WHAT!!! Take a job in Germany? Why sure, why not...

When first it was mentioned to someone we were going to Germany the eyebrows would go up and then a certain level of excitement from them on our behalf would set in.  Indeed, why not. Not everyone has the mental attitude or domestic condition that would permit them to pack up and move 5700 miles to Germany. Our circumstance was such that we could do just that; so here we are.  It wasn't an easy process, arrangements had to be made to make some provision for the care of the stateside home in Bremerton.  Of course, could put it up for sale.  However, in the current housing market that isn't attractive even though the home was purchased in the current housing condition.  What that means is to sell would aleviate a potential headache in keeping renters but would lose the future return on investment and tax benefits we currently have. So, we kept the home and have renters. Next was to decide what goes and what stays. The Army allowed us 18,000 lbs to move or store. 

The first consideration is that Germany uses 220VAC at 50 HZ (cycles, for the old folks).  U.S. uses 110 VAC at 60HZ.  German DVDs use an different format, and a different method of TV transmission. Electronic equipment that is sensitive to frequency is at hazard for plugging in to German power with a stepdown voltage adapter because the little white adapter does nothing for moving 50 to 60 ~.  You run the risk of burning up the input transformer. American electric clocks, if they don't fry, loses ten minutes an hour on German power. So, on the advice of those that have been here we decided, no TV. We sold them and left our DVD's behind.

It is questionable as to where and what size home we'd end up in. So, Do we really need to take everything?  will several thousand pounds of remodeling hardware I garnered over the years need to go. Not likely.  I 'm not really key on remodeling German homes or apartments. How about another several thousand pounds of power tools, from table saws to band saws and plainers. Garden tools, lawn mower, shovels, racks, power washer, wheel barrows (yes, two) and such. Will our U.S. shovel be adequete for German soil? If we end up in an apartment it won't matter anyway. So, we left all that behind. As you will see when I figure out how to post pictures on these blogs we sure could use some of that stuff after all.  Okay, at this point I'm going to spin off and figure out how to add some pictures.  First of which will be our house in Bremerton, so you can see where we were when this opportunity came up.

1700 Square Foot 1929 built home. Vinyl siding, a little scrapping, power washing and Patrick painted the trim.  Looks pretty good.

This is a nice closet if I do say so myself. It didn't exist when we got the house.  This room was a formal dinning room off the kitchen with a bank of drawers built-in in this room.  Brenda had me take it all out and put in this normal bedroom type closet, carpet the floor, add a ceiling fan and install a door - walla, we have a master bedroom. I wired it for lighting and cable television. I'm sure who ever it is living there is enjoying the fruits of my work.  To them I say, "Your welcome."  I had fun doing the work.

From the first of November '09 to now has involved a certain sense of homelessness for us as we traveled across the country to Brenda's mother's home in Illinois. Of course, we hauled the dogs along with us. They, for the most part, traveled well.  Except for the short course of diarrea the little one had in which she hosed down her kennel and some of the the older dog they were fine.  Windows down and 80 miles an hour for half a day pretty much deorderized the vehicle.  Built in GPS was faithful and we arrived in Hanover Park intact.  Although we were there early in the month Brenda's family was flexible and decided to hold an Thanksgiving celebration at Mom shultz's while we there.  It was exciting for me to be able to meet most of the rest of Brenda's family.  I haven't gotten any letter bombs since then, so I think they liked me too.

The 21st of November '09 we went from IL to Denver.  Uh???   Brenda had to return by Air to Seattle to catch her Army flight to Frankfurt and I went on down to my Mom's in Arizona.  But, as luck would have it we got to travel together from IL to Denver before taking off on separate flights.