We bought a new kitchen at Schaffrath today – first thing we financed together (“awww”).

Our new kitchen is the most bad-assed kitchen ever! Sign up now for a personal VIP tour which includes a free welcome beer*!
*as long as supplies last – which…well…isn’t that long

YES! Glad you noticed! We had to BUY A KITCHEN for our RENTAL APARTMENT. 

When you move in the Deutsch, you are lucky if a kitchen is included in your next apartment. You are even luckier if you have flooring and wallpaper, instead of just everything being ugly gray. You normally have a totally ripped out apartment, for you to begin anew (pretty brutal, right?). Here, kitchens are made to be easily uninstalled later so that you can take it with you to your next place. 

Pros – means you usually get to customize your apartment how you like (paint, flooring, kitchen, even change bathroom sinks). Also means you don’t have to use someone else’s gross appliances, like an oven that has pig fat chunks left on the rack. <—true story. Eden Street, Framingham, MA, 2004

Cons – you can only really take some of what you customize with you to your next place - like a kitchen, but not laid tile – and if you are starting from buck nakedness, moving will end up costing you big $$€€ and work. That, + having to give your current landlord the standard 3 months notice (which usually means you end up paying double rent for at least 1 month) + having to pay 3 months rent as security at your new place = Germans make themselves like their current apartments.

Just realized – this will be my 4th address in Germany in less than 2 years. Didn’t know I was rich?

Tomorrow is 13-Feb (our “day”), and Guido is going back to work (yes, still with a broken rib – I know, I know! I already told him!). While he is at work, I will pack, buy deoderant, call Carol, pack, take Roxy to play in the woods, and pack some more.

That means I will be thinking the following to myself a lot:
“How in the hell did I gather this much useless shit in less than 2 years!?”
“Eff it, trash.”
“Did I actually buy and WEAR this!?”
“Aww, Fenway. *Sniff*”




What an evil bitch of a month January was!

The following is a mix of nightmares that happened just between me, Guido and our circle of friends & family:

Ear infections, colds, broken ribs, injured hips, falling off the roof, being hospitalized for weeks, emergency dental appointments, financial crises, friends and mothers dying…and those shitty events are just rolling off the top of my head!

When I think of what happened in Haiti and other natural disasters which January claimed, I become numb and I hear the “Twilight Zone” theme song playing.

February has me paranoid. Hopefully the 28 days will pass by quietly, and if anything bad does happen, that we will be too busy to notice. New apartment and German driver license are next on the list.

I can’t end this post without sharing a positive free-bee that January farted out in her sleep:

- for my birthday, Guido took me out for a fun and memorable evening and night in Köln – we partied at Trash-Chic, an awesome vegan punk bar which will soon be visited again.

Q1

Get German driver license (before March)

Move into and set-up new apartment (March-?)

Q2

Clarify the legalities of getting married (April)

Host an “Opening Day Red Sox Baseball 101 for Germans” party (April)

Find a local place to volunteer (May)

Q3

Advertise for and host my first German vegan potluck

Sign up for an evening course

Q4

Take a winter vacation to a different region (like Norway)

All Year

Search for and buy ethically and environmentally responsible wedding rings (before Dec)

Travel less for work

Not bring my laptop home as much as possible

Try out and continue to impress people with more vegan recipes

Gather wedding locations and ideas (all year and maybe even next, until the perfect is found)

- and -

I hope to spend some time preparing for visitors from the US! You know who you are ;) and you know you are welcome anytime!

I will update this page with my progress and as I face challenges. Let’s see how far I (we) get!