source)

The hubs usually heads over first. He gets settled into our new place and (hopefully) arranges everything we need in a new country - bank account, insurance, gets to know the lay of the city, etc.

A lot of ya'll had asked questions about our living arrangements. What do you do about an apartment? Do you have to buy furniture? What about a car?

Hockey overseas is set up differently than in the states. Getting to a new team and a new town means that (usually) a furnished apartment and a car are there waiting for you. It just comes with the deal. Which is nice, because I can't even imagine trying to go through the renting process without knowing the language.

As for me, I'm heading back home to Texas for 2 weeks, to see family, friends and to tie up all loose ends, and then it is on to Finland! Actually, I tell the hubs that it is to see friends and family, but really I want one last chance to lay by the pool and shop. Shallow much?!? Haha.

Which, thinking about it, is counter intuitive. Come on, you gotta know that Texas doesn't stock much clothing that would be useful in an Arctic country.

Doesn't hurt to look, right?!

This year will be a little different when I head over. Last year, the hubs got "Hubs of the Year" by making the 7 hour, each way, trip to our old town. Picked up all of our belongings and had them in Ravensburg before I was even overseas.

It will prove a little trickier this year. Not even sure if it is possible to get from Ravensburg to Finland.

Wait, just google mapped it, yes it is possible. And it would only take an estimated 1 day and 1 hour and a measly 2 ferry rides! HA. Yeah right. 

You've got to be kidding me, google maps!

You can see on the map that we were at the southern most point possible in Germany. Just to make things fun for this year, I'm sure. And you don't really realize how far up Finland is, and that it isn't really connected to any route that is useful for a multiple country crossing. 

NBD

We made a pact with ourselves that we would NEVER be that couple that left stuff in one place never to return. This is done in hockey all the time. People just leave boxes and boxes of clothes, kitchen supplies and other miscellaneous items behind. Either they have moved on to another country, retired, or just didn't want to deal with the stuff. Which of course means that someone else has to throw it away or riffle through the shiznit.

Hey, unclaimed stuff left behind is always up for grabs. We've picked up a DVD player, kitchen supplies, throw pillows and curtains this way! haha, trash diggers.

It comes down to that we didn't want to leave that to anyone. PLUS, and a big plus here, all of our winter clothing was left at a friend's house in Germany. All of our winter supplies is left in Germany. I mean really, there isn't much use for a down jacket in Texas in May.

Or January for that matter.

So, in early August, I am flying my butt over to Finland. Getting my feet on the ground and over jet lag. Then flying down to Germany to take care of everything we need to take care of. Packing up boxes to ship, stuffing suitcases to carry with me, and probably making a few trips to the dump. Fun times in Europe, right?!

It simply comes down to the fact that we need this stuff. There is no getting around it. And the cost of buying all new clothing greatly outweighs the (actually reasonable) shipping prices and airplane ticket.

And, to boot, if there is anything that I can't find right away in Finland at the grocery store, I can always pick up supplies in Germany. Wow, never thought I would be excited to go German grocery shopping again! haha.

Oh, and you better believe that I will be visiting these buddies while I am down there :)

So there is a not-so-mini run down, for all you inquiring minds out there. Anyone want to join me in Southern Germany to help me pack?! Come on, doesn't that sound like a blast?!

BTW, I mentioned something last week about the FTLOB Giveaway I am hosting. Well you better get excited for this Sunday, July 17th, my super fun birthday, because the prize package I am giving away is, for lack of better words, awesome. I'll just hint that it will include goodies from all three countries I have blogged in this year. Ooooh yeaaaah!

Get Excited!!!

Aw man is it easy to be a lazy bum while at home or what?!

And I am loving every second of it :)

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a wonderful Mother's Day. I know there are a lot of deserving moms out there, so I hope you were pampered right yesterday!

On Friday, I mentioned that I had a fun giveaway coming up. Weren't you so intrigued?? lol.

I figured that the Easter candy hangover had finally passed, so it is time to reveal my 2011 giveaway extravaganza!!! Ok, maybe it isn't that fancy, but hey, who doesn't like winning stuff??

Shhhh, don't tell customs, but I snuck back some extra special items from Germany. No, not the goatie, although I was tempted. Very tempted.

You remember Things You Never Knew Were German, right?!

Well I mentioned how Haribo and Trolli candies were made in Germany. So of course I had to bring a bunch back to share with one lucky reader.

German Goodie Giveaway Grand Prize includes: 

Hey, if they look smooshed, they are. You try being in a suitcase on an airplane for 10 hours!

Haribo Starmix Mini Packs

Haribo Happy Cherries

Haribo Gummy Bears

Haribo Color-rado

Trolli Sour Gummy Worms

Ritter Sport Mini Pack (yummy German chocolate)

Hackle Butt Kissing Fresh Pack

Couldn't fool you, could I?! Saw that extra something in there, well how could you forget these babies???

Yep, brought back a few of those packs as well. Isn't this giveaway just awesome!?? Ha.

And actually, I found 3 packs at the store. So that means there will be 2 Runner-Up Prize Packages.

Those include:

Hakle Butt-Kissing Fresh Pack

Handful of Haribo Gummy Bear Mini Packs

There is no catch to the giveaway, nothing to 'like' or join. It is my way to say thank you for all the support and loving comments I have received over the last few months. I wish I could send something to every single one of my readers! But that might break the bank a bit.

Just sign into the linky list below, which I thought was the easiest way to keep track of you. Include your URL if you have one, and if not, it isn't required.

And tell your friends! Or don't. That way you'll have a better chance of winning :)

Again, this is just a tiny show of my gratitude to the great readers and supporters of TexaGermaNadian. You guys rock!

Have a great Monday, and don't forget to enter!!! Entries are open until midnight Sunday, May 15th. And the winners will be drawn at random. Good luck!

Until the fall...

If you weren't able to tell from the 801 posts I wrote about my excitement to go home that I was pretty dang ecstatic to get back to Texas, then you are a dummy :)

No, but what I really mean, is that I think it was quite obvious that I couldn't wait to get back to my home state. Along with seeing my family and friends (and my kitty), I get sunshine, warm, scratch that, flippin' hot weather, American restaurants, stores open on Sunday, and yes, of course Nordstrom's.

Although, I really do enjoy my time in Germany as well. It has somehow or another become our second home. The language barrier is slowly fading. We find ourselves enjoying a long, drawn out dinner, and gasp!, maybe even an afternoon cappuccino at a local cafe. Maybe.

Believe it or not, I do actually miss some things from Germany when we are back in North America. I did a list on my favorite German things some time ago, but here is another go on what I think Germany really does right....IMHO

Beer, duh!

Get it in ya!! (source)

Come on, you think of Germany, you think of beer. And man oh man is it good there!

Friends back at home ask us what kind of beer we drink in Germany, and we rattle off 3 or 4 brands that they have never heard of (and probably never will). That is because Germany is the meister of local breweries. Every little town and region is dotted with its own make of beer. Sure, you can get favorites like Beck's and Krombacher everywhere, but most people stick to the beer that they can get locally. Which is nice, because it is pretty much guaranteed to be super fresh from the brewery. 

Here is one of the local favorites from this year (source)

And on the subject of beer....
Beer and liquor prices

Man, is the booze cheap in Germany. At least to my standards, and especially to Canadian standards. With those prices up north, I would find myself becoming a teetotaler. 

And the cheap beer in Germany is actually GOOD, not skunky like this Freshman year of college go-to. Sick! (source)

For example, our favorite bottles of wine range between 3-5 Euro (about 4-7 dollars). And if we are feeling a little extra special, we might just spring for the oh so delicious 8 Euro (about 10.5 dollars) bottle of sparkling wine. But it has to really be a special occasion to spend that much on a drink.

