Chronicles

The Next Chapter has a Title!

This week I re-enlisted for 3 more years with a 'Station of Choice' option in my contract. My Military specialty is overstrengthed now so that means no signing bonus, so this is the next best thing in my mind. Unfortunately the available list for my rank did not include very many ideal places to further my career; just a lot of small Vet clinics in remote places. However, there was one place that caught my attention and after very much consideration I chose Soto Cano Air Force Base in Honduars as my next duty site.

It is a short tour, meaning I will oly be there for a year. From what I gather from the technician that I will replace it is not as hectic as the clinic I am at now and has includes the opportunity to do several civic action programs in the area. In the mean time I am going to finish my Associates (if I don't before leaving Germany) and get a good jump on my Bachelor's. One of many things I am taking from my time here in Wiesbaden is I am liking the managment side of clinic life. Business degrees are 10x easier to get while being outside of the US than medical degrees which require a lot of lab time.

Not that I needed another option in what I want to do with the rest of my life but a Certificate in Veterinary Practice Management has been added.

So that's what is new with me, if any of you are still looking at visiting Europe you have about 6 months to have a free bed and local transportation!! Any questions or comments please email me at nikerst@hotmail.com

Edinburgh, Scotland

Me with the Edinburgh Castle in the distance

Work was starting to get to me and I needed to get away. Luckily we had a four day weekend coming up and I had just gotten my annual clothing allowance. SOOO, I looked at a map and picked out Scotland for my next trip. It was hastily planned so I didn't get much time to research it, but I did find a nice hostel and figured I would do my planning en route.

I got to spend two full days in Edinburgh and got to see everyhting I wanted. The giant Castle in the middle of the city and the highlands to the west. It was just what I needed to forget about work for a couple of days.

The Ross Fountain in front of the Edinburgh Castle

Sir Walter Scott Memorial

St. Giles Church

View of the City from the Castle

Soldier Memorial (cameras not allowed inside)

Scott Memorial as seen from a cannon at the castle

Parliament

Street Performer, you get used to bagpipe music real quick. It is playing everywhere.

The volcano that is in the middle of town, hey let's climb it!

View from the top

The end of the Royal Mile, Scottish Parliament on the left and the Royal Palace on the right.

Trip to the highlands, this was our lunch time view. Loch Drunkee (true name)

Our transportation...

In front of Loch Achray

Beautiful

The Scottish Highland Cattle (Hairy Coos)

The Edinburgh Castle

Summer of Softball 2010

Wow, what a great summer! Getting on this German Slowpitch team has probably been the best sports team I have ever played on. I played in 10 tournaments all across Germany and even into the Netherlands (there is one more tournament in France in October) and have met so many people! Not to mention doing very well at all the tournaments but coming up short of 1st place in all but one, I still had a great time. This will definietly be a summer to remember!

When Lufthansa wasn't playing I helped represent the Wiesbaden Military Team as well. We went 4-1 in the community level season which was excellent considering we barely had enough players for each game. Wiesbaden isn't as big as some of the other communites that have 2 and 3 teams each. It's unfortunate that this team is taking off this year with me leaving before getting to play next year.

In between the weekend tournaments, I was the coach for the Garrison unit level team. This league was compiled of just players from the Wiesabaden area. There were only about 5 teams that could play but we were the best in the tournament and took home 1st place!!

Headed to Secong in Aschaffenburg, Germany.

Relaxing in between games

The Lufthansa team that went to Brunssum, The Netherlands. 5th out of 24 teams.

Stealing is allowed!

LSG also plays in fast pitch tournaments. This one was in Brunssum, The Netherlands. Helmets are required.

This year I was the Coach of the Garrison unit level team, 1st place again :)

Summer 2010 Pictures

Summer has been pretty busy thus far, and more to come!!! Here are a few high light pitures!!

Still Hacking away at softballs with my new team. It seems to be taking me all over the country! This tournament was played three hours away near Augsburg.

Watching where the mighty Rhine river is born, Switzerland!!!

Field Trip Day at the Vet Clinic: 3rd and 4th graders from the DOD school came to visit and got to see where we heal the 'sick animals'

SOFTBALL (15MAY10)

Here are some pictures of this past weekend's softball tournament. This is the German slowpitch league. They used to be sponsored by Lufthansa but are currently seeking new sponsors. We played 5 games down by Stuggart in 2 days. Quite Fun!

Update

In Heidleberg Germany getting one of many snows

It has been a pretty good 2010 for me so far. I've lost 15 pounds so far after giving up fast food!! Mainly I've been trying to buy food at the commissary and cooking it......some of it has turned out delicious and some of it I'm glad I'm eating it alone! Oh well, trial and error is the best learning tool (as long as you don't burn up the kitchen!) So much more is in the works right now for later down the line, if it all pans out well I'll let you all know how it went, this should be a great year!!!

Oh and I'm coming home!!! soon, but not yet. Since I haven't been back home since Thanksgiving '08 I decided it's time once again for me to make that long flight over the ocean. However I'm going to be making a couple of stops first. Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Dublin and Washington DC is where I'll be visiting for the first three weeks in March then come home for the last two weeks of my vacation. It's amazing what once can do with a tax return! But until then I hope you all are well and hopefully I can see as many of you as I can!

CHRISTMAS TIME!!!

Christmas time in Germany is an awesome time. Almost every major city has their Christmas market where shop owners set up booths to sell whatever it is they think people will buy. Mostly people will come for the food and hot wine served in numerous locations. These are the stands where people will be huddled up next to while trying to avoid the sub zero temperatures, a great time.

This week we had our first snow. Then our first snow storm the next day. Then we had a day of 3 degree (fahrenheit) weather, so it's been an interesting week. I was only here for half of last years winter so I didn't see any snow, add that to the three years living in the south of Japan and this is the most i've seen in about half a decade. Nobody wanted to have a snow ball fight with me though :(

HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!