Hmmmm... today's view of our terrace. What could this possibly mean, and where did it come from? Is this the Czech equivalent of crop circles?!?
Czech Skivvies!
Monday, May 30, 2005
Eek! So the unseasonably hot temperatures have had an unintended and unexpected consequence. Upon returning home from an innocent trip to the grocery store this morning, I spotted not one, but TWO Czech construction workers, working in their... underwear! I thought, "This cannot be! My eyes must have deceived me!". But, it's true. Apparently the heat eliminated any sense of modesty. And in case you're wondering: No, they weren't wearing boxers. Briefs appear to be the undergarment of choice, grey or blue briefs to be exact. Looks like we're going to have to take walks with our eyes closed this summer and hope that Nellie will make a good seeing-eye-dog.
Lydia Status
Friday, May 27, 2005
Lydia had her 15 month check-up today... her first "well visit" in the Czech Republic. The doctor seems quite nice, and I'm pretty comfortable with our new medical arrangement. Funny how before Lydia was born I analyzed, researched, and asked for opinions before selecting her pediatrician. My standards have changed... now it is "You speak English? Perfect. When can I make an appointment?"
So the appointment went very smoothly even though she had to have her MMR immunization. They gave it to her in her forearm, so she cried until they stuck the needle in and then was fascinated watching them inject the fluid. But before the immunization, they weighed and measured our "little peanut". We now get measurements in the metric system, so she's 14.22 kg and 84.5 cm. That translates to approximately 31 lb and 33.6 in. When the length measuring device on the baby scale wasn't long enough and the nurse said we would need to use the "special measure", I was reminded that we have a tall one on our hands! She's still in the 95th percentile for weight and well over 100% for height. The doctor confirmed Lydia's status by laughing when pointing to her measurements on the percentile chart and telling me we have "a very healthy girl". Thankfully she also assured me she's perfectly proportionate. I wasn't too surprised since she is taller than the 2-year-olds in the playgroup! Good news: Lydia is maintaining that perfect Female German Swimmer physique we've been working so hard to develop... bald head and all. When she was wearing a tank top last week, the babysitter exclaimed, "She has muscles!"
So the appointment went very smoothly even though she had to have her MMR immunization. They gave it to her in her forearm, so she cried until they stuck the needle in and then was fascinated watching them inject the fluid. But before the immunization, they weighed and measured our "little peanut". We now get measurements in the metric system, so she's 14.22 kg and 84.5 cm. That translates to approximately 31 lb and 33.6 in. When the length measuring device on the baby scale wasn't long enough and the nurse said we would need to use the "special measure", I was reminded that we have a tall one on our hands! She's still in the 95th percentile for weight and well over 100% for height. The doctor confirmed Lydia's status by laughing when pointing to her measurements on the percentile chart and telling me we have "a very healthy girl". Thankfully she also assured me she's perfectly proportionate. I wasn't too surprised since she is taller than the 2-year-olds in the playgroup! Good news: Lydia is maintaining that perfect Female German Swimmer physique we've been working so hard to develop... bald head and all. When she was wearing a tank top last week, the babysitter exclaimed, "She has muscles!"
Car Status
The car sits in the driveway most days because I am too scared to drive it for long distances.
It has been confirmed that the dealer will do nothing to repair the transmission. They have provided us with a document that states that automatic transimissions are not covered under the "60 day all-inclusive guarantee". Brandon had one of his guys at work find a "transmission specialist" and we'll pay for the repairs ourselves... chalk it up to yet another lesson learned. Brandon calls this hit to our bank account the "Stupid Foreigner Tax". I'm not sure what we could've done differently besides avoiding this dealer and perhaps buying a more expensive car, but that's still no guarantee that we wouldn't have had a problem. The good news is that the transmission guy began describing our problem on the phone before even being told what symptoms we're experiencing... hopefully he'll be a little more trustworthy than the other Czech car guys we've encountered so far. Sounds like the price tag will be a maximum of 45000 Czech Crowns, or approximately $2000. Ouch.
