I haven't looked at the math of this, so I'm taking it on trust and assuming that I will be corrected if it's wrong, but as the calculator said, I had actually assumed that my taxes might rise under Obama and was very surprised to see a tax cut coming my way.
See what your tax cut might be.
By the way, I'm fine with no tax cut if the moneys would be dedicated to national health and family welfare (including childcare subsidization). I think we need to buck up and realize the middle class and up pay too few taxes and that we need a better social structure that makes private savings for retirement and health care irrelevant.
(Credit to Kenju at Imagine for posting this widget.)
New York to Berlin, New York to Colorado, it's a long trip...
01 September 2008
31 August 2008
This is a small world... and car buying advice...
The bus for the girls' kita starts tomorrow (and although I will really miss dropping them off and picking them up, I won't miss the 150 minutes I spent every day doing so).
We hadn't heard from the company director as to whether we would have the same driver or start time, so we decided that we would aim to be ready at 8 am and then call Herr F.
We just got the call from Herr F, and he was waving at us from his window. I knew that he lived across the street, but I didn't realize he was directly across and 1 floor down! (His building is 1 storey lower). Sort of funny, but also sort of freaky (the German just closed the curtains).
By the way, any one know about buying cars here? Should I try to bring one from the States (for personal use, on a short term contract, not for re=sale?). Or should I use a re-importer from Greece or elsewhere in the EU? I can't quite stomach paying 3x the US price for a crappy used station wagon or minivan, and I think we will be needing one this year.
We hadn't heard from the company director as to whether we would have the same driver or start time, so we decided that we would aim to be ready at 8 am and then call Herr F.
We just got the call from Herr F, and he was waving at us from his window. I knew that he lived across the street, but I didn't realize he was directly across and 1 floor down! (His building is 1 storey lower). Sort of funny, but also sort of freaky (the German just closed the curtains).
By the way, any one know about buying cars here? Should I try to bring one from the States (for personal use, on a short term contract, not for re=sale?). Or should I use a re-importer from Greece or elsewhere in the EU? I can't quite stomach paying 3x the US price for a crappy used station wagon or minivan, and I think we will be needing one this year.
Serendipity
I have just finished reading the first two Anna Strong books by Jeanne C. Stein (look over in the sidebar on left for the books I've been reading- just started the list in a new format last month). The protagonist is a bail bondsman who is attacked in the first novel by one of her clients and is infected with vampirism. The rest of the book (and the next) are about how she deals with this involuntary transformation and how the new elements in her life interact with the old.
I enjoyed them both and was glad to see that there are two more out there. Since I generally order my books from Amazon.com, send them to my parent's house, and then ship them over when I visit home, I hadn't gotten around to ordering the next two yet (I don't expect to visit the States again until May).
Imagine my surprise at the coincidence that Amber was interviewing Ms. Stein over at her blog and she is running a contest giving away either one of the four Anna Strong books or a set of magnets of the four book covers. Check it out.
I enjoyed them both and was glad to see that there are two more out there. Since I generally order my books from Amazon.com, send them to my parent's house, and then ship them over when I visit home, I hadn't gotten around to ordering the next two yet (I don't expect to visit the States again until May).
Imagine my surprise at the coincidence that Amber was interviewing Ms. Stein over at her blog and she is running a contest giving away either one of the four Anna Strong books or a set of magnets of the four book covers. Check it out.
The German Health Care System
Now that I have thoroughly checked out the health care system for humans (from the inside), it's clearly time for Fate to force me to check the system out for klein Tiere, or my poor cat Felix.
I haven't really mentioned Felix, but obvioulsy he is a part of the family. When we first started considering moving to Germany, we had three cats. My oldest, Petronius, his younger brother (really) Sebastian, and then Felix, a stray that the German and I had forcibly adopted in 1998. (By forcibly, I mean that we had first inveigled him into our garage, then into the basement- it's tough not to have garage in the winter in upstate NY- and then, by dint of motorcycle gloves and leather jacket forced him into a cage and thence to the veteribarian where he lost some vital parts (his manhood), some accessories (a terrible case of worms), more body parts (many teeth removed) and after many shots came home to be with his new family).
