I still miss you a little bit.....

Accounting day.....

I cannot say that I like it but it has do be done. Accounting. So today is my office day - lots of papers to be sorted. lots of bills to be paid and some bills to be sent (this is a fact I really love).

Bought a new programm for my accounting and I have to say it is easy to handle and nice to work with. Never the less I have to do it on my own and it takes me more than two days from now on to be up to date. Lazy me - I know. Today I woke up to a winter wonderland again - I knew something like that will happen. So this morning the boys were happy to have snow again - went to the vet this morning to get Max's stitches out and got a nice surpise - I don't have to pay for that! That is really nice from our vet. Max is in love with the vet's secretary. Everytime he comes in and recognized her the whole dog is shaking because of joy. She has a very special talent to talk to him and cuddles him all the time. And not to forget he always gets a sweet when we leave. Maybe its that fact he loves but I am not sure :)

Weekend was grey in grey and a little boring as we didn't do much - we built up two cupboards for the cellar and I think that's all. This night I woke up but was too tired to move my head to check the time. Just hoped it is in the middle of the night and not short before I have to go up. Later I will have my piano lesson again but have to say that I didn't play for the last 2 weeks. 

On facebook I found two "friends" which I didn't talk to for more than 5 years - nice to see some familiar faces again. Now I am off to have another cup of coffee and then back to my desk and finally start doing accounting.

Update about Max

Max is doing fine - Max is doing wayyy too fine if I can say that. I am sooo happy that my big boy seems to have less pain  - and this right after his surgery  - than he had before. I am working very hard on him keeping him calm and try to get between the boys when they are starting their daily "battles". So please believe me they keep me busy the whole day.
Mornings we are doing a little walk (but seperately - means I have to walk with Max for 15 mins and with Ben for 25 mins - later they have breakfast and after that its MY TIME. They are taking a nap for about 2 hours and then they look at me with those eyes saying: entertainment pleeeeezeeeee :) Normally I would send them outside but Max is not allowed to run around for the next 5 weeks. So if Ben is outside and Max with me he is whining and want to be outside. Entertainment program means doing some education and exercises and after 30 mins they have enough. THEN its BONE-Time and you can hear how it tasts!!!! yummmmiiiii.
At around noon its pee-time for both - and then entertainment pleeeeze again... I am doing my very best with cuddling and whatever.
Around 2 o clock pm its food time again - after that - guess - snorring time for 1,5 hours and then back to the entertainment and bones. After that a walk with Max for 15 mins and Ben 40 mins.
At around 7 pee-time again and after that they have their "dinner" - then its tv time - or radio time or fireplace time. Then they are really calm and sleepy. Last pee time is around 11 pm and then bed time.  ZZZZzzzzzzzz!!!!!
We went to the vet on thursday and he couldn't believe his eyes when  Max "marched" in - he first asked: This is really Max? LOL yes it is. He is very happy with his recovery and everything seems to be  fine.

Monday we'll see the vet again and he is going to take the stitches out - another x-ray in 5 weeks and I think Max did very very well in his first week after his surgery. Hopefully everything comes to a good end. Right now he is lying beneath the corner seat - his head on my foot - awwww :) Ben cannot believe his breakfast is already finished - his eyes are telling me that :)

Two weeks ago I was invited to a housewarming party (and was asked to do some photos) and this is what we had as a desert - yummy!

Happy weekend all.....

foggy morning

This is how our sky looked yesterday in the evening - I did look forward for a sunny thursday morning - but still foggy outside.

I am in a little hurry today as my char had called - she is sick and cannot come today - and just today she would have been bitterly needed. So it's again up to me to do the cleaning of the house - so therefore just a few words from my side - have a great thursday all :)

Where is the spring?????

Since we have had a few very nice and warm days a few weeks ago I really was "ready" for spring. But now we are back to cooler temperatures and the weather forecast talked about snow again.... yes- its Feb and its normal to have snow then but this year we already had a long winter (for us) - snow from December til February which isn't usual here in Munich - even that's why the season is called winter. And I think we are not used to that anymore - why else we are always  talking about "century winter" - I think the winters around 1950 were hard and cold ones. But now that we had winters without or little snow we don't know anymore what "winter" is.

