Sicily was a trip beyond my wildest expectations. From just before the plane was to set down on the island of Sicily, my trip began to stand on it's head. Orignally I had planned to go to Palermo and just hang out, shop, go to the beach and see the sights. But all that changed.
The storm which had been raging for quite some time in Palermo still hadn't quieted and the plane which was scheduled to go to Palermo just before us, had been re-routed to Catatina- which is on the other side of the island. The turbulance was horrible and it was because of this that I heard the couple behind me speaking with American accents. I struck up a conversation with them and it turns out - long story short- that they are friends of one of my friends. Strange how small the world is really. So Andy and Erin invited me to come with them. Their plan was to take the 3 1/2 hour train from Palermo to Milazzo that afternoon, then stay at a b&b that night. Getting up early the next day to take the ferry which would take then to the island of Vulcano which has an inactive Volcano on it. So that's just what I did. The photos are currently loaded onto flickr, and I'm working on the video. Enjoy! I know I did. :)
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Woo Hoo!!!
I got a deeesssk. I got a deeeesssk.
La lalala la la laaaaa!
Dorothee has moved out of her office. Which means that all the things that were in her office are now downstairs in the house office. So with much moving taking place, she decided to shake it up a bit more, and now I have a desk in my room. Boo yah! I really like it. I used to have a short table in my room which was about the same height as my bed- which made it hard to type. Now I have a proper desk to set my lamp, laptop and the new (to me- but it's actually like 20 years old) radio. Yay! I told Dorothee it's like Christmas morning.
Oh and one other thing I'm really excited about. I was all bummed because I was going to have to miss out on Thanksgiving this year. I like Thanksgiving- turkey, family, card games, jelled cranberries in the shape of a can and pumpkin pie. (oh, and let's not forget me trying to avoid being dragged into dish duty.) So I was really surprised with Dorothee asked me if I would like to go out to eat to celebrate Thanksgiving. I was surprised and pleased. Yay!
Soooo... needless to say I'm fine as frog hair split four ways (thank you Grandma for that phrase). Oh and I want to give some shout outs!
Holla~Ellie- My sista from another mother. (really that works better for boys)
Peace Out!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
My America
I've been having interesting experiences here. Ranging from talks with several people including a bitchy ex-canadian to Europeans who think that since I'm here I obviously don't like America anymore. After thinking about it for awhile this morning I came to the conclusion that America is like an older sibling to me.
I don't always agree with it, or with the things that it does. I may even think it's dull at times and stupid beyond belief. But as the sibling- I'm the only one allowed to pick on it. If you mess with my big brother I will mess with you. Sure I may agree with you, but it's not your place. You don't see me picking on your older sibling- talking about how when it was a kid it spent much of it's time bullying others, picking on the weaker or using a magnifying glass to scorch the feelers off of a particular type of insect. No. I don't. Because I didn't grow up with your sibling. I don't know everything about it, and what it was like to grow up in that enviroment. I'm not qualified to judge.
I've spent my life growing up with my sibling. I know him. I've spent years talking with him, laughing with him, and getting into trouble with him. I know his faults, his failures, his successes, and his strengths. I know he's not perfect, but he's the only one I have- will ever have.
It doesn't matter that I haven't seen him in five months, it doesn't matter that I'm thinking about not seeing him for a few years. He's still my sibling- America is still my home. If you don't like that- kiss my ass.
I also want to add that while you may have been to NYC or LA or Las Vegas and so you think you know America. You don't. That's like going to London, Paris or Munich and deciding that all of England, France or Germany is the exact same way. How wrong would I would been to have come to Germany believing that all Germans eat bratwurst and sourkraut, drink warm beer, wear lederhosen and have no sense of humor. Generalizing a country by a quick trip to one city not only makes you ill informed, it also makes you stupid. When you have visited: Stilwell, Kansas- Spearfish, South Dakota- Nevada, Missouri- or yes, even Toadsuck, Arkansas. Then we can talk.
(This post is prompted by several people, not one. It's become a source of irritation and frustration for me, so you guys get to suffer the consequences.)
I don't always agree with it, or with the things that it does. I may even think it's dull at times and stupid beyond belief. But as the sibling- I'm the only one allowed to pick on it. If you mess with my big brother I will mess with you. Sure I may agree with you, but it's not your place. You don't see me picking on your older sibling- talking about how when it was a kid it spent much of it's time bullying others, picking on the weaker or using a magnifying glass to scorch the feelers off of a particular type of insect. No. I don't. Because I didn't grow up with your sibling. I don't know everything about it, and what it was like to grow up in that enviroment. I'm not qualified to judge.
I've spent my life growing up with my sibling. I know him. I've spent years talking with him, laughing with him, and getting into trouble with him. I know his faults, his failures, his successes, and his strengths. I know he's not perfect, but he's the only one I have- will ever have.
It doesn't matter that I haven't seen him in five months, it doesn't matter that I'm thinking about not seeing him for a few years. He's still my sibling- America is still my home. If you don't like that- kiss my ass.
I also want to add that while you may have been to NYC or LA or Las Vegas and so you think you know America. You don't. That's like going to London, Paris or Munich and deciding that all of England, France or Germany is the exact same way. How wrong would I would been to have come to Germany believing that all Germans eat bratwurst and sourkraut, drink warm beer, wear lederhosen and have no sense of humor. Generalizing a country by a quick trip to one city not only makes you ill informed, it also makes you stupid. When you have visited: Stilwell, Kansas- Spearfish, South Dakota- Nevada, Missouri- or yes, even Toadsuck, Arkansas. Then we can talk.
