just to prove to you that i had one – it was last saturday, & i didn’t even look at or go near the computer for more than 24 hours, or do anything that could even vaguely be described as work. after a long sleep-in, we made a picnic and went to the lake where i swam (twice) and lay around reading some more of the magalena book.

later in the evening i submitted myself to being an audience member for a richtig beyerisch TV show about oktoberfest – all part of my attempts to learn the language and the local customs. the studio was full of dirndls & lederhosen, which got zecica & andy both into quite a frenzy of excitement – especially when they introduced themselves to hella von sinnen in person afterwards and had a little chat and photo session (you’ll have to go to zecica’s facebook for the pictures). the day ended with andy taking me to dinner at a very nice indian restaurant. it’s true, i didn’t do absolutely nothing, but i had a very relaxing time …

some of you imaginary blog readers might remember that a couple of months ago, i put out a birthday request for hankies, & received a particularly fine one from meliors. when i got back from my big august, there were a couple more birthday presents awaiting me (which effectively stretched my birthday season from the beginning of july until the very end of august!) and in one of the presents were these three very lovely handkerchiefs from sabine – thank you! i am now well supplied with excellent reuseable hankies.

another of the presents was a book from my sister, which she’d posted from new zealand at the beginning of july & it had languished at the customs office in germany for more than a month. going the other way, my funding application to creative nz, posted 2 weeks before the deadline with reassurance from deutsche post that it should take 3-5 working days to get there, took a month to arrive; and a letter sent to earthquake-ravaged christchurch came back, return to sender, because i’d sent it to “30” instead of “30c” … still, nothing tops my xmas/birthday parcel to quentin & family taking 3 months to arrive. truly i have learned from my mistakes, and will hand-deliver my presents this december!