My new home in the mountains

My scarf

Mary Jo made fun of me because I bought four scarfs. Paula wants to see one. So here is a picture of me in Bavaria Germany. I am standing in the garden of Hohenschwangau Castle and the picture shows Neuschwanstein Castle in the background. This is where I spent last Saturday. These are 2 of 4 castles associated with Mad King Ludwig II of Bavaria. I'll write all about him later, but this is the original Cinderella Castle. Walt Disney used Neuschwanstein as a model for the magic kingdom. Lots of great history in this little town. Oh yeah, and the beer Konig Ludwig Dunkel is out of this world. I first discovered Konig Ludwig Dunkel 17 years ago while travel with my parents. I drank a lot of it back then and I was very happy to find it again. It was like running into an old friend.

Enjoy the photos.

Driver's Test

Well, after a lot of studying I took the driver's test this morning. We were told months ago to start studying because there is a high failure rate. Germany has over 150 road signs and you need to know them for the test. The test is 100 questions, 75 multiple choice and 25 signs. In order to pass you must have at least 85 out of 100. Well to make a long story short I passed with a score of 99. I missed one question. In Germany if you have an accident the German police can use force to administer a blood alcohol test. They call in a German doctor and take blood, but force if needed. The question was, If you are in an accident how long afterwards must you wait to have a drink. The answer is 6 hours. The police have up to 6 hours after an accident to come to your house and take a blood sample. I put 12 hours. Either way this is one answer I will not forget because if I am in an accident the first thing I would wait is a beer, but now I know I must wait 6 hours.

I had a great weekend, but it is late so I will write tomorrow and tell you all about it. I have some great pictures to post.

Till tomorrow.

More pictures later

These photos were taken when I first moved in. Since then we have decorated a little so I will take more pictures and send them later.

The Kitchen

Here is my kitchen.

And more

Here is my living room. The tv is small, but it is free. I ordered cable last week. I think we pay about $30 a month, but we only get about 10 channels.

More Pictures

My Bathroom

More Pictures

Here is another picture of my room.

My Apartment

Here is my bedroom.

My Mailing Address

I thought I would repost my mailing address so it was easier to find.

LCDR Marcia Vandzura
CMR 402 Box 693
APO AE 09180

See you later.

I have the day off - I think

It is Tuesday morning and I think I am off today. I was told we did not have anything scheduled but I guess I will find out tomorrow if I was not off today. I got up and went to the gym to workout. It is about 1.0 mile from my home, so I got a workout before and after my workout. Then I came home and put some clothes in the washing machine. I made a quick lunch and now I am typing on the computer.

There is a great show on the National Geographic Channel about the E-coli outbreak in Scotland in 1997. It is so scary how much damage E-coli can do. All I know is I will cook my food and use an anti-bacterial cleaning agent in my kitchen.

Mary Jo, oh how you know me. The good thing is that the dollar is very weak when compared to the Euro so I am limited by what I will spend. Basically if the item is 10 euro it costs me $15. For example the other day I took a taxi from the hospital back to base it was 26 euro or 40 dollars.

Aunt Lucy left me a comment, Good job! I will try to post pictures later this afternoon but I need to go check my clothes. Talk to you soon.

Fat and Happy

so far that seems to be the theme for this adventure. I am going to be fat and happy if I do not start working out again. The pub is a short walk up the hill from my place and it is so easy to go there for dinner. And a beer - or two. Between Friday and Monday I have had 4 L of beer. I have no idea what the calorie count is and I do not want to know. And the food. It is sooo good. I have not had a bad meal there yet. Everything is to die for. I am off tomorrow so I plan to get up and go running. No time like the present.

I was in a 4 hour meeting this afternoon with the group we are replacing - the actually admin shop. It was very informative. We, the people in admin, have a lot of work ahead of us. I know the people we are working with so I know everything will be fine.

I ran into the girl with the boyfriend who has a camp in Tionesta again today. If you do not know what I am talking about look back a few days. Anyway she was talking to her boyfriend and they plan to spend a few weeks at the camp when she gets home. They are going to look my Aunt and Uncle up when they get to Tionesta. His last name is Fields. I think it is another crazy example of what a small world it can be.

Well I should sign off. I am getting tired and by beer is telling me it is time to go to bed.

Talk to ya'll tomorrow.

