"The worst case is hitting a moose from behind."

"Him can't eat no tater chips, him's just a baby!"

"This is the year of parties that cost more than I can afford."

My bathroom, a Gesamtkunstwerk

The work is going very slowly, but I am surely getting my bathroom painted with water scenes. The waves are finished, and the sea creatures are coming along nicely.



































To add to the flair, I also got a really great new shower curtain for Christmas!

Things I learned on Christmas vacation

1. American homes are full of delicious treats, against which I cannot defend myself. This is supported by the fact that during my vacation, I gained 5 kilograms.

2. German cars are really small, and American cars just keep getting bigger.

3. The term "SUV" means "sport utility vehicle". I prefer to call them "super useless vehicles" because they are big beyond the point of being sensible or useful, and are incredibly wasteful in terms of gas use, but...

4. ...gas in America is cheap! We filled up the car when it was empty for under $40. Compare that to a fill-up in Germany (with the same size gas tank) for around €80.

5. You really don't ever need to learn how to walk, as long as you can use your feet well enough to drive a car. America is designed so that you drive everywhere and walk as little as possible. You can even borrow a little motorized cart to drive around inside some stores, completely eliminating the need to walk!