LEGS & ARMS complete ANSBACH SOLO MISSION......**

Guten Abend (means good evening in German pronounced 'Gooten AH-Bent') BLOG!

Atmospheric conditions brought to you by TANK GIRL: Bitter freezing Cold.  I haven't seen the sun since the day we got here......I miss the sun.....in Alabama I used to wish for a dreary day....be careful what you wish for.

When we got back from Rothenberg on Saturday, we were pooped.  Walking around all day outside in the fresh air and cold can wear on you.  We spent a few hours lounging, but then realized we were hungry.  We took Karmella for a walk and decided to stop at one of the Doner shops in town.  

As I have said before Doner sandwiches are like Gyro's. There is a Doner shop around every street corner, they are open every day and late into the night, which means they are a reliable source of food for nomad's such as ourselves.  

These shops are owned and operated by the 'Turks.' Before LEGS and I came we did some research on crime in GERMANY, much of the crime in GERMANY is accredited to the Turks.  What I have seen is they are very hard working people, but if you cross them they don't take any sh*t.  Not surprising since most minorities I have been around tend to stick together and stand up for each other.

Every Sunday in NEVER NEVER LAND, many things shut down.  The grocery store is closed, along with all the shops, a few restaurants stay open because they make business since the grocery store is closed, but for the most part the GERMANS hang out inside and at the very most take a walk through the park.  

LEGS and I decided when in NEVER NEVER LAND be lazy on Sunday.  We got up for breakfast, but went back to bed after.  We went for a run through the park.  I find it aggravating how many times LEGS' feet hit the pavement to how many times my feet hit the pavement, most of the time I feel like a small child running behind him when he is just walking, when we run together I feel like I am chasing after a GOD DAMN Olympic track and field star. We showered, got into PJ's surfed the net, watched movies, skyped with family, and laid around some more.  

Finally we were hungry.  So we HAD to get up, get dressed, and search for food.  We stopped at a local pizzeria.  The ENTIRE menu was in GERMAN, usually they will have the menu in GERMAN and ENGLISH, this forced us to close our eyes and pick an entree'.  LEGS was more lucky than I.  I would say that although whatever my finger landed on was edible it wasn't my most favorite meal here so far.  

The Salad was really good, the Prosciutto was fresh and amazing!

LEGS had Spaghetti Carbonara 

I don't know what it is but this is what I had

Last night I could hear the GERMAN man staying in the room next to us snoring....it kept me up until I heard him roll over and quiet down.  Then I proceeded to have the most bizarre nightmares all night long.  

This morning we were on a mission.  

Since we have been nomadic we have gotten fat.  Also, I am expected to make an appearance in the boxing gym this week.  I have promised myself to run hard, do push-ups and some core workouts this week to be SLIGHTLY prepared.  We got up and went for a run, then LEGS timed me while I did a combination of shadow-boxing and push ups.  I thought I would be horrible, but to my surprise I felt strong and sharp.

Karmella was out of dog food and we needed more 'safe' water.  We walked down to the market and searched the store for dog food.  I haven't wanted to change her food because I am quite sure there is nothing worse then a dog with the runs when your staying in a hotel.....best I could do was be sure to buy food with rice instead of corn.  Karmella went from NUTRO dog food to Pedigree because that is all we could find.  And it was expensive, but.....

LEGS said:' I don't care how much it is she deserves it....'  

When we got home and fed the dog 

LEGS said:'Karmella hasn't had her dose of GERMAN food yet so this is it.'

Looking over the pictures from Rothenberg I have also come to the conclusion that I need eye cream.  Preferably the anti-aging kind with whatever the hell takes wrinkles out.  Try finding that kind in a GERMAN store when every thing is in German.  To my disappointment I will have to wait one more day, a day that I cannot afford, until we can get some on base, with the ingredients and options in English.

I am sure you can tell by my tone that we have been here for 12 days.  I am tired of not having a fridge, I am tired of eating out every single night.  I am tired of not sleeping in my bed.  I am tired of not being able to speak and understand German, every time we go out to do anything its a bunch of work, and I feel out of place and awkward all the time.  With the German Language I feel like I am doing better than most people, its just so hard to remember all the words and pronounce them right, and conduct a conversation without clamming up.

But I am not giving up, we went to the same restaurant we went to last night for dinner, and I ordered in GERMAN, and looked up what was in the food in the stupid GERMAN phrase book- embarrassing as it was I am quite smitten with myself.  Pizza from that Restaurant and it was good!

We took made our first adventure SOLO today.  The plan was to buy tickets and ride the train to Ansbach.  And we did it! (Ansbach is pronounced 'ONS-BOCK')

Lunch before the train at one of our NEW favorite places, Schnitzel sandwich:

We bought tickets, we got on the train, we switched trains, and arrived in Ansbach.  When we switched trains, I distracted LEGS because I wanted a kiss, so we hopped on and then started to worry maybe we had gotten on the wrong train.  But we didn't.  I cannot begin to tell you how scary it is to be on a train you aren't sure is taking you where you want to go, and all you can do is ride it out.......

Once we arrived in Ansbach we were again amazed by the architecture, the city streets, the European style and swag we saw walking down the street.  It was very cold out, so we had to hold hands and snuggle close while we walked to our destination.  I was thinking today that riding trains, and walking hand in hand places that are surrounded by such beauty is incredibly romantic....like out of a movie.....

 

We found the mall, and only had to pull out our GPS twice.  I took a few pictures but I felt like a total tourist so I had to abstain a little.  

 

The not so romantic part is using the city bathrooms, or searching the mall for the bathroom.....the GERMANS call bathrooms 'Water Closets.'  One of the bathrooms I used today was THE most disgusting bathroom I have ever been in.....and I just want everybody to remember that I traveled all over the South on very remote highways while I was boxing....so my resume' as far as bathrooms is concerned is not too shabby.

We mostly window shopped.  We went into the Grocery Market that is in the mall, looked around compared prices etc. We didn't purchase anything so when we got ready to leave it was a little tricky.  We didn't want to be rude and push through the people in line to make purchases, and get stopped knowing no GERMAN etc.  At one point LEGS tried to go through one of the rails that has a minus sign on it, and he rammed right into it- I laughed out loud it was so funny.  So we decided the only way to get free was to buy something......a chocolate bar at the check out lane.....there goes our diet......

I am proud of myself on our way out of the mall I ordered us coffee using all GERMAN.......yeah.....so I had to used a phrase book in order to request it to go...but give me credit reading from a GERMAN phrase book in a crowded cafe' takes balls!

And I would also like to thank our life line, Sir Bradford, we had to call him twice to double check information on the train....I am glad we did because the Train Inspector guy checked us both there and back....

Random Thoughts:

I feel like this whole blog was random thoughts....

I have been struggling personally with somebody in my life.....I don't know quite how to say what I think or what I mean....this is the best I can come up with:

Sometimes in life, our faith in people is blind, they make horrible terrible mistakes, they cut us, burn us, and crush our hope for the future, and because of all the songs, movies, and stories, we always believe that they will rise again, they will become the people we want them to be, good, genuine, caring, but sometimes in life that hope is perishable...and the reality is....very very sad.....**

ALERT! New Squack Pack Information: Squacky girls are the same in every country....Loud, annoying.....and STUPID.....

I did see a verbal altercation between a German Train Operator and three Turkish teenage boys today.......

We walked ALOT today....I can see why Europeans are skinny, their biggest meal of the day is lunch, they drink a lot of coffee and they walk ALOT!

Over & Out...

Just another day in the life of an unlikely military wife....**