It's been such a long time...

Well, where do I begin? My goodness it has been awhile since I actually sat down and blogged. A couple of years, at least. Possibly I lost the taste for it. Not getting any hits will do that to a person. Also, being out of the states has left me a little dry considering current events. My news is CNN Europe now and whatever Netscape might have decided to post on their home site. I've definitley discovered the world outside the US nightly news, though and I can't say I'm better for it.

Dismaying as it is, the world does indeed hate Americans. Stereotypes abound, and some of them are unfounded as well as on the mark.

Its interesting when you can be away from your home country, especially one as big and influential as the states. You get to see it through different filters, as if you were looking through a hoover. But what actually is there to speak of?

Differences abound..

Here in Eco friendly Austria it's not only favorable but the Law to actually separate all trash. Glass, plastics, rubbish, they all have their own bins and heaven forbid you accidentally throw moldy bread away without removing them from their original bag. No.. don't you understand yet? You must first remove the crappy, antibiotic bread then put both bag and bread into their proper containers. Feel like having canned corn tonight? Better wash out that can before you even think of disposing it! Wonder, really, what to do with all these dirty diapers?

Speaking of diapers... Brennan is our new addition.. he's not really new now, but new in the sense I last posted here long before he was even a glimmer.

We tried for a year.. wow, it was crazy. I was definitely paying all pregnancy test employee mortgages during that duration. And finally that one day.. the two lines, bold, dark, dramatic! No more 'lets just check it again in ten minutes, maybe something will show up' for us! It was confirmed.. the year of sex with a goal finally paid off!


Anyway, I was discussing differences..

One thing that really confuses me is how Europeans can be such eco-preservists and yet smoke cigarettes as if cancer was merely an afterthought. I mean, being a smoker myself, it's a big positive, but then again makes it damn hard to quit when you see a smokes vending machine every 2 kilometers and every room, every elevator, every negotiated square inch is filled with smoke. I think its more a social outlet than anything else. And beer.

Beer.. beer EVERYWHERE! Every self respecting restaurant has a biergarten. No matter where you go, you can get a beer. I'm surprised it doesn't flow out of the taps. Cultural inundation of alcoholism is quite an interesting idea, but there you have it! They wouldn't be Germanic without the golden brew. And yes it's true.. you can, indeed, enjoy that Big Mac, Filet-o-Fish, large fries and an apple pie with BEER.. Its on tap! I kid you not! Though I haven't been brave enough to try Mickey D's lager. The thought of wahsing down a Quarter Pounder (Royale with Cheese, yes Pulp Fiction did not lie) with a large brewski gives me the heebies.

Ah, such is life.