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# Life in BG

Just another day in Bulgaria

## Sitemaps

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## Posts

- [Who is Aleksander Nevski and why is a church named after him?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/who-is-aleksander-nevski-and-why-is-a-church-named-after-him/) - Last weekend, Mark and I set out to find the glorious Nevski church, one of the most famous landmarks here in Sofia. I spent all 7 of my college years (I’m including my Master’s degree—I didn’t just go through college slowly) at a Catholic University, so I have developed a love for giant, overly decorated
- [The Day We Found Cereal](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-day-we-found-cereal/) - Just so you know, I have an endless supply of food-related stories. I could go on for days about the hunting and gathering we do here. And here’s another one… When we moved here, we knew we would not be able to eat the same way we do at home. I mean, we live in
- [What Does It All Mean?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/what-does-it-all-mean/) - Well, here we go...the big wrap up of the year in Bulgaria. Let's see if we can sum it up! 4. We believe we control our destiny. I mean, think about it...can you remember when the first time was that someone said to you, "If you want something, you can do it, just work hard
- [Bulgaria:  A Year in (Photo) Review](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/bulgaria-a-year-in-photo-review/) - Here is the post I had planned to put up before our last internet outage in BG. It is a selection of some photos that pretty much sum up the year. No words, just pictures...
- [Not-So-Deadliest Catch](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/not-so-deadliest-catch/) - So the beauty of actually knowing people here in Victoria is that we get to do things not usually found on the tourist agenda. For example, today we played like we were on the Discovery Channel and went out crabbing in the Bering Sea ocean inlet. I opted to refer to our rig as the
- [The Other Day...](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-other-day/) - ...I saw a bear. Do you know that song? We used to sing it when I was in Girl Scouts when I was young. Well, it is now more than just a song to me! I saw a real live bear the other day. Not just one, but two!!!!!!! Big, ginormous, hungry, blackberry-eating black bears.
- [A Way Up North](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/a-way-up-north/) - Or is it "Away up north"? I'm not sure....anyways, the Canada pictures are up. Just to recap the trip: We spent the week with Mark's partner, heretofore referred to as The Canuck. We went out crabbing, took scenic drives, fished, and cruised downtown Victoria. The place was AMAZING!!! The scenery truly was breathtaking and I
- [Encore](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/encore/) - My, but you are all a demanding bunch. Apparently I have a few readers who refuse to let go. I thought I had lost you all, what with my four month hiatus and all (who knew that going back to a job I had done perfectly well for 11 years would be so time-consuming? And
- [Post-Retirement](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/post-retirement/) - Still here....still kicking...still no Spain and Canada pictures. Sorry. This work thing is really taking over my life. And let's just say that it hasn't exactly been "easing back into" the place. Ooooohhhhhhh noooooooooo. It's been just short of solid misery, what with my relaxed, chill-out, been-on-vacation-for-like-12-months state of mind juxtaposed with the ugly demands
- [All At Once](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/all-at-once/) - We are nearing the end of our year here, and therefore, the end of the blog. I have put up a few posts today to try to encapsulate our time here in Victoria. In the next few days I hope to have time to post all the Spain and Canada pictures in the Gallery (they
- [Oooohhhhh Canada!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/oooohhhhh-canada/) - Well, we've crossed the ocean. And what a crossing it was! I had fretted the entire evening prior to leaving about the whole weight of the bags versus how many checked bags, etc thing. You see, we flew British Airways this time because, well, frankly I have had it with United. We used up our
- [Bar-the-lona](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/bar-the-lona/) - Before I tell you how terrific Spain and Barcelona are, I must vent one small thing. The language here. The whole s/th thing drives me CRAZY. Gracias is grathias. Barcelona is Barthelona. You get the idea. Now I can adjust to this. But when we went to Barcelona, the language changed completely...to Catalan (I think
- [Viva Espana!!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/viva-espana/) - Well...here we are, in Spain. But before I tell you about Spain, I must first tell you about our ironic last day in Bulgaria. I had all these photos loaded up and ready to post here on the blog as a sort of visual montage to the year, and, of course....the internet went caput! Also,
- [The Daily Walk](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-daily-walk/) - I've been meaning to photo-journal my daily walk to and from Mark's office--my main source of daily exercise. But it was raining or I kept forgetting my camera or, or, or....you get the idea. Well, I finally did it. So here it is: From our flat, I go out to the corner and turn left.
- [T Minus 2 1/2](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/t-minus-2-12/) - Time to start packing and cleaning baby. I'm off to start. The landlords are coming to inspect the place Thursday morning, so all must be done by then. And it will, beeeeeelieeeeeeve me. So I'm off. Out!
- [Like the Weather](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/like-the-weather/) - So...you'll remember all the times I bored you with the stories of how freakin' hot it is here? Well, apparently the Winter Gods heard me because now we are heading into Day 4 of solid rain. And not just little dribbles of rain like we get in San Diego. R.A.I.N. people. Pouring, endless rain complete
- [My Year In Numbers](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/my-year-in-numbers/) - 6 The number of days we have left here. 14 The number of mosquito bites I got in ONE night--last night. 2 The number of bags I have to pack. 3 The current number of seconds between the time the lightning strikes and the thunder crashes. We have had a couple of nasty thunderstorms lately.
