Christmas and "The Apple Saga" Finale

Hello everyone!

It's been a little while since I posted anything, but I have a ginormous, picture-filled post for today.  First, Christmas!  It is my favorite holiday and Matthew and I went back to Omaha again this year.  Here are the pictures:

Me with my two best friends, Liz and Kate.  Usually we never get a picture where we all look like we like each other, so this one was nice.  I don't get to see them nearly enough so it was fantastic to see them while I was home. :D

Christmas tree!  There were seven of us there on Christmas morning this year and the tree isn't very big so the presents all kind of spilled out.

My mom has started getting my sisters and I each a Peggy Carr tray for Christmas, and this is the one she went with this year.  I love it!  I'll have to have people over soon so I can use it. 

Handy-dandy multi-purpose tool from my dad.

Me with all of the bows from all the presents in my hair.  I don't know when I started doing this, but it looks pretty funny by the end.

From Erin!  It's got all sorts of slang German in it that I probably wouldn't know otherwise.  I'm excited about it!

My dad got Matt and Jordan (Amber's boyfriend) matching shirts.  Awesome.

The girls and Tony with Dad.

Aside from the Peggy Carr tray and German book, Matt and I mostly got Cutco knives.  They are, far and away, the most amazing knives ever and now that I have them, all I want to do is go crazy in the kitchen cooking everything so I get a chance to use them.

This also relates to my other topic - The Apple!  It has been six weeks (on Christmas Day) and I decided to cut it up to see what it looked like on the inside.  It was super squishy on the outside and pretty much covered with bruises and I was really curious.  So I peeled off all of the skin and then cut it up.  (This had absolutely nothing to do with my spiffy new vegetable peeler and knives.)  Anyway, here are all the pictures:

It's hard to see in the pictures, but there is a giant bruise over the n.

De-skinned

All sorts of gross bruises

When I was peeling the skin, it was bunching up under the peeler.  Normally apple skin doesn't do that at all so I thought it was interesting.

You can sort of see it better here.

I look kind of evil in this picture...

Chopping up the apple!

On the actual inside, it looks perfectly good. (Also, I'm really not sure what's going on in the bottom part of this picture.)

I mostly took this picture to show how awesome my knives are because this one just cut two apple seeds perfectly in half.

The remains of the apple.

So my final conclusion is that the apple was definitely inedible.  You could definitely see all of the bruises under the skin.  What you couldn't see was how squishy it felt - and how there was almost no juice left in it.  I cut out a little bit of one of the pieces to see how it tasted and it was really, really, really sour - even for a granny smith apple, and it was almost completely dry.  I am pretty impressed with how it held up though.  I was kind of expecting it to be like, melting on my counter by now.

In any event, I'm glad the experiment ended the way it did because I would be really freaked out if the apple was still edible at this point.

And one more thing for fun - I made a video as an excuse to play with scissors!

Here are the remains of the penny - I made another swirly thing!  (I found the original part that I cut off about 10 feet away from where I was sitting.)

My attempt at cutting up a two cent Euro coin

And the other side.

Anyway, so that's everything for today.  I promise the next post will be relevant to my goals. :)

Till next time...

Tschüss!

I think I can...I think I can...

I was all excited to be able to sleep in today because it's the one day I close this week and I don't have to go to work until 2:30 (which means working till 11, but I'll deal).  In any event, I was thinking I was going to be able to sleep for a ridiculous amount of time and wake up and laze around, get a workout in and do next to nothing for a few hours before I got ready for work.  Apparently my alarm clock (that I forgot to turn off) had other ideas.  So I woke up at about 6:30 and have been going (except for a brief attempt to fall back asleep at about 10) since.

I'm really glad I actually got up and worked though, because it's been an incredibly productive morning.  I've been feeling incredibly overwhelmed by German grammar since I decided to tackle learning the language.  This morning, I've worked on nothing but grammar.  I've gone through the cases and read every bit of information I have on what applies when.  I went back through material I thought I left in 8th grade - subjects, objects (direct and indirect), prepositions, objects of prepositions...you get the point - and I can finally say I don't feel overwhelmed by learning German (and actually, English makes a bit more sense now too).  I finally feel like I can really actually do this - and it might not be that hard.