Sebastian stayed with us through several years of diabetes and insulin injections and then a full year of sub-q fluids and care, but left us three years ago. I think Thing1 still remembers him. When she was colicky, his (extra long) tail was the only thing that would make her laugh (that and the theme song of Jeopardy! as hummed by me.
Petronius, my best boy, found his door into summer a year and a half ago We all miss him very much. I used to say that because he was a kitten alone with me for some time (I would sneak him into motels when skiing, coughing to cover his mewing) that he always thought of me as his wife, where Sebastian thought of m as Mama and perhaps Felix regards me as provider of warmth and food and perhaps, stroking and brushing. But Petronius and Sebastian were mine from long before I met the German. They were part of my single, Wall street life.
Felix is an adoptee from my coupledom. He loves the German as Papa, as much if not more than he loves me. His adoption was the first thing that the German and I really did as a couple and we have had him for practically the same period of time that we have known each other. We have never been certain of how old he is, malnutrition and no teeth have always rendered it a guess, but we assume somewhere about the 14 year range (10 years with us).
In that time he has had pancreatitis, worms, transient diabetes, basal cell carcinoma, heart murmur, chronic cough due to asthma and allergies and a few others. We micro-chipped him to bring him over and we had a scare this past winter when he had some growth on his ears and we thought we might need to amputate, but all worked out.
This latest ailment, what seems to be a liver problem, was really sudden. A lack of bodily functions and no interest in his food made me think that he might have a urinary tract infection, but a liver problem is far worse. So he's been in to the vet three times this week (we found a vet with late hours who is also open on the whole weekend- the latter was a pleasant surprise!), had blood tests, had a catheter implanted in his arm and been hydrated and given intravenuous antibiotics.
Because this is a costly process (and will be more costly if we need to do a liver biopsy tomorrow), we brought home a bag of fluids and the other materials to do the hydration and injections ourselves. This is the first time that I've done intravenuous and it is very, very slow compared to sub-cutaneous. But the vet says that it is better for him and I think he was much happier here at home. She also seemed surprised that we would want to do this, which I find surprising.
However, I think it's a good practice and as long as I get the German or C to translate for me while I am there, I am happy. I will also point out that costly as this has been, it has cost about 1/3 of what it would be in the States. I say this as one who has been down this road before. And this road has only one terminus, of course. I will be sad when we reach it.
I haven't really mentioned Felix, but obvioulsy he is a part of the family. When we first started considering moving to Germany, we had three cats. My oldest, Petronius, his younger brother (really) Sebastian, and then Felix, a stray that the German and I had forcibly adopted in 1998. (By forcibly, I mean that we had first inveigled him into our garage, then into the basement- it's tough not to have garage in the winter in upstate NY- and then, by dint of motorcycle gloves and leather jacket forced him into a cage and thence to the veteribarian where he lost some vital parts (his manhood), some accessories (a terrible case of worms), more body parts (many teeth removed) and after many shots came home to be with his new family).
Sebastian stayed with us through several years of diabetes and insulin injections and then a full year of sub-q fluids and care, but left us three years ago. I think Thing1 still remembers him. When she was colicky, his (extra long) tail was the only thing that would make her laugh (that and the theme song of Jeopardy! as hummed by me.
Petronius, my best boy, found his door into summer a year and a half ago We all miss him very much. I used to say that because he was a kitten alone with me for some time (I would sneak him into motels when skiing, coughing to cover his mewing) that he always thought of me as his wife, where Sebastian thought of m as Mama and perhaps Felix regards me as provider of warmth and food and perhaps, stroking and brushing. But Petronius and Sebastian were mine from long before I met the German. They were part of my single, Wall street life.
