Double-Half or One Ten without ham: August 2023

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Superyum Thanks To A Rare Summer Day

I join Rain´s Thursday´s Art & Dinner Date with the theme Outdoor furniture today.

Balcony...

Ingo got a new BBQ-grill this year and with it... oh, wait...

...I can enjoy...

The problem is... the fresh mushrooms go bad in no time in the wet, so I had to take care.

I cut them down, put them in the pan, just like Jamie said with nothing, so they get ~~nuts~~ nutty.

Meanwhile cooked rice, but not as long as the instruction said.

Since ages there is white and also red wine in the kitchen, both opened, so I threw the rice to the mushrooms, added broth and white wine, salt, pepper and lemon pepper.

Besides I fried with ... oh, I can´t remember... Garam Masala, ... also paprika, salt...

... till superdry and then out came:

It was super-yummy and so easy to make!

Ingo thought I used Worcestersauce, nope. Must´ve been the wine and the lemon pepper.

To be repeated. It lasted all week (Ingo hates such dry chicken).

Really, I may repeat myself.

I am so glad (in the aftermath) the company I worked for for 18 years got a new boss who, with the "outcome" of our main customer´s Diesel-affair and hence the loss of my project, threw me out.

It was needed!

Both parents with cancer till the bitter end, sick Hubby, Bro with a break down and twice a horrible colleague, working full time all the time... my brain was burnt out.

I got signed sick, found Elizabeth and with her inspiration and new blogger friends - started sketching and later cooking and even baking!

The two latter never were my interest, as kid I wasn´t even allowed in the kitchen cause I feared everything hot.

Jamie Oliver taught me to cook with his "you can do it this way or yours". More inspiration!

And now I ENJOY cooking and baking (hearty things).

Henry 🦁

Reckon it won´t last a whole week then...

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Hope You Are Well

TRSN...
TSCHSN....
TZNRN...
TRZESNIEWSKI

- GESUNDHEIT!

Pic taken 1997 in Vienna, Austria, where I was with fellow students and professor for studying their architecture.

Just found it when searching for something else.

I admit, I´ve never been inside, but looked it up, the "the unspeakably good rolls" are still available here! The slogan on their site is now "the boundlessly good rolls".

Trzesniewski is really hard for the German/Austrian tongue to say, so you need some tries - and that sounds as if you start and then really do sneeze. To which, also in Austria, you get a Gesundheit as in "God bless".

They even offer a "Buns consultant". Click here and drool! Truffle-egg with ham is just one that sounds ... YUM!

I get nothing for writing this, I just share cause the name is so funny, and the sign, of course. But if you are there and try, please let me know if it really was that yummy.

You can also drool over an old blogpost here.

Darn, I am hungry now!

This is for Tom´s Signs2.

Henry 🦁

... Gesundheit, Henry! Do cats sneeze? I think so?

Haha, do you know that? When someone says "Gesundheit" already whilst you are at it... the sneezer gets stuck.

And the real mean, huge ones go with HAAAA... tscho!

Or when you have to sneeze driving the car and this comes in a tricky driving-situation... WOAH.

Bun? Breadroll, anyone?

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

T STands For SUMMER-Time

My Ticket to Elizabeth´s T.

Don´t you worry, neither of us is interested in joining Wacken. But this year we supported it this way as it was at stake due to the "wonderful" summer we had. So much rain they stopped people joining!!!

The Wacken-Festival is "one of the largest heavy metal festivals in the world and one of the largest open-air festivals in Germany."

I do not like the "music" - but the guys are friendly and happy (at least in the news).

The beer was so cheap we mixed it to an Alster with lemonade.

Do you like that music-style? To me it´s noise. Aggressive noise, but then I was called old 😉.

The journal, if you care again (it really helps me remember what I did!):

Monday: A new project!

I´m the girl for any-and everything (and thankful, better than being without a job!).

The boss had my name posted on. A bit scary (ESE has 400+ people, but those without a real project are "present").

North America, Railway, CV´s - your opinion is very welcomed, see here.

On a sunny note:

SUMMER IS STILL HERE!!! (I wrote that last Monday, it´s over...)

Called Niece for her 13th Birthday. Talked to an adult (yet she still spoke of her "Kindergeburtstagsparty" come Saturday - yes, in German that is one word / party for children).

English is not her thing. Told her about the book (Charlotte´s Web) and asked to be honest. She does not want it. Tried my best.

Summer, sun, BBQ!!!! No training.

Tuesday: Colleague J (female!!!) tried to generate a template in MS Word with me. We had fun (met personally twice - something special these days!).

Asked, "are you allowed to help me like this?" - "When C retires I´ll be your boss, so: Yes! 😁".

OK... Lots of private talk, too!

Summer, sun, BBQ!!!! No training.

