We spent a very hot five days in Vienna last week. On Thursday, we went the Stiegl Ambulanz in the Altes Krankenhaus (AKH) to meet some friends. A nice evening in a huge courtyard, under the trees, away from traffic noise, but right in the middle of the city.
As the name suggests, they serve Stiegl beer, a nice bräu that actually comes out of Salzburg. Stiegl uses the colors red and white on everything, and they did a really, really nice job on their coasters!
I love it when restaurants use white paper as table cloths, AND provide a proper cup full of drawing utensils!
The sun was shining through our living room window the other day. As the electromagnetic rays impacted the thin film of the porcine surface, we were struck with revelation and imparted with understanding.
If you’ve bought an overpriced Apple appliance in the last few years, you may have been delighted to receive a few “bonus” stickers along with that too-hip, expensive packaging.
But have you figured out what to do with them?
I just dug up an eleven-year-old idea for a logo for the Special Olympics. It’s nothing earth-shaking, but hopefully it will make a few folks laugh…or at least go; “Hmmmm.”
So digging around on my D:\ drive, I stumbled upon and old, old Visio file from way back in 1997. Evidently we had been working on a clip-art stencil at the time and I just couldn’t resist messing around.
After spending yet another hour updating, downloading and re-installing stuff on my computer I really needed to get out of the house.
Simple, just put the laptop in stand-by mode, pack up, and leave, right?
Who would have thought this led me to think of Grandma’s wise words?
We’ve got this Gäste-WC (visitor’s restroom) in our apartment that’s just begging to be decorated.
Now, I’m not one to invest any effort in the undertaking, nor (God-forbid) put up dolphins and starfish and leave shells laying around to collect dust!
But you’ve got to love these in-wall toilets they have here in Germany!
That big ol’ flush lever just stares at you, looking so much like a shiny, modern-day, 3D, gummi-bear, jelly-bean, computer-user-interface button!
Just look at all that surface area begging to be decorated!!
The members of Toytown Germany, a website dedicated to the English-speaking, ex-pat population of Germany, started a thread about what the outline of Germany looks like.
I guess after all that (good German) beer they’ve been drinking, they were bound to come up with some creative, free-flowing ideas.
And, needless to say, I couldn’t help myself and got carried away…
Remember Springsteen’s classic album: Born in the USA? That album cover with the rugged workin’ man in his blue jeans and crumpled t-shirt. His workin’ cap stuffed nonchalantly in his back pocket, while Old Glory watches over him in the background.
Well, I too was born in the good ole US ‘n A. In a workin’ town. A wet one.
I’ve lived in Munich, Germany for over five years. And I must say, it is a privilege to be able to live in Germany, and Munich is one of the nicest, most livable places on Earth.
But for some reason, living in a foreign country triggers the odd feeling of patriotism from time to time. Lots of ex-pats have told me that they have the same feelings. It’s probably just some form of home-sickness.