Even though it might not seem like there's a system, when you get down to the nitty gritty of it it's all there.  There's a logical pattern to (almost) everything and all I had to do was find it.  Now it's just a LOT of memorization, which I can do without a problem and applying the grammar to the words.

Going back to my last post... After thinking about it, I've determined that the problems that I have with speaking German are twofold: first, it takes me awhile to form sentences because my vocabulary is pretty small and up until now, the grammar was completely overwhelming.  Second, I know my pronunciation is decent but there are a couple issues I have (most of them with the letter ü, and also the word der Apfelstrudel - but that's a whole other story) and I'm really, really self-conscious about them.

I think the solution to the first one is clearly to start writing in German - a lot.  It allows me to take the time I need to think of the words to say and where to put them in the sentence without feeling pressured to spit something out immediately.  I'm going to try to journal with the German I do know and I'll think about some other ways I can use written German more.  Once I feel more comfortable with my ability to compose sentences, I can start speaking German with native speakers and eventually that should help get my pronunciation closer to where I'd like it to be.

Additionally, I can absorb as much spoken German as possible.  I can watch videos or movies in German, find German vlogs or podcasts or anything - just listen to native German speakers in any medium that I can get my hands on.  One of my friends told me the reason his English is so good is because he listens to English whenever he can with movies, TV shows, etc.  Plus, the old AM at my store said that she learned English by watching it on TV when she moved here.  It clearly works, so I feel like it'd be wise to take advantage of those mediums.

So we'll see how it goes from here on out.  I'm glad I had a breakthrough, because I really needed one.  I was feeling stuck in a rut so hopefully it'll be smooth(er) sailing from here.

I hope everyone has a nice few days and gets all of the last minute stuff done for Christmas! :)

Tschüss!

Thoughts on learning German and speaking English

I was using Rosetta Stone tonight when the word fahren (to drive) came up in several sentences.  It reminded me that sometimes having native German speakers speak English can be as helpful with learning the language as having them speak German. 

I already know and understand the way fahren is used not because I've studied it before, but because of how one of my Austrian friends used the word in English.  We were having a conversation and he said he would drive back home which confused me for a multitude of reasons (he didn't have a car, for one).  It turned out that he really meant he would take the train.  Where we would say "I rode the bus" or "I took a train/taxi/subway", German uses fahren ("Ich fahre mit dem Bus" or "Ich fahre mit dem Zug").  This is also how I learned "ein Foto machen" (literally, to make a picture) and a few others. 

This also gives me the chance to touch on something else...

When I was in Austria last time, I mostly refused to speak German because I knew very little and using the language with native speakers intimidates the crap out of me.  I have absolutely no problem rambling in German at work where no one understands me; in fact, I think it's all sorts of fun.  But I get nervous about butchering the language when I'm talking to someone who should actually understand what I'm saying.  I know it's completely counter-intuitive because I'm never going to get better if I don't make mistakes and learn from them.

I need to get over my incessant need to be perfect or I'm never going to become fluent.  I'll spend the rest of this year being too afraid to actually speak the language I'm trying to learn and I won't accomplish my goal.  If I wait until I understand everything to actually attempt speaking German to native speakers, I won't ever get anywhere.  I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to manage fixing this, but I know I need to figure something out.

In any event, I'm not going to solve that problem tonight so I'm going to go to bed and sleep on it.

Tschüss!

EDIT

I forgot to talk add this last night and I didn't feel like making a whole new post, so I'm talking about it here...

I wanted to give an apple update. It's been about 5 weeks now and the apple is decidedly unedible. It looks fine for the most part, but it has a couple of big bruises and it's kind of squishy all the way around. I think I'm going to leave it out until week 6 and then I'm going to cut it open and see what it looks like on the inside, mostly out of morbid curiosity.

Anyway, that's all I had. Till next time...

