I’m not even sure where to start. It has been over three weeks since I last sat down to chronicle Jen and I’s exciting life. I believe the last time we posted it was a few days into our wonderful and much needed Holiday Vaca in the cold and snowy, yet beautiful, Northeastern United States of America. Since than we have thrown a party, traversed the great white mountains, visited the City That Never Sleeps, ate some Pizza and some Popcorn and made the jump back across the pond to our humble abode in the south of Germany. Now, sit back and get comfy and I’ll tell you all about it.
We will start off with the first major high light of our time spent in America. Jen’s parents were kind enough to open their house, not only to us while we back, but also to 50 of our closest friends and family for a cocktail party celebrating Jen and I’s engagement. A wonderful affair ensued, complete with Mum supplying pounds of shrimp cocktail, Jen’s mother making scrumptious crab cakes and these mini-Pizza joints that were absolutely amazing. Cheese, crackers, dips, vegetables, more than 2 kinds of beer (that’s all they have for options in Germany) and more liquor than we could drink in 5 parties. It was wonderful and a offered us a great chance to catch up with everybody and celebrate me having the guts to dirty my knee in asking the most beautiful woman in the world to marry me. (That last line gave me lots of points).
The high light of the night (other than the endless shrimp) was that my parents and sister were able to join us all the way from Kansas and they were able to meet most of Jen’s wonderful family and some of our good friends. It was nice to see my family finally meet and mingle with the great family I get to be a part of in six months. The next big high light of our time off was the day I was able to spend traveling through the great White Mountains with just my family. It was the first time for quite awhile that we were able to spend some time together, just us four, and I rather enjoyed it. And the mountains are actually something to look at in the winter all covered to snow to boot.
Christmas Eve and Christmas soon came about and the circus that is a Haubrich/Fern Holiday season ensued. We spent a full day making/decorating/eating (not-eating) sugar cookies with 15 cousins plus 3 extras (my mother, sister and myself). Always a good time but it always ends in the same way, with a stomachache and frosting stained clothes. Regardless, it is a great way to kick off Christmas week.
Christmas Eve was kicked off with a wonderful mass in the Acone’s home (thanks to them for inviting us in to crash their family tradition). The escapades began in earnest after that with a trip to Mum’s house where the anticipation continued to build, the first Yankee swap was executed (sucks leaving with your own present), the 24 hour eating marathon kicks off and the young cousins tracked Santa through, ironically, Germany. A near sleepless night (Jen turns into a five-year old on this evening perhaps because her mother has one Christmas rule and one rule only: You don’t believe, you don’t receive”) followed, where we managed to fall asleep just long enough for Santa to visit. We awoke to Jen’s sisters and their dogs at 6 A.M. sharp and to our stockings stuffed full of gifts waiting to be opened before leaving bed (isn’t Christmas great?) 3 Christmas’s and a stomach ache later; another amazing Christmas day came to an end. The day after Christmas saw Mr. Haubrich light up his once a year infamous Backyard Bon-fire, very much like the one that lit up an engagement last year. As always, time spent around a huge bonfire is a good time and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all in attendance.
The New Years brought about a trip to good ole Binghamton, New York. The sight of two years of my college education and four of Jen’s, we met some of Jen’s old roommates and teammates and tore down the Bing for two solid days. Always a good time, we dropped a tear in sadness on the way out of town, hoping to visit again soon.
From Binghamton, we journeyed down to the Big Apple to enjoy some handball. The Big Apple tournament hosted by the NYC THC and put together with help from Karl Gladeck, the owner of a German Travel Company, was very entertaining and a very good show of handball. I was lucky enough to play on a team that included 5 First Division Bundesliga players and was coached by Herr Gladeck himself. It was a blast playing with and against some of the best in Germany. Our only regret was that we had to leave before the All-Star game and the Championship game, which my team was playing in. Regardless, the weekend was a big success in my opinion and I believe every involved had a pretty good time.
We enjoyed one last night in the Haubrich household after the tournament, scarfed down another large bag of popcorn and a few pizzas’ and than headed back to the D-Land last Monday. Which leads us to…
Part 2
It has been nice getting back into the flow of things here; handball practice and the like have been going well. ESV Weil played their best game of the year on Saturday, beating the 6th ranked team in the league by 11 goals. We play the top ranked team, which has no losses, this next weekend. In the first meeting between the teams we lost by a single goal and that was without our American circle (me) and Spanish goalie. Hopefully they can help hand TV Willstadt the first loss on the year.
TV Grenzach suffered a tough loss against one of the better teams in their league. Jen played well, when she played. She didn’t see the court as often as she had before Christmas and with five minutes remaining in the game she had her shoulder wrenched during a shot, which sidelined her for the remaining of the game. Initially, we were worried she had reinjured her labrum (surgically repaired in 07’) but upon further review and time, we believe it is “only” a strained muscle and she could be back as soon as this weekend, depending on how it feels. She will test it out and throw a bit tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed that it is only muscular.
The job, permit papers and housing situation did not improve over the break as we had hoped. Our bedroom still has no heat and it is COLD! We have one small Euro comforter (they are expensive) and no sheets so we sleep in hoodies, sweats and socks and manage to stay warm. The Vespa is still MIA with a flat rear tire which was supposed to be fixed a month ago but still hasn’t moved. Which means we beg rides or walk everywhere (again, it’s COLD!) We still have no work permits in hand and no extension on our current permits, which expire on the 22nd. However, we have been assured these papers are forthcoming. Jen and I have both started jobs reserved for foreigners in another country. They are both part time (Jen is working 12 hours per week, I work when it snows) and they are not our ideal jobs. We heard all those talks about getting a degree from parents, family, teachers and coaches our whole lives, so we consented, both got our degrees and yet we still end up working as janitors and snow shovelers. FRUSTRATING!! Jen awakes at 5:30 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and cleans bathrooms and offices for 4 hours. I awake at the same time everyday to see if it is snowing and if it is I than get to ride a bike that is two times too small for me and has a low front tire 4 miles to the apartment complex where I commence shoveling snow and spreading salt. My new job coincided with the most snowfall in the last 20 years in this area so I have had plenty of work and therefore I have had plenty of bike riding. If the snow continues like this, I will be ready to take on Lance in the Tour de France later on this year.
I should not complain, these jobs will pay enough to buy us food (we hope) and are supposed to garner us our working permits. We can only hope. Alas, if nothing else, be nice to your janitor, they are people too, even if they don’t speak your language and for God sake’s, if somebody does your snow removal, please walk/drive where they have already removed the snow, not where they are about to, I guarantee they will greatly appreciate this.
I was hoping to keep you entertained for longer but it is snowing again here and that means I must be off. Watch out, Lance!
Happy Birthday wishes to Blake Reed, Theresa Ferns, Terry Ferns, and both Poitras boys.
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