It has been confirmed that the dealer will do nothing to repair the transmission. They have provided us with a document that states that automatic transimissions are not covered under the "60 day all-inclusive guarantee". Brandon had one of his guys at work find a "transmission specialist" and we'll pay for the repairs ourselves... chalk it up to yet another lesson learned. Brandon calls this hit to our bank account the "Stupid Foreigner Tax". I'm not sure what we could've done differently besides avoiding this dealer and perhaps buying a more expensive car, but that's still no guarantee that we wouldn't have had a problem. The good news is that the transmission guy began describing our problem on the phone before even being told what symptoms we're experiencing... hopefully he'll be a little more trustworthy than the other Czech car guys we've encountered so far. Sounds like the price tag will be a maximum of 45000 Czech Crowns, or approximately $2000. Ouch.
Playin' at our place.
We hosted playgroup this morning. Our first "big" group of guests, which included 4 other mommies and their tots. Appart from my self-inflicted stress, we had a great time. Of course, I provided way too many things to eat, but every social event that I host, MUST include at least one experimental food (meaning that I make something I've never made before and use my guests as guinea pigs). It was quite lovely, if I do say so myself. And I suppose if I was being completely honest, I would admit that Brandon is not so far off when he proclaims that we don't have a playgroup, we have a tea party! Call it what you want, it's nice to have Lydia entertained by other kids for 2 hours. And for some reason, her same ol' toys suddenly look brand new to her when some other kid is playing with them!
A Letter from the... Police!?!?
Monday, May 23, 2005
Yep. When it didn't seem possible, Brandon has again topped his driving offense record. He received a letter in the mail from the Czech police. The basic translation is as follows:
1. Your car was photographed while driving through the tunnel
2. Your car was travelling at a high rate of speed
3. You are the driver
4. You are "invited" to come to our office to give us an "apology" and explain why you were driving so fast
5. If you don't come, you could be summoned.
If anyone ever says "men are better drivers than women" around me, I'll whip out my copy of the Czech police "invitation" and you'll be sorry...
1. Your car was photographed while driving through the tunnel
2. Your car was travelling at a high rate of speed
3. You are the driver
4. You are "invited" to come to our office to give us an "apology" and explain why you were driving so fast
5. If you don't come, you could be summoned.
If anyone ever says "men are better drivers than women" around me, I'll whip out my copy of the Czech police "invitation" and you'll be sorry...
No Czech? No problem!
We went to Stomp last night. We highly recommend it if you haven't already seen it. The best part? No translation necessary for banging garbage cans! I'm thinking we should continue this pattern and take up an interest in pantomime and opera while we're here.
Another beautiful spring day here... we actually tried out the pool for the first time today! Lydia had a great time. We didn't take any pictures because the terrace and area around the pool is still a mess, so it was a short dip. The reconstruction should be complete in a couple of weeks. We'll keep our fingers crossed and take some pictures of our 18 month old bathing beauty a.s.a.p!
Another beautiful spring day here... we actually tried out the pool for the first time today! Lydia had a great time. We didn't take any pictures because the terrace and area around the pool is still a mess, so it was a short dip. The reconstruction should be complete in a couple of weeks. We'll keep our fingers crossed and take some pictures of our 18 month old bathing beauty a.s.a.p!
New friends.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
It's been such a nice day today. (Saturdays are always nice, aren't they?). Brandon and I went out for coffee this morning before meeting our new friends from the States, Jonathan and Emily Stone and their 20 mo. old little girl, Eloise. Since they just arrived to Prague on Wednesday, poor little Eloise is still fighting jetlag and trying to adjust to her upside-down life. We went to a park nearby and had a nice picnic lunch while the girls played. Since it is 75 degrees out today, it was a perfect day for all of the above. Emily and I have been emailing over the past few months, so it was so nice to put a face with all of the words on my screen. And even though Lydia doesn't "get it" yet, I'm sure she and Eloise will have a lot of fun together someday soon.
Polish Pottery, good.
What a good time! It took 3 hours for us to arrive at the destination, but I was amazed. It reminded me of the scrapbooking mecca of Utah, only instead of paper: pottery. We went to 17+ stores and scoured the shelves for that special piece of pottery. There's quite a process to this whole thing. There are many many patterns to choose from, but they all have the same general color palatte. So, mix or match, that is the question. I've decided to mix, but if you want to match, prepare for a true hunt as each store will not carry all of the pieces of a "set". On top of that, each piece also has a quality rating of 1-4, 1 having no imperfections. This pottery is just amazing in that it is all handpainted and extremely detailed; deep blues and greens seem to be the trademark color of the area.
