Beachy Daze on the Funny Farm

So maybe I have had a bit too much of this?

Hmmmm.....

I wish! 

It has been too many days to count since my last life update and experience tracking. Watch out folks, Jessica is back with an agenda! 

My adventures in Munich have been put on PAUSE since December 16th, 2010.

I really dislike whoever pushed that button. Now, I'm getting my player checked out, so the PLAY button will finally be working again. I've had to write up many applications and set up many interviews to find the right handyman. I feel I'm on the cusp of solving this mysterious dilemma. My PLAY button shall work - I can feel it in my bones. February is the month of the magical fix. 

Till then, here's my fantastic life on the Funny Farm in a nutshell.

Lots and Lots of beloved family time - The thing is, I just discovered this and felt super bad about not realizing this great advantage of being able to spend time at home without work obligations or others. Please forgive me beloved familia! I haven't had this much free time to spend with family since ummm...before I got a job at 16! I've been a workaholic since then, went off to Uni in Texas for 4 years and studied abroad and worked in the summers - leaving family time to just find it's place among my busy life. Even though this break has been detrimental to my social life off the Funny Farm, I thank God for this PAUSE. 

Applications and Interviews Galore - You don't even want to see all that goes into this. It drove me crazy in the beginning sorting it all out. But, now I've got such an amazing system of organizing everything that I feel like a real pro and I could teach my methods to other job seekers. So, here's an open offer for anyone wanting tips!

Hobby Catch-Up - This is mainly my wild crafty side. I LOVE creating. Anything. I've made a few nice selections of jewelry for friends and family - earrings, necklaces, etc. I've also thought of some great ideas for purses. I've got the medium, but now I'm on the hunt for the right covering/decorating materials. Also, cooking. Send me your fave recipes ladies and gents cuz I've got kitchen duty and I'm lovin' it!

Me Time - Much needed breathing time. Like I said before, even though it has just been less than 2 months of being home, I haven't had something like this since I was 16. I see it as a good pit stop in the middle of my journey. I'm out of the car and taking in the fresh air, preparing to step back in and slowly put on the gas to my next spot in life. I still can't decide which is better. Manual or Automatic? I guess it just comes down to the situation. Most of the time, I like to just go with the flow of the wind. But, sometimes it is all about stepping in and taking control of that gear, slowly releasing your foot from the clutch. The key? Balance.

So, let's Prost to the joys of family and friends and all that life brings. I'm off to enjoy another lovely family adventure and taking that sidekick travel bug with me! 

Everyone Needs a Little Weekend Blush

My workweek is just so hectic nowadays. I just love Thursdays because I know the next day is Friday, which means a handful of managers in my office 'working from home.' Not that I don't do the same amount of work on Fridays as every other day, it just means there is less of a chance that I will get assigned even more work! So, after spending some thinking time trying to decide how to balance my life out with all of this work, the lovely friend Heather came to my rescue. 

Heather on our adventures through Munich! This was the monument tribute to Bavaria right in front of the Oktoberfest grounds.

After work on Friday, I collected all of my junk in my extra large backpack and even brought my laundry along for a sleepover weekend in Heather's mansion!! Wow. It was SOOO relaxing. Just about cured my desire for relaxation. :) We spent Friday night cooking up some Swäbisches Mahltauschen, which we are both in LOVE with! They are like large pocket raviolis with spinach stuff inside and then you just throw some sauteed onions and chives on top and vuala! Then I finally got to watch Mary Poppins for the first time ever!! Now, I love musicals and old films, but this was just extremely weird and not entertaining at all. If I wouldn't have had Heather there or our friend Zainab singing along in her sleep, then I would have turned it off. What a waste of good actors: Mr. Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews.  

Another one of King Ludwig I's castles. You don't have to venture far for this one, Schloss Nymphenburg, since it's placed right in the heart of Munich!

On Saturday, we slept in and took our time getting out for the day. Ahhh...it was sooo nice not to have to rush anywhere!! We went exploring the Oktoberfest grounds where they're setting everything up. Only 1 more month 'til the festivities!! We met up with our friend Eric and went to go meet our other friend Harry in Marienplatz so we could journey to Schloss Nymphenburg. Even though I've already been to see the castle, I love the scenary, the gardens, and the rows of statues in the backyard of the castle. After we took some pictures and enjoyed the beauty, we set off to go back to the city and have a drink at my favorite brewery! :) Of course we get on a bus that takes about an hour longer than it's supposed to take!! Oh well, we finally arrive dehydrated and hungry, so we find a table in the crowded Schneider Weiße Bräuhaus to enjoy some delicious spinach spätzle and beer. Then we take Eric to Jäger's for 3 Euro liter Augustiner beers (a typical liter beer usually costs around 7 Euro per Maß). It definitely is one of the best places in Munich for Happy Hour! We finished out the night missing our friend for a club meet up, but still met some really interesting people as we hydrated ourselves with some delicious liters of Augustiner. We ended up going home early and me giving Heather some peaceful sleep with my snoring. ;) 

The Tribute to Bavaria that overlooks the Oktoberfest celebrations. 

Munich preparing for the 200th Anniversary of Oktoberfest!! See the tower with the lion on top? That's the Löwenbräu tent I will be celebrating in with my co-workers!! :)

Enjoying my favorite beer at the good 'ole Schneider Weiße Bräuhaus!! Freshly brewed 0.5 Liters of Aventinus for only 3.80 Euro! :) I love to indulge here every other week or so with a delicious platter of Spinatspätzle. Mmmm. Can't get better than this! 

New Experiences

• Watched Mary Poppins for the first time
• Had my first sleepover weekend in Munich
• Made Schwäbisches Mahltauschen!
• Tried my first Löwenbräu Triumphator beer
• This was the first beer I've never been able to finish!!! It was disgusting!! I've never been able to say this about a German beer. How disappointing. Good thing Aventinus is still made! :)

Mission for this week: Job hunt, send postcard greetings, get more sleep, Shamrock's Tuesdays, find a dirndl for Oktoberfest, and a bike for convenience and of course exercise! :)