More Drama
So, remember me saying that the military ID is important for EVERYTHING here? Well, yesterday Wayne and I visited the ID office for the fourth time to get new ID's with his correct SS # on them (fabulous that our SS#s are right on the cards). It took about an hour, but we got new corrected ID's and even liked our pictures on them better than the last batch. So, yesterday afternoon after looking at some houses (more on that later), we stopped by the dry cleaners on base, dropped off some movies in the drop slot, then went to dinner off base. After using our ID's to get on base, Wayne handed them to me and then when we were in the parking lot at the PX/Dry cleaner, I handed Wayne his ID. After dinner, we got in the car and Wayne went to get his ID out of his wallet to prepare to get back on base to our room. NO IDEA where it was. We searched the car, his pockets, went back into the restaurant, dry cleaners, looked around the parking lots of the movie store and PX/Dry cleaners. ID is no where to be found and we're completely dumbfounded as to where it could have gone. This is not a good thing. So now, after spending time with the military police back on the base where we're staying, Wayne is at the ID office AGAIN and has to go to a Saturday class on how important it is not to lose your ID.
Yesterday we looked at three houses that were on the housing office list. The housing office here on base provides a list of properties for rent, but there are no pictures, as there are on the immobilien web sites. We learned yesterday just how important pictures are. I should have taken pictures of the first two houses we looked at to share with you, but thought it would have been rude. The first one was behind the landlord's shop, which appeared to be a junk shop for cars? So, great views out the front windows. The back yard still had a chicken coop from when he had his chickens there. The house was huge--8 bedrooms, but so cold and unwelcoming. Not a homey house at all. So, no way on that one. It was in the mountains and a pretty area, but not that house.
Next we went to a nearby village to a house where a military family was currently living until they PCS out (go to their next duty station) next month. When we got out of the car it stunk like farm animals and the house across the little street had chickens. The house looked so crappy from the outside that Wayne said "we're don't even need to look at this house," but we had an appointment, so I said we needed to go in and it would continue our education about the housing options here. The woman inside was very nice and normal and they felt lucky to have found a house with so much room for their family of five, but it just wasn't for us. Many of the houses here use oil for heat, which smells and is very expensive to refill the oil tanks. We'd REALLY prefer a house without oil.
Next, we saw a house that was very cute and had a lot of positives. The landlord was great. She lived there with her family previously, but her husband died and her children grew up and she works at a university in Saarbrucken, not so near to the house. She would be a great landlord, and she spoke much more English than most. Since arriving, Wayne and I realized that the German we know is quite inadequate for much of what we've had to do and are thankful that the locals speak so much English. The house had parquet floors in the family and dining room--such a nice change from most other houses that have all tile, mostly white, sometimes grey. The family room has fabulous built-in bookcases and a great view out to woods in the back. There are plenty of bedrooms, more than we'd probably figure out what to do with. But, the basement seemed a little bit creepy in some areas. It actually has a few bedrooms down there that are fine, one even has it's own kitchenette. But, the laundry room and other storage areas are kind of, well creepy. And, we'd have to go down there to let the dogs out as the family room/main level, is one level up from the access to the backyard. We're hoping that one of the houses we see today that we saw on the internet will be a clear-cut yes because it's so hard to decide as this house had some big positives and some negatives.
As we were driving through the little village away from that house Wayne spotted a vermieten (For Rent) sign on a cute house, so he called the number and the owners must have lived right next door as they said they could show us the house right away. They were a cute little couple that spoke only a little English. Wayne was proud of himself for being able to converse with them mainly in German. They laughed when he walked in the door b/c the doorways and ceilings were very low and he's 6'4". They'd redone a lot in the house as it was built around 1900. But, because it was built in 1900, it was full of tiny rooms all chopped up. I'm still not sure there was even a family room? No yard for the dogs, and Wayne would seriously develop back problems ducking through all of the doorways. It was a fun experience, though to meet the people and see their old renovated house.