- [A Little Cleopatra](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/a-little-cleopatra/) - Tonight we were invited to a tasting at a new Egyptian restaurant in town. Of course, this invitation stems from the diplomat friend I made way back at the beginning of our stay here. I have never eaten Egyptian food, but it was.....AWESOME!! EXCELLENT!! I cannot say enough about it! I am not sure what
- [Noisy/Nosey Neighbors](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/noisynosey-neighbors/) - You would think that a concrete building would sufficiently insulate for heat and noise. Well, I think we have proven that we have virtually NO heat insulation (see all the winter blog entries), and we now realize we also have NO noise insulation. As I mentioned before, we moved our mattress out to the living
- [Best of Times/Worst of Times: London](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/best-of-timesworst-of-times-london/) - Hey, wasn't Charles Dickens BORN in England? How apropos that I would use his theme here... Best of Times--and oooooohhhh, there are many! *Traveling alone. This may seem odd, but I really liked being here by myself. I could have my own, selfish agenda and walk or rest as much as I wanted to. It
- [Best of Times/Worst of Times: Vienna](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/best-of-timesworst-of-times-vienna/) - Today's feature: Vienna Best of Times: * The opera, baby! I tease that I was all cultured and stuff, but really, it was fun to see an opera in Vienna. This is the opera we saw and we paid 4 euro, or about $6 to stand the whole time and watch it. But it was
- [Best of Times/Worst of Times: Prague](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/best-of-timesworst-of-times-prague/) - Today's Dickens feature is: Prague Best of Times * THE FOOD! We had one of the best meals of the whole trip here. I had a goulash with knedli, which are like giant dumplings, and my friends had duck. It was cold and rainy outside and we had walked quite a ways in the wetness,
- [Best of Times/Worst of Times: Croatia](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/best-of-timesworst-of-times-croatia/) - So....I am uploading pictures of my fantastic European Adventure daily. There are a lot of them, so it takes a while to do. While I was monotonously uploading, renaming, captioning, and ordering photos, I had a brilliant idea. Are you ready? Each day that I create an album in the Gallery for a stop on
- [A Picture Ode to our Hound](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/an-ode-to-our-hound/) - Well, we knew the day would come when we would outlive our hound. And it has happened. A couple of days ago, Guiseppe (who is at home in San Diego) slipped a disc/some discs in his back. This is a problem among elderly bassets and we had it happen with our other basset, Tank. Turns
- [Phew!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/phew/) - Did I mention it is super hot here? Oh, I did? Well, I must mention it again. REALLY HOT! And it is seriously affecting my productivity levels. I know, I know...what productivity, you say?? I mean, I AM in temporary retirement, so how productive need I be? Believe it or not, I have a lot
- [Santee--Eastern Bloc Style](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/santee-eastern-bloc-style/) - As most of you know (and for those of you who don't, consider this my confession), I grew up in a small suburb of San Diego called Santee. Loganites--stop laughing at me! And as much as I tease Santee for being a small town and oh-so conservative, I really did have an excellent childhood there.
- [Mother In Law Diaries, Days 6-9](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/mother-in-law-diaries-days-6-9/) - Since we spent all these days at the Black Sea, it makes sense to lump them together. Day 6 We headed to Albena, a resort at the Black Sea by plane. We got to the airport nice and early and had an easy check-in. And then we waited and waited and...waited. First in one area
- [Mother In Law Diaries, Day 5](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/mother-in-law-diaries-day-5/) - And we're back where left off those oh-so many weeks ago before I left for my European Extravanganza....back to the visit from Linda, Mark's mom. When I left, we were on Day 4, our adventure to Rila Monastery....you will recall that??? So, we clearly needed a day of rest before another major adventure, such as
- [The Consummate Narcissist](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-consummate-narcissist/) - So...I learned that when you travel alone, you can't really get too many pictures of yourself. And I like scenery shots as much as the next person...that is to say that they get boring after a while and sometimes you just want to see a familiar face. Plus, you have to prove you were actually
- [Croatia Baby](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/croatia-baby/) - Yeah, I am here in Croatia (Split, to be exact) and I am pretty sure that THIS IS THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH!!! The water is clear and warm and amazing. The beaches have little rocks that don't get you all dirty. The food is delicious. Here is the quick rundown (My minutes are counted
- [My Life as a Lizard](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/my-life-as-a-lizard/) - So we have moved from Split to Dubrovnik. It was....quite a bus ride. 5 hours of competitions. The Battle of the Loudest Baby, and The Battle of the Stinkiest Dude. 2 competitions I would not ordinarily choose to spectate. And so we arrived a bit frazzled...but this place is worth the bus ride. Truly. They
- [More Time to Write](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/more-time-to-write/) - I have a little more time to write today. The rates are much better here at this internet cafe than they have been elsewhere, so I will fill you all in a bit. I left on Monday morning and took two flights to finally land in Split, Croatia. The flight into Croatia was pretty amazing.
- [Not All Technology is Created Equal](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/not-all-technology-is-created-equal/) - Particularly in the Czech Republic. Grrrr. The internet cafes I found in Prague were sorry, pathetic little places--something like a few antiquated machines put in a back room with an attendant who could barely use a calculator. No chat programs with which to talk to Mark and an internet connection that moved at a snail's
- [Ferg.A.Licious](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/fergalicious/) - You know that song by Fer.gie? The one that goes--My London Bridges wanna go down. Or something like that. Well, I felt very Fer.gie today. Besides passing by the London Bridge, I traveled "first class". Listen to this... I began my day at 5am. That was after a late, late night that was made even
- [Sad, Sad News](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/sad-sad-news/) - While I have been away I have gotten two doses of very sad news. One is that my best friend's mom lost her battle with cancer and passed away. Today, I am missing her funeral which saddens me terribly. The other is that a friend of mine from church who was a regular reader and
- [School's Out...For The Summer](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/schools-outfor-the-summer/) - All you oldies--you know the song I am referencing, don't act like you don't!! So, Logan Elementary is almost out of school for the summer. And I can already tell they are excited. So this is where I do the obligatory teacher thing and give all you kids summer advice: 1. READ. Feel free to
- [Mother In Law Diaries...Day 4](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/mother-in-law-diariesday-4/) - Rila Monastery And so we set out for an adventure, Linda and I. If you have never been here, you should know that Rila Monastery is not the easiest place to get to, but so so so worth seeing. I had read in the bible that a bus left Sofia Ovcha Kupel bus station at
- [Mother In Law Diaries...Day 3](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/mother-in-law-diariesday-3/) - Also known as THE HOTTEST WALK EVER. So, we began the day in our one air conditioned room with a nice, quiet breakfast, planning the day ahead. The plan was to show Mark's mom the city sights in Sofia. (She will heretofore be known as "Linda". Ok,ok who am I fooling? That's her real name.