Wednesday: Template does not work. Argh, J is in Frankfurt on further training. Fought my way through.

This page? I used a ball pen that shone through. Did the best of that (?).

Looong talk with Admin T - we also met personally, btw!!! He is Turkish or African and such a nice, fun guy! Lots of private talk, too! ) - I repeat myself, huh?

"Where is the `@`on an Aussie-laptop?" - he secretly helps me prepare it as I don´t use it here. I really had to go look! We also talked about his car, his kids... solar-energy... this is socializing, right?

How was work-life before mobile working? I cannot remember, kinda!

Summer, sun, BBQ!!!! No training.

Thursday: Work, balcony, BBQ - Happy times, Summer!

Friday: Extremly productive meeting! Hey, I can do that! Had everything open and added in no time without wish and we got a lot done in 21 minutes!!! (I went for 30).

Notes followed from my side in no time, too.

In German you say it stinks if you say you are good, but... I ... hold your nose... was!

(The guy I invited had an extremly sexy voice. Sad it was but 21 minutes. He is clever and nice on top! Hope I never meet him! 😉🤣)

Rain and thunder. But still warm!!!

Weekend: Saturday: Was so tired, Ingo did all the grocery-shopping and cooking (very good btw) - but I recovered and was (maybe a last time this year) on the balcony, sketching.

I MAYBE got the Cabin in Madely/Perth!!! Counted on new management and was rewarded (I HOPE).

Sunday: I.HAVE.THE.CABIN.

Munchy-wise:

Ingo tries his best to make me eat fish.

Did.

Art-wise...

In Freo we´ll see lighthouses - I look very much forward to that.

Henry 🦁

It was a good, warm week (not hot) and Henry just plays wit the lille piggy, I swear.

P.S. please... if you came from Elizabeth to this deep link... and if you´re American ... or actually from anywhere else! Can you tell me what you expect of an application?

Do you really want ALL details? Please let me know... See here...

Is It Really Like That?

New project: Translate German CVs for North America.

No prob, other than I have to take extreme care I do not fall asleep.

EVERYTHING the guys EVER did is mentioned.

Example:

He created and audit.

He lead through an audit (we talk of ONE!)

He evaluated an audit.

He presented an audit´s outcome.

My suggestion:

"Did an audit". And hope no one reads the word "an"....

Also under "foreign language skills" they want me to mention German. As "mother tongue".

Contradiction in my eyes.

Ummm. Am I too dumb to understand?

When you read a person was born in Germany, went to school there, studied and now works there... Don´t you assume it´s mother tongue? Another obsolete line to read (my opinion).

OK.

Ex-colleague M comes to mind. Born in Turkey but studied here and speaks... barely German.

No, I was told, Americans want it that way.

I´ve never been to America (yet), but here on the blog are some visiting.

Do I do nonesense or do you really want it that way?

Am I too German to understand?

If I was in a position to find a new employee - and we talk of I translate 20+ CVs - I want quick info, I have also other things to do!

I would want to know:

what is the person capable of?
can he think on his own, is he autodidactive, as in can I give him a problem and he can solve it without or with little help?

We talk of 20+ CVs!

What are his soft-skills?
Can he work in a team?
What does he - or, before one tells me down, she or divers - expect from "a" job?

I only translate the CVs, but you could put this in there already, my humble two cents from the view of an engineer.

Please, I spend so much time with these like really superlong CVs... do I at least do it for a reason? It is... frustrating.

Henry 🦁

Henry, this is not.... OK, yes, you are a cute softie 🥰

Crazy. Can you explain what you expect from a CV?

Two posts, as I certainly did not miss out on Elizabeth´s T 😘

Monday, August 28, 2023

Hello-Bye-Bye

This is the last mural from Braunschweig´s West.

I don´t think I will visit soon again.

It´s a long way to walk and it is really a rather... "unfriendly" area.

Good if you are fluent in Russian and Turkish, I am in neither.

@our host, was it already that way back then?

I had friends since 1993 in Braunschweig, but in other quarters and moved here 2001 only...

The city tries to make the West attractive - I do hope they manage!

The art-scene sure is not that bad, right?

This is for Sami´s COLOURFULWORLD Monday Murals.

Henry 🦁

Sunday, August 27, 2023

BIG, FAT, HAPPY NEWS

No one understands us... but Rosemary.

A weird entry? We had no sparkling wine... yet.

2018 (pic is from 2015): I tried to book this cabin. It was a huge drama, I needed 3 different Perth-friends to help me!

And then April this year it started as bad, I had to ask Sami (again!!!), she´s our Monday-host. She called them and informed me they were unfriendly and kinda not really willing.

I don´t get it. We´ll be there 6 weeks, we bring money! Ingo repairs everything!

