Weekend Hello from Zurich

TGIF! It was a short week and blessedly fast. After the tremendous weekend last week, it looks like we are back in the wet mess that Europeans call spring. Goes with the territory. When I get sick of being soggy, there is always the Mediterranean....

Monday is Labor Day, which will lead in the last of our four-day work weeks for awhile. My Bern buddy is in Italy, travelling with his employers for the next couple of weeks, so I have no real plans. Will likely be a home body -- especially given the weather forecast. At least there will be world class snooker matches to keep me amused. (I know, it is sad)

No travel is on the calendar, I feel that I need to see how the visa renewal works out -- I could be "on vacation" for a while. Everyone seems to be thinking positively, so I will too.

We are quite worried about Brian in Boston. He seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth. If anyone has any news, please share.

Cranberry continues to provide amusement. Last night I popped in for a bottle of bubbly (of course I shared!) A very well travelled Swiss friend was in as well. She is great fun. I have been having challenges dealing with a colleague at work and she offered some real insights into the nature of her countrymen.

Birthday next week for myself and another Swiss friend, who shares my love for great port. We will impose on Cranberry's hospitality next Friday before shifting to champagne. As I will be turning slightly older than dirt, I must use any opportunity to prove that I am not too old to make a fool of myself -- it keeps me humble. To paraphrase dear Ms. West, "it'll be one hell of a night..." (even old boys can hope)

May already, April certainly flew by. Good news after the longest March in human history - it was the snow! So nice to see leaves on the trees and flowers appearing everywhere in the gardens. During the bare season, all you see in Zurich are the cold Teutonic/Alpine bones of the city. With spring arriving, it takes on an entirely different and much warmer atmosphere. The English get the credit, but the Swiss love their gardens and it shows.

It is almost time to visit the neighborhood butcher, so I must stop blogging and get going. Later.

Yeah, like this is gonna' happen...

Reading about all the Sturm und Drang surrounding the price of oil/gasoline, I must admit, I am a bit amused by all the mis-information. For example, gross mis-information, there is a shortage of oil. Nope, not so, there is about a 2 million barrel per day overhang (on an 83 - 85 million barrel/day rate of consumption. So why the price, oh, baby, let me count the ways... starting with Iraq, oilmen as politicians and going on to oil lobbyists, oil billionaires, speculators, secret deals with some of our "friends", etc. etc. (I loved it when Shrub eased the environmental controls -- such a typical kneejerk...) also remember the electricity bust in CA (via Enron), isn't this sort of like that?

Fact, there is a shortage of gasoline in the United States, yep, between Katrina and seasonal events, there is. So what, are you leaving that 8 mpg monster in the garage? -- oh, yeah, like that is going to happen... and some other unlikely events that would make a difference:

1. Get a city map, depending on how fast you walk, draw a circle around your home that represents a 15 minute walk. For me this is about a mile. For any errand in that circle either walk, bike, or -- I don't care, use a scooter, just leave Old Belcher in the garage. (don't do this if you live in one of those places that doesn't have sidewalks! -- what genius city planner got that notion?)
2. Does a bus, tram, or train run by where you work? 1 or 2 days/week take your morning newspaper along and USE IT.
3. Going shopping? Go with a friend (takes a bit of organization, but you will be rewarded with some company)
4. Dust off that bicycle, oil up the chain and use it. (you might even lose a pound or two)

Well enough fantasizing... You can always do what I do, go to Europe where gas has always cost more than $4/gallon! (by the way, I don't drive, so I am feeling particularly self righteous at the moment....)

That was a weekend!

Great weekend. Beautiful weather, great food, good sights, it had it all. A friend came up from Bern and we went to France for foie gras (incredibly, allowed on my diet) and other indulgences (I will probably have to buy a few indulgences, for the worst of my many sins...)

Yesterday was a Zurich holiday -- the Burning of the Snowman, which is intended to officially mark the end of winter, I briefly considered asking a Swiss person where this tradition began -- but quickly reconsidered. HA! (The time that it takes for the snowman to loose his head, it literally explodes, indicates the strength of the coming summer.) The snowman took 11 minutes to burn, indicating the winter of 2006 will extend into 2007! Last year it took 8 minutes and was a dreary summer. The excuse was that the explosives they put in the head were less this year as the original snowman was stolen. (yep, we had a second run snowman) WHATEVER!!! I am just ready for summer.

