I missed my “Minipost Mittwoch” Wednesday posts, which is somewhat a relief because writing in German takes all morning to do. 😛

So what’s been happening? I am in a knitting frenzy. I finished my throw/blanket, which is already being put to use, and now I’ve started knitting my cardigan. I used smaller needles than the pattern called for, plus a different yarn, so I am afraid that it might end up smaller than the pattern’s XS size. I have been laying it flat against my store-bought cardigan and it seems to stretch a little to match. It might work after all. I’m halfway through knitting the back panel.

I also bought some plush fabric from Buttinette to make a couple of plush bears, but the plush fur isn’t very soft or plushy. The fabric is stiff and feels like it’s meant for upholstery rather than toys. Bah. I’ll continue anyway, since I put all the effort into preparing the cardboard templates already. Joints are also apparently extremely difficult to buy online, locally. I have one set of plastic joints but I want to use cotter-pins to make wobbly joints. I really like my flexible Charlie Bears and want to replicate the wobbly feeling.

I have not been going out much lately. I am bored of Zurich! But I don’t want to travel, so I just stay at home in my bubble. I am cooking more though; simple soups and stir-fried dishes. It only took me 10 years to start real cooking on my own (of course I already knew how to make simpler things). I was getting tired of Michael’s schnitzels and spätzli.

Went to the dentist on Monday, but the dental hygienist removed part of my dental seal but claimed that she didn’t and couldn’t even if she wanted to. I had to go back on Tuesday because I was sure it had been damaged. My dentist also agreed that it was damaged and had to polish the little remainder of the seal to make it smooth again. I may have to replace it sooner than I originally would have had. I am so angry because I wanted to have my teeth checked and cleaned but I ended up with more misfortune than before.

I also had my hair cut on Tuesday, and had to pay CHF 20 for shampooing and blow-drying too, because Michael could not tell them to stop; he was too slow and wasn’t paying attention. I explained what style I wanted in German just fine, but when it comes to stressful situations like telling them I don’t want to pay for washing or drying, I can’t think of the words. So that was CHF 80 in total to get my hair done. It isn’t even a very good cut. After I washed it the next day, my wavy hair set back and stuck out all over the place. I might have to get another cut in less than two months. The only bright side was, I spoke quite a lot of German that day, including a little bit on the phone with the dentist’s receptionist.

Spätzli was so sweet and slept for an hour on my lap:

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But the next day, he just gobbled up veggies, packed some for the road and wanted to go home immediately. He’s like that.

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Letzte Woche hatte ich gar keine Lust einen “Minipost Mittwoch” zu posten. Manchmal ist nichts passiert, deshalb habe ich nichts zu schreiben, dann passiert plötzlich alles.

Ich habe heute neue Memebox-Codes für September bekommen:
TSDR – $7 off on shipping when you buy 2 or more Memeboxes
1PV1 – 15% off on orders above $150
94U8 – 10% off on orders above $100
Hoffentlich werden sie sich sehr nützlich, wenn ihr Memeboxen kaufen möchtet!

Leider kann Spätzli nicht mit uns in die USA ziehen, da sein eigener Flug zu teuer ist. Er darf auch nicht im selben Flugzeug mit uns fliegen. Ich weiss es nicht, was ich tun soll. Ich muss warscheinlich meinen Spätzli verlassen. Das macht mich echt traurig.

Immerhin mache ich noch weiter mit meiner Diät. Ich habe einen Hula-Hoop, der Spass macht. Fittness-Training mache ich auch fast jeden Tag zu Hause. Hoffentlich lohnt es sich nach einigen Monaten.

Ich habe meine dunklen lila Wolle bekommen, und habe schon mit dem Stricken meiner Decke angefangen. Ich habe 25 Knäuel gekauft, und ich benutze ungefähr alle 17 Reihen einen Knäuel. Hoffentlich werden sie genug, um die ganze Decke zu stricken. Ich habe bisher 7 Knäuel benutzt.
Ich habe nun auch viele andere Strick-Ideen. Ich möchte eine Tasche und ein Kissen aus Filzwolle machen. Das wäre wirklich herausfordernd, weil ich noch nicht etwas Nützliches aus Filz gemacht habe. Die Wolle wird teuer, aber… würde das meine Entscheidung ändern? Sicher nicht!

Meiner Meinung nach sind einige Charlie Bears aus England sehr niedlich. Ich habe schon Demi bestellt, und jetzt will ich Jenkins kaufen. Meine Mutter hat auch einen von mir bekommen, und sie findet ihn schön und gut verarbeitet. Vorher möchte ich gar keine Bären in meiner Plüschsammlung.

Last week, I was in no mood to do a “Minipost Mittwoch”. Sometimes absolutely nothing happens, so I have nothing to write, and then suddenly everything happens.

Today, I received new Memebox codes for September:
TSDR – $7 off on shipping when you buy 2 or more Memeboxes
1PV1 – 15% off on orders above $150
94U8 – 10% off on orders above $100
Hopefully they will be really useful when you want to buy yourself some Memeboxes! More offers on my Memebox Deals page.

Unfortunately, Spätzli won’t be moving with us to the US, because his own flight is too expensive and he is not allowed to fly with us on the same plane. I don’t know what to do. I’ll probably be leaving him behind, and that makes me really sad.

Anyway, I’m still continuing with my diet. I have a hoola hoop now, which is really fun to use. I also do some exercise at home almost every day. Not too much, but at least I try to do it regularly. Hopefully it will all be worth it after a few months.

I have received my purple yarn and have already started knitting my Afghan throw. I bought 25 balls of this yarn, and I use roughly one ball every 17 rows. Hopefully it will be enough to knit the entire throw. I’ve used up 7 balls already. 
I now have so many other ideas for other projects. I want to make a bag and a cushion out of felt wool. That will be challenging, since I have not yet made anything useful out of felt wool. The wool will be expensive, but… would that stop me? Certainly not!

A few Charlie Bears from England are really very cute in my opinion. I’ve already ordered one, Demi, and now I want to order Jenkins. My mother has also received a Charlie Bear from me, and she thinks it is really sweet and nicely made. I never really wanted to have any bears in my plush collection until now.

Bilder der Woche / Photos of the week

Zürich 2014-08-20 14.42.49
Zürich – ist es schon Herbst? // Meine sebstgestrickten Teddy-Pullover

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In letzter Zeit ist es mir leider ein bisschen langweilig, da ich nicht so viel zu tun habe. Ich habe entschieden, auf den nächsten Deutschkurs zu verzichten. Der kostet viel zu viel.
Ich habe nur meinen Schal vom letzten Jahr weiter gestrickt. Ich schätze, ich brauche ein paar Wochen, bevor ich den Schal fertig stricken würde. Ich möchte nun eine afghanische Decke stricken, lila natürlich, und habe schon am Sonntag die Wolle bestellt. Leider werden die Wolle noch nicht geschickt. Ugh, ich habe wenig Geduld.
Zwei Teddybären von Langham Melbourne wurde am Montag zugestellt. Sie heissen Kingston und Coco. Ich darf nur Kingston bekommen, weil er vom Jahr 2013 war, und der Andere bekomme ich erst im September. Ich freue mich darauf. 😀

Unfortunately, I’ve been a little bit bored, because there’s nothing for me to do. I’ve decided to forgo the next German course — it costs too much.
I’ve just continued knitting my scarf from last year. I think I need a couple more weeks to finish it. I would now like to knit an Afghan throw, in purple of course, and I’ve already ordered the yarn for it on Sunday. Sadly, it still hasn’t been shipped. Ugh, I have very little patience.
Two teddy bears from Langham Melbourne were delivered on Monday. They’re called Kingston and Coco. I was only allowed to have Kingston, because he is from 2013, and I will only get the other one in September. I’m really looking forward to it. 😀

Was habe ich vom 7.8.2014 bis heute gemacht?

