My Last Day in Schweinfurt

Today was my last day in Schweinfurt. I went downtown and took some pictures. Actually, there aren't really old things in Schweinfurt even though it's been a community since 700 or so. Since it was THE ball bearing place in Germany where all the ball bearings were manufactured it was a major bombing site in WWII. Actually, lots of things in Germany that are old are rebuilt or partially reconstructed. The palace in Wertzburg was largely destroyed. Some of the things from the interior were removed but much of the building was destroyed.

I had lunch yesterday with a very nice chaplain who is a reservist who has been called to duty. He has spent much of the last year doing funerals. He is conducting about one a week. We had 2 this week. It is very sad. And he says we kind of lose sight of all those who are wounded. It is just funeral after funeral. He was at the base in Italy and presided over a funeral every Friday for weeks. One week here in Schweinfurt we had 6 soldiers killed in a single incident in Iraq. Also, several wives were telling me that all the focus is on Iraq, but that soldiers are in danger and getting hurt and killed in Afghanistan.

At least with cell phones and computers the spouses are able to talk with their soldier daily. Sometimes the soldier may be in a more remote place and they only talk once a week. Tonight I went to a dinner for spouses of deployed soldiers. It was the 100 day mark and there were activities all day and t-shirts saying "We Have Survived the First 100 Days." A nuimber of spouses were men. There was a panel and they answered questions. One guy talked about taking care of his 16 month old baby. Another guy talked about how much work it is taking care of his 3 kids. One question was about how to handle the kids as a single parent. One woman on the panel had many deployments under her belt. She said her 13 and 15 year olds really don't know what it is like having dad home. He has been gone most of their lives. Her 4 year old is having a hard time. He hasn't gotten used to dad being gone. One cute little mom talked about her 3 boys know she can "handle this boat" and that she "runs a really tight ship." Some of these women are really amazing. I really feel for them. Especially for those new to the military. Imagine a 21 yr. old., married 1 year with a 2 year old and pregnant. She has always lived in small town Alabama. She married her boyfriend after they had a baby. He joined the army and now she is in Germany and he is in Iraq. She has little understanding of the military way of life. She has never been out of Alabama, let alone a foreign country. She is a very typical example of the spouses I have seen. The others are young German girls. These people have a very difficult life. I am coming away with a great appreciation of all they go through. I am so glad that Michelle Obama is focusing on Military Families. We all need to be more educated about the military and how difficult life is for those families.

Tomorrow I go to Frankfurt.

Realities Here on Base

There is always tension here on base. Schweinfurt has lost large numbers of soldiers. We had a funeral this week. Part of our job is attending the funerals. Last year over 30 were killed from
Schweinfurt. I think the civilian workers are traumatized. A first Sergeant was killed recently and no one has gotten over that. The first Sergeant is most important to his men. He is mom, best friend and counselor all rolled into one. The men speak with much reverence of their first Sergeant. Suicides are way up and everyone is freaked out about that. Several of our workers were sent to another base because they had had so many suicides. Suicides go up every month and there are more in the military that in the general population. This is new.

Those in power are doing a huge suicide prevention thing. It doesn't seem to be working - numbers go up every month. It is all very sad.

More on the Autobahn

After several more hours on the autobahn I have gained more knowledge about it. There are big trucks in the right hand lane and cars pass them and then pull back over between them to make room for those going really fast. Sometimes there are signs prohibiting trucks from passing each other and sometimes they can pass. Well, when they decide to pass they just pull over. I guess they think they are big and the little autotopia cars just have to deal with it. It is kind of unnerving. Driving along at high, high speed and all of a sudden a big truck is moving into your lane! All the little cars scatter like cockroaches in the light and the truck comes on over. It all works out which is pretty amazing. I haven't seen an accident yet!

