Break and back to work

Well, things don't always go as planned.  That expected trip to the Tollwood and Medieval markets?  Didn't happen.  I spent the first day of Christmas break flat on my back with a fever.  Gus will tell you I am a terrible patient.  It's really true.  I did nothing but hog the couch in a state of semi-consciousness, whining about being hungry but turning my nose up at food.  No markets for me.

By Sunday the 23rd I was well enough to travel up to Glückstadt as planned.  Driving on Sundays is so much better and faster because the trucks are not allowed to drive on Sundays.  Cool.  Anyway, we spent Christmas Eve with Oma at Tante Doris's house.  My cousin Thomas and his wife and kiddos joined us.  It was a pleasant evening, but I did miss the Peach and hanging with the Ketsche clan (and the Gregory grandparents).  We spent Christmas Day at my cousin Jan's house.  All three cousins (Jan, Thomas, and Kai), two wives (Romina and Carina), four children (Nils, Finn, Kimberly, and Luana), Doris and Karl-Heinz, Oma, Gus and I had a lovely time.  I'm pretty sure Jan and Gus had more fun putting together Kai's gift to Finn (a crane with moving parts) than Finn did playing with it.

*We interrupt this post to inform the reader that my being sick interfered with my ability to take pictures of said events.  We now return to your programming.*

The rest of the visit consisted of another visit each from Jan and Kai (with families), an afternoon out with Thomas' family (shopping and dinner), a visit with my buddy Frank, walking around the metropolis of Glückstadt, and relaxing with Oma.  Lots of reading, eating, and just hanging out for us, lots of eating, eating, and eating for the dogs.  Jimmy and Trotsky each must've put on a few pounds!

Oma with her fan club (her dog Ami under the table)

While Gus fixed the cabinet door . . .  

. . . Oma had Trotsky eating out of her hand.  This is a big deal for anyone who knows this dog.

We returned in time for New Year's Eve.  For those who have never spent a NYE here in Germany, you're missing out.  We met up with our friends Mark and Katrina (colleagues originally from Manchester, UK) around 9 at an Irish pub in Munich.  Frank joined us, and they had 14 other friends with them (two of whom I had met before).  Quite a group!  At midnight we came up to the main street in that section of Munich--the Schwabing area--and set off tons of fireworks.  No countdown--people just jell a bit louder or set off a few more fireworks when their watches strike midnight.  A half hour of revelry later, we headed off to the Muffathalle to start the real party.  Gus lasted until 3:30, but I wanted to keep dancing and stayed with Frank and a few others.  Gus was delayed helping some of the somewhat "lost" Brits from our party find their way back to Mark and Katrina to guide them home.  I was unaware of this, however.  Frank and I left around 5, making our way back via S-Bahn and train to Freising and then by cab back to Zolling (Gus had taken the car from the train station).  As it turns out, his delay meant he was on our train, though we didn't know it until we walked in and he was only minutes ahead of us.  It's not a NYE until you've danced all night and returned home at 6:30 am!

It seriously looks like I'm wearing the hat in this picture taken at the Irish pub.

This is what happens to Gus when he doesn't get enough sleep.  He likes the heated floors, though, and Jimmy is fond of his habit of sleeping on the floor and is happy to keep Gus company.

Frank left the next day, and we relaxed, cleaned the house, ran a few errands, and generally enjoyed the last few days of break.  Gus finally smoked his first pork shoulder after hitting 3 metzgereis (butcher shops) and getting a supply of apple wood from Oma.  We hosted some colleagues and their families (US, UK, Portugal, and Venezuela were represented among our guests, who totaled 12).  A lovely evening of good conversation with interesting people is one of the perks of a community like this!  It made the transition back to school easier.

Trotsky even joined us for cuddles on the couch once!

We're back to work now.  Gus is enjoying a slightly decreased work load as his 10th graders--two of his six classes--are currently not in class and busy with mock exams to prep them for their IGCSE test this spring.  I'm in a true teaching groove, with the lessons falling naturally into place.  It's been unseasonably warm for much of the last few weeks, though it finally caught up with us this week.  We got several inches over the course of the day on Wednesday, Thursday was a right mess, and it finally let up Friday.  This is the view out of my office window, though!

 First thing in the morning (I had duty on this playground earlier in the week--thankfully when there was only a centimeter of snow as I'd forgotten my boots).

 Schloss Haimhausen at 7:45 am and at 2:30 pm from my office.

We just got back from playing with the dogs in the snow, Gus is grading papers, and I am, of course lesson planning blogging.  Stay tuned for another post later in the day!