Kyrill!

Just in case Damon and I had been feeling nostalgic for a good old nor'easter...or for a typical midwestern storm for that matter...the weatherpeople have brought us Kyrill.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6274377.stm
I just literally blew home from work (at least the wind was on my side this time!), and saw little whitecaps on the Neckar. I tried to get a photo, although it doesn't really capture the madness.
It did seem windy and dark on the way in to work this morning, but what was really alarming was an email sent out to all employees telling us that all windows and shutters must be closed for the rest of the day due to the big storm. Haha, whoa! Batten down the hatches! A storm so big, it got a name! It's certainly a pretty different-than-usual weather day here in our mild little hidey-hole of Heidelberg.

Ah, I am a typical American midwesterner. "Ooh! Bad weather? Where? Let's watch."

Tidbits!

* At my office, all the doors are always closed. Rather depressing, but that's a story for another day. The secretary's office, where supplies are stored and our mailboxes are, is no different. In fact, her office is also locked, even though she is inside and we commonly need to talk to her/get to our mail/etc! I thought this was weird, always having to knock and be let in. Today, when I knocked to be let in for probably the fifth time since I started working, she said, "Doesn't your key work in the lock?" Ahhh, so I am supposed to let myself in with the key! Somehow, this feels even worse, using a key to get into an occupied office. Ah, I will adjust to these closed German ways....

* Ever get a bottle of German wine and giggle at the Engrish on the bottle, "Produce of Germany"? This is blatantly incorrect English, and of course should say "Product of Germany". However, the bottles must, by law, say "Produce of Germany"...so don't blame the goof on your favorite winemaker. Blame it on the German government.