Our trip to the US was nice but too jam packed. We had so much we wanted to do, it hardly seemed like a holiday. The wedding was lovely. My outfit was fantastic. The funny thing is everyone else was wearing black. Here I had gone to all this trouble (and expense) only too end up being the only one (besides the bridesmaids) in colour! My new friend Alyssa (John’s wife) said she dragged her son Wolfie (so cool!) to a dozen stores trying to find something in colour but couldn’t and ended up buying black. I had gone to 3 different countries trying to find a light pink cashmere sweater to wear with my dress because it is strapless. I didn’t think a pashima wrap would be enough for the Catholic church. But there again, a number of females in spaghetti straps were wearing wraps. Henry’s wife (can you believe I have already forgotten her name even though she was really cool and excellently fashioned (see memory topic below)) was even wearing fishnets like I had wanted to! Unbelievable. Anyhow, Brett looked incredibly happy and everything was lovely.

Halloween rocked, obviously. Isn’t my costume rad?! Mom was getting a little stressed at the end there because her sewing machine didn’t like velco but she worked it out. I went out with my friend Christine’s son Miles (he was Satan) and got TONS of candy. Only once did I get accused of being too old. Though once I was accused of being the mom. I said “No, I am 10.” Not sure they believed that.

So now we are back in Germany and, honestly, I am a little frustrated. It has been a really rough week at the office. Lots of problems. Lots of jumping around from this to that. Lots of unsuredness. Now it is Friday and the weekend is here. And I am depressed. In the US, where I speak the language, on the weekends I can relax. Go out. Stay in. Make phone calls. Whatever. In Germany, where I don’t speak the language, when the weekend starts, the complications start. For example, I think I have a brow appointment tomorrow at Brueninger but I am not sure and it isn’t in my palm. In the US, I could just call up the salon and ask them to look. No problem. No stress. Ah, but in Germany, if I can even find the phone number, I have to deal with the stress of not

speaking the language. It isn’t that I don’t know how to ask whether I have an appointment or not, it is the follow on, or if they don’t understand me. SO this means instead of calling I have to walk there. And it is snowing. You are saying to yourselves “Stop whining Heather and learn the f***ing language already”. Yeah, I know I should but, honestly (as though I were ever anything else) I don’t want to take the time. There are other things I would rather be doing than spending my time studying German. You are saying to yourselves now “So stop bitching Heather, it’s your choice”. Yes, I know. In following my dual insistence that people do not behave like hypocrites AND if they aren’t willing to do something about the situation, they should stop bitching, I should stop bitching and suck it up (as I often remark to those not willing to do something about the situation). But you know what else? It is my website and I can bitch if I want.

I’m eating dry Boo Berries out of the box as I write this. Ah, the simple pleasures.

OK, so on the train this week, I realized I have like a gazillion passwords. Plus or minus a few. I have different passwords for most of it too. My keyboard lock is different than my NT logon, is different than my CPO-SAP logon, which is different than my PDN-SAP logon, which is different than my Xpress logon, you get the picture. And all these passwords? I remember them. Occasionally I do have to consult my handy-dandy password-protected password program for infrequently used passwords such as my 401K password (why would I want to check something going down?). But mostly, I remember them. Peoples names? Nope. I am HORRIBLE with faces and names. Phone numbers? Random facts about people, once someone reminds me who they are? Oh I remember all those. But Names? Nope. Why is that? Most people say I am a creative person. I use “that” side of the brain, whichever it is. I would think, being creative, a person would be visual and remember faces. So I don’t think that I fit the pattern. In fact, I have some of the strangest combinations of characteristics I think possible. I love transactions. I love balancing my checkbook. I love straightening my sock drawer or rearranging my clothes racks by some other characteristic of my clothing (like length or worth instead of just black vs colour). I love giving presentations. I am a very sexual and extroverted person. I like to help. I don’t like being thanked in public. I tend to diminish my own successes (except cookies, my cookies rock). I have a high standard for myself and others. I wear black. My hair changes colour frequently. I am not afraid. I am afraid. For the most part I am quick witted, though not always, depends on the situation. I am more calm now than when I was younger though I am not sure if it has to do with age or the journey which tends to be age dependent. Seems sort of mixed up to me. So far it is working, for the most part. I still make it through the day. Just today is not fun.

What next? Well as I said it is snowing. So tomorrow I am going to go out and buy the snow boots I have been looking at. I promise that is it too. Even though the stores are open until 8. I’ll probably just come home and play solitaire. Oh well.