Peterthals

YEEHAW!

2010-03-17T17:56:00.000+01:00

It only took me about three years and moving out of the country to finally get the cowboy boots of my dreams. Old Gringo Marsha Brass Blue. I feel like I should be saying, "You fixin' to go to the rodeo?" or "How y'all doin'?" or maybe "How's your zoody, son?" whenever I slip them on. You can't get any more Texas than this.

Blogger Template Editor - LAUNCHED

2010-03-12T14:49:00.000+01:00

Quick wanted to inform you all that Josh's baby has launched! Try out the NEW Blogger Template Editor by going to www.draft.blogger.com. Click on Layout and then on the Template Editor. So proud of my husband. Have fun clicking.

Not a ton of time right now to enlighten you on all of its' wonders. We are off to Counter Cafe for my first tastes of Austin. More to come.

Research

2010-03-09T12:19:00.000+01:00

Photo by Dan Kamminga

Western Europe Itineraries open on the table, Lonely Planet Western Europe guidebook sprawled across my chest, seven websites open, post-its in hand, pencil behind ear, and a snoring puppy along side. The research has begun for our upcoming trip to Amsterdam. Taking suggestions...

Zeughauskeller

2010-03-08T09:54:00.000+01:00

Looking for a solid Swiss restaurant to take family and friends to when they are visiting you? A must stop on the Peterthal Zurich tour is dinner at Zeughauskeller, an old armoury turned beer restaurant. Everyone needs a little rösti in their belly before leaving us.

The reason for rösti being on the brain was that this past weekend, Josh and I did a little catching up with the Zeug. We must have been going here at least once a week when all the family was visiting around the holidays. It has taken a couple months, but my stomach has finally given me the go ahead for another round at Zeughauskeller.

Couple of key take home notes about eating here.

First know that reservations are very handy to have at this restaurant, but not required. We have actually been told they are booked for the night, but to just come in early (around 6pm) and they should be able to squeeze you in.
Check out their specialty menu. You really can't go wrong with anything on this list. Still never ventured to get the meter-weiner. Scary. But, I get the Kalbgeschnetzeltes - Zuri style with rösti every time and Josh and my brother have split the Bergermeister Hans Waldmann Sword (steak on a sword).
You have to try the Zeughauskeller Eidgenoss at least once. This is a flaming beer they make right at the table. The actually have a bottle labeled "Feuerwasser". Who knows what it really is. I wouldn't say it's anything I would order again, but a good story to tell.
There menu comes in something like 10 languages. Some random trivia for ya.

And, in case you are too chicken to order the Eidgenoss "flaming beer", here's a couple videos detailing my experience. Bon appetit!

Re: Was Ist Das? - #2

2010-03-05T11:35:00.001+01:00

We have an answer! After posting my rant about the random toilet cord and plug-in in Was Ist Das - #2, I got a quick response on Google Buzz from our friend and past tenant of the apartment.

Barbara: hahahaha :) did you try to push the buttons at the sides?

Me: Buttons? Be right back.

There turns out to be two silver buttons on the side of this machine. And, yes, I now call it a machine. This toilet has way too many abilities to be just a toilet. Hmmm...what do you think I do with those? I start pushing both in, turning them forwards and backwards, pushing one while turning the other...nothing. They have to do something. And then something happened. Come to find out all I needed to do was put pressure on the toilet seat and push the right button.

So, I am leaning over the toilet with one hand on the seat and the rest of my body zoned in to figuring out this button mystery, when all of a sudden I start getting sprayed head to toe with water. I start screaming at the top of my lungs wondering what the hell just happened. There is a fountain of water spraying out of this machine. Once my screams settle and the mechanical arm spraying the water retreats, I notice that not only am I soaked but the bathroom door, floor, and bathtub are drenched.

What the hell just happened?

I come back to my computer and Barbara is online messaging me to look in the kitchen, under the stove. I am truly scared now. She sent me in to uncharted territory last time with no instructions and look what happened. Now what? She tells there is an instruction manual for the toilet. She also said that after she had seen the instructions, she was too scared to test out its' capabilities.

