Happy New Year!

Hey All! I hope you're all enjoying your holidays. Between holiday get-togethers and Brenda's opera we are keeping ourselves busy. In fact, Brenda is at a performance right now. This is her 3rd performance (of 8) of La Calisto and the shows are going great. I was at the final dress rehearsal and the first performance and the show was very well received both times. If you haven't had a chance to check out pictures of the production you can do so here.

Brenda and I continued with some Christmas traditions this year. We attended the same Christmas Eve service that we go to every year and then afterwards had our annual baked ziti dinner at the McCown's. On Christmas day we did something out of the ordinary; we both went to the opera. Oddly, we didn't go to the same opera. Brenda had a performance and I went to Tosca which was performed on Oper Frankfurt's main stage.

The following day we had friends over for an evening of Feuerzangenbowle. We agreed to provide the food and they agreed to bring the drinks. Although, we almost couldn't hold up our end of the bargain. Brenda and I thought that grocery stores would be open in Frankfurt on the day after Christmas but we were mistaken. There are, however, a few stores open at the main train station that sell a limited selection of groceries so we managed to scrape together enough food for the evening.

Our guests preparing the Feuerzangenbowle.

Brenda and I don't have any big plans for New Years Eve and I think we're going to keep it that way. Whatever your plans are, I hope you have a great week. Until next time, Happy New Year!

Today's blog tomorrow

Hey All! Instead of staying home and writing a blog entry like I should have, Brenda and I went to a friend's house and had a lovely evening. Thus, this week's entry will be arriving a day late. Tune in tomorrow for the real post. Have a great night!

Happy Holidays!

Good morning, all! Remember me? I'm the guy with the green and gray scarf in the picture below. I used to frequently write entries for this blog until finals got so close that they took over my world. Well, I survived my exams (meaning I literally survived - who knows if I passed the classes...) and I am excited to be writing to you once again. I owe Brenda a big "thank you" for taking on the blog for the last few weeks. She's the best.

My last exam was on Friday, and on Saturday I hopped on a plane and flew to Germany. It is, of course, great to be with Brenda and to finally be able to focus all of my attention on getting into the Christmas spirit. The weather in Germany is doing its part for the holidays. This morning Brenda and I were excited to see that it had snowed in the night. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first snow they've had in Frankfurt this fall. I don't know how long it will stick around (its supposed to get up to 40 today), but we'll enjoy it while it's here.

The view from our kitchen window this morning.

Brenda is at rehearsal right now for her next opera La Calisto. The first performance is this Friday. I will be at the performance and will give you a full report next week. Pictures of the production should be appearing on the Oper Frankfurt website soon. After they've been posted you will be able to see them by clicking the link above.

Brenda in her costume for La Calisto.

After taking my exams, I finally feel like I'm in law school. I believe that the exams were the last step in a four-month-long hazing process. This belief was only strengthened by something one of my professors said. He said that the primary purpose behind administering exams to law students isn't to test their knowledge of the material, but rather to find where to put them on the curve. This approach became very clear during my last exam. I read some of the questions and didn't even understand what they were asking, much less what the answer was. It was then that I realized that studying had been a silly use of my time. I could have been baking Christmas cookies and listening to Bing Crosby and been just as prepared. A fellow student of mine echoed a similar sentiment shortly after our last exam ended. As we were all packing up our stuff he shouted something like, "That was the hardest exam I've ever taken!" except he added in some other blog-inappropriate words to emphasize his point.

But now the semester is over and the Christmas merriment has begun. Brenda and I took a trip to the Christmas market yesterday and had some Kartoffelpuffer, Raclette, and a glass of apple Glühwein. It looks like we'll be heading over there again today. The Christmas market closes on Thursday so we're down to our last few chances to enjoy it until next year.

Brenda and I at the Christmas market yesterday.

Well, it's probably time for me to wrap this up. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and I will talk to you next week!

Santa's little helper

Hi Everybody! (Audience) Hi Dr. Nick!

