Well, it's as I thought....

Woke up and 'da toof' was dangling on a 'thread', which was probably the nerve, and irritating as hell. Didn't hurt or anything, was just bothersome. Trundled over to the market to visit Millie, my one-stop personal one-on-one care center, and she was all, 'Oh, you have to DO something! Like first thing on Monday!'

Yeah, right.

Will have to see what my options are. Ewwww...

So I went to Billa to find a liquid breakfast, bent over to get a bag, and voilá.. the damned thing fell onto my tongue.

So I went back to the market and told Millie, 'You KNOW... you should stay out of that Billa supermarket. It is a source of disaster. First Peter's stroke, and now my tooth fell out in there. And by the way, do they have the toof fairy here?'

She asked me how the other front one is. 'Ok... you know, nobody likes twins very much...' Cracked her up. I love how she gets my sense of humour, I really do.

Nope, am not in pain.

So now I can go around looking like a hobo for a while.

She said, 'Gawwd, EVERYTHING seems to happen to you, and it's always BAD...'

And so I leaned forward and whispered, 'Didn't you KNOW? I'm a bad boy... and mad, and dangerous to know...'

She hit me. On the shoulder. And laughed. As above, my one-stop one-on-one consolation station. 'I'm here all next week, come and see me.'

So thanks to her, won't be so self-concious this weekend.

Cripes, why didn't I buy a soft white-bread thing? But I guess it was gonna happen anyway....

And to think... don't believe I mentioned it, but this weekend in Gamlitz is the 'Weinlesefest'. The grape harvest is in, people try out the 'new' wines, there is an amusement park set up in the Billa (shudder) parking lot, and all four blocks of the town is set up with all sorts of stands, with all sorts of sweets guaranteed to rot your teeth in a millisecond. (yeah, sour grapes, I know), and there will be 'Musi', (Volksmusik) and everyone getting plastered and singing off key, but if you're buzzed, it sounds like you are the greatest chorus in the world, and you can even figure out the text even if you never heard the songs before and sing along, and get all fuzzy and warm, and there is folk dancing, and all sorts of weird things.

Been there, done that. I was young and reckless... once. It isn't like Munich's Hofbräuhaus, which some people wanted to see over the years. It is mostly local, and a damned good show, and people relax for a weekend after working very hard all year. And it involves customs and culture. And is far nicer than being in a tourist trap.

Made me feel nostalgic. That's all....

My OTHER bus driver got all puffed up and proud about how 'famous' the Fest is there. Gamlitz is a tourist mecca for people wanting to re-tank their energy, and every hotel, private room is booked for this weekend. 'From France, Germany, America, even!' He is very proud of it.

I gave him a closed-lip smile... He's a good guy. On the way down, he had a full bus with school kids. And they like him. One little 14-15 year old told him he likes him better than the other, because he feels safer. Regarding driving skills... He looks like the roughest, toughest, meanest disciplinarian going. But you only have to look at his eyes. It's always in the eyes. He just melts and the kids know how to GET to him. I'd say he's one of the good guys.

We had a cigarette break because he was early, going back to Ehrenhausen. So we were out at the bus stop and smoking, and I drew him out. Got him to talk about his career, and how hard things can be, and he told me much. He loves his job, but he is of an age where he can't just go home for five hours and then do tour trips. So now he just busses the kids, and does an occasional day trip for groups. And his brown eyes sparkled, talking about it.

It was about cutting back before you do harm to yourself, and I knew he is a kind, warm person despite the rough exterior.

Gawwd, the first time I ran into HIM, it wasn't exactly good. Gruff much? There are two busses that go to Gamlitz at nearly the same time. And he was running a route that goes miles away over a mini-mountain, and he threw his thumb back and told me to take the one behind him. And I thought, 'WTF????'

Well the one behind him went directly to Gamlitz.

That was back in March.

It became a game. He drives up, I look at him questioningly, and either he goes direct, or there is another.

Over this year, it's been running the gamut for not knowing what the hell to do. And I had to 'deal' with that. The locals HATE 'Zugereisten' strangers (carpetbaggers), who pop up out of nowhere. They are a very closed community. So I was 'suspicious'.

Once he knew where I was going and what I was doing... it changed.

And then he showed his true face.... it is amazing that someone you perceive to be hostile turns out to be kind.

Some people should note that. Nothing is as it seems on its' face.... Some people get HURT if you shut them out. But are afraid YOU will hurt THEM.

SOMETIMES... it just takes the few minutes it takes to smoke a 100 mm cigarette with someone, ask one question, and in the ten minutes it takes to do that, and am not advocating smoking, they can tell you a life's story in the abbreviated version. And you LISTEN. And give a little BACK.

And then you are ok with one another.

Sorry, still processing yesterday in my head. Being down there is like going to another country.

It takes nearly a YEAR for someone to go to a closed community, and receive something half-way near acceptance. If you are 'good'.

The rules are very different.

But not hard to figure out.

I'm going to eat some soup. Gawwwd... I want my toof back.