How can an instruction manual be that scary?

I dig through the instruction booklets of all our appliances and the last one I come upon is for the toilet. At first sight, it looks normal. There is a booklet with directions like usual, but when you keep looking there is this separate page of illustrations explaining the simple 4-step approach to using the machine successfully.

These graphic illustrations are just wrong. At first glance, I thought the guy just had a lot of cellulite, but turns out he is made out of clay. Then I keep looking and he has this creepy smile that keeps changing at each step. He looks the happiest (and creepiest) when the water is shooting up his yoo-hoo. And, in the last picture, during the "drying phase", he even has a newspaper in his hands. So strange. Just so wrong.

You may be wondering then, if after all that, did I go back in and try out each of the steps. Hell no. The closest I got was spraying my camera when trying to shoot the video. What kind of a toilet has a mechanical arm that shoots water high enough to reach the ceiling? It also had three spray directions, an air freshener, and dryer.

I am still feeling a little violated.

Was Ist Das? - #2

2010-03-04T10:35:00.000+01:00

And, no. I am not that slow. I realize this is a toilet, but check out the cord hanging down and the outlet to the left. Was ist das? We have plugged it in and nothing seems to change. It doesn't shoot up water or sing a little congratulatory song to you. We thought maybe some sort of automatic cleaner. That would be a very Swiss thing for a toilet. Still no clue. Thoughts?

Fluff Details

2010-03-03T10:34:00.000+01:00

Photo by quatrosinko.

So, there I am having my regular free weekly lunch with Josh at Google and we end up sitting with a guy possibly looking to move to Zurich from the States and a couple other transplant Googlers giving him advice on what it's like to live on our side of the pond. I don't know why I found this so hilarious, but we sat down probably about 10 minutes after the group had started chatting and they were diving in to all the tiny, in my opinion "fluff" details, about what it's like to live in Zurich. Details about having to use a blower room to dry your clothes, how often you have to go to the store to buy bread, why milk doesn't have to be refridgerated at the grocery. All things that shouldn't make or break your decision to move half way across the world.

I just kept thinking, these are the issues people living in the magical bubble world of Googleland focus on. Funny.

It was interesting though when the guy introduced himself to me and kind of brought me into the conversation. He asked what Josh and I thought about living here. Of course we said we liked it, but my real question for him was, "Tell me what your concerns are for moving over here". Not sure if anyone had asked that question yet and his response caught my attention. He said, "Well, my wife would want to work over here. She would need a job.".

A smile crept onto my face. Forget about laundry day and the daily trips to the Coop.

Oh, funny little Googlers living in Googleland, it is fine to spit out all the little details you were told before moving to Zurich, but take it from a Hausfrau -- don't forget to look at the bigger picture.

Code Freeze

2010-03-02T12:00:00.000+01:00

Nerd Speak 101: Here is your lesson today, class. Code Freeze.

We were sitting around the other night, pretty much like we have been for the past two weeks. Josh on his computer working away to the wee hours and me making my way through Season 1 of In Treatment. Not so exciting after the first couple nights, but that is the price I pay to be married to an engineer. Just part of the job.

So, on Sunday night, Josh leans over and asks me if I know what a "code freeze" is. I think he sees that my eyes have officially glazed over and my butt has made a permanent imprint in the couch. I am in need of some serious motivation. Some choice words that will show me there is a light at the end of this tunnel. Code Freeze. Nope. Out of all the nerd speak I have heard come out of his mouth, these words are new to me. Come to find out, these words are just what I want to hear. They tell me that Josh won't have to be working late nights after Monday and that are lives can be taken off pause. Thank god.

However, for you all (especially you BLOGGERS), code freeze has another significance. It literally means that no more code can be written for a project being launched soon...very soon! I can't give you all the details. Just know there is a light at the end of this tunnel. Blogger launch coming soon!

*Stay tuned for more details after the unveiling.

Warmth

2010-03-01T13:46:00.000+01:00

I am nervous to jinx it, but is that the sun I see?