Another interesting thing they do on the autobahn is construction. Lots of construction going on. They make the lane really narrow so I feel like I am inches from the temporary divider on the left and inches from the enormous, fast moving truck on the right. They do slow the speed. It is about 50 - 60 miles per hour in construction zones on the autobahn. At home it would be about 30 in the same circumstance. But what is really interesting is the way you find out about the construction. There is no warning like, Construction Ahead. You are driving along at warp speed and all of a sudden see a blinking light with an X and an arrow telling you that the lane is ending. Then you have about 30 feet (while at warp speed) to all merge into one lane. I don't know how we did it, but we did. It is definitely an "instant sweat in the pits moment. " After this incredible merging they then slow the speed to about 50-60. It is amazing. One really has to be watching closely. I feel my Mario Andretti skills have been honed from driving on the LA freeways.

There are lots of rest stops on the autobahn. The snow had lightened up some and the surrounding countryside was beautiful and white. There was a little village that was snow covered and looked like a Christmas card. So, I decided to pull into the rest stop to take my coat off and snap a picture or two. A man in a suit was getting out of his car as I drove up and by the time I got out and looked up he was peeing! Right there! He said something to me in German "look I'm peeing! or Take a picture of this" ?? Who knows. I just said, "Sorry, American, I only speak English," and hopped back into the car before he tried his high school English on me. He wasn't an oddity - I saw two more guys peeing as I drove out. There were women there too. The rest stops don't have toilets so they just let go! Well, needless to say it was not the picture opt that I had hoped for.

Baden-Baden

I had 2 days off so I decided to drive to Baden-Baden for the night. It took about 2 1/2 hours to drive there. Baden-Baden is in the Black Forest (trees so thick they call it black) on the border of France. Baden-Baden is Germany's grandest 19th century spa resort. There are lots of hot springs here so, lots of spas. It was THE spot for the rich and famous of 150 years ago. It is still very elegant and beautiful. Lots of very fancy cars, ladies in minks, top, top end stores. The travel service on base got me a room at a very, very fancy and luxurious hotel for a pretty inexpensive charge. It was amazing. Very grand, very "Life of the Rich and Famous." After the army hotel for a month it was quite a treat. I got to Baden-Baden in the morning and spent hours walking around. There are beautiful parks, lots of shops and department stores, restaurants and outdoor cafes. Baden-Baden definitely has the French influence in ornate buildings with wrought iron balconies and in the food. It was so wonderful to have good French food! I even got vegetables (other than cabbage) and mushrooms! It was wonderful. There are 2 spas here besides the ones in the fancy hotels. One is the Roman Irish Bath. It is very elegant and old. Built 120 years ago. It is all nude all the time. Co-ed. I had to do it. You go through a whole routine. One room, shower, another room, shower, pool, sauna, shower. It was incredibly relaxing. The pools are different temperatures and different mineral makeups. Then, I went to the spa next door. It is modern and all glass like the one I had been to near Schweinfurt. It was nude only in some parts, mostly it was suits. Lots of different pools there too. One had these jets that made the water move strongly and rapidly and it went around in a large circle. So, once you got in the stream it was like being in a strong river. So I just rode it around for awhile. It was really fun. The original bath is just a ruin - It was used by the Roman soldiers. There is so much hot water just under the ground that the flora around there is very lush. There is also a spigot in town with hot water coming out. People believe you should drink it to heal what ails ya. No thanks. Actually they believe that the mineral water heals different things. So, you go to your doctor and get a perscription for a certain spa. Then the government insurance pays for your spa stay. Later I went back to my hotel and had this warm oil head massage treatment thing. It was wonderful. The girls in the massage part of the spa were very nice. I noticed in the restaurants and in the spa that the young folks who speak English tend to answer "Of course," rather than yes. It must have been a phrase used often in their English class. Now when we say "Of course," there is often and unspoken "duh" behind it. I don't think they mean that, but then they may. For instance, I said, "Should I hang my robe here?" and she says "Of course." Is she thinking "you idiot" - hard to say. she may be. But, it happens all the time. The spa in the hotel was very fancy. After my massage the girl who gave me the massage asked if I would like to use the pools and the rest of the spa. Sounded good to me so she said she would show me around. Well, there were pools and jets and waterfalls. Then she took me to this other part where there were saunas, steam rooms, aroma rooms, rooms with special lights. It was beautiful and empty, then we went around another corner where the showers were and there were all these naked people! You would think that I would be used to it by now. But it still is sort of shocking. So, she said take your suit off and put it in this cubby and take your shower and then use the different rooms. Well, I felt kind of committed but to tell you the truth I had had enough of the naked thing. Men and women walking around like they had clothes on. So, I got in the shower and decided I would go into this steam room where no one else was. So, I am in there and then I hear English! There are 5 American buisness men in the showers! That was just too wierd. These German folk that acted like this was norman was one thing, but American men! No thanks. So, I grabbed my towel and made my way back to the showers as the Americans moved to the sauna. The fact is Germans just have different attitudes about the body. It really is no big thing for them. Even in the spa with suits they have a more comfortable attitude with the body. Americans, even if in a bathing suit environment like Hawaii by the pool will put on a cover up, towel or shorts to walk 5 ft. to sit at the bar. The Germans walk over to the cafe in the spa in suits - no cover up. I sort of carried my towel and tried not to wrap it around me. It is just different. In the fancy hotel in Baden-Baden you have these big fluffy terry bathrobes. And people walk around in them naked underneath. They are on their way to the spa, but still, we Americans probably wouldn't do that. After I booked my massage the lady told me to come back in my robe. I said "In my robe with nothing on?" "Of course!" Then she added that it is better for me and will help me be more relaxed. I don't think so. I was a little nervous about the thing flying open or something. On the American modesty scale I am on the very little modestly end of the scale. On the German scale I am in the prude area. Most of my friends wouldn't even make it onto the German scale.

