Rocky the Raccoon, early on in the deconstruction process

et me introduce myself: My name is Bailey and I'm a dog. I would like to submit myself for a position testing dog toys. In addition to having a lot of time on my paws (and costing my owners a fair amount in food and treats), I believe I am uniquely qualified to test your toys.

Rocky had no idea what he was in for when he entered my domain on Christmas day

You see, I can destroy toys in record time. Whether it's filing down my teeth or my acidic saliva (I'll never give away my secret to success!), I am able to get apart toys that claim to be "indestructible" with little effort. I am very dedicated to such tasks and rarely let anything take my focus away. I am also singularly focused in that I never destroy anything I'm not meant to. 'Coons. Baby Opossums. They're asking for it. 

The beginning phase: testing durability

Let me tell you a little bit about my process. First, I shake it around a good bit to test general durability and to see if there are any immediately obvious weaknesses. This step is especially important in the case of animals, to ensure they are stunned enough and won't try to escape.

Rocky's starting to show his weakness at the seams

Then I get down to work, tearing at seams and undoing thread. Many times, this is surprisingly easy and deconstruction can begin almost immediately. Ballistic nylon and 'tiger tough' are no match for me. 

My owners acknowledging my work. What a good dog I am!

Once I've had my initial success with the animal, er, toy, I parade it around a bit so that you will know it is me who conquered that beast. Any subsequent destruction goes fairly quickly, as I've figured out how best to get it apart. 

Rocky put up a bit of a fight, but I got the best of him in the end

My experience/qualifications: 4+ years of destruction, including at least three toys claiming to be tested by tigers, about 5 tug-o-war ropes (multiple knots untied and unraveled), one car harness and one baby opossum. I can discern in the first 10 minutes whether or not it's something I can conquer, and let's just say, I have yet to meet my match.

The last appendage - only a matter of time

Since I spend a lot of my time napping in my doughnut bed, I'm looking for flexible work hours and deadlines. My owners, impressed as they are at my destructive nature with toys, are more than happy to provide timelines and photographic evidence for your records. I hope my work can one day help more dogs to receive truly long-lasting toys for more than 15 minutes of chewing pleasure.

All that remains of Rocky...

Note: I've included photos from my most recent conquest: Rocky the Raccoon. Supposedly, he was made of ballistic nylon and the saleslady assured my grandma that this was the toy for a dog as skilled as myself at destruction. I think this is the perfect representation of my work, and therefore, look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Remember - Bailey for all your toy-testing needs!

*All typing courtesy of my owner. It's one of the few skills I have not mastered.

**Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische 

Snowy night in Mainz

hat a month it has been! I have been on quite a hiatus, but I assure you, I was savoring every minute of it. In addition to all the regular holiday business, we experienced an enormous amount: our first German Christmas tree, our first German car accident, hosting my parents' first-ever trip to Europe, five Christmas markets in two countries in two weeks... Whew! It's no wonder I've been MIA from my blogs!

Aschaffenburg's beautiful markt at the foot of Schloß Johannisburg

In an effort to ease myself back into writing and share what was so important to leave everything hanging for the last month, I thought I'd post mostly in pictures.

Please enjoy - hope you're having a happy new year so far!

My step-dad got his first passport to come visit us 

- what an honor!

The raging snowstorm that showed up just after my parents' arrival - and gave us a white Christmas!

Lights above the Mainz Weihnachtsmarkt

Bless her, my beer-hating mom tried every one we put in front of her. Sadly, nothing took, so we moved her onto Jäger.

Finally! An ear-flap hat of my very own - so necessary!

Holiday horns at the Rüdesheim am Rhein Christmas market

Mom spinning in 'The Chair' - our post-Mexican and -margaritas tradition. What a trooper! 

The Aschaffenburg markt & its adorable boot mugs of Glühwein

My lovely new necklace from my in-laws - & the lovely tape it came packaged in after customs tore through our holiday delivery

Nothing means Christmas like my mom's Christmas cookies!

Even Bailey got spoiled by Santa - look at all those new outfits!

Incredible door handle on the Kölner Dom

Surprised parents with a road trip to Brugge...

Merry Christmas, guys!

One of Belgium's many windmills

Lucky us - Brugge was hosting the Snow & Ice Sculpture Festival!

Jägermeister shots in ice glasses at the ice bar - at least the liquor warmed us up!

Some of the impressive - & scary - pyrotechnics of New Years

Burg Frankenstein (but no sign of the monster)

Frankfurt at night

Castle along the Rhein

At first I felt really guilty for abandoning my Reverb 10 reflections, but soon realized I was too busy living life to think about how I had lived the previous 11 months. Showing my parents their first little piece of Europe was an amazing experience that required nothing less than living solely in the moment. I hope they enjoyed their time here as much as we enjoyed having them.

Until next time...

