Kissin' Cousins

Last weekend, Kevin's family visited so we could celebrate the "winter birthdays."  Kevin, his brother, and his mom all have birthdays in January and February, so we usually all get together sometime in February to celebrate all of them.  It was exciting to have them all down to our place.

The birthday kids.

Without a doubt, the most exciting thing about the weekend was my brother and sister-in-law's boxer, Stanley, meeting Snuffles.

This was Stanley last Christmas:

 
With Kevin's grandma, for scale:

This was Stanley last weekend:

And this is Snuffles:

Snuffles has had limited experience with dogs.  There was the one time when she about a year old, when Kevin and I said, "Hey!  Snuffles loves being outside, so let's take her to the park!"  This was not our best idea, ever.  We shoved her in her carrier (which she hates) and carried it about five blocks to one of the neighborhood parks, jostling her the whole way.  Once we got to the park, she didn't want to leave her carrier, she was so terrified of the new, big, strange place.  The icing on the cake was the slobbering dog that galloped towards us excitedly, sticking his nose between the bars of her carrier.  She yowled and hissed, and that was our last trip to the park.  Subsequent encounters with dogs had been at a distance, and if a dog is more than five or so feet from her, she hasn't really cared.

Stanley is not the type of dog to stay five or so feet away from anyone.  He really, really, really wanted Snuffles to be his friend.  I'm not sure what exactly he had in mind.  That they would snuggle together? (That's what I was wishing for) That she would play like a dog?  Most of the weekend went something like this:

1.  Snuffles is curled up somewhere.
2.  Stanley approaches cautiously, circling, sniffing.
3.  Stanley gets closer.
4.  Snuffles emits a low growl.
5.  Stanley somehow misinterprets this and sticks his nose in her face.
6.  Snuffles hisses.
7.  Snuffles swats, narrowly missing nose.
8.  Snuffles hides behind the couch.
9.  Stanley howls, sneezes, and yawns, distraught that his cousin will not play with him.

Here's a snippet:

I didn't capture the swat on video, but here is a brief clip that is clearly post-swat.  Watch as Snuffles daintily tucks her paw back underneath her, murder in her eyes:

The highlight, though, was early in the weekend when Snuffles thought that running away from this beast was her best course of action.  She only made this mistake once.  As soon as she started running, Stanley took off after her.  There was much skidding and scrambling of paws on the hardwood floors as Snuffles nimbly rounded the corners that she's used to, and Stanley struggled to keep his feet underneath him.  They circled around the main level twice (this may or may not be because we were laughing too hard during the first go-round) before Blair was able to catch Stanley, allowing Snuffles to make a getaway.

Disclaimer:  I do not believe in any way, shape, or form that Stanley would've hurt Snuffles at all.  If any thing, I think it would've been the other way around.  I think if he had caught her, he would've been completely bewildered.

I wish I conclude this post by posting a picture of the two beloved pets cuddling together, or at least sitting near each other with no drama, but the best I can say is that Snuffles did not slice Stanley's nose open, which is better than I had expected.

Epilogue:  As I transferred these videos onto the computer and watched them, Snuffles, who had been dozing on my lap, sat straight up, ears back, and looked around very carefully.  She's sleeping again now, so I think she's realized it's safe.

Perfect Prom Project

I realize I need to finish up our Germany trip (have I said that already?), but I found something today that I just really want to share.

Howard Community College is sponsoring a Perfect Prom Project, where we are collecting donations of gently-used formal attire, shoes, and accessories, then will open a "boutique" for high school girls that might not be able to afford prom-wear, otherwise.  It's a really nice project, and something I'm totally on board with because:

1. It encourages reuse of what is usually a one-time item (prom dress), so it's environmentally friendly, too.  Although, do people ever actually throw out prom dresses?  Do prom dresses ever really die?  Mine is still hanging in my closet at my parent's house, and I can't imagine that it will ever get thrown away.  Maybe eventually donated to Goodwill and end up as someone's Halloween costume...
2. I really love pretty dresses.  I would just collect them if that was a normal thing to do.  But that's a pretty impractical hobby, so this is a great way to get a fix.

