NFL and Budweiser

What’s goin on stateside homies? Another check in from your friends living in the heart of Europe (it says this on a sign on the outskirts of the town we live in). I am watching another one of Jen's practices, hooray.

Handball!!! Jen and I are a collective 0 for 3 in our European Handball careers. Not a good start, but we both have a chance to get one in the W column tomorrow. Jen’s team lost last Saturday to a top 5 team in their league. It was a close game throughout, with TV Grenzach even enjoying a lead at half, but a bad 10 minutes in the second half and blown opportunities down the stretch resulted in a loss by a mere three goals. They play tomorrow in a town far far away (5 hours and I don’t know how to spell it). Were hoping that 10 hours of travel in one day will be well worth it and they come home with a win. My squad ended up on the wrong side of a one-point game Saturday night at home. I still wasn’t able to play (player card issues) but will be able to play tomorrow. Even though we were missing a few key guys due to Holiday travels and one to a wedding, we were still very competitive and almost came away with a win against one of the top teams in our league. We were plus 3 at half as well but had a 10-minute spurt eerily similar to the one that Jen’s team had. It was back and forth down the stretch when we took a few untimely and, in my opinion, unearned 2-minute penalties. We scored with under a minute left to put us down 1 but the other team was able to run time off the clock, leaving us with no shot to tie. We play away tomorrow as well, only a 1-hour road trip for us though. The place we play at doesn’t allow Stick’um aka glue, so it could be interesting. The team dropped a game their last year partly due to this so we will see how it goes tomorrow.

Jobs!!!! Good news from one of my teammates, a friend of his may have a gig for me starting in 2-3 weeks. His friend works for a German airliner and may have an opportunity. So this is good. We also did some proactive job searching this week. On Wednesday we went into Basel and visited 5 bars. We pulled the ole walk in and ask if they have any job openings move. Awkward and uncomfortable, especially when you don’t speak German, but we felt it was necessary. Unfortunately, nobody needed an experienced English-speaking bartender. There were some positives to the trip though, one bar took my resume and told me he would talk to the manager and that a few workers had recently cut hours so they make be looking. It is an Irish Pub and they only speak English behind the bar so I think I have a real chance. Also, we found two bars that show the NFL!!! The first game starts at 7 PM here so they show the first game and half of the second game because they close at Midnight. One of the bars also carries Budweiser!!! As much as we are loving the authentic, fresh, in town brewed beers, we miss the ole Bud a bit, so we are super excited to go into Basel Sunday night and watch football and enjoy a Bud or two. Go Broncos!!!

Terrorists!!! We move away from the great USA, the most hated nation of those we call Terrorists and we still can’t get away from this BS. Jen and I watch CNN daily and the last three days has been filled with terrorist threats against Germany, particularly against Americans living in Germany. Are you kidding me? The US Government released a statement saying Americans living in Germany should be extra careful and on the lookout. That’s great. Welcome to the D-land! And, one of the bar managers we were speaking with on our job searching expedition informed us that people from the Middle East are welcomed in Germany because of the state of their Governments. He said that since we come from the USA, a nation with a solid government and steady economy (kind of), that the German government has no love for us and that is why it is so hard to get a job; but if we were from somewhere else, (he said this with a throat clearing and a look around) than we would have no problems getting a job and we would catch no flack from the German or Swiss government. Hearing this made me feel even more comfortable about the recent terror threats. NOPE!!

Around town!!! Jen and I have recently taken over as the co-head coaches for the A-Jugend TV Grenzach co-ed handball team. Exciting. We have practices every Tuesday for an hour and they must be interesting to watch. Two huge Americans speaking broken German to 8-10 yr old players who have been playing handball longer than both of us. I will admit it is a ton of fun and something Jen and I look forward to every week. We spent all afternoon today making waffles for the TV Grenzach tent at a local festival. I must say, waffles coated with powdered sugar and cinnamon are the BOMB!! However, I would not advise eating more than 4 in an afternoon, you may not feel well later. Just some friendly advice. We were able to help raise some money for the club and meet some of the local fans, so it was a good experience. We are now the happy owners of a video check out card. When our internet doesn’t work and MTV is showing Pimp My Ride and CNN is talking about Africa, we get rather bored in our tiny little apartment, so we went to the local video rental place and, rather painfully, we were able to secure the needed card to rent movies any time day or night. The movie rental process in Germany, and across Europe I suspect, is the most technologically advanced anywhere in the Universe. Our card allows us into the store 24/7, it carries our balance on it, it, combined with my fingerprint, allows me to choose from 1300 movies that come out of a slot like at Bank. It’s a pretty neat set-up and something the U.S. should look into.

Momma Fithian!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! We love you and miss you. Hope you have a great day and a phenomenal birthday.

I’m out.

P.S. I just read this and noticed I rambled a little and I am kinda all over the place, sorry. I finally get to play tomorrow and I'm a little excited and Jen isn't around to censor me, or edit the blog. O and I'm listening to loud rap music because my teammates want me to make a CD for road trips and locker room pre-game. And I haven't been able to speak to my mother yet and it is her birthday and I miss speaking with my family.