Today's events

Well let me start with Friday night. After getting home late we decided to go to the club for a beer and dinner. We got there had a beer and waited an hour for our food. It is a small little cafe style place with a very small staff. The man running the place is very nice and the food is great but you have to wait. So I had a beer before my food arrived and another one with my food. Now the beer is served in 0.5 L glasses. So I had 1.0 L of beer (that is half of a 2.0 L bottle of soda - just to give you a reference point). I was happy - life was good. Then Karaoke started. I do not sing in public - not even after 1.0 L of beer. We stayed at the bar and sang/danced from our table. Before two long someone ordered a third round. We drank, sang and danced. I went to the bathroom and came back to find a fourth round. So by the end of the night I finished 2.0 L of beer. I was feeling very good, but not sick. See I did not throw up of the way home like some of my friends (I won't mention any names but the person who went to NYC for a wedding and throw up on the bus back to the hotel knows who she is....)

I just got in at 1:00 am. I have not been out drinking until 1:00 for a very long time. It was fun. Some of the girls from our team took pictures. If they turn out I will see if I can get a copy to share.

Today was the first day I did not have to report anywhere in 21 days - so I slept in. The beer did not help. I got up around 11am and took a shower because I wanted to go into a real German town. See I have been in Germany for 5 days and the only thing I have seen is military and I wanted to make sure I really was in Germany.

There is a bus stop outside of the gate I can take into K-town. K-town is short for Kaiserlautern. One of the girls and I wanted to go downtown and walk around. We were told there were shops and cafes so off we went.

We got to the bus stop but could not read the directions so I asked someone and they said we wanted to go to the RathHaus and that is should take about 15 to 20 mins. Ok. We got on the bus, bought our tickets for 1.70 euro and off we went. We rode and rode and rode. We watched each stop and I even checked the name at each bus stop. Finally we get into this residential area. The bus has gone from empty to full to empty again. Just these two American women and two old German women. Finally the bus driver stops the bus, turns it off and walks back to us. He starts talking in German and we just smile and said 'we don't speak German'. He shakes his head and says ' finished - get off' We were like what - we want to go to the RathHaus.' He says something and points over his shoulder. Then he shakes his head and tells us we need to pay again. I figured by this point we missed the stop. So after he got off and had a cigarette he got back on the bus and off we went. Finally we got to the RathHaus stop and we got off. Of course we laughed the whole way back. But get this. The names for the stops are different one each side of the street. Now we know we need to look for fracklebonner when we want to go downtown and shop.

Buy this time it is 3:30 and we are hungry. We notice a cafe and head over. It turns out that the cafe is a bakery shop attached to a grocery store and they only have 3 sandwiches left. I buy a small ham sandwich, another cheese covered roll and a coke. We sit and eat, but as we are getting ready to go there is a siren roaring toward us. So we stop and look out the window. There is this guy laying on the ground against a brick wall and not moving. The ambulance rolls in and we stand there to watch. The young girl at the shop walks over to see what we are looking at. She sees the scene and just shakes her head while she walks away. So I ask her what happened. She looks at me and says ' It is Saturday and Mr. Jones is drunk again. He does this every Saturday.' We went shopping.

It was very cold so I bought a very cute European looking coat with a scarf to match. Everyone wears a scarf around here and I LOVE them. So far a have 4. I can't wait to wear one tomorrow.

Well I should go. It is 10 pm and Vince is going to try to do a video call with the kids in a few minutes.

Thanks for all the emails this week. I lover hearing from everyone.

Shelby please tell your parents I am only a few miles from Mannheim. I pass the sign every morning on my way to work and think of you guys. I think your mom is right - Spring!!!

I got my mailing address on Friday. Here it is

LCDR Marcia Vandzura
CMR 402 Box 693
APO AE 09180

I also got my ration card on Friday so now I can buy my coffee, cigaretts and alcohol. I can buy as much beer and wine as I want, but the hard stuff is rationed. Good Figure.

Ok I'll watch for my mail box to fill up ha ha ha.

Talk to you soon.