 I'm part of a group that is helping with the collecting the dresses.  I had the idea to start a facebook campaign where everyone changes their profile picture to a prom (or other formal event) photo to promote the collection.  It remains to be seen whether any of my colleagues will jump on this bandwagon with me (AHEM), but I had a lot of fun perusing my old photographs.  Which needed to be REMOVED FROM A PHOTO ALBUM AND SCANNED.  This could be the start of a new (yay!) project!

I have two I'd like to share with you.

This one cracks me up.  My boyfriend at the time, Tim, had picked me up at my parents' house - well, I should say - Tim's mom had driven him by my parent's house to give the illusion of being picked up, but then we both sat in the back seat while she drove us (I think) back to his house.  He had, of course, presented me with my corsage (which still sits dried in a trunk at my parents' house)(unless it's reduced to dust by now, which is possible) when he had initially "picked me up."  Since his mother had missed this, we performed a dramatic recreation of the corsage presentation in his mom's living room.

If you look in the mirror above the couch, you can see how absolutely fake it looks.  Tim's dramatic presentation, my overly-gracious smile.

There's a lot going on in this next photo.

First, you might notice our friends Jeff and Adam in the background, circling the limo.  Look closer, and you'll see that the "spare tire" (I have my doubts that this is an actual spare tire) is leaning out from the trunk.  This is because our chauffeur had backed into a mailbox, and the guys were trying to decide if they could safely adjust it.  In a later photo, it is revealed that, in fact, they could.

You might also notice that while Beth and Lynn are grinning broadly, as girls in prom pictures usually do, I look sullen and near tearful.  It is not because I ripped my pantyhose or because my shoes are too tight, or because I'm annoyed I have to carry this damn corsage around all night while the other girls get to wear theirs. 

Our prom was aboard Majestic, a boat in the Gateway Clipper Fleet, sailing from downtown Pittsburgh.  Although I claim Pittsburgh as my hometown, we really lived about 45 minutes away.  I'm sure kids still travel to the prom this way.  Couples start at one of their two houses, and then a cluster of couples  converge at a final house to take a limo together.  So, Tim and I had been to my house, his house, and then finally Adam's house (I think), the closest to our final destination.

As we were taking pictures at our last stop, the stop the farthest away from Tim's house, the stop closest to the dock and our very prompt boarding time, Tim realized:

He did not have our prom tickets.

It had been stressed in school many times that we absolutely, postitively:

1.  Could not be late
2.  Must have our tickets

or we would not be able to board the boat.

The above photo was taken right after this news broke.  The probable reason that Tim is not examining the tire is because he was inside, frantically trying to get a hold of his mom, who was probably on her way home, in an age when most regular folks did not have cell phones.


This is the face of a 17-year-old girl, who, a year earlier, might have believed she'd never go to a prom, who, now, moments away from going to the prom, just found out that she might not go to the prom.

It is the face of barely-concealed hysteria.

Never fear, it all worked out in the end.  I don't remember quite how, just that we went ahead to the dock, and Tim disappeared for awhile to wait for his sister, who saved the day by delivering the tickets, and a good time was had by all. Phew.

When I told Kevin this story,  he fell silent.  I had expected him to make fun of Tim, tell me how lucky I was that I didn't end up with that dimwit.

AHA.

Then, in my moment of realization, I said,

"Huh. I guess I sort of have a type, don't I?"  :-)

(but seriously, if you a dress you'd like to donate to the Perfect Prom Project, we're taking them until February 17th.  Leave me a comment and I'll get in touch with you.  Remember, it can be any formal dress - even a bridesmaid dress!)

Pork and Sauerkraut

About an hour ago, I just put our traditional New Year's meal of pork and sauerkraut in the slow cooker, along with some kielbasa.  My family has eaten this every New Year's Day my whole life, and since moving out I continue the tradition - although I think my mom cooks her's in the oven.

Funny, when you're a kid growing up, you never question traditions or wonder where they came from, or consider that the whole world doesn't do the same thing.  You eat pork and sauerkraut for dinner New Year's Day, end of story.  The only thing I knew was that, ideally, we would have eaten it as our very first meal right after the clock struck midnight to maximize our good luck for the upcoming year, but that would have been a logistical nightmare for my mom, and who wants to eat pork and sauerkraut right before bedtime?  Hellooo, heartburn!

