Week Twenty-Six: Half Year Mark!

Week Twenty-Six: Holy Peacocks, Batman!

Oh wowzers! Week twenty-six is here, and with it comes the marking my by first half year in this foreign, foreign locale. The movie feeling has long since faded, and the sheer number of castle I've seen has-

Okay, so I still want more castles. I like castles. I like wandering slowly through them, imagining how they used to be, tracing the eroded stone relief carvings. I like imagining what this or that may have once been. Six months alter, and no, I haven't received my fill of castles. So there. I could use more castle. And relics. And old stuff. I like the old stuff.

There are parts of it I don't like, and may parts I've yet to experience. I still have time. Overall, my time in Germany has been...okay. I can safely say I'm not an ounce German, nor am I enamored by the culture. While it's been a definite adventure, it's not have as adventurous as I'm sure I'll be able to make it sound later on.

I'm glad I have the chance though! I plan on traveling more of Europe sometime soon! This isn't exactly the sort of thing that I'll get to do often at all, and if I'm going to be cosmopolitan, I might was well be well traveled!

Mostly, I wanted to not that it's been six months since I moved here, and I'm still a little home sick. My home is on Pleasure Island, Alabama, and I know it. I'll live there again some day, but until then, I'm okay. God holds me in his hands after all.

As for what's been going on recently? Well, I went on a handful of dates. They were interesting. Dating as a college student who doesn't party is a bit meh. You're too poor to spend money, too busy to go far, and I don't know about this clicking thing. I've discovered that about the only difference between college and high school dates is that there's more homework in the way on college dates.

Besides, right now, we're short around five people on my shift at work, so I have zip in the free time department! One fired, one deceased, one coming down with something, and two quit. It's been a busy holiday weekend, I can tell you that. Between making cookies that made their way into our stomach, after being left at home instead of taken to the school party, to serving people in a pirate costume at work, I can tell you my Halloween was busier than it's ever been.

Halloween is pretty different over here. Most of Germany doesn't celebrate Halloween like America does. What they do instead, I don't know, because the base has been around so long, that here they have a very American Halloween!

A lot of the German kids end up on base, trick or treating with family friends, during the base trick or treat date, and on Halloween itself, both American and German kids wander the streets for candy, dressed up! I couldn't tell you my favorite costume of the night. It was all rather fun though, and I enjoyed the holiday spirit. Work's been heavy due to the holiday and all it's celebrations, but that's okay.

It certainly pays!

Hey, since I was late, I'm going to write today's happenings too! I woke up too late to do anything but skedaddle. (And, you know, fix my dinner and eat quickly.) So I didn't post today, but I will tell you despite heading into work it was an adventure. I've been on drive thru all day. Unfortunately, around five o'clock, the drive thru headsets began to randomly shut off, or declare of out of range. So our drive thru because super old fashioned. That is, to say, they drove up to the window and we took their order at one, and money at the other. Our timer, that tells us how fast we're doing, messed up also. It was slightly confusing, because we thought our time was getting worse, at first, until we figured out that the timer stopped working at the same time as the headsets! It stops counting around one hour and eight minutes by the way.

We did manage to get the headsets working, but this happened in the middle of rush. At least everyone knew their order when they got to the window? Either way, sorry for the tardy post, but we made it!

One Final Byte: American Holidays in foreign locales are very fun.

Week Twenty-Five: Sex Ed

Ack! I missed Wednesday! Where'd it go! No joke guys, today felt like a Friday, so sorry for the lateness. The sibs had a day off of school and that throws me So. Far. Off. So, this week is supposed to be my political rantings. Or something to do with Americaness. The epiphany thingy.

But to tell you the truth, other than being proud that Occupy Wall Street is growing and spreading, I have little to talk about. Right now, I'm still trying to sort everything out, and school has been all kinds of WHAM this past week.

I suppose I could relate to you a conversation I had about sex education with a European. They've raised their child in a very European way, but lived in the states for some time. Not uncommon, after all. I am on a military base.

The conversation came up because she was confused why, at nine, the littlest wasn't big on adult topics, and why we tried to prevent them around her. Her daughter, apparently, had been. All my attempts at explaining didn't go over well. I was, to be honest, a bit blind sided by the topic. I'm not a parent. I'm a sister, I'm an aunt, but I'm not a major part of my sister or my nieces lives when it comes to the Talk. In fact, I fully intend on being far, far away when it is given. Maybe China. Or Japan. Or the moon. The moon sounds good.

