Outer Banks 1999

18 August 1999 - I stayed at Grandma K's house Tuesday night. This morning she drove to the airport in Appleton. I was going to fly down to Kill Devil Hills, NC, to see my sis play in the first-ever girl world series for softball. I flew from Appleton to make my connection in Chicago. I slept most of the way to Norfolk. It was in the 70s back home, and wonderful 80s-90s in Norfolk where Mom and Dad picked me up. It took about 2 hours to drive to Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks. We were staying in a Ramada right on the beach. I got settled, then Mom, Dad and I went swimming in the ocean. It was nice and cool, but not cold. I tried body boarding. Cassie's game was at 4:30, so we went over to the park. It was pretty warm by the field (in the low 100s). They played well, but they just couldn't get their bats working. Cassie went back with her host family, while we went back to the hotel. Then we went out to dinner at Kelly's. That was a pretty classy place. Dad bought Mom a cow at the gift shop. I tried a little of the seafood Mom and Dad ordered. When we got back to the hotel, I played cards with Jill J, Jessie W, Gilbie and some other young'uns. Because I got up at 4 today, I left early to go to bed. There was supposedly a big storm, but I was dead to the world.

19 Aug - I got up earlyish to try to see the dolphins swim by in the ocean. Alas, I was too late. I stood outside on the deck stairs with mom, Dad and some of the other softball parents. Dad took a swim in the ocean while Mom and I got ready to pick up Cassie. Before we went up to Currituck, we visited the Wright Bros Memorial. We looked around the museum then climbed up the hill to see the monument. There was a good view, but it was quite hazy. We drove up the coast to the Currituck lighthouse. The Wirtzs drove in almost behind us. We went to climb up the lighthouse for $5. Mary and Jessie didn't want to, and Dad wanted to go up with Jeff, so Cassie, Mom and I began the 214-step climb. I don't exactly "love" heights, or climbing stairs you can see through. Cassie and Mom stopped on the third flight, but I kept going. Slow and steady, but my heart was pounding by the time I got to the top. I forced myself to look over the edge and took a couple of pictures. Cassie and Mom finally made it up, then we turned around, went back down, and visited the gift shop. We drove back towards KDH, but we stopped in Duck so I could buy a kite.. I got a parafoil for $30. I also got a magnet with a picture of the Duck coast that just says "Duck." I just through that was the funniest name for a town. We had to get Cassie back for the game so we dropped her off, then went back for the game at 6:30. It was a hard-fought game and if it weren't for some mistakes, they would have won it. Instead, they lost 1-5 to Benton, MO. Cassie had a couple of nice catches in the outfield. Since it was a double elimination tournament, the WRYSA girls were out. They were pretty sad afterwards. Cassie wanted to go back to her host family's, because they were having a party. Mom, Dad and I went back to the hotel, watched Sunset Boulevard and made baked potatoes. I joined all the adults on the patio for a bit before I went in.

20 Aug - Again, I got up early to see the dolphis, but they never showed. Grrr! Gilbie was now with us, because she would be driving home with us. I went with Dad and Gilbie to see Cassie's host house. She was right - it was huge and really nice. We went back to get Mom. We went swimming and body boarding for a nice, long time. Then we got in the van and drove down the coast to see the Hatteras lighthouse that they had moved. We then drove back up to the Bodie Island lighthouse. Then we went to Manteo on Roanoke Island to see one of the ships that brought the first colonists to the New World. There was also a museum. We toured the ship where some men acted as settlers. Then we checked out the settlement. The best part of going there was the museum. They had a bunch of hands-on activities and dress-up clothes. Cass, Gilbie and I were settlers, native Americans, pirates and civil war soldiers. It was a lot of fun! We went back to the hotel, and Cassie, Gilbie and I headed for the ocean. For some reason, the water smelled really bad. We got out and ate the pizza Mom got for dinner. Then Cassie, Gilbie, Jessie and Beth R played cards for a little bit. Early to bed...

21 Aug - It was storming when we got up at 4. We got on the road just before 6. We drove all the way through the mountains to Indianapolis, where we stopped for the night. We pulled in at about 8. Then Mom, Cass, Gilbie and I went to the mall to go jeans shopping. We got a pair each. Picked up some food at the food court, then made our way back. On our way back on the highway, we saw a big accident. There was a car flipped on its hood. We drove the rest of the way to the hotel and ate dinner. We had another early night.

22 Aug - We wanted to be on the road around 6, so we got up, ate breakfast, then we were on our way. It was a pretty short day and we were home by 2. Then we unloaded the car and I drove Gilbie back to her home in Vesper. Short though it was and somewhat disappointing, this was one of the best family vacations we've ever taken.

{transcribed 2/6/2020}

Orlando 1999

11 February 1999 - I woke up at 4:10 to get my cab to take me to the airport in Madison. My flights were pretty good (I went from Madison to Detroit to Orlando). I met Mom and Cassie at the airport. It was in the 80s and felt great! Heck of a lot better than down in Madison. We drove from the airport to Orlando. We went to this place called WonderWorks. It had a bunch of really cool interactive things, like simulated earthquakes, hurricanes; they had bubbles and games and rock climbing and rollercoaster ride. It was cool. Then we picked up Dad at the convention center. We went to the hotel. We went out to dinner at Bennigan's and it was really quiet. We took a nice long swim in the pool (all of us!). Oh, and we ate lunch at Race Rock and I got a new key chain.

12 Feb - We went to EPCOT today. {I remember getting honked at as I rode in the backseat of the car by a semi driver that looked like Jerry Garcia...} We wandered around, and I bought some trinkets for friends. We didn't go on a lot of the rides, because we had been on them before. We headed over to the Magic Kingdom to go on Splash Mountain. but we got caught by the parade. We went on the ride, then rose the monorail back, because I had an awards ceremony to go to at the Peabody. I got to dress up and get a plaque for winning a scholarship from the GCSAA. After that, we went to another reception. Cassie and I wandered around. It was stormy in the evening, but it didn't rain.

Cara & Cass at Epcot

In "Norway" at Epcot

Mom in "Italy"

13 Feb - It was only in the 60s today. Grrr! It's supposed to be warm in Florida! We went to Animal Kingdom, and saw everything there was to see because we had never been there before. Then we went to MGM Studios and took a few rides and went to the parade. We met Dad at the hotel. We were going to go back to Magic Kingdom, but the traffic was too heavy. We ordered out for pizza and Cassie and I took a swim.

14 Feb - Mom, Dad, Cassie and I went to this outdoor mall to watch the start of the Daytona 500 at the Dan Marino Tavern. I bought a nice Fossil watch. Then they took me to the airport. I didn't want to go back. I wasn't ready! The flight back was pretty good. When I got to Detroit, I had to run to catch my flight to Madison. The UW wrestling team was on it, as well as this professor guy that Dad introduced me to at the Wis. golf course reception. He offered me a ride back to Liz so I wouldn't have to take a cab. I got back to Liz, put away my stuff, and crashed big time. It wasn't a long trip, but it sure felt good!!! I could have used a few more months of it, that's for sure!

{transcribed 2/6/2020}

1999 Rose Bowl

26 December 1998 - We left home at around 2 pm after a morning of pandemonium and running around. We drove as far as Des Moines, IA. Spent the night in a king-sized suite. Cool! It's so cold outside. I hope it's nice on New Years when we got to the Rose Bowl.

27 Dec - Got not very much sleep last night, because there were people making noise in the pool until around 11:30. I had to ask the front desk to make them leave. We got up early to be on the road. We drove through all of Nebraska, stopping at a Wendy's for dinner. We drove as far as Denver, Colorado. We got a room at a Hampton. We ate dinner at a sports bar and grill.

