12 of 12 (3) - 2008

January - My parents were visiting me after I had spent the New Year in NYC.

February - An "iSight camera 12 of 12" since my Exilim was at the camera doctor...

March - A day at home and menacing clouds.

April - Concert trip to Zwickau.

May - Poker night at Christin's.

June - Football (soccer) fever.

July - Museum Night in Dresden

August - Olympic fever!

September - Turning 25...

October - A golden October day...

November - Thesis stress...

December - 'Tis the season to be jolly, a.k.a concert trip to Frankfurt/Main.

12 of 12 (3) - DECEMBER 2008

This is my December 12 of 12. It's up a little later than usual because I got home at 2.30am this morning (Dec. 13) from a trip to Frankfurt, then slept until almost noon and then went out with a friend. There actually is some change of scenery in this month's 12 of 12, so I hope you'll enjoy it. I took lots of pictures and couldn't decide on which ones to use to show you the Christmas market. So, in slightly bending the rules, this is more of a 17 of 12. Just think of it as a batch of bonus pictures. ;)

12 of 12 is the brainchild of Chad Darnell, to whom I'm sending lots of thoughts and prayers. *hug*

1) 0:30ish...
One of the first things I did after turning in my thesis was to start a puzzle, which I haven't been able to do for months. This is actually the second puzzle since my thesis-freedom. It has 1500 pieces.
2) 30something minutes later
Progress report. ;) A good stopping point for the night.
3) 1:ooish
I was watching a Katie Melua concert on DVD while working on the puzzle. Here she is singing my favorite song, "If You Were a Sailboat". Went to bed shortly afterwards.
4) 8:19
Wakey-wakey... A lot to do, a lot to see today, must get started.
5) 8:28
A quick glance out the window shows: it has been snowing during the night. That is not a bad thing in itself (even though I'm not a fan of snow), but since we were supposed to drive 460km to Frankfurt for an a cappella choir concert, I would have preferred more favorable weather conditions...
6) 8:29
This is my little Christmas candle arch (it has LED lights instead of real candles). Candle archs are widely spread in the Eastern parts of Germany - the most beautiful are manufactured in a region in Saxony, the federate state I'm living in - and they illuminate the cities at nights. It is always a lovely view from my balcony when all the candle archs in the windows illuminate Dresden. :)
7) 12:50
On our way to Frankfurt. The roads were free of snow, but the scenery along the roads was...
8) 13:09
snowy and very beautiful.
9) 17:13
Rehearsing for the concert. This is our conductor giving some instructions. For what, I don't remember. :D
10) Between 18:30 and 19:29
We had some time between the rehearsal and the concert, which allowed us to visit the Christmas market of Frankfurt. It is a very lovely Christmas market with a lovely carousel, some glogg, craft shops and great buildings. These are a only a few impressions.
11) 19:29
The poster announcing our concert! The church was filled to the last seat and we did have a really nice concert.

12) 21:54
And back to Dresden we drive. This was supposed to be a night shot of the Frankfurt skyline, but just as I took the lights switched to green and we started moving. It's still a nice picture. :D I got home at 2.30am. What a long and exhausting day!
See you guys next year. I wish everyone a lovely Christmas season and all the best for the New Year! *hugs*

There are still people...

...that can speak my mind. Bravo, Keith Olberman!



Amen.

Unconscious Mutterings Week 302

I say...and you think...

1. Coverage :: The Presidential election in the US! Lots of news coverage, even in Germany.


2. Cynical :: I prefer sarcastic.
   


3. Gust :: The coast.
   


4. Improvised :: Lots of my cooking. I love experimenting with what I got in my fridge.
   


5. V :: "Two-level diplomacy", or: the multilateralism excuse, which is Chapter V of my thesis.
   


6. Guests :: My parents are going to visit me for New Year's!
   


7. Brutal :: Wrestling
   


8. Grant :: I'd love to have one for a Ph.D.
   


9. Pull :: Push


10. Streaming :: Soundtracks.com <-- One of my favorite internet radio stations. (Streaming Soundtracks)
    

Wanna mutter, too? Go here!

12 of 12 (3.0) - NOVEMBER 2008

Welcome to my November 12 of 12! For the first time since I've been participating I've actually thought about not participating this month for three reasons:
1) My thesis is due in 18 days, so there should be more pressing things on my mind than taking 12 pictures of my day.
2) Writing my thesis means that I wouldn't leave the house and I've shown you my share of in-house days since March last year, so why add another? :D
3) I'm sure there was a third one but I can't remember it right now.

Well, as you can see, I ignored those reasons and did it anyway. :D This is still Chad's brainchild and his blog is still the place to go for seeing everyone else's days.

