Banner mail day!

When we lived in Germany, getting our mail was somewhat of a pain, involving a short car ride and 3 separate ID checks. Here in Kentucky, the mail comes right to our front door, which is still a novelty to me.

Today's mail delivery has made me positively giddy with delight. First, I received something that I think might keep Eddie from shredding our new furniture with his razor-sharp claws, and no, it's not a gun. (More on that in a later post.)

Even better though, I got a box from my friend Amy in Germany! I had asked Amy to send me the German movie Barfuß, which was recently released on DVD (make sure you pronounce that "deh-fow-deh" like the Germans do). I have been looking forward to curling up with a bowl of popcorn and my region-free portable DVD player for some time now. I assure you it is strictly an educational endeavor, an opportunity for me to keep my German skills sharp, and NOT just an excuse to drool over Til Schweiger. . . . Oh, who am I fooling? It is ALL ABOUT drooling over Til Schweiger!

Here's a picture of Til, should you be inclined to indulge in a little drooling yourself:



Ain't he purty?

But there was more in the box than just the DVD I had requested. There was also . . . I really hope you're sitting down for this . . . a chocolate peeing boy! Note that it's not a "chocolate-peeing boy," as that would be gross and anatomically impossible to boot. No, it's a chocolate rendition of that famous Belgian statue, Mannekin Pis, and he even comes with his own quaint little
metal house:



I fairly danced around my kitchen with glee at this embarrassment of riches. A chocolate peeing boy is at least as good as a chocolate Christmas demon! My only concern right now is what part to eat first.

• Visit this website to learn more about Mannekin Pis and to send primitive Flash-animated postcards to your loved ones featuring the little fellow. I'm partial to the one that has George Bush's head superimposed over the statue's. But that's just me.