28 Dec - Another long day in the car. we left Denver around 8 local time. As we started driving through the Rockies, it started snowing. It got pretty bad when we were in the valley, so the going was pretty slow. I wasn't feeling all that well. We stopped once, and I felt like I was almost going to black out. That feeling went away after a while. Driving through Colorado and Utah was really pretty. We drove as far as Las Vegas. It was late and everyone was tired, so we didn't bother to go out to eat for dinner. Tomorrow we hope to do a little sight seeing around here and all that.

29 Dec - We spent half the day cruising the strip. We parked the van down by Treasure Island. We walked all the way down to New York, New York. We stopped at the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace to look at the stores there. My feet were hurting by the time we got as far as NY. I really wanted to drop a quarter in a slot machine to say I gambled in Vegas, but you must be 21. Jeez. I can gamble in Wisconsin, but not in Vegas. I don't get it. We stopped for a drink at the Harley-Davidson Cafe on the way back to the car. After getting back, we drove over by the Sahara and had lunch at Holy Cow!, a little brewery/cafe place. The service was really slow. We walked over to the Sahara after lunch, because they had some kind of racing thing there. It didn't look very exciting, so we left. We drove the rest of the way to Loos Angeles. I slept. We got to our hotel, a little Holiday Inn Express, and watched a bowl game.

30 Dec - Stuck around the hotel this morning for a while. It was a beautiful morning, so while the rest of the family watched a movie, I sat out on the porch in the sun, ate my breakfast and read. We went to a nearby mall to try to get Cassie a replacement pair of contacts. After that, we took a drive to the Rose Bowl Stadium to try and get our bearings. There was a family festival going on, so we parked and walked over. We got some souvenirs. I got a t-shirt and a hat. We walked through a tent to see how the Rose Parade floats are made. Then we went back to the car and drove and drove to find the right way back from the stadium. We got back to the hotel, then went back to the mall to get dinner. We came back and watched Nebraska and Arizona in the Holiday Bowl.

31 Dec - We slept in this morning. Cassie and I tried to use the whirlpool, but it was a little too chilly. We did a few loads of laundry. Then we went over to the mall to pick up Cass's new contacts. I bought a Tom Servo gumball machine head. After that, we all drove to Long Beach. We were going to go the new aquarium, but not if it cost $15 a person. Instead, we walked along the harbor and ate lunch at Tequila Jack's. From there, we walked back to see the Badger Band have a little pep rally by the aquarium. We drove over to Universal Studios where they were having a special Wisconsin New Year's Eve bash at 6:00 pm. We wandered about, taking in all the rides and shows we could. We got especially wet on the Jurassic Park ride. We stayed there until 10 (midnight back home), then left to drive back to the hotel. We went to bed fairly early, because we have to get up at 4:15 am tomorrow morning. Ugh. Happy New Year!

Dad & Car along the Long Beach race route

Cass & Mom polkaing at the pep rally in Long Beach

Cass & Cara at Universal Studios

1 Jan 1999 - We got up at 4:15 as advertised. We drove over to the stadium and got a pretty good parking spot. It was only around 6 am, so I tried to catch a few more winks. The rest of the family had the idea of going up and watching the Rose Parade if we could. We walked up there and found a nice place to stand. Two local girls were friendly and let us occupy the space. We watched about half the parade. It was really interesting to see the floats up close up. You could really see the roses and all the other flowers and seeds they used to decorate them. After that, we went back to the van. I took another nap. After I woke up , I read and then mom and I played some sheepshead. At 1 pm, we went into the stadium. We found ourselves in the midst of many Badger fans. Awesome! The game was a real battle. Both teams played very well. It was a real you-score-one, I-score-one fight. The Badgers managed to hold off the UCLA Bruins just enough to get the upset. There were some really big plays by us and them. Ron Dayne had a career day. In the end, thousands of ecstatic Badger fans celebrated a 38-31 win. We had 5th Quarter and really had fun. My throat hurts from all the screaming I did. Wow. It was just too cool to be there and experience it all. We stuck around the stadium waiting for traffic to clear out, then drove back to the hotel. We ordered pizzas and got sundaes from the McDonald's across the street to feed hungry stomachs and soothe sore throats. Ate our dinner and watched TV before going to bed. A great way to ring in the New Year!

Rose Parade Float

Happy Badgers!

Winners!

2 Jan - We were up and on the road by 8:15 am. We took the southern route this time. We drove all the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was pretty late (9:15 local) when we pulled into a Hampton Inn. Mom and Cassie went to get dinner while Dad and I watched the Orange Bowl.

3 Jan - Another long day on the road. I think everybody's getting a little sick of each other. We drove to Kansas City to overnight. On the way there, we listened to the Packers-49ers wild card playoff game on the radio. The Pack lost the game in the last 3 seconds. Argh! Hopefully, we'll miss the winter storm that went through Wisconsin and Illinois in the last few days.

4 Jan - Drove the last leg home. Since we made good time, we were able to pick Sadie up from the kennel before going home to dig out our driveway. It was a great trip. Who'd have believed that the Badgers would go to the Rose Bowl and win? It sure made my freshman year in college at UW-Madison that much more special. :)

{transcribed 2/6/2020}

Houma LA 1998

11 August 1998 - Mom and I left this morning at 7:30 to go get Grandma K and begin driving down to Louisiana. Cassie's 13- to 15-year-old softball team made it to the National Finals in Houma (57 miles south of New Orleans). we drove all day, stopping to eat at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Illinois. We're spending the night in Benton, KY. Grandma's sister and her husband, June and Mickey. Mickey led us on a little sight-seeing trip after dinner. we got to see ships in the Kentucky Dam lock and also the Barkley Dam. We gassed up and headed back for bed.

12 Aug - We left June and Mickey's at 7:30 today. We drove down through Kentucky, Tennessee, a little through Missouri and Arkansas, all the way through Mississippi and finally into Louisiana. It is so hot and humid here. We rant into a few popcorn showers on the way down, but they stopped once we got into Houma. It's about mid-90s here. Whew! The girls were having a pizza party tonight, and I didn't feel like going. Instead, I went swimming in the pool with Jill J, a friend of mine from school, especially band. We watched a little TV before everyone came back. I went to my own room and waited for Mom, Dad and Grandma to get back. They did and we went to bed.

13 Aug - We got up bright and early to see the opening ceremonies this morning. It had to be in the 90s and very humid (I think I heard that the heat index was 100+). Just as everything was winding up, a nasty storm blew in. Once lightning strike was pretty close to where we were. It was over pretty quick and we went back to the hotel. We decided that we should take a trip down to see the coast. We drove towards Grand Isle. It took about 2.5 hours to get there, even though it was maybe 80 miles. We only had a little bit to wade in the Gulf. The water was really warm, and I found two hermit crabs in shells I picked up. We drove back quicker, because we had to be back for Cassie's game. The diamonds that they are playing on are about 10-15 minutes from the Hampton Inn that were' staying at. We found out that we didn't have to hurry, because the games had been delayed after the storms. I got some food, watched the 16-18-year-olds win and played Phase 10 with some friends from Rapids. Cass's game finally started. They played against a team from Nashua, New Hampshire. We were down 0-1 and 1-3, but we had a big 6th inning and held on to win 5-4. It was a really exciting game, and we didn't get back until after 10. Mom and I went to go get food at a Walmart/supermarket/McDonald's. I had a calzone. I have yet to eat real Cajun food down here!