It's been tough these past couple of months dealing with the winter. It has been a long time since I have lived in a place that has snow and is gray day in and day out. I admit though that this was nothing compared to those nasty, friged months growing up in South Dakota where the windchill would be -75 degrees below and there is a mountain of snow in the front yard and somehow school is still not called off. Feels kind of like the story a grandparent tells about having to walk UPHILL, in the snow, both ways to and from school. Yes, admittedly...Zurich is nothing like that story, but it is still so good to feel the warmth on my skin...finally.

For all you wondering what a hausfrau does with her spare time, let me give you a hint. It involves a Kindle, a beer, and a chair in the sun.

Save Vienna for Me

2010-02-26T16:34:00.000+01:00

Ever since we moved over here Dad has been saying, "Save Vienna for me!". Uh. OK. You don't have to twist my arm for me to hang out with you in Wien. Just tell me when. Lucky enough, Dad and his philanthropic ways were in need of a trip over to Israel. So, why not just stop over in Vienna for a couple days? Everyone's doing it. No brainer. Two for one special. Plus, it was Josh's birthday!

Such a good time. We must have walked at least 7-8 miles a day venturing out in all directions around the city. We took in all the sites. Museum Quarter where we checked out the Leopold Museum and MUMOK. The Rathaus, Parliament, and University buildings were neighbors to our hotel. Imperial Palace. Albertina Museum. Schloss Schönnbrunn. Karlskirche. Sigmund Freud Museum. The Danube River. The list could go on and on.

The city was beautiful. I had said previously that friends had told me this was one of the five top cities to visit in Europe...not sure if I would say all that, but it was definitely a worthwhile trip. I think my body is just ready for some warmth and a new set of scenery. Vienna is filled to the max with old Euro buildings. Massive on scale and overwhelming to take in. It's like being in a museum everywhere you go. And, you know how you need a break after a few hours walking through a museum otherwise you start to glaze over? This was kind of my feeling in Vienna.

Outside of the tourist ring (literally there is a ring around Vienna enclosing the inner-city), we got a nice break from the hussle and bussle. We really got a taste of the real city...and a taste of lots of food! Any time you travel with my dad, you eat your way through the city. I wonder where I get my food obsession? A couple places to try for those of you looking to visit Wien. Check out 7-Stern Brau and have yourself a Dunkle or Märzen bier before heading over to Pedro's Meson or Ilona Stüberl for dinner all in the Neubau area. And, for some true Viennese dishes try Palatschinkenpfandl for savory pancakes and the all-famous Kaiserschmarrn dessert. Good stuff. I think my pants just got a little tighter.

And, of course when you are over in Vienna, you must, must, must see some live music. We got tickets to a small show over at the Mozarthaus to celebrate Josh's birthday. Mozart actually played in the same room where we saw the concert. It was all very special. The only issue was trying to keep jet-lagged Dad awake. Classical music, trains, and religious ceremonies are like drinking warm milk before going to bed for him.

It was a surreal trip.

What can I say? I love being the excuse for someone to visit a new city in the world. It's great to hear someone say (especially when it is a parent), "I never would have seen this place if you guys hadn't moved over here". It's like music to my ears. It makes all those miles in between us and family a little less horrible.

More pictures on Josh's and my flickr pages. The editing process takes forever!

Click, Click, Click

2010-02-24T15:43:00.000+01:00

Surprise, surprise. Guess who got a fancy, new camera and wide-angle lens just in time for our Vienna trip? I am movin' on up to the league of semi-serious photographer. Still many levels below Josh and not sure if I will ever catch up, but you have to start somewhere.

Here's the specs: Canon Rebel T1i and Canon EF-S 10-22mm big girl lens.

Working on editing the shots from Vienna. Blog post soon to follow. I LOVE this camera!

*Also, just want to give a little shout out to Crutchfield.com. I can't say enough good things about their customer service. Two thumbs up.

Wien: Coming Soon

2010-02-18T18:46:00.000+01:00

Photo by rejflinger.

Bags are getting packed for our next trip. This time we are jetting off to Vienna, supposedly one of the top five best cities in Europe to visit. We are meeting up with Dad for a few days to do some sightseeing and more importantly to celebrate Josh's birthday. You don't need to know how old, just know he will be "officially" old on Sunday, according to his little sisters (3 and 10 years old).

