Monday Tuesday

Well the past two days have been gorgeous so I didn't write last
night. I did try but my internet decided to crash.

Work has been really busy the last few days. I haven't had any
readings to do at all! I have been working on some abrasion testing as
well as some nanofocus material. So there has been lots to do. I am a
little worried what will happen tomorrow though because I was going
through the labs in progress with Carmen this afternoon and I've done
pretty much all of what I can do. So we'll see what happens I still
have nanofocus pictures to do but I set them up and leave them for a
hour. So waiting...

Yesterday was plus 30 so after work I just headed to the castle and
walked around a bit. Then came back as I had a few skype chats with
Carrie, Kim and Breagh. I'm not sure what I would do if it wasn't for
skype! It makes being half way across the world a lot easier to stay
in touch with people at home. Tonight after work I came home and
crashed for a few hours. So tonight was a lazy one for sure! I managed
to pack my bag though. After work I head to Memmingen to catch a
flight to Italy for the long weekend! Can't wait for the beach, to see
some familiar faces and to explore Italy a bit. So there won't be any
posts for the next few days. I hope then when I get back I'll have a
bit more interesting news then today as it seems being here is
becoming the normal.... Chow :)

Weekend5!

This weekend was a pretty chill one. I stayed in Heidenheim and went
to the beach festival in the village over. It was the provinces beach
volleyball championships. I went with Frank and we met Julia, Dan and
Guillaume there. It was a great day and the games got better as did
the weather as the day went on. We left about dinner time and went to
a BBQ and then to watch the Football game after. The broadcast was in
German but I do know that Barcelona won! haha Overall it was a great
day and nice just to relax, sort of.

Sunday there isn't anything open other than a few cafes. So I slept
in for the morning. For the afternoon I spent it on the castle
grounds. It was a beautiful day, I think it reached 26, so now I'm a
bit redder then I was. It's better now then when I"m in Italy this
coming weekend though I guess. I also bought my ticket this afternoon
for the train to the airport. After a lazy afternoon I met up with
Meri and had supper with her while we watched the Glee finale! So, now
that I'm back I'm off to bed. Chow

Friday!

Nothing overly exciting to report today. It was rainy, a bit chilly
and cloudy for the day. I"m sure that has something to do with it
being uneventful.

Work flew by today and I didn't have time to read again! I spent the
day finishing my samples from yesterday, microscope work and prepping
things for Monday. I was not nearly as tired as I had been on Thursday
so this helped the day go by faster as well. For lunch apparently I
wasn't moving fast enough by the time I went upstairs then into the
lab to move my samples Simon and Frank gave up looking for me and left
for lunch. I was told they had been looking for me so by the time I
realized they left I had to head out by myself. Luckily I met Andy
along the way and was going to eat with him. We however did manage to
find Simon and Frank and I told them they're impatient! haha they have
to go to lunch everyday at or close to 11:30 as possible.

It was Friday and I had a bit of overtime so I was able to leave at 3
:) I headed to the post office to send Gavan his birthday card then
went shopping. I wanted a found a new bathing suit for Italy next
week! I love the price of things here since tax is already included in
the price you see. It makes it so much easier and helps me a lot since
I"m still working on learning all my numbers! After I headed to the
grocery store. I had found a new one on my run the other night and
went to check it out. It was at least double the size of the one I
have been going to so it was nice! Still nothing like the grocery
stores at home but it's progress.

Tomorrow I'm going to a beach volleyball tournament then a BBQ with
people from work so tonight was pretty chill. Looking at some travel
plans, movie and catching up with some people.

That's all for now, Chow :)

Wednesday and Thursday

Yesterday and today were both busy ones at work. I've barely read anything :)
It's been doing different test and learning some new ones. The one I
learned about today I"m not fully sure on yet so no point in trying to
explain it.

Yesterday after work I headed home right after work as I had a
meeting for the census. I ended up having to do it even though I'm not
a citizen. I took the information that I had to work on Tuesday to get
some help with and potentially get out of doing, no luck. Frank ended
up calling the number that was on the information for me. He talked to
the guy explaining that I don't speak German and and not from here. He
said I was to be included still but he would bring an English version.
He did bring an English copy but his English wasn't that great and the
translation wasn't either. We were able to fill it out. Well, I
pointed out answers on the English one and he filled the German one so
who knows what was really filled out. After that was done I had supper
and went for a run before Stammtisch. Last night the location was at
the Stadtgarten. I had been there before but I didn't know it was
beside the prison! I didn't even know there was a prison there until
yesterday and I've gone that way many times before. It's by the main
church of the city... It was a great time I'm getting better at
figuring out what people are saying and I can order by myself now. We
were there for quite a while. I walked home with Frank and Andy since
it was dark out. Andy lives near me and Frank was nice enough to not
make me walk the rest of the way by myself which was nice!

Today was a bit harder to stay awake at work today since I stayed
talking a lot later then I thought I had. There was lots to so I only
found myself in la la land while waiting for a test to finish running
or something of the sort. I went to lunch with Simon today as we had
to drop some parts off at a different part of the company. I think he
could tell that I was tired because he was trying to make
conversation. Normally I usually talk the whole lunch since I don't
have to be worried about work. I've apologized for talking so much
some times but they say it's good for them! hahaha if only everyone
thought that. I was dead by the time work was done so no run tonight.

I have to random little stories too.