Today I got shocked. Max had to see the vet and as I am alone at home during the day its not easy to get just one dog outside and in the car. You need a plan: So - first I go outside and drive out of the garage. Then I open the back door - then I have to go back into the house again - have to confine BEN in the living room (door is open but a "baby fence" between corridor and living room - have to snap Max while Ben is jumping up and down like a jojo. Okay, everything worked well and right now I had Max on the backseat of my car I couldn't trust my eyes and ears. I saw BEN jumping up and down at the garden fence.... Hell - what did he do? He jumped over the baby fence - my little boy was so in fear of left alone - he jumped.... and I think the fence is about 100 cm......Now this procedure can be left behind as well.... Next time I have to close the door but I am sure he will open it! HE WILL!

This hibiscus has its own story - I bought it as a souvenir back in 1999 on my first holidays in Hawaii - you could bought it there at the airport - it was just a piece of wood - I had no idea which ending to put into ground as both looked alike. So I chose one ending - put it into ground - watered it - and waited - waited - waited - for over half a year. Then I could see something light green growing.... Waited again and then the first leave appeared. I was in heaven - I was the "born gardener" I thought.....Sadly there were just leaves which did grow.... then the "wood" got taller and taller - more leaves but no blossom. In more than 3 yeas it did grow to a real tree (about 2,40 meters tall) but no blossoms. Lots of branches and leaves - no blossom was in sight. Then one day I went to a huge garden shop here in Munich and asked if I could "help" this hibiscus to show up some nice blossoms and was told that there is no chance. As those hibiscus plants are having sun 12 hours a day there might be no chance as we don't have the chance for so much sunshine... So I was happy just with the "tree" - my hibiscus - cultivated by myself....

And you know what - after more than 5 years the first blossom appeared.... then the second  - third....

and all in such a beautiful red. I was sooo proud - and now I have lots of small "children" of this Hawaiian hibiscus in my house. And they all show blossoms every now and then.....

Happy Valentine's Day...

Are you celebrating Valentine's day? Honestly I am not - there is a small gift for hubby and thats all. I hate those days when you "have to" buy presents - no its not like christmas which I totally love because I wanted to buy presents - but this day is so "made for consume" - here in our tv spots you get ideas what to buy for Valentine's day - for example how about a new car for your husband? gosh - hub gets his favourite chocolate and a nice hadmade card - thats all. Nooo, forgot the Amy Mac Donald cd which I found these days - I would have given it to him anyway but now that we have Valentine's day - here you are. And thats exactly my point: If I want to give my hub a present I don't need a special day - I can give it to him 100 times during the year. And flowers: they are soooo expensive these days because of Valentine's day - I told hub that he don't even should think about coming home with flowers this evening..... I am happy to get them over the year and when totally unexpected.... So here you see there is not a Valentine's day fan.

But got a nice present from my Max-man this morning - he woke me up with his ball in his mouth - a very very good sign - he is almost "the old" again. Today he was very active - I had lots to do to calm him down - jsut came back from a 5 minutes walk with him and now he is in dreamland.....but it seems (so far) that the surgery was successful and just the vet called and asked for him - got told that in 6 weeks he should be the "old" again.... Nothing more I would  wish for my "Maxelbär".....

Some photos of my boy right now: (looks a little naked):

Max ist back home again....

....collected him on Saturday afternoon - arrived at the animal hospital and had to wait for an hour as there was a huge operation which was not planned.... then the doc came around and Max in front - he saw us and wanted to run and to jump which is not the best idea at the moment. Doc told us that they never had such an active dog after such an operation. Right after the operation when starting to awake again he tried to jump up to "greet" the doc: "Hey boss, I am still alive".
So we went home and Ben did a welcome dance for Max - he jumped around like a jojo and couldn't calm down. We had to seperate them and after two hours both  cooled down and we could let them be together again. Ben cannot understand why Max cannot jump around like he used to do that before. But he is nice to his brother and even brought him a "bone".
NIght was short as Max whined a little - think poor boy couldn't sleep and every now and then changed his position. From 2 o clock to 6 o clock he did sleep deep (and snorred - a good sound for me this time) and fell asleep only in "mum"s arms again (my knees now are double the size they normally are- lol) for another hour. So we three got up at seven - "dad" is still in bed - boys are in their beds now again and "mum" is doing her blog entry ; /
Photos will follow later....
I am sooooo happy my "big boy" is back home - was in such a worry and sorrow - you all know what can happen during an operation (and unfortunately yesterday I had to listen to a story where a dog didn't survive a surgery which was not a special one - but positive thinking as I am always are I "knew" my boy will do well.

Thinking of my "Maxel-Bär" today.....