Be ready for an extra dose of amazing photography in the upcoming blog posts. Don't want to give away the secret just yet. Just know I am super, dooper excited! And, Josh isn't the only one getting a present on this trip.

Enjoy your weekend. I will catch you up on the craziness next week! Til then...

Fat Tuesday

2010-02-17T16:40:00.000+01:00

Photo by flygraphix.

Good times last night! We finally got to return some of the continuous, over-the-top, generous hospitality given by our friends Stacie and Hanspeter by having them over for dinner last night. My cooking skills are slowly developing, and I was able to pull off a real, adult-like dinner party. The menu included wasabi crusted salmon, roasted asparagus, wild rice, and spring mix salad with cherry tomatoes and red peppers. So incredibly yummy. You would have thought I was hiding a real cook somewhere in the kitchen.

But, my recipes weren't the star of the show of course. Along with Stacie always comes something special. She surprised us with a little Pat O'Brien Hurricane mix in honor of Fat Tuesday. I love this girl. Always thinking out of the box and going the extra mile to be an amazing friend.

I should also mention that along with those lovely hurricanes -- a side of headache was somewhere hidden in the bag.

Stateside

2010-02-16T16:32:00.000+01:00

I have been trying to get back into the swing of things since we got back from San Francisco last Friday. So strange vacationing in the States and then coming "home" to Switzerland. Seems backwards. I think both Josh and I had this same ongoing surreal feeling of being back. I would catch him dazing off into lala land while I had the shifty eyes, both of us not talking, but experiencing that same weird out-of-body feeling....like, is this for real? Did we really live here just a couple years ago? And, do we really live in Switzerland right now? Crazy how things keep changing for us every couple years or so. I wonder what is next.

Anyway, enough rambling. Wait. I think I am getting that same feeling as I write up this post. Looking out the windows wondering if those mountains are for real or if that snow is really there. Maybe it's just that I have been watching too much "House" that I am starting to hallucinate.

We had such a great time being back. It is amazing how easy everything is there. Just getting off of the plane in Atlanta and going through customs was interesting. Oh, me go before you in line? Did you really just say something to me and you don't even know me? What's that? You don't mind if I sit next to you without me having to beg you to move your newspaper? Even Atlanta English was a comfort. Still tough to make out all the words, but it had some resemblance to regular English.

Other feel good moments for us:

Using credit cards even though it now feels weird to buy a latte for $3 with it.
The option of taking a cab, a very inexpensive means of transportation.
Everything is open on Sundays! Love this!
Breakfast anytime, all the time. Even at 3am on a Saturday night...I guess really a Sunday morning.
Big hotel rooms and real pillows. No more pancake pillows.
Bonding with my old neighborhood Target that has been completely renovated. I have never seen anything so beautiful. Wish I had more time with you.
And, driving. I actually drove a car from San Francisco down to Mountain View. Josh made fun of me when I requested a smaller car than their "compact" mini-van thing they gave me. Freaked me out. Made me miss the Mini.

Of course there were things that I didn't need to be remind of as well.

The pee smell that seems to follow you throughout the city.
Dirtiness.
Public transportation in comparison to what we have in Zurich. Josh and I couldn't even hear each other when screaming back and forth on our way into the city on the BART. I think we were both trying to tell each other how loud the train sounded, funny enough.
The homeless. Everywhere. Very sad.

Even with the 18-hour trip back, it was all worth the effort. Seeing friends, being back at Google, wandering through the city, shopping, eating, and enjoying the sunshine. I couldn't have asked for a better vacation. Josh maybe, since he had to work. But, overall, it's always nice to feel at home even when you are on a "vacation".

Meat Love

2010-02-14T19:12:00.004+01:00

Nothing quite says "Happy Valentines Day" like heart-shaped cheeseburgers.

