Snow - (Germany) Day 346

The Heidelberg castle all lit up above the Christmas Market

This morning I headed into my office and the chaplain didn't come in for a while. He had some appointments first thing in the morning. I basically just did some schoolwork and then played Plants Vs. Zombies on my iPhone until he came in. We talked a little about the plan for next week. I headed home for lunch and headed to the post office to mail off some presents to family back home.

Back in my office I spent the rest of the afternoon just hanging out, not much to do at all today. I headed to my car at 1530 and grabbed my PT gear, then changed into everything in my office. Not too long after that the chaplain came in and said my boss just called and said we were released for the day because of the snow conditions. There has been a light snow all day and they wanted to get everyone home sooner rather than later just to be safe.

I picked up my wife and headed home, we then changed into warm clothes and headed down to the Heidelberg Christmas Market. Christmas is a pretty big deal in Germany and it seems every town has a Christmas Market with a number of vendors selling gifts and food. Glühwein is a specialty that you'll see served at a number of the booths. This is a hot wine that will warm you up on the cold December days and nights. At first I thought hot wine might be nasty, but after giving it a try it turned out to be pretty tasty. The Heidelberg Christmas Market not only has all the vendors, but also has a merry-go-round and an ice skating rink setup.

Walking down the street towards the Heidelberg Christmas Market

Weekend Wrap-Up (Unofficial 3-Day) - (Germany) Day 194 - 196

Saturday: This morning of course we slept in, then had our traditional "big breakfast". Once a week when we have the kiddos we make sure to have pancakes, bacon and eggs or some other treat instead of the usual cereal.

We headed off today to show the kids downtown Heidelberg (Altstadt - the old city) and then head to the castle. We drove down and parked at the Parkhaus which there are a few of within walking distance. The kids took everything in…the history, the vendors, the shops, and the people. Unfortunately there were not a lot of street performers out, but we'll see them next time I'm sure.

We went to the old bridge which offers a great view of the castle, then we headed to the bergbahn which is a unique "train" that takes people up the hill to the castle, which the kiddos thought was pretty cool. We then toured the castle inside and out before making our way back down the hill. We ate dinner outside at a table in the square of the church of the holy ghost. I love eating outside, we have the view of the castle and it's always fun to "people watch".

The day wrapped up with us heading home and watching "Midnight in Paris" which my oldest daughter really wanted to see. My kids can't wait to visit Paris and this movie shows a lot of Paris. It also has Owen Wilson who we all like.

An aerial view of the Hockenheim Aqaudrom...a large indoor/outdoor water park

Sunday: Today we headed out with SPC Whirlwind's family to the nearby town of Hockenheim to visit the "Aquadrom" swimming pool. The place is pretty cool and offers a variety of swimming pools. There is a wave pool, a salt water pool, a lap pool, a couple slides, a regular diving board along with a high dive. The pools are located both inside and outside and for 20.50 euro we were able to purchase a family day pass, which isn't too bad. The kids had a blast and were so worn out by the time we left, they all slept for the rest of the day at our house. This isn't going to help them get used to the time change!

Monday: Officially it's a work day, but I got the day off. I reminded my boss that our commander said we would all get a day off for all the time we put in for the change of command ceremony. Everyone else got their day off except for me, so I decided to collect today. To tell you the truth I didn't think I would ever collect, but as luck would have it, I was given the day off.

I took my wife to work and then hung out with my kiddos all day. I took my daughter in to get her EFMP (Exceptional Family Member Program) screening done today. This is the next step in getting her command sponsorship paperwork done. I was told I could just walk in, so I headed in after lunch. Once there we found out that of course, there are 3 other steps that need to be done before they can do the EFMP screening. Step 1, go to TRICARE and get a mini-registration done. Step 2, Schedule a physical for my daughter. Step 3, get the physical done and the paperwork signed, then I can go back to EFMP. The guy told me that we can do the mini-registration in the building next door at the TRICARE office.

