Everyone! I am officially back home from Germany!!
I was REALLY hoping to post on here with a successful report of another donation collection, but unfortunately our bad luck streak continued.
A Ukrainian woman collecting donations in Munich got in touch with us and together we decided I would pick up about 8 boxes of children's clothing that had been sent to her. Normally she deals more in medical supplies and the like, but someone donated these boxes of clothing and she had no kids in her network, nor an outlet. I was quick to inform her that we had a "near endless" supply of refugee children we could help in Dnipro and she was extremely happy to finally have a destination for the whole lot.
I'll he honest, I was really looking forward to a roof-buster with this one. Having those clothes with the toys and school supplies we are going to buy... I bet we could have been dragging the back bumper!
Unfortunately the world had other plans. The warehouse in Munich where the clothes were stored were in a "low emissions zone" for which my old truck doesn't qualify**.
We didn't know this would be an issue until about 7am on the delivery day (estimated time of pickup was 11am). Her car was too small to ferry the boxes out of the zone and she had no larger vehicle available to bring the whole kit to me...
100% being a believer in the phrase "punishable by fine, means permissible for a fee", I did look up what I'd be facing if I went in anyway: 80-Euro 
(and I'm sorry, but I just don't have 80-euro that wouldn't be better served buying things for Ukraine).
We were dead in the water.
It was a bummer, but she's not given up hope. When a bigger vehicle (that meets Munich's emission standards) comes by, the supplies will be taken from her then.
Anyhoo, I am back home now and you know what that means: The truck needs work.
Why is the hood up, you ask? Nothin special. I noticed a slight exhaust leak beginning to develop on the drive. I put a wrench on the manifold bolts, and found one that was a little loose. Now she's tight as a drum.
And even better was the bit of cash I found in those donation boxes I left in my office while I was away! 24,500 Hungarian Forint was collected, or about $70. We're going to add that to this fundraiser which puts us very close to $1300 collected!
Thanks everyone, and my apologies in advance while I get my legs back under me. I've got a lot to get caught up on now that I'm back, but shopping is going to start VERY soon.
** You may have noticed that I added the asterisks to the comment about Munich's emissions standards. The requirement is "Euro-1 rated petrol, with a closed loop catalytic converter". This requirement went into effect in Europe in July of 1992 and my vehicle is a 1989. That means my truck was not originally equipped with such a system. I however, being a bit of a hippy, a reader of GRM (so, I don't believe that catalytic converters diminish performance) took it upon myself to install an aftermarket catalytic converter in the truck as one of my first modifications (bringing into compliance). In doing so, my truck actually DOES meet the written standards (closed loop system, with O2 sensor), but would still not qualify or pass an inspection because of my registration. This is something we might have been able to fight, had time been on our side. As it is now, like it is with every time this happens:
We didn't "fail", we just didn't succeed that time. Next time we'll know better 
parents are trying to keep their kids as safe as they can 
) that you guys are awesome!!! 