San Francisco Treat

2010-02-04T15:01:00.009+01:00

Photo by johndoeforty1's

I feel like I have more devices, more cords, more hardware necessary for one soon-to-be traveler. I am sitting here with my laptop, iPod, Kindle, camera, G1 phone, iPhone, and headphones all charging for my flight tomorrow. A little obsessive, huh? But, how else am I going to distract myself for the 18-hour journey back to the States tomorrow.

Crazy to be "holiday-ing" in the US of A. I did pretty good holding out for eight months without a trip back to familiarity. San Francisco -- I will see you soon!

Was Ist Das? - #1

2010-02-02T10:15:00.001+01:00

I have been toying around with the idea of starting a "Was ist das?" section for the blog since December. Even after living here now long enough to be having those "I can read the signs" and "I can get through a restaurant menu with knowing more words than not" comfortable feelings, I still run into the most random things here that make me scream, "What (the hell) is this?".

Get what I am saying now? Check out this BBox that Josh and I spotted at the Coop (grocery store chain). Thank goodness for the beautiful graphic. I needed a hint. I guess the Swiss feel pretty strongly about non-bruised bananas. Is this really necessary? And, how big is your banana, really? Dang.

Show 'N Tell Time

2010-02-01T17:04:00.000+01:00

Whenever the Rosenthal girls get together and do a little shopping there is this ritual of "Show 'N Tell". I think it has been passed down over generations. Since this rarely happens, we have to make a big deal out of it. We take turns showing each other what we bought that day, even though we both already know what's in each others bag. Still fun. After each bag is emptied and each thread of clothing displayed, we continue talking about what good deals we found and how amazing we are for finding such great clothes. Plus, there is an underlying game where whoever gets the best deal...wins! Good times.

The door buzzed this afternoon with a little treat from die Post. Mom had been at the mall one day awhile back and we were chatting on AIM as she is describing the gems she is finding play-by-play. How jealous am I? What? Lucky jeans. On sale. Cute hoodies. No. And, for next to nothing.

The course of the conversation changes directions from Mom looking at clothes to Mom looking at clothes...for me. I start listing off things I don't want to spend a gizillion dollars on out here and she starts finding deals on everything. Jeans. Check. Gap Body underwear on sale for next to nothing. Check. Sweatshirt wrap-around thingy. Check.

Aren't Moms the best?!

So, even though Mom isn't here to do the beloved "Show 'N Tell", this post feels like a good substitute. Mom even managed to find a little somethin'-somethin' for Stella Bella. She is in heaven. Check out the video below. Love you, Mom.

Grand Archives

2010-01-28T11:23:00.004+01:00

Photo by Hafenkneipe-zh.ch.

Coming from "The Live Music Capital of the World", Austin, TX, it seems only fitting to check out the music scene here in Zurich. Is it cheating that we saw a Seattle-based band? We got a solid recommendation from our music-guru friend, Marc (yes, the Marc that visited us over New Years). He described the Grand Archives as a mix between Band of Horses (one of my favs), My Morning Jacket (one of Josh's favs), and The Flaming Lips (a lot of people's fav). Can't go wrong with that description.

Pretty straight forward. Buy a couple tickets. Go to show. But, you know with me there is always a story. The night almost didn't happen. Josh of course had a meeting that wasn't supposed to be done until 8pm. Ok. Not too much of an issue. The band goes on at 8:30pm. Hopefully the venue wouldn't be too packed and we could still squeeze in. Well, at 8pm guess who I hear from. Joshua saying his team hadn't even presented yet. Argh...Google...Marissa...why do you always get in my way of having a good time?

Now it is 8:20pm (it takes at least 20 minutes to get to the venue from our flat). Josh leaves me one quick AIM note saying "meet me in 10 minutes". Ummm...where? Now you see where I am going.

We both end up running all over town in the freezing cold trying to find each other. Mind you, Josh's phone is of course dead. I think Josh remembers to meet me over at Schmiede Wiedikon tram stop, but not sure he knows how to get there. He thinks I might meet him at Maneeseplatz bus stop. I start to wonder if he meant to meet him at Google because I don't think he knows where the band is even playing. It was one big cluster. We both basically made circles around one another finally seeing each other at the tram stop next to the show venue.