Felix is an adoptee from my coupledom. He loves the German as Papa, as much if not more than he loves me. His adoption was the first thing that the German and I really did as a couple and we have had him for practically the same period of time that we have known each other. We have never been certain of how old he is, malnutrition and no teeth have always rendered it a guess, but we assume somewhere about the 14 year range (10 years with us).
In that time he has had pancreatitis, worms, transient diabetes, basal cell carcinoma, heart murmur, chronic cough due to asthma and allergies and a few others. We micro-chipped him to bring him over and we had a scare this past winter when he had some growth on his ears and we thought we might need to amputate, but all worked out.
This latest ailment, what seems to be a liver problem, was really sudden. A lack of bodily functions and no interest in his food made me think that he might have a urinary tract infection, but a liver problem is far worse. So he's been in to the vet three times this week (we found a vet with late hours who is also open on the whole weekend- the latter was a pleasant surprise!), had blood tests, had a catheter implanted in his arm and been hydrated and given intravenuous antibiotics.
Because this is a costly process (and will be more costly if we need to do a liver biopsy tomorrow), we brought home a bag of fluids and the other materials to do the hydration and injections ourselves. This is the first time that I've done intravenuous and it is very, very slow compared to sub-cutaneous. But the vet says that it is better for him and I think he was much happier here at home. She also seemed surprised that we would want to do this, which I find surprising.
However, I think it's a good practice and as long as I get the German or C to translate for me while I am there, I am happy. I will also point out that costly as this has been, it has cost about 1/3 of what it would be in the States. I say this as one who has been down this road before. And this road has only one terminus, of course. I will be sad when we reach it.
29 August 2008
Obama's Speech
I'm not going to retell what Obama said. He's a very good speaker, of course, and reminds me of Bill Clinton in his ease of speaking and his lightness.
I want to think aloud about a few of the points that his speech made clear to me.
I hadn't realized how unhappy I have been with the US. Of course, in a foreign country, I try not to discuss politics, particularly as I am unhappy with same basic structures within my country.
Particularly the social ones. But that's not something I want to talk about here: the whole dirty linen concept and frankly, I resent people feeling that they have the right to knock my country off the cuff and without any sense of empathy.
(In an aside, yesterday I was simply walking down my street, carrying groceries. A woman stopped me, asked me to take her photo (not sure why, my street is not so pretty) and then after asking where I was from, told me she likes NY but won't visit because she doesn't line US politics. But that should change and won't I be happy. Now that may be so, but I don't need a stranger telling me that!)
But as I listened to Obama and heard my basic beliefs (and they were basic, not specific) being iterated, I realized that I am so relieved. So happy. The tears poured down my face (and I was glad to be alone) as I realized that the way I feel is not outre, that a belief that all Americans should be at least as well off as the least of the EU citizens is not insane (or Communist, as my brother told me).
I am the "Republican who finally felt able to pick up the Democratic ballot" that Obama mentioned (though I registered as a Democrat two years ago). When I listened to Bill Clinton's speech yesterday (I have taped them and watched them the following moring) all I could think was that this could have been Bill Clinton: we didn't need to wait this long to have a President who was intelligent and with the concerns of the modern world. But Bill Clinton threw it away and I am still angry at him for that and the divisiveness that his behaviour allowed to build.
Let us all pray, or hope if we don't pray, that the US can, in our lifetimes, have a social structure that ensures that all have health care, that all can be educated, that all can be housed, that all can be fed. That the structure of the family (and by that I mean a real maternity/parental leave policy is in place) can be assured, that parental leave shall be followed by access to safe childcare and that integration of citizens is a right.
I may knock Germany's food (it is so, so bad) and I may be horrified by what I consider to be tolerated racism and xenophobia, but the social system of this county, and its integration policies, are so much better than those in the US that I can only pray that we get there one day.