Okay, I don't why that was in my head. Though it's been years since I've been a regular viewer, I suppose The Simpsons will be forever ingrained in my consciousness...

Moving on! I have an adorable companion this week! Can you spot her?

Well, let me give you a closer look at this adorable little kitty who is clawing her way into my heart! Actually, she doesn't claw so much as nuzzle, which is far better anyway.

Ella with her favorite toy

Hanging out in the bathtub, one of her favorite spots!

Luckily, she likes it dry.

As I mentioned last week, my friend Elza has entrusted me with Ella (AKA Lump) for 5 days while she travels to France. It's been great to have a little bundle of love to cuddle with, especially since I'm a bit sick! I never had a pet growing up (other than fish. Do fish count?), so I jump at the chance to pet-sit. My parents did not pass on their many allergies, and I'm very grateful for that! Perhaps a pet is in our future someday... Chad and I like both cats and dogs, but we were discussing how you never know what you're going to get with cats... Luckily, little Ella is very social and sweet, and seems to even like being picked up and cuddled! She's helping the time go by while I wait for Chad to get here in five days! Yes, just five days! What a fantastic Christmas present that will be!

On Saturday I had my last Tales of Hoffmann performance, and a friend of mine from Juilliard named Laura Poe came to see it. Laura is now working as a pianist with the opera house in Düsseldorf, just about an hour and a half by train. She spent the night, and the day after the show we went to the Christmas market -- of course! She had never had raclette (a tasty melted cheese that can be put on many things), so I brought her to the raclette hut, as well as many other delicious spots... We went on the big carousel after our treats, and sat on something similar to the spinning teacups at Disney. An interesting choice, as we had just eaten... We needed a few moments after getting off to make the world stop spinning. Worth it!

I'm pretty sure we were the oldest people

on the carousel without children...

Another addition (one that the kitty seems fascinated with) to our apartment this week is our Christmas tree! I just couldn't wait for Chad to get here, so our friend Florian helped me pick out the tree, and more importantly, carry it home!!

He looks a bit like a lumberjack, doesn't he?

Our friends Paula and Eamonn came over and helped decorate the tree later that night, and it really started to feel like Christmas! This year's tree is bigger than last year's, so I think we might need more ornaments! I'll wait until Chad gets here though so we can do SOME of the Christmas decorating together!

Ella's second favorite toy. ;-)

At least she hasn't tried climbing it yet!

Well, next week at this time Chad will be on this side of the ocean, as well as being totally DONE with his first semester of law school! He took his second exam yesterday, and felt pretty good about it! Just one more on Friday, and then it's time to celebrate! I, for one, am certainly looking forward to helping him celebrate. I hope you're all staying festive as the holidays get closer and closer!

Hello everybody! It's hard to believe a week has gone by and it's December already! Chad is officially done with his classes, and now he's studying like a maniac for his exams. Well, perhaps maniac is too strong a word... But he's being very diligent, and I'm quite proud of his work ethic! The beginning of December also meant that Chad and I got to open our Advent Calendars! While he was visiting during Thanksgiving, we bought matching mini Lindt chocolate calendars, and we open the little doors together while we're on Skype. It makes talking to each other even sweeter! Awww!

As for my schedule, it's been filled with opera! I rehearsed, performed, and even went and saw a few operas! Generally, that would be too much opera for me, but I had good friends performing, and they did wonderfully! I attended the Frankfurt Premiere of Otello by Verdi (based on Shakespeare's Othello), and I have to say I was a bit surprised by the audience's reaction. The singers received wonderful ovations, but the director got very loud boos! Sure, it might not have been a traditional production, but I didn't think it was THAT far out! In any case, most of the audience decided they didn't like it, and I felt badly for the director, who I know poured a lot of his heart into the piece. You never know how the audience will react!

My friend Elza was in the performance (don't worry, the audience LOVED her!!) and she gave an absolutely stunning portrayal of Desdemona. Now that rehearsals are over for her, she has more time for friends. This really benefits me, because she is an EXCELLENT cook! :-) I also got to meet her kitty, whom I will have the pleasure of cat-sitting next week. This cat is so adorable, and she even plays fetch. So cute!!

