Munichmaedchen

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler or Who Needs Johnny Depp?

My 29-year-old son Benjamin who lives back in the old world and his girlfriend Katrin sent me this picture reminding me that it is Fat Tuesday tomorrow. Aren't these cute pirates or what? Makes me wanna go home to Germany. Carnival is boaaaring in the Bay Area.

Gold Feever

The real deal
Originally uploaded by Munichmaedchen.

I just got over my cold in time to go to the Gold Show in Fresno this weekend. Not only did I see the latest prospector gadgets and learned how to operate a sluice box but also did I buy a tiny little bottle of gold - ok, not the thousand dollar deal in the picture but a $ 8 flacon with gold leaves. I loved the gemstone collections. Being a treasure hunter myself with some modest jade found last year, this was my favorite section of the show.

I'm Busy

I know some of you wait for a new post and Munichmaedchen won't let you down. I am writing - just not here but over there: Ms. Munich's Stimulus Package

Sarah's First Car

Sarah's First Car
Originally uploaded by Munichmaedchen.

Of course everybody including the dogs and the baby had to inspect the Mercury Mystique, Sarah had auctioned and paid all by herself this weekend. Her boyfriend Travis helped her finding the right car to bid for and Clay promised to retrofit the vehicle with his Hydrogen tune up kit if she wants more energy efficiency than the current 26 miles per gallon.

This is the fourth car parking in front of our house after my Beetle and the huge Ford Ranger Truck joined Clay's Jeep. Our neighbors are thrilled, I am sure.

Happy Birthday Mr. President!

"In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you.... You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it."

Abraham Lincoln, Republican

Don't Eyeball Me

This is a picture of my eyeballs taken during my first US eye exam ever. Upon looking at the picture, Clay asked if I am sure that I did not have a mammogram. Yes, I am sure that these balls are eyeballs.

My eyes are in perfect shape except of the wear and tear: I need + 1.0 reading glasses and of course I chose some funky black-turquoise frames with a touch of bling. This will comfort me over the fact that I am approaching the big five coming October.

I will show my new accessory to you as soon as I can pick it up from the eye-doctor.

Greg and Dana's World Wild Webbing

bride-groom
Originally uploaded by Munichmaedchen.

Number one on my blogroll to your left and his beautiful Dana got hitched yesterday live on the web, and I was an invited virtual guest at the party. What should I wear? PJ-s? All I had to do was logging into the Gregster Channel. It was utmost fun to chat with all the other virtual guests from allover the world and we all wish this wonderful couple all the best and much more time together than the few weeks, the doctors have recently predicted. They sure pack a lot quality into their life and in the end this is what counts. Just when I had my second virtual piece of cake and got over the shock seeing my coworkers in my living room live via webcam, I had the idea to take pics from the wedding. This was fun, fun, fun. A great idea to include everyone into your family event, even those who could not be present otherwise. The live chat made it perfect. Comment on 02/09/09: I did ask my higher power, "Why him and why now? Actually, I got some kind of answer. None of us knows whether or not we have a tomorrow. We live our lives half empty, wasting time on worrying about the tomorrow instead of living the present to the best of our abilities. Shouldn't I feel sorry for us rather than for Greg who lives his life to the fullest knowing that the end is near? Watching him and Dana, gives me a different perspective on my own daily marathon and I try to pack as much fun into it as possible because I may not have a tomorrow to do all the things I plan to do. Let's do them today! Thank you Greg and Dana for having made a difference in my life.

Alternative Fuel For An American Dream

I told you in December that two major changes have affected our lives. I finally can blog about one of them. It is legal and official:

Clay incorporated his business. He got laid off during Christmas vacation. Knowing that my boyfriend is a self-made rather than a welfare man, I was not too worried about him. Actually I saw it as his chance to change his career from a job he always hated to a thriving and fulfilling business opportunity.

For a while he was already gathering information on green technology. The lay-off was his incentive to turn his hobby into a professional alternative energy business. He got incorporated and after a few weeks of conducting a successful test lab using his own Wrangler Jeep, hydrogen based technology has become Highlander Hydrogen's first business affiliation and web presence. We currently try to get the webmaster to edit the few hick-ups and typos we found on the brandnew site - no birth comes without pains.

Clay's customer database ranges from the next door neighbor to a cargo vessel company in the Oakland harbor and a trucking company in the South Valley.

The possibilities are endless and cutting down on fossil fuel does not only benefit his customers' financial budgets but also our all environment.

Contact him if you want to cut the gasoline demand of your car into half. It can be done with an easy-to-install tune-up kit .

Clay has started to realize his very own American dream and I am excited to document his journey and the growth of his green baby.

-To be continued-

Turning Two on Two Two

Adriana  turned two on Feb. 2nd. We took the birthday girl on a tricycle hike, let her walk mini wiener dog Max on the leash (he pulled some dirty tricks on her to escape), jump into the mud holes in the fields with her new pink cowboy boots, sit on Clay's shoulders afterwards, destroy her birthday table decor, and munch cheesecake. I think this is what a terrible two toddler would call a "cool birthday," see pics below:

THEN AND NOW

Happy Birthday!

2nd birthday
Originally uploaded by Munichmaedchen.

Grandma is ready for Adriana's alias Two-Two's second birthday tomorrow. After Addi went to sleep, I decorated the dinner table and loaded it with my presents: a tiara, pink John Deere cowboy boots, a life-size baby doll who speaks when you touch her on the tummy, sparkly arm- and hairbands, and of course a birthday cake - just what the modern toddler needs.

I took off tomorrow as Sarah has to work. Clay and I will take the baby somewhere fun.