So, we left at 6 am and didn't get home until 10:00 that night! (We were supposed to return at 7:00--oops). Lydia survived her day without me, but I'm not sure Brandon would've lasted much longer. After the sitter left, he had to feed Lydia, bathe her and put her to bed before the Czech language tutor arrived at 7:30. Needless to say, he wasn't too excited when I called him at 7 to tell him we were just leaving Poland. Lydia battled him at bedtime and he finally had to tell the tutor to go home. I don't think he'll grant me release for another pottery trip anytime real soon, but I've heard they may plan another one in the fall. Shhh... don't tell Brandon!
So, we left at 6 am and didn't get home until 10:00 that night! (We were supposed to return at 7:00--oops). Lydia survived her day without me, but I'm not sure Brandon would've lasted much longer. After the sitter left, he had to feed Lydia, bathe her and put her to bed before the Czech language tutor arrived at 7:30. Needless to say, he wasn't too excited when I called him at 7 to tell him we were just leaving Poland. Lydia battled him at bedtime and he finally had to tell the tutor to go home. I don't think he'll grant me release for another pottery trip anytime real soon, but I've heard they may plan another one in the fall. Shhh... don't tell Brandon!
Poland... Here I come!
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
The car story is too depressing at this point to go into any detail other than to say we have learned it's a transmission problem. Instead I am focusing on more positive things.
Tomorrow I will be joining a group of women from my Bible study on a Polish Pottery Trip. Apparently, there are some beautiful things to be found by crossing the border. And worth extra special note is that this is the first time that I will visit a country BEFORE Brandon has been there! Write it in the record books.
We'll leave Prague at 6:00 am. Lydia will be home with the babysitter all day, so it's a true "day away" for me. And we won't return until 7:00 pm. I don't really know what to expect, but am quite excited.
Also... wish Lydia a very happy 15-month birthday today!
Tomorrow I will be joining a group of women from my Bible study on a Polish Pottery Trip. Apparently, there are some beautiful things to be found by crossing the border. And worth extra special note is that this is the first time that I will visit a country BEFORE Brandon has been there! Write it in the record books.
We'll leave Prague at 6:00 am. Lydia will be home with the babysitter all day, so it's a true "day away" for me. And we won't return until 7:00 pm. I don't really know what to expect, but am quite excited.
Also... wish Lydia a very happy 15-month birthday today!
Car Saga, Part 5
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
The story continues...
I was looking forward to getting my car back from the dealer today. (Past tense... was). The pastor of the small group fellowship we've been attending agreed to take me to pick it up this morning. After waiting for 45 minutes, the Czech manager and his translator came in with this news... "We ran a diagnostic test on the car. There is a problem with the front axle. That 60-day all-inclusive guarantee that you have on your car??? It doesn't cover this." They had no answer for why they won't repair it; it's only a $40 repair. BUT... because they "value their customers" they were willing to give us compensation in the form of a CD player for the car (which I already have) OR (get this) a voucher for a future purchase of another car from them! Yeh right! However, they assured us that the other problems with the light on the dash had been repaired and that the car is safe to drive.
Approximately 2 miles into the drive home, you guessed it -- the light came on! They hadn't repaired anything! We turned around and brought it to the Renault dealer instead since we obviously won't get any results with the used car dealer we bought it from (the largest used car dealer in Czech Republic). Renault is going to run another complete diagnostic and hopefully be finished repairing it in a day or two. We'll chalk this up to an "educational experience" and fork over however many Czech Crowns they want to charge us, stupid Americans that we are.
In the end a 45 minute trip to pick up my car turned into a 3-hour class entitled Shady Czech Business Practices 101.
I was looking forward to getting my car back from the dealer today. (Past tense... was). The pastor of the small group fellowship we've been attending agreed to take me to pick it up this morning. After waiting for 45 minutes, the Czech manager and his translator came in with this news... "We ran a diagnostic test on the car. There is a problem with the front axle. That 60-day all-inclusive guarantee that you have on your car??? It doesn't cover this." They had no answer for why they won't repair it; it's only a $40 repair. BUT... because they "value their customers" they were willing to give us compensation in the form of a CD player for the car (which I already have) OR (get this) a voucher for a future purchase of another car from them! Yeh right! However, they assured us that the other problems with the light on the dash had been repaired and that the car is safe to drive.
Approximately 2 miles into the drive home, you guessed it -- the light came on! They hadn't repaired anything! We turned around and brought it to the Renault dealer instead since we obviously won't get any results with the used car dealer we bought it from (the largest used car dealer in Czech Republic). Renault is going to run another complete diagnostic and hopefully be finished repairing it in a day or two. We'll chalk this up to an "educational experience" and fork over however many Czech Crowns they want to charge us, stupid Americans that we are.