Cara wading in the Gulf

14 Aug - It stormed a bit again this morning, which pushed the games back again. Mom, Grandma and I did a little shopping at the local mall. I got a few postcards to send to friends. We went over to the games and sat around until about 2 when Cassie's game began. It was a really close game, but it was stopped in the second inning, when the other team's coach protested a call. The umpire threw him out for arguing twice. After about 45 minutes, they started playing again. Our girls scored runs and held the other team. Final score: WRYBA (Rapids) 8, Terrebonne 5. After the game, we were going to go somewhere, but Mom decided she should take Cassie to a doctor, because it looked like she had pink eye. Naturally, she did. While Dad and I waited, we played cards with a few other guys and Grandma talked with some women. We did get a chance to go back to the mall with Jill between going back to the hotel and waiting for Cassie to get back from the clinic. We decided we wanted to get a taste of good ol' down home cookin', so we went to Abear's Restaurant, a little place that served homemade Cajun cooking. They had a live bank playing Cajun and country music. There were a lot of people from Rapids there. I got some gumbo and blackberry cobbler, while everyone else got shrimp, chicken or catfish. It had a really quaint atmosphere. I got a little magnet of Abears and Grandma bought alligator earrings, too. We came back to the hotel and got to see the game on the highlight reel of the local sports. I'm going to get to Kiln, Miss. or New Orleans tomorrow if Cassie's team wins!

Cassie at bat

Grandma, Cassie, Cara, Dad at Abear's

15 Aug - It stormed this morning (again!). That pushed the game time back to 2 pm. We had a lot of time to kill, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Jill and I went plantationing. We drove up the Vacherie to go to the Oak Alley Plantation. It was so neat to see all the circa 1840s stuff. We got rained on as we left. I got two postcards at the gift shop.  We came back for Cassie's game. They played Benton, Missouri, and lost 0-8. Because they lost, they had to play again tonight. They played Terrebonne again, and lost 0-11. They finished with 3rd place overall among 8 teams in the 13-15 division. Cass had to get her stuff from her host family, and I tagged along. We came back to the hotel and swam for a bit. I went back up to the room to watch a little TV. Our room keys have been all screwed up, so I had to get that straightened out.

Cara & Dad in the wind at Oak Alley

Dad, Mom, Cara somewhere in LA

16 Aug - We finally got up to New Orleans today. We followed the bus up. I met Dad & Cassie, and we met Mom & Grandma at the Hard Rock Cafe. We just looked around in there, because Dad and Cassie only had an hour. WE walked around the French Quarter and down Bourbon Street. We stopped in a little shop. I got some beads and a necklace. We kept walking until Dad & Cass said they had to go back. Mom, Grandma and I walked through a little park toward the river. We ate lunch at Planet Hollywood, and I got a t-shirt. I wanted to get a Mardi Gras mask, so we stopped in a shop that sold them. I wanted to go to the aquarium, but the line to buy tickets was long and the tickets were expensive. Instead, we went back toward the parking garage they had left the van in. It was attached to a ritzy little shopping complex. We looked at the shops that were there and then decided we should go. We drove across the causeway over Lake Ponchartrain and got as far as Memphis by 10 pm.

Cara, Cassie, Dad, Grandma in New Orleans

17 Aug - We were up and on the road by 6:15 am this morning. It was going to be a long day and we wanted to get home as soon as possible. We ate lunch at 10 am and got back on the road. We drove and drove and drove. I finished another book, the second on the trip. We finally got Grandma home around 7 pm and ourselves around 8. It was a long trip, but definitely worth every (almost) minute.

{transcribed 2/5/2020}

Anaheim 1998

4 February 1998 - We (Mom, Cassie and I) flew out of Minneapolis at 9:00 am. It was a pretty big plane, and I was smack-dab in the middle of 5 seats. I did some of my calculus and German. It took us 3 hours to get to the Los Angeles airport. We got our rental cal and drove to Long Beach. We toured the Queen Mary and saw artifacts from the Titanic. Then we drove to Anaheim to check into our hotel - The Jolly Roger. Mom went out and got pizza for us. Man, I'm really tired. The Queen Mary was really (and big!) to see up close.

5 Feb - We got to sleep in late today. We went to Target to get a few things (I got a pair of sunglasses). We drove up to Los Angeles to go to the Warner Bros. Studio. There, we went on a tour. It was really neat, because we got to see a lot of the backstage things, like sets, props and the street they sometime use in filming. We also got to see some of the pieces of film history in the Warner Bros. Museum. They had some neat displays of Rebel Without a Cause, My Fair Lady, and a bunch of other old WB movies. We drove back down to Anaheim, getting caught in traffic a few times on the freeway. We got some food for dinner, then got dressed up and went to meet Dad at the GCSAA Reception. We stayed there for a little while, then came back to our hotel.

6 Feb - Today was a very interesting day. It was rainy this morning, so we drove down to Newport Beach. El Niño is really doing crazy things down here. We were trying to get to the Hard Rock Cafe, but we ended up getting lost on the Balboa Peninsula. It was windy and raining hard, so we got out to see how high the surf was. We weren't able to walk upright, because the wind was so strong. The waves were huge and the beach had been eroded a good 5 feet. We ran back to the van, soaking wet. We circled back until we reached the Pacific Coast Highway and finally found the Hard Rock. I got a classic t-shirt. After we were done eating, we went outside to find that it was a total downpour. We drove over to the Fashion Island mall to wait out the storm. The rain thundered on the ceiling. We walked around for a bit before we decided to leave. We started to drive out on MacArthur, but there was some flooding, so we turned around to find another way out. We drove down one street, only to find that the bottom of the hill was washed out completely. Mom drove over the curb to get back to the mall. The rain was lightening up, so we shopped a bit before trying to get out of there again. The sun started to shine and we got back before it began to rain again. We met Dad at the hotel and he and Mom went to the President's Reception over at the Hilton. Cassie and I stayed in the room and watched the special edition Star Wars on television. It's raining again now. This is crazy weather they've got out here. Many flood warnings, mudslides, and all-around wet weather. I hope it clears up soon.

7 Feb - Today was pretty nice, so we (Mom, Cass and I) went to Disneyland. The morning was nice, so I just wore shorts and a light jacket. We walked over and got in when the park opened. We went on the Matterhorn first. Then Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, then Splash Mountain. We spent a few hours looking into the stores and took in the Hercules Victory Parade. We also went to Star Tours in Tomorrowland, where they were remodeling and shooting a commercial. We took the Monorail over to the Disneyland Hotel to see about some lunch. We ate at the Monorail Cafe. I was getting cold, so we walked back to the hotel to put on some warmer clothes. We stuck around there for a bit. Dad came and we decided to make one more trip to Disney. It had started to rain, so it was a little sloppy out. The first thing we did was go and stand in line for the Indiana Jones Adventure, a new ride. It was about 45 min. later before we actually got on the ride, which had a lot of neat effects. We went back on Pirates, then Big Thunder Mountain. It was down-pouring by new and we were soaked. Cassie and I went on it three times. We were so wet when we finally decided to leave. There was standing water everywhere, more than 2" in some places. I forgot to mention that we saw a show at the Golden Horseshoe in the morning. Not the can-can dancers, but 4 guys playing guitars and fiddles and being funny. After we got back to the hotel for a second time, we all went out to dinner at Baker's Square. The service wasn't good, but at least we got some food. Came back, watched some stuff from the Olympics in Nagano, Japan, then went to bed.

8 Feb - Dad didn't have anything going on in the afternoon, so we drove down with him to Newport Beach. The day was a lot better and there were more people around. We ate lunch at the Newport Beach Brewing Company. Then we drove down the coast to Laguna Beach and got out and looked at the high surf. We tried to go down further, but the highway was flooded, so we turned around and came back. It was pretty late by then, so Mom and I went out to get some food. Ate it, and went to bed.