We head over, sign in and wait to be called. A few minutes later we get called and head up only to find out that all mini-registrations are done at another post. My daughter was getting frustrated and I just laughed and told her this is how everything goes when I try and do anything in the army. We went to the other post and she did get her mini-registration done. I then headed home and we were able to schedule the appointment for the physical this Thursday.

I picked up my wife and we all had family dinner together and then watched a family movie together. I only wish I had the next 5 weeks off as well, but unfortunately I have to go back to work tomorrow.

Adventures with the UMT - (Germany) Day 161

A look at the train coming down the hill. This special train gives passengers 

a ride to the top of the hill...almost straight to the castle. 

5 Euro for a round trip ticket and entrance to the castle...not too bad.

This morning's PT was the ol' run a half mile lap, then do 25 push-ups and 25 sit-ups. Our NCOIC told the instructor to make sure everyone did 6 laps, then proceeded to leave. We did our stretching and warm-ups which included jumping jacks..nothing major…or so I thought. I then walked my laps around, but did the push-ups each time. I did not want to hurt my back with the run or the sit-ups.

After PT was over, I headed home and got ready as usual. This morning however, I changed into civilian clothes. Today is "Adventures with the UMT". It used to be called "Duty Day with God", but I guess they had to be more PC…or perhaps make the atheists feel more welcome. UMT is "Unit Ministry Team" and for those who signed up, the adventure was a trip to the Heidelberg Castle. I decided to sign up, not only because I get to wear civilian clothes, but also because I don't have to go into the office!

We met up at 0900 and headed off post to catch a street car that took us downtown. From there we headed to the castle taking a train that climbs up the mountain from downtown. I've been to the castle before, but I was under the impression we would be having a guided tour. The guided tour actually lets you see a lot more of the castle and you get a lot more history of the castle as well. Unfortunately due to budget cuts, there was no guided tour. We paid for the normal admission and checked out the castle. It is always fun to see, and also offers a great view of the city below. I spent some time taking a break and having a coffee in the little cafe located inside the castle.

We then gathered up after an hour of free time at the castle and headed down. We ate at an outside cafe and then stopped at an ice cream shop on the way back. It was a good trip and a nice day to spend away from the office. There were 17 of us total including a few spouses and even a couple kids.

We were released at 1430 and while most people headed home to enjoy the rest of the day off, I had to run some errands. My ex-wife just realized my kids passports had expired. So now it has become an emergency on my part because of her lack of planning. I had to get some paperwork signed and notarized at our JAG office so my kids can get their passports. But just faxing or emailing a copy is not good enough for the passports, I have to mail them. So I went to the FedEx office and paid about $75 to have them express shipped to my ex-wife. Good Grief! Talk about stress. Now she has to get their passports renewed and pay the express delivery fee in order to get them back in time to make the trip over here. I've already purchased the tickets and would be extremely pissed if they do not make it over for the summer. It will be a life changing experience for them staying and seeing another country.

I then headed to our education office to get things squared away with school once again. I need to get back on track to getting my bachelors degree! What I haven't mentioned yet is all throughout the day my back was getting pretty sore. What started in the middle of my back extended through to the top of my neck and in my head. Before I knew it I couldn't even turn my back or neck without extreme pain. My head was pounding and I could barely walk. I thought back to when I first started to feel it and it was shortly after PT. It seems something as little as jumping jacks has totally screwed me up. I feel like my body is falling apart! Right now I feel like a freakin' old man who can barely move. I tried to rest when I got home and I'm hoping a night's sleep will help. I'll be trying to make an appointment tomorrow to see if there is something wrong with more of my back now. Ugggghhh!
 

