Guten Tag Sweet Friends,

Today, we purchased a new juicer. I’ve been using the one that was here, but didn’t like the quality of juice it produced, so we bought a high-quality Hurom slow juicer. The veggies are not shredded but actually grinded slowly and the juice squeezes out into your pitcher. It produces a thicker, higher quality juice that is much healthier. I had one like it in Hawaii and loved it, and now, we have one here! Score!!

I also went shopping for a pair of inline skates or roller blades as used to call them. Sue and I are determined to skate on the river promenade with the hundreds of others who sail by each day. Inline skating is BIG here in Koln. Very big. You see skaters everywhere; not as many skaters as bicyclists, but still, there are a lot. Because the river promenade just outside our window is very flat and relatively smooth, hundreds of Kolners come here to skate. Well, of course, I want to be one of them.

I’ve never been a huge fan of skating. I mean, I went when I was a kid and later in my teenage years to the Skateland in Memphis and other skating arenas in Southaven, but it was more of a social thing. I didn’t actually enjoy skating. And my one experience ice skating was a disaster. I had a brand new pair of blue jeans so every time I fell on the ice, and that was a lot, I left a denim blue streak across the ice. By the time I got home, both legs were blue, literally blue, from the faded jeans. Not cool. I had no idea if I could actually inline skate or not.

Sue took me to the store where she bought her skates and where they have a “track” you can practice on. We picked out several pairs that were reasonably priced or on sale (no sense spending a ton of euros to kill myself) and started lacing up. She held my hand as I stood up and she helped me over to the practice track – really just a painted ring around the skate section where other shoppers were walking. Oh no, danger, danger! What if I can’t stop or turn or I scream in English, “get out of the way, I don’t know how to stop,” and they don’t understand me???

Well, turns out, I’m not half bad at it! I didn’t fall, didn’t hit anyone and didn’t get arrested. Back when I was drinking, that was a good night! I tried several pairs and took several turns around the department and was quite pleased with myself! I finally decided on a pair that had been marked down to 50 euros, again, no sense in spending a lot of euro for a buss up knee! Oh, and I did spend another 20 EU on knee, elbow and wrist pads, just in case! Score!

We also went to TK Maxx – that’s TJ Maxx’s sister – where I bought a pair of Keen’s and a pair of Thinsulate water/snow hiking boots, both for 45 EU. Bam! Another score!! We had lunch in the museum café and I scored vegan cream of asparagus soup and vegan mint crème with carmalized apricots. YUM!!!

So, today was a total score! New skates, new walking shoes, new snow boots, vegan dessert and a new juicer!!! I hope your day is a total score as well!!!

Auf Wiedersehen!