9 Feb - We had to get up at 3:50 to get to the airport with some time to spare. The flight back was okay. They underbooked the flight, so I went to the back of the plane and had a whole row to myself. I did some reading and got some schoolwork done. The plane was delayed a half-hour before takeoff with a technical glitch. We got to Minneapolis at 2:900 pm CT. It was too late to pick up Sadie, so we went to the Mall of America. Walked around for a bit, mainly window shopping. I talked Mom into trying to find where they shoot my favorite TV show, Mystery Science Theater 3000 on the Sci-Fi Channel. We got a bit lost looking, but we stopped at a gas station to get directions. Finally, I found myself standing in front of Best Brains, Inc. Cassie and I walked up to the door and I got enough courage to press the buzzer. We waited for a bit and were about to give up home when a man came to the door. It was Michael J. Nelson, host of MST3K. I was so amazed, I swear I did a double take. He let us into the building and even let me have my picture taken with him. I blabbed about how much I enjoy the show and stuff like that. He told me they were in the middle of writing episode 905, Space Children. (If you don't know anything about the show, Mike is in space with his two robot pals, Crow and Tom Servo and they're forced to watch really bad movies. You have to see it to understand.) I thanked him and let him get back to work. The Studio was really neat and really small. There were huge pictures of the cast up on the walls, plus props they used in the show. It was so neat for me! We drove back home and got back around 9 pm. I emailed all my friends about the trip and meeting Mike. Good Day.

{transcribed 2/5/2020}

1998 Outback Bowl

27 December 1997 - We left Rapids today to drive down to Florida to watch the Badgers play in the Outback Bowl on New Years Day. First, we dropped our dog, Sadie, off at the kennel. We left at 8:30 and drove all day until we got to Murfreesboro, Tenn. We stayed in a Hampton Inn there. Early night.

28 Dec - I got up at 5:00 this morning to get ready. We wanted to be on the road by 6, so we could get down to Sarasota by 7 pm ET. On the way out of Tennessee, we saw the mountains there at sunrise. It was very pretty. My wrist hurts while writing this! I tried to teach Cassie how to play sheephead. We saw an awesome sunset just past Tampa. We got to Sarasota around 6:30. We ran upstairs {of the Daly's condo building} to see the ending of the Lions-Bucs playoff game. The Bucs won, and the people were really nuts. We went to Applebee's for dinner and waited a long time for everything. Came back, watched the X-Files and went to bed.

29 Dec - Cassie and I got up early to go look for shells on the beach. The wind was really blowing and it was stormy out. We didn't find many shells. Mom and I went shopping and got some food for the week. We're going up to Tampa to pick up game tickets that Dad reserved. It's really blustery out. We went all around the city. We stopped in Ybor City to putz around. We almost got hit 3 times. I think everybody had at least one heart attack. We ate lunch at this restaurant called Cha-Cha Coconuts. Pretty neat. We went in this hat store and Dad got this Australian-esque hat for work. Cass and I went into a store that sold old fashioned clothing. Kind of like Goodwill only better. We came back to the condo early and didn't do much after that.

Cha-Cha Coconuts

30 Dec - I got up early again to look for shells. Another windy, cool morning. The temps are only about 50s-60s. Anyway, I think I was out too long, because when I got back and took a shower, my feet swelled up. Mom, Cass & I went shopping. I didn't get anything. We sat around for a little bit before Mom and I went for a walk on the beach to the point. We found a bunch of sand dollars and a baby squid and 2 baby octopi that had been washed up. Cass and Dad came out on the beach. She and I made a sand Camp Randall Stadium. Mom took pictures of us with the sunset behind us. Then we went swimming in the ocean with giant waves. I was really cold when we got out. We made pizzas for ourselves for dinner. Watched the Alamo Bowl, then went to bed.

31 Dec - I didn't feel all that great when I got up this morning. Sore and tired. Mom and Dad decided we were going to go look at manatees. But first, we drove to see where Mike Daly (our neighbor) plays golf down here. Pretty nice. We drove out to the Mote Aquarium. We saw all sorts of fish and sharks. We went into this building that had sea turtles and manatees. They had just brought in a baby pygmy sperm whale that they were trying to save. I got a manatee key chain. Then we went into the Pelican Man's Bird Refuge. All kinds of birds, like egrets, pelicans, and hawks. We were going to go to an Antebellum plantation, the Gamble Plantation, but it was closed. We drove on to Ybor City. We ate dinner at Cha-Cha Coconuts again before walking up the street. The parade was going to start at 4:30, so we had to find a place to stand. We ended up by a dunking tank that had a guy inside making fun of the kids trying to dunk him. Cassie went up to give it a try. She didn't get him, but she did get called "Bed-wetting Betty." The parade started. High school bands played and floats threw beads and candy at us. I got a string of red beads. Both college bands played and Cassie and I polkaed to On, Wisconsin in the street. We followed the bands to the area they were having the pep rally in. Georgia fans really aren't that loud, at least compared to us. Each band played a couple songs and they introduced the cheer squads. Right at the end, I got a chance to say hi to Mike T, a friend of mine (kind of) who plays in the Badger band. We walked back to the van and watched the fireworks show. That's always really neat, especially the finale, when they shoot off 20+ in just a few seconds. We drove home after that. I got a glass of fake champagne and drank that before going to bed. 11:02 ET. Well, it's new years in Nova Scotia! Happy New Years!

At the Pelican Man's Bird Refuge

Enjoying the parade

1 Jan 1998 -  We had to get up nice and early this morning to go to the bowl game. We were on the road by 6:30. We got a nice parking space when we got to Houlihan Stadium {The Big Sombrero} in Tampa. We wandered around for a bit, saw the Budweiser Clydesdales and heard the Badger Band play. When we went in and found our seats, we were right in the middle of many Georgia fans. And the Georgia Band. Bad stuff. Before the game, we moved over to the Badger side of the field. The game itself was a total blowout. The Bulldogs won 33-6. We didn't score a touchdown until the 4th quarter. I think that was the saving grace of the game or we really would have been ashamed. We stuck around for the band's 5th Quarter. Had a nice little competition between the two bands. It was kind of a nice day. Sunny, but very chilly with the wind right in our faces. I wore my winter coat and gloves because I was so cold. We came back through St. Petersburg and over the causeway. My head was pounding by then. We made spaghetti for dinner and watched the Michigan Wolverines beat the Washington State Cougars 21-16 in the Rose Bowl for the National Championship. I was getting tired, so I wrote this and went to bed.

{transcribed 2/4/2020}

Germany 1997

Germany 1997 with ISE group from Lincoln High School {the tour group comprised of three different high schools and their German teachers. We had Frau Borksi and Herr Zander with us.}

7 June - Today was our traveling day. Yesterday, I said good-bye to some of my friends - Bill M, Theresa L and Karl G. This morning, the ISE group met at LHS and left for Madison. Kendra J and I played magnetic checkers. We got to the airport and waited. The flight to Detroit left at 1:30 pm and lasted an hour. We had about three hours to kill in the airport, so Kendra and I wandered around. I carry the Beanie Baby moose that Karl sent with me everywhere. I bought pizza, a Redwings hockey puck for $4, frozen yogurt and a pack of stamps for $3.20. I wrote letters to Karl and my mom and dad. I mailed them, then I talked to some of the people in our group and a German couple. I took a few pictures. The flight was delayed a long time because it was overbooked. We were supposed to leave at 7:15, but didn't go until 8:40 pm. I had some fish for dinner that they served around 10:30 pm ET. Then I fell asleep.