- [Mother In Law Diaries...Days 1/2](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/mother-in-law-diariesdays-12/) - As I mentioned previously, Mark's mom is here on a visit. I know...an American HERE to visit US. Shocking. Who woulda thought it? So, she arrived on Saturday night and we picked her up at the airport. We were trying to show our hospitality by not just making her find her own way to our
- [Don't Leave Me](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/dont-leave-me/) - Don't leave the blog. Really I am still here. It is just that Mark's mom and I are KILLING this place. I mean, touring everything and seeing everything and it leaves me little time and less energy to write at night. But we have taken some cool pictures and we have funny stories, so stick
- [Marko Columbus](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/marko-columbus/) - So....yesterday....I decided to expose Mark's night crew to the beauty that is Mexican food. You will recall that I brought over a bag of limes and dried cilantro. I had all the ingredients ready to make salsa, except for the hot chile. Mark and I ventured out before our midday walk to his office to
- [Enough Already](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/enough-already/) - So, we have a routine to our daily life here, and it looks something like this... I wake up around 8:00am. In the hot, hot, humid sunshine. By the way, this is unacceptable considering I go to sleep after 2am. But the hardest working guys in all of Bulgaria are building a huge building right
- [Veliko Turnovo](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/veliko-turnovo/) - Ok ok, here it is...the story of my weekend in Veliko: We (Kanye and I) began our journey with a rather typical Bulgarian bus ride. We met up in Plovdiv (she was coming from the south, I was coming from the north, Plovdiv is in the middle). We had a small meal and then got
- [Name These Words](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/name-these-words/) - For fun, I have been taking a couple of pictures of words on signs around various Bulgarian towns. The words are the same in English, but it is kind of fun to see the Bulgarian way of writing it (with the Cyrillic alpahbet), or maybe it is just fun for nerds like me... So, try
- [Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes...](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/head-shoulders-knees-and-toes/) - ...bloody toes, bloody toes. Yeah...had a little mishap this weekend. I went out on Friday night with some Americans I have met here--we felt the need to hang out as they are all nearing the end of their stay here (as are we)--and this happened: It was late and very, very dark out. We were
- [Oops](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/oops/) - Sorry 'bout that...I told you there would be a new album and then...well, then I got tired (it was past midnight here), and then the next day came and then I had a bad internet connection what's new?, and then, well, then...the dog ate my homework... But it's there now. Go check it out! Kanye
- [Me=Travel Agent](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/metravel-agent/) - So, I know I should be uploading pictures of my recent trip to Veliko Turnovo and I should be writing to you about the whole weekend, but..... I have been busy playing travel agent. I am planning a tour of Europe and trying to arrange all the budget aifares from budget airlines and budget lodging
- [Georgi Hrast](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/georgi-hrast/) - Perhaps you have been following the news and seeing that our U.S. President spent a day over here in Sofia. He is only the second sitting president to ever visit Bulgaria (the other one was Clinton). You can read these (relatively short) articles to see how the media covered the event here: U.S. vs Russia
- [A Small Excursion](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/a-small-excursion/) - Well, I am leaving Mark behind for the weekend to visit this place. Veliko Turnovo was once--apparently--the capital of Bulgaria. A friend I met (perhaps you remember me talking about Kanye?? a pseudonym for another American here who did an...ummm, well....interesting....version of Kanye West's Golddigger at a Bulgarian karaoke night???) asked me if I would
- [Pictures From The Homefront](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/pictures-from-the-homefront/) - This is what our hound thinks of us leaving him behind (click to enlarge): You can tell by his demeanor that he is deeply distraught, woeful...can barely seem to get on with his life without us. (Oddly enough, his companion hound seems to have a similar pose. Hmmm. What
- [What's For Dinner?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/whats-for-dinner/) - While we were in the U.S., we found that most people were curious just about our day-to-day living. Sure, the adventures are funny (to some....not always to us....), but really y'all just want to know what life is like. So, in an attempt to have you live right here with me, here is an evening
- [Sofia 9pm](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/sofia-9pm/) - This is the view from our flat at 9:00 pm here. Yup, still light out. Man, I LOVE long summer days...anywhere in the world...I love them! What time is it getting dark overthere in the States? I think around 8:00. Heh. It's better here. Heh.
- [Vladi-locks: A Bulgarian Version of Goldilocks](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/vladi-locks-a-bulgarian-version-of-goldilocks/) - Once upon a time, not so long ago, in a bustling Eastern bloc city called Sofia, there lived a small family named the Amerikanskis. The Amerikanskis were small in number. Papa Amerikanski worked for an internet company. Mama Amerikanka (a girl, hence the name change) mostly lived the life of a retiree, save for a
- [FAQ](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/faq/) - When we are in Bulgaria, I sometimes help Mark's employees with their English. Well, while we were gone, one of his employees was trying to explain what a FAQ (frequently asked questions) was. He told the client they get a fah-Q with their website. If you read it right, it's funny...get it? get it? So,
- [Aaaallllllll Byyyyyy Myyyyself](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/aaaallllllll-byyyyyy-myyyyself/) - Well, I'm down to one more week before we head off. My brother and sister-in-law have gone to Hawaii for next week and Mark is in Canada for the long weekend. So I get the house to myself. heh heh. My plans are highly exciting. I will be sleeping, reading, and doing laundry. I also
- [Overseas Finances...Turns Out...Not So Fun](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/overseas-financesturns-outnot-so-fun/) - You would not BELIEVE how 8 months in another country can affect your financial life. Here, I thought I had a foolproof plan to make sure all our bills were paid and our miscellaneous expenses were dealt with. But apparently my plan was anything but foolproof. Just some fun tidbits about our current state of
- [California, er...Bulgaria...Here We Come](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/california-erbulgaria-here-we-come/) - Yup. That's right folks! We will be returning to the Land of Cucumber and Tomato at the end of May. With our new, legal visa status, we can go back whenever we want. Even better, we can enter and exit the country as often as we choose, AND I can work. Granted, since we are
- [Miracles Never Cease](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/miracles-never-cease/) - Visa=Approved. At the end of our stay. We will finally be fully legal. Go figure.
- [The American 10](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-american-10/) - No, I'm not talking about Bo Derek here. I am talking about the 10 pounds we seem to gain every time we make our glorious return to the United States. Surely this is a result of our intense craving for all comida mexicana, not to mention all the processed, convenient foods we are so accustomed
- [Subbing Schmubbing](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/subbing-schmubbing/) - I am officially....A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER. As in, the-phone-rings-at-5am to-tell-you-you-are-working substitute. Yeah, that kind. I have worked in almost all the grade levels, including 6th and KINDER!!!!!! I prefer 6th. Really. I will take "love" over "urine" any day of the week. So, mostly I just work at Logan (HI LOGAN!!!! I miss you guys!!) But
- [Family Reunion '07](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/family-reunion-07/) - One of the hardest parts of moving to Bulgaria has been leaving our dogs behind. Sure, we had Houndsome with us and he was a barrel of laughs. But we also have two other, sweet, sweet black Labs that we left with friends and family. One of our dogs--our girl, Lola--was living with another dog
- [Sweet, Sweet Vengeance](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/sweet-sweet-vengeance/) - The Revenge of "Sissy" Yup. That's right. I made a mobile of all Barack pictures along with a sticker I got at a street fair that said "Democrats Value All Families" with the gay/lesbian rainbow symbol and hung it in the kid's room. Heh. Heh.