I can tell you what I know of course. I know that at nine, I knew about the body parts, and knew that birth control existed. I had sex education, in the form of body education. We learned how babies were made, by watching a really old school video, about our bodies. The classes were segregated by gender.

But people didn't actively discuss it. At most we giggled awkwardly, embarrassed to have out teacher talk to us about this. Most of our parents had given us a short version of the Talk at least, around this age, to prepare us for the lesson that of course they knew about. You couldn't attend without a signature.

I know that at that age, I couldn't watch shows like the Simpson's, or anything with even vaguely adult humor. I was a very sheltered kid though, and part of it had to do with where I was living. I had seen animals go at it, with only a vague understanding and a serious level of disgust.

Her child, at this age, knew about sex. Watched shows where sex was discussed frequently. Didn't watch cartoons, but preferred more adult oriented programming. For me, I've never even seen some of the shows she named, so can't comment, other than having heard nothing remotely interesting about them.

But I can tell you now, that when I do have kids, they aren't going to watch shows with a bunch of gossiping idiot women who like to discuss men's equipment and favorite positions. That can wait until they are out of my house, thank you!

Maybe it's a European thing, maybe is a non-Christian thing, but I don't think teen pregnancy is caused by teen's not knowing. They do know. They've been told for years, and they have older siblings, or friend's with older siblings, or neighbor, or some one close enough that they'll have some clue what sex is. They'll know the possible results of their actions. For some of them, it's so much a part of their family's culture and the culture of where they live they can't imagine anything else. Others are horrified, and know they've made a mistake. But they cannot say they don't know, whether they attended sex ed classes or not.

I don't know. I do know that kids mature at different ages, and that certainly plays a factor, but I would struggle with any child of mine maturing quite so rapidly.

One Final Byte: Oh yeah, I may have a cute boyfriend.

Week Twenty-four: In the stillness

I saw a falling star this week. It was late at night, and I was late getting off work. I was freezing, because it was cold. Who am I kidding, it was about three degrees above freezing here, and I was wet from doing the floors. This put me in a horrible mood. Mind you, biking home is never the most fun thing out there, but normally I at least get to think on things. It's very peaceful.

I have this hill I have to bike up on the way home. It's the final hill before I hit the village I live in. It's huge. Or at least, it feels it. The truth is, it starts out not so bad, but the last little bit is very steep. So I struggle to get up it, late at night, when I'm cold and tired. Most of the time, I make it half way up the hill then dismount and walk up the rest. This time, I gave up a quarter of the way up abd began to walk.

It's beautiful, the night sky here Normally I pause at least once in my bike ride to just look up and see the stars. I love this part because it's just this moment of serene peace. As I was walking up that hill, I look up and lo and behold, there was a falling star.

Have you ever seen a falling star? It's this line that flashes across the sky then is gone in a blink. It's an awe-inspiring site.

I didn't make a wish. Instead, I'm savign my falling star wish for a rainy day.

These past two weeks have been busy for me. I had my final in math this past Wednesday, and we've been preparing for my dad to go TDY. It was canceled however, which is something of a relieve. I've been very busy with school, and work, so I don't get nearly as much time to just relax now. But I try and take out a few minutes of each day just to breath.

Some days, it's harder than others. Other days, you just want to scream! When I was on my way home, I was furious, I was angry, and I wanted out! My job is fun and all, but it doesn't work as well with my classes as it could, and it's cold biking home late at night! Very cold! So sometimes I'm more frustrated than I should be.

When that happens, it's easiest just to sit back, relax, and know that all really is well. I have a home, and food in my belly. I'm going to school in such a manner that I won't have to begger myself to afford my degree. I've worked out a degree seeking plan to transfer over, and I'm busting my butt at work to pay for all of this. I may not have the latest in gadgets and gizmos, but I have my health and my friends and my God.

Sometimes, you just have to take a step back and realize this.

One Final Byte: Knowing how to relax is a wonderful thing.

Week Twenty-Three: Occupy Wall Street

Well. This is what I'm talking about! Finally, my generation is doing something worth it! I spoke in Week Seventeen about a paradigm shift, about my realizing how lucky we, as Americans, are. I asked a question then, as I worried about the general public not doing anything, and the government regulations expanding continuously.

“When will the rest of the choir speak up, unified, to make their song be heard?”

