Beer and Brezels, One Step Closer, Winter is (not) coming

It has been decidedly way too long since I have last blogged.

So much is happening! Here are my three thinks for today:

Beer and Brezels - We recently got the fabulous news that The Man has been accepted into the Masters program of a German university. (Cue dramatic music). We are moving to Munich.
I am so excited! I have never been to Europe, so I don't have the faintest idea of what to expect - but I'm going anyway!
And, if the documentaries on South Africa are anything to go by, I should not believe half of what is said in any of the doccies on Germany. Surely, they do not walk around in suspenders all day?
Luckily, we have quite a number of German friends, who are all too eager to help us find a flat and settle in. The move is still a few months off, but I cannot wait to walk about the city, doing my shopping and then hopping on a train back to the house - without getting robbed or harassed by either muggers, street vendors or (most likely) police; as you do in Jo'burg.
Another thing I am excited about, is learning the language. Now, as an Afrikaans person, I can understand German well enough (that is, if you speak to me slowly and loudly, like I'm on the receiving end of a bad telephone line), and they tend to understand me, after a while. (Scary thing, though; I apparently come off as quite aggressive, for some reason). But it would be great to be able to understand the menu's, for example.
Such a long list of things that need to be done, before then. I'll keep you posted on the journey.

PS I googled 'most German picture ever' and this came up. Yikes.

One Step Closer - So this week, I finished the final edit on my book, 'The Unsheathed Key'. Now, I'm just waiting for the last comments and changes from my editor.
I. Am. Almost. Done. I can't believe it. Five years after I started the book, I am almost ready to publish it! It's thrilling and nauseating at the same time, though. There is still so much to do.
Luckily, I have the support of family and friends to keep me going. And when I say 'support', it truly comes in different packages: I have been coaxed, encouraged and threatened to within an inch of my life, by well-wishers. Not that I'm complaining. I'm quite the procrastinator.
I have added my Twitter and Facebook links to the top of the page in the meantime, until I can publish and provide more details.
I'm one step closer.
(Is it eerie that 'and I'm about to break' follows that phrase in my head, accompanied by a heavy guitar riff?)

Winter is (not) coming -  Yes, yes. So the northern hemisphere has had the longest winter in two thousand years (or something like that) and everyone is complaining about snow and wind and ice.
Ever thought you could get fed up with summer?
Well, it is June, and I am yet to freeze as I walk out the door (autumn starts in March here). The mornings are chilly, but come noon, I am throwing off jackets and coats at a tremendous rate.
Quit hogging winter, would you? I mean, especially now that I am trying to familiarise myself with cold weather so I don't instantly freeze as I get off the plane in Germany, like some unfortunate Asgardian who peeved off a Frost Giant.
Please come and fetch the sun - I think he's lost. And he's making me look horrible, sweating in my brand new winter wardrobe.

Don't be afraid to head off on an adventure, keep pushing yourself to get that thing done, and please do send some cold weather my way.