Need more proof. Beers at the hockey games are 2 Euro. BAM! Blew your mind, didn't it. Not to worry, we feel like even bigger fools when we suck back an 8+ dollars beer at the Astros game.

Excuse me sir, but does that overpriced beer also come in a gold-plated cup?! (source)

 Pretzels

Oh my, if I put on any weight in Germany, I know it is because of these bad boys (and surprisingly not because of the beer). These soft-on-the-inside, chewy/crunchy-on-the-outside baked babies are absolutely delicious. You'd be hard pressed to find a really good pretzel like this back at home (and no way, jose, Auntie Anne's or any of those breadish mall pretzels don't count). I really prefer mine with plain ol' yellow mustard. Too bad that is hard to come by in Germany. Minus one for you, dudes. 

Great, two days back and I am already craving one! (source)

Bieggers (small, local restaurants)

The little mom-and-pop restaurant that was within walking distance from our apartment. Not only did it have the most delicious German food I had ever had (or technically the first German food I had ever liked!) but the people who ran the restaurant were as nice and as charming as their location was. When we went over to tell the owner and our favorite waitress goodbye, I detected a tear or two welling up in her eyes. Really, what more could you ask for?! :)

Plus it literally had the best salad on earth.

Good Drivers

Ok, let's be honest. Drivers in America just aren't that good. And Houston is known for it's notoriously bad drivers. The swerve over 4 lanes to exit, they speed in one lane and drive too slow in the next, they act like the road is theirs and only theirs. 

We got to see a really bad one on the way home from the airport, nice 'welcome home' Houston! (source)

Germany, on the other hand, as a whole, has some great and respectful drivers. They follow the rules, almost to a fault. They use their blinker and move to the right hand lane to let others pass. I think they would rather die than do an illegal U-Turn. And guess what, there are far fewer accidents and I am sure fewer instances of road rage. Makes for a pleasant journey!

So those are just a few things that I will miss this summer. And can't forget the goaties :( I keep asking the hubs if he thinks they miss me too. He will really be annoyed with that question at the end of the summer, lol. 

But really, do you think they miss me!??! 

Desperate much? :)

Short and Sweet: Storytellers Tomorrow!!

Well, it seems that a lot of ya'll really, really liked the butt wipes from yesterday. Maybe I will have to buy an extra pack or two and put them in an extra special German Care Package Giveaway I am working on. 

I figured that since I am leaving Germany for the summer that I would bring a little bit of Deutschland back with me. And share it with a lucky reader! So you will have to be on the look out for that in the next week or two!

In the past few weeks I have gotten some extra special love from a few of my awesome readers. I feel really bad that it has taken me this long to say a very heartfelt thank you! Or wait, still here in Germany. Make that a Danke Schön!

Just imagine Ferris singing it to you! (source)

 So Danke Schön to:

Bernie at One Mixed Bag: If you don't know Bernie, you should. What a great blog and blogger!

Mollie at Ok in Uk: Mollie cracked me up from day one. Plus, she will be in London for the Royal Wedding!

Katie at Chicken Noodle Gravy: Katie is so sweet and I love reading her every post. Not to mention she is one fantastic cook and writer.

Traveling Wife ;) at Life of a Traveling Wife: Her adventures with her and her 'little beaner' and husband as they experience hockey life in the UK.

Madison at All Around Autism: Madison shares her experiences related to autism, and spotlights her thoughts on different issues.

Nobu at A Clueless Soul: A kindhearted blogger, busy with exams at the moment, I believe :)

Ash at Carpe Diem: An awesome hockey lady also traveling around Europe. I love that there is a fun blogging group of us out there!

Jackie at Ropcorn.com. Always a fun read about her and her pretty pup in Sweden

Kristina at A Perfect Dose of Life: Kristina does a great job writing about the daily adventures of her and her husband.

Jessi at The Juici Life: Who is so random and funny and I enjoy every post. And so should you :)

So I think that covers everyone. At least I hope so! Thanks so much again ya'll. Really appreciate it all!

