June 01 and waiting:

So around 1 AM Thursday morning, the contractions were stabilizing at 5 minutes apart with a 1-minute duration, so we headed to the hospital.

This is happening:

Stop. Contraction time:

Cati endured about 2 more hours of fist-of-God contractions before getting the epidural, then things got a little better. Well, little Max gave us the scare of our lives. After the first attempt at pushing, his heart rate dropped to a dangerously low level. The doctors rushed in with a gurney to take Cati to surgery for an emergency c-section. They said, “Das is sehr schlecht. Seiner Herzschlag ist zu niedrig und wir jetzt mussen einen Kaiserschnitt machen.” Internally, I was panicking. I wanted to start bargaining or something to avoid the surgery, but Cati exclaimed “OK, wir gehen. Let’s do this people” and was practically getting up to walk to surgery. That put me immediately at ease to see her have no reservations about the right thing to do. So as they were running around and prepping Cati, his heart rate climbed back up. Everyone froze and watched the heart monitor. Everything was fine; the c-section was averted (whew). This happened one more time before little Max made his grand entrance into the world at 0440. It turns out that the umbilical chord was getting pinched by his shoulders and cutting off his blood flow. Once he was out, he was fine. They did a quick test of the O2 level in the blood and determined it was perfectly normal, so there was no damage done to the little guy. What a scare though.

Safe and sound at last. Man, were we relieved:

Here’s a series of gratuitous baby photos…y’know, for the grandmothers:

I think he looks like more like Winston Churchill than anybody else, but I also see elements of both Nina and Natalia in his little face. He seems pretty easy going so far.

The girls were pretty excited to meet their new brother Max. Natailia was a bit apprehensive, but Nina was ready to add him to her small collection of dolls.

Everything was fine until we told the girls that Mamá would not be coming home with us. Then the drama got turned to 11. But, in 10 minutes, everything was fine. Typical.

I have been running around like a single parent trying to work and look after the kids. Holy cow; this is exhausting. I look forward to getting Cati back home; this full-time job and full-time parent thing is not sustainable.

Hurry home Cati, the dishes and laundry are piling up.

Kidding kidding!

Click here to view the embedded video.

A song this good, made with the constraint of one solitary musician’s talent, makes me think of how oftentimes constraints can actually foster creativity.

When the video above is over, hear The White Stripes succinctly express that sentiment with this song:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sometimes we need to keep our rooms small and our ideas big (and not get distracted with superfluous options).

Constraints, in whatever we do, can force us to use our limited resources, whatever they may be, to focus on what’s important. Would Picasso’s Guernica be better with some colors? Would A Farewell to Arms be better with more adjectives?

Ok, there’s certainly a limit to how far one can take this “constraint appreciation,” as I agree that “nothing destroys the spirit like poverty.”**

Thanks for abiding my poorly-articulated quasi-philosophical ramblings.

Oh, and should you be compelled to leave a comment (I do like getting comments), please comment here; not on Facebook. I no longer read Facebook because, well…

“… if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”*

I think it was starting to make me more stupider.

:)

*It sounds better in German: “Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein.” –Nietzsche

**Oh snap, did I just quote Jane Austen? Yep, I’ve definitely gotten more stupider.

Instead of succumbing to my oft recurring illness “shiny metal syndrome” and buying a brand new bike (to which I gave a lot of thought, btw), I decided to make a few upgrades and tune up my 10-year-old Trek 800 Sport. I figured that since I use my bike like a minivan, with all the loading of kids’ seats, trailers, Trailgators, groceries, Nacho, etc., I should hold off on getting anything new and cool and just convert the old Trek into an all-rounder. Plus, it has a fantastic anti-theft feature– it’s a 10-year-old, heavy as heck, bottom of the line Trek– no one wants it! Oh, and I call it the Wienercycle because I bought it in Vienna. Not the cool Vienna in Austria, the Vienna in West (by-God) Virginia. That makes the bike even sadder, dunnit?

Ah well, here she is in all her *ahem* glory.

