August--Month of ups and downs

Sorry I haven't updated this in a long time--Edward, you've been extremely patient with me! Thank you =)

Well, let me explain the end of July quickly:
Got back after crazy train problems in Germany. Spent the night on the train but didn't really sleep well since the storm kept my train delayed and I missed my connection into Vienna. I had to take another train that I had to pay extra for--not a fan of that! I arrived around 9am in Vienna and then got back, showered, and resumed my duties.
The kids went off to grandma's house and I was left to myself to work around the house and explore Vienna some. Went to the nearest bank--where cute guy works--and had my remaining US dollars exchanged into euros. He pitied me when my $110 became 80 euros. haha Oh well, that's part of being an American.
I spent my birthday with the girls. We had a picnic in the park, read for a good hour out of our books, then traveled on to the cinema to see Karate Kid in German. I left them to go see my friends for the night. We met in front of the Rathaus (city hall) and ate and drank and laughed and I was very happy on my birthday! During the summers, the Rathaus puts on a film festival which is an event that shows recordings of operas or concerts on this huge screen. So, on my birthday they were playing Handel's Messiah. Just as we were leaving they were playing the "Hallelujah" part and that completed my birthday =)
Then on to August:
The girls and I took a trip down to see their extended family in Styria. I have to admit, that part of Austria was just beautiful for so many reasons. The people were much friendlier, the landscape was gorgeous with mountains, and it had a more relaxed feeling about it. Needless to say, I didn't want to return to Vienna, but had to.
Before school started, we organized the cellar where the kids' stuff is and we went and bought new school clothes. I'm very happy to say that they should be well prepared for school!
The downs of August were few, but had a major impact on me; so, I left earlier than planned and am with a friend now. We're supposed to make blueberry muffins soon =)

That's the recap without all the drama.