Well it has begun.
My own personal hell known as the "new years eve cleaning to welcome the new year". The cleaning is called Susuharai, or soot-sweeping. Both inside and outside the house, the stains, physical and spiritual, of the past year are rubbed out in order to purify the home and make it fresh for the New Year.
She says it’s what you do to “welcome the New Year”. I keep trying to remind her of this great western tradition that we ought to look at too-so far to no avail-namely, going to a party, getting wildly drunk, and then coming home in order to have spectacular sex after midnight. As is what has appeared to become her "tradition" she will deny my needs yet again-in a rather quite representative display of selfishness on her part.
I hate this little ordeal with every passing year. I am currently "cleaning out my magazines"-but in reality dashing out this post on the computer. She is upstairs vacuuming and scaring away the cat.
Yesterday we went over to Strasbourg because they, unlike the Germans, keep their Christmas market open till New Years.
It was a lot of fun and a good day-until the drive home. When, cruising down the autobahn, I and the S.O. heard a sound like popping bubble gum. Looking up a I noticed a crack on the right side of the windshield. Not a typical rock crack, which most often looks like a Starburst. But a single line going from the edge of the windshield and moving about 5 inches to the left. The entire windshield will probably have to be replaced. And of course, this being New Years eve there is a zero point zero chance of getting it done today or Wednesday for that matter. And there will be the inevitable fight about whether this is covered under the New Car warranty. If it is not-then a claim to USAA will be in short order. Either way, I can feel the pain of Euro being sucked out of my wallet.
It’s cold today, but the weather is clear. Just as on Heilige Abend-most businesses are closing up at about 2 pm. Tonight some people will go to parties-and at midnight the artillery fire fireworks will start.
That was the biggest surprise of last year here. Not that there were fireworks-but it was the volume of the fireworks. It seems everyone in ours and all the surrounding villages has fireworks to light off. It is really amazing. Quite a sight to see.
In addition to the annual cleaning, comes the inevitable personal inventory on my part. This one is made more poignant because of events that have gone on in the last few months which I will not discuss. I will post some of my thoughts here in a separate post. But I need to think about it some, so it probably won't be until tomorrow.
In the meantime I can hear the heavy footsteps of 130 lbs of Japanese baggage coming down the stairs. Time to look busy!
Happy New Year!
Skippy,
I feel your pain. Had rocks hit both my car and my wifes car windshields this past year here in Germany. Wifes was easily repaired and USAA footed the bill. My windshield on the other hand had to be replaced as the crack was not repairable and of course I had a high deductible with USAA on that car so that hurt the ole pocketbook.
Sent you an email at what I thought was your gmail account the other day. Not sure if I have a good email for you.
MIke
Yea I got it. I will drop you a line soonest. Have been busy and also holding down the fort at the office.