Rainy Sunday Afternoon in Germany

It is about 5:15 Sunday afternoon. Days big adventure was to try to make it over the exchange at Ramstein. While I had to take a bus to take a bus to Ramstein - so we did. I left my apartment around 11:35 am and finally got to Ramstein at 1:35. I shopped for a little bit and had lunch. I got back on a bus at 3:40 and traveled to my base. The security checks are crazy because it took me 1 hour to go 10 miles. Then I had to walk the last 1.o mile to my apartment. I decided Ramstein is so not worth all that until I can get a car.

Did I mention it started to rain when I got off the bus in Ramstein? And that is has not stopped? We were told to expect cold rainy days and I think they are settling in.

Well I was going to wash clothes this afternoon, but I think I am going to the pub for an early dinner with friends and then home. I get to sleep in again tomorrow because I do not need to be at the hospital until 10:45 - oh Glory day!

If anything interesting happens tonight I'll share, otherwise I will talk to you tomorrow.
me

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.

Saturday night update

I'm not sure what all I posted from this week so if I repeat myself sorry.

Tuesday and Wednesday we had some down time and I told you about all the walking we have to do to get anywhere.

Thursday and Friday we were training with the Army. Not bad, just long days. I am up at 0400 and not back in the evenings until 5 or 6 pm. Then I need to get something to eat, shower, check my email and get to bed. However these last two days were a little more of a struggle because the Army did not schedule extra buses for us. On Thursday we took a taxi so we did not have to wait for 2 hours. Friday we just waited.

Thursday we had to take a taxi home, 15 mins - 8 miles, and they charged us $40. Well lesson learned. We will not take a taxi all that often.

Friday we had about 3.5 hours to wait between training sessions. I happened to meet someone from the 'old' navy. (That is what we are called 'new' navy or 'old' navy. New Navy just arrived Old Navy is leaving in a few weeks.) We started talking and it turns out her boyfriend has a hunting camp in Tionesta, where my Aunt and Uncle live. Small world. Later in the day I met another nurse and we started talking. This other LT walked over and introduced himself and asked me where I was from. So I said "Pennsylvania" he asked what part so I said "Altoona' and he just smiled. I asked him if he knew Altoona and he responded 'My dad is from Loretto' I responded "Really I grew up in Portage, where did he go to school" So he states his dad lived in Bradley Junction and went to Bishop Carroll. And I told him I went to BC with some of the Bradley's but his dad graduated in 1968 so I thought maybe my aunt or uncle would know him, but he was there before they were. Anyway his last name was O'Neil. What a crazy small world.
So that was the last two days.

Aunt Lucy

No pressure or anything but Grandma left me a comment on my blog the other day.

I'm here

Well let me start with I just spent the last 5 minutes trying to convert my blog page from German to English and seeing how I do not know German it was interesting. But anyway I'm back on line.

We got in Monday around noon and made it to our rooms by the middle of the afternoon. My roommate is Lisa and she is very nice. I think we are going to get along great. She is a nurse and usually works in the ICU but will be on the Med Surg floor. Now for those of you who are nurses, and reading this (I guess since only my MOM has left a comment) might think this is a step down. However our Med Surg floor is more like an ICU unit then real med surg - or so I was told. I guess we will see.

Monday I started to unpacked but quit and went to the pub on base. I had a Murphy Amber, Irish beer. It was very good, but they serve it in a .5L glass and there is a lot more alcohol then you light weights in the states. Anyway I had to walk home through the woods, with my roommate, and without a flash light. It is very dark in the part of Germany but I guess that is why it is the black forest. I made it home and life was good. Until...

I had to be on bus at 0520 - that's 5:20 am to get to the hospital for a 0730 muster. I was so tired. It has been this way all week but I am adjusting to getting up at 0400. The good thing is Uncle Sam picks out my clothes so I save a few minutes.

Tuesday and Wednesday we had down time to get to the store and but stuff for our apartment- towels, shower curtain and food. I did take pictures and will upload them this weekend. BUT in order to get to a store I have to walk 1.0 mile to the exchange - department store and 1.5 miles to the commissary. This is one way. Then I can only buy what I can carry. On Wednesday we made 3 trips. I know I am walking between 6 and 10 miles a day. Oh I forgot, I am also on the top floor so I have 7 flights of steps to climb and there is no elevator. I may have to give up Coke for the year because carrying a case 1.5 miles and then 7 flights of steps does not seem worth it!!

I think I am going to sign off for now it is 2300 my time - that is 11pm. Shelby,
I would like you to ask Kirsten or Des to make me some titles for our Navy Board in the hospital. As soon as I know what I will let you know since they have not sent me any comments - no guilt or anything it's ok.
Talk to you soon.
me

Leaving on a Jet Plane....

...don't know when I'll be back again.