Here we go!

1) 08:04
Goooood morning! The weather seems to be okay for the day. 4 days ago, Dresden finally emerged from having been fogged in for more than a week! It looks cold. *freezing*

2) 08:22
Part of my daily morning routine is to solve my "Puzzle of the Day" on Facebook. (Jigzone application) This looks solvable. *nod*

3) 08:29
And done! Not a bad time...
4) 10:09
Today's task: transform these notes and texts into thesis chapters. Only 18 days left...
5) 13:40
Lunchtime!


6) 13:40
One of the things that gets me through my final thesis writing days: lemon tea. Usually two pitchers per day.
7) 14:19
Just got off the phone with one of my choir directors, the one from the church you can see on the small outer display of my mobile. :D

8) 15:00
I usually opppose indulging in Christmas-y pastries and delicacies before Christmas, but when I saw them at the supermarket I craved these gingerbread biscuits, so here I am. Indulging. :D

9) 16:03
I was a soloist at a concert on Sunday (the only non-professional singer of the quintet of soloists!) and my mom had asked me if there had been a critique in one of the newspapers. So I looked online and indeed! There was one. They only wrote a very short passage about me, but what this passage entailed can only be described as a rave review. *biggrin*

10) 16:51
The sun is gone...
11) 17:20
...and only half an hour later it is completely dark outside and the moon is the only light. I hate November. :(
12) 21:02
Watching Clear and Present Danger, one of my favorite Harrison Ford films. I've also read lots of Tom Clancy novels. I love political thrillers! Yesterday they showed Patriot Games, which is the precessor of CaPD.

13) Bonus pic:
Some flowers for you, Chad. :) Hope everything will be alright! You're in my prayers.

See you in December when I don't have to write my thesis anymore! There's something to look forward to...

Unconscious Mutterings Week 301

I say... and you think?

1. In love :: Not at the moment...


2. Be my guest :: Would you like to write my thesis?


3. Number one :: No.1 Song in Heaven by Sparks


4. Swallowed whole :: My thesis does that to me.


5. 50 percent :: Halfway


6. Made in :: Germany. Ha!


7. Supplement :: For what?


8. Right for :: me.


9. Endless :: Although there is an end in sight it feels like my thesis work is just that.


10. Ceramic :: Flowerpot.

Seems like my thoughts are pretty much dominated by one thing right now. :D If you want to mutter, too, go here!

Unconscious Mutterings Week 300

I say... and you think...?

1. Contemplate :: My thesis.


2. In the house :: A gnat, and it's driving me insane.
   


3. Classical :: Music


4. Quest :: Looking for a job.


5. Best friend :: Indispensable.


6. 1991 :: The year I was in 1st, 2nd AND 3rd grade.


7. Never will :: Climb the Mount Everest.


8. Fool :: A Fool's Life.


9. Unhappy :: My poinsettia, because it is completely green and drooping.
   


10. Best man :: One day...

Interested? Join here.

Unconscious Mutterings Week 299

I saw this on Kerri's blog and thought I'd join is as well.





I say... and you think...?

1. Magical :: Sunsets


2. Shrimp :: Yum!


3. Project Runway :: Heidi Klum


4. Economy :: Decline


5. Porch :: I want summer back!


6. State of affairs :: Chaos.


7. .com :: www.


8. Fifty cents :: Half a Euro.


9. Ripping :: Apart.


10. Bull :: ...'s Eye

To join, go here.

12 of 12 (3.0) - OCTOBER 2008

Here we go again! See Chad's blog for the rules and for other people's 12 of 12's. :)

8:39
My iPod woke me up. Yay! I love to wake up to music...

10:19
I was a bit slow getting my day started, so breakfast (honey toast) was almost two hours after waking up. :D

10:37 ff.
It's a beautiful day outside, which allows me to show you the beauty of the autumn foliage right outside my apartment. It is a beautiful day and there's a balloon up in the air.

10:40
Time to get the best use out of the genius that is Time Machine, now that I have an external hard drive that is bigger than my iMac's internal hard drive.

14:01
Having lunch and going through the next job applications I'll send out.

17:04
And the balloons are back. Soon they'll be stuck in their winter quarters. :(

18:49
The days are over much too soon these days...

20:38
Watching The DaVinci Code. I haven't read the book and had not seen the movie yet, so I was pretty excited. And the movie didn't disappoint. It actually made me want to read the book, but that will have to wait until thesis days are over. :D

22:44
Multi-tasking! I'm still watching the movie, uploading the first 12 of 12 pictures and IMing with a friend who, by the way, had a dream last night that her name was mentioned on Chad's website. Well, now I made that happen, at least indirectly. :lol:

Good night!