Double-Half
or One Ten without ham

Why ever we never made it to the CSD-parade but this year and sure it was fun!

I really tried to put up only the best pics, still it´s a mini-galore.

But from the beginning:



An elderly man stood beside me and watched.
Finallly he asked what this is all about and upon my answer he said, "well then there is no need for me to stay and watch."
How sad, huh?
But... he stayed.
I mean... this is huge fun to watch, no?



At one point - now Ingo took this later at the "castle" (sound on is a good idea now):
Here you see the masses, crazy the cam could handle the sound volume, it was deafening:



... when the masses turned up he said to Ingo, "but... sooo many?!!".
I guess he was truly "shocked".
And "relieved" when Ingo told him that it´s not only people from Braunschweig participating.

Who knows what we will have to wonder about reaching that age huh?
This was at the beginning, everybody was still sober and full of energy:



This guy put up this sign when he saw me with the cam :-)



And yes, that´s a local Wolters beer. At lunch-time!

I wasn´t so sure about these guys.



Yes, you shouldn´t run from people with AIDS, but they kinda suggest it´s ok to risk it over protection...

This was near the end of the parade, and, my they have my respect but it seems to be a rather high price in these....



Sad you have to make a statement like this, I think.
But at least they had fun!



Impressive:



Volkswagen was on board as well:



It really was fun watching, sad so many were surprised by this!



One more pic from the start, HDRed by Ingo´s cam:



The weather was perfect, hot, but not too hot :-)



The guy in the dirndl had power till the end!

Crazy, despite all the police,all the masses of people and the fact that gay and Islam really do not go together anymore I never gave terror a thought. Good or bad I´m not sure about this...

Next year we won´t miss it!

Yesterday we did not take a brolly and certainly...
But after a 10-minutes shower we could proceed to the city cause... it´s summer, right?
I admit: No training since weeks.

It seems to be modern to try and tell people what to eat...



As said, we do not buy cheap meat, I´m not pro intensive mass animal farming, but I don´t like to be told what to eat.
Hence... at Schadt´s:



A took the order this time and we got two plates, nice gesture :-)

See the guys in the background?
Americans.
One dude started, "And German beer is..." BUS ROLLING THROUGH.
Now we do not know how German beer is to this American, how sad.
Well, actually this would correctly be: Schadt´s beer is... and I end it with: yummy :-)

As you know I don´t like sweets, but there are heaps of other ways to chunk in too much calories!

Had the feeling this was inappropriate to post after what happened in France (again), but since Germany suffers the same evil now... don´t wanna get political here (it´s just a real farce visitors to Wacken-Festival aren´t allowed to wear backpacks! Where do you keep your stuff otherwise, thanks for taking freedom from everyone, really!!).

Anyways.
Or rather many ways, right?

Now ex-customer R (retired, sadly), whom I told about the beer can chicken tried it out - differently - and was so enthousiastic about it he e-mailed me a very mouth watering pic :-)
(Along with two videos of Moped/Maggie, awww.)
Here goes!



Not in an ordinary oven but on a "kettle barbecue" with beechwood.
So-so sad we don´t have space for such a bbq - I can imagine it must taste much, much better.

So, if you have such a thing, maybe get a chicken, beechwood and a (1/3rd) can of Emu and go! Another brew certainly does the job as well :-) Ingo puts a mixture of oil and a spice we call "Rosenpaprika" on it.
And please let me know if it was yummy.

Teamleader´s girlfriend agreed to chemo. They started surprisingly today despite the infect is still there.
For crying out loud. Every day counts. I reckon.

I need another break from all the worries, mind you.
So. How about I show you around a bit?



There are nice views... as well as not so nice ones...



Funny construction, no?



Weird ones, also...



Hmmm... my cam decides a lot/I´m a bad photographer ;-)



My neighbourhood must´ve been quite a stinky place, no?



As was at times my parent´s home.
Uhh... at this time of the year: Don´t hang your washed clothes outside...



Sonne, a fast-food factory,... I had to work there for two weeks (only), hot tins from one table to the other, day-/night-shift.
They moved to South-Germany, you can hang your washing any time now.

Neighbourhoods, no?
Childhood-memories also...

Do you have some memories that are still present at times?

That´s what I wish for right now.
I´m just no rock, not against.. or to? all "frontiers".

I feel a bit like Henry right now.



(Henry being surrounded by tribunes for the musical Hair.)
I am healthy.
But I´m no rock.

It´s such an up and down around me... Sorry, helps to write it out.