Sami gave me a number I can reach via WhatsApp, means I can call without paying.

As colleague C called me via WhatsApp (might´ve been from Brazil) and I didn´t understand despite having sound on full blast - I asked Bro to call me.

As Sami he did not understand why we not simply take an Airbnb or hotel and he could not understand friends have to help me (what did he just do?).

I waited. Ingo got nervous. I kept waiting.

See, management changes sometimes quickly there.

AND I DID THE RIGHT THING!!!

Today, a SUNDAY!!! - I got the confirmation we´ll get cabin #79, just like in 2015.

The one with the hole in the wall.

The new manager spoke to Rosemary, the "girl for everything" and she had "but lovely things" to say about us.

Usually - Xavier, the last manager, already told me - you can book but two weeks.

Thanks to Rosemary I get six weeks in a row!

Well, lovely things...

She told me off very big for taking Transperth/public transport to go home "at night" after I left Ingo in ER in hospital Joondalup. I was to call her and she´d picked me up, this was "dangerous".

Also friend Mark - who lives as far South as Sami said so.

Guys.... this was not dangerous at all, I can handle such stuff and ask for help only if I really, REALLY do need it.

CELEBRATION 🥳🥳 🥂 🥳🥳- we have our cabin!!!

See: We live in the city, here in Braunschweig.

The cabin is in Madeley, north of Perth. We need an hour to CBD by Transperth (bus and train), but... we have Magpies. If it rains it smells of Eucalyptus. It´s like living in the country but having everything "nearby".

Also... this is our "home" since 1999.

I was nervous, too, waiting it out. But it payed off!

Please keep fingers and toes crossed Rosemary will not have to tell me off again.

Aka no visit to hospital Joondalup... again, see the drama here, if you like...

Henry 🦁

I wait for half a burger from Grill´d, Henry. And hearty pies from Jesters!

February it will be!!!!

Two post again, thank Tom for that 😉... and scroll down, if you like. Funny sweaters included!

Addendum: This man really works on Sundays... the "hole" in the wall is no more. Aw. I was so used to it!

Lille Family Time - Not Straight Ahead

It will come as no surprise that Tom again inspired me or my brain, it flashed right through with last Willy-Nilly, here is a screenshot, right away the first pic! (I have Tom´s OK for this)

I was still having my company car and payed a visit to Bro on 25th of December.

In Germany that is the day after Christmas Eve - Santa had been busy with the presents on 24th already - he needed to hop through chimneys in other countries, so I skipped bringing milk and cookies (kidding).

See... our hair is alreay turning red-ish.

Dad was a clever man calling me "Flavia" (flame-blonde. Turned out more flame-brown, though).

The road is curvey, very curvy. There are warning signs.

When I came through to the left there was a car upside down into the direction I drove (we drive on the right side of the road). A rather narrow road.

I drove as far to the right as I could, warning-lights on, I even took the warning west and after making sure no car is coming - this was just before entering Bro´s village - went slowly over, afraid of what to find.

Inside a man. No blood. No movement. WHAT TO DO??? I am small!

Luckily two others came - men, luckily - and stopped, I ran back to the car and we agreed I call 112.

And can you believe that dude told me off?!

My description was not precise enough! Did he want cm/inches?! As the others were still TRYING I could not give better infos. I really got angry. I try to help and get told off!!!

OK, maybe he was in a bad mood having to work on Christmas, not my fault!

In the end the door opened - from inside!!! - and a young dude crawled out, unharmed apart from shock.

Imagine what could have happened!

I did!

A reason why I never know what´s worse, Autobahn or country road.

And I HATE looking. I fear seeing blood and all and not be able to help directly.

(and yes, I went to courses for first help)

I hopped back in and drove to Bro. I had not realized... I was shaking all over.

What did Bro do - in front of his back then young kids?

Offer me a Schnapps!!! 🤣 I asked for tea. Duuuude, I´m here by car!

It was a Merry Christmas, no one was hurt but metal and plastic (and maybe pride).

A bit too small, that sweater on me - and too large for Bro two years later.

Did you share clothes with your Siblings/Cousins etc, too?

Where you the giver or receiver, what were your thoughts?

Now that I think of... that was the last Christmas I visited. I gave the company car back in 2018. And last time THEY visited after Christmas... must be 10 years ago, too.

It´s 60km...

Saturday, August 26, 2023

More Thoughts On AI

Interesting, don´t you think?

What are your thoughts on AI - yay or nay, I´d really like to know.

For Baby Henry 😘 just scroll down.

There Are So Many

Glasses so you can see the size, 8*10,5 cm / 3,1*4,1 inches - Ingo said I should tell.

Why "OKERKIND"? (Kind = child)

Here you see Baby Henry on a mug from the tourist shop (yes, we from time to time shop there) - he´s in a boat on river Oker.

Ingo just had a coffee from it.

If you care about why it´s Henry and not Leo the Lion have a look on this post.

With this Henry I join Eileen´s Saturday Critters.

I also tried this, but not very successful:

Why I share it? If some beginner pops in here.. that´s life, some sketches go crap - keep on trying. Maybe I go over it again or I throw it away, but I do not give up.

He his from another streetfind, hence not really Henry - an old book about animals.

You have to be really careful to not lose pages - and you better do it outside.

The pre-owner must´ve stored it in a cellar, it stinks, LOL!

On non-rainy days I put it outside open, so by now the smell is not as bad no more...

Someone bought this book even before my parents met - a funny thought I found it.

The title?

When I step outside there are loads of tiny birds that fly away - nearly like in Hitchcock´s movie, just they don´t stare at you, they panic. Each and every time. Don´t they learn humans are no danger - or am I the only one who does not harm them...

Is the mass because of the mostly too cold and too rainy summer?

What are they? They are small, dark grey and superfast.

Henry 🦁

The weather cooled down again. I think that was that with summer.

One of the crappiest I can remember.

Friday, August 25, 2023

Wednesday´s Words On A Friday

For a change I can join River again, as these words really spoke to me just yesterday:

1. employee 2. chaos 3. decide 4. water 5. immune 6. buffet

Find all the rules at River here :-)

(I am not only lazy, but I should work... but on the other hand I have some extra-hours to quickly "waste for fun"!)

So here goes:

I am lucky I got a mostly good-functioning brain and at age 14, when Dad asked me, I did decide, I said "no" to my parent´s shop. My poor Brother has it and I am a happy, tiny employee. At a great company again that allows me 6 weeks of holiday in a row (again), so I can even meet River in person, as we pay a very short visit to her town!

Other work is chaos.

I was warned the project at ALSTOM will be chaotic (it was and is and yet I hope I can come back) and now I have two weird internal projects.

I am immune to warnings. And I get talked on the other hand into stuff I do not want.

My brain said no, my heart said, yes, as did Ingo and my Brother so yesterday I took the bike and went to ESE for the darn Quiz-Night.

By golly. These two women had a plan... not. It was - may I use the word twice... chaos.

Instead of water there was more or less warm beer. As in some standing on the table and some put in the fridge 5 minutes ago!

There were chips and sweets at least, but no buffet. Do you cry already?

We were asked if we want to order pizza. I cannot eat a whole pizza and am there by bike.

I did not order (there were chips! 😃).

It was chaos. We have a German word, daddeln. Everybody (except one other woman and the man beside me, and myself) got out their smartphones and daddled for food.

The two organizers counted how many peeps are there (out of 400 it was a sad 20, them included). It... too long. Quiz-teams were formed by grabbing a paper from a glass and we all had to re-sit.

I got letter A and the much younger woman sitting next to me came up with the name "A-TEAM".

I said, "I loved that series!!" and got a blank look.

Long story short, 4 woman (one smelling of old sweat!) and only one man, who offered me a slice of his pizza - with which, after all the chips I was full.

One woman like me ordered nothing, but the other two offered as well! I SADLY had to say no.

I was the only one with a plate, hence (gah!!! Pics were taken! Who and why a plate?!), as the other wanted to stay slim.

Hey, pizza is life - right?

We lost the quiz and the only one I really talked to was the man. And I can´t remember his name. He said he´s from near Hannover. I replied, "and you admit that HERE openly?! 😉"

I am no "real" Braunschweig-person and find the "fight" between Braunschweig and Hannover dumb, but ... I thought it´s good for a joke. He was not immune to that.

Pic above?

Ingo came home. Hot day at work (no windows etc, long drive, tired and exhausted), checked the tyres, ran, grabbed the cellar keys to find a pump so I can ride more or less safely to the event (we need a proper pump).

Thank you!!!

Same goes to the bike. I did not fall, had no accident!

I also remembered the safety-number.

Ingo´s old work-phone-number plus an added one from... 200...8 latest!

Light rain started but I made it home well.

Next After-Work-Event... Dunno.

Henry 🦁 (´s wife)

Do you like quizzes?

There was only ONE on railway (we are a Daughter of Deutsche Bahn , that "describes itself as the second-largest transport company in the world, after the German postal and logistics company Deutsche Post / DHL, and is the largest railway operator and infrastructure owner in Europe.)

Quizz-Question: how old is London Tube.

All I could add was: Oh, ack. I´ll never forget the magazine in my parent´s house.

Without warning I saw the burned people. (I got sick, no lunch for me.).

As said, we lost! ;-)

Two posts again as I join Nicole´s FFO & Annie´s Smiles...