Here it is on the Thule racks with the Trailgator (for Nina) attached:

Cati bought me the Brooks Saddle for Xmas. I bought and installed some SKS fenders. I bought the Topeak office bag last time I was in the U.S. It conveniently clicks into the MTX rack we have for the child seat, and I must say, it’s nice. I also swapped the tires out for Schwalbe Hurricanes. Although 90% of my riding is on paved roads and bike paths, I am really glad to have the edge-tread for that rare but important 10% of the time I need it. It has kept me from having to get off and walk through mud and muck a few times, and it has also prevented me from wiping out completely on mud covered asphalt. I also put on some cheap toe clips for use with any shoes, a little rear-view mirror, some battery powered front and rear lights (required here in DE), bought a cheap bike computer to track my speed, and that’s pretty much it. Like I said, the bike is an all-rounder that’s good for every kind of riding, and thus, great for none.

Here’s me just illin’ in my tracksuit.

The morning view to my right:

Straight ahead:

and then I get to the ferry to cross the Rhein. It costs 0,50 € to cross with my bahn card. Cool, eh?

A fellow masterfully sculpted cyclist-body shown above.  :)

It’s interesting that on my ecologically-conscious bicycle commute to work, I get to watch the power company unload and transport literal tons of coal for the production of electricity.

Then, at the end of my hour-long bike ride, I have a shower and get to work.

For the ride home I take a train for part of the way and cycle home the rest of the way. It’s a nice commute too.

Crossing back over the Rhein; this time by bridge.

The view of the town we live in from the bridge.

So, I’m pretty down with cycling culture. Not so much the body-shaving, blood-doping, car-driver hating, racing bike scene (yet?), but more the trekking and commuting scene. It’s a hobby that includes elements of fitness, tinkering, DIY, practical engineering, frugality, and ecology. Plus, it’s fun for the kids. I can dig that.

Until next time.

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After a long layover in Abu Dhabi (where I was pleased to find that they do sell beer and also that the airport is rather user friendly with free wifi and showers), the final leg took me to Frankfurt where Alex met me at the airport.

My mother arrived an hour or two later, and the three of us drove southward for about an hour to the town of $peµer where Alex, Cati, Nina, and Natalia, and Nacho (the dog) live. Also there for the holidays was Teresa, Cati’s mother. $peµer is a charming town of ~50,000 inhabitants, on the banks of The Rhine, in southwestern Germany.

The next day, in preparation for the upcoming holiday meals, Alex and I visited a local winery, along with Alex’s friend York. We sampled many of their fine wines (and a few less than fine—all the whites were tasty, but the same couldn’t be said for the reds. Maybe not enough sun in these parts?) and left with an ample supply.

We enjoyed a lot of delicious food and drink (perhaps a little more than was strictly necessary for sustenance). Among the delicacies at the Christmas dinner table were several different cured meats from Spain and Norway and an out-of-this-world fois gras, outstanding cheeses, Alex’s famous eggnog, and pinnekjøtt (cured and dried mutton: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnekjøtt).

It was warmer than I had expected (around 5 to 10 degrees C), and I did not see a single snowflake. Nevertheless we enjoyed $peµer’s Christmas market (numerous wooden booths in the city center, selling crafts, sausages, crepes, but most importantly, glühwein, as well as a carousel for the younger children) several evenings. Glühwein is what we call mulled wine in English, or gløgg in Norwegian.

The new year was rung in at Armin and Kathryn’s lovely apartment where we enjoyed raclette (a Swiss thing where you prepare your own little dishes, where cheese is the key ingredient, and cook them on a hotplate in the center of the table), delicious local bock beer, delightful local wine, delectable homemade eggnog (courtesy of Alex again).

After watching “Dinner For One” (An old, British, black and white, short tv comedy sketch where a butler becomes increasingly drunk as he has to play the parts of 4 imaginary dinner guests, a new year’s eve tradition in Germany as well as Norway), we watched the fireworks from the balcony—a most enjoyable display. There was no publicly organized show, but thousands of people were launching their own stash of fireworks. All around the sky was lit up and in the horizon one could see the fireworks of neighboring towns. A good start to 2013.

Of course all these highlights were secondary to the main purpose of the visit–spending time with Alex, Cati, Natalia, Nina, Berit, and Teresa.

