Germans know how to do Christmas right!!!!

Ok, to be honest for a minute (and hopefully there are not too many Germans reading my blog), Germans have their quirks. They get bent out of shape and pissed off over minute details, have a million rules of which only 5% make sense, overcook their meat, do not know how to wait in line, and could use a stylist - HOWEVER - there are several things the Germans do that no one else in the world can match... beer, beerfests, cars, medical devices, loyalty, and CHRISTMAS! While I missed my family tremendously over the past month, I know that for the rest of my life there will be a longing for Germany every December.

After Brussels and Paris, we spent November working, playing basketball, starting football training again, celebrating Thanksgiving, watching the Ice Tigers, and spending time with friends.

In December we continued our sports, but threw in many Christmas market excursions, a ski trip to the Austrian and German Alps, a Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert, Christmas parties, and relaxing with each other.

2011 Hurricanes

1) DRINKING BUDDY OF THE YEAR
KG - Kelley Geris

2) LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD (longest friend)
Megan Sosne & Sarah Keagy
I do not really remember many of my birthdays growing up. I know I had one at Jungle Rapids at some point and Alana Bullers gave me an awesome Trapper Keeper, and I remember having one at the skating rink. However, my 4th grade birthday sticks out like it was yesterday. My mom packed up the new conversion van and took my two best friends and me to Raleigh for a Boyz II Men, TLC, and MC Hammer concert. We watched Rocketeer on the way home. Through Facebook, I have remained connected to Megan and Sarah, and over the past year we have spoken regularly and I got to spend some time with Sarah in October. I am so thankful to have them both in my life.

3) NEWCOMER AWARD - MOST AMAZING NEW ADDITION IN MY LIFE
This is tough, really tough. I have met two girls over the past year that I know I will remain friends with for a long time, and connected with another that had previously only been an acquaintance. Kelley and Sara definitely take the cake, but I have to add Barbara in here because I never spent much time with her in Charlotte.

3) HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR
I have done so many amazing things over the past year, but I think getting to watch Billy play football was my highlight. He doesn't have much that is all his... that he created, that he is a part of, that he loves, that doesn't involve me. However football is all Billy - he did it, he loves it, he puts 100% into it - and it makes me so happy.

4) LOW POINT OF THE YEAR
Summer - Homesickness, culture shock, exhaustion, etc. hit us this summer, but thankfully it let up eventually.

5) BEST HOLIDAY
Beerfest (is that a holiday?) Our karwa in Kraftshof was my favorite celebration.

6) SONGS FOR 2011

ALL ADELE
Hair - Lady Gaga
RHCP - Monarchy of Roses, Brendan's Death Song, Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
Foster the People - Pumped up Kicks
Young the Giant - My Body
Jimmy Eat World - Here You Me

7) MOVIES FOR 2011
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
I fell asleep through most movies this year...

8) VALENTINE of 2011
Salzburg!

9) BEST RELATIONSHIP of 2011
Probably Mags again

10) BEST FLING of 2011
I think I am going to have to delete this one for next year.

11) HALLOWEEN COSTUME of 2011
I was in Paris, so I didn't really celebrate Halloween - although I was a version of Lady Gaga for Fasching

12) RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Döner Imbisses everywhere - and Irrainstuben at the end of our street

13) BOOK OF THE YEAR
More Nelson DeMille

14) BEST DECISION MADE THIS YEAR
Our home - without this location we would not have made three really, really great friends

15) PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR
Beach vacations... Croatia, Malta, Andalucia

16) MOST STUPID IDEA WHEN DRUNK in 2011
ugh, I said so many things I regret... however walking home from Hirsch was probably the worst... and missing the Bamberg train

17) TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
Modern Family

18) MOST LOYAL FRIEND of 2011
Our neighbors... they have helped us out more times than we can count


19) BIGGEST CHANGE OF 2011
Germany

20) BIGGEST DOUCHEBAG AWARD
he who shall not be named

21) NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION
Marathon & keep it real

22) MOST HUMOROUS EVENT OF 2011
The Stand Comedy Club in Scotland

23) BIGGEST PURCHASE OF 2011
Vacations...

24) DA MISS YA AWARD
My Brother

25) THE COACH K AWARD FOR BIGGEST INFLUENCE/ROLE MODEL IN 2011
In retrospect, the fact that I do not have a recipient for this award explains a lot to me. I cannot say that I am exactly proud of my 2011. I do not feel like I accomplished much or served others or benefited society in any way other than spending money money to help boost the economy - and I think this may be a reason why. I just didn't have any real inspiration or motivation or someone kicking me in the ass.

