Randomness-Why Do We Love It?

So, there has not been much sewing going on here since the family has invaded.  We were fortunate to have my parents down over Memorial Day for Sophia's dance recital.  Talk about a whole lot of stress that resulted in a whole lot of entertainment and fun.  I still haven't decided if it is worth it for a four year old, but I am definitely happy we did it this year.

After oma and opa left, Tante Sonja, Eli, and Ella came down.  They are still here and Sophia and Amelia are enjoying their cousins a lot!  Eric, Sonja and I are just trying to get by.  None of us are used to four kids.  It can be a handful at times!!  

But Friday the World Cup started, so now Eric and I have something to enjoy for the next month.  Yay!  We watched the US tie England and enjoyed it.  But yesterday we got to watch Germany win over Australia 4-0 and we loved every minute.   

(picture from http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=249722/match=300111116/summary.html)

As I was sitting there watching, several thoughts kept running through my head. The first was the normal: Why do we care so much?  I don't understand how sports can get us.  The emotion involved can be incredible: heartbreaking or ecstatic.  It is amazing to me because only international soccer has gotten me like that.  Before my first WM (weltmeisterschaft), I truly did not understand how men could get so worked up over college or professional sports. Now, I have at least gotten a taste.  My question, though, is: Do my emotions run high because of the memory, the spirit, the experience that I associate with it?

You see, my first WM was the summer after I moved to Germany.  I was a bit lonely without friends, family, or job.  So, when the WM started coming on, one game each day (we only had basic cable) it gave me something to connect to.

But actually, the whole love for soccer started before that.  In May 2002, Eric and I were fortunate enough to be in Madrid, Spain when Real Madrid was playing Bayer Leverkusen for the Champions League Finale.  Even though we were sort of rooting for Leverkusen, being newly expatriated to Germany, we were thrilled when Real Madrid won because the city went berserk in a very happy, fun-loving way!  The next day the joy continued as the team toured the city stopping at different squares to wave to fans.  They ended in a church to say mass. I loved the otherness of it all.  The players, many of them millionaires, all wore the same suit.  They all wore ties. It was just different than American football.

That otherness continued through the WM.  I loved how they have the kids walk out for the national anthems.  I found it inspiring how the players were so international even when playing on their national teams.  I mean, the German coach, Rudi Voeller, who is German gave interviews to the Italian reporters in Italian since he had spent much of his professional career in Italy.  The same was true for foreign players who played or had played in Germany.  They would give interviews in German to the German reporters.  As someone struggling to learn that language, I was impressed.  In the US, we (or maybe just me) are pretty quick to pigeon hole people and one of our favorites is "dumb jock."  Well, these guys, who do not go through a college system to play professionally or internationally were doing a fine job being informed about the places and people they encountered.

I really can not pin point why I fell in love with it all, but I did.  The memories of that WM after which I wanted, to the horror of Eric, to name our first born son Oli or the one in 2006 which was in Germany  (we never got tickets) and inspired two of my favorite German songs, Dieser Weg 

and Was Wir Alleine Nicht Schaffen,

must have caused my tears on Sunday. I love that place and that time.  I miss it lots even though I am so fortunate to have wonderful friends here.  We feel so connected to Germany and its team even though we have no right to.  It makes no sense, but life and love are often like that.  Hell, sports are often like that.  All I can say is, "GO DEUTSCHLAND!!" and I hope you all enjoy the 2010 World Cup.  We will be watching!

(picture from http://www.dfb.de/)

Randomness-Ode to my Sadie Dog

There once was a dog named Sadie

who was a little bit crazy.

She acted a fool

until she turned two

then she became an old lady.

Take that mean 4th grade teacher who put my poetry on the board to illustrate how NOT to rhyme!

We have been traveling a lot lately hence the neglect of the blog.  We probably should not have traveled since Sadie has been having health issues since July.  Each time we think that we have figured out and fixed the problem, we leave and the poor dog sitters have a hell of a time. 

We headed to Germany on the 21st thinking that we had gotten rid of the latest problem, but oh was there a bigger one to come.  We knew from emailed reports that the S dog was having problems as soon as we left.  By the time we got back things had gotten to a really bad point.  A cyst that Sadie has had for years had burst because she had been picking at it.  She lived through that experience, but whether or not she will live through the surgery tomorrow is still unknown.

During this time of waiting, I have been thinking of Sadie. I have been crying.  I have even been wishing that she would find a quick out during surgery so that she won't have to live with the never-ending problems. 

Sadie was my first baby.  I got her right out of college.  I sped home during lunch to let her out and even got caught once.  She really did act a fool for those first two years.  We will apologize AGAIN for the chewed handle on the brand new lazy boy (sorry Anthony), the chewed knob on the new pie safe (sorry Mom), the chewing of our roommate's cat (sorry Gina, so glad you have a bad memory and forgot this incident), and chewed glasses (sorry self, good thing I had insurance).  And then, she turned two and really, that day, she turned into a grandma.  She slowed and even seemed wise.  It was fitting since she was named after a character in a book that WAS a wise old grandma.  You ought to have seen the looks of disgust she shot Jasmine when I brought that wild puppy home from the SPCA.  Sadie tolerated, but would have nothing to do with her.

We took them to Germany and they thrived.  Jasmine and Sadie both seemed to find energy and joy everyday.  I didn't have children then, so they were my "in" into village life.  They got to go to restaurants with us and out us as Americans with their bad behavior.  I mean really.  No self-respecting German dog would lie in the MIDDLE of the floor just so that they could lie on the rug.  They went to Italy and France.  They even got to see Montepuciano (where New Moon was filmed) before it was cool. 

I knew that coming back to Texas would be the end of them both.  First, they are old.  I am pretty realistic on that point.  Secondly, Sadie seems to wilt in the heat and Jasmine freaks from storms.  Texas has a lot of both.  I felt so bad taking them out of paradise into hell.  But to pay for those sky-rocketing vet bills, hubby needed to keep his job.  (Ask me about the difference in vet bills another time.  CRAZY!)  So here we are:  Facing the end of life, either tomorrow or in the next couple of years.  These dogs have taught me a lot and they continue to do so.  I fear my parents' aging.  I fear my own.  I have seen a glimpse of it and it is not pretty (sorry Sadie).  May I find strength and grace to face it.

Good Luck Sadie Dog.  I hope I see you again tomorrow!

ETA-June 14, 2006
After 2 months of doing well, Sadie developed ulcerated masses on her suture spot.  As of today, we are still fighting that and hoping she will heal.