The last run of the year.

This morning was my last run in this year. I was out of the house just before nine and although the temperature was five below it was a magnificent morning for a run.
All the grass and bushes were powdered with a fine film of frost, which gave it a wintry and peaceful touch. There weren’t so many people about which surprised me, probably to early for many on a Sunday morning.
Christmas was a very quite and peaceful event for my wife and myself. On Christmas Eve day we put the tree up and decorated it (which is a normal procedure in Germany)
In the afternoon we went out gathering moss for our crib,see photo (this is a tradition in our family)
The evening meal was also a tradition with potato salad and Wiener Würstchen. Later in the evening we watched a program on TV a Christmas special from the mountains of Bavaria.
The program was produced in an old Bavaria mountain cabin, which was decorated in the traditional Bavarian way and it brought the Christmas feeling right into the living room.
Just to mention, Christmas Eve is the main event at Christmas in Germany, that is when the children get the presents and they are brought not with Father Christmas but with the Christkind.
Christmas day we cooked the Turkey (we were going to have a different meal this year but changed our minds at the last moment) we had roast potatoes and red cabbage to go with it.
On Boxing Day I went for a run in the morning and in the afternoon we went for a walk. The weather situation had changed during the night, a high pressure from Russia had moved westwards and the temperature had dropped below freezing.
Incidentally this cold weather is accompany us in to the New Year. We wish everybody a Happy New Year and take care out there were ever you are. Tshüss

The end of year

Christmas is only a few days away and the end of the year is nigh. At the beginning of the year I started my Blog The Runner not really knowing how long it would last being that writing is not one of my strong points, but I have surprised myself in that I have kept it going the whole year. I would like to mention two persons who have helped me with their regular comments, that is my brother no1broadstreet and the The Blotter they have supported me over the year and I thank them for it. I wish every one a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and healthy New Year.
Take care out there were ever you are. Tshüss

Quarter to three in the morning.

The time is quarter to three Monday morning, ridicules I know but I just can’t sleep so instead of tossing and turning in bed for the next four hours I decided to get up and start this post. I haven’t a clue if I will finish it, or fall asleep doing it, we’ll see.
The last week has flown by at a speed, which to me is a bit scary, maybe it’s because it was a busy week for me, or it is because I am now at an age when time just seems to fly? Monday was a normal day I think!!! To tell the truth I don’t know if it was or not.
Tuesday I was at work (that I do know) and I managed to finish off the project that I have been working on over the last nine months, (a good feeling.)
My knocking off time is normally 15 pm and last Tuesday was no acceptation to the rule. I had just put my bag and my laptop in the car when my boss gave me a shout from his office door if I had a minute for him, knowing my boss as I do, when he says a minute it’s normally a hour. Last month we installed a new die cutter in our company in Hungary and they are having a technical problem with the feeding unit, my boss wanted to know if I had an idea how to solve the problem. With the help of a college I showed him on our die cutter how the problem could be rectified. After that the conversation turned from problems in Hungary to our problems here. Apparently it seems that the young man that took over my job hasn’t been doing the job too well according to his colleges, on hearing this the boss blew his top and ordered a meeting for this coming Tuesday which I also have to attend.
By the time I left the company grounds it was 16 pm and it meant a 100 km drive home for me in heavy traffic. On the Cologne ring Autobahn is the traffic situation critical at this hour of the evening.
On Wednesday morning I had an appointment in Düsseldorf to have our dog trimmed (the hair is plucked out by hand) I was home for half past twelve, dinner, then off with my wife to do the weekly shopping.
Thursday morning was taken up cleaning the three houses, which is part of my janitor job that I do. In the afternoon my wife and I drove to the local town to buy a new toaster, ours had gone bust after twelve years.
On Friday afternoon I donated blood at the Red Cross. (That was a lazy day for me)
It’s now half past four in the morning and my concentration is slowly but surely going, I will close for now and finish it tomorrow, or I should say today.
Feeling a bit groggy from lack of sleep, but will have a nap after dinner, which should see me right.
On Sunday morning I went for a run (which I do nearly every Sunday) this time it was different I had no energy (loss of blood) and I decided in the future when I donate blood, (which is always on a Friday afternoon) I won’t do my run on the Sunday, give me time to recuperate, not getting any younger.
On Sunday afternoon we had our neighbours round for advent coffee and cake and afterwards a few drinks it was an enjoyable afternoon and they left around about quarter past six, which gave me enough time to go out with the dog before settling down for the evening (there was a good film on the telly.)
I have to complement the Blotter and my brother No1broad Street for their posts, especially the Blotter who is turning them out at a speed which is defiantly fantastic.
Take care out there were ever you are. Tshüss
The photo, a winter day in the woods

