Just a Thursday.

Almost.

And anytime when the day passes,  and this space remains empty, there’s a very good chance that I’ve been here and there. 
This morning Travelling Companion and I had to go to the M.A. 35 (that’s the immigration office,  for those of you who misplaced your notes.  Keep up!)   to drop off the forms for the renewal of her “Aufenthaltsgenehmingung”. 

OK fine,  that’s not fair,  you needn’t know what that is,  it’s her Residence Permit.   I think somehow her work visa was already renewed for a period of time,  but I’m not entirely sure, nor do I really give a rat’s tiny behind.   We’ll then go back together in a few weeks to pick up our new cards.  Seems to me Lawyer Dude said I’d be good until March. 

Goodie.

So here’s the slightly “sad” part.  I no longer need the navigation system (GPS to you North American types)  in order to first get there,  and then to take Travelling Companion to work.   This is perhaps another sign that it’s time to move?  Of course,  me telling the cab drivers the best way to get us home from the airport is really kind of old news,  and if I had used that as a benchmark,  we should have left a couple years ago.

Oh,  and by the way,  there was a question put forth the other day from some high mucky-muck from the Ivory Tower of the Company that Cannot be Named,  asking if T.C. would consider staying “Another 18 to 24 months”.   The silence on her end of the phone was deafening.

 

Below, you will see (I hope) an image of a type of plastic box from IKEA.   I stole that image from the net,  since the ones I picked up from IKEA are still in the trunk of the car.

You can probably guess,  in light of yesterdays little missive concerning bedding,  just exactly why we suddenly need more storage?  I bought four.  I thought there were even bigger ones,  which meant I would have bought only two,  but that wasn’t to be.  If you’ve never been to an IKEA (and they’re all the same no matter where you are in the world) let me just tell you that,  certain things start to get mighty heavy and hard on the finger tips after the first few hundred metres winding your way through the entire freakin’ store in order to get to the cash!  

Somehow every time I go there,  I have this uncontrollable sensation that I’m a lemming about to jump off a cliff.   Just following along,  trying not to fall down,  waiting for the merciful end.

The reason they’re still in the car is quite simple,  and it doesn’t just have to do with the discomfort to my fingertips.  Since I have to actually venture out onto Mariahilfer to get from the garage to our front door,  all the while squinting into the sun,  trying to avoid tripping over all the shoppers,  I just figured I’d wait until later tonight.   I’ll have to go out again to fetch T.C. anyway,  and by then that little trip won’t be quite such a challenge.

She might even help.

 

One of the little routines that I do indulge in,  and this one really goes back many,  many years and has nothing much to do with living here in Vienna and having to break up the boredom from time to time,* is to sit and leaf through all the different flyers that either arrive at our door or get planked into our mailbox.   Once in a very long while there’s something in there that jumps out at me,  and I make sure to try and take advantage of either a savings or a find.

*Did you like that subordinate clause?  Wasn’t it awesome?

 

Anyhoodle,  case in point:

 

 

Yes yes,  I know,  it’s only shaving cream.  But YOU can probably find it at Shoppers, Walgreens or any number of other places, and probably get several different “flavours”.   I like to mix it up once in a while.  Or at least I used to.

Not here!  No sir.  I gave up looking for this stuff years ago.  It was only by virtue of seeing it in a flyer from Zielpunkt that I was even aware of its existence.  AND it was on sale.  Only €1,79.   I probably would have paid even more,  since the stuff I’m using now,  and have been for several years,  sucks.    I don’t know.  I just don’t like it.  I know what I like.  I like *that* stuff.

And it was right around the freakin’ corner all along!  Geez!  I’ll probably end up shipping one tin home with me.  I can accept that.

If I find Miracle Whip in the first week of the New Year,  I swear I’m gonna hit somebody.   As it is now,  I’d have to drive to Germany, to some shopping centre just outside Nuremberg, and hope to find it.  I can’t see how that’ll happen.  Drive almost six hours for Miracle Whip?  Right.

That was the place where we found it a year ago last May when Nephew Boy was here.  Remember the trip to Bonn?   As we were coming home,  we realised that the next day was going to be a holiday, *ulp* so we stopped for some groceries on the way.  It was a lucky find.  I’d never find that store again if my life depended on it.

Oh,  and did you know that Miracle Whip was presented in 1933 at the Chicago World's Fair?    That’s right kids.  Bob knows sh*t.  And you know why?  Because I thought I’d be super smart and track it down “on the line”.  Oh lookee,  it’s available in Germany.   Well Hell’s Bells,  I already know that.  *Gah*  So much for the “internet search”.

And no,  don’t even suggest mayonnaise.  It tends to make me gag.  Not sure why,  maybe I had some once and it was starting to turn?  We’ll never know. 

 

 

Now I just wait for the call from T.C.

Cue the Jeopardy tune.  Although…I’d probably have to play it over and over again a few times.  I think once will do.

 

 

Keep those thinking caps on.

I just hope Merv's estate doesn’t expect to get paid for that one.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

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