Today is a hard day for me - just came back from the animal hospital and left Max there.... poor one right now is under narcotics and hopefully free of pain...... this operation will last about 3,5 hours so will call later and ask if everything is okay. He has to stay in the hospital for (hopefully just) one night so will take him home tomorrow morning. BEN doesn't understand whats going on - Max left with me and its only me who came back... He dosen't walk away from me - is looking for his brother all the time - he is missing him (I think). So lots of cuddles for him today and now a long long walk.

Have to finish a photobook today and to create a new one - but honestly not with the enthusiasm I normally do. I did give away some coupons (for a 100 page photo book)  for a charity ball last Feb. to be cashed until end of December 2010. In the middle of December I got a call from a lady asking me if she could send some photos even its close ot the end of the time line. I said okay we could prolong this until Jan 15th.... so she told me that her daughter will send some photos these days. Daughter called and she is such an unpleasant person - always complaining that she now is in a hurry with all the photos she has to choose - then asked me to send a pattern of all the kind of bindings she could have - I did that - 2 weeks later she was moaning that she don't like all these kind of bindings - wanted to have more pages printed in the book and and and.... then I told her she has to send me her photos until end of Jan - and what can I say? Today the photos arrived (told her that she has to chose 200 photos for the book - now she sent me 320)..... So I am really unpleased with that all and I exactly know that I will not give my very best to design this photobook. Shame on me but this is ME! I know that is not very professional but hell - I am not professional in those situations. Very emotional! LOL!

Guess who this might be here doing vaulting..... MEEEEE! Horse named Lorell and was the most amazing horse I ever knew. All the time I did horseback riding I tried to "get" Lorell" and he "managed" it not to unhorse me all the time I did horseback riding.... Once I had to do that with "Solist" he did everything to "get me down from him" - and he did well. Result was a broken shoulder....

Second entry for today....

....as Marcelle reminded me to make an appointment with my hairdresser..... Love her new haircut and I wish I would have the courage to have a short haircut again..... When I was a child I always had short hair and once I did swear: When I am grown up and its my turn to decide - I will have long hair. I never made it to really long hair but way longer that I used to wore it in my childhood.
3 years ago I decided to change colour from blond to dark - first it was a shock and I thought I never ever will do that again - after a few days I started to like it but 6 months later I came "back to the roots" - means blond.
Even I am not as blond as I was in my childhood - I always have to have highlights.
But now take a look and be honest what looks "better"....

Blogging for more than one year...

 

I cannot believe I am doing my blog entries here more than a year now.... I don't blog every day but I found out that I really like to share my thoughts and days and whatever .... even knowing that most of my entries are far from "exciting and intersting".....

LOL - today the doorbell rang at 08.30 - and my char came. I wondered if she would come back soon after last weeks experience---hehe. She was here the first time and did a very good job - did her work good and fast - I was really happy to finally found a char who has a feeling how and what to clean without I have to mention.... So she was here for 6 hours - we asked her to place her shoes and handbag in the guest bathroom because the dogs are well known for "loving" shoes and "destroy" them - so we are used to that and we don' t leave shoes where they can get them. Everything worked fine until l she opened the door of the guest bathroom to clean it - one second she didn't recognize Max snapped one of her shoes and went out into the garden.. I found him (no idea how long he "played" with this shoe) and took the shoe and did offend. What can I say? Shoe is destroyed and our char had to leave with one shoe looking very nice and one shoe she couldn't use the zipper anymore.... So no discussion I asked her about the price of the shoes and that we are going to refund the costs. But you all know this situation - once you find a nice and comfort shoe sometimes you cannot get another pair of the same.... So she looked a little concerned and told the has no idea but will look for the bill of the shoes if she still has it. So she went along and I though: OMG ...will she ever come back again? I didn't hear from her the whole week and this morning I sat at the breakfast table and thought: no she won't come back... But you know what???? Doorbell rang at 08.30 - she stood in front of the door - smiling - told me shoes have been an offer for only 19 euro - if she had told me she don't have the bill anymore and the shoes were about 100 euros- I would have given her the 100 euros for sure... So now I know that she isn't just fast and good in cleaning - she is a faithfully person.

My "norwegean girl and boy" are still here.....

....even outside the snow is almost gone - but knowing our weather here very well I am sure snow will be back again... and unless I am not sure about spring definately has arrived my norwegean couple is still in my living room.

As I was really busy yesterday I am totally motivated to go on with that - so there is another project I have to handle - moving my office - means moving from the one half of the house into the other..... steps down - walking through the living room - steps up....and back.....

And there is a lot to carry..... books books books - photos - boxes and and and..... But I really would love to have it done til the char comes tomorrow,,, I don't want to be in a blog when she is doing the cleaning.