The baby goatie has once again found a way out of his pen and keeps coming over to the patio door to look in on the apartment.

I think he knows something is up and that we are leaving soon :(

"But I's going to miss you lady!"

I keep telling the hubs that I am really going to miss the goaties (and I have a feeling they will miss all the treats I sneak them). They are just too entertaining!

So, maybe not so short and sweet after all. 

But I wanted to remind you all that tomorrow and Saturday is the Storytellers Blog Hop!!! Be there, or be square. Oh yeah, I went there. 

See you on Friday!!

You Can Kiss My....

Well hey there! Happy Hump Day :) 

I am a little extra excited today since we finally have our flights booked for home. We will be stateside on Saturday, which means we have been busting our butt getting all packed up these last few days. It is an annoying chore, but if it means going home, then I don't mind it one little bit!

So, while I was gathering a few things for the trip home, I can across this last little German gem. I always like to have wet wipes when traveling. Airplane air and surfaces tend to gross me out. 

Weird, right!? Yuck.

I keep these bad boys on hand to wipe my face and hands. I like to call it giving yourself a hooker bath. What?! Hookers can take baths too, after all. Haha.

But, they seem to have a different idea of what wet wipes are used for here in Germany. At least this one company does. Check out these pictures and see if you get the same meaning that I did. 

The package reads "Have You Been Kissed Today?"

Like seriously, is that necessary?!

Yeah, apparently, these little things are used for wiping ass right before you pucker up to kiss it. 

I'm sorry. I love my husband, but there is no amount of baby wipes (or bleach or alcohol for that matter) that would make me want to kiss his crack. Sorry babe, not happening. 

Thought that was too funny not to share. 

BTW, I completely have forgotten to say something earlier, but the Storytellers Blog Hop is THIS WEEKEND!!! 

It feels like forever since the last one, but this is the last weekend of the month. 

To recap, if you are new to the hop, here is the run down:

Link to any post you would like. You don't have to come up with a 'story', you don't have to do anything special, you just link up your blog and be you.  

Your blog is your story, so let it shine!

Only. One. Rule. Please, no sites that specialize in ads, coupons, giveaways, etc. There are many blog hops just for you, but today, this hop isn't one of them. Sorry guys.

Other than that, there are no rules, no 'follow' musts, only an easy outlet to stumble upon new and interesting blogs.

Hope to see you there this weekend! The hop will be open all day Friday and Saturday (April 29th and 30th. 

Have a great day!! 

And remember, wipe that crack before you give it a big ol' smack. So gross, haha.

I'm Alive!

Wow, I am some how still alive after this weekend. What a party it has been!

I have to give it to these guys though. After the long season, they deserve every little moment to release all the stress that built up during the playoffs. It might take a full week to blow off all the steam.

I can't even pretend that I can keep up with these crazies. But it is sure fun to try!

I think the hubs is drowning. You can't win the cup and not not drink out of the pokal. Wait, did that make sense?!

Real quick, I'll take you back to Thursday evening.

I was actually pretty composed at the game. I think I was too worked up, nervous and stressed out to show much emotion.

It was a do-or-die kind of game. Granted, the team was up 2-0 in the series, so they technically had a little bit of wiggle room. But if they had lost on Thursday, I doubt they could have pulled off another win on the road, and they would up in the 5th game this evening. Not cool. Would not have been cool.

So, they game got underway and it was a back-and-forth, all-over-the-ice kind of game from the moment the puck dropped.

And it didn't seem that luck was on our side. There were so many chances in the first and second period, but somehow the puck was just not bouncing in.

And then other team struck first. Blech. Only 7 minutes into the game, they scored while we had a power play. Big no-no. Scheiße.

The rest of the 1st period and the entire 2nd saw the score stay at 0-1. Not going to lie, both teams had several chances but nothing was happening. It was a true battle out there.

