Incoherent Scribblings

A Space Dilemma

Isn’t it amazing how one accumulates things the longer one lives in a set place?

When A. and I moved to Germany three years ago, we had gotten rid of a lot of stuff in preparation for an international move. We had hoped that once we moved to Germany we could live a more frugally and so we moved into a generous one bedroom apartment. We had no furniture to worry about fitting inside; just clothes, books, CDs, a computer, dishes and a few other odds and ends.

The first things we bought were a bed, kitchen appliances, and book shelves. We then added bedroom closets, a couple of cheap chairs, and a computer desk. The bedroom and kitchen were full and comfortable, but not over-crowded.

It had been our intention to not have a living room per say, but to turn it into an office and library. Though we had a stereo, we had no television and didn’t plan on buying one. For that reason we thought didn’t need a “traditional” living room. The office/library idea worked, but the room never really felt comfortable and so if we weren’t using the computer we spent most of our time in the bedroom reading or listening to music.

Eventually, the in-laws gave us a TV because they thought our bohemian attitude of a television-free environment was just a little too radical. Of course once we got the TV, we had to get a DVD player. This led us to buying an entertainment center and some more comfortable furniture. Finally the living room was starting to feel like a living room and we wanted to spend time there.

The problem was that the computer with its enormous 19″ monitor was also in the living room and space was getting tight. Then A. decided one computer was not sufficient for the two of us and he got himself a laptop. This required us to invest in another (though smaller) computer desk that also ended up in the living room. I eventually got a laptop too and we got rid of the old desktop, but because I also had a printer, scanner, and assorted other electronic equipment, I kept the big desk.

We had done little planning as we stuck all of this into our living room and it kept getting more and more crowded. We rearranged everything countless times and finally a couple of weeks ago got everything into such a nice arrangement that I am finally enjoying spending my time there.

However, as we were rearranging things we kept grumbling about how we either need more space, another room, or both. As it just so happens, our three year lease is about to expire. So, during the last couple of weeks we have seriously been considering moving.

Will we move? We are still thinking about it and have a meeting this coming week concerning the renewal and/or termination of our lease. It would be great to have more room, but on the other hand, I hate the idea of moving! I guess I am starting to show my age, because one of the reasons I don’t want to move is because it feels so nice to be settled and finally know where everything is!

Today’s Rip-Out

Today I passed my 5 hour rotation that I wanted to complete on “Passing Admirers” before the first of May. In fact, I worked on Polly’s dress for over four hours this afternoon while watching Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone/Chamber of Secrets. (Again!)

I was super excited because I was really seeing some progress. I was so eager to post a picture that would actually show that some progress had been made. And then I discovered a bad boo-boo. I contemplated frogging it, but finally decided that the mistake was bad enough that I wouldn’t be satisfied unless I fixed it. Of course I made the mistake early on today but didn’t catch it until two hours (and about 400 stitches) later when some of my stitches didn’t match up. So, I ended up tearing out two hours of progress! Ahhgh!
I had stitched mostly white, but had done a little bit of gray too. When I tear out floss I seldom reuse it because I usually find that it has had enough wear and tear by that time that it is thin and frayed. So while tearing out today’s progress (and throwing the old floss away), I realized that I am just about out of the two grays that I am using for shading. Grumble!

I am not sure if I will go downtown tomorrow for my re-supplies or wait until early next week. I guess it will depend on whether I want to stitch or shop tomorrow! I should have enough of the grays to make it through the weekend, but even if I run out of them there is still plenty of white in that dress left to do!

Anyway, after I ripped everything out, I went ahead and stitched for another hour. Therefore, though the progress isn’t as much as I hoped for, I did make enough to post a picture!

Luckily today’s ripping out fest didn’t dampen my spirits. I still feel really good about this piece and indeed, I am more motivated to work on it than I have been since I did a large chunk back in January. I can finally see the end of Polly’s dress in sight and that helps to motivate me. I would really like to finish her dress before I put this piece away.

As Isabelle said a while back, the neat thing about this piece is that once I am finished with Polly and I move on to the baby carriage or Maggie it will, in a sense, feel like a whole new piece!

Fear of the Bavarian Grandma

Today I was over at the bakery across the street and I noticed that they had a “help wanted” sign in the window for someone to work behind the counter selling bread.

I have never worked in a bakery and really have no desire to do so, but after I came home I couldn’t help but think a little bit about whether or not I should apply. After all, it would be close to home and if I was desperate for money or something to do, it would definitely be an option.

True, I’m no baker, but I am pretty well-versed in customer service occupations. I used to be a waitress. I worked for a short while in a clothing shop at the mall. And, of course, I worked at the reference desk at the library. (Which, contrary to stereotypical beliefs, reference librarians are very customer service-oriented people.)

However, despite my customer service experience and the fact that I finally speak German well enough to usually understand and be understood, I am reluctant to work in a customer service-oriented job in Germany.

I am sure many of you think it should be no big thing. After all, customer service often seems like an oxymoron here in Germany. However, though theoretically I could work in a bakery, truthfully the thought of it makes me more than a little afraid. It isn’t working with Germans that worries me. What terrifies me, is working for little old ladies with Bavarian accents.

I have stood in line behind these women when I am at the bakery. I have stood there while they complained about the price of bread, the evilness of the Euro, and a host of other things that I didn’t really understand. When I try to picture myself on the other side of the counter nodding in the affirmative to something that I didn’t quite understand when I should have nodded in the negative and feeling the repercussions of it, my knees get weak.