1) People here keep asking me if I'm married and I couldn't figure out
why. Then I noticed that a lot more people wear rings on their right
hand ring fingers and not the left. Then someone asked me on the
weekend and held up their hand saying they were married. Made so much
more sense. I asked last night at Stammtisch and they said you wear
your promise rings on your left but your marriage ring on your right.
I wear my daughter's pride ring on my right hand so no I'm not
married but will keep wearing it on my right hand! haha

2) I was getting ready to leave work the other day when, who I think
are two other interns, were talking in German at the desk across from
mine. I wasn't listening until I heard them say brain fart. Then I was
looking at them, they saw me after they said it about three times. So,
I asked what??? hahah then they were embarrassed and the supervisor in
the next room said to explain themselves to me. Turns out they were
talking about a type of computer coding. Still was funny and one of
them asked if brain fart was a swear word in English! I had to laugh
then explained what it was.

Well I'm beat so off to bed. Chow :)

Tuesday (I've really lost count now)

So, I lied yesterday the picture was of the newspaper in Stuttgart.
Not of the Mercedes Benz Museum. That is today's picture though. The
newspaper I found on the bench while waiting for the train. I have no
idea what any of it was really about but there was a picture of Lady
Gaga and Count Dracula on the over. I thought that was a random
combination and worth sharing.

Today was an okay day at work. I was suppose to be learning how to
work a new machine to run some different tests with Tobbie. However,
Tobbie has been very sick and I've only met him a few times since I
started work. He had been at work the last three days but didn't make
it in today. It seems that all the other ones that I know how to work
were being used, didn't need to be used today or our friendly British
repair man was still fixing. You would never guess what I got to do...
read! haha I'm almost done the Handbook of Paper and Board Making I
don't think I want to know what they'll give me next.

After lunch, which was another hot and sunny day meal eaten outside,
Frank helped me figure out what this letter about the census is. He
was a bit confused by it too and he is German! He ended up calling the
person that is coming to do the census with me. Turns out that I'm
still suppose to do it but now he knows that I speak English. He'll be
here tomorrow night to do the census but in Englsih version for me. He
asked if I lived with someone that was German... good joke as I'm
still working on catching my neighbors. After that was all figure out
we looked up some places I should travel. Then Frank told me about
this lovely ash cloud that is moving over Europe! I had no clue. I
hope that I still get to go to Italy next weekend or I will not be a
happy person.

After this I did find some test to do. Gloria had a few things for me
to do and showed me how the laser machine works. So that means I'll
also have something to do tomorrow! Each test takes about an hour to
run (most of this is waiting time but better then just waiting for
nothing) and there are 32 samples to be run. After this the day was
done at work. I headed to the post office to send a few things away.
As I was walking and looking for the post office (I just knew it was
by the train station) Frank arrived and scared me on his bike. He has
a habit of doing that lately and he thinks it's funny! Not at all but
he showed me where the post office was and I was able to send my
things to Canada. The lady at the post office seemed interested in the
fact they were going to Canada.

After getting home I made some supper then headed out for a run. I
think that if I had this place to run in always then I would go
everyday! My legs are finally not bruised as much from my lovely bike
crash that running wasn't a chore. Which is nice and this place really
is beautiful to not only run in but be in.

That's all for tonight! Tomorrow is Stammtisch so there most likely
won't be another post until Thursday. Chow :)

Start of Work Week 4!

Time is officially flying! I was at work today in the lab putting
some of my results into the computer and talking to Carmen as I did
so. There was also a repair man there fixing one of the machines.
After saying something he turns to me and says in a very British
accent are you English too? So I replied with yes! When he asked where
from and I said Canada he told me then you're not English you're
Canadian haha. I can now say that I have met a person with a notable
British accent. He hadn't been talking up until this point but in both
English and German I could pick up his accent.

That was the most exciting thing of the day I do believe. I'm still
pretty tired from the weekend. At work I did a whole bunch of
different things some where finishing them from Friday others preping
for tomorrow and a tad bit of reading. After work I picked up some
fruit and veggies before heading home to make supper. I was planning
on going for a run tonight after supper. I was watching a movie for a
bit but ended up falling asleep for 4 hours.... I woke just in time to
have my Skype date with Jen! After only one internet fail we were able
to catch up :) then I talked to Gram for a few too. Now, shower and
bed. Chow :)

Oh the picture is from the Mercedes Benz Museum.... I think that's the
one I choose at least if not it's something from the weekend!

Sunday

Today we were up at a better time then Sunday so we could wander
around Stuttgart a bit more before I left. For breakfast I was very
happy to have toast and peanut butter! I don`t have a toaster at my
apartment and peanut butter is not a very common thing here.

We caught the train to downtown where it was a lot quieter today.
There is basically nothing open in Germany on Sunday`s other than a
few cafes. We went to the Living Room of Stuttgart which is a park
like area. It is surrounded by old buildings, churches, cafes and lots
of statues. We were here being tourists when the rain rolled in again
along with a giant thunder and lightening storm. We again waited this
out in a cafe. It wasn`t fully let up but we headed on a train to meet
another friend of Danielle`s. With him we went to the Mercedes Benz
Museum for the afternoon. There were crowds of people since it was the
125th anniversary. We were too late in getting there to test drive.
The line was huge and would have taken hours to get through. We were
able to go through part of the museum and the dealership though. There
were lots of the cars open to sit in which was great!

After leaving we headed to pick my things up before going back to the
main station so I could catch my train home. We didn`t realize the
time and I was very close to missing my train! Danielle and I had to
run through the station and got there one minute before it pulled
away! However, I did make it back and am heading to bed now after a
great, busy and exhausting weekend.