Wow how true are those lyrics. Today is the day. We depart today at some point and arrive in Germany so time tomorrow. I will have limited access to the internet until we get our connections hooked up. I am hoping there is a computer bank and I can write. Say a little prayer the next 48 hours are smooth. The best part is we are moving into the meat of the mission.

Talk to you soon.
Love ya

One more note for California

OK - my computer arrived Friday but I have to share a story. We have been working of Special Pay Packages for our MDs, CRNAs, and other special people. The process of gathering and generating the information needed has been long and labor intense. We were off site working the packages and realized we were going to need to gather the special people one more time so I was getting a little frustrated. Especially since we had been trying to complete 27 packages for 3 days. So I was all excited when I knew I was going to pick up my computer. I arrived at the UPS store on base and waited in line for what felt like a very long time. When it was my turn I asked for my package (Vince was tracking it). The woman went back to look for it and then returned and told me it was not there. She wanted my tracking number but of course I did not have it. So she blew me off. Big mistake. Then she told me to come back later. So I said 'Oh no, I paid for overnight delivery by 10 am and it is noon.' Then one of the other guys spoke up and said '3 packages arrived this morning.' Then he proceeded to walk back to the same counter with only 3 boxes on it and WOW he found my name. I told him thank you. But as I walked away I wondered, out loud, why was it is hard to find 1 name out of 3? But not loud enough for the girl to hear.

At least I have my computer.

Today was cold and raining - buckets. Now I am back in my room watching the Penn State game, the last one I will see for a whole year. The good thing is we are winning.

I need to go pick up my clean uniforms. Then I need to start packing. I should be in Germany some time next week.

Well I need to go dry my hair. Vince should be calling soon.

Back Online - sort of....

HI! I have not been able to post for a week because I dropped my laptop the first day and the hard drive crashed. I have to over-night the computer back to PA and I am waiting to get it back. I am using my bosses so this needs to be quick because I have some work to do.

Things are going great. The weather last week was sooo cold out here. It was warmer in PA then Southern CA - go figure. We had training all last week then we got some 'down-time' on Sunday and Monday. We were told on Saturday that we will not have any days off in the next year - we are in the Military and we work 24/7/365. Then we were told if we do not have anything do we could have 'down-time'! Whatever!!

So Sunday in my 'down-time' we went to the San Diego Zoo. It was very nice and we had a great time. Later I will tell you about the monkeys, but it was fun. Monday we window shopped in Coronodo and then went to The Hotel Del Coronodo for a drink. If you get a chance look up 'The Del' online. It is so beautiful. Coronodo is a beautiful island, but a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath 3000 sq ft home is 2 million dollars. I think I will just visit!

Tuesday and today we were back to work. The weather has gotten warmer - the Santa Anna winds have kicked up and they are bring in warm air.

Other than that nothing is new. Vince and kids seem to be doing very well. I sent them a care package last week. Parker was excited and then he gave me a list of what he wanted.

Ok I need to go. Take care.

PS. Aunt Lucy I got your email and it was great. I will try to respond later tonight, but in the meantime. At this end of this post is my name, date and time. Then there is 0 comments. Click on the 0 comments and it will take you to a screen where you can type a note and publish it.

Love to all. See you in 350 some days.
Marcia

361 and a Wake Up

This is a Navy term to count down how many days are left until you go home, so I have 361 more days and a wake up.

Today was the first official day for the whole group. The Command Team arrived Saturday so we could prepare for the arrival of the main body. It took all day to move 290 people through the arrival check-in. In fact at 2am we were still welcoming people and trying to get them rooms. I made it to bed around 0230 and was back up at 0530. This is military life. I was a little tired, but I have a meeting this evening at 1900 (7pm) and them I am going to bed.

Things today were very typical of the military - hurry up and wait. Tomorrow we break up into smaller groups and move through the different stations - medical, dental, legal, pay etc.

I have one more computer course to complete and then my online stuff is finished.

The weather was great - you got to love Southern California Weather.

Two good stories.

Saturday day night for Sunday we had a 3.0 earthquake right here in San Diego. I did wake up at 0330, but I did not notice anything. Some the ladies said their room was shaking but nothing broke. So I guess I slept right through it.

Then this morning while we were waiting for the buses I go to experience a 'pump and dump'. You see the ships pull up to port and need to dump all the waste. So they 'pump' the tanks and then 'dump' it out. The smell is something I would not like to experience again.

Ok. I need to get ready for my meeting. I'll let you know if anything exciting happens tomorrow.

Talk to you later.
Love ya!
Marcia