Weekend Wrap-Up - (Germany) Day 159 & 160

Schlossbeleuchtung...the lighting of the Heidelberg Castle

Saturday: It's always nice to sleep in! We took it easy in the morning as usual on a normal weekend. Being able to enjoy the little things like eating breakfast and enjoying some coffee with my wife is priceless. We cleaned up a little around the house and then ended up heading out to the PX to pick up a couple things. I ended up checking out the power zone (the electronics store on post) while the Bose road show was going on. My wife and I ended up getting a new surround sound system for our living room. We called it an anniversary present to ourselves because we didn't want to pass up the $400 savings they were offering today. I then spent the rest of the afternoon taking out the old system and installing the new system. Everything sounds great and has been acoustically adjusted for our living room. We watch a lot of movies and TV shows, so I'm going to say it's a good investment. :)

In the evening we headed out with SPC Whirlwind and his wife along with my sponsor and his fiancé. We headed out to a small restaurant in Heidelberg for a drink and dinner, then headed to the "Schlossbeleuchtung" This is where the Heidelberg castle lighting happens. They make the castle look like it's on fire, which is done in memory of the three times when the castle went up in flames (1689, 1693, & 1764). The first two times were due to wars with the French, and the last time by lightning.

We found a spot across the river and waited until it got dark. The place was full of people waiting to see the event. There were also tour boats on the river loaded with people to watch. Finally the castle lit up in red flickering lights. There were some fireworks that went off at the castle and it stayed on "fire" for a while. The smoke from the fireworks added to the effect, which was pretty cool. Then a bunch of fireworks were set off from the old bridge and that was that…the event was over.

We headed back to our place and turned in for the night.

Sunday: Slept in again and then ended up doing a lot more cleaning around the house. Spring cleaning if you will. I also put together a dresser we bought earlier at Ikea. Once we were finished up, we relaxed, watched a TV show, then headed off to pick up SPC Whirlwind and his wife.

We headed off to a restaurant we've heard quite a bit about. The place is called "Die Kartoffel" (The Potato) and is in a little town called Ladenburg about 20 minutes away. The restaurant was a small little place and what was unique about it was the way they served the steak. It came out on a hot stone and you basically cooked it yourself. The food was awesome as was the experience. We took a walk around the village afterwards to look around because it was all very "old town" German style. Cobblestone streets, small roads, and Bavarian style houses and shops all around…and of course a large church dominating the skyline.

My steak and baked potato at the table....mmmmmm

The church in downtown Ladenburg

Downtown Ladenburg

Weekend Wrap-Up (4-Day) - (Germany) Days 18 - 21

The Old Bridge with Heidelberg Castle in the background

Friday: We slept in until about 0800 and then ate breakfast. We wanted to make sure that we got out a little this weekend because we haven't left this post since New Years Eve together. Unfortunately the day started off with rain, so we quickly made our way to the joint Burger King/Anthony's Pizza establishment next to the gate. We had some pizza which I don't think we'll be doing again. Eight dollars and change is a little too much for a meal deal that doesn't really even fill you up. Luckily by the time we finished lunch the rain had stopped. I promptly called a taxi and we headed outside the post.

Taxis are not allowed on post, so when one is called we have to walk outside the gate and make our way about a quarter mile down the road to where they will pick us up. We headed down to Bismarckplatz, which is a central hub in downtown Heidelberg. It's connected to Hauptstrasse which is a main street filled with a number of stores along the way. It's pretty much an outdoor shopping mall on old cobblestone streets. We made our way down looking at stores, looking at people, and sipping on a Starbucks coffee.

The architecture is what you see in all the German postcards and such. We made our way to the old bridge over the Neckar River. The stone bridge in this location was first constructed in 1786, but like many bridges in Germany it was destroyed during World War II. It has since been reconstructed and retains the old look and feel. Looking up from the old bridge you can see Heidelberg Castle.

After taking some pictures we made our way to the castle. Unsure of how to get there we just headed towards it until we saw signs. There was a walkway that we took instead of the cable car. The castle is very impressive and was fun to check out. The courtyard and everything around the castle is free, but you have to pay 5 Euros for admission to get inside. Once inside we were impressed, but also a little disappointed at how little we were able to see. There is a Keg room containing "Das Grosse Fass" The Big Keg, which is amazingly huge. There is also some great views of the city below. They do offer guided tours which allow you to see even more of the castle, which I think we will definitely do next time we visit. This time we just wanted to do the basics and check everything out.