- [Diggy](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/diggy/) - So, since we have been here, we have been staying with my brother, sister-in-law, and two year old nephew. Technically, he's not two yet, but he will be in a couple of weeks. His name is Daniel, but we have renamed him Diggy, after Rev Run's son Daniel who they call Diggy. Don't ask.... Diggy
- [Things You're Missing Out On...](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/things-youre-missing-out-on/) - ...probably because I am not writing about them. Man! I'm soooo busy here. Well, ok, that may be an exaggeration because I lose a couple hours a day just hanging out with my 2 year old nephew. But other than that I am kind of busy. But, here are some stories I am going to
- [Man Overboard!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/man-overboard/) - No, just kidding. Nobody went overboard. But we were on a boat for four days and it could have happened, what with all the raucous behavior. My sister got married on a cruise down to Mexico. The wedding was held before the ship left the port and then we spent the next three and a
- [Checking In](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/checking-in/) - I'm still here. Here as in San Diego here. But I have begun substitute teaching and we are still preparing for taxes and my sister's wedding, so life has been a bit crazy around this place. This weekend will be the wedding cruise to Mexico, I'm sure we will have plenty of photos. Also, I
- [Wondering Where I Was, Weren't You?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/wondering-where-i-was-werent-you/) - I was flying...again! This time with a hound and nearly all of our belongings from Bulgaria. You know, just in case we can't ever get back there. I'd hate to leave all our good stuff there forever. So, we left on Monday morning at very early o'clock and checked in at Lufthansa. With the "kuche"
- [It's My Birthday, It's My Birthday](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/its-my-birthday-its-my-birthday/) - Errrrr....it was my birthday. On Monday. You know, when we found out about the visas and had to begin making moving plans??? Kind of a bummer to find out on my birthday, but we are not ones to dwell on such things. Oh noooooo! Mark Cassanova woke me up in the morning with a very
- [Happy Day of the Woman](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/happy-day-of-the-woman/) - Yup. We women have our own day over here in Bulgaria. Technically it is an international holiday. What is the conspiracy theory as to why we don't know about it in the United States??? Anyways, here it used to be a bigger holiday during Communist times, but everyone still celebrates it. When I was walking
- [Who Knew?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/who-knew/) - I have finally tired of CNN (although I confess to being riveted by King Abdullah II's speech before Congress today) and have moved on to Animal Planet while I clean out cupboards and begin packing. Last night I watched a whole documentary on elephants. Perhaps you would like to know a few facts??? Mark just
- [Groundhog's Day](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/groundhogs-day/) - You know that movie...where he keeps waking up and repeating the same day over and over again? That's pretty much how my life here is going. Since last June, we have been trying to get the visa that allows us to enter and exit the country as often as we would like. As it is
- [Interlude](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/interlude/) - We interrupt the regularly scheduled posting about Austria... Today is a unique celebration here in Bulgaria called Baba Marta day. What happens is this: Everyone carries around these red and white yarn bracelets called martenitsa. They tie them on each other's wrists to wish each other health and prosperity. Everyone keeps them on until they
- [Austria Part 3:  Salzburg   ](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/austria-part-3-salzburg/) - Since Mark was in pain from skiing wanted me to experience a little more Austrian culture, he insisted we take the sixth day off from our Olympic training and head to Salzburg by train. He had visited Europe when he was a teenager and he remembered liking Salzburg, though he couldn’t recall exactly why. For
- [Austria Part 2:  Skiing](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/austria-part-2-skiing/) - Sadly, of all the years Mark is able to fulfill his lifelong dream, it is the ONE year with very little snow. So we were a bit worried that there wouldn't be really any snow to ski on. The day we arrived, Mark found a ski shop (he needed to rent some boots), and they
- [Austria Part I:  Innsbruck](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/austria-part-i-innsbruck/) - Really, Austria was so great and there is so much to say, that you would fall asleep if I put it all in one post. So, I will stretch it out a bit. We will begin with the town in which we stayed: Innsbruck. It all started when Mark was a young boy skiing the
- [Kristy and Mark Von Trapp Return](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/kristy-and-mark-von-trapp-return/) - We're back...and all our limbs are still attached and in one piece, so bonus! During most of the trip, I gave Mark control of the camera. Big mistake. HUGE, actually. The boy took one million photos. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but he did literally take 256 of them. Well, maybe a few were mine,
- [Stealing Minutes](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/stealing-minutes/) - Mark paid for one day of internet here in Innsbruck, so I figured I would steal a few minutes to give you a quick update. In a word, this place is AWESOME!!! We are loving it here. So far we have skiied three days in three different places. Today we skiied on a glacier and
- [Call Me Kristy Von Trapp](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/call-me-kristy-von-trapp/) - Remember this??When I pretended to be Sound of Music on Vitosha Mountain?? Well, I'm off to re-live the moment, except in the actual country...kind of. We are heading to Austria--I'll wait while you locate it on the map--in the morning (tonight your time in the States). Only, we won't actually be re-living the Sound of
- [Happy Valentine's Day!!!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/happy-valentines-day/) - Surely you are wondering how they celebrate Valentine's Day over here. And the answer is......... the same way as back home. With goofy little stuffed animals, candy, chocolate, flowers, dinner, blah blah blah. Everything is exactly same, minus the candy hearts that say "Fax Me". They don't have those. But not to worry, my friend
- [Poshta	](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/poshta/) - No…it’s not some derivative of posh. It’s how they say “mail” here. (The “o” is long.) And we love the poshta. Well, actually, we love receiving poshta. Sending it back to you people is a whole other story… But about receiving. I have this little quirk. To be clear, I call it a quirk, Mark
- [The Case of the Missing Canuck](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-case-of-the-missing-canuck/) - Mark has a business partner in Canada, who came here to Bulgaria for the first time a couple of weeks ago. He flew in on a Friday, and promptly received the Bulgarian welcome....drinks, dinner, more drinks, more drinks, more drinks. You get the idea. The next day Mark and I headed over to the apartment
- [Eating Seasonally](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/eating-seasonally/) - You know we are spoiled over there in the land of milk and honey. We can get milk and honey, and all manner of fruits and vegetables all year long. So…if I feel like having a nectarine in the dead of winter, I can get one. It will cost more, but I can get one.
