Back from Berlin

I hope the photos I posted kept a running tally of what was going on. I was blogging blind, via phone, with no real access to the blog itself. It looks like it turned out ok except for the Schlotsky's photo which was sideways (note to self, fix that.) (I'm SO glad I got to have a Schlotsky's sandwich, and yes it tasted just like home!) I wonder what my cell phone bill will be with all the twittering and MMS-ing from utland!

We had a great time in Germany, with Berlin broken up by a wonderful trip out into the heart of Old East Germany. The wedding was lovely, and oh my god did we all drink. It was held at a small house hotel, the Parkhotel Guldene Berg, a former villa of some grandee from the turn of the 20th century. They had GREAT food and the service was impeccable. They really took care of us. We had a similar sort of wedding, Rich and I, where we just took over a small hotel and partied it up. Always a nice way to go. We emptied the bar of all its liquor, and even I (yes, me!) drank Jaegermeister. The hangover was largely warded off by my method of grabbing whatever glass of water I saw at the bar and downing it. I'm sure many people wondered where their water went. But it helped me not die the next day! I'm looking forward to the next wedding in August in Winchester, England. Already looking for the perfect dress (colors are red and white, which I LOVE.)

The weather was PERFECT the whole time we were in Germany, like summer. Gorgeous sun. I got a beginning, a very faint beginning, of a tan! I'm slightly yellow now! Maybe even off white!

I bought five pairs of shoes: two pairs of black sandals (one gladiator, one platform), a gold pair of pumps, a pair of red mary janes and a pair of bright orange mary janes (at COS, the really cool upmarket H&M that is still affordable, though I do get annoyed with their insistence on a tiny boob big waisted silhouette that only works on apple shapes and not curvy gals like me). Berlin is shoe heaven. I also hit H&M again and got more stuff there. I tried the posh shops, found one bag at Etro that I really, REALLY adored, but I could not bring myself to pay that price, when I could fly my Mom over to England for the next wedding for that amount and have a bit left over. But OH I came close. I never have been able to splurge like that, something holds me back. Sanity, I guess. Sanity and a certain practicality. The bag would just end up in my closet shoved in with all the others. Seems a shame to do that to something that beautiful.

Here in Norway it is nice and warm, too, we have the windows open and I did a whirlwind unpacking and putting away and changing of bed sheets and even some laundry, so now I feel a little virtuous and deserving of the bath and cup of tea I am going to have later. I am also DETERMINED to lose some weight before the next wedding in August. I have a little tummy and muffin top action happening that I am NOT cool with. It feels like this foreign thing that has attached itself to me (like a chihuahua or some critter that won't let go) and I don't know what to do with it. It needs to go. I've made peace with the curvy ass and not-skinny legs, but the pay off was the flat tummy and luscious waist. I refuse to give that up. Now that it is warm again I can go outside and work it off.

But not tonight. Tonight I sleep and get ready for work tomorrow.