Who Needs Crossfit?

In addition to all of the Ebay items we had been finding I also had been checking the various Facebook pages where people are sell their stuff. 
I found a great microwave which was only a year old, was large and based on the ratings was very good.  It was 1/5 of the original price and it seemed worth it to crisscross town to go get it.  I set up an appointment to go and get it in Prenzlauer Berg just after dropping the kids off at school.  At the last minute Marty had to meet a plumber at the new apartment and couldn't go.  I said I could go by myself.  He told me I was nuts!! "You CANNOT carry a microwave across town by yourself"  Well... anyone who knows me knows that you don't tell me that I can't do something when I have my mind set on it.  I say that I most certainly can and set off on my own.  I walk to the Sbahn from school and take it many stops to a stop near the pick up spot.  There is a tram I could also take but since it isn't far I just walk the 5 or 6 blocks.
I am beeped in, climb the 5 flights of stairs (no elevator) all to find out it is the wrong set of stairs. So I head back down and then back up the correct 5 flights of stairs. I meet the seller who is very kind.  She helps me BARELY stuff the microwave into the largest Ikea bag I could find to bring along.  It is a beast of a microwave and I doubt my abilities but I had Marty in my head saying "you cannot carry a microwave across town by yourself" so I hoisted the thing up - the bag really there just keeping the cord and everything together.  There was no possible way I could carry this thing by the handles... plus, I'm certain the weight of it would break the handles anyway. 
I barely waddle down the 5 flights of stairs and have to stop with the microwave propped against the wall to take a breather before I head into the street for the real work. 
Once onto the street the reality of what I'm about to attempt hits me.  But I'm a bit persistent.  I will not be deterred.  I see several people who give me a bit of a sideways glance but this city is apparently used to people carrying microwaves or other large items across town.  A nice woman looks at me and laughs a little and says "Ebay purchase?"  Yep, I nod.  She asks if she can help.  I say I'm good but she grabs the extra bag I'm carrying with the smaller items like the grill and my hat and gloves (I'm no longer cold at all, in fact I'm sweating!!) and leads me to the tram that I had previously passed over in favor of walking but now that I'm lugging an at least 25 pound, awkwardly packaged microwave I decide the tram is worth it even just for one stop.  I thank the kind woman profusely just for the company of walking me to the tram and for carrying my small bag. 
I wait for at least 7 minutes for the next tram, get on with my huge load and again a few people look at me a bit interestingly but after that very kind woman who helped me to the tram not one other person offered to help me.
I get off the tram and hoist the microwave back up into my already weakening arms and head for the sbahn station.  Thankfully there is an elevator at the station which lightens the load.
I hop on the sbahn train and thankfully find an empty seat near the back.  There are two British women sitting nearby and we make small talk.  We laugh about the fact that I'm lugging around a huge microwave and then I say that my husband said "there is no way you can do that by yourself" and they nodded knowingly.  They are sisters in the stubbornness.  They totally understood!
I ride the sbahn into a part of town I've never been looking to catch a bus I've never ridden.  I unfortunately cross over a huge, busy 6 lane freeway type thing.  The pedestrian light quickly changes from walk to don't walk but I just keep going across.  I make it to the bus stop and rest the heavy microwave on one of the seats in the bus shelter.  I then look at the bus schedule and realize that the stop I'm at has the bus I need heading in the wrong direction.  I look around and see where I need to go to catch the correct bus which is back across that same 6 lane freeway thing and then down the street a bit and across another 4 lane, large roadway.  Brilliant!!  This should be fun.  I'm certain I did not look good doing it but I did it.  I get to the correct bus stop and set the microwave down on the ground.  Catch my breath and wait for the bus.  It comes, I slowly get on and rest the microwave on a seat and sit next to it making sure it doesn't fly into the aisle as we ride along to the stop at our new apartment.  Marty texts and asks how I'm doing and if I need help. I finally give in a bit and say it would be helpful if he could meet me at the bus stop.  It is just a 3-4 minute walk to our new place from the bus stop but my hands and arms are super sore and my back is starting to hurt.  He arrives at the stop just as my bus pulls up and he sees me - barely- behind a huge blue Ikea bag filled with an even bigger microwave.  He steps on the bus and takes it from there.  Phew!!  I've never done Crossfit but somehow I feel this would qualify as one of their workouts?

A few days later I went to gather a couple of wardrobes from a new friend I had met at the American Women's Club Holiday Party.  As a side, I got dressed up for the first time since arriving and was SO thrilled to find these fleece line tights!  Best thing I've purchased in a long time.  SO SO cozy!!
So I get to the new friend who has a couple extra wardrobes and I load them up and she nicely tells me that her son has outgrown a nice pair of boots and would Benjamin like them. SURE!  And her son who is a year older than Benjamin also has a whole bag full of books he's done reading, many of which are from The Magic Tree House series which I know Benjamin loves.  How could I pass these up?  I assess my carrying abilities and figure I can do it.  I bag up the boots and the books and get a handle on the wardrobes and head out. 
Thankfully the new friend, Sara, lives half a block away from the sbahn station and this Sbahn will take me all the way to Zehlendorf. 

My load, resting as I wait
on the correct bus to right
my wrong. 

I get on the sbahn and am feeling quite proud of myself and my efforts.  I get off in Zehelendorf and head to the bus station.  I am familiar with the stations here but was not so familiar with the buses that go to our new apartment.  I know there are 3 different buses I could take.  Once I hop the first one that arrives at the station and it takes off I realize I've made a mistake and need to get off this bus ASAP.  I do and then have to wait for another 15 minutes for the next bus to take me back close to the correct stop.  It would be far too easy if the bus actually dropped me off at the exact right location but no,  it drops me off a block or so away from the correct bus.  All of this would be NO big deal if I didn't have such a load.  But, I end up getting the new wardrobes and boots and books all safely inside our new place.  Again, a crossfit worthy workout! I often - actually nearly every day- go to bed at the end of the day feeling like I have been chewed up and spit out by this city.  I do love this city but right now it is kicking my butt!