Two sweeties!

Well, as I have rehearsal tomorrow, I'm going to head to bed! I play a very angry Goddess in this show, and boy, is it tiring being mean! I hope you're all having a great week!

chenda equals awesome

Hello all! Since my beloved hubby is in hardcore study mode for final exams, you're stuck with me and my inane blogging for the next few weeks. Who has two thumbs and is an awesome wife? This gal! ;-)

This past week was much more spectacular than normal weeks, largely due to the fact that Chad and I were together. The Christmas market and Thanksgiving didn't hurt either! Chad and I managed to hit the Christmas market twice while he was here, and we're definitely going back when he comes back in 19 days. Not that I'm counting the days or anything... Anyway, we went to the market on the first day it opened, and were joined by three Plocks, Ariane, Adelin, and Florian. It's finally getting chilly in Frankfurt, so we warmed ourself with that wondrous drink Glühwein.

Ariane, Chad and I imbibing! Gotta

stay warm somehow!

Ariane and Adelin had to leave us in the early evening to go to some makeup party where they were forced to buy makeup (I kid... not really...), so Chad and Florian and I continued our day of overeating by heading to one of our old hangouts, Zum Gemalten Haus. We had the typical Frankfurter Grüne Soße (literally, green sauce!) and apple wine. Delicious!

The next day was Thanksgiving, and though our official Frankfurt Thanksgiving wasn't planned until Saturday, we went over to our friends the McCowns, and enjoyed a... er... traditional Thanksgiving Indian feast. Okay, so maybe it wasn't very traditional, but the important part is that we were with dear friends, even though we were all very far from home! The McCowns also took part in the big Thanksgiving feast on Saturday, which Peter and Jerrode Marsh hosted in their usual wonderful way! Really, cooking for that many people is quite a feat! Michael baked some delicious pies, and Barb decorated the table beautifully.

Michael showing his excitement for

delicious Thanksgiving food.

The dining table that literally takes up

the dining area and living room! Yay!

Me with 3 of my favorite things: Chad, my iPhone,

and wine. :-) I think Chad's face shows his

emotions perfectly.

Well, tomorrow I'm finally needed for rehearsals at the opera house, so I should probably think about studying music, or maybe sleeping. Hmm, decisions decisions! I hope I don't get so busy that I can't take in the glorious sights and smells of the Christmas market on a near daily basis! Yes, it's a hard life... ;-) Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and please know that Chad and I missed being with our families very much! We are so very thankful for all of you.

Weihnachtsmarkt 2011

Hey All! Greetings from Germany! I'm writing to you from our apartment in Frankfurt, and I couldn't be happier to be here. Brenda and I have been having a great time enjoying each other's company and spending time with friends. We've been doing a bit of work, too. Brenda had a performance on Sunday and started rehearsals for a new production today. In fact, she's at the opera house rehearsing right now. I just got done watching the Torts class I missed yesterday, and I've come to the conclusion that I could do my entire law degree long distance. Watching the video was just like being there in person except I got to wear my slippers and I didn't have to worry about being called on.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get over my jet lag yet. I was up until 4:30 AM Germany time this morning which isn't too far off of my normal bedtime in the US. I'm sure I'll adjust to German time right before I fly back to the US on Sunday.

This past Sunday I studied in Brenda's dressing room while she performed. It was quite pleasant actually. There was a beautiful opera playing in the background while I read about a guy who injured himself with a miter saw and subsequently sued the manufacturer of the saw. A word to the wise; never take off the blade guards on a miter saw.

Brenda and I in her dressing room.

The Frankfurt Christmas Market opens tomorrow and we're going! (I'm kind of excited about it. Could you tell? Maybe I should have used more exclamation marks.) There will be food, drink, and Christmas knickknacks as far as the eye can see. I get the distinct impression from our friend Florian that he thinks I'm a shameless tourist. Of course, he's right, but I won't let that stop me from immersing myself in a sea of commercialism and Christmas cheer.