8 June - I slept for a few hours. I hope adjusting isn't that hard. Molly K and I got up and looked out the window at England. They served us some breakfast at 3:40 am ET. This is really weird. We flew and flew. We finally landed at 11:00 am Frankfurt time. We got our luggage and headed to the buses. It'll be a few more hours before we stop. It's really warm and humid here - it rained before we got in. It looks a lot like Wisconsin here in Frankfurt. There are trees and pines and mini-vans. We are driving on the Autobahn from Frankfurt to Triberg. We're past farmland and trees like the ones in California. All the houses I see look really plain with high, pointed red or brown roofs; most houses are white. I took a little nap and then we stopped in Baden-Baden for some lunch. As we drove on, we got deeper in the Black Forest. It is so beautiful here, with the high rolling hills and the little villages nestled here and there. I noticed that the clouds look exactly like they do in Rapids. That made me feel better. There are some of the prettiest houses here with woodwork and flowers. The streets are really narrow. I'd really like to go to sleep, but I'm afraid I'll miss something. Kendra's being cranky, because she didn't get any sleep, which she keeps telling me. We just drove through a tunnel; actually, a couple. I keep trying to get a good picture of this little river that runs along this road. Oh, well, didn't get it. We got to our hotel in Triberg and our room. It's really small and plain. There is no TV. The bathroom has a shower. There is a double bed with two down comforters. We're supposed to wrap ourselves up in these. Kendra and I walked along the main road to see what's here. We got tired and went back. Later, we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. I'm really tired, so I'm going to read then go to bed. There was also a brief thunderstorm while we were eating. Just like home.

9 June - We got up late and had to hurry to breakfast. We took a bus ride to this park. But first we stopped at a shop that sold cuckoo clocks. I bought two nutcrackers. One was 120 marks for my mom. The other, 54.50 DM for someone else. I got a few postcards, too. The place we stopped at had a whole bunch of Black Forest houses and barns from the 1600-1900s. It was pretty neat. It's also a very nice, sunny day. Then we went back on the bus to go back to Triberg. We were going on a picnic lunch, so we had to buy things for it. I got chips. We got on the bus and drove into a meadow in the middle of nowhere. We ate lunch in a group with three girls from Menomonie - Lecia, Jeanette and Cassie. Then we did this dopey "let's all sing and dance" type tying. We drove back and then we went to the Black Forest museum. Interesting history, but kinda boring, too. We (Kendra, Molly, Jessica E and I) wandered into shops for stuff to buy. I bought two cuckoo clocks, little ones, for 27.50 DM each. I've resolved to stop spending money. It didn't last long, though. I wanted some stamps and decided to mail home the big nutcracker. Everything total at the post office cost me 40 DM. I couldn't believe it! We all met in the hotel and took a walk up the city street to see the waterfall. It as really pretty and high up. I got plenty of pictures. I met some girls from Minnesota, too, Susan and Katie. We ate dinner in the hotel - potato pancakes for me. I spent most of the time afterwards writing and talking to my friends. I sent postcards to Gramma, Grandma & Grandpa, Cheryl, Bill & Theresa.

10 June - We checked out this morning and drove to Birnau on Lake Constance. We visited a church there. It was really beautiful inside, but I didn't stay inside that long. Then we drove along the coast to Meersburg. We looked around and went on a boat ride to the island of Mainau. I got a headache, but the flowers there were pretty. But the time we went back to Meersburg, I wasn't feeling very well, with the sun and not having eaten much for lunch. I went with the teachers to find some shade. Amanda J and I split vanilla ice cream and strawberries. I've gotten a nice sunburn. I'm kinda ready to go home. We left for our hotel in Friedrichshafen. Oh, my god. You wouldn't believe how nice and expensive this hotel is. It has a television and our room has a balcony. I didn't have anything to do, so I watched TV. I saw The Littles, Home Improvement, and Married with Children. It is so weird hearing it all in German. I had to quick go down for a group meeting. {I got scolded by Herr Zander for being barefoot in the lobby} Amanda and I decided to go find food for ourselves - the rest of the group went swimming, but we didn't want to be in the sun. We walked towards the pier and ate at a little cafe. We shared a cheese pizza. I decided I needed money, so I tried getting some from an ATM. At first, the stupid thing wouldn't take my card, but it ate it after I asked it to. I took out 50 DM because I was down to 3 some in cash. I went back up to my room. I was bored, so I came up with a little list of German differences that no one would usually notice - door handles instead of knobs; no clicks in the room; light buttons instead of switches; no quilts or blankets, just a feather cover; showers with movable shower head positioning; big room key chains; you HAVE to wear shoes everywhere; pretty plain rooms; few radios or televisions; the voltage plug-ins; very few grocery stores, mostly specialty shops; and also the whole German language/Deutsche Mark thing. Well, at least somebody notices these things! A couple more things: the windows [are hinged at the bottom, not sash windows]; you have to to push the big toilet BUTTON on the wall to flush; etc. etc. etc. If I think of any more I'll write them down. I wrote a letter to Kathy, then called it a night.

11 June - This morning we watched Rugrats, the Smurfs, Tiny Toons and The Simpsons in German. I'm going to miss this hotel - it's so nice. We checked out and drove a long ways to Füssen. There we visited Schloß Neuschwanstein. It was really pretty, but it took forever to get in and around. I got pretty impatient. Some girls from Menomonie and I went to take pictures from the Marianbrücke, high over a waterfall and across from the castle. I had to keep myself from shaking, I got so scared on the bridge! Rob and Bill would have loved it. I walked the whole 30 some minutes back. I bought some postcards and an nice bierstein for Dave & Kathy for 42.50 DM. I got some yogurt for lunch, and sat and talked with Amanda and Joel. There was something wrong with the bus, so we had to sit around and wait. I through of some more differences between Germany and America - no screens on the windows => no mosquitoes; no sales tax on little things; water for drinking is carbonated and minerally; they don't serve water with meals; forests are really dense; the towels feel like gravel. We drove on through the Alps. They're a lot greener and grayer than I thought they'd be, but they're still really tall. I didn't stay with Kendra in the hotel; she wanted to be in a different room, so I stayed with Amanda and Jamie K. We went out to find dinner and finally found a Mex-American restaurant. I got a vegetarian quesadilla, but all it had in it were red, green, and yellow peppers, and onions. We walked around the middle of the city {Innsbruck} a little bit, then went back to our hotel. The guy at the front desk fixed our TV. I stayed up late writing a letting to Karl and talking to Frau Borski about a few things. I'm really not having fun yet, though I'm still hoping it gets better.

12 June - We got to sleep in today. I'm really, really, REALLY cold and wet. This morning we did a little more shopping. I bought a Stormtrooper PEZ dispenser, some candy and a little marizpan potato. We all drove up to the Olympic ski-jump arena. Amanda and I climbed up to the top and took pictures. We had time afterwards to go eat lunch, so Amanda and I went to a little cafe. I got a dumpling soup made with semolina and broth, raspberry soda and Linzer torte. It tasted so good! We all got together again and took a little walking tour of Innsbruck. We went on a tramcar up the mountain side. We were just getting into the forest when the heavens opened up. We had to walk for two hours soaking wet until we got to the restaurant we were going to eat dinner at. No one was too happy with the whole hike. We sat a long time before we got food. I don't want to walk all the way back to the hotel. My legs hurt so much and they won't stop shaking! I just want to take a nice, warm shower and put my sweatshirt & PJs on! I finally got my dinner, käsespätzle. At first it tasted good, then it got a bit sickening. It took forever to pay. It was STILL raining out. It's so dreary and I feel miserable. On the way back, Mark S kept talking about how "fun" everything was. Ha! I got back to the hotel, sore and wet. I went to the room and took a long, warm shower. It felt so good after being soaked to the skin and sitting around for five hours. Amanda and Jamie put up a clothes line in the middle of the room to dry clothes. It feels so good just to stop moving for once. I wonder exactly how many miles I've actually walked since we got here. I'm going to have calves of steel when I get back.