Don't forget to vote! Vote From Abroad
I want to think aloud about a few of the points that his speech made clear to me.
I hadn't realized how unhappy I have been with the US. Of course, in a foreign country, I try not to discuss politics, particularly as I am unhappy with same basic structures within my country.
Particularly the social ones. But that's not something I want to talk about here: the whole dirty linen concept and frankly, I resent people feeling that they have the right to knock my country off the cuff and without any sense of empathy.
(In an aside, yesterday I was simply walking down my street, carrying groceries. A woman stopped me, asked me to take her photo (not sure why, my street is not so pretty) and then after asking where I was from, told me she likes NY but won't visit because she doesn't line US politics. But that should change and won't I be happy. Now that may be so, but I don't need a stranger telling me that!)
But as I listened to Obama and heard my basic beliefs (and they were basic, not specific) being iterated, I realized that I am so relieved. So happy. The tears poured down my face (and I was glad to be alone) as I realized that the way I feel is not outre, that a belief that all Americans should be at least as well off as the least of the EU citizens is not insane (or Communist, as my brother told me).
I am the "Republican who finally felt able to pick up the Democratic ballot" that Obama mentioned (though I registered as a Democrat two years ago). When I listened to Bill Clinton's speech yesterday (I have taped them and watched them the following moring) all I could think was that this could have been Bill Clinton: we didn't need to wait this long to have a President who was intelligent and with the concerns of the modern world. But Bill Clinton threw it away and I am still angry at him for that and the divisiveness that his behaviour allowed to build.
Let us all pray, or hope if we don't pray, that the US can, in our lifetimes, have a social structure that ensures that all have health care, that all can be educated, that all can be housed, that all can be fed. That the structure of the family (and by that I mean a real maternity/parental leave policy is in place) can be assured, that parental leave shall be followed by access to safe childcare and that integration of citizens is a right.
I may knock Germany's food (it is so, so bad) and I may be horrified by what I consider to be tolerated racism and xenophobia, but the social system of this county, and its integration policies, are so much better than those in the US that I can only pray that we get there one day.
Don't forget to vote! Vote From Abroad
28 August 2008
Obama nominated by acclamation.
How cool. I'm so glad that Senator Clinton called for acclamation. What a great example and what a great move for unity.
I appreciate both the recording of the significant amount of support that she received and also that her's was the voice calling for an end to the conflict and bitterness.
I appreciate both the recording of the significant amount of support that she received and also that her's was the voice calling for an end to the conflict and bitterness.
27 August 2008
Footpain revisited.
I just got back from the Facharzt fuer Orthopaedie and the diagnosis was simple: apparently I have a "spread foot" and that can lead to a heel spur. The heel spur part I understand. And clearly my self diagnosis of plantar fasciitis was correct, as that condition leads to heel spurs. Obviously, I needed to attack this issue earlier and faster. Probably being a tourist in Denver (on my feet for 12-16 hours a day, doing walking tours) and taking the kids to and from school by foot (and train and bus) every day aren't helping.
So tomorrow I am off to have custom insoles fitted and I have a prescription for loads and loads of ibupophen.
Meanwhile, on the way back from the doctor I found a Mema supermarket around the backside of my block and picked up some mushrooms and Johannisbeeren and smelly cheese and frozed brotchen. The latter two I had with my coffee (and how did I live so long without a decent machine and a metal filter?) the former will make Chicken Marsala tonight and the berries are to snack upon- I love them. Along with red Federweiserwein and quark, Johannisbeeren are the things that I will miss from Germany.
So tomorrow I am off to have custom insoles fitted and I have a prescription for loads and loads of ibupophen.
Meanwhile, on the way back from the doctor I found a Mema supermarket around the backside of my block and picked up some mushrooms and Johannisbeeren and smelly cheese and frozed brotchen. The latter two I had with my coffee (and how did I live so long without a decent machine and a metal filter?) the former will make Chicken Marsala tonight and the berries are to snack upon- I love them. Along with red Federweiserwein and quark, Johannisbeeren are the things that I will miss from Germany.
