I went to the movies to see the metallica-documentary yesterday and I have to say it's great! Not that I actually dig this kind of music. In fact, I always thought metal was about hairy people who don't want to grow up bellowing angry lyrics at some drunk audience. Well, there's more to it!
I found out yesterday that metal music is just a different strategy of coping with depression (different from mine, that it, because i prefer to ride my bike or watch "the bold and the beautiful", which also helps), and that at some point in live even metal musicians have to grow up and that it's really, really hard for them. But if they do the reward will be great.
Anyways, I don't have to tell you that these people know what they're doing when it comes to their music, they definitely are pros, and some of the songs I really liked. I guess I could even listen to some of the stuff at home, provided it is played on low volume.
And just to bug Lars, the crazy old napster-litigator, I'll probably ask M. to burn a 'best of' for me, rather than buying one.

i love(d) to play "siedler von catan". only we taught it to a friend yesterday who plays professionally and who had a - in my opinion - rather egoshooter-like attitude towards playing. i freaked out, insulted everybody and almost cried.
i'm sorry 'bout that but i still insist.
after all the game is called "SETTLERS of catan" not "warlords of catan", isn't it? so i imagine Catan to be like the Shire and all the players are supposed to be Hobbits, that care for each other and have fun. Sure after an hour and a half one of them will win, but they don't destroy each other! the other players just happen not to win, you see

anyways, tomorrow i'll go buy me a deck of patience-cards to play against myself like my grandmother does when no-one else is available to play canasta with her (a game i also love, in which you are also not supposed to destroy each other).
just in case i'm really the only one who likes Hobbit-Catan.

ps: those who know me will sure be able to tell where my place at the table is. there's this tiny little hint in the picture. can you find it?

ich habe heute den bescheid zu erwähntem abschluss abgeholt und auf dem zeugnis steht - mit Auszeichnung -

das überraschte mich dann doch einigermaßen. und ich freu mich. außerordentlich sogar!
:D

anyways, ein herzliches dankeschön nochmal an alle mitwirkenden der silvester-housewarming-party 04/05.
das schreit doch nach einer wiederholung.

ja ja jahresrückblick eh

+++ endlich studium abgeschlossen
++ größere wohnung bezogen
+ udo 77 gemacht

- an udo 77 gearbeitet
-- größere wohnung renoviert
--- für diplomprüfung lernen müssen

ich habe beschlossen, dass sich das 'daily' im untertitel dieses blogs (hier rechts nachzulesen ->) darauf beziehen soll, dass ihr, die geschätzte leserschaft, in meiner phantasie einmal täglich reinschaut, um zu sehen, ob es was neues gibt :)
es ist nämlich zugegebenermaßen so, dass ich nicht täglich etwas ausreichend spannendes zu sagen habe, und einfach irgendwas einzutippen um dem titel gerecht zu werden, ist mir zu dogmatisch.

(anyways, ich werde das gefühl nicht los, dass sich das in English viel eleganter hätte ausdrücken lassen, aber jetzt ist es zu spät...)

I'm still kind of in Florida. It's not only the jetlag. Today I cought myself walking along the hopelessly crowded Mariahilferstraße all smiling and whistling - maybe even singing. When I found out I was shocked of course, because all the grouchy Viennese people that saw me will now think that I'm either mad or at least that I was under influence.

Anyways, I finally figured out a NICE way to spend Christmas. Or rather: it was arranged for me by the universe or fate or whoever was in charge the other night.

Here's how you can spend a pleasant Christmas Eve, too:
1) Don't spend Christmas with somebody of the parent or grandparent generation. Invite/visit your own crowd (4 or 5 people at least) Members of younger generations are welcome!
2) Stick to the traditions you actually like (eating, presents, whatever)
3) Bring plenty of good red wine.

If you follow the directions, you'll celebrate meta-christmas! Because after some time of 'usual Christmas stuff' you'll end up telling each other about all your previous Christmases -and all the negative experiences will eventually turn into lots of fun with a couple of friends.

tomorrow, we're heading back home, which means cleaning, packing, waving goodbye to the mall and going to sleep early today.
all in all this has been a year of achievements, I even achieved something during my vacation: after 4 years of spendings thousands of bucks on my dentist, my teeth are finally immaculate! to celebrate this, said dentist (Dr. John) took his wife, johannes and me out to have dinner and afterwards invited johannes and me over to his place to meet his kids. driving through his neighbourhood we saw the traces hurrican Charlie has left behind and figured out just how lucky our neighborhood has been.

Anyways, I am positive that today I finally found out why Americans are basically really friendly and usually smiling when adressed. wanna know, too? these people get to buy the good stuff from machines in public toilets. need proof?

new york city!
just go there to see for yourselves...

Since we're heading for NY, NY tomorrow very early in the morning today was a day of preparation.

Anyways, I've decided I will have to find a way of staying in contact with the English language back home. Since talking a native speaker into moving to Vienna didn't work (so far), I will probably buy "Seinfeld" and "Friends" or "Gilmore Girls" on DVD, definitely "Seinfeld" (so delightful), and the "Girls" are gonna be quite a challenge...
Why series?
Well, if you haven't had time to go out in months and hate talking to people on the phone, you might end up a little lonely. And series characters make pretty convenient friends indeed - you can turn them off.

one of my temporaries came down last night and so I had to go to the dentist today. then I went to the mall to get a second 'katzenwäsche' as a back-up.

anyways, I've accidentally overdosed my pain medication (we're not talking about drug abuse here, in the instructions it says you can take up to 4 a day, and I only took 2) today and suddenly my favorite bushism made so much sense. it reads:
"I strongly believe that human being and fish can coexist peacefully."

\O/

(alternative title: cats and a cat)

I remember my first time in florida when the feeling to buy everything i saw was kinda overwhelming. Even now I've got some things from this first trip at home - hardly or even never used.
The urge to buy is under control now. This time I really only bought stuff that makes me happy every single day. Like this payama and slippers. Johannes and I call the payama "Katzenwäsche" and I really love it.


What I never did, though, was taking stupid pictures of me in places in theme parks that everybody has to take pictures of. Well, apart from this one, maybe

never do the convoy with C.
now I know, but right after I did last week, the following conversation took place:
C: sorry for that near death experience, guys.
E: which one do you mean?

now here's some basic strategies you will want to bare in mind going in convoys:
1. stick to the right lane!
it is unreasonably dangerous to switch lanes anyways, plus the more agressive drivers tend to use the left lanes, so avoid!
2. no speeding!
the faster you go the more distance you will have to keep between cars which also means that it is more likely that another driver seperates you.
3. last cars switch first!
if you have to switch lanes it is best that the car that comes last switches first, because it can then easily let the others enter, whereas if the first car switches first it is very likely that the second might not be able to follow suit.

(pls. note that where I am, it is still the 12th)
been to universal today, almost worried myself into anxiety-attack faced with the adventurous twister-demonstration (maybe getting off that pain medication today just wasn't such a good idea), had to go for some of the children's stuff first, ET cool, woodpecker great, barney frightening, finally realized that being stuck with the toddlers wasn't a solution either, seized MIB, cool stuff!
for details consult this.

Hi, my name is Evelyn and I'm a welchaholic.



Sure, on the Snapple bottles it says 'made from the best stuff on earth', but who's gonna believe them after tasting the awesome delight of Welch's Passion Fruit?
In only 8 days I already consumed 7 of these boxes, each containing 1,89 l of the joybringing liquid.

Anyways, knowing the lyrics of each and every Beatles-song there is as well as lots of their solo-project-songs by heart gives me a satisfying feeling of completeness. And yes, the Stones suck!