Brenda and I at home making dinner. (I told her not to sniff the cheese, but she said it was a Wisconsin thing and I wouldn't understand.)

Our German Thanksgiving tradition continues on Saturday at the Marsh's house. This will be our 4th year in a row celebrating at the Marsh's and we are really looking forward to it. Every year they put in a lot of work and we reap the benefits of their labor.

Brenda should be on her way home now and I should probably watch another Torts class. I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving, and one of us will talk to you next week!

Another Thanksgiving in Germany

Hey All! Good news - I got my homework done early enough that I can actually write this entry while still awake. Don't expect too much, though. My brain is mostly mush from reading about breaching contracts and product liability.

I have 2 1/2 weeks of classes left in the semester and one of those is Thanksgiving week, which I'm skipping. Instead of learning about the law, I've decided to fly to Germany and hang out with my wife. I'm much more thankful for Brenda than I am for the laws of concurrent estates in real property, and I think I should spend my Thanksgiving accordingly.

Speaking of Brenda, she's in Düsseldorf right now. She took a train up there today to see a few friends and go to an opera. Brenda isn't in rehearsals for anything right now so she has some free time in between performances. She sang her last performance of La Traviata on Sunday and she said it went really well. She has 5 more performances of the Tales of Hoffmann and she begins rehearsals for La Calisto when I'm there next week. It should work out quite well actually. While she's in rehearsals, I'll hit the books.

This past weekend I visited my family in Ankeny. It's nice to be able to get out of town for the weekend and forget about law school for a couple of days. Of course, I couldn't forget about it entirely because there was a paper to write and cases to read, but the change of venue makes a big difference. On Friday I got to meet a new addition to the family. My cousin Derek and his wife Jessica had a baby a few weeks ago. Her name is Nora and she's adorable. On Sunday I spent some time with my brother and his family, which I always enjoy.

Brad (my brother) and I with two of his boys, Ethan and Noah (I've got Noah).

My beautiful niece Beatrice.

My next entry should be coming to you from Germany. Let me know if you want me to get you anything while I'm over there. I'm not sure how well schnitzel travels in a carry-on but I could give it a go. Until next time, have a great week!

ready or not, here come the holidays!

Hello all! I hope it wasn't too difficult to keep your anticipation over this blog entry at bay. I don't even have a good excuse for being late. I just forgot that I wanted to write the blog this week until I was about to go to bed!

Last Wednesday I opened another show in Frankfurt, as Chad mentioned in his previous blog. It almost didn't feel like an opening, because I did eleven performances of that same show last season! Even though I remembered all the staging perfectly, it's interesting to notice the little things that one forgets! And isn't the magic in the little things? Or maybe the magic is just in the singing and dancing... And the sparkly costume... :-)

Taking a break from my normal daily activity of pining over Chad, on Sunday I went to a lovely concert that our friends Paula and Eamonn put on. Paula is a singer at Oper Frankfurt, and though Eamonn is not a professional singer, he has a beautiful voice! They, along with some instrumentalists, presented a beautiful programs of folk songs from their native Ireland. Paula played the concertina during the concert, and brought it out again during the many hours we spent at dinner afterwards! The concert was held at a church in a neighborhood I'm not very familiar with, and was delighted to be introduced to a restaurant called Zum Adler. The pictures on the website don't do it justice! The place is full of charm, plus they brew their own beer! Really, what's not to like!

Paula (playing her concertina) and Eamonn

at the restaurant Zum Adler

I'm sure Christmas decorations are popping up all over in States, and the same goes for Germany! I went to Ikea on Monday, and their Christmas displays are in full force! I'll admit, I caved in and bought some Christmas decorations. Everything is just so cute there! And Swedish! Frankfurt is also getting ready for their big Christmas market, which will open while Chad's here over the Thanksgiving holidays! My friend Florian and I walked through one of the plazas where the market will be, and we got to witness them putting up the huge Christmas tree. You'll notice the cherry picker machine in the picture below... The people in it were inserting branches into the tree trunk! Now, I'm not sure if these branches were original to the tree and were removed for transportation reasons, or if the people in charge of the tree thought "Hmm, the branches are looking a little sparse this year... Let's go ahead and just add some more!". In any case, I'm sure it'll end up looking beautiful, especially on a chilly evening, perhaps while sharing a mug of Glühwein with my honey... Oh boy, you can tell I miss Chad when I start submitting you all to my sentimentality! :-D I think that's a sign I need to wrap this up! Have a wonderful week all!