[Just one more thing LT didn't mention and probably hopes to forget-- the German uber-germs affected him rather adversely for about two days (just him). Poor guy. See you soon, LT.  -- Alex]

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Impressions and Lessons Learned on a Visit to Deutschland (and a town in France)

I recently had a wonderful visit with the continually adventurous family, and Alex invited me to blog about my time in Germany. Instead of writing a long narrative, I thought I would just share some specific aspects of my trip—what I learned and experienced while I was there.

• Though I have been to other countries in Europe, it was upon my arrival to Frankfurt airport where I discovered the aloof Euro-smile (or the non-smile… perhaps what most of us know as a glare).

• Germans will stare, and possibly even laugh, at someone’s misfortune, but rarely offer help. I discovered this while traveling from the airport to $peµer (and almost fell backwards down the escalator), as well as after I crashed, flew off my bike, and landed on the sidewalk in $peµer. Alex and Cati explained to me that there is even a German word for a happiness brought on by another’s misfortune: Schadenfreude. After learning this, it seems less surprising …I guess.
• Soft pretzels are an anytime food in Germany (similar to a bagel, according to Alex). And of course why wouldn’t they be? They are delicious.  I, however, only had two on my visit, but both were for breakfast.
• Germans like to include pickled vegetables in their salads—in fact I had one salad that only had fresh greens and the rest of the veggies included were pickled. I actually liked it quite a bit.
• People seem to be allowed one napkin each, per meal, in Germany (and you’re lucky if you even get one—you may need to ask for it). I still wonder what would happen if someone asked for a second or even a whole stack of napkins.
• Perhaps the reason they don’t favor giving away napkins, is that the Germans are very serious about recycling and the disposal of garbage. There are at least (on my count) four different receptacles to a typical public trashcan.
• German beer is really, really tasty. I kind of wish I had one right now….

• There are also some very lovely white (Trocken) wines in Germany. We had one while in Friensheim that was phenomenal.

• Also, when toasting in Germany (Prost!), you must look the person(s) you are toasting with in the eye. Otherwise it’s considered rude and insincere.
• I had a very tasty traditional Palatinate meal when we visited Frienshiem. It included, meat, meat, and meat, as well as sauerkraut and onions (with a fruit garnish). One of the meat items was Saumagen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saumagen), I’m not quite sure if it was the real-deal, but I actually really liked it.

• I agreed to try, what both Cati and Alex agreed was delicious, calamari at this lovely tapas restaurant in $peµer. Unfortunately, my opinion has not changed about it. I did love the rest of the food (and the wine) we had there, though.
• In Baden-Baden (at Caracalla Therme) I discovered that Germans are very comfortable with nudity and their bodies (regardless of shape and form). All the men wore speedos and almost every woman, except perhaps those who were over 60, wore bikinis. It made me wonder, whether or not, if they would be shamed into “modesty,” if they came to the U.S., as we all seem to be.
• When riding around town on an unfamiliar bike (and being on a bike for the first time in a while), it’s probably a good idea to avoid a large beer with lunch (particularly if lunch is a salad). Also, when riding a bike in Germany, don’t get nervous about getting out of the way of the car behind you and try to jump the curb (after just having a large beer with lunch). …My knee is still somewhat tender and my leg has quite a hideous bruise that’s taking its sweet time to go away.

• Germans must not have as much concern about kids getting access to cigarettes because there appeared to be cigarette vending machines on every corner.
• Halloween is bigger in the U.S., but it is (somewhat or beginning to be) celebrated in Germany. I had the fortune to see Nina and Natalia all dressed up in costume and makeup looking so adorable and excited to “trick or trick” (as Nina would say). You really can’t get much cuter than kids who are already criminally cute dressed up in kitty-princess-fairy costumes.
• From my experience there, and after speaking with Cati and Alex about it, the only reason I would ever want to learn German is if I absolutely had to. I am very impressed with the apparent ease they both spoke it (I realize a lot of effort went into that and still does).
• Thankfully, most Germans (in the areas I visited, anyway) speak some English.
• If you visit Strasbourg, France, it is a good idea to prepare yourself with some French phrases. Unlike my experience in Germany, there seemed to be very few English speakers there. Fortunately, I remembered more French than I thought I would, and understood it well.
• Strasbourg is an interesting, old city, and I think I’d like to go back sometime, but perhaps with others, and particularly with someone more skilled with French than I. (Of course I could just review and practice my French…)

• Apparently, I can pass for German or French (or just European). While traveling about, a handful of people asked me questions in both languages. Of course once they heard me tripping over the few words I know (with my very American accent) I gave myself away.

