May 25th - My Furry Buddy

May 25, 2015
It's hard to imagine that you won't see somebody again when you leave.  My first instance was Nera leaving us much too soon and now comes the news of my original little buddy.  Chip came into my life back in July of 1995 and just left it May 23rd 2015.  He was just a week shy of his 20th birthday.  He was an amazing cat unlike any other I've seen or had and I know there will never be another like him.  He was special and unique.  He traveled across the country with me from San Diego to St. Petersburg where he became a fixture in the window.  After I found out I was going to move across the country again, I decided not to have him go through that again and had him stay with my parents.  There, he became spoiled, fat and lazy but when I saw him again, I recognized the "Chipster."  He would always be there, especially with the way he talked.  Luckily, the day I was leaving to head back to Germany, I was able to spend some time with him, petting him and telling him I would see him when I got back.  I guess the old man just couldn't hang on.  He'd been through a lot over the past years and if there was anybody who was ready and deserving to finally rest, it was him.

Goodbye Chip.  I will always love and remember you.  You were the best.

June 1 1995 - May 23 2015  R.I.P.


 

May 16th - The Falls

May 19, 2015
So posting this late as the other post and weekend was dedicated to my guy.  Went to Rhine Falls or as it's known here, Rheinfell and had a very cool day hiking, exploring, riding boats and taking pictures.  This is the largest waterfall in Europe, by volume, not size, and was very impressive, especially when right next to it as it crashed down.  You could feel the water hitting below, feel the spray as it hit your face and also hear that thunder.  It was incredible.  The castle built onto th...
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May 17th - Happy Birthday Z!!!

May 17, 2015
Today is a great day!!!  Today at 10:54 am, Zachary Dylan Bickford came into this world and changed my life.  He has been a constant source of love, happiness and joy for these 16 years.  I am a very proud father and I hope that in spite of me missing a few of his birthdays, he knows I am always there with him and he is always with me.

Happy 16th Birthday buddy!!!  I love you very, very much. 



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May 9th - Frankenstein

May 9, 2015
So woke up late today and decided to search for some castles not too far away.  Lo and behold, I found a famous one.  Frankenstein Castle was only an hour away so off I went.  Was a very interesting find to say the least.  Got some really cool pics of it and found some more history about it.  I may have to go back before I leave here and check the forest out more.  There's supposed to be some witchcraft and magnetic stones there as well as a fountain of youth.  We shall see.

After leaving Fran...
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May the 4th be with you

May 4, 2015
Greetings all.  Indeed with the Star Wars kickoff as I've been in a Star Wars mood for the past few weeks.  Watched all 6 movies and have read a couple of books too.  Nice escape.

Onto the exploration.  So this weekend, another venture to the Spring Festival was had on Saturday amid cloudy skies and rain.   On Sunday, discovered a local castle ruin named Burgruine Hofen.  While it wasn't a spectacular castle ruin, it was close by and the weather made it a little difficult to thoroughly enjoy i...
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April 26th - Exploration

April 26, 2015
We've now been here just about 2 weeks so I decided it was time to get my exploring on.  I had been looking for castle ruins around Stuttgart and actually found some just outside of town.  However, my GPS in my car didn't want to take me there so I found some more in a town called Baden Baden.  I  have to say, this town was beautiful and so much fun to explore.  There was a river going down the middle of town and it was as calm as could be.  Pedestrian only traffic in the shopping districts. ...
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April 18th - Almost a week

April 18, 2015
Greetings from Germany.  We've been here almost a week now and I think I've finally gotten used to the time change.  Done a lot of resting and relaxing today and it's feeling good. 

Today also started the Spring Festival here and I think tomorrow will call for a visit.  Should be neat since I missed it last year.  Weather has been perfect this weekend too so tomorrow will be an exploring day. 

So until next time...

Bill out

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April 13th - For Nera

April 13, 2015
A little paw swatted at me from the cage in the pet store.  Little did I know at that time that she would become the most loved cat ever.  She was such a sweet little baby girl and you could only love her.  She had a slight breathing issue that I was told was taken care of with medication.  Today, the little girl passed away.  Not even 6 months old but she the impact she had made was huge.  Goodby kittykins, Nera kitty and the cat.  We all love and will miss you.


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April 1st - April Fool's Day

April 1, 2015
Hello April and welcome fools.  New month and got a lot going on right now.  Left my job at Labtech in order to pursue a different direction.  It was bittersweet but something I felt I needed to do as I never totally felt like I fit in to the workplace or with most of the people who worked there.  It was a good place to work but as it is, it was time for a change.

I'm now with my company who I went to Germany with last year and guess what?  Yes, I am heading back.  Looking forward to this as I...
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March 26th - A few days left

March 26, 2015
The BBP is off again to explore and run wild in Europe.  Going back to my place in Stuttgart where I performed so admirably and getting a chance to do more things.  I'm nervous, scared and excited all at the same time.  I left my nice job at Labtech to pursue this path.  It was a tough choice but it makes a lot more sense for me in a lot of ways.  

Get ready for the pics!!!

Bill out...
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