Zu viel Stress

Unfortunately, my brain isn't a sponge and I do not have the capability to absorb the entire German language in a ridiculously short amount of time, so the entire post isn't going to be in German - only the title.

Anywho, it sums up my life pretty accurately right now.  I have too much stress.  I am also really, really, really terrible at dealing with any form of stress.  I get upset easily, my emotions go out of control, and all I want to do 90% of the time is curl up in a ball and sleep or cry.  This is obviously not good for my health or my sanity or really anything in general.

I am going to try to take some time to myself this week.  I have Wednesday and Thursday off and I foresee a lot of baking, reading, gift-wrapping, probably a bubble bath, and a lot of powered down electronic equipment.  I have a lot going on and if I can totally detox I might be able to get back to my usual self.  We shall see.  In any event, I just wanted to do a quick update to let you all know I'm still here and still going (somehow).

I hope that everyone's holiday season is going better than mine (or at least with decidedly lower stress levels)!

Tschüss!

Re-focusing

I haven't written in depth in awhile about how things are going with regards to my goals, so I will now.

I've lost a bit of weight, which is good!  Unfortunately, I've been slacking a little bit lately in the food department and majorly in the workout department.  I'm trying really hard to get back to working out every day, but it's very hard.  Working retail isn't easy, especially during Christmas, and it's been taking a lot out of me.  So to work out before going to work or to come home and work out is really, really hard.  Especially after spending the day running around like a headless chicken and putting up with some pretty crazy people.  On the bright side, all the running around is actually burning quite a few calories.  It just doesn't feel like it.

So if anyone has suggestions/ideas to motivate me, please please please share them.  I am in desperate need of motivation to actually get up and work out.  At this point, knowing that I really should is not enough.  I'm trying to come up with a goal/reward system, but I feel like the creative part of my brain is tapped out.  I am certain that this is just a phase because work has become the most stressful that it will be all year and if I can make it through the holidays, I can handle anything.

As far as the German learning goes, my computer's mini-meltdown slowed me down a bit.  However, ever since getting my book about English/German grammar, I've realized that Rosetta Stone is not cutting it.  If I want to learn the language the best way for me, I need to do what I did for my class in college: go flashcard crazy.  I have no doubt that I'm able to memorize (and remember!) any number of words in the German language if I use my flashcards.  Freshman year for my German class, I had a stack over a foot high and I knew every single one of those words.  Plus my memory is fantastic - I still remember words that I haven't used in five years.  I just need to go back to going through my German textbook and making flashcards of those words, plus all the words that I learn through Rosetta Stone, and for words I've learned from Facebook, and really from anywhere I come in contact with the German language.  And then I need to study them until I know them.  I can memorize 99% of the words in four flips through a stack of flashcards.  After I know the words, I can learn the grammar.  I know that Rosetta Stone does both together, but my brain doesn't work like that.  I just have the advantage of knowing what works for me, and I'm going to go back to that.

Fortunately, I have tomorrow off so I'm going to try to be really productive on several things, but these especially.  I have 11 months left to get where I want to be, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need every last second.

With that said, I'm going to go to bed to get enough sleep that I'm able to start getting back on track with my goals!

Tschüss!

How to Wrap a Gift (Neurotically)

For those of you who don't know, I am something of a gift-wrapping aficionado.  I worked in Borsheims' gift wrap department for the Christmas season my junior year in high school.  I only worked there for three months, but I wrapped enough gifts for it to become muscle memory.  Oddly enough, spending 8 hours at a time wrapping gifts never ruined it for me.  I love having the prettiest or best wrapped gifts at the party or under the tree.  The people at work tease me because I care that when we gift wrap something, it looks good.  I have been known to take a box from someone who's doing a bad wrapping job and redo it so it looks presentable.  With that said, I'm going to take full advantage of the "General Mayhem" part of the title of the blog and post something completely unrelated to anything but my life in general.

Gift wrapping is really easy if you know what you're doing, so I've made a step-by-step photo tutorial to show you how to do it.  Here goes...