• My Spanish may be worse than my German. When Nina thanked me at one point (gracias), instead of saying de nada, my pronunciation made it, “with cream.” However, I definitely understand a lot more Spanish than German.
• When my brain tries to think in terms of a foreign language, it immediately defaults to Italian—despite my five+ years of French classes. I am happy to say, I speak Italian with much more ease (usually) than any other foreign language.
• From what I can tell, the only real difference between a mall in the U.S. and a mall in Germany is that, in Germany, you can stop and have a glass of wine at a well-stocked wine cellar kiosk.
• The quickest way to Nacho’s heart is to get Alex and Cati to feed him twice in less than an hour. (Whoopsie!)
• One of the quickest ways to Nina’s and Natalia’s hearts (or at least to get a lot of affection from them) is to show them cartoons or give them candy.

• Taking the trains (Bahn) in Germany is very easy and I felt completely safe on them. It was also a source for some German language lessons. I quickly figured out what “Ausstieg rechts” and “Ausstieg links” meant.
• The security guards at the Frankfurt Main Airport are very thorough. Once I made it through, I thought, “the least they could have done is bought me a drink first.”

• Flying first class is wonderful, but it still has the same funky air in it as the rest of the plane—especially, if your neighbor hacks, sneezes, and breaks wind during the whole flight.

Overall, I had a lovely trip visiting with Alex and Cati, the girls, and Nacho. (I was even laughing about my bike accident the next day when I thought about how, while I tried to get myself up off the ground, I heard Cati yell out to Alex, “Gina’s down!”—as if we were on military operation.) $peµer is a beautiful place and it was wonderful to see my friends living happily in this quaint, but happening, town.

Here’s a shot of a local park near our house. It’s a lovely little park that unfortunately seems to attract a lot of homeless inebriated old men and what appear to be junkies. Hey, everyone likes flowers, I guess.

It’s big enough for all to enjoy.

I cycled to work. That’s not work in the photo (that would be kinda sad), just me and a colleague on our way. He’s demonstrating the importance of hydrating, me, of photograping.

Here’s a shot I took en route.

I usually take the train to work where this is my parting view of town (sans Heißluftballon).

The girls played.

Nacho chilled.

I taunted koi at a nearby park (which had the unintended effect of making Natalia quite nervous– so I stopped).

A shot on a beautiful day– I think we had Indian food for lunch and let the girls run around.

Nina turned four so we partied in front of our place.

We went to a cool town-party. The whole night was a it like a dream that you hope you’ll have again one night. It was quite fun. We bought shots of home-made schnapps from some sketchy (and very popular) dude on the street. He has a still in the Black Forest and comes to town for this party every year.

A lot of private residences and artist studios were wide open to passers-by.

I stumbled upon a small club with a punk-rock band and stuck around for a song or two.

More milling about.

A rockabilly trio.

We wrapped up the evening at a “French tent” listening to a melodic jazz trio and drinking red wine with friends. Between all the people in our entourage, French, English, Spanish, and German were all getting used to best communicate. Then Cati and I got a call from the sitter informing us that Nina indeed had a stomach bug. We rushed home and were both thankful we ended the night when we did– we may have regretted the wine if we had stayed much later.

Both girls have recovered and are soaring to monumental proportions.

I liked this simple apartment building with orange blinds in Landau. It looked like something from the ’70′s. And look at the foreground of the shot– Cati is from the ’70′s. Have I mastered photo composition or what? Don’t answer that.

We also visited a nice park in another nearby town.

Nina (and Nacho– at bottom) listened to a Sunday morning choir sing in front of a charming little chirch. Then we ate a pretzel on the street and went swimming.

Even though these guys apparently don’t want to go, we’d like to go to Berlin as well– someday. I think the lead singer looks like me, particularly from profile (that handsome devil). Anyone else see it?

Click here to view the embedded video.

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