Still Waiting

Am coming to you from a Starbucks in Old Town (Alstadt) Duesseldorf. Our Internet/TV/Phone will be set up on October 5. So for those of you planning a move to Germany, it takes about one month from the time you arrive to get these services.

We still have no lights, no table and no couch or chairs. We are waiting on the Arrigo family from North Carolina to move back to the states so that we can get their light fixtures, table and chairs and some closets. I think we can have them by next week. We also have ordered a couch and chair from Ikea. We (and by that I mean mostly Skip) have become experts at assembling furniture--because nothing from Ikea comes ready to use. There must be at least 100 screws and a few nails involved in each piece. But moving up a notch from Ikea means a HUGE increase in price, so suddenly the assembly process doesn't seem so bad.

Am starting to figure out where to get what and where to get it a fairly reasonable prices. My German is not great, but am starting to develop a good vocabularly in relation to breads, veggies, fruits and meats. I speak what I call market/resaurant German.

I have figured out what size clothes both Maddie and I wear in European sizes and have found that most book stores here carry at least a few English books. That's important, since our container of stuff we shipped here to Germany is still in the United States--held up because of some paperwork related to Skip's work Visa. We don't know when it will ship or how long it will take to get here once it does.

Maddie has already made some friends. One is from Canada, another from Korea and her "best friend" is from England. Meg lived in Jakarta, Indonesia last year. It's really bizarre to hear a little girl with an English accent say, "Last year, in Jakarta..."

I, too, have made some friends. The International School is great place to network with other displaced American moms.

I figure by November, we will be entirely visitable. We should be fully furnished, wired and know where everything is. For you shoppers out there, you may short circuit when you hit downtown Dusseldorf. It's pretty incredible. AND plan to gain at least 5 to 10 pounds when you come. The food is fabulous.

We are still having some homesickness. Bob Owen, a member of my church, died this week and it's the first funeral that I won't be there for. Skip will actually be in the states in October for some training and I'm sending with him a list of stuff he needs to bring back.

We're planning a trip to see Tante Rosel in southern Germany this weekend. Maddie has Monday and Tuesday off from school.

I may not be able to post again until October 5, but hopefully I can hit a Starbucks or a library before then.