On 01/25/2012 my Grandfather turned 90 and my father 65 on 01/31/2012. Hence, it was time to cross the Atlantic again and participate in the family celebrations. Thus started a busy 1.5 weeks, which Michaela sadly could not participate in as her Sabbatical is over and the lecture season has begun:
Monday, 23rd of January: San Francisco has a lot of fog. And while planes can land on autopilot with zero visibility in PDX, SFO is behind the times: my plane is two hours late and I miss my flight from SFO to FRA by ~10 minutes, as internationally bound planes left on time despite all the delays caused by the earlier fog situation...
After standing in line for 2 hours at the United customer service desk (there were A LOT of people whose travel plans did not work out as planned), the only other United plane to FRA that day has already left: I have to spend the night in San Francisco.
Unfortunately my sister, who lives close by, is on vacation in Hawaii - bad timing.
After waiting for my luggage for 1.5 hours, I am told that I will have to wait for another ~1.5 hours to get it. I pass and beg the service rep to PLEASE make sure the suitcase will make it into my flight tomorrow, despite the chaos on the airport...
Tuesday: I am in for a surprise: I run into John Howell, Experimental Quantum Optics Professor of the University of Rochester at the elevator of my hotel. He is on his way to Photonics West (which I am obviously skipping this year). Another reminder of just how small the world has become.
Back at the Gate to catch my flight, I check with the United service rep about the state of my luggage: "Yes, your luggage got scanned in just 5 minutes ago and will be on the plane."
Wednesday: Baggage claim in Frankfurt airport: just a few bags on the conveyor belt, mine is not among them...turns out it is still in San Francisco...
Worse, I will be travelling today and tomorrow, so I can only receive the bag on Friday. After having already spent an extra day in San Francisco without a fresh set of clothes, this stinks...
Thankfully my parents waited long enough at our meeting point despite me being very late (sorting out the luggage mess took time...). The waiting turns out to be not nearly as self-evident as it may seem, given that they had already spent a good chunk of the previous day waiting for me at the airport, as they had not read my email in time that I would be 24h late (I should have called instead, doh!).
All in all, quite a start into my one week 'Germany vacation'.
From the airport we drive straight to Bielefeld to make it in time for my grandfather's birthday party:
Wilhelm is in good spirits and apart of some lapses in his short term memory - of which he is very much self aware - he is doing fine. I can only wish I'll be doing as well if I even ever get to 90!
In the evening we go on to my Aunt Susanne's place and I immediately retreat for the night - it's been a long day.
Thursday: I wake up after a good 10 hours of sleep to a glorious morning:
'Donny', my Aunt's dog, hasn't gotten any younger, but he is still a delight to be around:
After breakfast we are on to visit my grandmother Gerdi, to whom my visit (or even that I am currently in Germany) was not announced. At 87, her sense of humor is unchanged: after opening the door, she promptly closes it again, as she recognizes me...
After a bit of catching up we set off for lunch with my grandmother and Aunt Karin in downtown Bielefeld:
Then we are off driving to Gruenstadt.
Friday: No big plans for the day, just chatting with my parents, strolling through downtown Gruenstadt, getting some passport photos taken and then visiting the 'Einwohnermeldeamt' (registration office), as I could use a new passport. However, as it turns out, I cannot get a passport from the city in which I was born anymore: I'll have to fly to the German Consulate in Los Angeles for that. And if I were to register myself back to Gruenstadt for the intent of being able to get a passport (and then unregister again)? Turns out that's a crime these days! So I'll be visiting LA in the not too distant future...
On the plus side, I can still get an identity card in Gruenstadt - though the laws for that are changing, too: doing this will become outlawed in 2014...who knew?? I guess the German government want's to stick it to you, if you leave the homeland and stop paying taxes to them...
Saturday: In the afternoon/evening I am catching up with a few old and very dear friends who converged to Heidelberg from as far away as Munich. After some initial confusion - the 'Cafe Journal' I had suggested for our get together has been replaced by the 'Cafe Extrablatt' - we have a blast, catch up on each other's news and chat like old fishwives for almost 8 hours straight. (Sorry, no pictures as I forgot to bring my camera).
Sunday: We visit Bad Duerkheim in the morning, pass the 'Riesenfass', walk through the parks, and have a chance encounter with Gruenstadt's mayor Klaus Wagner.
In the afternoon, Horst and Vera Schipull stop by for a visit - always a treat!
Monday: Some shopping, more chatting with my parents and preparations for my father's Birthday tomorrow. Visiting Peter Knapp, whose Birthday is today. Andreas Bode arrives. In the evening I visit Claus & Anne with their kids Julius and Paula, who returned to Germany a few months ago after spending 1.5 years as expats in Great Britain.
Tuesday: My father's birthday! Breakfast with Andreas.
In the afternoon it is off to Mannheim to prepare for the evening. Papa is studying hard(ly?) for his speech...
Later on, Stefan Landwehr 'proves' a grand conspiracy of my father's based on the numbers on the invitation, which culminates in the ominous date 12/21/12, the end of the Mayan calendar. Very funny!
Wednesday: Georg's, my father-in-law, birthday: a phone call has to suffice, as I am already at Frankfurt's airport. Vacation is over... wait, what??