First (obviously), gather your materials.  Scissors, gift wrap, bows, tape, etc.  Since this is how to wrap a gift (neurotically), I also absolutely recommend double sided tape.  It makes it so that you can use as much tape as your heart desires and no one will see it.  Unfortunately, I always seem to misplace my stash so I have to replace it every year, but such is life.

First, I generally use the flat side of a pair of scissors to beat the corners of the box down so that they don't rip the paper when you pull it taut. (I don't have any pictures of that because I hadn't come up with the brilliant idea for this tutorial yet when I *should* have done it.  Also, I forgot to do it.) Set the box face down on the wrapping paper and cut the paper so that it comes almost entirely up the side of the box you're wrapping.  This is very important for later on!

Fold one side of the paper over and tape it to the back of the box using the double stick tape. 

If the paper you're using has one side that's completely straight (like, it's the actual edge of the paper) you can skip this step.  Otherwise, fold the paper over so that you get a straight edge.  Tape the paper where you folded it.

Wrap the paper around the box and tape it in place.  (Also note the nice clean edge you get from folding the paper over. :D)

For the next few steps, I grabbed another box to work on because you really need a firm surface to work on.  (Normally I would use a table, but I was already very comfortable on the floor and I didn't want to move.) Flip the box over (right side up) and tape the paper down on one end

Turn the box on it's side and make a firm crease against the box for the side flap.  Repeat for the other side.

Set the box back right side up and fold each side flap, one at a time, against the box and tape it in place.  The tape should go at the very edge of the paper.  Repeat this for the other side of the box.

Pretty close up view!

Occasionally, you'll have a piece of paper sticking out on the bottom flap, like here.

Just fold it over so that the edge doesn't hang out. 

Put two pieces of tape coming up to the point, fold the flap up, and secure in place.

Measure out your ribbon and wrap it around the box with the top side down.  This way, you can use the ribbon you have to cover up the seam on the back of the box.  Wrap horizontally first, and then when you get to where the seam is, pull the ribbons against each other so they're going vertically and covering the seam.

Tie the pieces in a knot at the point where the horizontal and vertical pieces meet on the front of the gift.

Add fun curls to the ribbon!

Add a bow for good measure!

You can see more of what I was talking about where you pull the ribbons against each other to turn the other direction.  It works better if the ribbon is the same color on both sides, but I didn't have any other ribbon to work with, so this is how it ended up.

Also, if your paper doesn't come to an exact point on the ends, it looks much better if you fold it down so that the sides come to a point and the paper goes straight across.

So that is how you wrap a gift if you're as neurotic and as much of a perfectionist as me.  I think I did okay explaining the process, but if you have questions, I'm happy to answer them.  I love talking about gift wrapping (because I'm a nerd).

Anyway, I am super tired now and am thinking it's bed time!

Tschüss!

Random Mishmash of Stuff

It's been a few days because of the computer issues and life in general getting in the way.  Because of that, I have a whole host of random things to talk about.  Get excited!

First, a friend of mine sent me an article today about how Vienna has the highest quality of life (for the third year running, according to Mercer).  I've only been there twice and for a grand total of about 11 days, but I could have told you that from my experiences.  The city is clean and safe, the public transportation is absolutely fantastic (they have a clock letting you know when every train/tram/bus, etc. will be there and I've never seen one run late), and there is so much culture and history there.  The only problem I have with Vienna (or Austria in general) is that it is way too complicated for an American national to move there.  Apparently Matt and I just need to win the lottery, form a corporation, and pay ourselves each €4200 per month, and then they'll let us move there.  Simple enough, right? :P  Also, because I feel like posting all sorts of pictures, I'm going to put one relevant to this up:

Me on my first visit to Vienna in front of the Hofburg.  It's one of my favorite buildings there.  It's also right next to the ruins from the Holy Roman Empire, which is pretty sweet.  Have I mentioned that I want to move there tomorrow?

