Germany Vacation!

Is over :(

But on the plus side I did get to do this: Go to Berlin, on my "List of things to do before I die"

Crossing stuff off is fun, weeeeeeeeeee!  But this trip description is going to have to take place in segments.   So to start this segment off I must say that Berlin has fantastic food, I don't think I ate one thing didn't like. And those European folks are doing some things right.  For instance, bottled water served at restaurants, specifically sparkling water.

 

Clearly bottled water is for purchase at restaurants in the states BUT sparkling water in the US is.....gross. But in Europe it is quite tasty and refreshing.  Yet since sparkling water here is not to my satisfaction I'll just stick to tap.

I heard rumors that Germany was a cheap place to eat and drink prior to my trip and that is no lie.  Especially when you can have delicious street food for 3 Euro as seen below.



Mmmmmmm tasty Döner Kebab.


Döner is Turkish and traditionally made with lamb with various toppings.  However in Germany, and I believe in many other European countries, it's mainly made with Chicken, as was the above Döner.  It's very similar to shawarma or a gyro but I would have to say much tastier.  I can't only imagine how good this would have been with lamb.  Holy moly. 


But none the less it hit the spot, especially with a tasty German beer.  I mean what else would you drink with it in Germany.  (P.S. The Heineken in the background was not mine...)

Yoga. Or as I like to call it Yo-gurt.

I cannot express how hard it is for me to find the motivation to go to my Bikram Yoga class. While I'm there I stick it out, find it challenging, and afterwards I feel great. The benefits, physical and mental, are fantastic. But I have the MOST DIFFICULT time getting myself there. Like right now for instance. I'm going to go but I am dreading it.
When you think about it what am I doing in a yoga class? I'm not flexible. I have no balance what so ever. And I'm making myself sit in a hot ass room where sweat is streaming from my pores like a river.
Alright. I'm going, I'm going. Just imagine me doing this:

Why do I feel like I'm always cleaning? I swear every time I'm at home I either cleaning out the litter box, vacuuming, dusting, or mopping.  It's a never ending cycle.  I swear there was once a time when I didn't have this responsibility.... but when was it??
I think that lack of responsibility came to an abrupt end when I moved in with my first live in boyfriend.  He owned a house that was entirely too big for him to take care of.  I'm not actually sure if he could keep a single room clean for that matter.  He had this thing where he would spontaneously shed clothing and I would find trails of underwear, socks, and t-shirts littering the house.  When I would find him at the end of the trail I would just shake my head while he giggled.  Literally, giggled.  Now, I have no problem cooking and cleaning for my man but there are little things that can be avoided, like leaving clothing trails, that make a difference. Take note fellas.
While that relationship ended my relationship with another helpless being began.  My cats.  Now in reality cats are certainly not helpless, they are quite capable of taking care of themselves.  That is, until I take them captive and hole them up in my apartment in New York City.  Then they have nothing to hunt and no place to bury their poo.  Thus these independent creatures turn into babies that can be left alone for much longer periods of time than actual human babies can.  I am the one who has to hunt down their grain free, low carb food.  I am the one who unburies their poo out of the littler box and throws it out, sometimes twice a day.  And the fur! Jesus, the fur!  I wonder what it would be like to live all alone.  All I would have to do was dishes I bet.  Maybe mop once in a blue moon.
Well until my cats die in about 20 or so years I guess I'll have to keep up this cleaning process.  But I'm still going to bitch about it.

List of things to do before I die.

So I've begun a list of things I would like to do before I die.  Some call it a 'Bucket List' however I like to call it a list of things to do before I die.  I may or may not have added something so I can already cross it off but what can ya do :).

So far this is what I have:

• Climb Mt Kilimanjaro
• Island of San Blas
• Sky Diving
• Take Burlesque Class
• Rock climbing
• Visit Ireland
• Visit Iceland & go hiking
• Fly in a hot air balloon
• See Northern Lights
• Go in shark cage
• Surf
• See active volcano
• See the pyramids
• Learn Spanish
• Visit New Zealand
• Visit Easter Island
• Visit New Guinea
• Learn Trapese
• Have a piece of writing published.
• Have a baby
• See niagra falls
• Go to Yankee Stadium
• Go to Jets Game
• Go in the freedom tunnel
• Go on a scavenger hunt
• Live in New Orleans
• Live In New York
• Go on an Alaskan Cruise
• Go to Berlin
• Go to Carnival
• See the great wall of China
• Shoot a pistol
• Yi Peng Festival, Thailand
• Eat lobster in Maine
• Camp in death valley
• Camp in Yellowstone
• Go to Burning Man
• Be in the Mermaid Parade
• Dance in France with Jeff Bance
• Eat a Philly Cheese Steak in Philly
• Go to the New York City Ballet
• Paddle Board
• Go to Graceland
• Go to Muir Woods

See how fun it looks when something is crossed off?! 

Follies

This evening I ventured to the Marquis Theatre to view Follies, which originally debuted on Broadway in 1971.  The stage is set as an old dilapidated Broadway theatre that is soon to be demolished to make way for a parking lot where the cast is meeting in a reunion, consisting of past chorus girls and their significant others. It was a star studded cast including Bernadette Peters playing Sally, who the audience was thrilled to see preforming.
The fist act was average in my opinion.  And honestly I wasn't too impressed with Bernadette Peters.  I would have to say my favorites from the show were Sally's husband Buddy played by Danny Burstein and Phyllis played by Jan Maxwell.  The first act delves into the unhappiness of the characters and their draw to the past and what they wish to have changed, as well as describes the characters negative characteristics and how they affect their personal relationships. While the first act does have some well preformed musical numbers and dancing I felt that it lulled at times.
The second act the stage is transformed into "Loveland" which is over the top in terms of scenery which I found fantastic.  In my opinion "Loveland" is the characters realization of what is wrong in their lives/relationships preformed in the most showy, bright, songs with outstanding costumes and choreography. I loved the second act.  It was beautiful and the stage was basically exploding with talent.  The second act basically saved the show for me.