muckefuck | Ich bin der Leberkäse! (Reply)

For once, the prospect of cơm sườn nướng with over-easy eggs was insufficient reward to motivate me out of the house after doing the laundry this morning. I only really got excited about having to put on pants when I did the math and realised I was only a half hour from Kassler Rippchen at the Daley Plaza Christkindlmarket. Nuphy had scouted it out for us on Black Friday and, though the gift booths were mobbed, the food stalls had much more copacetic lines. I was concerned the strong euro would keep away foreign vendors, but he reported that the Saxons were still in the majority, if only just.

Unfortunately, he failed to noticed that Kassler is off the menus this year. I haven't asked why and I don't have any theories; as long as I could still treat myself to a Leberkäse with Quarkkäulchen, I felt I had nothing to really complain about. As a bonus, the line at the Sweets Castle was shorter than expected, so I plunged in to buy the St. Nick's largess for my staff even though it's almost two weeks to delivery. Were products more expensive this year than last? I don't rightly know because I decided to overcome my penny-pinching tendencies and simply buy what looked fun.

Still, the crowds were getting to me, so I scurried back home to do some more straightening in preparation for unwrapping the decorations next weekend, as well as some long-overdue repotting. (Anyone need an aloe vera?) On my way to

monshu's, I strolled up along the Lake and got a bit of a shock: The water is the lowest I've seen in years. The exposed sand on the Foster Street beach continued up to the level of Bryn Mawr. Has anyone else noticed this?