Now, I obviously realize that there are different foods and traditions that other folks use to ring in the New Year.  One that my dad enjoys retelling is how, right after midnight, his mother would send the oldest boy out of the house, have him knock on the door and re-enter.  This was because it was considered good luck for the first visitor of the new year to be a tall, dark-haired man.  And while I know my uncle now to be neither particularly tall nor dark-haired, I guess he was the best they had to work with.

In any case, according to Good Food Stories (which actually looks really interesting and I think I'll explore it a little more), pork and sauerkraut is a traditional New Year's meal not just in Pennsylvania, but also across Ohio, West Virginia, and other places with a strong Eastern European and German influence.  The long threads of the sauerkraut are supposed to give you a long life.  Then, according to this website, "Pennsylvania Dutch superstition says that eating pork brings good luck because a pig roots forward to look for its food, while chickens scratch backward and cows stand still."

And, like Good Food Stories suggests, I will also dump the whole mess on a pile of mashed potatoes.

Speaking of, I thought I'd share the recipe I've sort of crafted for my slow cooker pork and sauerkraut.  And when I say crafted, I mean this is how I improvised the recipe this year based on recipes I've used in the past and what I ended up having around.  Crockpot cooking is very forgiving.  :-)

Tracie's New Year's Pork and Sauerkraut with Kielbasa

1 to 1 1/2 pounds pork loin chops
garlic pepper to taste
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 packages kielbasa
1 small onion
1 quart sauerkraut
3 TBSP caraway seeds
12 oz (1 bottle) beer (can also use apple cider or hard apple cider)

Start off heating 2 TBSP vegetable oil in a skillet to brown the pork chops.  I use a cast iron skillet, but anything else should work fine.  Browning meat is like making pancakes - you want the skillet to be hot enough that a drop of water dances a second or two before evaporating.  Meanwhile, cut the pork chops into whatever size serving you want - I went with about 2-3 oz pieces - and season to taste with garlic pepper (or improvise with your favorite).

Brown the chops about 2 minutes on each side to sear the outside.

iPhone pictures don't always make food look appetizing.

Place the pork chops in the bottom of your slow cooker.  

I tried something new this year:  after I removed the chops from the pan, I poured in enough sauerkraut "juice" to cover the bottom of the pan, and stirred it around quickly to deglaze it.  I then poured the yummy-ness over the chops in the Crockpot.  I don't know if it will make a difference, but it will make the skillet easier to clean.

Cut the kielbasa into 1-3 inch pieces, depending on your preference, and throw those in the slow cooker, too.

Slice the onion into about half inch slices, then quarter each slice.  Toss those in slow cooker, too.

By now, things should kinda look like this:

I put in some sauerkraut before I remembered I wanted to take a picture.

Dump the sauerkraut on top, distributing it all over the mess.  

Cool, huh?  Got it at the Baltimore Food Co-Op.

Don't worry about stirring it in - you actually want the pork to sit on the bottom, since it's the only thing that really needs to cook.  Sprinkle about 3 TBSP caraway seeds over the whole mess.

Then, pour in a bottle of beer.  I prefer to use something a little sweet to cut the tartness of the sauerkraut.  Of course, this also depends on what we happen to have on hand.  This year, it was Shiner's Holiday Cheer.

We actually didn't love this beer that much - it had a lot of spice flavor without much beer flavor, which I think actually makes it perfect for the pork and sauerkraut. So, pour that on top of everything.  You don't have to stir this, either, but I did - I couldn't help myself. 

So, here you go:

Then, about 6-7 hours on low.  I started it on high for about an hour since I got a late start.  :-)

What foods do you eat for luck on New Year's?

Tracie's Top 10 of 2011

I'm taking a break from trip posts to wish everyone a happy new year and to give you my top 10 songs of 2011.  Now, to be clear:  these are my favorite songs that I discovered and downloaded in 2011.  They are not necessarily the most representative of 2011 or remind me the most of 2011.  In some cases, they might not have even been released in 2011 - there are a few that I think came out in 2010.  Anyway, I've been enjoying these songs this year, and I hope this list might turn you on to something new.