Well! I certainly got my answer didn't I! And it was as if the general public rose up, and what started as a few become thousands. Thousands protesting in the streets and millions agreeing with them. I Am Proud. And yes, there is some violence, but there is some violence no matter what.

Now consider the size of the protests compared to the incidents of violence, and think on that for a bit. These aren't a bunch of young liberals either. There are teachers, soldiers, sailors, and yes, even humble librarian are rising up.

The biggest accusation that the media presents are that these are a bunch of liberals who have no clear leadership and no clear demands. I hate to tell the media this, but they have leadership that acts with the consent of it's people and many protestors in the civil rights era couldn't tell you what they protested for, only that they were fighting something horrible.

And I think the demands are pretty clear. The banks who didn't use the bail out money how they were supposed to need to be punished. Investigations need to be launched into big wig CEOs, especially the ones that the Americans public suspects of inside trading. No more lobbiers writing the bills that go through congress. No more FED.

A revolution. The American people want an economic revolution, a political revolution. They don't want corporations to be treated as citizens, because frankly, corporations make horrible citizens.

One of the accusations is that this protests is against capitalism. Please don't be fooled. Open your eyes, look around. Using the internet, these protestors are organizing themselves to protests in more than just the North East. There are 'Occupy Meetups' in 1,360 cities at the time of this writing.

This isn't a protest again capitalism. This is a protest against statism, against misuse of government tn order to gain money.

“[...] If we are to keep the term "capitalism" at all, then, we must distinguish between "free-market capitalism" on the one hand, and "state capitalism" on the other. The two are as different as day and night in their nature and consequences. Free-market capitalism is a network of free and voluntary exchanges in which producers work, produce, and exchange their products for the products of others through prices voluntarily arrived at. State capitalism consists of one or more groups making use of the coercive apparatus of the government — the State — to accumulate capital for themselves by expropriating the production of others by force and violence [...]” -- Murray N. Rothbard, 1972 [1]

Imagine. Corporations, no longer allowed to write laws to send to the government. People able to trust the government once more. Imagine a government that protected, not used, the people, and imagine how different the world would be. It's not just in America now, it's growing steadily, world wide. Take a look at the map on Occupy Together. Not every protest is big. But they are happening.

Even now, the Occupy Wall St is using the democratic process in order to make a formal list of demands. Go to their website, look it up yourself. Vote.

Think you're alone? At the bottom of this post is a Google+ feed of pictures of the protestors. There's an Occupy Wall St Tumbler. On it are pictures and statements from the 99%. Let your voice be heard, even if it's only the single vote, or a single picture. Be proud. Be heard. And let the White House know that we won't stand for this any more.

One Final Byte: Freedom is worth only what you put in it.

http://www.occupytogether.org/actions/

http://mises.org/daily/3735

https://plus.google.com/photos/112353210404102902472/albums/5658628267519370497

Week Twenty-Two: The Fragility of Life

Last Thursday evening, about fifteen minutes before work began, I was informed of why my manager seemed in tears. A co-worker of mine had died last night, in a car accident. It looked like he had taken a corner too fast. He was seventeen. While normally I wouldn't tell you the events I have planned, today I will.

Today I will spend most of my day in the company of evening shift workers. We worked with the young man who died. We'll have a potluck lunch together, then go to the memorial service. The seventeen year old's funeral will be in the states, so that his family can attend.

I don't have much to say about what's happened the past tow weeks, not for me personally. Between school and work, I didn't attend Octoberfest, and with the distressing news, I didn't do much of anything. For simplicity's sake, I'm going to call the young man B.

B was a christian, a quarterback, involved in clubs, good at school. He was the type of kid you can see growing into a family man. His family had no problems, and he never talked about ever fighting with his parents. When the family came to eat at our workplace, he'd go out, say hello, and give his mom a hug. B was a good kid.

The base commander sent a chaplain to our work the day after he heard. One by one, which each broke down with the chaplain to comfort us. Even our manager, an atheist, was comforted somewhat.

I was not close to B, but he was a good worker, and willing to help out. His girlfriend also worked at Burger King. They had not been dating for more than a month. On Friday was homecoming.

Life is sad. It's short and sweet, and for some it's shorter than others. People rarely expect it to be so short, and never expect to lose a kid who didn't deserve to die.

