Ice hockey fans forever

This is to my Canadian friends! On this picture you see Werni und Timmi, two friends of mine. They were visiting the ice hockey world championship in Vienna, to ehhhhm watch the games. I don't know what they have seen, but Germany went down. We will be in the B-championship next year. Cheerio, and thanks to our ever supporting fans. I can't remember who was the winner anyway. Ehehehe....


Werni and Timmi. Our social security pensions will be safe.

Calvin and Hobbes - The revenge of the baby-sat

I don't know why, maybe because of Emma and her baby-sitter (my dad) tonight, Calvin and Hobbes came to my mind again. I have all of the books with their cartoons, even in English. It was a good exercise of the language for me.
I'm not a huge comic fan, but I love Calvin and Hobbes. The cartoon is very amusing, but not in a shallow way like many other cartoons.
It is sarcastic, funny and describes profoundly and with a wink the relationship between best friends and also children with their parents. Maybe I should read it again, as I am now in this situation.
I hope Emma will not get into the situation that boys found a club called "G.R.O.S.S." (get rid of slimy girls), as Calvin and Hobbes do to fight their biggest enemy Susie Derkins.
Also legendary is Calvinball, a game that changes every minute. The rules of the game, besides the soccer ball and wickets almost always used, are made up as they go along, but the one consistent rule is that the rules can never be the same twice.
I've heard now, that a complete edition of Calvin and Hobbes will be published in autumn. Anybody who don't know them, go and get it! You will not regret it.


Calvin and Hobbes & unsuspecting baby-sitter

E M M A

Endearing
Mocking
Miss
Adorable

An officer and a gentleman

I was an officer in the federal armed forces of Germany for eight and a half years. Maybe that could have been a confession, too.
It's surprising to me, that many people don't know that. If I tell them they are surprised, because they cannot imagine me being a soldier. Maybe that's a compliment.
It wasn't that dangerous in those years, because the German army wasn't involved in international affairs at all. We celebrated the cold war, which led to armament on both sides of the Iron Curtain. The enemy was specified, but after 1990 it became vague and indistinct. The name turned to "redland", but nobody could tell who this should be.
I then decided to leave the army and to become a civilian at heart.
Surprisingly I have never heard of the army again. It sometimes feels like I've never been there. I sometimes have dreams about this time in my life, but that's all. I'm still first lieutenant of the reserve. But the only tangible remains is my education I got there, while studying business administration at the university of the federal armed forces in Munich. A great time with lots of fun and high academic standard. And also my first time in the states, because I took summer courses in marketing at Arizona State University in Phoenix/Arizona. It was in summer 1992 and boy, this ranks among the best times in my life. I had a t-shirt: ASU - bored of education - where 20.000 students pay to play. And I took the heat, it was sometimes unbearably hot. But it's a dry heat, they say.

Bright Eyes in Nuremberg

Been there, seen him, done it!!!

Bright Eyes, Mr. Conor Oberst.

Unfortunately almost only songs from "Digital Ash in a Digital Urn". But great anyway. Sometimes loud enough to hide the beauty of the songs.



Conor Oberst

Happy midsummer

Konrad

I found this today, although it is not Easter at the moment. It's from Romania, and I thought it could be worth a post.
This reminded me, that I have written an Easter poem two years ago and here it comes, happy midsummer!

Vom Osterhasen

Wer glaubt an den Osterhasen?
Läuft er wirklich über‘n Rasen?
War es nur eine Vision?
Doch sieh mal hin, da hüpft er schon.
Hat Sachen auf dem Rücken,
um die Kinder zu entzücken.
Eier gelb und rot und bunt,
und Süßigkeiten für den Mund.
Trägt er in einem großen Sack,
erfreut damit das ganze Pack.
Sie glauben an Ihn, ob groß ob klein.
Ist es zu schön, um wahr zu sein?
Auch ein Traum gehört zum Leben
und bleibt im Gedächtnis kleben.
Wahrheit bleib‘ mir mal gestohlen,
dich kann heut‘ der Teufel holen.
Heut‘ will ich Kinderlächeln sehn,
bevor die Hasen wieder gehn.
Sich rüsten für das nächste Jahr,
doch, es ist ganz sicher wahr.
Treffen sich im tiefen Wald,
Eier werden dann bemalt.
Wünsche werden ausgetauscht,
die man beim Gespräch belauscht.
Haben nämlich die Ohren gespitzt,
Hasen sind bekanntlich gewitzt:
Das bringen wir dann nächstes Jahr,
das wird wieder wunderbar.
Sagt Hase eins zu Hase zwei,
unsere Geschichte ist damit vorbei.
Glaubst Du, er ist real der Hase?
Man sieht’s Dir an, an Deiner Nase.