In the end a 45 minute trip to pick up my car turned into a 3-hour class entitled Shady Czech Business Practices 101.
H2O
Monday, May 16, 2005
We have water! "Only" 19 hours and we're on our way to rehydration. Now I can attack that pile of laundry stacked to the ceiling in our bedroom. Apparantly there was a water main break and "20000 people in Prague 6 were without water" (this according to our landlord). In any case, I just wish the "Case of the Missing Cell Phone" could be solved that easily... add to that the "Terrace Project That Never Ends" and the "Car With Relentless Repairs"...
Music to my ears!
Our trip to England was very nice. I don't know how many times I was grateful to be surrounded by English... granted, sometimes it was English and I still couldn't understand it through the accent! We were in the grocery store and when we wanted to know what time they closed, or where are plastic utensils... we could just ask! ANYONE!!!
Our flight to England wasn't so great. We thought we had timed it perfectly with Lydia's nap, but it backfired. She screamed for a majority of the flight. Yes, we were THAT family. As the people deplaned, they were scowling at US. What can you do?
Since Brandon worked Thursday and Friday, Lydia and I scouted out a little playground nearby, wandered through the shops in Durham and went swimming in the hotel pool. It really was a nice break. On Saturday, we drove to Northern England where there is a castle on an island called "Holy Island". You are able to drive on to the island during low tide, but if the tide comes in, the road is covered and you cannot go on or off the island. Thankfully tide did not come in until 6:00 pm that day so we came and went without incident. We didn't even tour the castle since Brandon had already been there and said it was a bust. Apparently, someone was living there as late as the 70s so it was decorated in 70s style. Since Lydia isn't much for castle tours anyway we just spent time exploring by the old monestary, looking at sheep and having a nice lunch.
We flew out on Sunday morning and things went downhill from there. Upon returning home, we realized that my cell phone had been stolen from our checked luggage. It was then that we realized that the same thing had happened to our video camera on the way to England... Brandon thought he had just forgotten to pack it, but it is nowhere to be found. So, here I am without a phone... again. And I think the video camera still had Lydia's birthday on it. Quite sad. And THEN... about 9:00 pm, we lost water. We still don't have it this morning and aren't quite sure what the problem is. It seems like it may be a neighborhood thing, but no hint at when we might get it back. Thankfully we have 3 toilets, because we get one flush in each one. So far, we've used 2... 1 to go and it has to last the rest of the day! As Brandon says... "It's all part of the game. And we're in the game."
Our flight to England wasn't so great. We thought we had timed it perfectly with Lydia's nap, but it backfired. She screamed for a majority of the flight. Yes, we were THAT family. As the people deplaned, they were scowling at US. What can you do?
Since Brandon worked Thursday and Friday, Lydia and I scouted out a little playground nearby, wandered through the shops in Durham and went swimming in the hotel pool. It really was a nice break. On Saturday, we drove to Northern England where there is a castle on an island called "Holy Island". You are able to drive on to the island during low tide, but if the tide comes in, the road is covered and you cannot go on or off the island. Thankfully tide did not come in until 6:00 pm that day so we came and went without incident. We didn't even tour the castle since Brandon had already been there and said it was a bust. Apparently, someone was living there as late as the 70s so it was decorated in 70s style. Since Lydia isn't much for castle tours anyway we just spent time exploring by the old monestary, looking at sheep and having a nice lunch.
We flew out on Sunday morning and things went downhill from there. Upon returning home, we realized that my cell phone had been stolen from our checked luggage. It was then that we realized that the same thing had happened to our video camera on the way to England... Brandon thought he had just forgotten to pack it, but it is nowhere to be found. So, here I am without a phone... again. And I think the video camera still had Lydia's birthday on it. Quite sad. And THEN... about 9:00 pm, we lost water. We still don't have it this morning and aren't quite sure what the problem is. It seems like it may be a neighborhood thing, but no hint at when we might get it back. Thankfully we have 3 toilets, because we get one flush in each one. So far, we've used 2... 1 to go and it has to last the rest of the day! As Brandon says... "It's all part of the game. And we're in the game."
Going on a "WORKATION"
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
WORKATION: a time when Brandon works and Ann-marie vacations.