I jump off my tram to run over to him just in time to see him get on the tram to go back home. I start banging on the window, he sees me, tries to get off, but he is stuck going to the next stop. Eventually he makes his way back to me and we get to see the last two songs of the show. What a mess.

From the small amount of music I got to hear, I can say I wish I had seen the whole show. They didn't disappoint. And, Hafenkneipe reminds me of Emo's back in Austin. Dug it for sure. Maybe we will meet again back in the States. Check out their music if you are looking for a little something new.

Top 10 List: Things Y'all Take for Granted When Living in the States (con't)

2010-01-26T12:14:00.000+01:00

Without further ado, here are the final TOP 5 "Things Y'all Take for Granted When Living in the States". You may see a reoccurring theme here. Trust me. This isn't only my stomach pains talking, but each of my other expat friends as well.

Photo by Made in Mississippi

5. The Traditional American Breakfast. The very reason the majority of Americans are overweight. A staple of our culture. Pancakes and bacon. Oh, that sweet smell of grizzle. There are no more Sunday brunches or even Bisquick to be bought at the grocery. And, they say they have bacon, known as speck over here, but it is no crunchy, blackened, fatty strips like we see at home. I am sure somehow the Swiss have also managed to make this healthy for you. It probably comes from "happy" pigs, which means no extra goodness and no extra yummy taste. I have had to learn how to make pancakes from scratch and Mom had to smuggle in the Aunt Jemima. Gotta do, what you gots to do.

4. Turkey. You can go to the grocery here and pick up any cut of pork possible, but there are no "happy" turkeys laying around. I shouldn't say none because they do have a few turkeys in the store around Thanksgiving if you want to pay about $10 a pound and there are a couple tiny slivers packaged up in the refrigerated section, but there is no walking into Central Market (oh, I miss you too) on any Tuesday morning to pick up a 5 lb breast to bake up for the week. Oh, no, no, no. There is none of that. And, not that my kosher upbringing has made me stay away from pork for the religious reasons, but I just didn't grow up eating it and my taste buds reject the squealing now. Leaving only chicken and beef as choices. Poor Josh. He is stuck grilling up hamburgers at least once a week now. For that, I am not complaining.

3. BBQ. I think I might have to bust out the last vacuumed sealed package of Rudy's that Marc brought tonight. Surprising that this is number three on my top 10 list since I grew up hating the stuff. But, once I figured out not all BBQ was the same and that there was way better out there besides Angelo's, now my heart beats for some 1/3 lb moist brisket, small cream corn, and an orange Fanta from Rudy's to wash it all down or even some baby back ribs from Artz Rib House. I'm flexible.

2. Mexican Food. Including, but not limited to, queso, quesadillas, fajitas, and margaritas. If I could only have one more day at Curra's. There is nothing even close to mexican food out here, which you could probably guess considering where Switzerland is located in relation to where Mexico is, but still. I need to start developing my business plan for the first queso/margarita food trailer in Zurich. As long as I can control myself from eating and drinking all the profits, I think we could have a winner.

And....the NUMBER ONE thing Y'all Take For Granted When Living in the States...drum roll, please...

Photo by benketaro.

1. Velveeta and Mac 'n Cheese. Hands down this is the number one requested item to be smuggled into the country. I realize we are living in cheese central, but there is just no replacement for good old fashioned, processed cheese food. On my first trip to the grocery store, I may have even cried as I walked endlessly up and down...and up and down...and up and down the aisles hopelessly looking for a blue box of goodness. I found one microwavable meal that they called mac 'n cheese, but it was no Kraft. Mom has now been responsible for my macaroni needs. I have to ration the stuff out to me depending on when the next trip from the parents is scheduled. The stash is getting low. Just another reason for the trip to San Francisco. I think I can make it another couple weeks. It will be hard, but I will be strong.

Here's the take home message for all you friends of expats living in the States. You need to take one for the team and on your next trip don't question our crazy rantings for which processed foods we need brought over, just smile and nod your head "yes". We need your help.