Then, right before the 3rd period, as the guys are making their way out of the dressing room and onto the ice, the hubs catches my eye (I mean, we sit front row, it is almost hard not to make eye contact).

I nod my head at him, in a 'let's go, you can do this' kind of way. He looks at me and mouths "We got this." No ifs, ands or butts about it. Just confident, cool and collected. I say back "I know, I know". And from that point on, I just knew they were going to somehow or another pull out this win.

So, the 3rd period started and I think my heart was in my stomach the whole time. I was trying to will the win as best as I could.

And wouldn't ya freakin' know....they tied the score at 1-1 with less than 6 minutes left in the game!!! Holy cow, makes me excited just typing that.

What a shot! (source)

The whole crowd knew that the boys had at least one more goal left in them. And with 2.5 minutes left, the puck once again found the back of the net and the deal was sealed. They won the game 2-1.

There is something so special about this team. As the hubs put it in words yesterday "It must have just sucked to play our team!". Which has to be true. It didn't matter how the whole game went, they would always eek out a win. Always. Ridiculous.

As you can tell, I am so proud of the hubs and of this team. It was a great season, and even better championship run, and because of all of this, Ravensburg will hold a pretty special place in my heart.

Party it up, Ravi! (source)

Last year for us was a really tough hockey year. Too many details to go into, but trust me when I say that it was not fun. So this year was just what we both needed to restore our faith in hockey abroad.

If you are interested, you can jump to a highlight video of the last game. If you can ignore the German, I think you will have a good idea of what all is going on. 

Oh, and fast forward to about 50 seconds left in the video and you'll see a handsome man kissing on the cup, lol.

Looks like we will be headed back stateside on Saturday (whoohooowhooowhooo, happy dance to the extreme). So until then, we will be packing, partying, and enjoying the last few days in Germany. 

Celebrating on the ice after the win

I should be around this week. I feel I have a lot to catch up with in bloggyland.  

Thanks so much for all your sweet words of congratulations. They really do mean so much to me and the hubs :)

Safety First, Naked Trampolining Second

Hey Monday!

Hey Bloggyland :)

(and for those Arrested Development lovers, Hey Brother!)

I am working on a fun post for tomorrow, linking up with The Skinny Scoop for a change of pace. Should be interesting!

But until then, thought I would share some funny German pictures with you. Never a lack of those. Ever.

The family who owns the apartment we live decided it was spring enough to reassemble the trampoline and stick it back in the front yard. Guess it just felt like jumping weather. 

And I thought it would be rude to not try out their craftsmanship. So I decided to go for a quick jump. 

What!? There was no age limit.

But there was this warning....

Zoom in on this madness

I bet you were not aware that jumping on the trampoline in Germany:

A. might leave you decapitated

and/or

B. is not allowed to be done naked, at least with a partner.

I mean, that is what I got from this warning.

And I am all for trampoline safety. When I was about 8 or 9 my cousin was pressuring me teaching me to flip on the trampoline. I landed on my head and although nothing turned out to be wrong, I got a fun ambulance ride out of it all. Ahhh, fun family memories.

But maybe a good warning can be conveyed without the use of a severed head.

Or maybe it needs to be there. So if it does, then let's spice it up and really make it noticeable. 

There, that's better. 

You see children, jumping on the trampoline can be fun and absolutely terrifying, all at the same time!

Hey, stay safe out there :)

Texa On The IR List

Beware of the touchpad.

I have never liked the built in mouse on my laptop. You would think after 4 years (oh geez, how has this thing not dead yet?!) of owning my MacBook, I would have remedied that. But no, I have just grown accustomed to using it.

Although while doing so, and especially when I am designing things on the computer, I tend to strain my pointer finger on my right hand and with a heavy press and an awkward wrist position, it somehow does my bidding.

That is until it started to hurt a few weeks ago. I still blame it more on our horrible couch we have here. Not only is it puke orange, but it is also back-breaking uncomfortable. Germany has horribly stiff couches, but that is a topic for another time. 