The chaplain did say something to me though. He reminded me that God has a plan, and even this said event, this horrible event served a purpose. B had dedicated his life to God, and I believe even his death had a reason beyond he took a corner too fast. He had only been driving a month. There is a small candle where he died. The daughter of the evening manager, who was friend with B and went to school with him, came in the other day with a pair of broken glasses. She and her sister had been out to the crash site. They had found his glasses.

Tomorrow, we're going to give them to his parents. I know that if someone had found my mom's glasses, I would have wanted them and this seems the right thing to do. As for me, this merely cements my feelings on the month of September. It is the saddest month I know.

I don't have much more to say. I know this blog is short, and I know most of you who read this aren't interested in a nameless boy in an accident, other than to say, how sad. But I can tell you that this boy, nameless to you, touched more lives in seventeen years than many people much older.

One Final Byte: I hope one day, cars no longer kill.

Week Twenty-One: Where is Snoopy?

Why I won't Vote in Any Incumbents that didn't get a B in College Economics:

Well, for one, there is this budget fiasco. Again. For two, there is this, oh, I dunno, recession thing that's going on about our ears. For three, they can't seem to play nice, so if they are going to be rude little berks, they can be rude little berks who actually have some idea of economics.

Okay, okay, I know. College was a long time ago for these guys, I know. And really, they're politicians, we can't expect them to behave in a civilized manner when all they are about is looking good. Quite frankly, I expect Paris Hilton and all of her little air headed rich foolish friends to be better behaved and have more manners than the average DC politician. This, by the way, says something. I expect someone who has been in Drug Rehab to behave better than some one who is in LAW.

That's kind of sad, but here's the fact. With stars, WYSIWYG applies. What you see is what you get. They throw temper tantrums if they've been in the public eye since they were small kids, because, essentially, they never grew out of being a kid. They just had hormones (horror-moans) added to the mix. With politicians, they actively claw to be in front of the camera, in the public eye, to remind their constituents of how fabulous they are, and why they should be voted for. Seriously, dudes, I'm sick and tired of politicians.

Do you know what I want? I want a statesman. I want to vote for a dignified man, who won't behave like a toddler if he doesn't get his way. I want a man that will tackle issues that had long term effects and provide long term solutions to big problems. I want a man in government that knows the meaning of the word compromise and understands that campaign promises are more like campaign goals, because he doesn't hold all the power. No one does, not even the President.

I want some one who is intelligent, well educated, has run a business, and knows how to work with people, and when people just can't be worked with. I want some one with a sense of humor and religion, to keep him happy and grounded.

Let's face it, about the only politician out there that I've described is a white dog, with black ears and an enormous snout. He belongs to a boy in a yellow shirt with a black zig zag stripe around it, and the dog answers to the name 'Snoopy.'

So, heap big politicians, do me a favor, and be more like Snoopy. He's a good Dog, a great statesmen, and can fly his dog house in dog fights in the sky! Also, he's an all around good guy, and frankly, wouldn't be getting into this mess.

Unfortunately, there are no Snoopy's in any of the three branches of Government. Just an awful lot of Lucys, a handful of pig pens, and a one too many Peppermint Patties. I think we have some of the Charlie Brown minor characters too, in the form of bullies. However, I will say this!

The one thing each politician in Congress right now has in common with Good Ole Charlie Brown is that he is a complete and total BLOCKHEAD!

One Final Byte: There are many hills between base and home.

Week Twenty: Spiders and Drivers

Spiders, and Drivers

Wow, what a week. I say this because I've been sick since last Thursday, and, while I still am a little sick, I'm doing much better. Unfortunately, I did miss class on Monday and a quiz, not that they would have thanks me for coming! I'm not entirely sure they'll thank me for coming tonight, but I've another quiz on Monday, so rather need to go. There's a study session on Saturday I'd like to attend as well, to be honest. Gotta get all caught up!

The most amusing thing that happened this weekend happened last Thursday, right as I was coming down with a bad cold. I was working front cash, thanks to the mercy of my manager, and it was fairly slow. So at the time this happens, I notice everyone congregating around the view screens of the drive thru. Weird, I think, and finish taking the order and go to check this out.

Most drive thrus have a clearance sign. Why? Because most drive thrus have a roof hanging over to prevent the cashier and the driver's arms from getting completely soaked on rainy days. This is a boon. Apparently, all truck driver don't notice these clearance signs, or know the clearance of their truck. We had a delivery van coming through our driver through, and he struck the clearance sign.