But - the other thing is that it is going to be a lovely day outside and my thought is to do the first outside run this year - as I don't really like it to run on the treatmill......there I sweat like hell, light is fake, you don't see yourself moving - always the same picture (running in front of a mirror and notice that your face gets red and more red is not very motivating)

Today I got an invitation for annother blog to read and I have to say that I am totally "in it" - I love to read about others - what they are doing and finally find out about similar situations etc.... So my morning is filled with reading blogs - sometimes I have to be hard with myself  to find my way "back to work".....

I found a link where its easy to pint a book from your blog - I decided to to that with my "travel diary" but thought it would be a nice idea to do that with my blog here - about all the chitter chatter...... I tested it and it says the book will have more than 320 pages...... but then thinking : is it worth to print such chitter chatter???? Will cost about 60 Euros but hey - maybe when I am old and cannot use the computer anymore I am happy to read what touched me in my mid-40ies....LOL

Max's surgery cancelled.....

 
Yesterday I had a so called "not so good" day - woke up totally blown away and did myself hard to get up.

 Went downstairs to the little wee ones who are always happy to see me in the mornings - means a 20 min walk and after that "breakkie"...

So after our morning walk and having breakfast I decided to cancel my piano lesson as I did not very much last week and I wanted to spend some more time with Max as he was planned to have his surgery tuesday morning. So we spent a lot of time together - did some games and worked a little in education - both Max and Ben did well and when I went upstairs again Max started to whine around.....So I went down again - spent more time with both and later we had a nice afternoon in our garden - we had temperatures around 15 degeess yesterday and there was spring in the air. Did a walk around 4.30 for 40 mins and the "boys" came home tired.

When hub came home he did another walk with the dogs and I prepared meal for them the phone rang - the vet from the animals hospital called and told me that he's got sick - flu - and he told me that he wouldn't do such a surgery (which lasts around 3,5 hours) when being sick and feeling bad. First I was a little sad because I  was "prepared" for everything and thought the faster everything is done the better for all of us. But after thinking a few minutes I decided to see it as a good sign as Max now has a few days more to feel home again here. They have been in a "dog hotel" from saturday to sunday as hub an I were away. So he doesn' t have to go away again. 

Right now I got a call from the vet's secretary telling me Max will have his surgery on friday - great - as now I am not "alone" when poor little thing comes back home on saturday. Hub will be there too and help me.

Weekend is over....

,,,and we've had a special one - got 500 Euros refund from airline .... LOL..... We did fly to Frankfurt on Saturday to attend the "Ball des Sports" - 7th time now. A great event and I did some really good shots but want to tell you first about how to get 500 Euros in a few minutes....


Sunday we did fly home and were booked for the plane at 12.00 o clock to depart. I don't know how often that happens (but very often) but when we came to the check in counter we were told that the plane is overbooked and we have to wait til we get confirmation if we are "booked on the plane".... I always wonder how a plane can be overbooked. There are for example 100 seats - how the heck can they sell more than 100 tickets for the seats???? But now I know there are some "vip's" who don't have tickets for that flight but they  - for whatever reasons - get a ticket and someone gets kicked out instead.....anyway..... so we were asked to "give our seats" away - Achim first said "No - no chance"... Then we were told that we are booked for the "waiting list" - means if someone won't use his ticked Achim would have been the first to get the seat - for me I would have to wait for 2 more persons who won't take that plane...

After a few minutes we heard an announcement - "plane is overbooked - looking for people who will take the plane 3 hours later - will pay 250 euros for each seat....." I looked at Achim and told him that we cannot earn money easier and faster than that and asked him to stay at the airport for 3 more hours- first he whined around but then we decide to do that... And you know what? We got this money cash after 10 mins - I never earned money that easy.....

"before" the plastic surgery and "after"

I bought a new programm to edit some of my photos - used it the first time today and think I have to get more used in it and have to be more careful but here are the first result....

Sunny but cold day...... funny how the mood changes when sun is out

I am in a good mood this morning - from today on I have a char who helps me with my big house - we've searched for sooo long and it itsn' t easy to find someone. My neighbour once told me that she has a very good help and asked if she wanted to work at my house too - she agreed and came one day to look what to do and to start the cleaning. She did very well - I was impressed how fast AND good she did her work and was happy to find someone who helps me. We talked about  the next appointment and she told me that she is very busy right now but could help me the week before christmas. I agreed and was happy to know that before my family and friends arrive I get help. The day she should come she sent a sms to tell me she is busy and can't come - she would come next week before new years eve - I was a little disappointed but said okay...
The next week she sent a sms and told me she cannot make it - she would come the next week and I should call her what day and what time. I decided not to give her a second chance because of two cancellations in a row. For me it doesn't make sense - I cannot count on someone who is like that. Next time maybe she will be here but then??? So I told her I am no longer interested in her.