Lydia and I are tagging along with Brandon on a business trip to England. We'll be staying in Durham, England while Brandon goes to work at the B&D design center in Spennymore. Hopefully Lydia and I will get some shopping done. I'm quite excited about the prospect of going into a store and being able to read ALL of the labels!!! And I can understand everything that is being announced over the loudspeaker in the store! My ears and eyes are in for a treat. (Sidenote: Speaking of loudspeakers, did you know that while visiting the grocery store here in Prague I have heard "Elvira" and "YMCA" being sung over the speaker system... in Czech??? Now, THAT will make a lonely American smile!!!)
I hope to continue posting from Durham... if not, until Sunday... "Cheerio"!
Lydia and I are tagging along with Brandon on a business trip to England. We'll be staying in Durham, England while Brandon goes to work at the B&D design center in Spennymore. Hopefully Lydia and I will get some shopping done. I'm quite excited about the prospect of going into a store and being able to read ALL of the labels!!! And I can understand everything that is being announced over the loudspeaker in the store! My ears and eyes are in for a treat. (Sidenote: Speaking of loudspeakers, did you know that while visiting the grocery store here in Prague I have heard "Elvira" and "YMCA" being sung over the speaker system... in Czech??? Now, THAT will make a lonely American smile!!!)
I hope to continue posting from Durham... if not, until Sunday... "Cheerio"!
Yep. It's a short-cut.
As I feared, Nellie's hair got more than just a trim. My goal before the next grooming date will be to learn the phrase "Just a trim, please" in Czech. But, she does look kind of cute this way. She looks so much younger and has a spring in her step! Ok, maybe not... but when I brought her home, our Czech babysitter Jana said (in between her laughter), "Wow... Modern!" Yes, Nellie is quite the fashionable Czech doggie these days.
Nellie has a spa date.
Nellie (our dog, for those of you who don't know her...) has an appointment with a Czech groomer today. They don't speak English, so I have my list of requests translated into Czech on a piece of paper. I'm a bit concerned that they will misinterpret my hand gestures for "only cut a little bit" and instead only "leave a little bit"! We'll know which message was conveyed when Nellie returns home later today... check back for pics of a refreshed and relaxed Nellie after her trip to the "spa".
We Have Retreated.
So, we went on a church retreat this weekend. It was at a Christian conference center approx. 2 hours away. To say that we came home exhausted would be an understatement. We quickly determined that perhaps Lydia/we are not ready for an overnight adventure where the walls are not soundproof and a multitude of children are running through the halls. Lydia skipped her nap on Saturday due to the noise -- this made for a very not-so-fun evening. She was awake again at 5:30 am. Needless to say, she was more than ready for bed tonight.
The drive to the conference center was really beautiful. Several times Brandon and I commented on the "big sky". The little towns we drove through were so quaint, and I caught myself wondering about the people that live there. What do they do? Have they ever even been to Prague? Life seems so much more simple for them, but at the same time so much more difficult. The weather wasn't so nice, so we weren't willing to stop to take any pictures of the countryside. We'll need to make a point of it in the future though.
Even with the sleeping difficulties we had a really nice time. Everyone still thought Lydia was just "adorable", and it was good to actually talk with and meet some of the people in the church. Oh, and the s'mores were yummy too.
The drive to the conference center was really beautiful. Several times Brandon and I commented on the "big sky". The little towns we drove through were so quaint, and I caught myself wondering about the people that live there. What do they do? Have they ever even been to Prague? Life seems so much more simple for them, but at the same time so much more difficult. The weather wasn't so nice, so we weren't willing to stop to take any pictures of the countryside. We'll need to make a point of it in the future though.
Even with the sleeping difficulties we had a really nice time. Everyone still thought Lydia was just "adorable", and it was good to actually talk with and meet some of the people in the church. Oh, and the s'mores were yummy too.
The STK experience
Saturday, May 07, 2005
We were told that before we can transfer my car to our name we needed to take it to "STK". Upon bringing the car there, a man would apparantly look at it to see that we have the current emissions sticker, sign a document and away we go. Well... it went something like that.