NOT OUR COUCH, but our couch in Germany makes this couch look pretty (source)

I tend to blame most anything on this couch. Bad weather, then it's the couch's fault. The guys lose a game, it is the couch's fault. But this time, it really is it's fault. It makes me type and hold the computer at a weird angle. 

So, as I blogged and blogged away, I somehow managed to strain my pointer finger and now at the bottom of my finger, where it meets the palm, I have a growing ganglion cyst. First and last time I will use that word, I mean, really, how gross does that sound?! They are sometime referred to as a Bible cyst, because the old-timey remedy was to smash it with a Bible. Yeah, that is not happening.

Ew, literally almost gagged when I googled pictures of it. Don't do it, unless you want to re-taste your lunch.

Basically, it is just a pea sized lump under the skin, can't see it, only feel it. It's mildly annoying, not really painful, but will probably continue to grow and grow, alien style. I am hoping it will just go away. And if not, then, gasp, might have to get it surgically removed. Ouch.

Pretty much exactly what is will turn out to look like. 
Except on my finger. And a 1,000 times smaller.

So yeah. The hubs in busting his butt in playoffs and I am the one on the injured list. But, not to worry my dear readers, I will troop on. Because I am just that tough :)

Stupid couch.

And to something else completely unrelated...for all you pie chart lovers out there :)

So people here stop me all the time on the street and ask me "Hey Lindsey, your blog, how do you do it?! How does it all come together??"

Which I find strange because:

A). the Germans can all of a sudden speak perfect English. 

And B). I don't ever walk around in the streets here.

So OK, it was for sake of this story. No one asks me that, outside of my head at least. But I thought it was worth designing a little graph to show all of you why my blog it somewhat successful. (My words, not yours.)

Well, I don't have a job right now, other than battling Deutsch, which is a doozie in its own right. So it leaves me lots of time to blog, blog hop, blog stalk, and look up any and everything in the universe.

Yep, folks, that is all it takes. So really, if you too want to be successful, I suggest you march into your boss' office first thing Monday morning and tell them you are focusing on more important things in life and can no longer work for them. I think it will go over smoothly. And hey, in 5 or 10 years, you might actually make some money on blogging. Maybe. Probably not though :)

Dang, I should have also included my ability to type with more than 2 fingers and form semi comprehensible sentences.

Ehhh, that isn't really a requirement. Spel Czech is overraited.

Frackin' Friday - Oh Mist!

Not only is today another Frackin' Friday, but it is also my 100th post!!

Which kind of makes me sound like a slacker since I started this blog over two and a half years ago. If you are lucky, you might find a really old post in the LinkWithin widget below.

The first year I blogged (does 7 posts count as blogging?!) it was really just to have an account about our place, the town we lived in, and a few adventures here and there. There wasn't much commentary on the lifestyle or funny things going on. And I am not even sure anyone read it :)

It wasn't until this past December that I logged back into my account and decided to start up again. I was ready to share more of our adventures abroad. And I think the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

I am thankful for this awesome community that I proudly call myself a member of. And I am thankful to all my supporters (you aren't just readers or followers in my book). You guys rock!! And after the shiztastic day I had yesterday, really, not worth mentioning, I knew I could count on more than a few of you to make me smile and to make me laugh.

So thank you for making these first 100 posts awesome. Can't wait to share a 1,000 more with ya'll!

Ok, enough sentimental stuff. Wipe away those tears, I know, not a dry eye left in the house. And get ready for another awesome German cuss word!!!

Today's pick, and I have no idea why I waited this long to do this one:

Mist
(yep, just like the English word 'mist')
It is used like: "Crap!" or "Shoot!" or "Damn!"

And it gets even better when you start to think of all the products in the English speaking world that include to word 'Mist'.

According to review sites, this movie wasn't really all that crappy :)

(source)

Agreed, Sierra Crap would be a better name for this sugary mix.