Weinachtsmarkt (Hilden)

The weeks just seem to fly and the closer we get to Christmas the faster they fly or is that just my imagination? On Tuesday we went to Düsseldorf to do that bit of Christmas shopping that we only have to do these days. My wife bought herself a pair of slacks and two blouses I bought the program Tune-Up and our dog Toby became a safety collar (one with a light in it for when we go out in the dark) I bought a second hand digital video camera, a Canon MV20 an old model I know. The camera is in perfect working condition and is easy to operate, fits well in the hand, so for 149 Euros I just couldn’t say no. I had been thinking for some considerable time of buying a digital camera but not wanting to pay so much for a new one because I won’t be using it all that much; I looked around for a good second hand one.
In our local town (Hilden) the yearly Weinachtsmarket is taking place it lasts three days from Friday till Sunday evening. On Saturday evening my wife and I walked to Hilden (6 km) the reason for walking? So that I could enjoy the Glühwein (Punch) the plan was the return journey would be with the bus. It was an enjoyable evening and my wife and I were having fun, we then decided to visit the church were we got married in 44 years ago (it’s open when the market is on).
After spending a few moments of reminiscence we stepped outside and to our dismay it was pouring down. Straight away the atmosphere was gone, people were scurrying about trying to find some were to shelter, to top it off the rain was bitter cold. We stood for awhile on the church steps sheltering from the rain and then decided to make a run for the bus because the evening was over not just for us but for most of the crowd.
The photos are taken with my wife’s new camera, we had hoped to make a lot more, it’s a pity really because the evening started off so good.
Take care out there were ever you are. Tshüss

Storm and snow.

As I mentioned in my last post we had been warned beforehand that we were in for a bad storm over the weekend. On Friday it hit us in the form of high winds, which did indeed cause a lot of material damage around the country. During Saturday we had sleet and the temperature had dropped considerably, the wind had died down over night and it was damp and cold just the right weather to catch a cold. On Sunday evening to our amazement it started to snow and in a matter of a few hours we had around 15 centimetres of snow. I intended to take some photos the next morning of the snowed countryside but to our surprise the temperature had risen during the night and the snow had nearly all melted.
On Tuesday I was at work and it was a day for me full of apprehensions because I had to present my project to my boss that I have been working on for the last six month (remembering that I only work two days a month). The project consists of completing maintenance handbooks for all of the company’s machines. I went about this task combining, photos and text into each handbook so that even the thickest of heads know what they are doing.
Ten past two was my appointment with my boss (not a easy chap to get on with) mostly when I present something he has always (up till now) made some radical changes. Mostly because of them I have in nine times out of ten to start from scratch again. This time was different he accepted my project without a change to it. To tell you the truth I couldn’t believe my ears when he said “ accepted” you see it has to conform with ISO 2000 and that’s were my worry’s were.

We had been invited to our neighbours 70th birthday celebration (he’s a English guy who lives across the road from us) it was to take place on Saturday in Düsseldorf in the English international library at one pm, it was a surprise party organised by his children. My wife was not all that keen on going (to many strange people for her liking) so I went by myself. I caught the bus into the city because it was the first Advent weekend and the Weihnachtsmarkt was open.
The city is then over run from Dutch people that come over with buses to visit the market, also I heard a lot of English being spoken this year as well. I was told that the British fly over for the day on cheap flights just to visit the Weihnachtsmarkt.
The birthday party wasn’t all that exciting, stayed a couple of hours had a beer or two and then caught the bus back home in time to watch the football on TV.
In the evening I had a link with my brother via Skype and like always it was a very enjoyable 75 minutes, he gave me one or two good tips regarding the computer (which he nearly always does) and the rest was a good old chin wag.
My brother no1broadstreet titled his last post “ Keeping up with the Jones’s” I myself have no intentions in keeping up with anybody, I have practised “Keeping up” that far too often in my life and have learnt a lesson through it. I have enough to do in keeping up with myself let alone with some one else.
The photo is taken from the grounds of the company were I work two days a month. There was snow there last Tuesday.
Take care out there were ever you are. Tshüss