- [Because The Next Step Was Padded Walls](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/because-the-next-step-was-padded-walls/) - There are many, many things here that could make me C.R.A.Z.Y. What with the pickpocketing, the unknown mystery meats, the lady at the tomato stand yelling at me because I touched her goods....the list goes on and on. But the thing that has really gotten to me, believe it or not, is living in a
- [My Life is Pretty Much Awesome](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/my-life-is-pretty-much-awesome/) - If "awesome" means that when you are walking down the street a Roma/gypsy will ever-so-slowly unzip your bag pocket and carefully and quietly take your wallet full of cash (ok, only the equivalent of about $40, but still!), credit cards, and boarding passes for airline miles out of your bag and you won't realize it
- [In My Spare Time](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/in-my-spare-time/) - I make up new names for the dog. You know, because I have time to think of these things. Here are some I came up with: Hound-some (handsome, get it?) Hound-ly His Royal Houndliness (this is what I call him when he acts like a spoiled brat) Hound-a-licious Hound-ini (like Houdini, this is what I
- [I'm Baaaaack](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/im-baaaaack/) - I returned from my travels to Pazardzhik. You can read about the town and its history here. There are quite a few archealogical digs around this area because there are many Thracian tombs. In fact, if you visit the Museum of Natural History here in Sofia--which I clearly did because duh!! I'm a teacher!--many of
- [Tidbits](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/tidbits/) - I am leaving for a couple of days to go visit a friend in Pazardzhik. It is about two hours away from here by train. She is a teacher so I will spend some time in her school and then just seeing yet another Bulagarian town. Poor Mark. he'll be so lonely. He'll have to
- [Michelle Kwan, I Am Not](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/michelle-kwan-i-am-not/) - In my ongoing effort to somehow participate in some Olympic Games somewhere, I decided to take up ice skating. Ok, well, I didn't really "take it up". I was invited to a good old-fashioned ice skating party in an old hockey rink. And....as you might expect for this part of the world, the roof was
- [Passing the Time](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/passing-the-time/) - So...there isn't much to do here in the winter, except stare out the window and curse the neverending rain, or to persuade it to turn into snow. Although, at the present moment, it is refusing to freeze itself into powdery snowflakes, and so I continue to curse it. I have found some diversion, though. Besides
- [Don't Believe That Weather Thing-y](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/dont-believe-that-weather-thing-y/) - Because it says that the current condition is 12 degrees Celsius and Partly Cloudy with winds at 6 km/hr. Lies. All lies. It's more like 8 degrees Celsius with huge wind gusts that turn the temperature into something more like 0 or minus something and make it sound like our entire apartment building will topple
- [The Wonders of Modern Technology](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-wonders-of-modern-technology/) - We experienced a major communications breakthrough on Sunday evening--the video teleconference using Sky.pe. Mark and I were able to successfully watch and talk to my brother, his wife and almost-two year old son at the same time. It's almost as good as being at home. Almost. They showed me their Starbucks cups and explained in
- [Working on the Night Train](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/working-on-the-night-train/) - Well...I thought this was the title of that 70s song Mark is always humming around the flat with his hair peaked in front, shirt half buttoned, and gold chains dangling, but he insists it's actually called "Working on my Night Moves" and deals with some guy's awkward teenage blues. And that doesn't work with my
- [In Honor of Dr. King](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/in-honor-of-dr-king/) - Since most of you had yesterday off to celebrate/memorialize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his role in the Civil Rights Movement, I thought I would do a serious post (gasp!) on the race relations here in Bulgaria. In living here, where there is almost no desire to integrate the “minority” population, I have a
- [Charged Up, Charged Out](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/charged-up-charged-out/) - Oh, those pesky Chargers! They wait until the season we are gone to have one of the best seasons EVER and go to the playoffs. As you can imagine, American football...not so popular over here. Actually, not even hardly known over here. So when we want to watch a game, we usually have to wait
- [The Time Has Come...](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-time-has-come/) - ...for me to tell the story of our travels here. Although, seeing as how we are still deeply and legally embroiled in the visa disaster of 2006/2007, I will not be discussing that aspect. After all, this is a publicly viewed site and there are some things better left unsaid until they get "dealt with".
- [Things That Make you Go Hmmmmmmm!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/things-that-make-you-go-hmmmmmmm/) - Can you figure out the problem here? Hey, while you're here, looking around, check out the photo gallery. I added a few new albums. Also I changed some of the links on the side. Look around. Stay a while....
- [Zavet:  Small Town Bulgaria](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/zavet-small-town-bulgaria/) - We went. We saw. We conquered. And that was all in the first two hours we were there. The question is: What did we do the whole next day? So, you get the idea. Zavet was, well, small. More than small. Tiny. Miniscule. Microscopic. And yet, we were there for one whole night and one
- [Village People](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/village-people/) - Everyone here tells us that you can't have the "true Bulgarian experience" unless you stay in a small village at least once. So, off we go. to a very small village called Tsavet for the weekend. It is a 6 hour bus ride there (ouch! I know, but there should be some beautiful scenery). We
- [Chestita Nova Godina 2007!!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/chestita-nova-godina-2007/) - Happy New Year! And welcome to the E.U, Bulgaria! For a variety of reasons, there was a gi-normous party out on the streets of Sofia on New Year’s Eve. Firstly, New Year’s is THE holiday here. Since there was no Christmas during the 50 years of Communism, the big celebration around here was New Year’s
- [The Dirtiest Bath](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-dirtiest-bath/) - It had been a long day. I spent the wee hours of the morning explaining to Alex, the Uni.ted ticketing agent that NO! I was not a terrorist even though the plane reservation for the flight--made by one of their agents--was in my married name and the ticket and my passport were in my maiden
- [Christmas Past](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/christmas-past/) - When it was still Christmas Future, it looked like we would never get here, or maybe be deported. When it was Christmas Present, well, here’s how it went: On Christmas Eve day, we went out around the town to do some last minute shopping. Although around here, everyone shops then, so we didn’t feel like
- ['Twas The Night Before Christmas](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/twas-the-night-before-christmas/) - (Bulgaria style) “Twas the night before Christmas And all through the flat Many creatures were stirring Even worms* and stray cats. The stockings were hung By the chimney radiator with care While billows of smoke Rose up through the air. Mark and Kristy were nestled All snug in their bed While bouncy mattress springs Poked
- [Lights, Doggie, Action!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/lights-doggie-action/) - As promised, here are some pictures of Sofia all decorated for Christmas. These lights are strung across the two main boulevards in town, one is on our street and another is the street where Mark's office is located (clickon the photos to see them more closely): Day by day, more lights appear. Just today, I
- [Blech](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/blech/) - I guess all the stress and drama of getting here is finally catching up with me. I'm sick. With an ugly cold I'm sure I got from the nasty airplane air and which especially flared up when I was all nervous and freaking out about, oh, I don't know, the possibility of being deported!? Let's
- [Oh Christmas Tree!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/oh-christmas-tree/) - Well....we are here...in our flat, with our hound. When I am a little less bitter, I will tell you the traveling nightmare we had getting here, then the scary visa problems. But for now, let's focus on something a little more positive, shall we? It is definitely Christmas here in Bulgaria! When we came home,
- [Just Asking](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/just-asking/) - Do you think they will figure out my trick here? (You see..I surreptitiously duct-taped two oversized ski bags together to make one oversized bag, and hopefully only have to pay one fine. hehehe) Oops! ***** (Insert bad word here), I forgot to put in the ski poles!! &@**@!!!!!
