Look, Laura has a blog now! And I am excited that the first thing she wrote about is booze, of course.

Let the countdown continue...
19 more days!

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From: Yvonne
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 11:45 a.m.
Subject: AUTOSTADT

Dear Kara,
thanks for your email.

I reserve the All-Terrain Course / GeländeParcours on tuesday, December 16 at 09:30 a.m. (60 min. / 1 round with the instructor, 3 round with the visitor at the wheel= 70 Euro)

Experience Tour
Duration: 120 minutes (2 hours)
The experience tour gives you an intensive insight into the architecture and the attractions of the Autostadt. You will experience the highlights of the Autostadt: The Group world with its technical innovations and film attractions, the special architecture and experience the various worlds of the brands.
I reserve the Experience Tour on tuesday, december 16 at 2 p.m. (11 Euro per person)

Factory Tours
Duration: approx. 60 minutes
During your stay in the Autostadt you have the possibility to take part on a factory tour through the Volkswagen production halls, The panorama trains drive from monday till friday approximately every 15 minutes. A minimum age of 10 years is recommended. The tours are not offered at week-ends, on public holidays and on factory holidays. Bookings can only be made here in the Autostadt. It is not possible to book in advance. Please visit the Welcome Desk in the Piazza as early as possible to make a reservation.

We are looking forward to your visit, and send you best greetings from the Autostadt.
Best regards

Ihr CustomerCareCenter der Autostadt
Yvonne
________________________
AUTOSTADT GmbH
Prozess- und Technologie-Management
Business Prozess Management / Customer Care Center
StadtBrücke
38440 Wolfsburg
http://www.autostadt.de
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Oh, and did I forget to mention, we're staying at The Ritz-Carlton Wolfsburg? What could possibly be better than falling asleep in a five-star hotel IN Autostadt? There will be thousands of Volkswagens slumbering among me. Talk about sweet dreams!

Volkswagen danceparty heaven!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHRIS -- THE BEST BROTHER EVER!

LOTS TO DISCUSS TODAY.
I LOVE the CAPS lately.
SO SUE ME.
GRRR.

No. 1: My producer from "Date Patrol" emailed me this:
Hi Kara -
Hope you are well - Your show is scheduled to air March 17th @ 10 pm.
I'll let you know if it changes but I don't expect it will.
OK, that SUCKS.
• March.
• Wednesday night.
• ST. FREAKING PATRICK'S DAY?!
Oh well, losers who aren't out drinking will be watching. At least it'll be rerun a hundred times.
But I WILL still have a party and you better believe we'll be drinking green beer.

No. 2: Today I strategically placed myself behind a Touareg this morning during my commute. It made me smile. But then I saw its unfortunate license plate. I guess they're on the "S"s now in Connecticut. 621.STD. Just go ahead and name your car "gonorrhea" now and get it over with.

No. 3: Three weeks from RIGHT NOW I will be on Austrian Airlines flight 7265 from Vienna to Berlin, where we will pick up a pretty little VW Golf and a few days later, drive to Wolfsburg. That's right, in 24 days we'll be at Autostadt for real life VW danceparty!

No. 4: Last week I made no weekend predictions, and although the weekend wasn't a huge success, remember I did meet the gay love of my life, Dennis Basso, so I can't complain.
This weekend let's shoot for: drunk Stammie with the kids, lots of partying in New York City since my brother is in town AND it's his birthday, tequila, 60 degree weather, an Otto wash if he's lucky, and maybe a knuckle sandwich IF I KEEP MY CAPS ON. If Amy doesn't PUNCH SOMEONE this weekend, I WILL.

No. 5: The sun moves into Sagittarius Sunday. Finally. Life should start making sense again. I can't wait!

p.s. Beth, I feel for you. Nevermind boys, PEOPLE ARE STUPID, throw rocks at them.
p. p.s. What did the mother say to Michael Jackson at the beach?
You're in my sun.

Go take my friend test!

Today I met Dennis Basso.
This time, for real, I am the happiest girl alive.
He may be 45 (OK, probably 60), and gay, but he is THE most fabulous furier in all of Manhattan. And today I shook his hand. And I love him.
It is better than meeting a rock star.
HE IS MY ROCK STAR.
I was wearing my Dennis Basso Faux Mink Trim Denim Jacket
BUT someday I will have $45,000 to spend on a real Dennis Basso chinchilla fur coat.
I love him.
Shut up, I am not a furier fag hag.
I love Dennis Basso.