Still a work in progress...

Check back tomorrow

Hey All! I don't have much to report from Iowa. Classes are getting close to being done and I can't wait. I'm ready to move on to some other subjects. Brenda said she wanted to write the blog this week but she didn't have time to do it today. Check back tomorrow for her post. Until next time, have a great week!

a weekend away

Hey All! Happy (belated) Halloween to one and all. I didn't do much celebrating unless you consider the two Halloween dish towels I have in the kitchen celebrating. I guess I did celebrate the holiday in one other way; Brenda and I continued our tradition of watching a "scary" movie. Over the weekend we watched "Ghostbusters." Terrifying, right? We needed to watch something less scary this year. Last year we watched a real horror movie and I'm still having nightmares.

Brenda and I were able to continue our Halloween tradition this year because I flew to Germany for the weekend. I flew out of Iowa on Thursday afternoon, arrived in Frankfurt on Friday morning, flew out of Frankfurt Sunday morning, and arrived in Iowa on Sunday afternoon. It was a whirlwind trip but well worth it. Brenda was absolutely fantastic as Violetta in La Traviata. She made the role look easy which is really impressive considering how difficult it is. The audience clearly agreed with my opinion of Brenda's performance since she received thunderous applause. I'm so glad I was able to see one of her first performances of this role.

Brenda and I pausing to take a picture on Saturday as we walked around Frankfurt.

A picture of me in Brenda's dressing room

while she was in another room getting her make-up done.

It was great to get a break from law school, but now that I'm back in Iowa City I have to focus on our looming exams once more. Oddly, the closer we get to the end of the semester, the less stressed I become. I've realized that all I can do is prepare to the best of my ability and hope that's enough to get good grades. Most of my fellow students seem to be taking a different approach - they are panicking. And possibly for good reasons. One of our professors has been telling horror stories about people fainting during exams or getting nosebleeds. But, you know, no pressure.

Brenda opens another opera tomorrow night. It is a revival from last year called the Tales of Hoffman. It looks like I'll get to see her sing in that opera again since I'll be heading back to Frankfurt during Thanksgiving week. It'll be nice to have a whole week in Frankfurt as opposed to just a weekend.

I should probably call it a night. I hope you're all having a great week and I'll talk to you next Tuesday!

hot potato blogging

Brenda's got the hot potato, and Chad ran away before she could throw it back at him! In case you're not following, the hot potato is a metaphor for blog writing duties. :-) Chad's overloaded on homework tonight, and today I had a vigorous day of... Well, okay, I only had a costume fitting, so I really have no excuse not to write the blog!

Let's see... I had my third Traviata performance on Sunday, and my old manager Matthew Epstein was there, as well as some singer friends of mine, so we had a lovely dinner afterwards! Each time I do a performance of this role, I get more and more confidence, and continue falling deeper in love with the role! I've also been rehearsing this week for The Tales of Hoffmann, in which I play basically a high-tech doll who likes to sing really high notes. I'm so lifelike that the tenor falls in love with me. Silly tenors... But then I break. I guess he never learned how to play nicely with his toys...

Last week I did some cooking and had two lovely Irish gals over for dinner, as well as a showing of the movie The Goonies. Even through we're all around the same age, they somehow missed this absolutely necessary childhood classic! I feel proud to have introduced this movie to them. Also, I made them Irish soda bread, and got the Irish seal of approval. Phew!