13 June - We got up this morning and checked out. I'm getting really sick of bread and jam for breakfast! We drove out of Austria to Mittenwald, where we took a little break. It was a really pretty village. I bought a crystal Rolls-Royce keychain for 10 DM. I also got a piece of cherry strudel. We drove on to Oberammergau. We took time to see the theater they stage the Passion Play every ten years, and also the fairy-tale painted houses. I bought some little painted and carved balls for 11 DM. Amanda and I went into a bunch of little souvenir shops. We bought some fruit for lunch. We drove on to Linderhof to see ANOTHER castle - King Ludwig II's residence. I used Frau Borski's calling card to say hi to my mom. I also bought a birthday card for Cassie - her 14th birthday is today. We finally got to Munich and checked into our hotel. we're in a room of four - me, Amanda, Kendra and Jessica E. It's good that our room's pretty big. Other difference - so polite here!; all the post boxes and telephones are yellow; the doors don't fit in the frames; not very many bums on the street {really, high-school me?}. We had a meeting in the lobby to discuss rules, then we all left to go to a beer hall to find dinner. Well, on the way we got lost and the heavens opened up once more. I got soaked (again!). We ended up at a little German restaurant. I had baked cheese (camembert) that tasted like fish. Not too good. After dinner, we had an orientation of the S-Bahn. We got on and went to the Marienplatz, where the Glockenspiel is. Quite an adventure, let me say. There was a small group of us standing around listening to some street musicians. Then this drunk midget {sigh, another instance of how non-PC I was then...} on a bike started chasing us around and swearing at us. Some of the girls got pretty frightened. We had an hour free and waited for the teachers to come back. The group I was with walked back to the hotel. I was so tired by then. You could tell it was Friday the 13th.

14 June - Remind me never to spend money again. I spent a lot today, but I got some cool stuff for a lot of people. This morning we got up and ate a good breakfast. Then the LHS kids went to the U-Bahn to go to the Marienplatz. A bunch of us went to Kaufhof, a department store. I bought a soccer patch for 8 DM, and 2 F1 cars (one for me and one for Karl) for 79.90 DM, and a Ferrari tin with candy for 20 DM. Oh my. we went outside to watch the Glockenspiel at 11 am. It was pretty neat to see it live. This weekend, Munich was celebrating its 839th birthday, so there were many people in traditional clothing and German bands. Cool. We went and ate lunch at McDonald's. I had a vegetable burger and Fanta. We walked back to the Marienplatz where there was a "modern-historical" (?) play being sung like an opera. It was interesting, but I couldn't understand much of it. We came back on the U-Bahn to the hotel. I washed some of my clothes in the sink, and then I reorganized my suitcase. My back is starting to peel. Oh, today I also bought a chocolate-covered marzipan stick and a German F1 shirt for me, and a set of pictures. All three together cost me 47 DM. Aurgh! I like having this free time in the afternoon. Adding it all up, I found I've spend $231+ on presents. My day didn't get much better. We met in a group and rode the U-Bahn to the Olympic Park where the 1972 summer Olympics were held. It started to rain a little again. We went up the Olympic Tower (about 150 m high) and took some pictures of Munich from above. That wasn't so bad. It got worse. Instead of going to Pizza Hut with the rest of the group, I opted to go back to the city. The teachers didn't want me to go back to the hotel alone. They wanted to eat, and I wanted to save my money. They finally dragged me to an "internet cafe". There were two teachers and two other students with me. We ate (I had pizza anyway) and then I wanted to get on one of the computers there to send email to my dad. I finally got on and then both of the teachers had to try. I just wanted to go back! It started raining again when we were eating and I just felt miserable. I finally got back to the hotel, ready to go to sleep! Oh, and I hurt my foot jumping on the trampolines at the Olympic park. I rolled over it doing a somersault and took some big chunks of skin off it as well. Fun day, huh? Maybe it'll be better tomorrow. Happy Flag Day! {god, what a self-centered, self-pitying, ungrateful little brat I was. This travel account is almost painful for me to type up.}

15 June - Happy Father's Day! My butt really hurts, but today was one of the best days I've had so far. We got up and went to breakfast like usual. Then in groups we traveled to the Dachau concentration camp. I didn't like it at all, and I think that's how you're supposed to feel. I walked out of there feeling pretty somber. Then, we took the S-Bahn back to the Marienplatz, then took the U-Bahn to go to the BMW Museum. I through it was pretty neat. Not much to see, but still cool. I bought 4 postcards, all of the BMW Z3s for me, dad, Karl and Bill. We (Amanda, Joel, Jamie and I) walked over to the Olympic Park to buy pretzels and ice cream for lunch. We hurried to go on this {Mike's} bike tour of Munich. We got there and got really crappy bikes. Our guide, Marcus, was cool and from England. We got to see the opera house, the king's residence, the gardens, some churches (Lucaskirche), the English Garden, a beer hall, and many other places. I supposed I should mention that I crashes on the tour and banged my knee to hell. It was so much fun! I finally got a gift for my dad, an actual beer mug from the beer garden. I ate an applesauce crepe and drank half a liter of Spezi. Amanda, Joel and I were discussing why Minnesota or Wisconsin was better than the other with Misty, Meredith and Nichole, all from MN. We rode back to the Marienplatz around 9. Frau Borski suggested we get ice cream. We finally found a place and I got a scoop of blackberry adn a scoop of caramel. It was so good! On the way back, Misti and I tried to make calls home. She got through, I didn't. I was a little sad. I wanted to tell my dad happy father's day even through I can't be with him. Hopefully I'll be able to talk to him soon! I miss everyone!

16 June - We checked out of the hotel and were back on the road again on the bus. It actually felt good. We started to drive to Salzburg. The scenery was pretty and mysterious with the fog, but I couldn't stay awake. We stopped at the Chiemsee to see Ludwig II's castle (the third we've seen so far) - the Königschloß. We toured that and then had to get back on the bus. I bought some chocolate. We drove on in Austria. On the way to Salzburg, we stopped to tour a salt mine. It was a lot of fun. They made us wear these funny white outfits. We went deep into the mines. It was cool (cold) and a lot of fun. I got a picture of us on this little train. We left and checked into our hotel in Salzburg. I'm in a room with Kendra and Jessica. I can just imaging how much fun this is going to be and how much sleep I'm going to be getting! (sarcastic) I went out to dinner with a group of people to a chain-chicken restaurant here. The food there wasn't bad, but there were a lot of people there from our group getting drunk and smoking. I really didn't agree with that and the fact that the teachers are letting them get away with it. Jessica and Kendra were being really loud, so I went and talked to Amanda about some stuff. I changed rooms with her - so she'd have fun and I'd get sleep. I really didn't care. I really miss my friends and especially my family. {I was homesick and maybe depressed nearly the entire trip. I must have tried everyone else's patience. I'm so sorry!}