Is this stuff even still around!? (source)

Oh, she is misting all over her face. How embarrassing!

(source)

There are just so many for this one! 

You might say 'Mist' as you are told you have to go on the Maid of the Mist cruise. 

Might say it when you see what cool ponchos you get to wear on the boat. 

And might be thinking  'Oh Mist' when you realize those stylish raincoats did nothing to protect you against Niagara Falls.

 

Niagara Falls' own Maid of the Mist (source)

Well there you go, add it to your rapidly growing list of German cuss words you can use in just about any situation.

If you missed any of them, you can check them out here.

As for tomorrow, I am looking forward to telling ya'll about my blogging injury. Oh yeah, its real. And I also have a funny graph to explain to everyone why my blog has been somewhat successful :)

Have a great Friday ya'll!!

Raving About Ravensburg

If you had to envision a quaint little German city, what would you come up with?

Would it include a castle? Or a medieval city center?

Would the town be nestled by the Alps? Or maybe along a winding, quiet river?

Would it also included cafe-lined, cobble stone streets meandering within a stone wall hundreds of years old?

Pretty spot on, don't ya think?! (source)

If that is what would have envisioned, then you just accurately described the town of Ravensburg, Germany. Our home away from home during the 2010-11 hockey season. 

Ravensburg is a town in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany. It is in close approximation to Lake Constance (Bodensee), the third largest lake in Europe, sits at the northern foot of the Alps. 

We are waaaay down there!

From Ravensburg, both Austria and Switzerland are less than one hour away. Munich is a short two hour drive. And the Alsace region of France is around three hours away. 

Pretty close to, well, just about everything! Sorry, I know this image isn't great, but you get the idea :)

Needless to say there is lots to do around this beautiful area of Germany. Not to mention, it has some of the warmest weather in the whole country. Really, who can beat that!?!

Anyone who has been to Germany, or Europe for that matter, knows that there are some towns here and there this picturesque. But for the most part, the country is made up of a lot of modern, hustle and bustle cities just like back at home in North America.

The first two years in Germany, we lived in a 'modern' city like that. And although it had everything we needed, it was missing that German charm that we knew certain cities had.

We didn't really get the full taste of how beautiful towns could be until we were lucky enough to live down here in the south. 

One of the towers of the city (source)

While it is not the biggest city, its population is around 50,000, it has everything we could need. Well, maybe except for a Zara, but I guess I will live :)

The city itself has a rich cultural background. The town was first mentioned in 1088 and quickly became an important center because of its location. It was literally in the crossroads of an important trade route, which solidified it as a useful area for merchants and artisans during the Middle Ages.

With a decline in the local economy after the 1500s, the town didn't grow as large as you might expect a major trading center to. But this helped preserve the town in its current medieval state. And it got lucky during WWII as well. Many other medieval towns in Germany, especially those in Northern/Western Germany were destroyed because of bombing raids. Ravensburg held no strategic relevance, so it was spared from any damage.

So now, this 'klein aber fein" (small but fine) town, is really known for its three town gates and over 10 towers remaining from the medieval fortification. 

Looking down over the town (source)

You might have also recognized the name from the Ravensburger game company. Ravensburger AG is an international company known for its board games, puzzles and children's books. And I especially like that Tekrum, a popular pastry and chocolate factory, is located in the town. That means I can visit their outlet store whenever I want, lol.

The Ravensburger company assembling the world largest jigsaw puzzle for its 125th anniversary (source)

And there are many other factories and manufacturing plants in the area. This area is known for low unemployment and a high quality of life.

Oh, and did I mention there is a hockey team here too?! Weird, guess I must have forgotten that tid bit :)

Yes, the hubs plays for the Ravensburg Towerstars

So yeah, that's basically it. There is your mini tour of Ravensburg. I hope you liked your arm chair trip. As you can probably tell, we have really enjoyed our time here this season :)

And if you ever find yourself wandering around in Swabia, you gotta stop by. With so much to do and see, you won't be disappointed!