On Sunday night, I went to a dinner thrown in my honor. I tried my best to be classy, and not awkward! At least I didn't spill anything... The woman (named Medi) who hosted the dinner is a lovely Austrian woman who gave a lecture on La Traviata a few weeks ago, and I was her special guest. She is a total opera fan! She travels all around Europe to see different shows, and probably knows way more about opera than I do! :-) Here's a picture of Medi and I at her apartment.

Chad and I are getting incredibly excited to see each other on Friday! I hope he's able to stay awake for the Traviata performance that night! Our friends Barb and Michael will be sitting with him in the audience, so they can poke him if he starts snoring... It'll be a crazy short trip, but we just got him another ticket to come back during the week of Thanksgiving, so he'll have more time to breathe that fresh German air! Mmm, smells like beer and sauerkraut... Not really. I can feel my German friends getting huffy as they read that...

Well, that's it from me! I hope you're all enjoying the crisp fall weather!

the grind

Hey all! I'm afraid I don't have much to report this week. Our (Chenda's) routine is moving along as usual. Brenda had her second performance of La Traviata, and it went very well. She gets to sing three more performances, and I have no doubt that she's excited to do all of them.

The law school grind continues. Final exams are looming ever closer and the pressure is beginning to mount. I'm doing my best not to think about the stress and competitive nature of law school. Instead, I focus on my routine and look forward to the highlights in my day: talking to Brenda in the morning while drinking coffee, talking to Brenda in the afternoon/evening, and the half an hour or so before bed when I stop studying and start unwinding. Brenda and I have even gotten into the habit of playing video games together. We can race each other in Mario Kart on the Nintendo Wii while being an ocean apart. Ain't technology grand?

Well, I'm going to call it a night. I hope you all have a great week and I'll talk to you next Tuesday!

Halfway

Hey All! It feels like it's been a long time since I've written to you. I guess it has been two weeks. Isn't it great that Brenda has been contributing to the blog more often? Not only does it allow me to get my homework done, but you get my better half's perspective on life in Germany. I think it's a win-win situation.

Since our last entry, Brenda has sung her first performance of La Traviata. There are pictures of the production with Brenda in them which you can see here. From what I hear, the performance went really well. Some of the audience members even gave Brenda a standing ovation which, from my experience, is rare in Germany. Brenda has four more performances and, believe it or not, I get to go to one of them. That's right, in a couple of weeks I will be flying to Germany for the weekend. I will be spending about 48 hours in Germany before I have to turn around and fly back. It is going to be worth it, though. I really want to see Brenda perform this role. Plus, I could use some German beer. Law school is stressful.

I don't remember if I told you or not, but in my first week of law school I hit a deer on my way home. My car suffered some damage to its front right quarter (and the deer suffered some damage to its back right quarter). I took my car into a body shop last week to get it fixed and, while it was being repaired, I got a rental car. Well, a rental truck actually. It was a brand new 2012 Dodge Ram. And it was huge. I didn't go into the rental agency expecting to get a truck. I was going to ask for something more fuel efficient like a Corvette or a Cadillac Escalade. Alas, I had to settle for a truck so I got to spend a couple of days feeling like an escapee from a monster truck rally. I actually had a blast driving it around town. I could barely see over the steering wheel and I spent most of my remaining student loans putting gas into it, but it was worth it.

My rental truck in the law school parking lot.

Tomorrow marks the halfway point of the fall semester. I will be 1/2 done with the semester, 1/4 done with the year, and 1/12 done with all of law school. As you might imagine, I have developed a routine that allows me to get my work done, spend some time at the gym, and regularly talk to my wife. Brenda and I video chat using Skype and it makes being apart a lot more bearable.

This is how Brenda and I spend a lot of our time these days.

Well, I had better call it a night. I hope you are all having a great week, and one of us will talk to you next Tuesday!

Libiamo!

Hello all you wonderful people! (Br)enda signing in today, here to tell you about the past week's excitements. I believe the weather gods of Frankfurt were trying to help me ease back into German life, because every single day was absolutely beautiful. Pretty great, considering we didn't get a very warm summer in England! I wasn't able to spend too much time outside during the week, since I was so busy rehearsing, but I did manage to enjoy a few coffee breaks outside! One especially nice coffee break occurred along the banks of the river Main, watching the swans swim by. I would like to say they swam peacefully by, but they kept hissing at some dogs who also didn't seem pleased by the swans' presence...