We found an STK center just outside of town. So, on Friday, it was my assignment to get this task crossed off of the to-do list. My first question was: What is "STK"? I didn't really get that question answered until I went to the center. I entered the office, and in the best Czech I could muster I uttered, "Prosim, Mluvite Anglicky?" (Please, do you speak English?). Office Girl shook her head, went to the back room and retrieved "English-speaking Man" who quickly clarified that he only speaks "a little English". I asked him to explain STK to me. He said it's an Emissions and Technical Control and asked me to move my car to the parking area and wait and then he quickly disappeared. I was a bit confused by the system for waiting and determining who is next. After watching and waiting I realized there is no number system, there is no line forming, everyone just parks in the parking lot, remembers who was there before they arrived and politely wait until their turn to pull into the garage for testing.
As I was sitting and waiting, I realized that in the garage, they were performing an emissions test on the cars. I called Brandon who confirmed that we did not need the emissions test, only "technical control". So, I went back into the office with the hope of asking "English-Speaking Man" ("ESM") how I go about only getting Technical Control. To my dismay, ESM was nowhere to be found. For some reason Office Girl felt that she could assist me in instantly learning Czech by attempting to explain the process in Czech. When she accepted that this was going nowhere, she had me follow her to another office area where she and two other Czech men again felt they could be successful in communicating with me in Czech. Then Office Girl just turned to me and told me "Momento, Auto" ("Go wait in your car").
I waited patiently for my turn, pulled into the garage, handed my papers to the test guys and immediately stated that I speak English. Again... doesn't matter. He looks at my papers, and starts telling me something in Czech. When I again say "Mluvim Anglicky" (I speak English) he decides he'll get his collegue to come over and explain it to me... IN CZECH! They keep trying, I keep stating "Nerozumim" ("I don't understand"). Finally, I called a Czech friend to converse with them and get things straightened out. She asks me where we ever got this idea that we need STK because our emissions test is up to date. I tell her the dealer said we needed only Technical Control but that the STK people didn't understand me. The Czech men took me back into Office Girl, who miraculously was able to produce "ESM" once again. "Ah", he explains to me, while looking at me like I was silly for thinking I needed the emissions test. "You do not need Emissions. Only Technical Control." Finally, my message has gotten through!!! ESM followed me outside to my car, looked it over for 5 minutes maximum, signed the papers, I went in and payed my 250 Czech Crowns ($10) and I was off.
Cross it off the list! At one point, the thought occurred to me that I would be no worse off if these people were communicating with me in sign language.
We found an STK center just outside of town. So, on Friday, it was my assignment to get this task crossed off of the to-do list. My first question was: What is "STK"? I didn't really get that question answered until I went to the center. I entered the office, and in the best Czech I could muster I uttered, "Prosim, Mluvite Anglicky?" (Please, do you speak English?). Office Girl shook her head, went to the back room and retrieved "English-speaking Man" who quickly clarified that he only speaks "a little English". I asked him to explain STK to me. He said it's an Emissions and Technical Control and asked me to move my car to the parking area and wait and then he quickly disappeared. I was a bit confused by the system for waiting and determining who is next. After watching and waiting I realized there is no number system, there is no line forming, everyone just parks in the parking lot, remembers who was there before they arrived and politely wait until their turn to pull into the garage for testing.
As I was sitting and waiting, I realized that in the garage, they were performing an emissions test on the cars. I called Brandon who confirmed that we did not need the emissions test, only "technical control". So, I went back into the office with the hope of asking "English-Speaking Man" ("ESM") how I go about only getting Technical Control. To my dismay, ESM was nowhere to be found. For some reason Office Girl felt that she could assist me in instantly learning Czech by attempting to explain the process in Czech. When she accepted that this was going nowhere, she had me follow her to another office area where she and two other Czech men again felt they could be successful in communicating with me in Czech. Then Office Girl just turned to me and told me "Momento, Auto" ("Go wait in your car").
I waited patiently for my turn, pulled into the garage, handed my papers to the test guys and immediately stated that I speak English. Again... doesn't matter. He looks at my papers, and starts telling me something in Czech. When I again say "Mluvim Anglicky" (I speak English) he decides he'll get his collegue to come over and explain it to me... IN CZECH! They keep trying, I keep stating "Nerozumim" ("I don't understand"). Finally, I called a Czech friend to converse with them and get things straightened out. She asks me where we ever got this idea that we need STK because our emissions test is up to date. I tell her the dealer said we needed only Technical Control but that the STK people didn't understand me. The Czech men took me back into Office Girl, who miraculously was able to produce "ESM" once again. "Ah", he explains to me, while looking at me like I was silly for thinking I needed the emissions test. "You do not need Emissions. Only Technical Control." Finally, my message has gotten through!!! ESM followed me outside to my car, looked it over for 5 minutes maximum, signed the papers, I went in and payed my 250 Czech Crowns ($10) and I was off.
