So, I had a nice long blog mentally planned, inclusive of pictures of beautiful Bavaria, and guess what? My computer with all the pictures is at our new house and I am at our hotel room. So, you're going to get the abridged version of my post, minus the pictures. And be patient, because pictures may not come for a while.
The most pressing thing on our plates right now is moving in. The government furniture arrived at our place today (extra dressers and bedside tables we didn't have), and our furniture will arrive tomorrow. So basically, we move in tomorrow. Woot! Now, we will only have our furniture, no plates/bowls/pans/utensils, but we will have a bed, bookshelves, dining room set and a few other very cool items.
For the government furniture to be delivered, I had to be available to be at the house from 8-5. Because I couldn't leave, I asked my friends Krista and Veronica if they wanted to come over and entertain me. They very kindly obliged, and even brought a delicious crab salad w/ pita bread lunch, complete with Kashi crackers, fruit salad, and banana bread for dessert! You should see these ladies with their little girls though, they're incredible! They are always completely equipped for any emergency, any cry, or just with a blanket to plop their kids on with a bucket of toys handy with which to entertain them. I am always amazed at the never-ending display of kiddie technology, and how well these ladies have utilized them!
I told you last time about this great phone rate that we'll be getting. Well, there's some bad news to go with that as well. When we went to ask when everything was going to be connected, they told us that there was no DSL (fast internet) available in the area. Meaning we would have to use dial-up for the low low rate of 5 EU a month base rate and 1 EU per hour of internet use. WHAT?! That's an awful rate! For someone who is used to being able to plop down anywhere on campus, open my computer, and get some of the fastest wireless available, going back to dial-up would be a 11-year digression in technology, and a multiplier of 10 in frustration.
Matt and I couldn't believe that an upscale neighborhood the size of ours would not have DSL, but the lady swore to us up and down that it didn't. So this morning when I was talking with my landlord, I asked him what he used for his business (his business is located 50 yards down the street), and what did he say? DSL of course. So, we're going to go back to the phone/internet people and tell them they're lying SOB's and we want them to check it out again. It's not the price that necessarily gets to us, it's the fact that the service is so awful. It wouldn't be so bad for Matt because he'll have a computer at work, but there he's not even allowed to check personal email accounts or other fun distractions like that.
The job search for me is going interestingly. I tried to get in touch with the Army Corps of Engineers in Graf (nearby post), but the old guy who answered the phone sounding a little confused said there were no jobs. Well, more precisely, he asked me if I saw any jobs on the internet, and I said no, so he said "well then we have no positions available." He wouldn't even give me a chance to send my resume. So I think I'm going to hunt their office down, walk down, hand them my resume and walk around the office to see if it even looks interesting enough to pursue. The guy asked me if I wanted an administrative job, and, trying not to smart from the blow to my dignity, I politely said I that the reason I called them was that I wanted an engineering job, and that I would be able to get an administrative job at other places if need be. Call me prideful, but I'd like to work in my degree, not for the people with my degree.
I had originally mentioned that I'd like to pursue a master's, but the degree that I wanted (International Relations) isn't offered here. Of course it said it was online, but when I went to the education building, they told me the internet lied and they would fix the problem promptly. So, I might become a substitute high school teacher when school starts up in late August, or perhaps I'll work for very little money at the framing shop on Graf's post. I'm a little exasperated to say the least with my options. I wanted to be settled with some job prospect before Matt left for Iraq, but that doesn't look like it'll happen. Who knows, the medical records technician looks like it pays well, but other than that it's only food/store jobs that are available.
So, because I think I said this very obscurely earlier, I will not have internet connection after tomorrow morning because we will be (finally) out of the hotel. Our house won't have internet until next week at the earliest. If you don't hear from me in a couple of weeks, then I might start worrying, but other than that, I'm sure we're fine.
We might go to Berlin this weekend, I'm not sure. I've taken two classes of spin recently, and I really enjoy it. Next week I'm going to be taking a class that will teach me more about the military, my role in it, and how to maneuver within the lingo/bureaucracy/ranks/etc. Um...other than that, things are pretty normal. The memorial service was poignant, and anything but contrived. Taps is one of the most mournful songs I've ever heard, and I definitely cried when it started playing. The poor widow was a high school graduate with a baby. Man, God's plans are definitely mysteries to me.
I think that's it. I'll try to write and have pictures as soon as I can. Trust me, it's not fun for me to be out of contact either! Miss you all.
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