For those of you who know me, you know I don't really do "favorites," so coming up with this list was a challenge.  And, aside from the top three, these are in no particular order.  It took me weeks just to narrow down the 55 songs I acquired this year to 10; who knows how long it would have taken to put them in order!

A few observations:

1.  I really liked lyrics this year.  I'll mention some of my favorite ones.
2.  Overall, my favorite songs this year were not the most popular ones.
3.  I was given Mumford and Sons'  Sigh No More this year, and even though it was released in 2010, I really discovered them this year.  And, to be fair, their songs didn't peak in the US until February 2011.  Half of this list could've been Mumford and Sons, but I limited it for the sake of diversity.  Although it's probably my favorite, I excluded "Little Lion Man," as, according to iTunes, I purchased it in 2010.  If you haven't checked them out, you should.  Sort of Irish/folk rock with interesting rhythms and manic guitar with really intelligent, creative lyrics.  When the guitar gets going, it makes me want to turn up the volume and drive fast with the windows down.

So anyway, in no particular order:

10.  "Helplessness Blues," Fleet Foxes

I downloaded the whole album, Helplessness Blues, and it's great for work-listening, but this is really the standout.  Love these lyrics:

"If I know only one thing, it's that everything that I see
Of the world outside is so inconceivable often I barely can speak
Yeah I'm tongue-tied and dizzy and I can't keep it to myself
What good is it to sing helplessness blues, why should I wait for anyone else?"


9.  "Falling Slowly," The Swell Season

So, apparently this song came out in 2007 and appeared in the film Once; however, Pandora did not introduce me to it until this year.  Okay, I also did not start using Pandora until this year.  But anyway.  So there.

8. "Someone Else's Life," Joshua Radin 

Also from Pandora, also released in 2007.  I wonder if Pandora has made note that I "thumbs up" songs from 2007?  I also like another one of his songs "Only You" with Imogen Heap; the thing is, these two songs are almost identical, and that kind of annoys me.

7.  "Zorbing," Stornaway

What the heck is zorbing?  I don't know, but there are some nice harmonies in the song.

6.  "Sigh No More," Mumford and Sons

These are the lyrics I love from this song:

"Love; it will not betray you
Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free.
Be more like the man you were made to be"

If I had heard this song before our wedding, I might have included these words as part of our ceremony, or at least on our program.

5.  "The Cave," Mumford and Sons

This is probably the second most-commonly heard Mumford and Sons song, so, why not make it the second Mumford and Sons song on my countdown?

4.  "Anna Sun," Walk the Moon

I don't know what it is about this song - maybe it's the hopefulness, the building, something.  Also, for awhile I thought the song was "Alison," so I thought it would be an awesome theme song for my friend Alison if her life turned into a romantic comedy.  So, sorry, Alison - maybe we can just use our imaginations.  It really does sound like "Alison."

Ok, now these top three are truly my top three, although I will admit that the order of the three might depend on what kind of mood I'm in. Today:

3.  "Gravity," Sara Bareilles

I can't get enough of this song.  Who hasn't felt this way?  And although it isn't obviously a jazz number, listen closely to the timing of the lyrics - they're a little unpredictable.  Just a beautiful, heart-wrenching song, and I love the build near the end.

2.  "Forget You," Cee Lo Green

Yes, yes, I know.  This is not the original version.  But it is the version I downloaded because I listen to iTunes at work and when parents come to visit, and I think it's just about as fun.  This is probably the most "popular" song on my list.   Who doesn't want to dance when they here this?

And if you haven't seen the girl who performs the original, uncensored version for her sign language final, you should check it out.  This girl has some guts!  Be aware, this is NOT safe for work, small children, and other folks with sensitive ears.

1.  "Shake It Out," Florence + the Machine

I think it starts a little 80s, like she's going start singing about nearly 100 balloons or something, but I love the way it builds up.  And it has the best advice of 2011:

"And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back,
So shake him off!"