Rehearsals for La Traviata have been going extremely well, and I can barely express the excitement I feel to sing the role of Violetta for the first time! It's one of the operas that first made me fall in love with opera, and it's just a huge honor to sing it at Oper Frankfurt! We open the show on Saturday, so we'll make sure to let you all know next week how it went!

During the weekend, I busied myself with relaxing with friends. :-) After rehearsal on Saturday, I went over to Marlar and Florian's place, where they let me read on their sunny terrace while Marlar baked and Florian studied, and then we had what will probably be the last barbeque of the season. Florian grilled all the goodies, veggie and meaty alike, and Marlar provided freshly baked savory muffins. She made them specifically for a party, but hey, we had to try them and make sure they were edible! And boy, were they!!

On Sunday I went to my new gym to have an appointment with a sports doctor. The gym takes people's health very seriously, so they make you see one of their doctors to test your vitals, flexibility, strength, and stamina before you can even work out there! I'm happy to report that I'm in normal/above average health! Later that evening I went to an opera premiere at Oper Frankfurt. I had many friends in the show, and they all did such a fantastic job! The opera was in French, and included much dialogue in French, and they really nailed it in my opinion! Speaking on stage can actually be a lot harder than singing for opera singers, so this was quite an accomplishment. The rest of the audience seemed to share my enthusiasm! Bravi Tutti!

On Monday, Germany celebrated the Tag der Deutschen Einheit, which commemorates their reunification in 1990. Since it's an official holiday, most stores were closed, but more importantly, we didn't have rehearsal! After sleeping in (it may have been a late night...), I went with Florian and Marlar to a village near Frankfurt called Erlenbach and had coffee and cake at the home of another singer in Frankfurt, named Juanita. We were also joined by Anna (another singer!) and her two gorgeous sons. Sadly, their papa Simon had a show that night so couldn't join in the fun! After the snack at Juanita's beautiful place, we walked to an apple orchard nearby -- the same apple orchard I had visited last year with Marlar and Elza actually! We had a great time just chatting, snacking and drinking apple wine and juice, and were amused by the antics of Anna's boys. You'll see the hay scattered behind Anna - they used to be in nice neat stacks! Ahh good times at the orchard... The boys confessed to being a bit itchy after their romp in the hay...

Anna, Thomas and James

Juanita with the Apfelwein Bembel (pitchers)

Mmm fruity!

Don't worry, they're just pouring him some apple juice!

They don't start them THAT young here!

So that was my week! Chad's week was filled with... wait for it... Studying!!! I know, hard to believe. He did spend the weekend at his parents' house, (where he still studied a lot) and I know he always loves seeing his family! We still Skype every day, and seeing each other's faces while we're talking seems to make the distance a little less difficult! As you can see from this following picture, we do enjoy making faces together...

Have a great week all!

dream law

Hey All! Much like last week, I am writing to you from the comforts of our couch. Unlike last week, Brenda isn't here to keep me company. I'm happy to report, however, that she is safely back in Germany and has begun rehearsals for La Traviata. It sounds like the first two days of rehearsal went well. The opera opens on Saturday, October 8th. If you care to learn more about the production you can do so here.

Over the weekend I went to St. Paul to visit our friends, Dan and Whitney. I was only in St. Paul for 24 hours but we made the most of it and had a great time. On Saturday night Whitney and I went to Minnesota Opera's production of Così fan tutte. Dan sang in the chorus of the opera, and he had a lot of stage time. It was a beautiful production of a great opera, and I highly recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in or around the Twin Cities.

I should probably think about getting some sleep. You'd think that sleep would be a great chance to stop thinking about law school, but I keep having law school related dreams. My dreams tend to relate to whatever issue I read about in the homework that day. So tonight's dreams should contain riveting discussions of what constitutes consideration in forming an enforceable agreement, and the obligations, or lack there of, of a bystander in saving another person's life. Uh oh, did you just fall asleep? Sorry about that. I have that affect on people these days.