Annoyance

I'm back to work and what happens first: Nuisance, offense, pain.
We are working short hours in our company at the moment. I had to plan two days for the month of June. Now these two days coincided with the days when I was sick.
Now the company equates this with the days of working short hours for me as well. These days off are gone but nevertheless I have to accept the shortage of my salary because of working short hours (which I didn't do).

I think that's not fair, or am I thinking in the wrong direction? I don't mind the time off that much, hey we are already working 42 hours a week. But the reduced money hurts as father of a young family.

Well maybe at least something to complain about on my first day at work. Black monday I think. But still the good times will follow this week (see last post)! This leaves me fallen but with my head upright.

Looking forward

After one wonderful week at home, enjoying my family, next week will also be great:

1. Soccer Confederation Cup

On next Tuesday I will go and see the soccer match Germany vs. Argentina in Nuremberg. I'm so excited. The dress rehearsal for the world championship in Germany next year. We are hoping so much to get hold of tickets for this event, too. Tina has given me a tricot of the German team as a birthday present, so I will be dressed perfectly. Gol......................................!

2. Bright Eyes Concert

Conor Oberst will be in Nuremberg next Wednesday and I will be there as well. My songwriter and guitar player hero. I was tempted to go to Cologne to see him, because I didn't know of a concert in Nuremberg at first. But then I was told and my heart started beating. The Faint will also be there. I can't wait to go.

3. The revenge of the baby-sat

Tina's mom will babysit Emma on Thursday evening, so that Tina and me, we can go out for dinner at our favourite restaurant Cabaninha. Wonderful food, gorgeous wine, great coffee. Sounds like the perfect evening.

Isn't that a perfect week to look forward to? And by the way, two days off on Thursday and Friday. Can't get the smile of my face.

A nice time for all of you, share my happiness!

1000 songs and a prize competition

Now I'm back although still suffering from my bad calf bruise. I'm taped for almost one week now and it sucks. But at least I can stay at home and enjoy life as good as it gets.

• I can read the very entertaining book "Me talk pretty one day" by David Sedaris.
• I can improve my guitar playing.
• I can manage to really read the newspaper, at least Feuilleton and Sports.
• I can educate Emma, and Emma can educate me.
• I can go along without one thought about work.
• I almost feel like being on vacation.
• I found out about a very interesting "50 years of pop music (1955 - 2004) anthology" from the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". See www.1000songs.de I'm now thinking about getting it. If some money is left. There is a prize competition and I couldn't find out about one question. They are talking about a wooden foot-bridge which used to be the most expensive pleasure district in the world. Then the city declined. A classical rock song tells about the declined city and the wooden foot-bridge. One line says more or less: "One day it's coming back" - and so did the city. It also says that millions of people wanted to play hotel owner there. The question is: Where is this city located a) East coast b) Nevada c) West coast d) Gulf of Mexico?
  Can anybody give me the answer? I would be delighted.

It's midnight now and I'm heading to bed!

Dreams

Sometimes when I awake at night,
I hear you breathing at my side.
Watching all my dreams pass by,
seem so real, I wonder why?
Are they just a nature's mood?
Bring they something back for good?
Make you smile or get a fright,
sometimes sweat like in a fight.
Want them to stop or carry on,
but at least to come along.
To lead me through the loneliness,
what I dreamt I won't confess.

Under Pressure

Now I have put myself under pressure, because I have invited my colleagues to celebrate my birthday and to say thank you for the presents to Emma's birth.On one hand I like to celebrate things and not let them pass by as a common day.On the other hand many people at my work do nothing at all or just offer some chips and orange juice. This is cheap in my eyes, and I wouldn't want to do this.
So I'm celebrating although I want to live like common people. I want do whatever common people do! I want to fail like common people!

First of all quitting my work would be a step in the right direction. Work part-time or at least something that fulfills you more. Read more, write more, play more music, work for nature, educate, love........

Sounds like a New Year's Resolution.

Ticker to Tina's Birthday

To Emma

Ten pounds and a head of hair
came into without a care
what they thought were cries
were little laughs
only looking forward and moving fast
the little bundle had arrived
and I was happy to be alive
in a magical world.