17 June - This morning, we got up and went to breakfast. Then we went on a guided tour of old Salzburg by foot. We saw the Mirabell gardens (where they filmed the song Do-Re-Mi in The Sound of Music). Then we saw where Mozart lived for a while. Across the river we saw old shops and a Roman-Catholic Monastery (where, also, the Von Trapps hid behind gravestones). It ended at Mozart's birth house. The leaders gave us from 11 to 4 off, so we went around looking for T-shirts that said "In Austria, there are no kangaroos." I loved it, but I couldn't find it! I bought a pretzel and some Mozart chocolate balls. We walked back to the hotel under the sprinkling sky. We still had a lot of time and I planned on calling home. I walked over to the post office by the Hauptbahnhof to use the phone there. I called my mom and talked to her for a long time. Then I called Karl and talked to him, too. It made me feel so much better to talk to them when I'm not feeling all that great emotionally. Oh, and I also mailed out some postcards and letters while I was out. The teachers have some sort of special surprise for us later on tonight. I'm not sure I want to know. Okay, well, we all got the bus to go to ANOTHER castle, but this one turned out to be pretty cool. Some crazy prince bishop installed water jets all over and some water-powered figurines. I got wet in the rain room and on the path. I thought it was pretty funny. We even got to see the gazebo from The Sound of Music. We all got back on the bus and drove to Salzburg again. I think we're going out to dinner in a beer hall tonight. I hope it'll be good. I could use some good foot in me. And a good night's rest - we have to eat breakfast at 6 tomorrow. We had (witnessed, actually) a pretty scary moment before we went to dinner. A man passed out on the stairs and some girls tried to give him CPR. The ambulance arrived and took over. I think he was all right, but most of us were pretty shaken. We did got to a beer garden, in the rain (these countries never let up, do they!), and I had soup, salad and creme caramel. It was all good and I was trying to use up my schillings. I think I'll give them out back home as mementos. I'm really tired now and am looking forward to sleep.

18 June - Today, during the day, we had nothing to do while riding the bus to our family stays. I thought up a few more things that are different: the toilet stalls have actual doors; you get your food in restaurants when it's ready, not when all dishes are ready; the stop lights turn green, yellow, red, then right before it turns green again, the yellow flashes on; grocery stores close for lunch. We got to take a little time to see the medieval city of Rothenburg. It was pretty neat. I bought a lot of Christmas decorations for me, Mom and aunt Kathy that cost me about 190 DM. It was pretty expensive. We drove on to Bensheim in the rain. Everyone is getting pretty nervous about the family stay. I'm just a little. Well, we finally got there and I got to meet Birgit and her boyfriend, Karsten, in person. They both have long hair; they seem nice, though. We got to their house and I met with my host mother - she is really nice. I was shown my room and the rest of the house. It's kind of interesting, because Birgit's into the whole pop culture/marijuana/hard rock type thing that I don't get into. Oh, well, it's just a week (8 full days). Their backyard is just covered with flowers. I thought it was so pretty. They showed me their 50 canaries and 5 rabbits and parrot and dog and rat and fish. I'm in a zoo! Her mom gave me some fresh raspberries and cream. I also showed them my photo album. The father is away until we weekend, so I haven't met him yet. I have gotten pretty homesick, through. I'd like to sleep in my own bed and see all my friends. I especially miss Dad, to whom I haven't talked since I left (Cassie, either), Cassie and Mom. I just want to go back home to where I can understand what everyone is saying and I know how much money I'm spending. Oh, one thing I forgot. We got into Bensheim and hour and a half too early, so we turned the bus around and drove to Worms. There, we had a little time to see the church there where Martin Luther was questioned. This evening, I went to an Italian restaurant with Birgit, Karsten and two of Birgit's friends, Marian and Birgit. It was really interesting listening to their conversations and trying to understand what they were saying. I decided I really wanted to go to bed. I hung up my clothes and thought up a few more differences: the waiters come to your table and you pay right there; people park wherever they feel like it; and all the songs (the American ones) on the radio are early 90s or earlier. I heard "Runaway Train" tonight and "Take My Breath Away" which reminded me of Homecoming. I'd really like to be coming home, I think.

19 June - Today I got to sleep in. I kind of like this arrangement: I have my own room and my own bathroom with a whirlpool spa. Pretty nice. I had pancakes for breakfast and we talked about a bunch of things - all in German. Then Biggi {Birgit's nickname} and I took Bilka, the dog, for a walk. We watched some television and she helped me with this German project booklet that we're doing. Two of her friends, Marian and Agnes, came over and talked and watched music videos. We had käsespätzle and salad for lunch. We sat out in the sun a while before her friends had to leave. It was nice sitting in the sun, because it wasn't that warm today. It hasn't been too hard trying to understand what everyone is saying, but I'm still trying to say as little as I can . I frustrate myself sometimes when I try to talk. I went with Biggi to her church where they were practicing something or other. I just sat there feeling uncomfortable. I got a big wave of homesickness and nothing seems to help. I'm upset, too, because I don't want this stay to be a drag on me or the family. They felt bad for me and tried to make me feel better. I got to talking about Wisconsin, gave Biggi the book and it did make me feel better - that and the fact that we might take a trip to the Hockenheim track on Saturday. I hope so! Birgit came over and we watched television {I tried to explain baseball to them in German with limited success translating the game.} and ate tomato and cheese salad for dinner. Then we went out into the street and hit the volleyball around for a little while. It was pretty funny. I talked with the mom for a little bit before going to bed.

20 June - This morning I had to get up earlier to join Biggi and her classmates in a "Wandertag." We biked for about thirty minutes until we got to the school I noticed a few of the girls form the ISE trip and said Hi. Two of them, Sara and Cheryl D were going hiking, too. I palled up with them and spoke ENGLISH. I found that I'm not the only one looking forward to the trip home. We wandered through the hills around Bensheim for what seemed to be forever. When you've done as much walking as we have, any more is too much. We stopped a few places to rest, but the sky was cold and windy and sprinkled on us a little bit. We got back to the school and rode back home. I think Germans are crazy for wanting to hike and wander everywhere like that. Biggi's mom is making fish for lunch. I'll at least try it. After lunch, I went back up to my room for a while. Then Biggi's dad came home and I went down to meet him. He seems nice and has a really low voice. I went back upstairs (first I got a tour of the garden and house) and fixed my passport carrier that had ripped. I read a little more, then went back downstairs. I watched TV for a bit before Biggi came back from a wedding. I realized that hair dye should be kept away from the German girls here. So many of those I saw today had some sort of different color in their hair, from blond streaks to burgundy to purple. Quite scary. Biggi and I had pizza for dinner that I got to eat with my HANDS! We watched a German movie from the 70s that reminded me of Animal House. I thought it was pretty funny. Biggi and Karsten left to go to a party, so I went up to my room to read.

21 June - It rained last night. June must be both the tourist and rainy season here. This is actually a really neat house. There is so much space and everyone in the house has their own bedroom and bathroom. They must also have a little bit of money. I found out that each person is going on a separate trip somewhere - Biggi to Sweden, Biggi's dad to the Himalayas and Biggi's mom to Turkey - all alone. Marian's mom drove us to Darmstadt this morning. We spent a few hours putzing around. I bought a big map of Germany for 15 DM. I'm running out of money really quickly. I wasn't feeling all that well and Biggi poked her head into so many different shops. Finally, I bought some candy and we got tickets to take the train back to Bensheim. I had developed a bad toothache by the time we got there. I don't know why, but it hurts. This things is really going to be grate to give with until we go home (6 more days total). I think I'll take a little nap. Oh, one thing I noticed coming back on the train was the farmland. There is actually a lot here and each farm has about six different crops, especially oats and asparagus. Instead of taking a nap, I marked on my map where I've been and how I got there. I went back downstairs and helped Biggi's mom to make currant jelly. They have all of their fruits and vegetables in their backyard. I've never eaten so many fresh raspberries in my life. I had pizza for dinner. Biggi left to go play pool, but I didn't really want to go with - all that smoke in there. Instead, I watched A League of Their Own and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? in German. I'm going to sleep in tomorrow - I get to go to Hockenheim (I hope!)! Oh, my aspirin kicked in and my toothache went away, hopefully for good.

