Hi Michael,

 ML> >  ML> And a way for your friends and colleagues to help you
 ML> >  ML> out at minimal cost to themselves.
 ML> > Very much so! A lot of the other military wives shopped just the
 ML> > commissary and PX. I went to stores on the economy as well, just
 ML> > couldn't use American coupons there. (G)

 ML> You seem to have been a bit more adventurous than some,
 ML> with good consequences. Something your tagline says
 ML> about an open mind.

A combination of not being able to get some things we preferred at the
commissary but available on the economy, being comfortable shopping out
in town (knowing a bit of the language helps) and other odd bits of this
& that added up to having good experiences shopping other than just the
commissary and exchange. I became a lot more comfortable using metrics
and weight for shopping and cooking than I'd been before; now I can post
recipies (and have done so) in either metric or English.


 ML> >  ML> perhaps spouses? Certainly there would be an officer
 ML> >  ML> tasked to make the final decisions.
 ML> > Spouses, active duty, civilian but military connected and probably
 ML> > others. But, DeCA was independent of any specific branch of the
 ML> > military. One of the families in our church in Berlin was there
 ML> because > he worked for DeCA. I still maintain sporadic contact with
 ML> his widow.

 ML> It would seem that some sort of local oversight would
 ML> be in place perhaps as an overlay over the systemwide
 ML> administration.

I don't know if there was a board for each location but more likely one
for each country where military was stationed, with another one being
Europe wide.


 ML> >  ML> > Quite addicitive! (G)
 ML> >  ML> So much so that on reading this I went off
 ML> >  ML> and had a handful of cashews, the most
 ML> >  ML> similar thing in the house.
 ML> > Oh, nuts! Cashews are probably my favorite, especially honey roasted
 ML> > ones, in moderation of course.

 ML> I was pecan in the cupboard and found that we're
 ML> out of savory snacks, even the unhealthy ones
 ML> (except the massive bag of tortilla chips from
 ML> Costco, which despite my best efforts shows no
 ML> sign of going away). I said wal, nuts to that.

No Chinese sneeze nuts? You know, ah Caash-ew!

 ML> > I'll take somewhat hotter than that but not as hot as some of the
 ML> other > folks on the echo like their heat levels to be. Depending on
 ML> what it is > and the maker's definition of the levels, a medium to
 ML> medium hot is my > tolerance level.

 ML> The subject of food heat is still very fraught, with not
 ML> only the actual Scoville-measurable figure but the
 ML> quality of onset, palate coating, and finish; also
 ML> aftereffect. Also how various tastes combine; you can

Very true, factoring in each variable makes for quite the range of
definitions, let alone actual heat levels.

(Time oout to pull 2 loaves of bread out of the oven--wish Fido had
pictures so you could see how gorgeous they look. This time I used about
7 1/4 cups of flour; rising time was faster because it's warm in the
house.)

 ML> combine hot, black, white, Szechwan, and other peppers
 ML> to make something greater than the sum of the parts.
 ML> But most important is the self-identification and
 ML> machismo part.

Yes, you get those that brag about how hot they can take it--some can,
others, when put to the test, end up turning about as red as a good hot
pepper from embarassment. (G)

 ML> > Propane is relatively inexpensive, of course depending on where you
 ML> get > it. The local gas company charges a flat $15. for a basic tank
 ML> but we > can get it at Costco (a trip to Raleigh) for about $8. and
 ML> change. We do > combine other shopping with tank fill ups, not going
 ML> there just to fill > the tanks. We have multiple tanks for the camper
 ML> and various grills.

 ML> I was thinking: could you monitor your usage to be able
 ML> to refill several tanks at once, which would make it more
 ML> enticing to make the expedition to the wilds of Raleigh?

We do (or I should say, Steve does). Usually we take a couple of tanks
at a time unless we're getting ready to roll out. Then we make sure all
the tanks we plan on taking are topped off. Some may get refilled a time
or two in the course of a trip, then refilled again when we get home.

 ML> > mail. Other encounter with the law (pretty sure they investigated)
 ML> was > when he was in a bike to bike accident with a German civilian. I
 ML> was
 ML> > nowhere nearby so can't give first hand proof or not.

 ML> My brushes were also few and far between. The first time
 ML> I was in Berlin, I was trying to get directions so went
 ML> to the tourist desk, which was manned by a cop. The
 ML> interaction was more Berliner than coppish, though. I
 ML> couldn't think of how to frame my question so asked
 ML> rather timidly, Sprechen Sie Englisch? And the guy
 ML> straightened up and roared Sie spreche Deutsch! It took
 ML> many minutes of stammering and misunderstanding, but
 ML> eventually, I got where I needed to go. My most recent

He probably did know English as it's required to be taught in schools,
starting in the lower elementary grades. He was probably just trying to
intimidate you.

 ML> adventure was going to the prefecture or whatever they
 ML> call it to get examined for the German equivalent of
 ML> Global Entry, which I ended up using only about twice
 ML> before it expired. There, they went out of their way

Sigh! Due to the corona virus or just not travelling that way?

 ML> to understand, though their English was no better than
 ML> the tourist desk guy's no doubt was. When my passport

But they tried, a big plus there.


 ML> was stolen, I got my friend Hans-Erich to be my agent,
 ML> and he did all the talking and all the work, and I never
 ML> actually saw a German official, saving my energies for
 ML> the American consular personnel the day after.

That was a help. If I was with Steve, he usually did most of the talking
but I could get by if I was by myself or a non German speaking friend.


 ML> > Undoubtedly! The mullet has been a staple fish in that area as long
 ML> as > it has been settled. The festival itself started in (IIRC) 1956
 ML> or 57, > to celebrate the finishing of a bridge building project.

 ML> Having characteristics of a white fish and an oily one
 ML> as well, it has something to please anyone, except
 ML> Swisher and Lilli.

Can't win over everybody, tho we can try. (G)

 ML> >  ML> >  ML> Bansh - Small filled pockets, boiled
 ML> >  ML> > Quite interesting; it would be fun to get together with an
 ML> >  ML> experienced > maker of such and learn how to do it first hand.
 ML> >  ML> I kind of thought so.
 ML> > Even if we couldn't speak the same language it would still be fun.

 ML> Perhaps especially! [g]

Undoubtedly!

 ML> >  ML> Puffin with Quinoa
 ML> > But I doubt I'll try this. (G)

 ML> If you did, you'd be puffin about it.

Not to be keen over wha-t I did?

---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net  FIDO 1:396/45.28


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