Thanksgiving, Birthdays, and Winter

...well it has been a month since the last update.
First I must say that it get harder each time I become a student again.  I would have thought that after already earning a master's degree and taking classes at University of Alaska and Colorado for fun, I should have this student gig down.
But I do have one thing down --procrastination!  I have a homework assignment due tomorrow.  I am halfway done, but wanted to do something else for a little while, like write this blog.
...so Betsy had two Thanksgivings this year.  The real one with the Swanners in Minnesota (while on a business trip to America), and then the Ex-pats Thanksgiving in Tübingen.  I only had one, but it was great to have pumpkin pie and turkey.

Hot on the heals of Thanksgiving were our birthdays.  Betsy got me a great present --rain gear!  ...she actually gave it to me a little early, because it rained an inch per day for the 3 days prior to my actual birthday.  And on the 1st of December we went to Esslingen for the Medieval Christmas Market.  All the fun of a typical Christmas market, but with Renaissance-fair costumes.

Betsy drinking Glühwein with Merle & Nina at the Esslinger Mittelaltermarkt & Weihnachtsmarkt

On Betsy's birthday she was skiing in the Alps with her lab group.
This week we got a 3' tall Christmas tree.  And now we are on the look-out for decorations.  We didn't find any at the Tübingen Chocolate market last night, but we did buy some expensive chocolates.

Tübingen ChocolART festival

And what I really wanted to tell people about is that we are now signed up for bi-weekly beer delivery.  I think this is the type of service that only exists in Germany.  We can place our order by phone or internet, and on our appointed day the delivery man drops off our requests of Bbeer and other drinks (mineral waters or fruit-juices), even if we are not home!  Can you imagine how American teenagers would react to such an opportunity?