Dieting in the Land of bread and potatoes

Oh my, I am trying out the South Beach Diet. More to control the waist than anything more ambitious. My Swiss friends are deeply amused by the crazy American.

There are many staples in the Swiss diet, but few more important than bread and potatoes and little that is more forbidden to the SoBe complex carb approach. Some aspects of the SoBe plan cannot be handled by a Swiss supermarket. For example, low fat foods are silly to the Swiss. You need that fat -- to stay warm and healthy in the LONG (never ending) Swiss winter!

SO, it an adventure each day to figure out lunch while doing as little damage as possible to the overall diet. Just declining a brotchen at the local deli is enough to raise eyebrows. Well, there I am, raising eyebrows (again).

Fully recovered

Fully recovered and fit as a fiddle. A couple of 11 hour nights worked wonders.

Zurich is having a week of spring weather. Profoundly beautiful. Even the trees are getting into the spirit, green is sprouting everywhere. It really is as if someone flipped a switch and made all right with the world. (however, still too soon to call the winter without end, ended)

Next week is our third 4-day work week in a row. Local holiday Monday, Burning the Snowman -- lovely thought. Will all end the following week, when Monday is Labor Day (May 1st). April has sped along. Be interesting to see how May goes.

feeling a bit like road kill...

After flying all night, feeling a bit like road kill. Superb weekend in Miami! Saw most of the folks that were on the list and more than a few that were not.

Beautiful weather! Mid-80's and sunny.

Alexis' birthday was yesterday, which provided more than sufficient reason to celebrate throughout the weekend. That in turn, well (all the usual excesses)... (more later)

The bag is packed

It is almost Friday... My bag is packed and I am pacing (not really, but I would be if I wasn't at work.)

The Easter weather in Zurich is predicted to mirror last weekend. Great Saturday and a Sunday to stay in and cook. However, as I will be in Miami -- it will be different (blessedly so.) I don't know why I am so antsy. I am often gone for years at a time and this quick in and out will not be exactly relaxing, still, I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Hopefully, I will meet Ian, Alexis' better half, particularly after missing their wedding of the century. SO much to make up for socially. I will be buying cocktails... for everyone.

This evening I will call in at Cranberry and make another deposit into the Bartender Rent Fund, kill a couple of hours, go home, make dinner, and try to sleep (yes, it is annoying to be a 5 year old waiting for Santa, when you're actually 52!)

A day and a wakeup

When you have finally settled into a nice smooth rut, everything just seems to be a continuation of what went before (maybe because it is?) I am now at that point in Zurich, particularly as we continue to experience Alpine winter! A slight complaint, I am getting REALLY sick and tired of winter coats!! Enough already! a) they're heavy, b) they should have gone to the dry cleaners and then into the closet weeks ago -- it was time, and c) they are just not built to be esthetically pleasing...

OK, now say something nice about Zurich. I have always liked forsythia, and Zurich has a lot of it. It is just going to bloom when it is time to bloom and to heck with the weather. I can respect that. And, in spite of our eternal winter, it is spring somewhere as the green grocers are spilling over with spring-time favorites. Morel mushrooms, new potatoes, gorgeous RIPE strawberries, white asperagus, etc. etc. etc. Makes shopping fun as new things pop up regularly. And, I have discovered a source of half bottles of wine. My liver thanks them, but more importantly it allows both white and red in the same meal without having an endless parade of left-overs or getting too sloshed to safely wash the dishes!

I am happy to say that my poor German is steadily improving, although I will not be debating economics or religion anytime soon. Still, one feels a bit of a dunce when you cannot respond to simple things.

A day and a wake up before departing for Miami... Ciao z'ama!

the winter without end is baaaaacccckkk

it snowed all night, revenge for Saturday, I suppose..... the winter without end is baaaaacccckkk (will I ever be able to lock up the winter coat?)

Come on Friday!

Wonderful weekend. Saturday was one of the nicest spring days that I remember north of the Alps. Temps in the low-70sF (low 20sC), blue, blue skies, and a nice warm breeze provided the basis for a great day. (don't worry, snow is in the forecast -- winter can, and presumably will, reappear without warning!) The beer was particularly delicious in such an atomsphere.

