I can't even believe how fast the time is passing!

I know it's been a while since I wrote, but things have been really crazy around here.

I finished my classes on Wednesday, and have spent a fair amount of time running around and trying to get certificates for everything (have I mentioned how much I do not like the German system!). Then, on top of that, Olivier had to be out of his place at 10:00 a.m. this morning, so we've been trying to pack him up and get his place clean. We finally got everything done and now all of his crap is added to all of my crap in the smallest apartment of all time!

It's almost all over, though. I only have to get 2 of my certificates stamped, which I wanted to do today, but had some problems with my bike, so now I'll go tomorrow. Olivier is, as I'm typing this, writing is exam. He only has one, but it sums up all 12 hours a week of classes that he had, so it's a big deal!

I have to work tonight, but then all of us from the speech lab are going out for drinks as an end of the year party. Tomorrow I have to get those things signed, pack for France (!), and go to work, then Olivier and I are going back to his apartment to have dinner with his old roommates. Then we go to bed, wake up and get on a plane! Then it's two weeks in France, then back here for about a week - then it's back to CANADA!!!! Who could believe that?!

Well, to wrap things up I have two things to say:
1. That story about my earring was interesting, so screw you J! (whoever you are.)
2. I accidentally put cinnamon in my spagetti sauce today... I don't recommend ever doing it on purpose!

One Crazy Coincidence

Saturday night Olivier made me dinner. It was kind of an excuse to use up some leftovers, so he fried up a couple of shallots, half a yellow pepper and an egg and then added some pasta with a garlic sauce that we hadn’t finished a few days before. We each took a first serving and started eating. I finished my last bite of noodle and looked into my bowl. There was something there. I took a closer look. I picked it up and wiped off the egg. It was a small silver ball. It was the ball from my earring that I had lost on Monday morning!!!

I freaked out, of course, as did Olivier, and we tried to figure out how this earring ball, which I had considered lost, got into my pasta – SIX DAYS LATER!

The way I lost the ball was that I was standing in Olivier’s room on Monday morning talking to Eddy and Olga, who had come from Frankfurt on Sunday and needed a place to stay since they had a flight out of Munich on Monday at noon. Olivier was in the shower and the three of us were eating breakfast. Eddy was talking and I was spinning the ball in the earring around, which I often do. Suddenly, the ball popped out of the earring, hit a plate (as evidenced by the “ping” that we all heard) and then it was gone. The three of us looked everywhere for it at the time, and Olivier looked around for it later on, but to no avail; I assumed it lost.

So how did it get into my dinner on Saturday night? I bet you’re thinking it was in the pasta, right? Wrong. Olivier suggested it was in the pepper, since I had used it a few days before for a salad. But I ruled that out right away because I personally sliced it into small pieces for the meal, and we bought it after I lost the ball, so I knew it wasn’t in there. It wouldn’t have been in the egg, because that would have been a miracle. Do you want me to spit it out yet, or what? Okay, here’s the answer: it was in the butter. We had the butter on the table on Monday morning for breakfast and it must have landed there after that first bounce. Then, when Olivier fried up the shallots and peppers, he just cut off a slice of butter and threw it into the pan.

Mystery solved. And I have a complete earring again. Solving problems is fun and rewarding!

This'll be quick

Okay, I have to get going but I feel obliged to update.

Olivier and I threw a Canada Day party on Saturday. It was really funny because Erika and I were the only two Canadians! It was still fun and successful, though.

We are cheering for France in the World Cup, so we were really happy that Italy won yesterday. But once they did, I realized that I feel bad that Germany isn't in the final. Who knew I really felt that way?

Afterwards, we went to a concert. And it was a really good show. And we got one of the set lists. And then we started talking to the keyboardist and he got it signed by all the members. Then he got us each a beer. And I found 10€ on the ground. It was a good night.

Which was good because it took my mind off the fact that mom called on Monday night and told me that my Grampa died this weekend. I'm actually doing okay with it, though. I'm sad I can't be at the funeral, but I knew this was a very real possibility before I left Canada. I'm doing okay, really.

Okay, I'm out.