- [And So Are The Days of our Lives](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/and-so-are-the-days-of-our-lives/) - And so the saga continues.... Once we heard the crazy news that we could not get back "home", we frantically starting calling people in Sofia. Mark's partner contacted the attorney, who contacted someone else who contacted someone else, and you see where this is heading. Apparently, we're in! We will be heading back as planned
- [You Won't Believe This One!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/you-wont-believe-this-one/) - Guess what? Today, the BG Ministry of Foreign Affaris informed us we would not be accepted back in the country because we have already used up our 90 days on our tourist visa and since we don't have a work visa, we aren't allowed in. Seriously. I'm not kidding. So we're here. For at least
- [And So We Return](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/and-so-we-return/) - Well, the time has come, for us to go back to the land of cold. We will leave the mid-70s, sunshiny days on Saturday and be freezing by Sunday afternoon. The travel arrangements, of course, have not been easy. Because nothing associated with Bulgaria seems to be easy. I had to cancel our original flight
- [And the Mullet Redeems Herself](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/and-the-mullet-redeems-herself/) - So, we travelled back up to L.A. yet again today to dejectedly collect our visa-denied passports. We were all solemn on the way up there, knowing the Mullet and her Evil Stepsister would be all glib that we had been rejected and seen as the frauds they know us to be. In fact, I was
- [Deeeeeniiiiiied](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/deeeeeniiiiiied/) - Yup. You guessed it. Visa denied. Clearly the Mullet has won this round. Tomorrow we will find out if it's worth our time to figure out why it was denied and try to fix it. But...I have a sneaking suspicion that Mullet had something to do with it, saying the documents weren't originals, and they
- [We're Still Here...](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/were-still-here/) - So, the visas will NOT be here in time for us to make our original flight home. And we don't know when the visas will be here, so we're still here. We hear it's freezing at "home", so it's not the end of the world to hang out a bit longer in San Diego. But
- [Consulate-ory Gestures](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/consulate-ory-gestures/) - Isn’t the job of a consulate to assist people in applying for visas/passports/other official documents? That was my understanding, but then again, I’ve been wrong before. Clearly, the Bulgarian Consulate in L.A. is not there to help anyone. Not.a.single.person.EVER. So here’s the story: Yet again, we drove up to L.A. to attempt to apply for
- [Gobble Gobble](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/gobble-gobble/) - And that's just what we've been doing. We have decided that our mission while we are here at home is to add a layer of blubber that will insulate us for the winter. Think of a whale, as it prepares for its time in the icy Arctic waters. Yes, that's us! We have eaten our
- [Just a Quick Update](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/just-a-quick-update/) - Yes, yes, we made it home! Perhaps you were worried that our plane crashed or something, since the blog has been markedly silent for....nearly a week (man, has it been that long?). But no...the plane made it here safely, as did we. A brief synopsis of our time here so far--though I will detail all
- [Home Again, Home Again...](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/home-again-home-again/) - ...jiggety jig! We're on our way back, and not a moment too soon. With gusting freezing air blowing through the city, I could use a little sunshine. So please, nobody wash your cars. I don't want to return to rain. :) Well, it's off to pack. We are T minus 14 hours to plane takeoff,
- [Rila-y Beautiful!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/as-promised-a-recap-on-our-trip-to-rila-monastery…/) - As promised, a recap on our trip to Rila Monastery… Of course, first you must know a little history (click here or here for more in depth history) of the place. In the 10th Century, a hermit named John lived in a cave and prayed near to where Rila is now located. The scholars who
- [Dare We Discuss the Weather?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/dare-we-discuss-the-weather/) - I know living in San Diego where there is only one type of weather (sunny) does not properly prepare me to deal with Autumn. But surely, even people who are used to having seasons and changing weather are scratching their heads over our past week. Last week, we had snow and ice. Then rain. Then
- [We *heart* Plovdiv.](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/we-heart-plovdiv/) - Plovdiv should be called P-love-div. It is such a beautiful city. We loved visiting, and we will definitely return! Some Plovdiv background: Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria, second behind Sofia (where we live). The Ottoman Empire (the Turks) controlled Bulgaria for 500 years, until the Russians helped free Bulgaria from Turkish rule
- [Oh the Places You’ll Go…](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/oh-the-places-you’ll-go…/) - Or better yet, the places we went! All in one weekend! I have tons of stuff to write about Plovdiv and Rila, but we just got home, it’s night time and time to eat, and we’re exhausted. The short version is…IT WAS AWESOME!! WE LOVED IT!!! Both places were fantastic, way better than we even
- [But before we go...](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/but-before-we-go/) - Just thought you would like to see some pictures of the snow outside...since you'll never see it there in warm, sunny San Diego! I tried to get a picture of the actual snowflakes, but thats proved to be a little difficult. Oh, and check out the weather forecast on the side here...that's MINUS 4, people,
- [And We're Off...](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/and-were-off/) - Mark finally took a few days off and we are actually going to do a little traveling here in Bulgaria. On Saturday and Sunday, we will be in Plovdiv. Then on Monday, we are going to Rila, where they have a famous monastery. This is the most famous place in Bulgaria. It will surely be
- [Rain + 0 Degrees = SNOW!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/rain-0-degrees-snow/) - In case you didn't know, that's the mathematical equation for snow. And YUP! We have it here today!!!! It started out as a very cold rain. VERY COLD! Then, when I was walking home from lunch, it started to snow. SNOW, PEOPLE, SNOW!! I have never seen it just snow before like that. Sure, I've
- [How Do We Get To Our Own Backyard?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/how-do-we-get-to-our-own-backyard/) - We can see it from our balcony. We know it exists. A green, grassy area shaded by trees, enclosed by a sturdy fence. Other dogs roam freely down there…. And yet, Guiseppe can only stare longingly down at them. Well actually, I lie. He can’t even see down there because our balcony has a concrete
- [Cricket—Not Just An Insect Anymore](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/cricket—not-just-an-insect-anymore/) - Also…a game. A game similar to baseball played all over the world, but especially popular in England, India, Pakistan, Australia, and South Africa (among other places). Sure, I had heard of it before. I even saw a game being played while I was cruising Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. There were a bunch of grown
- [Keys](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/keys/) - This is a small detail, but funny nonetheless…when is the last time you saw a key that looked like this? Well, that funky green one is the key to my heart apartment. Very modern.