I think a main difference is that we equate nudity with sex and they don't. And they seem to be into sex. The ads and posters in town are very sexual. Also, they seem to be into porn. The hotel in Baden-Baden had about 16 TV stations. Two in English-CNN and BBC, one in Russian (the Russians own lots in Baden-Baden including some big fancy hotels and signs and info are in Russian) one in French, Al Jazerra (sp?) a couple in German and several old American shows (McMillian and Wife, the David Hasslehoff one and a couple of others, dubbed in German) and then 4 hard porn. I was flipping through the channels and then, Hello! oh my gosh! It wasn't even child protected or anything.

After the spa experience I decided to go to the Casino. The casino entrance was about 60 feet from the front door of my hotel. Good thing because it was hailing out. Everything seems to cost something here. You have to pay the lady in the public bathroom, public parking always costs a couple of bucks, you even have to pay a buck 5o to use a shopping cart at the market! So, it was no surprise that I had to pay $4.00 just to go into the casino. It was elegant, grand and quiet. (Think James Bond) No one would yell "yipee" even if they won big. Lots of very elegantly dressed people in there. Even in the slots area it is very quiet. The machines don't make much noise and the people whisper!! It is very different from our casino experience. I found it kind of boring. And I lost $40.00 Euros really quickly. So, I went back to my room. It was fun to lie in my bed of feather pillows and luxurious eiderdowns and listen to the hail outside. Then it started to snow. It was lovely.

Then, this morning I got up to a fabulous breakfast (included) It was so nice. Since the weather was pretty bad I decided to leave Baden-Baden and head back to Schweinfurt. It snowed the whole way home. I found it kind of fun. But gnarly a few times on the road - which leads me to my next blog - More On the Autobahn.

A Day Off

I had today off. Sunday is a hard day to work and it is a boring day off too. Nothing is going on. Most things on base are closed. The library is open and Burger King - that's about it. Everything in town is closed. Every store and most gas stations are closed. There is no one at the desk at the hotel and the maids are off too. I was going to do laundry, but there was no detergent in the dispenser and no place to buy it. I lazed around, watched TV, read and relaxed. I had lunch at the dining facility. The cooks make omlets or eggs 'till 1 on the weekends. It was good today. Also, stuck to my ribs. It was really cold today. After a couple of cold but sunny days today was cold and gray. I thought it was going to snow. Had to wear long underware and several layers just to go over to eat. I usually go to the mineral water spa on a weekend day off. I've been back several times. Not to the sauna though - once was enough! But today I felt lazy and didn't even go to enjoy the hot springs and get a massage. I am going to Baden-Baden Tuesday and Wednesday so I will save my laze in the water energy for then.