Until next time, have a great week!

We have a couch!

Hey All! My homework is done, my wonderful wife is sitting next to me on our new couch, and I just poured myself a glass of Malbec - life is good. Brenda got back from New York late Saturday night. Her time in New York was very productive. Brenda recorded a CD while she was there and worked extensively on her next opera role. Now that she's back in Iowa, we're enjoying each other's company as much as we can before she flies back to Germany on Friday.

Brenda's parents came down to Iowa City for an overnight trip yesterday. Brenda showed them around town while I was in class, and then I joined them for dinner last night. They seemed to really enjoy the two vegetarian restaurants they tried in Iowa City - The Red Avocado and theFair Grounds Coffeehouse.

Law school has been very busy, but I think I'm doing a good job of keeping up. It's hard to tell, though. For most of my classes my entire grade is based on one test at the end of the semester. I guess I'll find out if I actually know what's going once the classes are over.

I had better get back to spending time with my wife. I hope you're all having a great week and I'll talk to you next Tuesday!

city lights

Hello all! Another week has gone by, and Chad is swamped with homework, so I'm taking over the blog for the week! However, we realized it was blog day a little bit late, so this won't be a spectacular post. :-) BUT! I have pictures! Oh yes, I know you love pictures...

I'm in New York right now, taking lessons to prepare for my upcoming role in La Traviata and also recording a CD of songs by the composer Lowell Liebermann, whose opera I performed at Juilliard five years ago! It's so great to sing his music again, and I can't wait for the disc to come out!

I had a wonderful time in Minneapolis with Drew, and as Chad told you, we did lots of fun things, including my first trip to the huge Renaissance festival in the area. I've never seen so many nerds in one place. It was a beautiful thing.

And now, PICTURES! Have a great week all!

Holding my beautiful niece Beatrice

for the first time!

Drew and Bettina at the Renaissance

festival. Oh yes, they wore costumes.

Happy twins at the apple orchard!

Taunting and feeding the goats at the petting farm

at the apple orchard.

Drew made friends with the donkey.

That's a big ol' chair.

Dining al fresco at the Minneapolis restaurant

Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge.

Dan and Whitney were with us! And a mask

friend was too...

High school buddy Lara and the twins in a Minneapolis

pub called Merlin's Rest. It had a British theme,

so I felt right at home. ;-)

fair maidens and gallant knights

Hey All! I'm cutting my blog deadline a little close this week; I have nine minutes left before Tuesday is officially over. Anyway, my wonderful wife got sick of me studying all the time and decided to go visit her sister. Brenda arrived in Minnesota yesterday and has already been to a renaissance fair and been apple picking. Not at the same time, of course. Jousting is strictly forbidden in apple orchards. At least I think I read that in one of my law books. All of these laws start to run together.

The happy couple together again.

This past weekend Brenda and I went to my home town to spend some time with my family. While we were there Brenda got to meet our beautiful 7-month-old niece, Beatrice. Brenda also spent a good part of the weekend working on the songs she's going to record next week in New York. Brenda will be working on La Traviata while she's in New York, too. It should be a whirlwind trip.

Once Brenda gets back from New York we'll have almost a week together before she flies to Frankfurt. We spent last week (when I wasn't in class or studying) trying out different restaurants in Iowa City, going to movies, and getting settled in our apartment. We still need to hang up photos and put away a few pots and pans, but the apartment is starting to shape up. Brenda is going to look for some furniture at Ikea while she's in Minnesota so hopefully a couch is in our future. As it stands, one of us can sit in the recliner in the living room while the other sits in the bean bag chair. It makes cuddling up to watch a movie challenging.

Well, it has been Wednesday for almost 30 minutes now so I had better wrap this up. I need a decent amount of sleep if I want to stand a chance of understanding what is going on in class. I hope you're all having a great week!