Showing posts with label Cold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cold. Show all posts

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Schoenenburg Fort Maginot Line France

Matt was put in charge of a visit of the Maginot line. And the Schoenenburg Fort was going to be one of the stop. So we decided to go and check it out. We went with Larry and Mike (and his sons). It was interesting, but a little weird! Miles of underground tunnels with rooms for divers use. Dormitories, dining room, mechanical rooms, air system purification room… First when you arrive you get to see a huge sign that say “Nobody goes through” (the humor is that, nobody came through from the East, but…. From the North yep!! They came alright!!) Anyway, here is a little history about the Maginot Line: "it was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defenses, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I, and in the run-up to World War II. Generally the term describes only the defenses facing Germany, while the term Alpine Line is used for the Franco-Italian defenses.
The French established the fortification to provide time for their army to mobilize in the event of attack, allowing French forces to move into Belgium for a decisive confrontation with German forces. The success of static, defensive combat in World War I was a key influence on French thinking. The fortification system successfully dissuaded a direct attack. However, it was strategically ineffective, as the Germans did indeed invade Belgium, defeated the French army, flanked the Maginot Line, and proceeded relatively unobstructed.
Military experts extolled the Maginot Line as a work of genius, believing it would prevent any further invasions from the east (notably, from Germany). However, the German army in World War II largely bypassed the Maginot Line by invading through the Ardennes forest and via the Low Countries, completely sweeping by the Line and conquering France in days. As such, the Maginot Line has come to mean a strategy or object that people put hope into but fails miserably. It is also the best known symbol of the adage that
"generals always fight the last war, especially if they have won it".
"

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Friday, January 14, 2011

Colmar with friends

Colmar is a very beautiful town to cruise in! I took my friend and fellow photographer Jenn and her family there one day, and we went around and… took some pictures (obviously) Aren't they cute??

The décor from the Christmas season were still in place, but… not the busy street (which I love) Morgane came with us as well and it was a fun day with good laughing time. Jenn’s husband and daughter are giving her lots of teasing because of pictures that she takes,
and pointed at a waterspout for her to take picture of! AH!!! See how funny he is! (LOL)

Needless to say that he was miserable with not only one but two photographer taking pictures of everything and nothing! LOL
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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

weather

So I was talking to my mother on MSN yesterday evening (France time) and she was telling me how cold it was over there. -8 Celsius (mind you). I was like?? Well yeah it is cold, and then she asked me how cold it was here! Oh something like that too I said!! ;-) Well yeah -10 or so… but in Fahrenheit. I forgot about the “conversion” so… Here is a little taste for those of you out there that are in sunny California or in the south of the Equator in Thailand/Singapore, you know who you are! ;-)







Freezing water under 2mn!




So for those of you who aren’t familiar to the “English” system! I found that little quote in another blog:
Of course you will need to understand English to get that!!
But I thought it was pretty Funny!! ;-)

Thursday, December 25, 2008

KARMA KARMA!!!

So this morning, Christmas morning, I got up got cleaned up and spend my few minutes left at home before going to work (yes, I was schedule to work on Christmas day, and YES it did SUCK), anyway… I spend my few last minutes watching my kids opening their gift with OHs and Ahs! What a joy to see those Hooray& "I love it" moments.
And of course Rafael who asked for a “real” camera (and got it) toss the box at me because it wasn’t a REAL one!?? What, It is too?? No it isn’t! Well sure, get me some battery!! NO you ARE LYING!! You are!!! ;-( big tears going down the cheeks. So I showed him that it was a real one and everything was great afterthat! Pffff!!!
So, I am off to work, already kinda running late with no minutes to spare. Go to the garage, open the garage. Go grab the key of the “new” minivan!! No keys?? WTH?? Where are the keys?
-Don’t know answered Matt. I thought you had them in your purse!
-No I never put them in my purse I always hang them on the hook, cause this way it is easier to go!!
-I don’t know then. Let me check my pockets!
-Me!!! :-/ RAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
-No not in my pockets!!!
-Me: 2XRAAAAAHHHHH!!!! Me calling down the stairs to the basement where my kids are enjoying the installation of the new Guitar Hero game!!
-Where the heck did you put the keys of the van?
-Damien: What keys?
-Morgane: ?? Don’t know?? Why??
-Me: RRRRRAHHHHHHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! Fine, I’ll go with the “old” van (who sometime decides not to start specially with the cold weather!
So I go!! I am PISSED… I am like!! What did I do with the keys? I swear I put them on the hook! Where did I put them? I empty my purse arriving at work just for good measure! Nope, no keys!
Lunch time: I drive home, and eat. The "old"van has now a light that say “check engine” in bright red color!! OH CRAP!!! I eat and OH goodie, I found the keys that I lost, and that I apparently had hidden under my daughter’s winter hat and gloves!! Oh yeah!! Bad me!! So I am like!! PISSED of PISSED OFF!!
Get out, get in the van (Cause I am running late AGAIN) and start driving! Well… guess what, I didn’t see the BIG HUGE pile of snow at the corner of my neighbor’s driveway… and I feel a BANG… Sliding and nothing… can’t go nowhere? WTH!!! Got out, checked and off course I did that: (see pictures)
It took us, Matt, John (our neighbor) and I over 45 mn to get the van out!!

Can I say triple RRRRAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Matt says it was my Karma trying to get me!!!!
So tonight I need to relax and just think positive thoughts!
And a MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS TO ME!!!