26 August 2008
What a day it was.
Monday started with a bang.... actually, a crackle.
Thing2 had come upstairs to awaken us and ask for milk and when the German went downstairs to get some, he found our (new, although immaterial at this point) coffeepot melting in a smear of toxic smoke on the stove. Seems Thing2 had taken advantage of my relaxed state of caution (due to her not going near the stove for the last 8 months) and decided to turn it on.
That produced a flurry of activity. While we were airing the toxic smoke out of the apartment, dousing the flames on the towel and the cofeepot (and melted plate), Thing2 then decided we were being too active and she should go upstairs again, just carrying some bears and other toys. Then she fell down the stairs. Our stairs are steep and hard (terra cotta) and this is something that I had been worried about. It's why we gate them when we put them upstairs.
Man. Then a bugbite on the cheek and we were all set for the day.
After I dropped the girls at school, I stopped and got (another) a replacement coffee pot and came home, cleaned it, and had a great big mug. Man. I was ready for that. I can't understand why I waited so long to replace the silly little Mr. Coffee 4 cup I brought along (by mistake- leaving the 12 cup Braun in storage) with a regular, plug into the wall compatible machine. I also bought a new battery for my little Sony camera and a charger with adaptor (which I was grateful for, as the first seller said I would need to wait three weeks after ordering a replacement!). I blew the original in the Westin in Denver in some unknown manner (it was an American charger!).
Mnday evening we went for home-made pizza to Yelli's place, with the Things all excited about going to b's house. The food was wonderful- it was the best pizza that we have had in the 12 months since we got here. And home-made crepes for dessert! I'm afraid we can't match the food quality at our house, although we strive to dull the senses with alcohol to hide that fact.
Yelli showed me her Wii and I am overcome with envy. Maybe I will put off my freezer purchase and get a Wii instead? Does anyone know whether I can use a US-Wii in Germany and what I would need (if anything) to do so?
Then, as we were packing up the girls so B could go to sleep, Thing2 took a header directly into the lovely, altbau, extremely hard door. What a day she had. No vomitting, so we guessed no concussion and home we went.
Tuesday has to be better!
Thing2 had come upstairs to awaken us and ask for milk and when the German went downstairs to get some, he found our (new, although immaterial at this point) coffeepot melting in a smear of toxic smoke on the stove. Seems Thing2 had taken advantage of my relaxed state of caution (due to her not going near the stove for the last 8 months) and decided to turn it on.
That produced a flurry of activity. While we were airing the toxic smoke out of the apartment, dousing the flames on the towel and the cofeepot (and melted plate), Thing2 then decided we were being too active and she should go upstairs again, just carrying some bears and other toys. Then she fell down the stairs. Our stairs are steep and hard (terra cotta) and this is something that I had been worried about. It's why we gate them when we put them upstairs.
Man. Then a bugbite on the cheek and we were all set for the day.
After I dropped the girls at school, I stopped and got (another) a replacement coffee pot and came home, cleaned it, and had a great big mug. Man. I was ready for that. I can't understand why I waited so long to replace the silly little Mr. Coffee 4 cup I brought along (by mistake- leaving the 12 cup Braun in storage) with a regular, plug into the wall compatible machine. I also bought a new battery for my little Sony camera and a charger with adaptor (which I was grateful for, as the first seller said I would need to wait three weeks after ordering a replacement!). I blew the original in the Westin in Denver in some unknown manner (it was an American charger!).
Mnday evening we went for home-made pizza to Yelli's place, with the Things all excited about going to b's house. The food was wonderful- it was the best pizza that we have had in the 12 months since we got here. And home-made crepes for dessert! I'm afraid we can't match the food quality at our house, although we strive to dull the senses with alcohol to hide that fact.
