Katie visits Bad Bear!

And got to catch a lot of lederhosen action due to Bayern... well, losing against Milan (I think), but still! Celebration and beer to go, regardless! We had a great time despite me getting us lost in Muenchen (though never in Hanau!) and I tried to keep her here but Sara was graduating so... I'm cousinless again! Come back soon, Katie Pryse!




(That's us on the Tram 19!)

a relaxing morning at the DMV

Well.. after 2 years of living in this little town of New York I finally made the plunge and woke up at 7am to stand in line at the DMV. Can you picture a more beautiful morning?

(Part 1)

I waited in line for the DMV to open at 8:30. There was a line already forming around the block when i arrived at 8. Luckily, I was one of the first 15.. or so I thought I was lucky. As it turns out you wait in this line until the doors open, then people walk in a line to the elevators and once you get on the elevators... you guessed it. All hell breaks loose! No more line! Free for all! AHH Panic! So people who were in the back of the line rush to the front! After being pushed back a few spots I made it through the first line that points everybody in the direction they need to go. I made my way to the driver's license line (spot #4) and got my picture taken. I have no idea what it looks like. Then I got a number and waited on the benches in the middle of the huge room. Shortly after that I made my way to desk #25 and gave my information and ID cards for the second time to a nice lady. She checked all my information, typed some things and charged me $65. (expensive!) Then she handed me a temporary driver's license and sent me on my way. It really didn't seem that bad... until...

(Part 2)

I get to the office on time! Sweet! I knew it would be easy. I start telling a co-worker about my morning and how easy it was. Then we look at my ID.. wait a second.. that doesn't look right.. I don't live on E 4th St. That address doesn't even exist!! (side note- as advanced as our mapping systems are, shouldn't that be a red flag? i don't think they should even be allowed to type in an incorrect address) So, I call the DMV. I'm put on hold for 10 minutes and then I talk to a kind man who tells me that I have to go back to the DMV. What!?!? It wasn't my error and seriously how hard can it be to change an E to an S?

Oh well, after explaining to my boss what happened she sends me back to the DMV. I go back to the line. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Then I tell the info man that I need to change my address and he informs me that I must go back to the same exact desk for them to correct it. I spot #25 and race over . Nobody there. I look behind the desk. No one. I plead with the person at #26 to fix my address and they respond "NO! You must go back to the same person and she is on break." So I wait... eventually she comes back and fixes my ID card.

They didn't give me a new card so I can only hope that the license comes to the right address.. To be continued...

Who's got two thumbs and loves us and Gerti?

THIS GUY!!!!!!

REally... we need to give thanks to God and Gerti now though... because we have not 3, not 4, not 5 with a vague hope that I will see it by myself, but SIX TICKETS TO SEE THE PASSIONSPIEL ON JULY 4th!!!!! (Celebrating independence from England and the Old Testament?) Also, the director had breakfast at Gerti's hotel this morning ;)

Get excited you little Selbysteins... I know I am (and this thing looks like an modernly artistic feast for the eyes as well)!!!

I found them!

Look who I found in DC last weekend!

Mom!!

Ok, I saw Dad too but he was either sleeping or on his way out to a meeting. Mom and I had a delicious breakfast on Dupont Circle (that I am still dreaming of - crabcake benedicts) and then made our way through an exquisite Farmer's Market. We hit a few more stops along the way (White House, Filene's Basement) but our favorite was the National Portrait Gallery.

Don't you wish we could do this every weekend?

Btw, this is the rockingest chick in Hungary...

For some reason I can't find the picture of her playing guitar while in the midst of rockclimbing outside, but believe me... it exists. We (Becky and I) love and miss Zsuzsi, stuck in freaking cool Budapest without us!

Happy Mother's Day on Sullivan's Island

After church in the morning (and beach for the dogs with Dad), everyone came over to 2650 Middle St at about 1:30 p.m. John started warming up the grill for ribs while Caroline shucked the corn on the cob.

Two types of meat were served: Baby Back Ribs and some other cut of rib without bone (hey, Mom bought 'em, we just cooked 'em). The boneless rib had been marinating in ginger soy sauce for about 3 hours before going on the grill. They were the first choice and were excellent. However the ribs were excellent also.

Just before we sat down for dinner, Caroline and John toasted the two Mothers! Note "rockin' Mom" balloon in background.
The next series of photos shows Grandma being pleased with my card to her reminding her of when I was her little boy followed by ...
Grandma suddenly getting confused and thinking I still was a little boy that she was going to have to raise all over again ...
but then realizing I really was a grown up and she was safe.
Sometime after the main dinner was finished, a conference skype call ensued with Claire on from Germany, David and Isabelle on from NYC, and us from here. Apparently on conference calls you can't do video of the others (or at least we couldn't figure out how to). But that didn't stop the Sullivan's Island contingent from amusing themselves by looking at their own handsome selves whilst talking.
Good after dinner conversation accompanied by Key Lime or Pecan Pie and coffee ended the affair. A good time was had by all and Aunt Beka, Papa, and Grandma filed back into the wardrobe (elevator) to head back to Narnia.

mother lovin'

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
Love Us

To make a long two weeks short...

Starting from the end (picture uploading on my computer makes me crazy)...
Cupp (?), a game of throwing blocks... but more complicated.
Bene and Stanley in Heidelberg Strassenbahn.
Me climbing in Hungary OUTSIDE, belayed by one of awesome Zuzsi's friends.
Flat Stanley sunning himself on the bridge between Buda and Pest, with the Parliament building in the background.
Becky, Flat Stanley, and I in Dresden... the very beginning of our trip!