Going Away Party, Gridlock Traffic, and Frog Legs

Well it has been a little bit too busy for a new blog post recently, not to mention not much has been going on of very big importance, so I would hate to bore any readers that I do have! A few interesting things have been happening recently, and one of them is the Holidays. Happy Holidays to all of you around the world, whether you are finished celebrating, or still celebrating, and a Happy New Year as well!

After about seven months of living in Cologne, Germany, I am finally back in the US. Leaving was very bittersweet, as I have made many wonderful friends in my time there, and I would have liked to have more time to be with those people. On the other hand, there was a lot that I had left behind back in the US, so it was good to get back to all of that as well. Before leaving Cologne, I had one last "shabang" in my apartment for a going away party. About 30 folks showed up, and we drank some Kölsch, and had a great time. This is also a photo from the party, and me sporting my awesome 1. FC Köln jersey that was a gift from my co-workers.

After cleaning up from the going away my good friend, Miriam, drove to her family's house in Aschaffenburg. She showed me around her town, and on Sunday, we went to a local castle for a traditional Weihnachtsmarkt in the Medieval tradition. It was a great time, and a great visit. Sadly, on Monday morning, Miriam took me to the airport, and I made the hop over the big pond back to the US.

Now I am visiting some family in good ol' Indiana. It is very cold here, or a lot colder than what I am used to! On the way up here, while trying to cross a bridge over the Ohio River, we got stopped on the highway due to ice over the bridge. We were stopped on the road without moving an inch for over six hours. The highway turned into a solid sheet of ice, and we just waited for the salt trucks to come through. Finally, what should have been a 12 hour drive, turned into a 21 hour drive, but we made it to Indiana. Christmas time has been great here, and it has been good too visit with relatives, but there is no greater Christmas dinner than my Grandmother's famous . . . . . frog legs. It may not be a typical meal for any day of the year, but they sure are good. Fried up, and dipped in hot butter, it is always our request when visiting.

I appreciate all of the comments recently, and the support for the blog. Just because I am back in the US does not mean that I am done posting here, so stay tuned! Happy New Year!