Last night I was telling my parents that I think it's great our painters have sweet mullets. My mom laughed. My dad just looked puzzled.

Me: "You don't know what a mullet is?"
Dad: "No."
Me: "It's when your hair is short on top and long in the back. Totally '80s, dad."
Dad: "Oh, I thought it was a type of fish."

Now that's some classic Willie.

The mulletude was in such effect this morning I got in the car and listened to Journey's Greatest Hits.
Shut up, you know you love it.

Today there are painters at my house, painting the kitchen, dining room and Grandma's room. Both of the painters have sweet mullets. It makes me happy.

This morning the Merritt Parkway was a Merritt Safari. I saw one dead coyote (creepy), one dead deer and three live wild turkeys crossing the road. Sometimes I think I live in the wilderness, but then I remember the traffic.

One month from today Bone and I go to Europe. Yay!

I had a dream last night that I was at the dress rehearsal for my funeral. It wasn't at my usual church. There were lots of people there, lots of flowers and a tree with cookies hanging off it. (There were VW cookies, but the VW symbol was wrong and that bothered me.) I was going to pick out the flowers for the altar, but there was no time, so we used bright purple flowers. They were fine.
My mom asked me who I wanted to have walk her in to the church and down the aisle — Amy or her friend's son, Eric. I told her Amy. She ended up walking in with her friend, Mary Alice.
As the eulogies began, I wanted to stay and listen, but my dad told me to leave. I secretly wanted to hear what everyone would say about me now that I'm dead. Although I wasn't even dead yet. Everyone was crying. I left, and I was on the streets in Manhattan, so I decided to go shoe shopping. I called Amy to come with me, but then I remembered she was busy at my dress rehearsal funeral.
Either before or after the funeral, I went to the bathroom and there were two mice swimming in the toilet. I was really freaked out. Maybe more freaked out by the mice than the fact that was to die very soon, since everyone was practicing for my funeral.

I made no weekend predictions, and therefore got nothing in return. I was sick and sinusy all weekend, and it was bitter cold. I spent many hours under my fabulous new down comforter. It's like sleeping in a cloud!
Oh, I did go see "Elf." It was funny and Christmasy and I loved it. I will never look at maple syrup the same way again. Go see it.
Saturday night I drank one too many Cosmos, and coupled with the eerie full moon and lunar eclipse, decided it was wise to sneak out of the house at 3 a.m. Hopefully I didn't do anything I may regret. Stupid Kara.

Go look at my HOLLAween pictures now.

Today I realized that maybe I'm not as neurotic as I thought. But that's only because I went here and read how crazy everyone else is.
Personally, I like this one best.

Don't mess with Catholic school girls. (Thank you, Evy.)

OK, let's see how I did on my weekend predictions:
Martinis, CHECK
sugar highs, CHECK
butterfly wings, CHECK (but more kitty ears)
a Stamford party, CHECK
a long overdue boy CHECK
and some car wax if Otto's lucky. NO (but Otto is clean)
Not bad.

OK, it's time to be obsessive for a minute.
It dawned on me that I started Big Trouble a year ago, mostly because I had a lot to say about some overwhelming feelings I was having. I'm a believer in astrology, and at the time the sun was in Scorpio, typically my worst time of the year. And it was.
So I'm becoming paranoid. Today is the sun's 11th day in Scorpio. The past several days have not been bad. In fact, recent days have been great. This scares me. I am vulnerable.
Today I'm nervous, and I'm beginning to expect the worst from the next 19 days. I want it to be Nov. 23. Chris will be home, it will be Thanksgiving, December will come and bring my birthday, Bone and I go to Hungary and Wolfsburg, and then the holidays come. The entire Sagittarius span promises wonderful things.
I don't like to rush the winter. (I hate snow wheels and tires.) But the unknown scares me right now. Usually, it doesn't. In 19 days the uncertainties I have now about so many things should be deciphered. I want to know where I will stand, and more importantly with whom I will stand with, come the beginning of the end of the year.

Damn, that sounded so Sherwoodish. And I don't like her. See, I am going a little crazy.

And now for your weekend update...
Happy, sunny, 75 degree, New York City Saturday.
Let's go to Girl Props, Sephora and H&M.
The sunny sun and happy shopping make me so not hungover.
More martinis now!
Oh, and if I had a dollar for every time we heard "Here kittykittykittykittykitty" last night, I'd be shopping with Ally and Jaime today, too.