So, in 2012:

• "Remember, what good is it to sing helplessness blues?"
• "Love; it will not betray you dismay or enslave you, it will set you free."
• Shake that devil off your back and DANCE!

What were YOUR favorite songs of 2011?

The Ulm Munster

Before we headed out of Ulm to our last big stop, Munich, we embarked on a climb to the top tower of the Ulm Minster.  As the tallest church in the world, you can imagine what kind of feat this is.  How many steps to the top of the tower?

You can't see the top of the tower in this picture.

800.  800!!! We were brave, though, and went for it.  I've climbed a few church towers in my life, but this was Kevin's first.  It has also been many years since I climbed a church tower, or I might have had second thoughts.

The thing I hate most about climbing church towers, aside from the pain in my legs, shortness of breath, sweating, and fear of heights, is the scary spiral staircase.  The staircase isn't even so bad going up, but to me, it's terrifying coming down.  I am always just certain that I will have a misstep and tumble head over heels down 700-ish cold, wet stone steps, bones cracking the whole way.

Kevin took this without me knowing because he knew I wouldn't want to forget these terrifying stairs.

I mean, is a railing to much to ask?  And even then, what if someone comes up while I'm going down?  See how narrow the stairway is?  And how slender the inside of the step is?

Some of the views going up were quite nice.

The Christmas Market

The Danube

At one point, you could go inside to a room above the bell room (I'm sure there's a more official term for this), where you could look down and see the bells.  Hanging around the room were drawings of many of the other great churches/cathedrals of the world, and it was fun to pick out the ones I/we had been to.  Kevin was more interested in the bells, of course.

Every time I see this picture I get the theme from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame stuck in my head.

This is the view from the highest point of our ascent, again, of the Christmas Market:

Once we came down, we toured the inside of the church, then split up to do some souvenir shopping.  Funnily enough, there wasn't a lot of "Ulm" merchandise to be had - Ulm is just not that much of a tourist destination,  Still, I purchased a few items with sparrows, as the sparrow is the Ulm mascot, and there are sculptures of them everywhere, kind of like we used to have all the crab sculptures in Baltimore.

Then, the strangest thing happened. We were standing outside of the Ulmer Weinachtsmarkt on the only sunny day we'd had since arriving in Ulm, and thought it would be nice to have a photo of the two of us in front of it, perhaps to use as our Christmas card.  We looked around for other tourist-types to ask to take a picture, but since it was nearing lunchtime on a Monday, most people were dashing purposely and we didn't see anyone we felt we could stop.  Then, we noticed a young woman standing near us - maybe in her late teens or early twenties, somewhat sullen looking (so, she was probably a teenager ;-)) with headphones on.  She was just standing around as though she was waiting for someone or something, so she seemed like our best bet. 

"Enshuldigen zie," I said politely.  This is German for "Excuse me."


She looked at me.


I held up my camera, smiled, gestured at Kevin and myself in the universal sign language for "could you take our photo," and said questioningly, "Photo?" 


She glowered at me, and spat out, "No."


I was so bewildered, I thought she might have misunderstood me.  I held up the camera again, and with a confused smile, gestured again and said, in English, "Could you take our photo?"


She shook her head and with a bigger scowl said again, "No."


Ok, I realize now that I should have:


A. Learned how to say "Could you take our picture?" in German ahead of time.


or


B. At least asked her if she spoke English and apologized for my bad German, first, which I had really done for about everyone else I talked to the rest of the trip.


 I don't think that she misunderstood me at all.  I don't see how she could have.  Who hasn't asked or been asked to take a photo with the universal gesture of holding up the camera and pointing?  I had obviously offended her in some way, or she is just a super, super grouchy person, or was just in a really, really terrible mood.  I was just really kind of bewildered by it for the rest of the day. 


So, just imagine that Kevin and I are standing under the sign in this picture.