Achim chatted with a colleauge of him these days about that and his colleauge told him that they have a char who is living close to us. He asked her if she wanted some more work and she immediately agreed. Last week she came to introduce herself and right now she is cleaning the upper floor and - what a feeling for me - NOW I HAVE A LOT MORE TIME FOR MYSELF AND FOR BLOGGING AND PHOTOGRAPHING AND WHATEVER I WANT TO DO!!!!!
So fingers crossed she comes back next week - but I am sure she will - its close to her home - she is busy for 8 hours and I will drive her back to her home in the late afternoon.....

Now off to blog on my "travel diary" - I am really excited about this project and cannot wait to get it finished (even I started just a few days ago) and get the printed book.....

old photos.....

Right now I have really great ideas in my mind - for example to scan all my paper photos of my childhood and to make a photobook for me... So I cannot imagine that those photos are almost 46 years old! Phewwwww!

  
Next thing I want to do is a "travel diary" - means printing a book (out of a blog) with the most interesting, mind blowing trips I've ever done. But therefore I will start with the time I had my first digital camera - (my thought at moment - otherwise I have to scan more then 5000 photos and it will take me years).
That means I will write a "travel diary blog" (I've started already - BUUUUUUT - as it is mostly for myself I started to write in German language - why should the book be printed in English language when I (almost) can speak and write perfectly German.....
- So with the time you can read (if you can understand the german language) or at least you can see photos of my travels to:

 - London in May 2004
 - Canada in July/August 2005
 - Australia in Nov/Dec. 2006
 - New Zealand in Nov/Dec 2007
 - South Africa in November 2008
 - South America in Nov/Dec 2009
 - maybe some photos of my short trio to Turkey in April 2010

You see - mind- wise I am totally back on track and full of ideas - hope I can do it like I really want to do.

My "new job" as a dog nurse.....

Seems "the boys" are acting like babies or little children..... playing along with others and coming home sick....
Last week we had the stomach flu here - and Max and Ben were really poorly..... such sad eyes - they didn't even want food..... very untypical for Labradors. No games - no entertainment - they only laid in their beds or on their pillow in the living room and they both slept the whole day....  Worst days were thursday and friday - saturday they were a little better but also very tired. Sunday I felt the engergy came back to both of them - they jumped around and played - ran around and food was highly welcome....
Yesterday evening Max started to sneeze like hell and now he is coughing teriible... so later I will pack him and take him to the vet again - normally I wouldn't do it after one day of sneezing and coughing but as Max will have his surgery on his hip next tuesday he has to be fine and super healthy....
yes - surgery will take place on thuesday next week and honestly I don't know how I feel. My parents are telling me all the time I don't have to worry too much about the two dogs - I shouldn't forget they are "just" dogs. But having them now for almost half a year they are real members of our family and I won't miss one of them - even I could tell endless about the things they didn't right or destroyed....Always thinking that they are "children" and have to "explore" our and their world. And there is sooo much to to and to learn - for example how a tulip tasts -lol!!!! Or that "stolen" water from a watering can is much better than the water they get served...
Isn't it funn to "steal" a piece of meat during a barbeque? And the garden needs a new "pattern" so put out the flowers "mum" put in....What does it mean when "mum" shouts "no"??? Means "yes - try it" isn't it? "Mum"s arms are getting longer with every walk we do - when we can see a dog in front of us we do this so called "stretching" for mum - starting to run to that dog.  - that are the bad habbits...
the good habbits are much more ..... whole dog is "shaking" because of joy when "mum" comes downstairs in the morning. ....to comfort "mum" when she is in a bad mood - loving her to bits and curling around her feet while she is working...... being brave at the vet - listening to "mum" most of the time - going to bed in the evening when told without any "discussion" - sleeping lots of hours during the day so that "mum" can work - and and and....

Dog hospital here - sweeties have stomach flu....

..... and do have such a sad look as I was told not to give them food for the next 24 hours - can you believe how a labrador must feel? Normally they are like hoovers........ but worst time is over - both got two injections  - next food is around 01.00 pm - so they are really looking forward for the watch hand to moooooveeeee :)

still winter outside - and lots of snow here in Munich.....