Several of the local towns and communities are having big Oktoberfest celebrations this month, most of them this coming weekend. I’ve been to my fair share of festivals here in the U.S. There was one at Shepherdstown’s Bavarian Inn that I always found particularly enjoyable. It still stands, though, that I have never experienced Oktoberfest in Germany and I know I am only getting a pale shadow of the real thing. The locals can “roll out the barrel” all they want around here, but it’s still just Florida and a bunch of beer stands surrounded by a whole lot of palm trees.

Over here in the U.S., we also tend to celebrate the traditional beer-drinking festival in the wrong month. Munich, Bavaria’s world-famous fair traditionally happens during the 16 days up to and including the first Sunday in October. So, if at all possible, I would like to one day book a flight and a room in one of the many hotels in Munich so that I can join in on all the fun. I just have to figure out how to get away in what is typically our first month of school around here. Once in a lifetime is how I see this kind of event, as in I want to do it at least once in my own lifetime.

Finding cheap hotels in Germany is as easy as getting online and doing a search. For example, type in “hotels in Berlin” and you’ll immediately find a number of websites with a range of prices. It then comes down to knowing what area you want to stay in and digging up some reliable reviews about the hotels in question, so you can book one that suits your purposes. Once you have a reasonably priced slight and hotel room, you’re pretty much good to go. I like to do my vacations without much of a schedule, instead playing things by ear.

It figures that I actually have writing assignment to fulfill today and both the phone and the internet in our area are down. I have the Mac and am at the local library, but trouble still ensues. Upon attempting to submit my latest writing assignment, I am encountering an error at the other end of the system. Nothing I can do about it and it looks like by the time support gets to my ticket, my assignment will not only be overdue, but be released to the wilds and probably snapped up by another blogger. Technology is only as good as the programmers behind the software and I am not sure how I fell about said programmers just now.

I suppose I can take the Mac to a coffee house later. The library closes in about 15 minutes.

…and, I’m home and things are back online. But, as predicted my big writing job is lost and been reassigned to another blogger. What a waste of my working time today has been.

I was reading Jade’s blog again this morning and she was talking earlier this week about weight loss and what she feels like she should look like, what is a comfortable weight, how she wants to look when other people see her, all of the things that go through a girl’s mind when you consider your own body. It got me thinking about how I had made a big decision when I came back from my grandmother’s funeral in September to work on my body.

I gained a LOT of weight in my marriage and also when I was pregnant. I was in a miserable marriage. I had accepted it, but it did not change the fact that my marriage took a strong, independent woman and changed her into someone afraid to cross her husband, who was yelled at daily and blamed for his every disappointment in life. I could on forever about all of that, but the point here is that I started thinking while I was reading Jade’s post that I know what she means when she says she is just ready to be herself again.

I need to double back and begin again on my motivation. I am still staying away from fast food and eating out as often. That has helped. But, I have backed off on the exercise and I am back to snacking at night a bit. I don’t need a bowl of soup if I am not rally hungry. It just feels nice to eat it. That mindset has to stop now.

That said, I need to go get dressed. My friend’s father died and the viewing is in a little bit.

I may have mentioned that yesterday I went and looked at some model town homes. I am at the point where a townhouse or an attached villa seems like the right option for me and my daughter. Why own more than I need right now? As long as we have the space to be comfortable and can afford to live in a safe and desirable neighborhood, I am good to go.

So, I started giving some thought to the fact that I will be the sole person responsible for the mortgage and part of why I want to buy some real estate is so that I have something to leave my daughter; something of substance. Something she can bank on in the future. The issue of mortgage life insurance came up. I am not taking about private mortgage insurance, or PMI, which is what you need to have if you put down less a 20% down payment on a home. I’m talking about mortgage life insurance, which will repay your mortgage in the event of your death, disability or some incapacitating disease. I have to take my overall financial picture into account when deciding to buy life insurance. In that respect, I am looking for someone to talk to about options and the real needs I do or do not have. I will more than likely hold off until I find a friend who can give me unbiased input.

Florida is blessed when it comes to sports teams. Not only do we have several professional football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer teams, we have our fair share of college teams that are some of the best in the nation.

The Gators (University of Florida) have long lead the pack in this respect, but this year the Bulls at University of South Florida are making an impressive showing. I am used to the frenzy around game time in Gainesville, but now that I am back in Tampa I have to admit the same sort of frenzy is a whole new animal here. People are not used to the blazing demand for game tickets. Anticipation about NCAA Tournament games is high and there is a certain energy infusing Tampa that we’ve long needed in these parts. There is absolutely noting in the world like living in or near a University town. The energy, the enthusiasm is infectious. I have lived in Morgantown and in Gainesville. Both times it was not as a student, but as a working adult and I absolutely thrived on the vibes the students and the team spirit brought to the towns. I attended a small liberal arts college and out sports teams were in the shadows, at best.

I’m not the kind of girl who honestly gets into going to see very many professional sports games. Well, I take that back. Hockey is a sport I really enjoy seeing played live. College sports, though, are events I adore. It’s more about the overall vibe in the arena and power of the crowds. It’s good for the spirit.