It is odd to see the downtown empty. Everyday but Sunday it is really crowded. I don't know when these people work. During the week downtown is very crowded and busy. The cafes are busy. Oh, and the people have their dogs with them. I think this is standard for all of Europe. It does seem a bit odd to be at a nice restaurant and both tables nearby have folks with dogs. Many people walking around downtown have dogs and they take them into the stores. So, I was in this nice department store and three women by me had dogs. The dogs were sniffing each other and I didn't want to get caught in the middle of a fight. I didn't see a way out. Hide in the blouses? Actually, the dogs were all fine and I think they are so well trained and used to going everywhere there isn't a problem. So, I didn't have to dive into the hanging clothes.

A Protest

On the way to work this morning the fellow on the army radio station was listing bases in Germany where there were protests. He said to not make eye contact with any protester and to move by them asap. Well, I didn't hear him say Schweinfurt, but there was a large march here. I was on my way through town to a larger base location and there were police everywhere. Not military, local police. They were in large vehicles, like paddy wagons. Then I saw the marchers.
The police were moving alongside of them. They went around one large base and then rallied at the park next door. As I drove back to my gate this afternoon the rally was just breaking up. Lots of people. I didn't see anyything that looked out of control or scary. But, there were a lot of police.

The streets here are very clean. The Germans are amazing recyclers. There is never just one trash can. There are always 3 - even in my hotel room. One for paper, one for plastic and one for bottles. There is a charge on plastic water bottles and I return them to the market to get my refund. There are no grocery bags. Everyone brings his own. They have bags and these baskets that resemble pic-nic baskets. So, there I am with all my little purchases and no place to put them. They have no sympathy. Just sort of shove things at you. So I fill my arms and remind myself that I really need to put a bag in the car.

They are big on organic here. More organic options than we have. I don't buy much at the market. Water, cheese and crackers and microwave popcorn!

Spring is Coming to Schweinfurt

We have had some pretty days with blue skies. It is still very cold. Had to wear hat and long underware today. But, they are having festivals and food booths downtown in the main square. It is lots of fun. They sell flowers and vegetables and lots of cooked food. Lots of fish dishes. They seem to love calamari here. The bulb flowers are starting to come up in the flower beds and everyone seems more cheerful. The prostitutes (they are legal here) are standing by the gate in case a soldier wants an overnight guest and many do. duh. I was surprised that they can have overnight guests in the barracks. There have been several things I have been surprised about here. They have lots of ads on TV about gambling addiction and about overspending, but on base in the bowling alley there are slot machines. It just seems a tad incongruent to me.

We had a job fair on base today. I ws involved telling soldiers and spouses about the program I am in. I cannot hang out with soldiers or with civilian employees (all are considered potential clients and I cannot pal around with any of them.) but I can hang out with non military folk and at the job fair there were recuiters from defense companies. Well, I went out with 2 of them for dinner. We had fun and it was nice to be around someone non military.

I can attend classes that the family center offers. I then meet more people and interface about the services we offer. Anyway, I went to one about having a baby here. There isn't an army hospital here in Schweinfurt so the women have their babies in the local hospitals with German doctors. It seems like a good deal. I think they get more attention than in the US. For instance in the US women usually have one ultrasound. Here they have one every time they see the doctor. Also, some of the women told me they prefer to go to the German doctors for other health needs. Onre was telling me about a back problem and when she went to the doctor he would massage her back and do accupuncture before he even tried meds. Everyone seems happy with the German medical system. Oh, except the German doctors sometimes won't circumsize the babies. So, a doctor who will has to be brought in. I think the Europeans think we are barbarians in this area.

Many of the bases are closing in Germany (just like the closings in the US). Schweinfurt is getting ready to take some families from a nearby base, Manheim. Schweinfurt is scheduled to close in a few years. It sure will affect the economy in this area.

