We’re still here. We wish a super-happy-fun 2006 to anybody who is reading this. Anybody who isn’t reading can just have a mediocre year for all we care. They had a pretty impressive firework display down at the lake. For some reason, the fireworks looked different than the kind I am used to seeing. Not sure how to describe it. Less circles, I think. Or it could have been the alcohol. You can drink outside so everybody brought bottles of champagne down there and some cups to toast. It worked out pretty well. Beforehand, we had a few peeps over from Chizzy’s work. She was in hostess mode all day long and did a ton of great appetizers. Nobody touched the stuffed chilies, but the stuffed mushrooms were a bit hit. Also, we put the Starbursts out that the Montgomery’s sent us to add a bit of American flair, but nobody commented on them. I don’t know why I am telling you any of this. There isn’t even a punchline.
We hope your Christmas was also good (unless you aren’t reading this in which case it could have just been average for all we care). Did you know that the Santa Claus figure here also has an ‘evil’ counterpart that travels alongside to scare children into being good? It’s true. Children are legitimately scared of this fellow. He is called Schmutzli and dresses in a black robe and even paints his face black (yeah, I know… wouldn’t fly in the US). It’s no wonder they are scared of him... look at the legend:
...if a child had been bad, Schmutzli would put him or her in his sack and carry him into the forest to be beaten. Other accounts speak of Schmutzli actually eating children for misbehaviour or tossing them into a river.
I hope nobody got hurt in the War on Christmas back there. There is no war here. Everybody seems to happily call it Christmas (or Weihnachten). The big debate was all about the fancy new lights they strung down the Bahnhofstrasse this year. Here is a very bad photo of them.
They just look like lame fluorescent tubes hanging side by side, but they actually were pretty fancy because they were rigged up to do light shows along the length of the street. Think downtown Vegas to get an idea. I guess the lights are normally more traditional.
I had big plans to do the whole 2006 prediction thing or maybe a top 10 list of 2005, but that isn't going to happen. Don't know why I'm telling you this. There isn't even a punchline.
We also use the calendar year to roughly mark the date that we came out to Europe. So, for those not playing along that would make it one full year that we have been here now. Time is so strange. It seems like such a long time ago that we were living in France or even the Attic, but it doesn't feel like a long time ago that we were sitting out on the patio at Nectar telling our friends we were coming here. I’m coming back in mid Feb. to ramp up for the culminating Lewis wedding on March 4th so that should be fun times. Chizzy’s contract has her on US holiday benefits still so she won’t be able to join. Nobody here believes two weeks a year is a normal vacation benefit in the states. Lazy mugs.
Happy New Year! Rain here at home on New Year's as well (no surprise). ;)
Nickel, February 13, 2006 08:23 AM:Not happy about the last name usage in this post...
Bryan, February 13, 2006 01:39 PM:Your objection has been entered into the records, but a modification of the original post will not be possible. The statute of limitations indicates a two week window in which such grievances may be brought before the ruling body. Your comment is clearly outside that time frame and thus is not eligible for consideration. The committee suggests more frequent visits to the site to alleviate any future misunderstandings.