(This post is prompted by several people, not one. It's become a source of irritation and frustration for me, so you guys get to suffer the consequences.)
Rant Complete
Friday, November 14, 2008
Recovery- Faster than a speeding bullet.
Okay, so maybe not that fast. But I do believe that a significant portion of the CO2 gas left my body last night, and I woke up today feeling much better. Still easily worn out and worn down, but otherwise much less achy. So basically I can now actually see that there is in fact an end to this tunnel of misery and I can view some light streaming in. YAY!!! I will find out what this was all about from the lab results on Monday, and Wednesday the stitches come out. Then all better.... I hope. Is it too soon to say? I'm not sure.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
It's not a laughing matter
Who ever said that laughter is the best medicine had never had their abdomin cut open, filled with CO2 gas so to become a doctor's personal balloon.
I started having those pains again that I was having a month ago, back when I went to the ER the first time. It started Sunday when I was in Vienna- Then Monday I still wasn't feeling well. By Tuesday I told Dorothee I was ready for the ER again. So she dropped me off on the way to work. By 2pm they had determined that there was a fluid in my abdomin that shouldn't be there, and it might be blood, so they needed to operate to find out if I was bleeding internally. Let the fun begin.
By 3pm I was on the OR table and later that evening I woke up with two new holes and a few bright blue stitches. That and a body full of the CO2 gas which had been used to inflate me so they could insert a tool to move my organs around. What fun.... I will spare you the pictures as I'm not a pretty sight right now, but you'll be happy to know I'm not bleeding internally, instead I may have an infection on the inside lining of my abdomin which has been causing all the problems, though we won't know until Monday. Until then, the CO2 is floating around in my body- making me achy and sore. It feels like I have pinched nerves, pulled muscles and my jaw feels like I have been clinching it for hours on end. In short- I hurt. You would think the docs would send me home with pain killers. But noooooo. I want morphine and I'm taking asprin. I asked Dorothee last night if she would kindly take a sledge hammer to my forehead. She said that the authorities may not like her killing the au pair. I guess she's right.
For now, I'm wishing for unconciousness. I hurt when I walk, sit, stand, lie still, sneeze, cough and let's not forget- laugh.
I started having those pains again that I was having a month ago, back when I went to the ER the first time. It started Sunday when I was in Vienna- Then Monday I still wasn't feeling well. By Tuesday I told Dorothee I was ready for the ER again. So she dropped me off on the way to work. By 2pm they had determined that there was a fluid in my abdomin that shouldn't be there, and it might be blood, so they needed to operate to find out if I was bleeding internally. Let the fun begin.
By 3pm I was on the OR table and later that evening I woke up with two new holes and a few bright blue stitches. That and a body full of the CO2 gas which had been used to inflate me so they could insert a tool to move my organs around. What fun.... I will spare you the pictures as I'm not a pretty sight right now, but you'll be happy to know I'm not bleeding internally, instead I may have an infection on the inside lining of my abdomin which has been causing all the problems, though we won't know until Monday. Until then, the CO2 is floating around in my body- making me achy and sore. It feels like I have pinched nerves, pulled muscles and my jaw feels like I have been clinching it for hours on end. In short- I hurt. You would think the docs would send me home with pain killers. But noooooo. I want morphine and I'm taking asprin. I asked Dorothee last night if she would kindly take a sledge hammer to my forehead. She said that the authorities may not like her killing the au pair. I guess she's right.
For now, I'm wishing for unconciousness. I hurt when I walk, sit, stand, lie still, sneeze, cough and let's not forget- laugh.
Monday, November 10, 2008
All the news fit to print
I'm back from Vienna. I flew there Friday afternoon and came back this morning. It was great fun. I really enjoyed it. Soon I will be posting pictures, probably tomorrow since it takes a day to upload them.
That's about it. I was really tired each night and my feet were killing me. I'm just happy that this time when I took the plane to my destination I didn't have as much trouble getting back. (Thank God!)
FYI- If I don't have your address, I won't send postcards. If you send me your post address I will then decide how much I like you, then I may or may not send a postcard.
Bis Spaeter!
Oh, and one more note, as of today I have been in Germany for 5 months. Phew, and Dad didn't think I would make it this long. Well, I'm not in danger of missing him TOO much. Because even from the other side of the ocean he still has the ability to annoy the heck out of me. Cheers!
Here's what I saw:
Naschmarkt
Schloss Schoenbrunn
Stephansdom
Hundertwasserhaus
Spanische Hofreitschule
Hofburg
Wien Operhaus
Mozarthaus
And many random parts of town as I became lost. :)
That's about it. I was really tired each night and my feet were killing me. I'm just happy that this time when I took the plane to my destination I didn't have as much trouble getting back. (Thank God!)
FYI- If I don't have your address, I won't send postcards. If you send me your post address I will then decide how much I like you, then I may or may not send a postcard.
Bis Spaeter!
Oh, and one more note, as of today I have been in Germany for 5 months. Phew, and Dad didn't think I would make it this long. Well, I'm not in danger of missing him TOO much. Because even from the other side of the ocean he still has the ability to annoy the heck out of me. Cheers!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
One thing down
I just added about 262 new pictures to my flickr account. (Mind you I then deleted the ones I didn't like). I know none of you have time for that insane amount. But feel free to browse. They are broken up into month, then event. Yay! I got something accomplished today. I now feel somewhat better. :)
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