Yelli showed me her Wii and I am overcome with envy. Maybe I will put off my freezer purchase and get a Wii instead? Does anyone know whether I can use a US-Wii in Germany and what I would need (if anything) to do so?
Then, as we were packing up the girls so B could go to sleep, Thing2 took a header directly into the lovely, altbau, extremely hard door. What a day she had. No vomitting, so we guessed no concussion and home we went.
Tuesday has to be better!
25 August 2008
Where is Summer?
64F in Berlin and 86F at home. Where is summer? We had two weeks of hot and very humid weather surrounded by cold and clammy and raining. I could never commit to living permanently in the climate that Berlin has.
Today is at least clear, bright and cold (so far)as opposed to the last many days of grateful that it's not actually raing on my head.
Today is at least clear, bright and cold (so far)as opposed to the last many days of grateful that it's not actually raing on my head.
20 August 2008
An exegesis on Plantar Fasciatis and foot pain
I.ve been sufferring pain in my left foot for over 10 weeks now. It has gotten better and then worse and better and worse and each time the better has been less and the worse has been more until the pain in my foot has actually caused me to both limp and to develop a pain in my hip from all the favoring that I am giving my foot. Thing1 asked me last week whether she could have a mama that had a good foot and could run faster.
I've been ignoring this because, frankly, I had larger problems to deal with.
That's over with and now I need to deal with this problem and I just haven't been certain what to do.
Should I get accupuncture? There's a Chinese massage place nearby that has fussmassage that sounds workable? Or is there a specific doctor I should go to? Is it a podiatrist or an internist and how do I find one?
I had been thinking that this is plantar fasciatis, a problem that I have had in the past when wearing sneakers without adequate anti-pronation and stabilization (I love me some Saucony Grid-Stabils when I ran) but I haven't been jogging since 2005, so that seemed strange. But on doing more research, and even though stretching has not helped, I think that it is and that it is a result of this being the longest time that I have ever gone without wearing sneakers or other orthotically controlled footware. Germany is so much more formal in terms of footwear that I have been wearing black shoes and believing that my feet had adequate support but I think that I have been wrong.
I dug a pair of Mephisto walking shoes out today and by the end of the day, even after doing a lot of walking (the kita school buses don't start running until next month so I am taking the girls to school and picking them up every day: 35 minutes each way, 4x a day,with a walk to the train, transfer to bus then walk again) my feet felt better than they did at the beginning of the day.
I think I will see how tomorrow in the Mephistos feels and perhaps go for a foot massage since the pain is no longer piercing: any one have any other advice or experience?
I've been ignoring this because, frankly, I had larger problems to deal with.
That's over with and now I need to deal with this problem and I just haven't been certain what to do.
Should I get accupuncture? There's a Chinese massage place nearby that has fussmassage that sounds workable? Or is there a specific doctor I should go to? Is it a podiatrist or an internist and how do I find one?
I had been thinking that this is plantar fasciatis, a problem that I have had in the past when wearing sneakers without adequate anti-pronation and stabilization (I love me some Saucony Grid-Stabils when I ran) but I haven't been jogging since 2005, so that seemed strange. But on doing more research, and even though stretching has not helped, I think that it is and that it is a result of this being the longest time that I have ever gone without wearing sneakers or other orthotically controlled footware. Germany is so much more formal in terms of footwear that I have been wearing black shoes and believing that my feet had adequate support but I think that I have been wrong.
I dug a pair of Mephisto walking shoes out today and by the end of the day, even after doing a lot of walking (the kita school buses don't start running until next month so I am taking the girls to school and picking them up every day: 35 minutes each way, 4x a day,with a walk to the train, transfer to bus then walk again) my feet felt better than they did at the beginning of the day.
I think I will see how tomorrow in the Mephistos feels and perhaps go for a foot massage since the pain is no longer piercing: any one have any other advice or experience?
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