Day to Day

I have quite a few meetings to attend and I have been meeting regularly with soldiers and/or their spouses. There is a lot of stress here.

We get quite a few channels on the TV. There are no regular ads but in place of the ads there are army spots. They are info about suicide, sexual assault, depression, post-traumatic stress, drinking and driving. The messages are very omnipresent. I hope that it gets through. Suicide rates are really up in the military. There are all kinds of research going on to figure it out. Many of the suicides are by persons who have never been deployed. There are lots of classes and workshops, but just like in the civilian world the challange is in getting people there.

A Day Off

On my last day of I went with another therapist to an outlet she had read about. It was pretty, looked similar to our outlets - lots of stores. Many of the stores were ones we have - Dockers, Levis, Playtex and some were European. There was a Versache (sp?) and they were having a sale. The $1300 dress was on sale for $890! What a deal. Actually there were no deals - all the stores seemed overpriced.

When I got back to Schweinfurt I met another co-worker and we went downtown. A department store was having a big sale on their winter things. They had winter coats (car coat length) and jackets on sale for 9 Euro each. That would be about $11 US. Well, I couldn't pass that!!! I got 2 wool jackets, 2 wool coats, 1 fiber filled jacket, 1 fiber filled coat and a sweater they all came to a little over $100. Now I am wondering how to get them home! I may have to buy another piece of luggage! I am going to do a practice pack this weekend and see if I have to buy a small piece of luggage.

Schweinfurt

Schweinfurt is a very pretty little city. It is most famous for it's title of "The Ball Bearing City." Ball bearings were invented here in 1883 and it has a ball bearing industry still. The first documented history of Schweinfurt was from 791, so it has been a center for some time. The river is lovely and next month boat rides start. I think it would be really pretty here in the spring.

In this part of Germany there are not many food choices. Pork - pork roast, different port wursts or weiners, and pork schnitzel (breaded pork patty), Potatoes - fried, boiled, mashed and Cabbage - raw or cooked. Sometimes you can have fried or baked chicked, but it tends to be a tad dry. Anyway, some of us working here have gone in search of different food options. We have found several good Italian restaurants. There is a good Greek restaurant that is all glass on one side and that glass looks out on an horse training ring. (Sort of like restaurants that look out onto ice skating rinks.) Anyway, the food is good there and it is fun to watch the horses jumping and trotting around. One night we went to an Indian restaurant and last night we went to a really good Chinese restaurant. So, there has been some relief from the Pork.

Random Thoughts About Germans

In the past when I have been to Germany I have not found the people exactly warm or fuzzy. Quite the opposite. While I wouldn't call them warm here and now they are definitely less gruff and sometimes downright nice. I don't know if this is true in Germany generally these days or if it is just in this area with the base and so many Americans around. But is has been a pleasant surprise. They also have improved on their hygiene. It used to be that you could smell people as they walked by on the street. But now, they are using deodorant!!

I don't see as many tattoos. Evan at the spa where I could see lots there were very few tattoos. And the rare person who had one had one fairly small one. And there were lots of young people at the spa too! Also many of the girls and women (of all ages) have streaks of magenta in their hair. It looks odd. One doesn't think, "Wow, she went to some chic hairdresser and did this exotic thing." It is more like, "Why does she have this blob of color on the side of her head? Did she let her 8 year old do it to her?" A group of 6 or 8 women in their 40's and 50's will be sitting around a table and they will all have this magenta thing going on. It is interesting.

Driving in Germany

I have done a lot of driving. It was a 2 1/2 hour drive to Dachau. Very easy on the autobahn. The autobahn is usually two lanes each direction. When it is near big cities it turns into 3 lanes. Usually a speed is posted. Sometimes it shows an upper and lower limit. When it is two lanes the left lane is for passing and for those going warp speed. When people pass, they go right up to the truck they want to pass, quickly pass it and then quickly move back over to the right lane. Sometimes while out in the fast lane someone will come up behind you at warp speed. It is like the batmobile or something - all of a sudden you have someone bearing down on you at an incredible speed from out of nowhere. You move over quickly. There are places where there is no speed limit posted. There people go all out. I was in the slow lane and cars were going 95-100 mph in the slow lane! (My gps is set in mph so I can tell what the speed is in my language.) The cars in the fast lane moved by like I was standing still. It is very fast but not scary or uncomfortable. It feels very safe and the drivers are good. It costs several thousand dollars to get a license here and one can lose it if not driving safely, so people take their driving seriously.

