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I found great quote in the September issue of Money today, I wanted to share:

“There comes a day when you have to decide whether to take the risk in the first place. My dad used to tell a joke about a guy praying to God every day, ‘Please let me win the lottery, please let me win the lottery!’ And one day God’s voice booms down and says, ‘Work with me, buddy. Buy a ticket'”

-Heidiroizen, 48 Managing Director, Mobius Venture Capital, Atherton, Calif.

So, I’ve been back for almost a month now. It seems like a long, long time actually….

Things with the job are well, interesting. I met the client where I will be doing my first project. They seem like really nice people, so hopefully everything will go smoothly. I’m also doing support.
Other than that I’m keeping myself busy.. Trying not to spend too much time idly. I should be heading back to Munich for the Oktoberfest at the end of September. Speaking of Oktoberfest. There are plans in the workings for organizing a tour group for next year, so if anyone is interested in making the pilgrimage. Just let me know. I’ll post more details later.

I also wanted to post something new that I found. If you’re anything like me, you have logins in and friends using various messengers. I normally use a stand alone application called Trillian (trillian.com), but I found a browser based application called Meebo that supports YAHOO!, MSN, AOL, and JABBER. The best part is that it runs in a browser window so you don’t have to install any software. {don’t let the IT guys in your office now about this though 😉 } It’s great for if you are traveling and using a computer at a CyberCafe. Check it out!

So, I made it back to across the big lake. Now it is off to work. It had a bit of a surprise when I got home. My car isn’t working. For smoe reason it keeps overheating. I’m getting the thermostat changed, but no one is positive this will solve the problem. Plus, there is a lot of labor involved just to get to it. So, if this doesn’t solve the problem I may just trade it in for something new. That would be cool anyway.
The first day in the office here was a bit of a struggle. Let me just say that organization is not the key with this company. It started out as a mess so we’ll see how it goes from her.
I just picked up a new cell phone on Sunday, so I have a new number. I don’t want to put it on my blog, so I am going to send out a mass message. If for some reason I missed anyone, email me and let me know…

Meanwhile in the rest of the world …

United States Temperature hits 48.8C in South Dakota, 46C inCalifornia. Hundreds of thousands are left without power asair-conditioners overload the electricity grid. At least 10 suspected heat-related deaths are reported.

Canada Temperature tops 34C in Toronto. Extreme health alert issued;city officials believe there is a 90% chance of heat-related deaths.Municipal swimming pools are kept open late into the night.

France Temperature tops 38C in Bordeaux and 39C in Paris. France’smain electricity provider has to buy power from abroad as the nationalgrid strains in the heat. Production curtailed at nuclear power plants because of a shortage of cold water used in cooling. Four gianthumidifiers are placed at the foot of the Eiffel Tower to spray watervapour on passersby. At least 40 believed dead, including a15-month-old baby.

Germany Temperature reaches 39C in Berlin. The Unterweser nuclearplant reduces output by 30% due to a lack of cold water. Two deathsdue to suspected heat-related causes.

Spain Temperature reaches 40C. Two new victims of the heatwave reported last week, including a Barcelona sunbather and a man workingin a greenhouse on the south coast. Six dead from the heatwave so far.

Netherlands Temperature tops 37C. A four-day walking event iscancelled in Nijmegen after two participants die in the heat and 30 are hospitalised.

Poland Temperatures up to 35C. Members of the ruling Conservativeparty prepare to pray for rain.

Czech Republic Temperature over 35C in Prague. The famous medievalclock in the centre of the city is running slow because of the heat, officials announce.

Denmark Temperature hits 33.5C. Police report a spate of thefts,prompted by house owners leaving doors and windows open to cope withthe heat. There is an increase in complaints about public sex on beaches.

Austria Temperature reaches 36C. Barbecues are banned from publicareas to prevent forest fires. A German truck driver dies fromheat-related causes.

Italy Temperature reaches 39C in Florence. Italy’s largest river, the Po, shrinks to its lowest level sincerecords began. Emergency workers in Rome hand out water to peoplestanding in queues outside museums and galleries or waiting in the sunto catch their bus. One worker in Sardinia collapses and dies of heat-related causes.

Bosnia Temperature reaches 41C. A series of fires break out, promptingfirefighters to ask the army for helicopter assistance.

I’m not flying back on Wed. instead it will be Friday. I’m not sure why they didn’t book the Wed. flight, but now I’m flying from Dusseldorf to JFK. Then I’ve been told that the flight from JFK to Philly is too expensive so they are trying to book me a Limo(more likely a van) service to Philly. Great ending to my trip. I’ll be arriving in NYC just in time for Friday night rush hour traffic. So, it would be something like 4 hours to Philly, then another hour to Lancaster. Thank goodness I have a friend, Roland in NYC. I’m going to stay at his place until Saturday and then take the Amtrak to Lancaster. That should be much better.

Everyone is also asking if I am coming back alone or if Mel will be coming with me. No, she will not be coming. Unfortunately, I jumped the gun before with the Green Card. It was only the first stage that was completed. It will probably be another 3 months or something….