22 June - I slept in this morning while Biggi and her mom went to a special ceremony at church. They invited me to join them, but they understand I don't feel comfortable in their church. I am, through, going to be joining Biggi for lunch. I ate breakfast alone and talked with her dad a little bit. He's harder to understand than the others. I reorganized my stuff and did a quick calculator check and found out I had spent about $400 on presents. I'm really going to have to work hard this summer to make it all back up. Today's been another cold and rainy day. I haven't been able to wear shorts since I got into Alsbach. I hope it gets a little nicer soon. Biggi's dad drove me to the church, then I walked with her to some people's house. I had no idea what was going on or who anyone was. I just ate my food and kept my mouth shut. I felt so uncomfortable there. The girls there played soccer until Biggi's parents came to drive me to Hockenheim. There, I got to see where they race the F1 Grand Prix of Germany. They were having some motorcycle races there and I also went to the Motorsport Museum there. On the way back home, we stopped in Heidelberg. We walked through the altstadt and Biggi's mom and dad bought me some ice cream. We three walked on and up to the Heidelberg Schloß. It was pretty plain, but interesting. We were caught by a thunderstorm and had to wait it out. We walked back to the car and drove on the Bergstraße home. I ate a little dinner before I called my dad. I finally got a hold of him. That made me really happy. we talked for twenty minutes. I had to go to bed early, because tomorrow I go to school. It wasn't  easy going to sleep, because Bilka was barking and the parrot, Jaco, was screeching.

23 June - Today I got up early to go to school. I can't believe I just wrote that. It's the end of June and I'm getting up to go to school. Biggi and I gook the bus today from Alsbach to Bensheim. When we got to the school, there was a big party going on. The 13th grader girls were celebrating the completion of the "Abitur" - kind of like finals. Well, it was loud inside, so I stayed outside and chatted with some people in our group about our family stays. It started raining again (big surprise). After about an hour, school actually started. Sara from Menomonie's gastschewester was in all the same classes a Birgit, so we paired up together. We sat through biology, physics, math and Latin. It was so hard to understand anything, so it just ended up being boring. Some things I noticed at this Liebfrau Schule were that students could eat in class, their raise their index finger when they know an answer and they have chimes instead of bells. I decided that I'm not going to go back on Tuesday or Wednesday. Birgit and I walked through the Bensheim altstadt before taking the train home. I came home and complete the family stay booklet we were given, and took some pictures of the house and garden because the sun finally came out. I'm actually exhausted. I ate potato pancakes and applesauce for dinner, with fresh raspberries for dessert. I sat through an hour and a half of really boring racing to find out what I wanted to know - who won Portland {IndyCar race} = Mark Blundell. I saw the highlights and now I want to see the race. Birgit's mom and I took Bilka for a little walk just before dark. I'm going to sleep in tomorrow, then go buy chocolate.

24 June - I slept in this morning and then took a nice, warm bath. Birgit's mom made me French toast for breakfast. we went shopping and I bought some chocolate bars to take back home with me. We came back and she showed me how to use the washing machine. Finally, my clothes will be clean. I'll pack them up tomorrow. When Birgit came home from school we ate lunch - cooked asparagus with cheese. It tasted quite interesting. After lunch, I took what change I had and called Karl up. I had a little trouble getting through at first, but I was finally able to talk to him for two or three minutes. I got to brag about going to Hockenheim. After that, I kind of just putzed around in my room. I read and listened to the radio, just took it easy. Later, Biggi invited me to go play volleyball, but she was leaving right then and I hadn't eaten. I was going to join her later, but a thunderstorm came around when I was going to leave. I sketched a picture for them as a parting gift instead, and watched a little TV with Biggi's mom. We talked about a bunch of different things. By then, it was pretty late. I decided to go to bed and have a good final day here with Familie Müller.

25 June - I slept in again (I'm really going to miss that!) and took a bath. I picked some roses this morning to, hopefully, take back with me. When Birgit came home from school, we had apricot-stuffed dumplings. I took a little time to write down and translate the recipe for that and also for marzipan. After lunch, I went and packed up all my clothes again in my suitcase. I had a radio in my room and a listened to a local US Military station near here. I finally got to hear American news. I took a little time to read and just take it easy. Tomorrow is going to be another go-go-go day, so it's really nice just to sit in once place quietly and do as little as possible. As much as I'm going to enjoy being back home, I am going to miss it here a little bit. I'm going to miss all the meals that I didn't have to cook and all the fresh raspberries. Talking with Birgit and her mom, too. Later, I went with Biggi to her handball practice. I sat there for an hour and a half and just watched. What astounded me, though, was that after practice some of the girls around Biggi's age and some of the coaches went outside and smoked. I thought that was so stupid. When we got back home, I found out that Kendra had called and I returned her call. I ate a croissant for dinner, then watched some television with Biggi and her mom, then to bed.

26 June - I got up early, showered and went downstairs for breakfast - toast. My ride came at 7:45 and I said good-bye and thanks for Biggi and her mom. At the Hauptbahnhof in Bensheim, I met up with people that I hadn't seen for a week. Finally, after a while, we got on the way to Mainz. On the bus, we talked about our experiences. I wasn't the only one to have an interesting family stay. We drove for about two hours, past Mainz. We drove along the Rhine for a while. There were a lot of castles along the river. We stopped for two hours by Loreley. It was raining (big surprise) and we found that two hours was way too long. We poked into a bakery and in a supermarket to buy lunch. We sat down under a covered area and ate it. We found a little souvenir stand. I bought a shot glass and two patches from German (7 DM total). We waited in the rain for the bus. We finally got on and drove back to Mainz. It was pretty noisy on the bus and a lot of people were trying to sleep. We checked into our hotel - right across from the Hauptbahnhof. I'm in a room with Jamie and Cheryl again, but I basically have my own separate room. They left and I reorganized some of my stuff for tomorrow. Then I went next door and talked to Kendra, Jessica, Amanda and Joel. Amanda and I walked across the street to the Hauptbahnhof because I wanted to find an American paper. They didn't have any though. I went back up to my room to rest. I had developed a sore throat and earache, so I was trying to make it feel better. One thing about Germans - they have absolutely no problem with public displays of affection. I can't count all the people I've seen groping each other here. Yuck. We were all going to eat as a group tonight, free (good!). I went down at 6:30. We did a trivia sheet and my team got 3rd (I got a chocolate egg). For dinner, they made me special vegetable lasagna and some buffet with salad and potato balls. The teachers sang and danced for us. After dinner, Kendra, Jessica and I went out walking. We got some ice cream and took a few pictures of the cathedral here. We came back and I wanted to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a bit boring - oh, but first watched the Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Drew Carey was on.

27 June - Today was a really "hurry-up-and-wait" day. It never actually seemed lie we had too much time anywhere - except on the plan coming back from Frankfurt. I got my tax forms stamped in Frankfurt. The things that took the longest were going through customs and standing in check-in lines. I had gotten a pretty bad ear-and throat-ache and it didn't make me feel too well. The eight-hour plane ride was worse than before. I couldn't get any sleep and many people were being noisy. Finally, we got into Detroit - so near and yet so far! It's nice to be where English is spoken again! At the airport here, Kendra and Jessica and I got Little Caesar's pizza and a Cinnabon. It tasted so good after icky plane food. We had more time to wait, but I'll be home in just a few hours! Overall, this trip has been quiet an experience I'll never forget.

{One thing I didn't write down in my journal was that for the first part of the trip, the teachers refused to let any music other than German music be played on the bus's music system. That meant we were hearing the same Beatles and Die Prinzen songs over and over. I think they finally cracked, too, because we got different music as the trip went on.}
{Transcribed 2/4/2020}