Stringing you along.

OK, so I've been a tad busy, and I know there are those who check in from time to time, and I'm sorry. Really.
You probably wonder, "just what the heck could keep the guy busy? It's not like he has a job or anything!")
Well, lemme tell ya. Seems my job over the last little while has been mostly centred around running the roads.
Went down to Bonn on Wednesday night, which wasn't too painful both in terms of the drive and the accomodations, since we stayed at the Hilton. Nice place.
Dropped Gabe off at the Bonn office on Thursday morning and headed back to Kikkerland, since I had no desire to hang around Bonn all day. Besides, this was another "staff meeting", and these things usually run late. I heard later though that they actually finished up in a timely manner, but sometimes it's just not worth the aggravation of hanging around...
Traffic was fine on the way home that time, but on Friday when I went back to fetch Gabe and picked her up at noon, we had some trouble getting through the "Ruhr Gebiet", since that is probably the busiest area anywhere in Germany. This is the second time we've had trouble getting around Essen, and it seemed that every single road was backed up.
(Um, that site is all in German, but there are at least a couple maps. Sorry.)

I was getting a little anxious, since we were due to be home to meet up with a representative from the moving company sometime between three and four. Turns out he was coming all the way from Amsterdam and had been held up by traffic as well.
Such is life in Yurp.

So it didn't take him long to have a look at what needs to be shipped, since we only had about half of a small truck load to start with, and really have only bought the bikes, BBQ and bedding.
I was thinking of picking up some barbells, since I should probably try and keep myself in some sort of tone, but maybe later this week...

You think I'm kidding, and that I'm just hung up on some sort of alliteration high. No! I say! I do want some barbells!

Really.

The other thing is, depending on what sort of digs we end up with in Vienna, we may go out and purchase a teak furniture set (the outdoor type) and use it as table and chairs. We won't be going back to the card table routine I'm afraid. Did that in Horseheads, and it was pretty lame. Those fold up chairs are simply a non starter.

The logistics of that might prove a bit of a challenge, and I may end up looking for something in Vienna. The thing is though, we've seen some stuff here in Hengelo that was kinda nice, so we already have some ideas as to what we'd like to have. I might have to ask the Real Estate folks in Vienna if they know of any good Teak furniture stores.....

We'll see.

Speaking of which, we received an email back from someone on the house finding front with several possibilities. Having done this sort of thing last year here in the area, we more or less came up with a "cunning plan" this time around. Using where we are now as a guideline, Gabe simply sent off a list of requirements.
That was that.
We weren't unreasonable, but we do need to have room for guests and well, a half ways decent place to live. Turns out this place we're in now is around 190 square meters, so I figured I'd stand firm on a requirement of something around 150. That's partly 'cause this place is poorly laid out and well, if it looks like you're willing to "compromise", then asking for other little conveniences, like a place to park a car, doesn't seem too high and mighty.

When we first set foot in The Netherlands, we truly had no flippin' idea what was available, since there had be no way of knowing what we were supposed to be looking for. Our expectations were not even that high either, except that I would prefer not to have to come downstairs in the morning by way of a fire pole.

I'm just saying.

At the moment it looks like I'd better pedal my arse up the road and run a couple errands. I just might add a couple words later today.

No promises.


Behave.

Back from Bonn.

Awfully sorry that I didn't do any entries from the hotel, but there was just no way I was going to pony up the extra dough for the Internet connection. I don't recall exactly what it was, but it was too much is all I'll say. One never quite knows what to expect, since the hotel in Brussels had free Internet....for however long as you wanted..
So I'll try and break this up into a couple posts so as to not be so long winded.

Left Delden Thursday morning at around 10:30 I think it was and got to the Moeller location in Bonn at around one or so. I know it took us longer than is should have since the stupid GPS (sorry, but this is going to be the new name for this thing) took us right through Essen to avoid some supposed traffic problem. Mind you, we might not have been that much further ahead, but I know it was a useless detour, since we passed the same motorhome once again when we got back on the Autobahn. It's a weakness of mine, but I tend to notice these things, and had even said to Gabe when we passed that particular "caravan" that it looked like he hadn't completely lowered his tv antenna...so I know it was the same one.

Whatever.

Found Moeller with no problem, since they do have a bit of a presence in Bonn, even though this particular picture has little to do with them, and nobody could tell me why they had a sign on that building.

I could see this place from our hotel room, which I checked into after dropping off Gabe. Again, stupid GPS couldn't find that address either, but I managed.
We were at the Hilton, which is right on Oxfordstrasse next to the Kennedy Bridge, which goes over the Rhine...
Here's another view..
As neat as it was to be able to look out to the Rhine, it was a bit of a mixed blessing, since the room did get rather stuffy at night and there was no way around it but to open the window, which also let in a certain amount of traffic noise.
I did take a picture from the bridge looking upstream....the tour boats are idle.

Very nice room I must say, and you could indeed open the windows....

So as to make sure that I wasn't too forgetful about some details, I did write out a few things in a word document which I'll paste here....



Notes for the next entry.

Nov. 20/08

It would seem that I must have some sort of friendly face, since I was approached on the street by some students looking for particular landmarks. Looked to be some sort of class project, since they all had clipboards...there were at least a half dozen in the group.
I explained that I was from Canada and that I'd only been in Bonn a few hours, so I had no idea where to direct them.

Had a sub at Subway. I guess it was similar. It was tasty enough at least, and everything was fresh. I don't really eat all that much at Subway back home, so it's hard to compare.

I was tempted by the smell of coffee from the local McDonalds, but was able to resist that temptation. Had to take a picture though, since there always seems to be one of those places. Handy if you have to go for a McSh*t or a McP*ss, as I had to on the way in. (ok...it was a Burger King, but the concept is the same....)
In a way it's kind of like domestic animals, they don't eat where they crap either.

Just got the first call on the new phone. Good thing the little buttons are colour coded, since I can't see a blessed thing without the glasses to help.

Seems I'll be going to dinner tonight after all. Wouldn't have mattered too much, that's why I had the snack earlier. At least I won't be ravenously hungry like I usually am by supper time.
Good thing I brought along some decent clothes. The jeans and "Cutler-Hammer Canada" shirt wouldn't have cut it I don't think. Same goes for the running shoes.

......../.......

(I have to add at this point that I've just wasted a load of time just now trying to figure out why Blogger doesn't like my Word document. Never did figure it out, and had to save it as plain text, and then recopy it....
Going online didn't help either...)




Here's the McDonalds.....(they're sort of like a virus)


I find the contrast somewhat noteworthy.
(the theme of the buildings I mean)

A farewell dinner was in the works for the outgoing Director of Operations, since he's taken over the Moeller deal after Eaton acquired them. We went to the Bonner Brauhaus which at first wasn't all that easy to find, but we did manage. The brew that they serve is their own of course, which they serve in those goofy little glasses. Seems we had over fifty of them...(egad!)
(Ya gotta click on the link!)

The problem is usually one of parking, and the initial plan was to walk, but it had started to rain, so I offered to get the car. Well, there was still some walking involved, and I just ended up parking the car half way back to the hotel in an underground lot. Mind you, it was only one Euro for the whole time I was there, but I always have that nagging feeling that I'm going to completely forget where I've parked.
Haven't done it yet. Probably because I'm really vigilant.

Ended up getting back at the Hilton pretty darned close to midnight, and the wake up call was going to be for six, so it was unfortunate that neither of us really slept all that well.