26) THE MAGGIE AUSTIN GENIUS AWARD MOMENT
One day getting on the wrong bus three times in a row

27) GREATEST GIFT OF 2011
yellow purse?

28) CW AUSTIN AWARD FOR BIGGEST IMPACT
Expat friends - they have set an example and standard for the type of friend I want to be

Ballin'

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Whooooooop! It's time to live, it's time to represent, JTH what time is it???

I wanna waffle!

I found plane tickets to Paris for super cheap a few months back, and luckily Mom came up with more vacation time and Maggie joined in for an (almost) Austin family vacay. The day before we left Billy headed up to Würzberg (what up, Dirk!) with a group of spouses for an explore Germany day. Some of the pictures he captured are below - very, very beautiful place.

Onto Paris....

So Maggie and Mom arrived early Thursday morning, and we had planned on meeting up with them at the hotel that evening. Originally we were going to go from there to a real Parisian "After Work", but we were too late. So instead we headed to the Latin Quarter for dinner and wine. We had a fabulous wine and organic pasta meal and turned in for the night. The next morning we were up early for a fabulous breakfast at the hotel and then onto the Louvre. Mom and I took a tour while Mags and Billy spent quality time wandering around outside in the gardens outside. While the tour took us to the highlights of the Louvre, I did want to remember my favorites:

• The Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon I and the Crowning of the Empress Joséphine in Notre-Dame Cathedral on December 2, 1804. The tour guide pointed out the light and darkness, as well as while it depicted a true scene, several aspects were not true... such as Josephine was actually around 40, but the artist showed her in her 20s. Napoleon looks like a Greek God, when he was actually quite puny. Finally, the mother is shown above when she did not even attend.
• Crown of Louis XV &  “Charlemagne” crown made for the coronation of Napoleon at Notre-Dame de Paris on December 2, 1804.

• Four Seasons (Arcimboldo) 

• Aphrodite, known as the “Venus de Milo” and may represent the goddess of love, Aphrodite (Venus in Latin), or Amphitrite. 

• July 28. Liberty Leading the People... "I’ve embarked on a modern subject—a barricade. And if I haven’t fought for my country at least I’ll paint for her," Delacroix wrote to his brother. A.K.A. Les Mis Painting... the artist was creating a modern allegory that was so powerful and original that it ended up becoming the image of Liberty on the move to most imaginations.
• The ancient Greeks had the delightful idea of representing Victory as a young woman with wings, an image given particularly awe-inspiring form in the “Winged Victory of Samothrace” behind Mom below.

My absolute favorite though was The Raft of the Medusa, an oil painting by Géricault. Completed when the he was 27, it depicts a moment from the aftermath of the wreck of the French naval frigate Méduse, which ran aground off the coast of today's Mauritania in 1816. At least 147 people were set adrift on a hurriedly constructed raft; all but 15 died in the 13 days before their rescue, and those who survived endured starvation, dehydration, cannibalism and madness. The event and painting became an international scandal.

  

I also saw this female hunter as we were walking past. Did Greek women hunt? Awesome!

After the Lourve, we set out to wonder along the Seine...

We made a pit stop for champagne in a park...

Skipped passed the Notre Dame...

Stopped into Shakespeare & Co.

Made our way to Père Lachaise Cemetery, the largest cemetery in the city of Paris. It is here that Sarah Berndhardt, Chopin, Jacques-Louis David, Joseph Fourier (shout out to the electrical engineers), Molière, Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, and of course Jim Morrison are buried!!

Ate a fantastic meal with Foie Gras, Escargot, and Tartar...

And then took the party from the hotel room to the Eiffel Tower...

The second day we went through a few markets, parks, and took a train to Brussels, Belgium.

After some confusion, we arrived around midnight at our hotel in Brussels... the amazing Hotel Bloom! We had an amazing night's sleep, and popped up early to hit flea markets, waffle stands, and drink some beer!

HOTEL BLOOM!

Spinster

Billy in a true Belgium beer store where he purchased his Pauwel Kwak

Rock Paper Scissors in Delirium

Delirium

More RPS!!!

On our last day, we headed out for the typical waffle, and then went out to Atomium.

ATOMIUM!

ATOMIUM!

We finished the day with a tour and tasting at Cantillon.

Brewery Tour Cantillon

Beer tasting at Cantillon

Billy's spot

HOPS!!!

Family

We had to return to Paris to fly out, so on our last night we enjoyed wine in Montmartre by the Sacre Coeur.