Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Resolution Round-Up

Way back on 2 January 2008, I penned my manifesto for the year.

It is now time to have a look and see how I did.

Item 1: The Body
  • Enough with the smoking already - it will kill you. Stop it.
    Result: WIN - although not without some hiccups and obsessive washing-up.

  • Exercise and fun are not mutually exclusive. Get on your bike, back in the pool, join a team. Anything. Make sure it is fun.
    Result: WIN. Longer rides in the summer, and a year of biking around town.

  • Moderation is not a dirty word.
    Result: FAIL. Bugger.
Item 2: The Mind
  • For your own sanity, try harder to learn to speak German. Sign up for more classes.
    Result: WIN. Apparently language acquisition is very good blogging fodder.

  • Write every day.
    Result: FAIL. For proof, check out the online castigation I cop from my blogging friend, jb, over at Mainz Daily Photo (in the side bar under the heading "introducing").

  • Take photos every day.
    Result: Technically a FAIL, as I didn't take photos everyday, but I give myself an 'honourable mention' for my babysitting of Mainz Daily Photo while jb was away.

  • Read something every day.
    Result: Technically a WIN, as I didn't go around with my eyes closed, but I'm ashamed to say, I still haven't finished this book.

  • Get a job. The life of a Hausfrau can be somewhat tedious.
    Result: FAIL. I promise to try harder next year...
Item 3: The Soul
  • Travel, travel, travel - you live in the middle of Europe, you can go to France to buy cheese if you want - do it.
    Result: WIN. Surprisingly, my travels didn't really get a guernsey on the blogging front, but I can assure you there were trips to Paris, Berlin, a brief Belgium drive-through just for the hell of it, Strasbourg and of course the world's loveliest honeymoon in Scotland.

  • Try 3 new things this year.
    Result: Technically a WIN, but really a FAIL. You can't really count; not smoking, speaking better German and learning to love bike riding as three new things, can you?

  • Make a new friend.
    Result: WIN. Internet, you'll be pleased to know that I still meet up with my language school friends nearly every week. Also, mr & mrs jb are ace and I'm looking forward to having dinner with them tomorrow.

  • Write more letters to Dad.
    Result: FAIL. I have thought about this issue and have decided that it is the whole writing with a pen and paper that just is not doing it for me. I'm much more likely to type a letter than to write it. Does this make me a heathen?

  • De-lurk.
    Result: WIN. You know what, Internet - you're really nice.
Given a gaussian distribution, I'd give me a passing grade.

Stay tuned for the 2009 edition.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Christmas Ham-ster

On Christmas Day as we were heading out the door to visit some friends, I noticed that the neightbours had constructed a makeshift enclosure, complete with a little wooden hut - the perfect size for a hamster.

My internal monologue went something like...

"The kids next door must have got a hamster for Christmas, how cute."

Closely followed by...

"It's a bit weird that there is no top on that enclosure - free range hamsters, how cute."

Closely followed by...

"Oh My God, the cats are outside."

Closely followed by...

"We really need to get some of that 'just in case your cats eat the neighbour's kids' Christmas hamster' insurance that everyone in Germany recommends you have."

Friday, December 19, 2008

Certifiable

I wish I could blame my protracted absence from this blog on madly studying for today's big test - Zertifikat Deutsch.

Unfortunately, I can't, because I didn't.

I wish I could wax lyrical about the Grammatik and how effortlessly I penned that reply to my 'friend' - full of coherent advice about what she should do with her lazy, football watching brother.

Unfortunately, I can't, because I didn't.

I wish I could regale you, beloved Internet, with hilarious stories about how I deftly steered the stilted set of 3 conversation exercises with my fellow Prüflinger in the speaking exam, giving each of us the opportunity to display our verbal wares.

Unfortunately I can't, because I didn't.

Did I pass? Probably.

By much? No.

You live and learn, Internet - you live and learn.