- [Where’s the Beef?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/where’s-the-beef/) - Seriously, where IS the beef, I ask? Since we have been here, I have not seen one single bit of food made from beef. NOT ONE. Although, I have been tricked a lot! At the store where I buy the meat, there is a package of meat that looks exactly like ground beef. Exactly. Like
- [A Day in My Life](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/a-day-in-my-life/) - Probably you are wondering what it is I do all day long. You know, since I’m in retirement and all. Or maybe I am just a narcissist (someone who thinks they are "all that") who assumes the world spins around me*. Either way, here is how a day in my life goes: *”The world does
- [Is There Something I Should Know?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/is-there-something-i-should-know/) - Like maybe I should know why we had to come all the way to Bulgaria just to see Duran Duran in concert.... Oh yes we did!! Friday night we went to the Duran Duran concert. And I know what you are just dying to ask. What does Simon LeBon look like now? Well, from my
- [Arctic Chill](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/arctic-chill/) - Well, the moment you have all been waiting for is here. The day when we freeze. You warned me about it before I left, worried I would throw in the down jacket thermal underwear towel and come home. But notice, I am still here, in 0 degrees Celsius (32F). No siree. I will not give
- [Worse and Worser](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/worse-and-worser/) - Last night (technically early this morning), we walked home in 0 degrees Celsius with our breath all smoky and the frozen air seeping into the teeny holes in my tennis shoes. Of course, the city has not turned on the heat yet--it has to be below 12 degrees three days in a row. We have
- [Long Overdue](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/long-overdue/) - I probably should have written about this much earlier. The time has come....to teach you the basics of the Bulgarian alphabet. It looks NOTHING like ours. And to this day, I am unsure of which letters really are vowels. There are characters that look like triangles with legs and an "n" with a curly tail.
- [The Long Walk Home](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-long-walk-home/) - Wasn’t that the title of a movie? Well, today it’s the title of my life. You know how I am supposed to be “retired”, but I’m not really, so I keep looking for little jobs to do (and get paid for) here and there? Well, I had a job interview on Friday—which is a whole
- [Our Internet Woes](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/our-internet-woes/) - I try to write a post everyday during the week, Monday through Friday. I cannot be held responsible for the lack of posts on the weekends. I mean, it's the WEEKEND, peeps, and we are busy. Busy watching movies, outdated TV shows, CNN Headline News over and over again. Busy shopping for food products. Busy
- [I think I made a friend.](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/i-think-i-made-a-friend/) - I grew up in a small town--let us not discuss the name of the place here--and had pretty much the same friends all my life. When I went to college, I worked a lot (A LOT) and took a bunch of classes, so I never had time to make new friends. For the whole first
- [Hey!  Where did all the metal go?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/hey-where-did-all-the-metal-go/) - That’s what we asked ourselves when we first saw all the statues and monuments here. They are all missing most of their metal. Take a look (click on the pictures if you want to see them more closely): This is a monument of a Russian soldier, yet, you can barely tell. Check out all that
- [Hi, Logan kids!!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/hi-logan-kids/) - So...I see some of you have found my blog and have been reading it. I'm glad!!! Keep it up!!! But I want to tell you about the comments. You can leave comments whenever you want. Just click on the word "comments" at the bottom of the post (the writing), and then there will be a
- [Oh How I Miss….](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/oh-how-i-miss…/) - It’s high time I make a list of things I miss about living in San Diego. You guys were probably starting to think I was just loving it here so much, I forgot about life back home. Feel free to brag about how you are enjoying all these luxuries at home: **Not in any real
- [The Po-lice      ](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-po-lice/) - I’ve been thinking of creating a Cops-like documentary or TV show here, where I would follow one of the police officers around for a whole night. It would look something like this: Cop stands on the corner with several other cop friends. They huddle around and discuss major issues, like what they did last night,
- [We've Got the Golden Ticket!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/weve-got-the-golden-ticket/) - You know that part in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where poor, poor Charlie opens his Wonka Bar to discover a shiny golden ticket and he goes leaping and singing through the streets? He sings something like: I've got the golden ticket, I've got the golden ticket, blah blah blah Well, that was us on
- [Lions and Tigers and Diplomats, Oh My!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/lions-and-tigers-and-diplomats-oh-my/) - That about sums up my past week. Well, except for the lions and tigers bit. The only lions and tigers I deal with are the shows on Animal Planet that seem to be on a continuous loop, as they repeat every two hours. But the diplomat, well, yes, I did encounter one of those. It
- [The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales ](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-stinky-cheese-man-and-other-fairly-stupid-tales/) - *This is the title of a great children's book--read it if you haven't already! **Don't read this post if you are eating. One of the things Bulgaria is known for is its cheese. They use a goat cheese, similar to feta, on everything from salad to french fries. Now, I love cheese as much as
- [Banitsa, Lutenitsa, itsa, itsa, itsa](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/banitsa-lutenitsa-itsa-itsa-itsa/) - I’ve given you a few food nightmare stories, but I think it’s time you hear about the yummy side to life here. There are a lot of foods here that I’ve never seen back home or even heard of, but they are delicious!!!! For some reason, many of the best foods end in “itsa”, I
- [The End of Our History Lessons](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-end-of-our-history-lessons/) - *Kids--this is probably going to be boring reading for you, so you may want to go check out my pictures or solve the math problem instead. Well, this may seem weird to you, but I must end (for now) my small series of history lessons. Two times now, I have had strange people write long
- [The Amazing Race:  Epilogue  ](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-amazing-race-epilogue/) - Well, once we lost the Amazing Race, we went on to Vitosha Mountain anyways. We rode the orange Hallelujah-we-finally-found-you! gondola up to the top. Well, almost to the top. The view was beautiful. There are forests and meadows and you can see the whole city of Sofia: We decided to go check out where the
- [Happy Birthday, Mark!!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/happy-birthday-mark/) - I generally try to post every day during the week, but I skipped a day or two because...it was Mark's birthday! That's right, he's the big 3-7 now...So, how do you celebrate a birthday in Bulgaria? Well, here's how we did it. I wanted to do the usual--get a cake, buy some presents, go to
- [To Work, or not to Work, That is the Question](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/to-work-or-not-to-work-that-is-the-question/) - See--you think I am talking about a job, like should I get a job or should I not? But, no. I am not talking about ME working. I'm talking about things in general working... Every morning I wake up and begin this new little "game" where I walk around and see what is and is