We headed back and then caught a taxi back to PHV. Once back at our place we both realized how tired we were. We did a lot of walking around and both felt exhausted. Until we get our car this isn't a trip we'll be able to do too often. Round trip the taxi cost a little over 30 Euro which is close to $40. We have to keep that in mind anytime we want to venture out.

I think I mentioned earlier, but I'll mention it once again. I'll be posting pictures on this blog every once in a while, but I'll also be placing the majority of my Germany Experience on the Flickr site I made. (Edit: since Flickr is now limiting the number of photos that can be uploaded without a paid membership, I've begun moving them to Google Photos and deleting them from my Flickr account)

Saturday: Today was truly a lazy day. We both didn't do much of anything except play around on the Internet or watch TV shows on my computer. Honestly I can't even write anything more because not much else happened!

Sunday: We didn't do a whole lot today either, except jog to The Strong Hold to get a work out and then jog back. I took it easy on the workout because I'm so out of shape and I know I'll be going back to normal PT pretty soon. I don't want to die when I start doing company PT, but I don't want to be too sore either. I'm trying to balance and ease my way back into shape.

The only other exciting thing we did was make a trip to the commissary. We make frequent trips because we don't have a car and we only grab what we can hand carry back to our place. It has been such a blessing having a kitchen and having my wife. Even though we don't have much as far as kitchen supplies go, she does an amazing job of making us meals. For a year in Korea, if I wasn't eating out, I was eating in my room from microwavable food. That can get pretty boring after a while, and I cherish every bite I get now.

Monday: Monday was an almost exact carbon copy of Sunday. We have the day off for Martin Luther King. We worked out and then watched TV shows. I watched UFC 142, which had some awesome knockouts. I also ate some more great home cooked meals!

I contacted my sponsor and found out he had staff duty tonight, so he will not be picking me up tomorrow. Instead I'll have one of the sergeants from the office picking me up, but the good news is that it will be a little after 0900, so I'll keep the same schedule I've been on since I've been here. No PT in the morning…yet. Not exactly sure what I'll be doing tomorrow…I guess we'll see.

Weekend Wrap-Up (New Years) - (Germany) Days 4-7

Me and my new co-workers

Friday: It's a 4-day weekend because of New Years Day. This morning we slept in until about 0900. I am still not acclimated to the new time zone yet. I woke up at 0400 and tossed and turned until about 0600 before getting back to sleep. We had a pretty low key day and just hung out in our room for the first half of the day. We tried to figure out our budget, but it's a little hard when I'm not sure exactly what I'll be making with all the changes in my pay. What we do know is that it's going to be very tight until my wife can get a job. That is going to be priority number one once we get moved into the new unit. We walked around Patrick Henry Village and stopped by our new unit so we could walk around it and make a list of items we need to buy for it. I was surprised to see with the outlets that it had an equal number of American outlets and the European outlets for power. When I was reading about moving here I read that some of the places don't have many at all, so I was pretty happy to see that we will have plenty. I was not looking forward to buying little transformers so I could hook up my TV and such.

We then went to the commissary to pick up some minor things to last until we move into our new unit. We can't really do much because we don't have a car and we have no idea how to even get to town. We watched UFC 140 on my laptop which I had been waiting to watch for a while. It was a great fight card from start to finish!

Saturday: (New Years Eve)…We had an extremely mellow day for the most part. My wife and I slept in and then just hung out in our PJs eating breakfast and watching some shows. The weather outside kept switching from overcast to drizzle, so we never even ventured outside all day. It wasn't until about 1900 that we ended up leaving our room.