Yesterday (Sunday) it rained, but what the heck, I was in the mood to cook anyway. Never thought that I would write this, but necessity being what it is, Saturday night I rushed into a little market and emerged with a bottle of inexpensive Australian Merlot for Sunday lunch. (yeah, really) WELL, I am going to have to rethink Australian Merlot. It was served with duck breast, a splash went into the sauce, and was polished off with cheese and fruit. Really lovely, certainly not an aged Pomerol, but that is not to the detriment of the wine. Relying on assumptions carries its own dangers. (Still raining, it is Central Europe, after all.)

Very antsy to get on a big silver bird and emerge in Miami. The weather forecast is flawless, my seat at the Palace is roped off, and the champagne is chilling... come on Friday!

TGIF

Ah, Friday, the sun is shining, people are bustling to work, and all is (almost) right with the world. A bit too much last evening at Cranberry, Ivan was inventing new summer drinks and the tastings got a bit out of control. Fortunately, I kept a full large glass of ice water close and consumed copious quantities. Ali, a very jolly Turkish fellow, has finished a week's bartending apprenticeship as part of his hospitality industry schooling and is off to his next adventure. Best of luck, buddy.

After our day of drama -- snow, I am very happy to say that IT IS GONE. In Iowa I did see it snow on Easter -- we will have no repeat of that nonsense this year! (I hope!!)

A week to go before winging home. Noticed that it will be 84F (28C) in SoBe tomorrow and Alexis keeps torturing me by posting party pictures on his blog (arg...)

(oh, GOD) it's snowing...

The winter that will not die is sticking to it's guns. It is snowing (and starting to stick)...

Rent, naked bloggers, Tom DeLay, and other matters

Beautiful day in Zurich, so why not tell the world about it? Guess I just did...

Today I was once again thankful for that most wonderful of things, a Swiss bank account. Yes, I had to pay the rent, which any way you cut it is a painful event. Fortunately, utilities are included in the rent, therefore, it really is just one payment. I am certain that Cranberry will have something to salve the pain in a few hours...

Before I forget, there is a distressing trend in the blogosphere where bloggers post pictures of themselves in the semi- or total all together (in many, if not most, cases WAY too much information). WELL, beloved reader, you have my sincere promise that there will be no such mad exhibitionism on this blog! I see nothing wrong with adding an artistic pic or two to spike reader interest, but I will remain well and discretely hidden BEHIND the camera. Speaking of which, when am I going to actually buy a digital camera? (oh, bother!)

Having lived in Houston, Texas, in close proximity to Sugarland, I was overjoyed today to read that Mr. Tom DeLay will be resigning from the House of Representatives and officially moving from Texas (where he did QUITE enough, thank you very much) to Northern Virginia. This to smoothly terminate his role as a candidate in the upcoming elections. Perhaps he can restart his old business, termite extermination, as there are more than sufficient nasty bugs in Northern VA to keep him very busy. Actually, as I well know, it is a bit of a sacrifice -- he will have to start paying VA state income tax! (No, I am not going to suggest a Florida home!)

Speaking of good news, according to local news accounts Ms. Katherine Harris' run for Senate in Florida seems to be imploding. As she is running for Senate, her seat in the House is also open. It would be sweet, although admittedly unlikely, for a 1 - 2 come November, 2 Dems capturing both seats!

The question of how much longer I will be here came up today -- the client asked, I did not. Seems it may be a while yet -- the immigration authorities willing. As I am now not only supporting the Swiss economy, but also the Swiss Government (taxes!), the Swiss social system (retirement payments), and the Swiss medical establishment (insurance), they may be gracious. I am SO happy I was able to bump up my rates to reflect this "new reality": real take home pay.

With that happy thought, I wish all a very happy Tuesday!

Daylight savings time

Talk about disorientation! For a week or so in late March, Europe goes on daylight savings time, 1 week before the US does. So, instead of being 6 hours ahead of the States, we are 7 hours ahead. This really messes up conference call schedules or just being able to call a colleague or friend in the US. I am happy to say that we are now on the same schedule... my life just got simpler.

Another stunning morning. Brilliant skies. A bit of haze, but I have no intention of offending the Weather Gods by complaining. I don't remember Zurich being this sunny. Still cool temperatures, but that seems to go with the territory.

Some time ago, I lived in Washington, D.C. I developed a very comfortable Sunday routine. Got up early, went to the local Safeway for staples and a Washington Post. Got home in time for a minimum of 3 hours of talking heads. Made a great lunch, often shared with friends, and waited for happy hour. Heck of a way to kill a day.

My current apartment is a bit too limited for serious socializing (also, I haven't found any shops open on Sundays). A pity.