I think of the sharp tongue that my mother-in-law isn’t afraid to let loose on someone who has somehow offended her and I remember the day that a little old lady had a fit at the butcher’s when the same cut of meat without bones was more expensive than that with bones.

That sort of punishment was difficult enough to deal with in my own language and culture. I just don’t think that my self-confidence or language skills could take it in a language that I still struggle with on a daily basis.

May Goals

After much contemplating, some calculations, and a small reorganization of my stash, (I think it is librarian-thing… I always reorganize things when I start thinking!) I have come up with my May goals.

First is to continue my “running goal” and stitch a minimum of 90 minutes each day. My calculations indicate that comes out to a minimum of 46.5 stitching hours in May.

Second is to work on one of my WIPs. Luckily, I don’t have too many WIPs (currently three), but they are large and two of them have been a bit neglected lately. As I mentioned yesterday, “Stiefmütterchen” will be put away for a while and “Stitcher’s Sampler” is not really screaming at me at the moment, so I doubt I will work on it in May.

However, “Passing Admirers” is screaming at me. In fact, I have already stitched on it for two hours today and hope that I can stitch another hour or so before bed tonight. Since I feel like I might finally get into a stitching groove with this piece, I have decided it will be the one that I build my goals around in May. I would like to stitch on it between 15 and 20 of my 46.5 stitching hours. Currently, I’m not sure if I will do all of the hours in one rotation or divide them up into two. We’ll see.

I also have a round robin piece (my EMS RR) that will need to be posted at the beginning of June. Therefore, my third goal for the month of May is to stitch my EMS RR square. The theme is “Stoney Creek Cats” and I think I have finally decided on which cats to include. Now I just have to make up my mind about which one I want to stitch. I like them all, but am currently torn between stitching a cat with pansies (I know… MORE pansies?!) and one with hummingbirds. The one with hummingbirds is a Siamese cat and I am quite fond of Siamese kitties, so I am leaning a little more toward it than the other at the moment… But I have been known to change my mind occasionally!
And finally, I will start a new (albeit small) project! And that will be Ellen Maurer-Stroh’s “Kitten Baby.” I have all the materials for it and might actually kit it up. I normally don’t kit things up, but I really want to do this pattern and I feel that if it is all ready to go when I get to that point in my rotation, it will give me an incentive to do it instead of being tempted to start something completely different!
Though I am working on “Passing Admirers” right now, I am not exactly sure in what order I will do all of the things on my goal list. After all, it is a “screaming rotation,” so I guess I will wait and see what calls to me!

Germany: N-Z

Boy, this list wasn’t easy! But I am done and so I present for your reading enjoyment… Germany N-Z!

N is for Neuschwanstein

Even if you have never visited Germany, you are sure to be familiar with “Mad” King Ludwig II’s Neuschwanstein. It was the inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella castle.

O is for Oktoberfest

Actually taking place during the last two weeks in September, Munich’s world-famous Oktoberfest is annually attended by around 6 million visitors, who drink around 5 million liters of beer.

P is for Pope

On April 19, 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church and is now known as Pope Benedict XVI.

Q is for Quiet

Quiet Time (”Ruhezeit”) is almost sacred in Germany. Beware of blasting your stereo, drilling, hammering, mowing the lawn or throwing a party between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday. You will be sure to draw a complaint and maybe even the police, whom Germans are quick to call because of noise.

R is for the Rhine

At over 800 miles, the Rhine River is one of the longest rivers in Europe and has been a vital navigable waterway carrying trade and goods since the days of the Roman Empire. Some of Germany’s best wine valleys and most beautiful medieval castles are along this river, making it a popular tourist destination.

S is for Spargelzeit

Being as I am a carnivore, I don’t really understand it, but the Germans have such an obsession with “Spargel” (Asparagus) that each year from about April 15 to June 15, the stuff is literally everywhere… from the smallest booth at the market square to the fanciest German restaurant!

T is for Turks

Almost 2.5 million people of Turkish origin call Germany home, making them the largest minority group in Germany. In fact, the 132,000 Turks living in Berlin make up the largest Turkish community outside of Turkey.

U is for U-Bahn

While Germans love their cars, traffic jams and parking problems make the U-Bahn (subway) in large cities the preferred method of transportation.

V is for Volkswagen

Associated with everything from Nazis to hippies, Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest car companies and maker of some of the most popular cars in Europe.

W is for World Cup 2006

For the third time in its history, the German Football Association (DFB) has been awarded the honor of staging this major international tournament. In 2006, some 32 teams will line up at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany to play soccer. In 2002, Germany was the runner-up. What will happen this time around?

X is for the eX-DDR

The Berlin Wall may have fallen in 1989, but in the last few years films like “Goodbye Lenin!,” TV shows, and memorabilia have kindled a sense of nostalgia for the former Deutsche Democratische Republik.

Y is for Yellow Bags

As recently mentioned, yellow bags are a symbol of Germany’s recycling initiative.

Z is for Zeitungen

“Roughly 370 newspapers (”Zeitungen”) are published in Germany, but any German will tell you there is only one national daily tabloid, The Bild. Other daily and weekly national papers, most prominently Die Welt, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Frankfurter Rundschau and Die Zeit are committed to an exceptionally high standard of journalism and are opinion shapers within the political sphere. But while the combined daily circulation for the above newspapers totals about 1.6 million, The Bild alone has a daily readership of 4.4 million.”

– from Germany Info