Ulm, Part II

Ulm proved to be just as lovely as a town by day as by night, despite somewhat miserable weather.  We started off for a walk along the old city wall, past tiny quaint houses to find the Einstein statue.  Ulm's one minor claim to fame is that Einstein was born there.  However, his family left the city around the time Einstein was one year old, so I don't know that he felt as much of a connection to Ulm as the town feels to him.  In any case, they honor him with this monument:

Pulling Einstein's tongue is apparently the thing to do.  We didn't take a picture, but the top, dome part of the statue is pretty cool, too, with random shapes and symbols that we supposed was an imagining of what was floating around in Einstein's brain.

We then ate lunch in the Einstein Cafe, which was a great spot for tourists to have lunch.  It was very bright and modern, with an English menu and a variety of entrees.  Kevin got some kind of salad with deep-fried feta, and I tried a burger, just out of curiosity.  The burger wasn't that great, but Kevin's deep-fried cheese salad was super!

We wondered down to the old fisherman's village by the Danube and walked along city wall.

That is the Leaning Tower of Ulm in the background, apparently.

We ended up back where we were the previous night and took some daylight photos.

Note how the houses are pretty much built right in the water.

Supposedly the "most crooked house in Ulm."

The "most crooked house" at night.  Still crooked.

Hey!  Something that says Ulm on it!

Speaking of, imagine our delight at finding Ulmergasse, or, Ulm Street (or Alley, I guess).  Wait, you don't have to imagine it!  Take a look for yourself:

 

Am I thrilled, or did it just sink in that *I* am an ULMES???

 We'll wrap up Ulm with our attempt to climb to the top of the tower of the Ulm Munster.  Will we be successful?  Wait and see!

Ulmes in Ulm

We all assume that Kevin's father's family was, at some point, from Ulm.  We know that he has German heritage, and the names match up, so there you go.  I'm sure Ulm would never have been even a passing thought if it wasn't for the questionable family connection.  Ulm was listed in the travel books I picked up, but I don't know that it would've caught my eye as a destination if we didn't think we would find Kevin's long lost family castle (or even just brewery) there.

Regardless, Ulm ended up being a nice place to visit!  A little bit of a smaller town, but decent-sized with a serviceable downtown area and one of the more picturesque old towns.  Not to mention...

The Ulm Minster is the tallest church in the world, and for awhile was the tallest man-made structure in the world.  To be honest, looking at it, that statistic kind of surprised me.  For whatever reason, the Cologne Cathedral seemed taller.

Can you believe I actually had to borrow this from the interwebs?

(As a side note, when you look at the Wikipedia article for the Ulm Minster, notice that at the bottom they have a timeline of tallest buildings..  I just thought that was really interesting and a really good way to end up wasting a day.)

In any case, Ulm was so charming and festive at night...

 

 

Ulm was kind of a German Venice.  That's the River Blau.

We tried to have dinner at the place above, as it was highly recommended, but discovered when we got there that we needed reservations.  The least touristy city we stayed in, and we needed reservations.  It all worked out, though, because we ended about a block away at Allgauer Hof, which featured pfannkuchen, a.k.a.....

PANCAKES!

They really had dozens and dozens of pancakes, both savory and sweet, and they were literally the size of a large pizza.  To clarify, though, they were really more like crepes than American pancakes.  I had a spicy vegetable pfannkuchen, and it was DELICIOUS.  Really hit the spot.


On a slight tangent, I wanted to mention the attitude I took towards eating out in Germany. which I admit might have been a little...ill-advised.  So, as you might know, people in Europe tend to be less overweight than in the U.S., and there are far fewer obese people.  I also observed that no one got to-go boxes in restaurants.  Additionally, I know that people in other countries tend to be less wasteful than Americans, so I could only surmise that Germans probably don't leave much behind when they are out, which leads to my conclusion that German restaurants must serve just the right amount of food, and I was meant to eat all of what was on my plate.


Thoughts? Good theory?  Let's just say that while I abided by it for the most part, I wasn't willing to get on the scale that was in our Munich hotel.


But, suffice it to say that I ate my entire pizza-sized pfannkuchen topped with spiced veggies. Veggies are healthy!  We also got to try the local beer, Gold Ochsen. Kevin would have loved to tour that brewery, but of course, it was closed the two days we were there.  How would we ever entertain ourselves?  Stay tuned!