Oof.

Okay, if these were an illegal drug, I'd be in rehab. What are they? Oh, my friends, if you have not experienced the little slice of heaven that are siroopwafels (see-roop-vaf-uhls), you have not experienced one of the most addictive food substances currently in existence. Siroopwafels are basically two wafers (waffles, hence the name, eh?!) with a thin, but incredibly dense, layer of delectable, chewy, caramel filling between them. And the density of the caramel filling makes them incredibly, incredibly heavy...their light waffle-like appearance is deceptive, actually. But they are dee-licious, no question about it! Made primarily in Holland, this means that my Dutch assistant, E., my, uh, primary supplier. It's bad, it's bad...and even worse for my girlish figure, she's been making lots of trips back home lately, so I've had access to a constant stream of them. I LIVED on these this summer during my trips to Amsterdam...they are the perfect combination of sweetness and and tummy-filling weight, and truly, the most addictive thing that you can consume: your brain even feels better with the first bite. It's downright scary. Anyway, E. (my assistant) and I were discussing the addiction factor of siroopwafels (verdict: very high) and she was saying that a friend of hers in the states was having a particularly bad craving for them one year. So, E. packed up several packages and headed down to the post office...and it wound up costing her almost $30 to mail $6 worth of siroopwafels! It's like trying to mail a box of rocks! In an effort to spread my siroopwafel addiction family-wide, I'll be toting a few packages home to the states in my carryon later on this week. So, if you see me in the airport and I seem to be listing off to one side due to a weight imbalance...siroopwafels it is!

Imagine...

Okay, I might be a little late in sharing something that I ran across last week on the 25th anniversary of John Lennon's death, via Sweet Blog o' Mine. Turns out that one New Yorker, Nathan Sawaya, has built an impressive (and amazingly creative) tribute to the former Beatle's life. So, I'm guessing that, at this point, you're probably saying to yourself, "Well, yeah! Lots of people make interesting and creative tributes to John Lennon all the time." Okay, in that case, I probably should also mention that Mr. Sawaya is a certified LEGO master model builder, and professional LEGO artist. Turns out that will make just about anything you want out of LEGO bricks, even the occasional John Lennon tribute. Or a statuette of Curious George. Really! Hey, either one works for me: it's some pretty amazing stuff! Enjoy and have a great Tuesday!

No they aren't!

Leg warmers. Seriously. Are those back? During her trip a couple of weeks ago, my friend K. kindly updated me on all of the stateside fashion trends that I seem to have (sometimes mercifully) missed the boat on during my brief absence from American soil: the resurgence of designer jeans and the like. But yesterday, I ventured out onto the economy to see hordes of girls wearing LEG WARMERS circa 1983! Okay, I'm not going to panic just yet, because 1983 is, ironically, about where Germany tends to be in its adaptation of American fashion trends. (And you think I'm kidding!) But really...am I the last to know? They're back, aren't they? Sheesh.

Einunddreißig!

It's already that time again! Another birthday, another chance to reflect on the amazing year that's just passed...and what a year it's been!

Godspeed, K.!

So, it's appropriate that today, on World AIDS Day, K. is preparing to head back to Africa. The journey there and back is a long one, and the many hours traveling and working there requires being away from family, which can be especially tough during the holiday season. But during her visit to Germany a few weeks ago, I got a chance to see photos of many of the places she's been, and all of the people she's met along the way...and her journeys have been nothing short of amazing. So, with that, K., have a safe trip and we'll all be thinking of you the entire way!