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Mein Kopf ist leer

Classes started back this week. I’m taking two this semester - German 201, writing & reading comprehension, taught mostly in German, and German 295, a conversational course, taught completely in German.

Within the first 15 minutes of 295 I realized that I am out. of. my. element. I shall be hitting the books like a fiend this semester. Wish me luck!

What I did on my summer vacation

Wow, summer is already gone! It’s been a busy one for me:

1) I took 2 intensive introductory German classes and got A’s in both.

2) I trained almost every day for the Susan G Komen 3-day walk for breast cancer research that comes to DC Oct. 3-5.  It’s 60 miles over 3 days, and the training is really ramping up now.  Last weekend my friends and I walked 17 miles on Saturday and 13 on Sunday. Then I died, of course.

3) I took lots and lots and lots of photos - of my cats.

4) My Macbook is not doing so well, so I “had” to upgrade to an iMac.  It’s pretty flippin’ sweet - and the free iPod Touch that came with it isn’t bad either.

5) Since I’m using most of my vacation for Germany later this fall, I haven’t really had a vacation this summer. But I did go to the mountains in Virginia to visit my grandparents a few weekends ago.  Here was the most active thing I encountered during my stay.

“Never trust a man who wears flip flops”

Today is my dad’s 58th 57th birthday. When I was 14 and in the first stages of what would eventually become the full-on “boy crazies”, he gave me only one piece of advice: Never trust a man who wears flip flops.

Sounds silly, but it made a lasting impact. To this day I can’t seriously date someone who wears flip flops when they’re not at the beach. My sisters feel the same way. So yes, dad, we did sometimes listen to you, but only about the really important stuff.

My dad and me, August 1982.

Happy birthday, pops!

Sex on Wheels

I am not very girly, but I do have a soft spot for designer fashion. Unfortunately, my ghetto bootie doesn’t fit into most of those clothes.  But no bother – I much prefer bags. This one from Alexander McQueen is dee-vine.

I think I’m in love.

German Online

These two sites have become part of my daily online browsing:

Haus Maus: Holly (who also has one of my favorite design blogs, decor8, which is where I met my friend Aude who lives in Paris) is setting up a part-time residence in Hannover, Germany, with her husband, and chronicles all the ups and downs of trying to furnish an apartment when you (a) are not living in the same country yet, and (b) are not completely familiar with all the best brands and stores.

In June I found Vocabulix, a free site with German vocabulary and grammar drills (they have Spanish, too). In addition to that, I’ve been writing with some people in Germany - they practice they’re English with me, and vice versa.

Life Imitates Art Imitates Life

An extraordinary little B&B that any agro-tourist will be excited to visit: Schrute Farms in Honesdale, PA.

Here’s what past guests have said about this hidden treasure:

“Came for the beets, stayed for the bears!”
“Nothing ‘beets’ a Schrute! Fact.”

“This quaint B&B is an excellent place to practice your wrestling skills, to hone your table making skills, and to get acquainted with the wild life of northeastern Pennsylvania.”

“I loved the smell of beets drifting in through the windows, and the wooden walls and build reminded me of my grandmother’s home, and the outhouse was quaint, though slightly amusing.”

The Magic Number

To find your perfect novel, see page 69

The Guardian tests the theory that if you want to quickly find out if a book is worth your time, read the 69th page. If you like what’s on that page, then you will like the book. My tactic is to give a book 2 chapters to entice me - if I’m not into it after that many pages, I put it down.  I also employ a similar strategy for movies: after 30 minutes, if I’m bored, I stop watching. Because life is too short to waste it on dreck.