Cross it off the list! At one point, the thought occurred to me that I would be no worse off if these people were communicating with me in sign language.
Got Grass? Um... sortof.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
He he he. I'm learning that I have to laugh or I'll go nuts. I am quickly learning to expect the unexpected. SO, they came to lay the sod today. If looks WONDERFUL! Except... they "ran out" of sod. I had to make an executive decision of where they should lay the remaining 15 meters (exactly how much IS 15 meters anyway?!?) so we do not have sod in the front left corner of our yard around our trash bin or along the very back of the property. Our landlady said that because it was a long winter and sod is not normally ready until June, they did not have enough to do all of our yard. Sounds a bit fishy, huh? We're thinking there was a monetary limit on the project and they didn't want to pay for more sod. Oh well. Could be worse. In any case, I was assured by the workman that we could walk on it already today (just "no soccer!") but unfortunately it was raining. Hopefully it will be sunny tomorrow and Lydia can go for a run. Although she'll have to wait a week or two to practice her soccer dribbling techniques.
Freedomobile is at the Doc.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Brandon dropped my car off at the Renault service today. Sounds like they'll have it today and tomorrow. They want to look the whole thing over and take it for a nice long drive to get the infamous light to come on. To date, the light has ONLY come on while I've been driving... what's up with that? We had quite a list of problem areas for them to look at, so I just hope that they'll be done with it by tomorrow. Funny how I managed before we got the car, but now that it's been taken away again I miss the freedom even more!
Our rugs will be delivered tomorrow. The sod also arrives tomorrow! What a day it will be. They call the sod "grass carpet". I'm a little worried that they're going to lay astroturf or that fake green patio carpet down. Wouldn't that be a laugh? I can't wait for Lydia to be able to just walk around outside and not have to worry about the dirt.
Today it's 80 degrees and it feels HOT! There are rumors of it returning to 60 in a few days though, so I can keep the shorts packed away for a little longer.
Our rugs will be delivered tomorrow. The sod also arrives tomorrow! What a day it will be. They call the sod "grass carpet". I'm a little worried that they're going to lay astroturf or that fake green patio carpet down. Wouldn't that be a laugh? I can't wait for Lydia to be able to just walk around outside and not have to worry about the dirt.
Today it's 80 degrees and it feels HOT! There are rumors of it returning to 60 in a few days though, so I can keep the shorts packed away for a little longer.
Let me clarify!
Sunday, May 01, 2005
It seems as if there has been some confusion and I simply must correct it immediately! It is BRANDON who has been having difficulty driving and racking up the accident tally, NOT his beautiful, talented, patient-driving wife. If his clever wit doesn't give him away on his posts, his suitable screen name (BigPragueDaddyB) will. Hope this clears things up! Happy reading...
Quiz Nite
Funny the things we'll do if it means there will be English-speaking people around.
We were invited to attend the annual "Quiz Nite" tonight put on by Riverside School. It was held at a little restaurant downtown and was basically a social/trivia night with a bunch of the parents from the school. There were Brits, Scots, Canadians, Americans and a couple of Czechs. Brandon and I were useless in our trivia knowledge, but we agreed that it was still a good Saturday Night Activity. We joked about our new outlook on things... in Towson, we would've never said, "Hey, you know what? A private school from the suburbs is having a Trivial Pursuit Night in downtown Baltimore. We'll only know 2 or 3 people, and we're REALLY, REALLY bad at trivia, but heck, a bunch of people who speak English will be there. I think we should go!!!"). Yeh right. Life has truly changed.
We were invited to attend the annual "Quiz Nite" tonight put on by Riverside School. It was held at a little restaurant downtown and was basically a social/trivia night with a bunch of the parents from the school. There were Brits, Scots, Canadians, Americans and a couple of Czechs. Brandon and I were useless in our trivia knowledge, but we agreed that it was still a good Saturday Night Activity. We joked about our new outlook on things... in Towson, we would've never said, "Hey, you know what? A private school from the suburbs is having a Trivial Pursuit Night in downtown Baltimore. We'll only know 2 or 3 people, and we're REALLY, REALLY bad at trivia, but heck, a bunch of people who speak English will be there. I think we should go!!!"). Yeh right. Life has truly changed.
