and then my job makes me smile

I just got to the end of this giant 45-page document (that's without all the diagrams) I'm correcting and was so pleased to see that in the acknowledgements there was a special thanks to me! I hate reading about geosciences, but I do really like my geoscientists.

cool light lasoo

Here we see, from left to right, Klaus, Alex and Judith. Klaus is using his special laser lasoo (sp?) to attack Judith. Well, actually it's the flashlight on his cell phone.

My job makes me want to cry

This probably isn't big news to many of you, but my job makes me want to cry. What is it that I am paid to do? I work for a geoscience working group at the university and I correct their English journal articles, masters theses, and dissertations. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that probably 100% of my readers know that I don't give a rat's ass about the geosciences, which makes correcting hundreds of pages on groundwater contamination an arduous task.

Thank goodness for my new job at the D.A.I. that starts in the fall. Now all I have to do it quit, which is actually more nerve-wracking than it sounds.

Germany is soccer

What I could deduct from observing this man for some time is that he gets paid by someone, I don't know who, to wear this costume and walk around the crowd. When bumped into, he reacts as a soccer ball would, moving in a straight line until he hits someone else, at which point he goes in another direction. That's his job. 

A Michael Jackson Interlude

Here, my friends, are some brilliant shots of MJ taken by the even more brilliant, Katie Lewis. I've been hording them on my computer for quite awhile, but I've realized the time has come to share.

Things on the front are a-ok. Did an ok presentation yesterday. Watch a lot of soccer. Don't feel like I am putting on weight anymore. Chuggin' along.

MJ catches up on business news on the plane

photo by Katie Lewis 

MJ at MR

photo by Katie Lewis 

Michael admires the presidents' heads

photo by Katie Lewis 

Germany vs. Ecuador and still no bike

In just a bit I'm going to watch my first Germany game of the World Cup. Yes, it's a bit embarassing that I haven't seen any Germany games yet, but what are you going to do? Hang your head in shame? Not me, I feel even more motivated to be an enthusiastic fan after saving my energy the last few games.

In other new, my bike still hasn't arrived. This morning the online status changed to "at the warehouse, ready for delivery" and then a bit later again to "being delivered", and yet, I have no bike. This company, Hermes, delivers from 10AM to 6PM and can't tell give you any clues as to when they are coming. This is really not working for me. I'm excited, really excited, about getting my bike and it pains me to leave my house for anything while I know this bike is on its way. Maybe if everyone prays for me to get my bike really soon, it'll come. Oh geeze, I just asked my readers to pray. This is dire.

I bought a bike!

Soon after the evil thieves took my old bike, I realized that I'm just not a no-bike kind of person. It just doesn't suit me. Walking is for chumps (no offense to walkers). After a lot of looking around and a great deal of doubt that I would never find the suitable and affordable bike of my dreams, eBay made it happen. This, my friends, is my new bike.

 

Getting back into gear and important animal news

After weeks of fun and procrastination, it is time to get back into gear. This change of pace has been underway for two days now and I can say with confidence that things look good. I'm getting up to date on my readings and am getting my hands dirty with French again.

On a different note, some animal trivia. In a recent telephone conversation, Kristen asked me what the difference is between a porcupine and a hedgehog. Being the rather nerdy, computer-loving friend that I am, I promised to look it up on the brilliant internet. Here are the results:

Differences:
- Porcupines are rodents and belong to the Erethizontidae (new world porcupines) and Hysticidae (old world porcupine) families, while the hedgehog, on the other hand, is more closely related to shrews and moles, being part of the Erinaceinae family.
- There are no hedgehogs native to the Americas.
- There are no porcupines in the story of Peter Rabbit.
- Porcupines have quills
- Hedgehogs have spines
- Porcupines protect themselves mainly by hiding their face, keeping their belly to the ground, and raising their quills (a reaction similar to goose bumps in humans) and batting their tails, while Hedgehogs prefer to curl up in a ball and roll around.
- In their never-ending search for salt, porcupines chewed through some tubes on the bottom of our car while we were camping (maybe even more than once?). Hedgehogs never did anything of the sort.

Similarities:
- both porcupines and hedgehogs have an amusing appearance.

One more tidbit before I go: male porcupines urinate on the female to soften her quills before they mate.

A fantastic birthday surprise

Kristen and Stelios surprised me on the morning of my birthday by coming over to make crepes. Soooo delicious! 

Gret breakfast with great friends

Here Meghan told us the story of her eating herself unconsious with berries when she was two. 

The coolest gift!

Kristen had this shirt made to commemorate my fight against "biweekly ambiguity". What's that? Well, according to most dictionaries, biweekly can mean twice a week or every two weeks, making it a truly useless word, and I won't have it. 

The lovely town of Bebenhausen

 

Meghan in the Kloster (monestary) Bebenhausen

 

the novelty of bowling shoes

Sarah and Ute getting a kick out of their new kicks. Alex just standing around. 

One of the better games I've played

 

Fabi at the bowling bash

 

Thank you!

Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful birthday wishes and thoughtful gifts! It was a great birthday!

I'll update soon with new pictures and tales of my lovely bowling party!