New Years in Wiesbaden

Prosit neues Jahr aus Deutschland!

As is traditional in this part of the world, we shot off fireworks on New Years. Not just some fireworks, mind you. But enough to brighten the sky so that really small font could probably be read. From space.

Unlike us Staties, people living in Europe don't have the Fourth of July as an excuse to shoot off fireworks. They only have New Years - and boy do they get into it!

For New Years, I was with my dad and Linda's in Dotzheim, Germany - about three miles from where I live, in a much smaller, more family-oriented community. They live right above the central platz, where community events are held. Also in this platz, there are a couple small "animals" for children to ride - such as a horse and a fish that are attached to the ground with a spring. It's a cute little community that's really set up well for families with small children.

But the wholesome appeal of the place didn't disuade us from setting off an arsenal of fireworks. In fact, alongside us at the stroke of midnight (right at the heat of our 21-gun roman candle salute to each other) was a family consisting of at least two small, very impressionable children who could easily be led into thinking that fireworks are virtuous and natural (I couldn't really get a good look at how many there were because of the smoke that we were creating by setting off so many fireworks).

Here's a pic of my friend Mike Hogg aiming a Roman candle at a nearby balcony of a presumably innocent family. Ata boy, Mike!

Here's a poor-quality video I took of the surrounding mayhem: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8193393720597938581

Also this weekend, Mike, Breanna (Linda's daughter), and I attempted to go "clubbing." Unfortunately, I have to use the word "attempt" because we didn't know the one cardinal rule of going out in Germany - don't do it before 2 a.m. Because we didn't follow the rules, here's what happened: