"We have a YARD?".

I couldn't help but rudely interrupt when I overheard the real estate agent showing our apartment a few weeks ago say to the couple, "Ok, good. Now I'm going to show you the yard." Yard? After three years I find out we have a yard?

The answer is yes. The location is just around this corner.

That driveway going down on the right side of the picture? That leads to the Bike Cellar. Before we moved in three years ago, I locked my bike to the railing there, at the advice of V, who used to live in this apartment. Don't worry, she said, I'll take it into my storage space once I clear it out. A few weeks later I'm on Martha's Vineyard dancing and I get an email: "Sorry...Lily..." Bike was gone. Stolen. A few months later when I moved in I ran into the housemeister, asked some question about storage in my broken German, and he started rambling on about the Fahrrad Keller. I didn't understand much at the time, but enough to follow him down that driveway, where inside the garage he showed me this:

The next time I talked to V, she was like WHAT? I had a FAHRRAD KELLER?

It was that kind of day. The kind of day when shit just turns up where you least expect it. Like new jeans...

from AK.

Giant wheels....

at eye level.

Green....

Boxes...

and...yeah, so I went to Ikea today for some stuff for the new place. The one and only AK kept me in good spirits after a day full of wehaveayard situations. One: I find out that the Renter's Assistance Association that I'd visited back in December to fight an unfair bill from my landlords was charging me for an entire year's membership after I'd cancelled mine. They failed to see the irony in the situation. "I'm sorry ma'am, but we have a 12 month cancellation poilcy. Didn't you read the application form?" When I told her she was taking advantage of foreigners she actually said - and I quote - Well, you're in Germany now. Umm, thanks. I'd almost forgotten.

But cool, whatever. I shook it off, paid the bill. Ate some soup. Was just about over it when I get an email from the accountant saying that unfortunately we will owe 1200 Euro this year, so sorry but there's nothing more she could do. Turns out Fred's boss neglected to tell him that taxes weren't being taken out of his salary. What? I still have to pay TAXES?

AHHH! Let's go to Ikea and eat some meatballs!