Okay, after the wedding on the weekend, I obviously had a few more plans for my vacation. Most of them involved doctors, dentists, opticians and a good number of my friends.

You'll be glad to hear that after parting with large amounts of money I now have new glasses, a new filling in a tooth as well as a new haircut (well, just less hair really). I hope all of you will be even happier to hear that the blood test confirmed that my final expiry does not seem imminent and that I have not brought home any nasties from my travels. I was advised to eat less meat though...

Most of these errands I ran on foot or by bike and it is just astonishing at what pace my little hometown changes. Shops and bars disappear, whole new industrial zones get stomped out of the ground and there is construction everywhere. There is a sushi restaurant! What once was the most familiar territory, is now a bit uneasy.

Not to be outdone by the town, my parents have gotten a new kitchen recently. You have no idea how frustrating this can be. The place that held plates for the last 2 decades now has glasses.It would obviously be too easy to put the plates where the glasses were. And so it is with everything. Bowls, cutlery etc. Hours of entertainment... The only things that have not moved are the fridge (phew!) and the stove. Aaaah, the stove. The stove represents the final straw.

You see, it is operated by some sort of touch button system intended for really clever people. I have spent quite a bit of time trying to figure it out (hunger can be quite motivating and I'm not really into raw eggs), but to no avail. I had to eat cold.

Cold, hmmmm. Yes, that is also a subject here. While the first week was bathed in late summer sunshine, this morning it was 4 degrees. WTF? But let's not linger on that. There is one more interesting change:

Once upon a time, I was charge of mowing the lawn. None of my glorious brothers ever took up that task and my parents now don't have a lawn, but a meadow. Yes, a meadow. And tell you what: It looks really cool. And in case the hop farmers in the Hallertau can't keep up, the Bendls are ready to step in: With our very own hop! Bet you don't see that everywhere. Have a good one!