Second, I have a few pictures from our Friday-after-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner.  If you recall, we were too lazy to make turkey and all the fixings on Thanksgiving, so we just waited a day.  I had to work at an ungodly hour (6:30 am, which isn't even bad for the Friday after Thanksgiving) so Matt put the turkey in the crock pot and let it go all day.  You can judge us if you want, but we saved so much money in electricity for not using the oven that I don't care.  It ended up being so delicious.  And then, of course, we had mashed potatoes, stuffing, and canned cranberry.  I know that canned cranberry is exactly the processed American crap that I'm trying to eliminate from my diet, but I'm just going to not count it.  Who doesn't love gelatinous, can-shaped cranberry goodness?  People with no soul, that's who.  I also made homemade gravy from the drippings (again, so freaking good).  Matt had one taste and then declared that he wanted me to be the mother of his children, so I'm going to go ahead and assume that I'm  not the only one that thought it was pretty fantastic.  (Although I am pretty sure that he figured out the mother of his children thing before he married me. xD)  I have some pictures of the dinner, so I will post them, too!

Everything all served up!  (Not pictured: the kitchen, looking like something exploded.)

Delicious, delicious gelatinous can-shaped cranberry.  Favorite Thanksgiving food.

Aaaand...I'm not really sure what's going on here, but it's always fun to embarrass Mr. Leick by posting ridiculous pictures of him on the interwebs.

Third, I've figured out that working out and stress don't generally get along.  I have not been as good as I should be about keeping up with this.  I'm losing weight because I'm generally eating much healthier and have given up soda and going out to eat, but I'm not losing it as fast as I'd like.  Work has gotten a lot more stressful with Christmas on the horizon.  Plus, I'm really tired most days and just don't feel like it.  I'm still very motivated with the food portion of the lifestyle change, but finding the time/motivation/energy to get a great (or even decent) workout has been escaping me lately.  Hopefully I can hunker down and get back into it.  It's not easy but it'll be totally worth it in the end.  Fortunately, I have a new work-out buddy (sort of).  I know her from our high school and she and I are both doing the 30 Day Shred.  We're trying to check in with each other frequently to keep each other motivated.  This will be really good for me, too, because I have an over-active conscience and if I don't do something I should, I start feeling very, very, very guilty.  I imagine I'll find the strength to keep going - if I haven't given up on any of my goals yet, I won't any time in the near future.

Fourth, CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  If you can't tell by the bolded caps, I LOVE Christmas.  I love everything about it.  The music, the decorations, the food, the family, the shopping, the presents, Santa, EVERYTHING.  It is, far and away, my favorite time of year.  Matt and I were going to put the tree up on Sunday but it ended up being a pretty crappy day for me and I just wasn't in the mood, so the decorating got put off until tonight.  

The Christmas tree, all lit up but without any ornaments.

Matt and I have decided to build our ornament collection by getting one Hallmark ornament a year.  My family did this and we have a pretty awesome collection of ornaments.  This is my ornament for the year.  It says "The Bell Still Rings For Me 2011"

The tag says "The Polar Express Round Trip".  Every year, my mom read that book to my sisters and I.  I love the book which is why I got the ornament.  It was a no brainer when I saw it. :)

Matt picked out this one.  It says "Joe to the world".  I bet you can't tell that he's obsessed with coffee. :P

Trying to decide where to put the ornament.

And we have a spot!

Final product!

And some pictures of us for fun.

Aw, cute. :)

The set-up.  Not too fancy, but we've only been married for two years.  Once we've been married for longer, have a house, and more room to decorate I will go absolutely crazy with the decorations.  I can't wait. :)

And finally, another apple update!  I haven't been taking pictures, but the apple now has two definite bruises and is definitely to the point where I wouldn't eat it.  It's still relatively firm, but the two big bruises thing is more than I can handle.  It's been about two and a half weeks, but it's still not melting on my counter, so I'll keep it out and see how it ends up.

I think that's about it for now.  Hopefully I'll keep updating regularly so I don't have giant posts with all sorts of ridiculous things thrown in.  As usual, comments/suggestions/whatever are welcome and invited!

Until next time...

Tschüss!