*Daily Drop Cap from Jessica Hische
**Photos 3,4,5, 13 & 15 courtesy of D. Kelley. Thanks Mom!

eally excited about the prospect of reflecting on what an amazing year it has been, I have already fallen behind with my Reverb 10 posts. I admit, the season - shopping for the perfect Christmas tree, December houseguests, trips to the markt for more Glühwein - has taken over and I owe myself a step back to fully appreciate the reflections of the past year.

So, without further procrastination...

Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?

I must admit, I kind of scoffed at this prompt when I first saw it. Life often gets in the way of writing (duh!). But when I pushed myself to think about it, I suppose there are a few things that hold me back: learning German has taken over much of the English in my brain, making my spelling, grammar and otherwise general writing abilities suffer; and if I'm honest, abundant online shoe shopping probably takes time away as well. Since I now live in Germany and must learn the language, there's not much I can do there. And considering that shoe shopping is fodder for my other blog, I consider that a worthwhile investment as well. Guess I'll just have to do the best I can...

Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail.

This is a tough one. My year was filled with amazing moments as I discovered more about this new country I call home, but I think a real turning point for me came on the Spanish island of Mallorca during our September holiday. Standing at our hotel pool, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea (my favorite body of water in the world), I felt so far removed from being American, it was liberating. I do mean this in the kindest sense. I was on vacation with no intinerary, no plans, no stress- absolutely no thought in my head other than laying in the sun for days on end. Completely relaxing on holiday is something unheard of for me (and for most Americans, unfortunately). It always seems there's something back at home to remember, email to be read or tours to check in to. This was my first trip ever where I felt none of those pressures and just spent hours taking in the amazing landscape around me while being warmed by the Spanish sun. I realized just how lucky I am to now be living in Europe and adopting this wonderful way of life.

Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

I Tweeted my first thought when I first read this, and I stand by the wonder I've experienced this year - seasons. Coming from California, land perpetual sun and 60ºF weather, being able to celebrate each season with an explosion of blooms in the park, trees so colorful they look as if set ablaze or waking up to the hushed snowfall outside has been magical. I'm amazed at how each season seems to be more beautiful than the last and can't imagine living without it now.
Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

The most significant thing I probably did this year was let go of my irrational fear of speaking less-than-perfect German. Of course, my German is still so far from perfect, it's laughable, but I'm no longer afraid to open my mouth and just let the German I do know come out. Sometimes I ramble, sometimes I still get nervous on the phone and have to jot down a few key things I know I need to say, but I realized that I'll never make any progress if I don't try. And I know that people appreciate my attempt, even though I often sound like a 2-year-old. This language is crazy, difficult and often makes little rational sense (see: Mark Twain's The Awful German Language to get an idea of what I'm up against), but unfortunately for my lackluster language skills, I live in Germany. I owe the Germans my very best attempt - scared or not.

Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

Sunday morning pancakes. Materials? The usual eggs, butter, flour, sugar, along with a sprinkling of flaked coconut and chopped macadamia nuts. Next thing to make? Can't tell - it's a Christmas surprise! Definitely going to need to spend plenty of time on it though.

Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

Ahh, the joys of online communities. Connecting with people online has been instrumental to overcoming the often lonely life of an expat. Not only do I hear more from long-lost Facebook friends since they discovered I'd taken up residence overseas, but I also found amazing friends here in Germany through various online forums, as well as through other expat blogs. I am so thankful this technology is around, as I don't know how I would have connected with other people who are in such a similar, unique place in their lives - oh yeah, and speak English.

As for the second part, I would love to connect more with the German community in which I live in the next year. Germans are notoriously hard to get to know, but I'd like to try. It's wonderful to have so many friends here I can communicate with in English, but I seeing as I live in Germany, connecting with more Germans should also be part of the experience. Here's hoping my language abilities can keep up! 

Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.

It's funny, but all my life I've felt different. Different from my friends. Different from my community. Different from most of the people around me. It used to be little things like how tall I am, how I dressed or how I always seemed to have different hobbies and ways I preferred to spend my time. After moving halfway around the world, I no longer feel so different. At first it was those little things - that upon arriving here, people took one look at me and spoke German, assuming I was one of their own. More importantly, this new way of life, new friends who have also decided to make a life in a new place and new travel possibilities seems to just fit in a way my life before never did. And so my 'differentness' has turned into a sense of belonging - and has given me a truly beautiful life.



*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

alf the time, I have to control myself from squealing giddily at the winter wonderland our town has become. With my dog that appears to be on drugs - both from crazed way she runs around eating the snow to the white powder that is now always under her nose - the Germans in the park already think we're crazy enough.

But coming from the snow-free holidays of coastal California, I can't help but get a little Lorelai Gilmore about the whole snow thing. So - da-da-da-dah... more snowy pics to enjoy. 

Don't you wish you were here (if, of course, you're not lucky enough to be here already!)?

 

Hope this snowy day makes you smile as much as it did for me!

(15 more days till my parents are here!!)

*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische