Happy 2013!

I celebrated my first German New Year two years ago in Hannover. I have since then tried to explain what it entails to those that haven't seen how the Europeans bring in the New Year. Complete chaos is an ok description. But nothing does it justice. There are fireworks going off on every single street, not done by the city, but by the local citizens. With fireworks bought the week before from every convenience and grocery store in town. It's not a cheesy short 20 minutes of fireworks, either. Nope, they go on sporadically all day on New Years Eve, picking up after dark and concluding with an hour long finale at midnight. Yes, an hour of what you get excited about for the 5 minute finale on Canada Day or the 4th of July back home.

I know what you're thinking, drunk people lighting off fireworks? That sounds pretty dangerous! Your damn right it's dangerous, we saw at least two times Monday night where groups of walkers had a misfire shot in their direction. I don't disagree that it is dangerous, but it is also a helluva lot of fun. This year, we went to a beer hall right on the Hamburg harbor. And it was my favorite New Years in Germany thus far. Imagine: along with the fireworks, boats are everywhere in the water, lit up, and constantly honking their horns.

Actually, don't imagine it, just watch this video and get a taste of bringing in the New Year German style: (the excitement over the New Year results in a pretty shaky video).

And it's already the 4th of January! I firmly believe that silly quote, "Time flies when you're having fun!" We have been having a lot of fun lately and I feel like if I blink, time will cruise by faster than Kev does on the ice. We had visitors in town for two weeks and it felt more like only a few days. Man, did we keep them busy with Christmas plans, hockey games, New Years celebrating, touring Hamburg, and they even squeezed in a three day trip to Salzburg, Austria. If the holidays weren't enough to celebrate, Doughboy popped the big question in Salzburg so we got to cheers to an engagement as well.


The team has been doing really great lately. They are currently in 4th in the standings and sitting only a few points out of first. We have good news personally with hockey, too. It was made public recently that Kev has re-signed for another year here. Hamburg will continue to be our hockey home and we are incredibly happy about it. For most of you back home, the work day is almost over, so have a good weekend! Tschüss!!