- [Our Dog Is A Rock Star!](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/our-dog-is-a-rock-star/) - Yes, that’s right! Besides being a world-traveler, Guiseppe is also famous. I can tell what you’re thinking: “Oh, no, Kristy has lost it. She is so lonely that she has become one of those people. You know, the ones who spend hours talking with their dog about world politics? Sometimes they even dress their dogs
- [How We Lost The Amazing Race...](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/how-we-lost-the-amazing-race/) - ...and it’s all Mark’s fault! One of the main attractions here in Sofia is to go about 10 kilometers (6.6 miles for you Americans) out of town and take a ski lift up to the top of Mount Vitosha. You can see this mountain from our balcony: We really wanted to do this before it
- [The Good, the Bad, and the Just Plain Ugly](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-good-the-bad-and-the-just-plain-ugly/) - The Good: I got a little job today. And I do mean little. I am a freelance journalist for the English newspaper. Basically, I write a couple of newspaper articles a month, they pay me a couple of dollars a month (Not kidding about the couple of dollars!). First up, a story on another foreigner
- [First Day of School--Bulgaria Style](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/first-day-of-school-bulgaria-style/) - September 15th is always the first day of school here in Bulgaria. Even though today is a Friday, it was still the first day of school here. We had read that there is always some sort of celebration on September 15th, but we had no idea! We were out walking the dog at about 10:00am
- [Of Minarets and Minuets](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/of-minarets-and-minuets/) - According to my Lonely Planet travel guide, there is a lovely walking tour of the main sites in Sofia you can do by yourself. So, a few Sundays ago, we set out to conquer the city. According to the plan, we would see some churches, government buildings, and the old Turkish baths which were under
- [The Science of Laundry](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/the-science-of-laundry/) - Life really boils down to simple things. And it's these simple things that we don't even notice that make day to day living run smoothly. Or not. Take, for example, the laundry. It's not like I have to carry my basket of clothes to the river with a board and a bar of soap. But
- [New Features](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/new-features/) - Mark, or as he prefers to be called, "The Webmaster", has added some new features to the sidebar. There is an audio player which has traditional Bulgarian music on it, if you want to hear what it sounds like. There is also a weather feed so you know what the weather is like here each
- [A Little "Side" Note](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/a-little-side-note/) - If you leave me comments (please do!!! I like to read what you are thinking about our adventure),and you are wondering if I responded...click on the comments section again. When I respond to a comment, that's where it goes....
- [History of Bulgaria, Part 1:  Pre-History](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/history-of-bulgaria-part-1-pre-history/) - I would be remiss in my duties if I did not spend some amount of blogging time/space to recount the history of this fine country. But, like most countries in Europe, the history is thousands and thousands of years old. And I would hate to bore you. So, I will give you snippets of the
- [Up, Up and Away](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/up-up-and-away/) - I think our elevator, called a “lift” here, deserves its own post. We knew when we moved here that we would probably live in a tall building and somewhere near the top. And we knew, as Mark had learned during his previous visits, that most of the buildings only have stairs—no lifts. I know what
- [Shopping, Shopping, Shopping](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/shopping-shopping-shopping/) - Sofia is a town full of stores. There are countless stores that sell shoes, clothing, underwear, meats and cheeses, cell phones (called GSM here, after the technology they used to use), electronics, and books. In fact, there is even an Open Air Book Market with rows of people selling books. In a town so full
- [What's your vector, Victor?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/whats-your-vector-victor/) - Just in case you were planning on coming to Bulgaria, you should be fully informed about the travels and travails of the many airplane ventures you will encounter. Here’s a perfect example: OUR FLIGHT HERE Let us begin by discussing the packing nightmare. When you fly internationally, there are some serious rules regarding how many
- [Sudoku, anyone???](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/sudoku-anyone/) - So, as most of you know, I am a Sudoku puzzle addict. (Don’t know what Sudoku is? Click here.) When I say addict, I mean ADDICT. I MUST do at least one or two puzzles a day or I just don’t feel like myself. I find that doing math puzzles relaxes me, especially in intense
- [Why Are We Here?](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/why-are-we-here/) - You might be asking yourself: Why are you living in Bulgaria???? Good question, I say!! But it is a little tricky to answer…. About 4 years ago, Mark used to work for a company that was owned by Bulgarians. We used to joke: “Where in the world is Bulgaria?” haha! (Did you find it on
- [Landing on the Moon, Part 2](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/landing-on-the-moon-part-2/) - The second day we were here, we got started looking for a place to live. We can’t live in a hotel forever!!! Andrey had set up some meetings to look at some apartments. Apartments here are called “flats”. We spent the whole day looking at flats. Of course, we don’t have a car, so we
- [Landing on the Moon](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/landing-on-the-moon/) - Wednesday, August 15th: We arrived in Sofia,Bulgaria with very little sleep, a lot of luggage, and a newly world-traveled dog named Guiseppe. The plane trips (more than one!) were a bit wild, with us running through the airport to make our connections. But more on that later…. Upon our arrival, we began our search for
- [How to use this blog](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/how-to-use-this-blog/) - First: What is a blog? Well, it is like my own journal, only it is written on the internet so everyone can read it. "Blog" is short for "weblog" which means a log, or journal on the web (another word for Internet). Before you start reading about my adventures, here are some directions on how

## Pages

- [Gallery](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/gallery/) - Albena 17 Photos Axamer 27 Photos Balchik 40 Photos BGx-mas 10 Photos Canada 44 Photos Croatia 63 Photos Espana 85 Photos Guiseppes-Christmas 6 Photos Hounds 19 Photos Innsbruck 6 Photos Khutai 15 Photos London 87 Photos Milplovdiv 16 Photos Milrila 32 Photos Nevski Church 7 Photos Nova Godina 29 Photos Our Flat 6 Photos Plovdiv 33 Photos Prague 89 Photos Rila 49 Photos Salzburg 60 Photos Schlick 9 Photos Sofiawalk 22 Photos Stubai 19 Photos Veliko Turnovo 33 Photos Vienna
- [About](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/about/) - Kristy Drake normally lives in San Diego and teaches 4th grade. But this year...she is living in Bulgaria and teaching English to adults and children. Read about her adventures!!

## Categories

- [Life in BG](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/category/uncategorized/)
- [Visiting home in SD](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/category/visiting-home-in-sd/)
- [Travels abroad](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/category/travels-abroad/)
- [BG History](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/category/bg-history/)
- [Miscellaneous](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/category/miscellaneous/)
- [Food](https://www.crazybgdaze.com/category/food/)