Bremerhaven and missed run

On Wednesday, the workers finally installed the electrical for the new fridges. One had to be careful with meat and dairy with the old ones, as they didn’t keep anything cool. During the two weeks that the workers drilled away the old fridges and installed the new ones, we divided up the drink fridge. The only bummer is that there aren’t enough spaces for everybody, resulting in the usual drama about who gets less space and has to share!

On Thursday, Michael, a first year armor officer here, invited me to play soccer with some of his friends at 10pm at the same indoor sport court that I played earlier with Torben. That was a lot of fun, and we came back and made pancakes and eggs at midnight as we talked about Germany, specifically growing up in East Germany before the reunification.

On Friday, I took the train to Bremerhaven to see Opa and Ingrid again. They picked us up at the train station and then drove to the market to get the food for dinner. We wanted to go to the Christmas Market, but it was cold and rainy and we decided to put our eggs in the basket and hope that the weather tomorrow would be better. We then went back into the store and bought two bottles of spiced holiday wine. Dinner on their wood stove came in stages, and we sat there and talked with candlelight sipping the Gluehwein until we could no longer see. At 8, we were in bed! I actually feel asleep then at the early hour and slept until 1am. I tossed until about 2:30, and then finally decided to go back into the kitchen, light some candles, and read. The “small” things in life I have definitely taken for granted!

We woke up with the break of light and had classic German breakfast: open faced sandwiches with butter, cheese, and meat. Opa wasn’t feeling to well, so Ingrid and I walked to the market to get some daily groceries and water. She’s such a nice, hardworking lady. Opa had looked so content and happy and he saw her standing there at the table the night before, with one fork stuck into a hot potato while she peeled it with a knife. We both looked at each other and didn’t say anything, but I think we both thought of our mothers and how they too had struck the same pose.

When we came back, we took the walk to the pedestrian zone and walked through the Christmas market and the mall, stopping twice to buy a small slice of pizza and a scoop of ice cream. It was lavishly laid out, and the kiosks were very attractive, but one could just sense the city’s poverty. In other years, perhaps these booths would have been more successful, but it seemed like the multitudes just couldn’t afford to dish out. It almost seemed like walking through an art museum where everybody looks but doesn’t buy.

The long two and half hour stroll, despite the cold air, was good for all of us. We went back to their flat, where I cooked them pancakes from the pre-prepared mix. It was only four, and I figured that it was just a small late-afternoon snack after not having lunch. I had forgotten, however, that the sun sets so early up in the North and therefore my snack filled us up before dinner! After eating the pork, nobody had any desire to eat the potatoes and vegetables that had been cooking on the wood stove. I felt kind of bad.

I had been planning earlier to leave on Sunday morning, but it was an almost pitch-black quarter after five and he had to work the night shift the next day. We decided to drive me then to the train station where, after buying my ticket, sat in the car and talked before saying our goodbyes.

On Saturday night and again Sunday morning, I did my usual pre-run planning, using google maps, the German rail system, and the Hamburg transpo system’s websites in order to find out where my race was and when I had to leave. I had it all figured out, and arrived early to Schenefeld, east of Hamburg. I walked around as they were setting up their own Christmas market, but I couldn’t see any runners… I was the only dimwit wearing a track jacket warmup suit. Finally I asked where the run was. Turns out, there’s another Schenefeld, but it’s not part of Hamburg, but rather up north in Schleswig-Holstein. I think I was more embarrassed than angry, and I am thankful that I hadn’t paid any money up front and that I hadn’t screwed up like this on one of the weekends in which I ran with Nathanael.

I took the long way back to Hamburg (ie. took the wrong bus lines) and decided to run the loop through the Planten und Blomen park in Hamburg near Dammtor. I had paid for a locker and was running with only my camera, but didn’t take any pictures because frankly, most of the flowers were “hibernating.” Should have done this earlier!

Not one of my best days. I spilled my dinner on the floor while cooking, and I am afraid now to tie my shoes: I’de probably tear a shoe lace.