There are a lot of signs that show deer crossing areas. That worried me. If I am driving 80 0r 90 in this little autotopia like car and hit a deer, well I think it would be all over.

Actually, I find driving the autobahn much easier than driving in the cities. I think I know the meaning of most of the signs, but lots of times stuff will be written on the signs with exclamation points (like it might be important) and I don't have a clue. That is a little unsettling. There is no right turn on a red light which I have to keep reminding myself. There are lots of round abouts where it is easy to miss the exit. And on the autobahn they don't always have on and off ramps. If you get off at the wrong place there may not be another on ramp for miles. So, one needs to be alert.

Dachau

Today I drove to Dachau. Dachau is outside of Munich and was the first Nazi concentration camp. There are lots of pictures and the audio guide has lots of personal accounts from those held prisoner here and from liberators. It was a very heavy, depressing, moving experience. I felt sick to my stomach and thought I might get sick a couple of times. The cells were very cold, I can't imagine how it must have been in the dead of winter. It is very eerie walking the grounds, going into the gas chamber, crematorium and barracks. To enter one goes through the actual gate the prisoners walked through. It is the one that says "Work will set you free." Very moving to stand where they stood for roll call. There were several buses of German high school students there. German schoolchildren are required to visit a concentration camp. It felt very odd. A couple of generations ago people greeted each other with a "Sieg Heil!" Today, almost no Germans know the lyrics of their national anthem, and German flags are a rarity outside of major soccer matches.

I was glad that I went and glad to leave. I practically ran to the parking lot, I was so anxious to get out of there. I felt awful and took wipes and scrubbed myself down in the car. I wasn't physically dirty but psychologically I felt I needed a hot shower.

It was odd visiting Dachau a day after the torture museum. The stuff in the torture museum was awful but one could think "Those people in the middle ages were sure whacky, what were they thinking?!" But Dachau, well on the big timeline it is now.

A Day in Rothenburg ob der Tauber

I had a day off today so I drove to Rothenburg, a medieval town about an hour away on the autobahn. It is on the Romantic Road which is Bavaria's medieval heartland - many old villages that are very charming. Today was a beautiful crisp, clear day. Again I can't think of a better time to travel. I have been to this walled town before - it was hot and crowded. Today I strolled around with a small number of tourists, sat at the outdoor cafe in the town square and had lunch. This would have been nearly impossible in the summer.

I walked around the entire town, shopped and had a great time. I went to the Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum. It held delightful torture equipment from the 12th to the 19th century. I saw enough thumb screws and shackles to last a lifetime. The real "Iron Maiden" was there. This iron mummy like thing that women were incased in. Lots of torture and shame items for women were in the museum. Not as much specific things for men. Wouldn't you know it. Also, lots of stuff from the Inquisition. Leave it to the church for some of the best torture stuff. Pictures of how different martyrs and saints were tortured. Quite a few torture techniques for witches. They all would admit to being witches after being tortured, so the torture really worked there!!

Living and Working in Schweinfurt

Schweinfurt means pig town or pig ford actually, and they stick to their love of pork. It is hard to find other things to eat. Pork every way you can think of it. The DFac here on base has German cooks and the offerings are hardy and always pork. You can get chicken, but it is usually fried in the DFac. It is all good, but I do get a little tired of it. We did find an Italian restaurant and a Mexican one too. I said I wouldn't go to a Mexican restaurant in Germany, but pretty quickly changed my mind. It is no Yolanda's, but I was able to have beef there! Actually the menu is nothing like Mexican. There are salads and steaks. They also have ostrich steaks. I tried to talk to the guy in Spanish and he told me no, he's Greek!



