Linden's Pensieve

When I click “Publish” on this post, I will have successfully completed NaBloPoMo. Definitely fun, and definitely challenging. I already looked back over what I have learned during this daily writing adventure, and I think now it’s time to look forward to see how coming up with something to write about every day.

I used to love blogging, and that was back before anyone liked reading my posts. I have actually never stopped enjoying writing blog posts, but the pressures of school and teaching took the joy out posting. And NaBloPoMo has renewed my interest in blogging. With the possible execption of yesterday, I did not have much trouble coming up with posts every day.

I have no idea what to write about. I spent about 25 minutes brainstorming and came up with several great post ideas (5 Phrases You Must Know If You’re Visiting Germany, 5+ German Dishes You Must Try If You’re Visiting Germany, 5 German “False Friends”), all Germany-related, which Google Analytics tells me that my readers like. But none of them were truly inspired. I might save them for another day, but honestly I don’t think any of these topics are very original, so I might not. Let me know in the comments what you think and want to read here on Linden’s Pensieve.

This is NaBloPoMo. I can’t just not write a post today. Since I spent so much time brainstorming, I figure I’ll let you in on a few of my ideas. Some of these will never see the light of day, but maybe if you express interest, I’ll write it. Let me know in the comments.

I could not live without Gmail*, and I shared a few reasons yesterday that show how email makes living far away from friends and family easier, but it makes work life easier as well. Even though Gmail and Google have become a dynasty which scares some people away, their innovative, cutting-edge products have proven that they deserve the cult-like following they have amassed. Google is rarely, if ever, content with just putting another widget out onto the market. They rethink–and in many cases, completely redesign– the current widgets, creating a new generation of widgets which surpasses in quality those currently available.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.
President Abraham Lincoln on October 6, 1863
This year has been the most different year my life has ever had. I never ever would have imagined that I would, by the end of my 26th year, be [...]

Graffiti is huge over here! And it looks much different than most of the graffiti I remember seeing in America. Instead of unreadable scribbles*, most of it is art. In fact, every time that we go to Berlin, I expect to find another interesting piece, like this one that we found one day when we walked party of the marathon course a couple months before the race. It’s on a bridge at about kilometer 3.

That’s right. I got “pulled over,” if you can call it that. I was on my way home on my bike, when a policman, Herr Kolb, called me over to him, just past the railroad tracks on Schiffenberger Weg. They had a stake-out on that corner, a much-used route from the center of town to my campus. It was dark, and they were trying to catch people whose bikes weren’t properly dressed up. My problem? My lights weren’t working.

First, let me preface this by saying that as much as I feel the desire to smoke, I will not start. You do not need to send me emails and comments encouraging me to make the right decision. I’m just struggling with this and I know there must be other people out their going through the same thing, so I’m writing about it. Plus, I think it will help me cope. Writing always does that.

After that very important intro, let’s get to the meat of this post.

I cannot explain why, but for about three months, I have been hankerin’ for a cigarette. I smoked at parties in college for about a semester. I was exposed to it some as a child because several of my aunts and uncles smoked. But I was never, by any definition, a regular smoker. I’ve never dated a smoker. Only one of my best friends smoke. So why am I having these urges?

On our four year anniversary, I blogged briefly about Covenant Hearts: Marriage and the Joy of Human Love by Bruce C. Hafen. Even though Hafen is a Latter-Day Saint and I was raised Southern Baptist, I enjoyed Covenant Hearts because it enhanced my understanding of marriage, its commitments, and its social responsibilities.

Hafen organizes the book into four sections: Losing the Plot, Personal Covenants, Social Covenants, and the conclusion, which includes an epilogue from his wife. The Personal Covenants section is by far the largest, housing 14 chapters and almost 150 pages.

A lot of people, like Sarah and Daniel Smith, have weighed in on the WordPress versus Blogger debate, and now it’s my turn. I was with Blogger for three years, and have only been with WordPress for about a month, but I can’t say that one is hands-down better than the other. Each platform has its benefits, and for different purposes, each might be the best for you.

Blogger is a great free option.* After signing up, you can completely control your blog, from the CSS and HTML to the widgets. You don’t have to put a penny in to get totally control over the look and feel of your blog. In short, Blogger gives you everything you could want for free.

One of my favorite quotes that I was introduced to recently is “When in doubt, order Schnitzel.”* It’s a great rule of thumb when you’re in Germany and not sure what to order. It also works if you’re not sure what to write about.

Now, I can’t actually write about Schnitzel, because I haven’t taken any pictures of it**, and today’s post is my When in Doubt photo post. I’m going to tell you and show you my favorite German food and treats.