Also, we still really need a second car. We're paying for a rental for each day we don't get one. An automatic, because even though Wayne's trying to teach me to drive the stick, there are so many differences in driving here that I think it would be too much to handle to not have an automatic. So many of the roads here have really steep hills with very tight curves and are very narrow. Plus, the road rules and signs are so different, that even though I passed the USAREUR license test, it still doesn't come automatically what to do, I have to think back to the right of way rules and translate signs and such. I haven't driven at all yet, but I have an appt. with the RN on Monday when Wayne's at work, so I'll need to drive myself there. There's a '92 BMW that Wayne really wants. And we were supposed to go see in Wiesbaden today, but with the ID drama, we may miss the small window of opportunity. Whenever there is a reasonably priced older car, there are multiple buyers that want it and it's whoever contact's the seller first that gets it. Like that first house we saw and fell in love with and didn't get, there have been cars that we've gotten excited about from the ads and found they were already sold. Wayne does have an advantage as he works at the paper and now gets the classifieds before they're published, but yesterday's didn't include any good prospects.
Yesterday we looked at three houses that were on the housing office list. The housing office here on base provides a list of properties for rent, but there are no pictures, as there are on the immobilien web sites. We learned yesterday just how important pictures are. I should have taken pictures of the first two houses we looked at to share with you, but thought it would have been rude. The first one was behind the landlord's shop, which appeared to be a junk shop for cars? So, great views out the front windows. The back yard still had a chicken coop from when he had his chickens there. The house was huge--8 bedrooms, but so cold and unwelcoming. Not a homey house at all. So, no way on that one. It was in the mountains and a pretty area, but not that house.
Next we went to a nearby village to a house where a military family was currently living until they PCS out (go to their next duty station) next month. When we got out of the car it stunk like farm animals and the house across the little street had chickens. The house looked so crappy from the outside that Wayne said "we're don't even need to look at this house," but we had an appointment, so I said we needed to go in and it would continue our education about the housing options here. The woman inside was very nice and normal and they felt lucky to have found a house with so much room for their family of five, but it just wasn't for us. Many of the houses here use oil for heat, which smells and is very expensive to refill the oil tanks. We'd REALLY prefer a house without oil.
Next, we saw a house that was very cute and had a lot of positives. The landlord was great. She lived there with her family previously, but her husband died and her children grew up and she works at a university in Saarbrucken, not so near to the house. She would be a great landlord, and she spoke much more English than most. Since arriving, Wayne and I realized that the German we know is quite inadequate for much of what we've had to do and are thankful that the locals speak so much English. The house had parquet floors in the family and dining room--such a nice change from most other houses that have all tile, mostly white, sometimes grey. The family room has fabulous built-in bookcases and a great view out to woods in the back. There are plenty of bedrooms, more than we'd probably figure out what to do with. But, the basement seemed a little bit creepy in some areas. It actually has a few bedrooms down there that are fine, one even has it's own kitchenette. But, the laundry room and other storage areas are kind of, well creepy. And, we'd have to go down there to let the dogs out as the family room/main level, is one level up from the access to the backyard. We're hoping that one of the houses we see today that we saw on the internet will be a clear-cut yes because it's so hard to decide as this house had some big positives and some negatives.
As we were driving through the little village away from that house Wayne spotted a vermieten (For Rent) sign on a cute house, so he called the number and the owners must have lived right next door as they said they could show us the house right away. They were a cute little couple that spoke only a little English. Wayne was proud of himself for being able to converse with them mainly in German. They laughed when he walked in the door b/c the doorways and ceilings were very low and he's 6'4". They'd redone a lot in the house as it was built around 1900. But, because it was built in 1900, it was full of tiny rooms all chopped up. I'm still not sure there was even a family room? No yard for the dogs, and Wayne would seriously develop back problems ducking through all of the doorways. It was a fun experience, though to meet the people and see their old renovated house.
Also, we still really need a second car. We're paying for a rental for each day we don't get one. An automatic, because even though Wayne's trying to teach me to drive the stick, there are so many differences in driving here that I think it would be too much to handle to not have an automatic. So many of the roads here have really steep hills with very tight curves and are very narrow. Plus, the road rules and signs are so different, that even though I passed the USAREUR license test, it still doesn't come automatically what to do, I have to think back to the right of way rules and translate signs and such. I haven't driven at all yet, but I have an appt. with the RN on Monday when Wayne's at work, so I'll need to drive myself there. There's a '92 BMW that Wayne really wants. And we were supposed to go see in Wiesbaden today, but with the ID drama, we may miss the small window of opportunity. Whenever there is a reasonably priced older car, there are multiple buyers that want it and it's whoever contact's the seller first that gets it. Like that first house we saw and fell in love with and didn't get, there have been cars that we've gotten excited about from the ads and found they were already sold. Wayne does have an advantage as he works at the paper and now gets the classifieds before they're published, but yesterday's didn't include any good prospects.