Please understand. The sign was in English, and he was German. The signed are even made so that when struck, rather than breaking, they turn. So we are staring at the truck with our clearance sign scrapping along the side of it and the driver doesn't even notice. Wow.

Anyway, the person is drive thru wasn't concerned at first, nor was the manager. Apparently, they forgot that clearance signs have a purpose and that purpose is to keep truck from running into the roof of the building. I pointed this out, and that there was indeed an overhang there. The manager looks out the window, looks up, sighs, and has the drive thru cashier ask the man to back out because he can't come through. This man, by the way, is a frequent customer. He also smells very strongly and usually comes inside.

He had to come inside anyway, as it fast became clear that there would be no turning the sign back to it's original position. No one could do it. So yes, the insurance companies had to be informed. This poor man is going to have to pay out of pocket for an expense because he wasn't paying any attention at all. The insurance companies may cover some, but I doubt they'll cover all.

The sign, by the way, was bent, cracked, and fairly well mangled. I got to take pictures for insurance purposes. It was much fun. This, by the way, was the highlight of my week.

So, my two online classes started Friday. Geez! I have to post on a discussion board nightly in one, and on the other, I must leave two to three insightful comments on the other students assignments. You have no clue how hard it is to provide insightful comments when you are disturbingly obviously the youngest in the class, and they're posts make it clear they all have decades of experience on you. It's the same way in my computer class.

Still, I can work ahead in either if I want, which is nice. I plan on it too. I've got a paper due tonight of course, on my computer class, by midnight EST. That, by the way, is way after I've gone to sleep, so I'll likely write it up later tonight. It's not a hard class. For that matter, the question is disturbingly like the ones in my high school computer class. Oh well!

Neither class is hard, it's just very different for me. I've had blended courses of course, most people can't get through college now without having at least one, but a completely online class is a new thing. Still, needs must! I can only afford one class in person right now with my work schedule. If I change jobs and change to a 7-3 schedule of 8-4 then maybe I could get away with more than one, but that's a big maybe. There is a Child Development Center on base those, and I've been debating applying there. I'm pretty good with small kids, after all, and it's not like there won't be things for them to do there, so I won't be the sole entertainment.

Honestly, I'd probably be an assistant anyway. No way I could job straight into it otherwise. Also, I have to find this place first! I have no clue where it might be. I just know the workers frequently come to Burger King. Still, I do make good money here. It's a hard choice. More classes face to face versus a possible pay cut. I don't know. I'd say it's even possible to be working two jobs, but it isn't on base. If you work for the Air Force in any way as a civilian you are allowed to work no more than forty hours a week. There is no paid overtime unless it is pre-approved, and yes there is paperwork we have to sign to that affect. Not that it stops people at BK from working as much as possible, on the schedule or not. About once a week, someone shows up not on the schedule and puts a few hours in!

On to the next subject! Spiders.

Germany has lots of spiders.

A Lot Of Spiders.

Most of which seem to find my room a lovely habitat. I keep getting rid of them, and they keep coming in. A clean room is a room where you can see the little buggers have made there nests. There is one under my desk. There is one in the corner of my office. Okay, there's more like, three or four in several corners, spread out. One lives in the window. The basement has so many that you have to watch your steps for fear of spider bite. There is even one really big spiders I saw on the steps the other day that could cover the palm of my hand and was brown and slightly furry. I didn't get close enough to look, but now I fear laundry on the floor. What if it's hiding! Geez, laundry has never been so nerve wracking.

The most common Spiders though have long thin legs, and a pinky nail long body that is fairly thing, but thicker than it's legs. I'm grateful that they've scared any bugs out of my room, I admit, but the whole spider in the wardrobe thing is a bit much. Can't they stay, I don't know, out of sight? Hrm.

Ah well. Spiders aren't all that scary for the most part, and from experience, these aren't poisonous to kill you. Yes I have been bitten by the one under my desk. You will note, my feet no longer disturb that beast. It's cranky.

That's all I have for you. Sorry for the lack of German Adventures, but, you know, school and work take up a lot of my time now. When I'm not working I'm doing school work. In the words of a dear friend. “Yeah, College does that.” Still, I'm glad to say that I'm paying my own way. I've busted my butt working for my education, which means I am going to work hard to do my best, because it's my dime going into it. That makes it that much more valuable to me. I refuse to waste a penny of it!

One Final Byte: German Ice Cream is this burst of flavor.