Poetry

Is what I wish I could write, because it was so pretty this morning.

You know those calendar pictures of the old barns covered in snow in the middle of a snowy field with the fog just right and the sun turning things ever-so-slightly pink? That's what was outside the train window this morning. I was so amazed- I totally live in the prettiest place ever. It also made my whole morning to see the sweet old man sitting across the aisle from me appreciate the beauty just as much- I swear his face lit up like a little boy when he saw how amazing Germany looked this morning. There's something really, really sweet about old men in general- walking to school, I saw another looking at some jewelry in a window and I assumed he probably wanted a gift for his wife for their anniversary or just because and it made me feel all warm and happy inside.

School itself was pretty uneventful- English got me kind of upset because I realized that Europe is, in some ways, racially where the US was circa 1955, meaning things are going to get bad if they don't do something soon. I wanted to do this big case study comparing representation of minorities in various governments versus population, but the fire in belly has since died down a bit, so I'll spare you the boredom.

Instead, because I'm feeling incredibly vain, I'm going to give you this nice blog survey via Kacey since I realized that I always read these things and answer them for myself, so it's silly not to post one.
And so I can keep my average blog length up without really trying. (If you want a better excuse, use this as a measure of how I have maybe changed while in Germany or something.)
"TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey"

Name: Kari's the only one people call me anymore
Birthday: 22 Sept
Birthplace: Chesterfield, Va
Current Location: Augsburg-Hochzoll, GERMANY
Eye Color: blue-gray-ish
Hair Color: blonde-brownish, more blonde since I highlighted it
Height: 1,63 meters
Right Handed or Left Handed: right
Your Heritage: North- and Central-Europe Mutt

The Shoes You Wore Today: black tennis shoes
Your Weakness: there are many. . . marzipan gets me every time
Your Fears: . . . hard to say. . .
Your Perfect Pizza: free pizza
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: be able to pronounce "Hochzoll"
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger: I don't instant message
Thoughts First Waking Up: how many more times can I hit snooze?
Your Best Physical Feature: I've got a pretty awesome krelbow
Your Bedtime: nighttime
Your Most Missed Memory: does this mean memory that I don't have anymore, cause I don't think I could miss it then. . . I sure miss water fountains, though

Pepsi or Coke: Pepsi's pretty much impossible to find here, but I'm more a Fanta girl
McDonalds or Burger King: I'll take Burger over Mac, but I try to avoid both
Single or Group Dates: depends. . .
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: fresh-brewed, please! There is no Nestea in this country
Chocolate or Vanilla: chocolate, the darker the better
Cappuccino or Coffee: tea

Do you Smoke: nope, but I'm getting used to second-hand
Do you Swear: in what language? Not that much, in any case
Do you Sing: they keep trying to make me
Do you Shower Daily: no. . . I'm trying to remember to twice a week`?
Have you Been in Love: I've been known to dream about Certain People for reasons I still don't entirely understand, or maybe don't want to admit
Do you want to go to College: yes
Do you want to get Married: if circumstances lead to that
Do you belive in yourself: I believe I'm sitting here writing this, so yes. The better question is if I believe in you.
Do you get Motion Sickness: all the time, although I'm getting better at being able to ride in a stick-shift car
Do you think you are Attractive: often
Are you a Health Freak: I walk an hour a day and I try to remember to eat some fruit. . . .
Do you get along with your Parents: my mom e-mails me at least once a day, and sometimes I answer her
Do you like Thunderstorms: love them. . . it just snows here, though
Do you play an Instrument: I miss my mandolin so much! And handbells!

In the past month have you Drank Alcohol: beer, multiple kinds of wine, heiße Oma, Winterpunsch, Sekt, Champagne (I swear I am not an alcoholic. . . I think)
In the past month have you Smoked: nope
In the past month have you been on Drugs: nope
In the past month have you gone on a Date: nope
In the past month have you gone to a Mall: nope
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: nope (we will ignore all other types of cookies)
In the past month have you eaten Sushi: nope
In the past month have you been on Stage: uh, they introduced me at church Sunday?
In the past month have you been Dumped: nope
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping: naked? wet? In this weather?
In the past month have you Stolen Anything: do train rides count?

Ever been Drunk: define "drunk". . . I have been beyond the legal driving limit
Ever been called a Tease: not that I recall. . .
Ever been Beaten up: I did the beating up as a child
Ever Shoplifted: nope

How do you want to Die: cut in half by a plow
What do you want to be when you Grow Up: Vagabond
What country would you most like to Visit: Zurich is a city, not a country, but it is #1 place to get self to

In a Boy/Girl..
Favorite Eye Color: big eyes
Favorite Hair Color: I always thought this was the silliest category ever- I look at hairstyle, but never color
Short or Long Hair: longer is strangely alluring, but certain people do short hair really well. . . can I mention here that facial hair is awesome?
Height: I tend toward extremes- short or tall. . . sorry middle-people
Weight: normal? there's a range that's hard to define and really depends on how the person carries the weight
Best Clothing Style: day to day it changes. . . I'm a huge sucker for cords in any form, the indie rocker's good, too. . . H&M's Divided label pretty much has it down. . . I tend to see guys on the train who have the perfect look all the time

Number of Drugs I have taken: does alcohol count? I try to avoid medicine. . .
Number of CDs I own: don't know. . . not that many, actually
Number of Piercings: used to have two, gone now
Number of Tattoos: I doodle on myself sometimes
Number of things in my Past I Regret: nothing major. . . I sort of wish I'd paid more attention in Chemistry, though

Having fulfilled my need to dwell on myself, I shall now close this blog.