amberg, germany

In February, we decided to go check out another town nearby called Amberg. The town is also in Bavaria and the oldest date it was mentioned in history was 1034!! That's 458 years before Columbus sailed for America! Incredible. The town is built with a moat around it, and now there is a great walking path all along the moat. Such a beautiful little town. It was about 35 degrees when we were there in February, so not as comfortable as I would have liked, but we stuck it out anyway and had a great day. **you can click on the first picture below to make it larger if you'd like to see it with more detail!** enjoy! xoxo, gg

time.

i've been away from my blog for a while. my goodness. i didn't realize it had been quite this long. i'm sorry to leave you all hanging like that. there are a couple of reasons for my being absent from the blog-o-sphere.

the first reason is that i had a bit of a medical scare around the 20th of may. we assumed it was tied to my having had the miscarriage in february, which it may have been, but not necessarily. yep, that's what the DOCTOR said. maybe yes, maybe no. yep. why does he get paid the big bucks?! so to make a really long story, which is still developing, short, here's what happened: i started bleeding and went to the hospital on that saturday. they sent me home, and told me to come back if i had further problems.

i didn't... not until around the same time tuesday night when the bleeding started again- but this time must faster and much worse. the ambulance was called. i was loaded up- very much so the spectacle of the neighborhood- and taken to the ER again. they told me there wasn't really anything i could do- checked my vitals and were getting ready to release me again- much to our frustration because we knew they weren't taking us seriously and thought we were exaggerating. luckily, and i use this word somewhat in jest, i started bleeding again with a vengence and the nurse and doctor FINALLY took me seriously that this was not even remotely something that could be classified as, "a heavy period." they flew into OMG mode and quickly gave me medicide to contract my uterus. most of you who have had a baby have likely had the same this administered to you after the baby was born to stop any additional bleeding. yay. now i had to  be monitered for the next 4 hours... it was already 10pm. the hubby and i were starving and exhausted, but i at least felt better knowing they believed me now.

{insert really annoying beauracracy dealing with the VA and local hospital here.} i won't bore you with the details of that mess... so, enter the ob/gyn doctor (finally... sigh of relief goes here.) he checked me out. told me that this was a somewhat common occurance (who else has ever had this happen to them is the question i'm asking myself... and why aren't they blogging about it so i don't feel completely alone?! c'mon ladies. geez.) apparently my hormones COMPLETELY lost their minds and led my body to believe i was pregnant again, and miscarrying again, and was trying to get rid of what it thought was a bad pregnancy. there really wasn't one, so clots formed and it decided that would be good enough to use as the bad pregnancy, which caused all the bleeding. well. if i could have been told that the first trip to the er i would not have been QUITE such a basket-case. ok, maybe, i still would have been one... yes, i would have.

i would have still been the same frantic person because it is just not normal for someone to bleed that much. i was right on the edge of anemia when all was said and done, but luckily they started pumping me full of these nasty pea-soup-green iron pills that i got back on track. oddly, and truly luckily, i did not have any other irregularities in my blood pressure/ blood count, etc so that was good. i am now on a crazy regimin of birth control to get my hormones back on track, and am feeling better, but still not what i would consider normal. i did start running again this week and it is making me feel aaahhhhhhmazing! yay!

the OTHER reason i haven't been around so much is because i am currently in the lovely state of colorado attending training for my new job. i am enjoying colorado and the splendid mountain views, but would like it to warm up a bit- the forecast is calling for weather in the 50s this weekend!!! IN JUNE! wow. i will be here until i "graduate" next friday and i can't tell you how much i am ready to get back home. isn't it funny how appreciative you are of home when you have been away for some time? i can't wait to water my plants, sit on my couch and put my feet up and do those mundane housework tasks.

dust, i miss you. i'll be home soon.

long car rides make me crazy.

And other thoughts from the past two days in the car. We drove to Kentucky from Texas to check on the house my parents are building (it's a long distance relationship that is failing at this point because the builder seems to need a babysitter!) There is so much time during long car trips to listen to the music and think about a myriad of different things such as; 'why are there so many XXX adult stores along the highway?' and 'what do all of these people in the middle of nowhere do for a living that they live in these crazy mansions?' and 'why does every trucker seem to be swerving in their about-to-fall-apart trucks?' and 'why can't I find a clean bathroom in hickville?'... the list truly goes on and on. 

Which leads me to my next point. Where is all of the money going that the taxpayers are giving to the government for things such as road improvements and building a decent rest area so I am not afraid for my life when I have to pee after dark? I mean, really, people, is that too much to ask? Geez. You'd think I asked all those old men who make these decisions for their most prized possession... and we all know what that is, wink wink... just kidding. 

And then there is another little item I'd love to tell you about. I actually think I might attempt to get this little idea of mine passed into law! I think anyone who works at a gas station (mostly the ones where out-of-towners typically get lost) needs to know the approximate distances of major roads and general directions to major sites IN THE TOWN THEY LIVE IN. Again, is this too much to ask? 

After driving all day today and finally finding myself blogging in the kitchen of an old family friend at almost 11pm, I think it is time to sign off for now. I hope all of you are enjoying your week! I'll be back soon!

Happy Traveling!