Here's to 2018!

That's what a happy prune couple looks like

OK, I have every right to be a bit bummed and less-than-happy. You see, it's New Year's Day, and I thought that after almost three weeks across the pond and a smashing end-of-year party here at the house things would be about as peachy-creamy as they could be. But that's not the way it works in real life. You're on top of the world one moment, and then you have a water leak in the kitchen (one that was entire preventable, to boot!).

Germans are serious about their sausages--Schwenkgrill in Frankfurt

So, that sucks. I wish it'd suck harder because then my carpet would be a little drier and wouldn't have to rely on that other favorite pastime of naughty couples. Those fans are blowing, but not like the turbine of one of those 777s that I flew over the past few weeks.

Sabine recoiled when she saw these chocolate and strawberry-crap covered Brez'n ...

... while I rejoiced looking at these!

Actually, there's been a bit of suckiness since early December, but that's to be expected when you've had a great year (no broken bones, just a damn close scare!). It started with my flight to Munich on December 9, which was chronicled in the last blogpost--being stuck in Heathrow for two days and essentially missing Sabine's 60th birthday was annoying, to put it mildly.

That's what dreary Frankfurt looks like on a dreary December day

I was prepared to get to Germany and encounter shit weather. But when even Sabine, after a week of grey skies, started getting a little antsy and making comments like "Will we ever see the sun again?", well, then--you guessed it--the weather is not nice. Dump snow all you want, but don't dick around with temps jockeying between 33 and 31 degrees (yeah, day and night!) and dishing up grey skies and drizzle. Yuck. Actually, double yuck.

After one of those cold, nasty rides in Freising, sans hot beverage

Gotta keep warm somehow, right?

I'll temper my comments for a few moments, because we did not encounter any snow on our way from Freising to Frankfurt (lovely evening visiting the Weihnachtsmarkt and staying in the Hilton) to Dortmund (three very enjoyable days with Sabine's brother, Christian) to Cologne (where we spent another fab night with my cousin Paddy and his precious family, and I mean that) to Stuttgart (where on a lark we visited Opa Karl and Oma Uschi, from Sabine's family) and back to Freising--where the weather turned really sour that very night, with snow and crap and bitter cold that has been eclipsed only by what we have endured for the past 48 hours here in Lubbock.

A bit better at night from our room in the Hilton

Sabine and I had a very nice time together, and when I left MUC two days ago on the morning of December 30, 2017, and cast my glance over the city of Freising while spotting the house in which she lives, retracing our 7-mile walk through the fields the day before, seeing that bit of steamy smoke or smoky steam coming from the Weihenstephan brewery, well, that's when those feelings of being a bit sad about leaving all of it behind started to creep up. Yet at the same time, I was also looking forward to getting home.

A sweet for the sweetie--Bethman at the Frankfurt Weihnachtsmarkt

Back in Lubbock! I was greeted by even colder temperatures than in Germany, with the thermometer not having been above freezing since my return and currently being stuck at a balmy -10 Celsius. Yes, Celsius! So, having a (preventable) water disaster last night while my friends Barry, Suzie, and Max from New York were here to celebrate New Year's was not ideal. We were joined by Barry's Houston-based cousin Jodie, and my 63rd-street side-kick, the indomitable Janet the Planet. Tom and Trish had to bow out thanks to a stomach bug, but they contributed with setting me up with food to last through most of '18. So, it was a nice evening of raclette and Feuerzangenbowle. Shit, a few gallons of water suddenly streaming from my disconnected water filter (damn, I didn't tell them not to use the faucet!) can't get me down all the way, just on my knees with towels in hand to mop up the mess.

This morning, after the sun had come up!

And so, in the spirit that got me out of the house today to make a 6-mile recycling-run on the bike in 22-degree tropical conditions (hell, it's 12 F right now!) I want to wish you and yours and everyone you know and don't, a very, very Happy New Year!

Wishing all of you a very cold, I mean, happy New Year!

Jürgen