We were originally going to meet up with my sponsor in a cab right outside of the main gate to head out, but it turned out that a sergeant he is friends with came and picked us up and then picked up my sponsor to head out. The first place we stopped at was actually an army bar called "Slapshots". The plan was to have a couple drinks at reasonable prices before heading out on the German economy where everything is a bit more expensive because of the exchange rate. The place was OK and after a bit we met some more folks from my office. Before long we headed out via a cab to downtown Heidelberg. I was excited to finally get out and see the city!

It was hard to see much because it was already dark, but what I did see made me excited to come back during the day sometime. The history of this old university town is going to be wonderful to explore. We all headed to a place called "Shooters" where a number of interesting shots kept being passed around and consumed. At this point was the moment my new co-workers decided to initiate me into the 43 Signal Battalion. I had to first give my consent to the bartender for the next drink "The Monica Lewinsky"…this in and of itself gave me some concern. I've never had to give consent before having a drink before. The next thing I know the bartender tells me to close my eyes, tilt my head back and open my mouth. The bartender then says get ready to swallow and do not stop! I'm thinking to myself "oh crap…what am I getting myself into?" and proceed to follow his instructions. I felt something rubber in my mouth and then liquid started pouring down my throat. I hear the bartender tell me to keep swallowing and don't stop. My eyes are closed and I'm doing the best I can to just keep going and going. Finally I finish up and open my eyes to see some rubber phallic contraption connected to a bottle of beer. I just chugged an entire bottle in a few seconds.

We hung out at Shooters for a while longer before heading out to another bar they called "The Metro". We basically just "people watched" there for a while until it was close to midnight. We then headed through crowds of people to what they call "The Old Bridge" which itself was packed full of people. Even though we still had about 10 minutes before the new year people were already shooting off fireworks. They were coming from all directions. From the middle of the old bridge we were able to look up and see Heidelberg Castle illuminated in lights which was a pretty impressive site.

So here we were, my wife, me, my sponsor, and a co-worker all on the bridge with fireworks going off literally all around us. It was pretty crazy and unlike anything I've ever experienced. People would ignite a sparkler and just throw it in the middle of the crowd. I saw a roman candle going off sideways shooting people in the feet. The stroke of midnight hit and the only thing that changed was the intensity of the fireworks. There were also more professional fireworks going off as well. Lights…explosions…cheers…campaign being sprayed, it was a little disorienting. I gave my wife a new years kiss and we tried to soak it all in. We are in Germany celebrating the new year…and we are together finally!

After a while we made our way from the old bridge to another bar called coyotes. I'm not sure when the partying was going to settle down outside, but it seemed as if it still had many hours left in it. After one last drink we ended up catching a cab and heading back to post. We live in Patrick Henry Village as I've said earlier, but we now know that everyone including the German taxi cab drivers just call it "PHV". No taxis are allowed on post, so after being dropped at the gate we walked to our place and called it a night. It was about 0230 and we were both exhausted…but what a night!

Sunday: (New Years Day) Today was a little strange as my wife and I both just kind of hung out in our room. We have no car and didn't feel like going anywhere on post, so we just stayed in our room the entire day and either poked around on the internet or watched TV. Not much else to say other than it was nice to be with my wife even though we didn't do anything.

Monday: Another pretty lazy day. My sponsor said he would be calling and we were all going to head down to Heidelberg and check out all the shops. We never settled on an exact time, so my wife and I just kind of hung out after getting ready, then decided to start a "Sons of Anarchy" marathon. Both of us had heard it was pretty good. My wife had even started watching the most current season.

After lunch we figured my sponsor was not going to call. I found out that Mission Impossible III was playing tonight on post, so we decided to have a little date night with dinner and a movie. There isn't much in the way of restaurants on PHV. There is The Village Grill and Burger King. After walking to The Village Grill we found out that it's closed on Mondays. Plan B…we grabbed a gyro from a vendor that is outside the shoppette and headed back to our room before heading to the movie. Mission Impossible III turned out to be a pretty decent movie, but even though it was an action movie it did have a couple slow spots.