Teamleader´s girlfriend refuses chemo :-(

... hopes blown.
It´s stinkin` hot in 4th floor, very humid, no wind, try to concentrate in that.
And I´m "programming" the Bundesliga - voting.
Make a mistake and "you get into trouble big" - to some this is very, very serious.

I was so hoping for good news from my teamleader.
Not the case.
Today they start chemotherapy on his very, very weak girlfriend.
Chances of survival aren´t high.
I don´t know her, but somehow I´m certainly back at all this s##t with each my parents, with Ingo´s different sickness.

He nearly already cries when he - before M arrives - tells me everything.

It´s so not fair.
First, a nasty divorce.
(Yes, we know each other for years and years)

Finally a new chance and after just a few years this sickness.
They never found out, implied even she has an eating disorder, it´s all "just mental".

It´s going on since October and just before my holiday they found out there is "something that takes up space".

Darn, f#####g cancer it is.

I so´d wished it´s benign, it´s not.
Even if the therapy works they give her but 5 years max. She´s in her early 50s.

Sorry, I just have to get it out, it´s so sad and sickening.
Teamleader feels responsible for her 21-y-o-son, too.
Whose father took his life a couple of years ago.

Why so much crap for him?

And I have the feeling just listening isn´t enough, but what else can I do.
Yes, I tell what Ingo told me how he felt when he thought life is finally fading. But does it help?
How things had much improved with my Mum compared to my Dad´s. And that it´s (some freaking) 5 years of development since.
How I felt after they passed, like suddenly after feeling sick for days getting hungry upon the message she finally "has made it" - does it help or do I make it even worse, I have no idea.

We fly to the Moon and back, to Mars even.

Addendum:
Went outside to read and saw this frustrating sight, not sure what to do about it - renew, let go for the season?



Just suits my situation, no?
But then ...





We had a rather good weekend, Ingo and I.
I put a lille "love-letter" in his lunch-box.
Not a word.Or hug. Just a "what do you want?!" on letting him know I have to go to the garage (and hence I can´t... omg forget it)...
Yes, he needs to go to hosp.
But ignoring me like that. I feel just left down. And I´m afraid for him, too.
Reckon Bro is on holiday, no answers on e-mails, I´m so fed up, holiday-feeling is gone for sure.
I know.. just little stuff on my side.

I´m the ole rubbish-bin again.

Everybody please eat what you like, healthy or not.
And no, in my opinion vegan is not healthy.
We are hunter-gatherers after all.

But, as said, everybody as liked.

Telling me "meat is murder - vegan for life" makes me very sick, though!

And, dear vegan, pink cyclist: I hardly eat pork cause pigs are very close to us, genetically.
Inform yourself before you call the majority "murderer"! And go to hell vegan.
You ignorant.

Can´t wait for the next burger at Grill´d or a yummy steak at OX!

Sorry about the rant.

But, really. What do you think about such peeps, are you a murderer, too?

As mentioned I did go inside last time.

In case there are really heaps and heaps of guests who have to go, you can relax (? well, that depends, right? ;-)....) in this red sofa till it´s your turn:



Guess no one has an excuse to not wash hands afterwards, right? Too many potential witnesses.



Really a stylish place, no?



And huge fans, obviously!





I just really wondered a bit about this:



As long as summer is around we´ll stay outside, but this looks inviting, too, I think:

I wasn´t fast enough, here is another shot, so you can see the sign:



Whilst Ingo will have to "steal" the apples from the neighbours garden - they don´t eat them, let them fall to the ground and let them rot away - this around-the-corner-neighbour picks them and offers for free. Every year!

We went to the city and at Krambambuli in "Maggi-quarter" I got six little puzzles for the Wee One. Knollis, you won´t see me again.



From there we went to Schadt´s.
We had to. We met J on the way and she said: Come! ;-)
We nearly had to order ice-cubes with the beer, stinkin´ hot it is :-)



J told us she just went for a swim with her (adult) daughter. And, boy, the beer was expensive there.

I said, you drink beer before work?!!!! - Sure, you expect me to drink juice?! :-) Beer is healthy!
She told us, too, her boyfriend knows she likes beer. He went and got coal and beer, she bought meat and on the bbq was. Beer tasted funny - accidentially he´d grabbed non-alcoholic beer and hoped she wouldn´t notice.

Do You Wanna Kill Me?!, she asked him - and no, J isn´t German, she´s from Poland!
We learn, in Poland you don´t drink juice or non-alcoholic beer - or... do you? ;-)

Addendum...