The base here is divided into 4 parts - each has different things to offer. I live on CONN - there is the Bradley Inn where I live, a DFac, lots of barracks, a burger king and a gym. Then a few miles away are the other 3. They have other things to offer: library, laundry, food court, px, bowling alley, school, boys and girls club, military clubs, etc. The thing is each one is a separate facility, so I have to go through a gate at each one. Often I have to get out and open the trunk and hood for the guards. The guards are from a German security company. I was surprised at all the Germans working on base. I travel from location to location all day. I have a meeting at one and then have to go to another to meet with clients. So, I am driving quite a bit.



My work here has parts which are very similar to the work I did at 9/11. That part is hanging out with the soldiers and talking with them. Then, I give a little talk to those coming back from the war zone. I also attend things that are offered here - parenting classes, etc. Then soldiers or their spouses call for appointments. I see them 3 times to do short term, solution focused work. Sort of like "these are the 3 things you need to do this week." Most bases have 2 MFLC (that is what I am) and they have weekends off. But Schweinfurt is different. There are four of us here because we have to have someone working every day. Schweinfurt has the black hawks and lots of infantry. Those folks are really young with really young spouses and families. It used to be that they soldiers would come back from the war zone and they could be sent right back. That has changed. Now they are there 12 months and then here 12 months. But the 12 months they are here is only 3 months here with their families. After 3 months they go out in the field in Germany for training. So they don't have much time with their families. And the young wives are alone with a couple of babies for long periods. And most of the wives seem to be pregnant and a lot are foreign, so there are cultural issues in the marriage too. The divorce rate in the military is 75 percent as compared to 50 percent in the general population. It is not an easy life. Now, the soldiers are home for 12 months at least before they go back to war zones. At other bases it usually is longer than 12 months home. Schweinfurt has the fastest turn around - they are deployed right at 12 months.



In the service generally there is a lot of stress. Suicide rate is way up. That is one of the main reasons the program I am in was started. We don't write a single note. There is no record of anyone seeing me. Traditionally soldiers would ruin their careers if they saw a counselor (I am told that is not the case now, but I don't think anyone believes that) So, they can feel safe coming to me. And we are not counselors. We are "consultants." At some bases consultants give workshops on Stress, parenting, etc. But we don't do that here. There seems to be a lot of politics at play with the different folks in charge. And each base is very different. I am learning a lot and having a very interesting experience at the very least!

A Day at the Spa

Today was a day off and since it was raining and cold I decided to go to a spa about 20 min. away. I drove through all these tiny little hamlets to get there. The spa was located on a hill. It was incredible. It looked like a building of the future at Disneyland. It was large, oval and glass all the way around. Inside there were about 6 swimming pools of different temperatures. There were 2 pools outside that you could get to from the inside through water and curtain things. In addition there were about 10 jacuzzi pools. There were waterfalls and water to sit under. There were these pillars that mushroomed out at the top into huge glass domes. These pillars changed colors like the pillars into LAX. I cannot describe how beautiful it was.

First thing, I had to negotiate the locker room/dressing room. You had to change in one room, open another door to the lockers. It was all co-ed. Some parts of the spa were with suits and some were nude only. Didn't want to goof up. Anyway managed to make it to the pools without any mishaps. I swam in several pools. They had these wire lounges over the jacuzzi bubbles. I nabbed one and leaned back to enjoy along side of the Germans. Uh, only problem was my bouancy thing. I floated right off the lounge and had to hold onto it with finger tips to keep from floating away. Didn't want to be too much of a doof in front of the other loungers. I went to one of the outside pools. It was wonderful. Hot and steamy with snowflakes coming down. I loved it.

After the pool experience I went to sit in a chair and people watch. Well, it was pretty fun. Some people were pretty fit and trim, most not. A few in bikinis should have looked in the mirror first. And the geezers in speedos - what are they thinking!! A few women needed to learn the term bikini wax. It's not like they could not have noticed! Did they like the look??

