This past Saturday, we welcomed Martin and Lydia for the first time to our home and had a grill party for their arrival. It also happened to be Lydia’s bday. They brought us a beautiful tree with purple flowers for our balcony. How sweet. Saturday also welcomed a rain spell that still wants to trump my immune system. I’ve been tired for three days straight. But I refuse to be sick so close to our trip to Rome. So here’s the rest of the beginning of the story. It’s a touch of rant..

Thursday, I made a surprise visit to Regensburg for the 4. Jubiläum des ersten Kusses. Although the romantic surprise was slightly thwarted by work and simply turned to an extra treat for us to see each other a day early. Boom chicka wahwah plop.

I had perfectly planned my trip to Regensburg, left on time, remember all my belongings etc. But I did tax me a bit. I woke up Friday morning beat, eyes itchy and reluctant to stay open and a headache. Dust? I noticed that there was pollen floating all around Regensburg. It could be I am not used to the plants in this part of Bavaria. Or some bug going around. I headed out to the city center after the Hausmeister stopped by, took one long, puzzled look at me and tried his best to utter his request in the clearest and slowest Hochdeutsch he could muster. Sweet, but really I need to practice my understanding of Bayerisch.

I made my way to the Burger King near the cathedral to set up my study area and try the new “Long and Strong” chicken club sandwich. Like I said in the previous post, I’m a weakling to xxl photos of tasty looking sandwiches. You may ask yourself, why not study in a library? Most libraries (if not all) in Germany require that you put your bags in a locker and carry your material in your hands. Considering my writing utensils, calculator, dictionaries, study material -I just don’t have that many hands. And forget sneaking in some water or a candy bar for quick, by-your-desk, brain fuel. It’s just more convenient to sit in a restaurant and absorb the grease and thermo. It’s a mystery to me why this Burger King am Dom rarely has any visitors. I think I got a clue with the improper use of the English language, phallically named chicken club. So disappointingly Ew. Oh well, I got a lot accomplished in BK’s deserted lard-mill.

Alex and I left Regensburg with Sebastien relatively early for Munich. Since we were having company over the next day, I didn’t feel like cooking Friday night. Soon as we arrived at home, I suggested we go for Indian food at Baldeplatz. There were little signs in the beginning that this evening would not end without a hitch: waiting for 10 minutes for a waiter to see us, the appetizers tasting not-so homemade, the impossibility of getting the three server’s attention and our meals though tasty, just not as spectacular as before. Maybe they lost their cook, the head guy was on vacation, who knows.

Everything was slightly off kilter. When it came time to pay, they took our credit card but said that it may take some time because they had problems with Telecom. After a few minutes the servers gave up and demanded cash from us. Between the both of us we didn’t have enough to pay for the meal. Alex then suggested that they should be able to use a manual card swiper in the event of a electronic failure. Our server said that the didn’t have one. This is when things got prickly.

The server apologized said that they had been having problems with Telecom all day, that they didn’t have a manual swiper, blah blah. Alex asked if they’d write out a bill and we’d come back to pay after we both picked up cash from our bank. The waiter said we had to leave something behind. Yeah right. Alex then reminded them that we were not obligated to pay then. They have signs on their front door stating they accept credit cards, EC cards. We didn’t receive a warning before we ordered. This is was just plain bad business.

I stayed while Alex made the 600 m trek to the bank. At this point I was okay, a little annoyed but still enjoying my pleasantly full belly. The server came back apologized again and said he’d bring out some schnapps. I shouldn’t have refused. But I didn’t want anything else to eat or drink. Nothing else would fit. But the poor, embarrassed server took that as a challenge that I was doubly dissatisfied and kept pestering me, what did I want!!

He finally offered a Mango Lassi and I gave in and said fine. Anything to relieve his suffering. He came back with a double serving in a beautiful copper cup. I had two sips of the good necker, but I had already eaten too much, discomfort was setting in so I let it sit there. When Alex returned, he rightfully asked for all the change back. The server blew his top, ‘we tried everything we could, we offered you (me) Mango Lassi..’ which he then looked at the copper cup and with an accusatory tone, ‘you didn’t even try it!!’

Then it felt like I was sent back in time. The days when I had to sit at the dinner table when I was mentally and digestively done with the plates before me and mother and father fighting with me to finish my food. I detest being put in this position so I reacted with a child-like response, ‘Yes, I did!’ That was it. I was done with this place, this crap from an over excited, disorganized idiot. More words come to mind but what’s the point. The evening was damned. It was just time to take a breath and start over.

So far I’m preferring where we live in Munich better than here in terms of getting household chores done. In Munich, everything is closer or transportation is 3 to 7 minutes away. The dry cleaners are closer, faster, and less expensive and there are more choices for grocery stores and restaurants are in minutes reach. But other than that, Regensburg is not as hectic, I love the Regensburg city center and more importantly Alex is in arms length :wub:

Eventually I’ll have to write about this Regensburg apartment. It’s furnished with relics that should be placed in a museum of 1970s lost artifacts. The toilet room is hysterical if not scary.

Something to help me remember this occasion:

There’s no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing
But I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepiatone loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go?
And how come it’s so hard?
It’s not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I’ll tell you one thing it’s always better when we’re together

And all of these moments
Just might find their way into my dreams tonight
But I know that they’ll be gone
When the morning light sings
And brings new things
For tomorrow night you see
That they’ll be gone too
Too many things I have to do
But if all of these dreams might find their way
Into my day to day scene
I’d be under the impression
I was somewhere in between
With only two

Just me and you
Not so many things we got to do
Or places we got to be
We’ll Sit beneath the mango tree now

MMmmmm MMMmmmm Mmmmmm
I believe in memories
They look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when I wake up,
You look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time,
And there is no, no song I could sing
And there is no, combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing
We’re better together. – Jack Johnson

News: The affluent Kuehbach household will be sporting two BMWs for a while. Alex gets his new work automobile today. I’ve been told a thousand times what type of vehicle it is, how many horsepowers, blah, blah…but I forgot already [update: new silver BMW 1er, 120d: (2,0 Liter) mit 120 kW/163 PS]. I’ll get the specs later. I’m sure I will be allowed to sit in shotgun and enjoy the “experience” with a barf bag between my legs. So far I don’t have a German driver’s license so there won’t be any joy rides for me.

This weekend we are going to Fürth for a birthday party, then spending the week in Regensburg. Hopefully my hair will be looking decent after a visit with the hairdresser’s. Then we head to Iserlohn for Ilse’s birthday and Friedrick’s Taufe or baptism. Do you give a gift for someone’s baptism – a towel or hairdryer?

Everytime we spend the weekend in Regensburg…it’s raining. Go figure. But I managed this attempt at artistry with this handsome canvas; taken during a marriage reception in front of the townhall or Rathaus.

Alex worked on his disertation at Vitus, while I wandered the streets looking for shots for the next blogheader. It’s so hard for me to take pictures of Regensburg. I’m not sure how to use my camera and properly capture all the nooks and crannies, the narrow passages, multiple archways, and remnants of Ancient Roman times. I love this town but sometimes the sky doesn’t cooperate and neither do my eyes.

We headed home early to start the grill on the patio and prepare for the last german soccer game against Portugal. Tomorrow is the final…I think Monday I’ll buy a few left over WC flags at a discount for the next WC. It’s been fun but looking forward to Das Leben ohne Fußball.