The Theory of Relativity

According to weather.com the expected high in Austin, Texas today is 97 degrees, the high in Birkenfeld, Germany is 78 degrees.

I spent 26 consecutive summers residing in the HOT Texas summer heat and never once did I feel that 78 degrees was hot, in fact, to say such a thing would be probably get you exiled from Texas.  So I feel somewhat guilty in confessing that 78 degrees in Germany is wearing me out!  It is flippin' HOT today and no amount of open windows can help!  I know, I know, cry me a river its 78 whole degrees but in Germany that really does feel hot!  I guess heat adaptability really is relative.  If you live a place that cools off significantly in the evenings the temperature differentials really can seem extreme, it's all relative!  And I better brace myself because tomorrow the high is supposed to be....*gulp*.....82!  I am beginning to think that there is just no way we'll make it through summer without buying an A/C unit, the $400 just might be worth it after all!

Now, go forth all you Texans and enjoy your A/C while I sit in front of my fan!

Monday was a big day for me.  I think I have already mentioned before that I am unusually cheap, I am pretty sure that I actually may very well be allergic to spending money.  So my husband has come to learn that whenever there is a decision that requires spending money, I will generally (ok, always) get cold feet.  Case in point: you may remember from a previous post that the nasty 220 electricity here and a cruddy transformer blew my KitchenAid a few weeks back.  I loved that kitchenaid!  So I instantly knew that I had to have another one, I was so certain that I had to have another one that I called Andrew, who was at training at the time, to proudly announce that I was going to go buy myself a new one!  I made the 25 minute drive to the giant PX/mall at Ramstein with the sole intention of buying a new Kitchen Aid mixer.  I picked up a buggy, briskly walked directly to where the mixers were, fully knowing the EXACT price of the mixer, I was on a mission!  My mission however, got derailed when I reached the row of KitchenAid's, saw the price (which I knew before I made the 25 minute drive) and proceeded to stand in the aisle glaring at the price as though if I stood there long enough the price would magically reduce, or maybe a coupon would drop from the heavens.  So I left that Ramstein mall KitchenAid less, with cold feet and a bottle of Lysol disenfectant. 

This leads me to this past Monday, when my husband bought me this sweet gadget!  We bought it from that same PX that I previously visited and left empty-handed, my husband is prepared for my frugal antics and has generally learned to tune out my, "but it costs......, but there are so many other things we could buy..." and just do it!

We also picked up this sweet ride.

It's definitely the nicest car I have ever had; though I should probably mention that both Claire and Grace were great cars and I loved them!  I am so excited to have a car again, sweet freedom, sweet, sweet freedom!  No more waking up at 0530 to drop Andrew off, work out while he's at PT just to wait around for another 2 hours for anything to open.  I am so excited, I can go anywhere, whenever I want....SAWEET!

But, the car itself is pretty cool to have too.  It has leather automatic seats...a real novelty in my mind, and bluetooth compatability so when I want to use the phone it calls through the car and you hear the phonecall through the speakers.  I don't even ever have to get my key out of my purse to unlock the doors or to start the car, the car recognizes that I have the key in my purse and unlocks/starts upon touch......I mean really, who comes up with this stuff????