Gekauft: Ohrstöpsel, Strickgarne, einige Minkplush Plüschbären
Gelesen: Onlinezeitungen
Gehört: Ugress, Eminem
Gesehen: Planet der Affen: Revolution, Lucy
Gestrickt: noch einen Teddybär Pullover, meinen lila Schal
Getan: Polymer Clay ausgeräumt, mein Hobbyzimmer aufgeräumt, abgenommen
Gewünscht: die neuen Beast Town Plüschtiere, die im Oktober erhältlich werden
Gefreut: über den Langham-Bär Kingston, und auf Coco
Geärgert: über nichts Besonderes

What did I get up to from 7.8.2014 until today?

Bought: earplugs, knitting yarn, a few Minkplush teddy bears
Read: online newspapers
Listened: to Ugress, Eminem
Watched: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Lucy
Knitted: another teddy bear sweater, my purple scarf
Done: cleaned out old polymer clay, cleared up my hobby room, lost weight
Wished: for the new Beast Town plush toys, which will be available in October
Pleased: with Kingston the Langham Bear, looking forward to Coco
Annoyed: at nothing in particular

Bilder der Woche / Photos of the week

Langham Bears Schaffer chickens... Catrice Ombre top coat
Langham-Bären Isabella und Kingston // Schaffer Brunhilde und Bruno // Catrice Ombre Top Coat

Discarding old liquid polymer clay Sweater for my Minkplush bears Memebox Herbal Cosmetics
Polymer Clay // Teddybär Pullover, klein // Memebox Herbal Cosmetics

Our last visit was four years ago, but not much has changed this time. It is still somewhat disappointing. Many animals could not be seen, or their pens were too small and sad looking. There was even a tortoise “habitat” which looked neglected and weed-infested. I don’t know if they even feed it anything. Nothing really beats Melbourne Zoo, in my opinion.

Of course, we seem to always go during summer, and that is when I feel the most uncomfortable and lethargic in the sun. We didn’t explore the new elephant enclosure because the walk there was unbearable. Domestic animals caught our attention the most and were fun to watch.

Only the gift shop seemed to have improved after all these years. It was a lot of fun to explore and pick out a plush toy from one of their many zoo-exclusives. I chose a llama, which is fitting because we watched the llamas for some time.

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014I was impressed by their air plants. Mine seem to be stunted right now.

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014

Llamas….

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014

Alpacas.

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014

Zebra backsides. I didn’t know they had such long fur. So fuzzy!

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014

Chickens!

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014

Zoo Zürich 31-7-2014

Lazy pigs. I didn’t see any plush toys of these pigs, such a shame. I would have bought one.

To view all photos, head to my Zürich Zoo Flickr album.

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Lezte Woche haben wir viel getan. Michi und ich haben am letzten Donnerstag den Zoo Zürich besucht. Fotos haben wir gemacht, aber ich habe sie vergessen! Wir waren auch während des Nationalfeiertages in der Stadt und haben ein paar Fotos gemacht, die ihr schon gesehen habt. Am letzten Samstag war der Tag der Street Parade, aber wir haben die Parade nicht wirklich gefeiert.

We did a lot last week. Michi and I visited the Zurich Zoo. We took photos, but I have forgotten about them! During the Swiss National Day, we were also in the city and took a couple of photos, which you have already seen. Last Saturday was the day of the Street Parade, but we did not really celebrate that.
I didn’t write this post in English last time, but I should remember to do that from now on.

Was habe ich vom letzten Mittwoch bis heute gemacht?

Gekauft: Memebox No Makeup Makeup, Memebox Herbal Cosmetics, ein Llama-Plüschtier vom Zoo Zürich, Nici Ara Plüschtier, usw…
Gelesen: ein bisschen von Sommerflirt mit Folgen (völlig lächerliche Story)
Gehört: Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in C Minor
Gesehen: Gravity 2013 (auch zu lächerlich)
Gestrickt: nichts, was fertig ist
Getan: den Zoo Zürich besucht, eine Diät
Gewünscht: 2013 Kingston und 2014 Coco Langham-Bären aus Melbourne
Gefreut: über Memebox Aloe Vera, die einfach geil ist
Geärgert: über meinen Lieblingspostbote

What did I get up to from last Wednesday until today?