I think it is only fair that a Top 10 List of what Switzerland has to offer that the States can't make an appearance on Peterthals.com. This probably won't be driven by my obsession with food. And, even as I look at all the snow falling outside, there are still many other reasons to be here. Next list coming soon.

Top 10 List: Things Y'all Take for Granted When Living in the States

2010-01-22T12:20:00.001+01:00

I can see the dirty disease of homesickness starting to creep into the room. I have been pretty darn successful stuffing it away in a closet and not opening the door. But, with all this talk about jealousy and now that I bought a plane ticket for San Francisco early February, home has been on the brain. I think it's time to share with you what it is really like living on the other side of the pond. What you have to give up for this experience. For all those soon-to-be expats making the big swim over, be aware that life of endless travel does have its' downsides. So...here is my "Top 10 Things Y'all Take For Granted When Living in the States" list. Oh, how I miss thee.

10. Lines Meaning Something. There is this weird phenomenon here that lines mean nothing. People do form and stand in lines here, but for no reason in the long run. Example. The airport. The plane is here, people start walking over to the gate, and form a line. Once they start boarding the flight, the once beautiful, straight line turns into a mosh pit. Elbows out. Each passenger for themselves. Europeans actually make fun of us Americans for being such pushovers. We interpret it as being courteous.

9. English. I think it took me a good three months before it didn't completely throw me off when the first words I heard in the morning were "Gruezi" or "Morgen". Who? What? Is this a dream? Something so simple as language is a comfort you seldom realize til it ain't there anymore.

8. No Reservations. My new, fav restaurant here is Lily's Stomach Supply. Not sure if it is because it ONLY costs us $65 for dinner (cheap by Swiss standards) or the fact I don't have to call and make reservations before hand. Even for lunch, you are supposed to make reservations. It puts a little damper on being spontaneous.

7. Lululemon and Vinyasa Yoga Classes with Gio. For a girl that lives in workout gear, there is nothing...nada...zip...for comfy, cool, "I never want to stop wearing you" exercise clothes. Nothing. And, yoga classes in general have been a disappoint to put it nicely. I miss all the equipment back in the States, especially the yoga walls. Which I promise you, someday, I will have in my house.

6. Alamo Drafthouse. Josh and I must have gone here once every couple of weeks back in Austin. This is more than just your regular, boring, old movie theater. They had Iron Chef nights, Air Sex competitions, special appearances by movie stars, sing-a-longs and quote-a-longs, TV show nights, you name it, they had it. It definitely fits the city motto of "Keep Austin Weird". Plus, you get to eat and drink during the movie. Popcorn, pizza, fresh-made chocolate chip cookies over ice cream...ahhhh. I am starting to drool a little. Here you have the standard flick, maybe some popcorn if you have cash, and a 15 minute intermission right at the climax of the film. Oh, and it will cost you about $20 for all that (not including the popcorn -- that's another $11).

Do you have tears in your eyes yet? The things I have to go through. Let's take a breather. I don't want to drown you in my sorrows. So I leave you with this. Here's a hint for the final Top 5, coming to you very soon. We haven't even gotten to the food aspect. And, you know how I love me some food!

It's Getting HOT-T in Hier

2010-01-19T12:14:00.002+01:00

After writing yesterday's post, surprisingly everyone seemed overly excited about my dog humping comment. Who? What? Dogs humping? Calm down folks. I am actually surprised this was my first run in with some dog-on-dog action here in der Schweiz.

This blog is two-fold, but let's start with the story first. Yesterday was one of the first sunny days I have seen in a while, so I figure I better take Stinky (aka Stella) over to our Swiss version of Town Lake. This is a leash free area at the base of Uetliberg. The day couldn't have been more beautiful. Stella and I are enjoying our stroll, making friends with other pups, I am chatting it up with another dog owner. Nice. Normal. Regular day. We split for a minute from our new friend and her dog....who you should know is a boy dog. A second later I look back just to make sure Stella is in sight and WHAM! there it is. Our new boy dog friend going to town on a girl dog in some sort of a dominatrics getup. Come to find out that was a diaper she was wearing. The dog was in heat!

