Kaiserslautern, Germany: 24 June 2016
We will borrow a friend's car for the first leg of summer travel. We put that car in the shop this morning to make sure we are set. Back to our empty house for FMO collection (refrigerator, washer and dryer, wardrobes and transformers) and the patio table (the last pick-up of all the goods we sold). We cleared our with Herr Schinz this afternoon. We enjoyed our Morlautern home for two years. I doubt we will ever live in a house quite that large again. Herr Schinz and Anne said the house looked perfect so we got all our deposit back. AND we get a €60 back from SWK!!! Some of that can go toward the $3500 we owe from reconciliation on our Living Quarters Allowance... argh!
On to buy some cheese and snackers for an evening with friends at the Wein Hauck. I was oh so ready to lift a glass of bubbly in celebration!
Meaux, France: 30 June 2016
Day .5
Last day of work for DoDDS...forever. First day of our retirement.
I tried to avoid the goodbyes. With an empty in-box, I wrote a short note to the DSO staff and to the Kaiserslautern administrators as I headed out the door. Justin and Gemma were waiting. After hectic running of last minute errands and packing the car, we were on the road and in France by 4:30pm. It was about a four hour drive to Meaux which is very near Paris Disney -- our first night on the road -- no Mickey or Minnie at all.
Our little hotel room at Premier Classe Chambers was funky and something out of the Jetsons. Very small but fine for one evening. We shared a bottle of wine and a crumbly and fragrant 12 year old cheddar. Perfect!
After breakfast in the morning, we will head to Giverny and visit Monet's garden. Perhaps we will see water lilies as we walk through the area that served to inspire the artist.
Kaiserslautern, Germany: 29 June, 2016
After a full day at work and a dozen errands, we are headed to dinner. For our last night in Germany we chose to go to Spinradl. Said to be housed in the oldest half-timbered building in Kaiserslautern, the restaurant dates back to 1509. The last time we were here was when Harold and Charlsy visited. Their kasespatzle is the ultimate tricked-out adult Mac and cheese ever.
Kaiserslautern, Germany: 28 June, 2016
The EOS is on its way to St Louis! Justin scrubbed and polished and vacuumed and sweated. We both prayed. All our paperwork was good to go and our car passed a multiple point inspection. This was a HUGE hurdle. Matt Syarto, a friend from work who has lived in Germany for the better part of twenty years, said that he had never known of ANYONE who prepped their own car -- and passed! Kudos to Justin!
Meanwhile, at work, I had a crisis because I couldn't find my ID card. Forty minutes of panic set at bay upon rediscovery deep in the seat of Lorayne's car. With only two days of work left, I didn't have time to even think about going to get another ID card. I worked late while Justin ran errands. Together we made a quick trip to Dave's and Susan's to get our "stuff" ready to go. Still too much stuff, but we are getting close.
Kaiserslautern, Germany: 27 June, 2016
A seemingly typical Monday at work, but actually not so typical at all. My inbox is well below 100. I still need to transfer a few files of mostly pictures. I've been shredding papers like a fool the last month or so. I do need to pass on some of the most current info to my replacement. We took all the pictures off the walls and all my knock-knacks home before the pack-out. My office does look rather bleak.
Justin hit a glitch in prepping the car for shipping today -- a dead battery. Took too much time, but he thinks we are ready for the inspection in the morning.
We had what will probably be one of our last home-cooked meals for a while -- a delicious surf-n-turf...yummy! Three more alarm clocks!
Kaiserslautern, Germany: 26 June, 2016
Sunday morning quiet hours and all the street sounds were muffled while the church bells resounded. I love the bells and I'll miss their quarter hour chimes. We headed to breakfast at Sanders, one of our local haunts. With the manic of cleaning and clearing the house complete we were able to enjoy our last Sunday in Germany. The day promised to be rain free so we got in one last convertible ride in the Pfalz before we ship the car on Tuesday. Some of the long-views in the area are simply astounding. One gets a feeling of humility as you view the vastness of the landscape.
Later in the evening Justin and I made a list for the next four days. OMG!!! Good thing a glass of wine was readily available. Four more alarm clocks!
Kaiserslautern, Germany: 25 June 2016
A lazy Saturday morning that starts a time when everyday is a Saturday. No, not yet, but oh so soon. Four days left of employment with DoDDS.
We spent time today catching up on correspondence. I must determine how to capture our journey, so for now, this journal.
Afternoon errands on base allowed us an opportunity to relax a bit at Dave and Susan Hemmer's house. They have inherited all our frig and freezer treasures as well as cleaning supplies etc. Justin Is down to one carry on and one backpack while I have a suitcase and a backpack for our UK swing. We will come back to the Hemmer's to switch out Scotland clothes for Croatia clothes in early August. In early September we will breeze through again to get all our stuff as well as Gemma's kennel before we fly. We are very fortunate to have their home to store our clothes etc. when we come back from Mons to Kaiserslautern we will be on the train -- moving will need to be swift and purposeful given train schedules. More importantly, we are fortunate to have the Hemmer's as friends. And, they do have a really nice backyard where Justin and I were able to put our feet up and enjoy a glass of wine after our chores were complete. Susan used to be any Kinnick High School and we know Dave and Susan through Dave McCullough. The DoDDS connection comes through again.
Kaiserslautern, Germany: 23 June 2016
A day of cleaning and hopes of, soon, a day of rest.
We designed business cards, but we have no business. We will use them to share contact information for the next few months on the road. We truly must address the phone issue. A new and unlocked cell phone for Justin is top of the list. Is my cell unlocked? And then, a provider? Pre-paid minutes? Contract? Too many questions.
We did end the day with a quick shower and a stroll through our downtown Kaiserslautern neighborhood. When we arrived in Germany in April, 2104, we stayed at the Burgshanke Hotel -- a great family-run German hotel on the outskirts of town right at the base of the Hohenecken Castle. As we leave Kaiserslautern, I wanted the down-town experience of being able to walk to restaurants and be in the city. Did that banana split (double chocolate, hazelnut and raspberry) make up for the street noise first thing this morning? The jury is still out.
Kaiserslautern, Germany: 22 June 2016
Tonight is the first night in our hotel -- The Altstadt Hotel. The house is empty; the crates are packed, sealed and on their way. Tons of paperwork has been completed and more remains. Gemma, miniature poodle extraordinaire, had surgery yesterday to have five teeth extracted. She's chipper today but needs to eat chicken and rice. That will be a challenge as we begin at least the next 90 days on the road. She will be a big factor as we make many of our travel decisions as we fully intend to have her with us on our adventures. It will be easy the first few months since we will stay in Europe and will be traveling by car. We send our Volkswagon EOS on its way early next week. We will collect it in St Louis in early September. We have Loyane's car for the first month as we travel through France, the U.K., up to Amsterdam and back to Mons. We will rent a car for the second leg to Prague, Kraków, Croatia and then back to Kaiserslautern in early September. 30 June is my official retirement date; the first official day of the next chapter. A bit more to do in Kaiserslautern before we hit the road though.