Well, after I tired of people watching I decided to go to the sauna. It is coed and nude only. Now, I have to admit I don't like saunas and I hate to sweat, but how could I pass this experience up? You have to have a towel - not to cover yourself but to sit on - they don't want you leaving cooties on the bench. Anyway, I was glad that I went. It really made me feel better about my body!!! First of all I don't have varicose veins. Secondly I don't have hair sprouting in all kinds of places. Thirdly, well some things are probably better left unsaid.

Next I went to have an aroma massage. You know when you have a massage and they have several sheets and you play the dance of the seven veils while rolling around on the table? Well, none of that here. No sheets at all. So there I am face down on the table nude. The girl then took a had towel and folded it to about 2" wide and put it in my crack. Well, I guess one has to be modest and a towel up the butt takes care of that.

It was a wonderful day at the spa. I plan to go back again.

Homes in The Area

Homes here are 2 or 3 stories. The are tall, skinny and very close together. Lots of pastel colors. There are also big apartment buildings about 4 stories high and a block long, painted bright blue or yellow.

The Main River in Wurzburg

The Main River runs through Wurzburg. It was muddy and brown today. The bridge over it reminds me of the bridge in Prague. There are statues all along it and lots of people walking across.

Working with the Language Thing

Got totally lost walking around in Wurzburg. I talked to two guys in a pastry shop. Neither spoke English. But one spoke Italian. With his Italian and my Spanish I got directions and made my way back to the car park.

Walking Around in Wurzburg

After the Residenz I walked around Wurzburg. Lots of stores (expensive) and churches (huge) and this incredible market plaza right in the middle of town. The square is surrounded by upscale stores, restaurants, and churches. In the middle of the square there are many flower stalls and fruit and vegetable stands. Pretty much a really nice farmer's market.

A Day in Wurzburg

We have had several crispy clear days. Today it rained. It was my day off!! But I braved the rain and headed off to Wurzburg. The pouring rain didn't slow those on the autobahn at all. They zipped right by me even though the visibility was very poor. Anyway, made it to Wurzburg. Wurzburg is a very historic city - much rebuilt arter WWII. First I went to the Residenz, a very opulent palace. It really is Germany's Versailles. Now, there are positives and negatives to being a tourist in the winter. A negative is snow and ice around the fountains and the very famous rose garden looks like something the cat threw up. However, on the other hand there are some wonderful positives. The most important: There were 5 of us on the English speaking tour! And I certainly did not have to put up with hot weather. Actually had to wear a hat and gloves inside the palace!!!

McDonald's in Schweinfurt

I had to go to McDonald's to meet someone. This is the McDonald's in town, not at the base. It is very fancy inside, like a nice bar.

A Quick Shopping Trip!

Yesterday, instead of eating lunch (could miss some of these heavy German meals anyway) I went for a power shopping trip in town. Gosh, I am such an Imelda!!

I have this incredibly cute little Mercedes to drive. Wish we had this back home. It is a little smaller than my Prius and very zippy. I am taking it on the autobahn this weekend. Zoom Zoom!

I arrived in Schweinfurt by train. I was in first class and it was very nice - they even brought chocolates around. Schweinfurt (pig town?) is very charming. I am housed on the base in a hotel. It is lovely I have a suite and it is very nice. I have been working on base so I haven't been able to take pictures. Can't do a photo on a base or may wind up in trouble with the MPs. There are four barracks here and they are several miles apart, in different locations in town. So I am also driving from one to another. I really enjoy the military culture and my work here. For the uninformed, there is much to do on base. Gyms, travel centers, food courts (incl. MacDonalds, Burger King, pizza, ice cream stores) bowling alley, school, boys and girls club, etc. I eat at the Dfac or in town. The fast food doesn't grab me like it does the young soldiers. I hope to post pictures later -

My time in Frankfurt

Arrived in Frankfurt without incident - well except for the part where my luggage was lost. I remained very calm and zen like. The airlines came through and my luggage was delivered later that afternoon. Didn't get out in Frankfurt- had meetings all day. Left on Monday for Schweinfurt.