Bought: Memebox No Makeup Makeup, Memebox Herbal Cosmetics, a llama plush from Zürich Zoo, Nici macaw plush, etc…
Read: a little bit from Sommerflirt mit Folgen (completely ridiculous story)
Listened: Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in C Minor
Watched: Gravity 2013 (also too ridiculous)
Knitted: nothing which is finished
Done: visited Zürich Zoo, went on a diet
Wished: for 2013 Kingston and 2014 Coco Langham Bears from Melbourne
Pleased: with Memebox Aloe Vera, which is simply awesome
Annoyed: at my favourite parcel delivery man

Bilder der Woche / Photos of the week

Spätzli napping on my lap Heart teddy bear jumper in the making Memebox Aloe Vera
Spätzli // Teddybär Pullover mit einem Herz // Memebox Aloe Vera

Swiss National Day 2014-08-01 15.41.00-2 Plushies
Schweizer Nationalfeiertag // uns // Plüschtiere

Spätzli has shown some signs of aging for the past couple of months. He’s now a little over 1 year and 7 months old. He had flaky and slightly scabby skin, so we took him to the vet. The vet insisted it was a bacterial infection and gave him antibiotics, plus an oral probiotic paste. At the same time, he was also treated for parasites even though there was no evidence of it.

After following the course of antibiotics, there was no improvement. I wasn’t convinced that there was anything more the vet could do besides extensive hormonal tests, so I just made little adjustments to his home, such as removing rough hay and sand, and trying to use only soft soil and tissue paper inside his house, where he spends most of his time rubbing against. I am also still feeding him the probiotic paste every other day, which I think is good in any case.

2014-07-24 12.31.222014-07-24 12.31.55His fur is becoming sparse in some areas, like the back of his neck. You can also see his dry ears. He does not look so bad in person, and he’s still quite active. I’ve just started rubbing a tiny bit of aloe vera gel on his ears and flaky areas, and I think it’s helping to relieve the dryness. I get to do this only once a day, so results are slow. I also don’t want to use too much in case he ingests it.

2014-07-19 22.09.02Here he is on my lap. I put him on a tea towel because he sometimes brings soil over from his cage or makes a small mess when he eats fresh corn on my lap. After his snack, he sometimes sleeps on me for an hour, and sometimes only for 10 minutes or less. He tells me when he would like to go home by climbing onto and putting all four feet on my palm. If I put him down, he’ll do it again, and that’s when I’m sure that he wants to go home. I find that too cute. ^-^ It’s definitely something he came up with, and he’s been using it since he first trusted me.

Read

I started a new book ages ago and I am only halfway through it. This one is really difficult and full of unfamiliar words. I normally read before bed and I am too lazy to look the words up, so I guess I hardly learn anything this way. I can still follow the story though.

Ich habe ein neues Buch schon lange angefangen, und ich habe nur das halbe gelesen. Es ist wirklich schwer zu lesen und enthält viele unbekannte Wörter. Normalerweise lese ich bevor ich einschlafe, und ich bin zu faul, die neuen Wörter nachzuschauen. Darum schätze ich, dass ich auf diese Weise kaum etwas Neues lernen würde. Trotzdem kann ich die Geschichte verstehen.

Well, I know my German is not perfect so please be kind if you find any errors. I think this might be a good way to help me practise writing, though I think my German sounds more formal than it should be.

Na ja, Ich weiss doch, dass mein Deutsch nicht perfekt ist, also seid bitte nett, wenn ihr Fehler herausfindet. Ich denke, dass ich auf diese Weise Schreiben üben kann, obwohl mein Deutsch sehr förmlich klingt als es sollte.