Glee! Schnee!

It's snowing! Kinda. It is definitely non-wet rain, and I think it just may, in fact, be snow! Joy! It won't stick around for long, so no snowball fights are in the offing just yet, but I remain in a state of cat-like readiness - which, if my cats are anything to go by, means I'm about to curl up with my nose very close to my bum and go to sleep.

Counting today, the number of snow experiences I've had can be counted on one hand. The novelty factor is still extremely high. I'm sure it will diminish with time, but for now it is 'Big Kev' exciting.

9 months, 5 days

That is how long it took me to send out our wedding thank you notes. The irony of the timescale is not lost on me either.

Now that they are all in the post, I can sit back and bask in the non-guilt.

Hallowhat?

Last night was Halloween. This festival that has always been a big mystery to me, firstly because I'm Australian, and quite frankly, we don't usually go in for all of that palava, and secondly, I've always found the idea of Halloween to be somewhat disturbing - people, pumpkins are for roasting and making soup - Don't whittle them!

That fact that Halloween was last night had completely escaped my attention for a number of reasons:

1. I've been somewhat housebound due to a minor cash flow crisis
2. My grasp of German is tenuous at best, and therefore I find it challenging to comprehend my environment
3. I don't watch the telly or read newspapers (see reason 2)

Last night I was down in the bustling metropolis that is Bretzenheim doing some last minute shopping for dinner and I raised a quizzical eyebrow at the number of small children running around with buckets, baskets and various other receptacles. Then I saw a child dressed as a hybrid vampire/pirate, and it dawned on me - "well bugger me", I thought, "it must be Halloween", and then promptly forgot all about it and did my shopping.

So, I did actually have a 2.5 microsecond window to solve the following equation:

A + B = C

Where:
A = Presence in a shop
B = Instance of Halloween
C = Purchase of lollies

Unfortunately, I didn't.

The instant the door bell rang I knew I was in big trouble.

I proffered by best apologies, in German of course, and tried to explain that I was from Australia, and therefore not wise in the ways of Halloween. The children were reluctant to go away empty handed, so I dashed into the kitchen and grabbed the the contents of the fruit bowl and distributed the fruit amongst the very disappointed looking children. So, what was in the fruit bowl? 3 oranges, 1 tomato and a very manky looking lemon.

Children of Mainz, I'm sorry.

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