Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 16:09:24 +0200
Subject: "The Periodic Adventures and the Adventurous Periodical of Marleigh," Issue 11

Hallo!

Mum is here.  We've been hanging out this week.  I went and met her in
Frankfurt, where she was staying with her tour group.  I was about an
hour late (mostly due to this hotel being in the middle of NOWHERE!!!)
and got a cheer from the entire tour group when I arrived.  I guess they
were all keeping mom company in the lobby, where she was waiting for
me.  Mom was voted "Best Person To Have With You On the Tour" or some
such thing.  And she kept saying before she left how she wouldn't make
any friends.

We spent Saturday in Rothenberg, which is this old mideval city.  Unlike
the rest of Germany, most of it was original (as opposed to having been
bombed out and rebuilt after WWII.)  There's this old story about how
this knight was going to sack it and burn it to the ground in the middle
ages.  The knight was in a whimsical mood that day, and said if one of
the councilmen could drink 3 liters of wine, he'd spare the city.  The
mayor did.  It took him 10 minutes, and then he slept for three days,
but the city was spared.

Anyway, Rothenberg was neat.  We went to this Criminal Museum, which had
lots of antique torture instruments and punishment stuff.  Some of it I
didn't really want to think about, but other bits were cool.  Like there
were these iron "shame masks" that they had people wear at the pillory. 
The shape of the mask described the person's crime, like long tongues
for gossips and a pig snout for boorish behavior.  They were really
interesting (and not as unpleasant to contemplate as some of the other
stuff.)

Sunday we came back to Ulm, and ever since we've been mostly bumming
around, playing cards and such.  I downloaded some solitaire games and
stuff for mom while I was at work, and got addicted to tetris again.
Sigh.

German Word of the Week
Sonnen-Blumen-Kernweckle: sunflower seed roll

I'm trying to get mom to remember this one.  It's what she often makes a
sandwich out of for lunch.  Thus far she has to go to the bakery and
point.

Honor and Glory...
	to MikeP and Kate, for letters (extra kudos for Mike for the Activity
	   Kit)
	to my Nana, because she wants some.  ;)
Dishonor and Notoriety...
	to the death of Fruchtzwerg (the sysadmins won't let you pick
	   your own name for your computer.  "The Server Formerly Known
	   as Fruchtzwerg" is now ftulm3035 or something like that)
	to broken air mattresses 

Suspicion and Ambiguity...
	to Mum, for constantly squishing me at cards, but then washing my
	   dishes and buying me junk food so I can't get mad at her

Tschuess!

Marleigh
(and Mum)