Both owners start yelling at each other. My best translation is that both are blaming each other for not keeping their dogs on leashes. The woman with the boy dog rightfully screaming at the woman with the girl dog not to bring a dog in heat to an off-leash park. And, the woman with the girl dog screaming back that the boy dog should be on a leash if the owner can't control her dog. A smile just crossed my face. I found it all too humorous. And, then there is Stella trying to bury her nose in the middle of the two lover dogs. Not quite sure Stella had any idea what they were doing. Her virgin eyes are gone forever.

The dogs finally get separated with the boy dog getting put back on his leash while the girl dog is left to roam free to attract the next suitor. We ended up running back into the girl dog and guess who was going through the same argument with another boy dog owner. Yep. Ridiculous. There were some frustrated dogs leaving the park that day.

Which brings me to my second point. How is it that no one neuters or spays their dogs over here? Haven't they seen "The Price is Right" where at the end of every show Bob Barker signs off with his speech about controlling the pet population? Man. Stella got fixed as soon as it was possible. There was no way I was going to deal with that mess. Poor Stella. Just another frustrated dog. Works for me.

Jealousy

2010-01-18T16:30:00.001+01:00

I was going to write about the dog humping show at the park today, but after I got home and checked some email a few interesting pictures caught my eye. Let me start from the beginning. The other night I am out with a girlfriend having a beer (or two...ok, maybe three) and I get a message from my dad saying that he got two tickets to the Cowboys v. Vikings football game. Seriously. If you don't know, I am a HUGE NFL/Cowboy/Farve (you can be both) fan and going to this game would have made me cry tears of sweet joy for years to come. But, since I live over here...who gets invited instead...of course...the always lucky brother of mine. I was even checking flights into Minneapolis and my dad actually told me that Dave was already coming and that he would be seeing me in a month anyway. What's the big deal?

Sorry to tell you Dad...I wasn't gonna fly back for you. Love ya, but in your own words, I would see you in a month anyway (insert smile).

Now it is a day after the game and I finally get to catch up with the daddyo. The video chat went something like this...

Me: So, how was it?
Dad: You are going to hate me.
Me: (interested look)
Dad: I actually ended up with FOUR tickets to the game. Dave and Carson ended up coming.
Me: (steam coming out of my ears)
Dad: You are going to hate me even more.
Me: (thinking to myself...oh really, how could that be possible?)
Dad: Our seats were three rows up from the field, on about the 40-yard line.
Me: (thinking to myself...oh, that's how.)
Dad: It was actually a little hard to see some the time. We were so close to the Cowboys bench.
Me: (heart officially broken)

Oh yeah?! Well, I got to sit on our super uncomfy couch and try to make out which of my Cowboys players just fumbled the ball or who threw the interception on my lovely computer screen. But, on the bright side...at least the bench of Cowboys players wasn't getting in my way.

No jealousy here.

*This is all in good fun. I am happy Dave and Dad had such a great time together. I am holding out for Superbowl tickets.

Oh, the Places We'll Go

2010-01-15T14:37:00.000+01:00

The next few months are going to be crazy ones. I told this to our friend, Stacie, yesterday over coffee and she just looked at me and laughed. Like when isn't it crazy travel time for us? We have a million cities on the books to see and Josh is finally going to be taking some real vacation time.

After my upcoming father/daughter trip to Vienna in February (so excited), Josh and I are going exploring on our own through southern Spain and Portugal. Figuring we will fly into Malaga and then drive along the coast, with a few detours of course, and end in Lisbon. Some cities of interest are: Malaga, Grenada and the Sierra Nevada mountains, Ronda, Sevilla, Cariz, Faro, Lagos, and ending in Lisbon. I know this all can't be done on our 10 day time frame, but that is where y'all come in. I am looking for your thoughts on which cities are a must see, where to stay, what to do, where to eat, and any other words of advice.

Who would have thought we would be doing this stuff? It still blows my mind. It makes being so far away from everyone and everything we love, a little easier.

Comments are welcome!

Snow beard

2010-01-12T16:55:00.001+01:00

While the husband's gone, the kids will play. Took Stella and Josh's macro lens out for some fun in the snow today.