Saturday, July 11, 2009
Dublin: Toner's - Now And Then
While in Dublin this past week, Colm, Diana, Mrs. TBF, and I enjoyed a couple of pints in a pub called Toner's. It was at this very same pub, in 1992, that Diana, Mrs. TBF, and I were enjoying our pints (while Colm was back at the apartment studying for his M.B.A.) when a very drunk man suddenly staggered out of the front door into the alley right by where we were sitting, and then proceeded to projectile vomit all over the ground only a few yards away from us. A few seconds later, his friends walked out and gave him a good ridiculing. Aaaaahhhhh, the memories!
Unfortunately, I didn't capture the projectile vomiting on film. However, I did dig up a few photos of us taken at Toner's in 1992.
Now: July 6, 2009
Then: Approx. July 1, 1992
Unfortunately, I didn't capture the projectile vomiting on film. However, I did dig up a few photos of us taken at Toner's in 1992.
Now: July 6, 2009
Then: Approx. July 1, 1992
Labels: Dublin, now and then, Toner's
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Dublin: The First Evening
The day after Japandy, Mrs. TBF and I took off for Dublin.
How's this for bad luck? Ryanair used to have direct flights from Basel to Dublin. I say "used to" because they had them until July 1st. That's right, they discontinued the flights as of July 1st, so we opted to fly Aer Lingus out of Zürich.
It's the last time we'll do that.
Ok... I'll just admit blame by saying that it's my fault for not reading the fine print. Aer Lingus has a 6 kg. weight limit for carry-on bags. 6 KILOS!!!! That's about 13 lbs. I mean, my shoes weight nearly that much.
What a joke!
Naturally, we were both over the maximum allowed weight on our carry ons. So, we ended up having to check one bag. Not only that, but we then had to PAY 30 francs for the privilege of checking the bag. It was a total example of over-zealous, Swiss rule following. When we checked in with Aer Lingus in Dublin for the return flight home, they didn't even weigh our bags. Nope... they didn't care one bit. I mean, if it's a regulation size carry on bag.... WHO THE F#$% CARES HOW MUCH IT WEIGHS AS LONG AS YOU CAN LIFT IT INTO THE OVERHEAD COMPARTMENT YOURSELF???? Whether it weighs 5 lbs. or 25 lbs., IT STILL TAKES UP THE SAME AMOUNT OF ROOM!!!!!!!!
As a result, if I ever fly to Dublin from Basel again, I'll choose to fly BA or Lufthansa out of Basel... EVEN IF IT COSTS MORE!!! It's the principle of the thing.
Enough ranting!
The reason for our trip to Dublin was to see my sister, my Irish bro-in-law, and the kids who were in Dublin visiting Grandma Nellie. We stayed at The Westbury this time, and I won't go into details, but...
The Merrion (where we stayed last time) is MUCH nicer. The Westbury has a great location right on Grafton Street, but we'll stay at The Merrion again if we ever return to Dublin.
Our bro-in-law, Colm, was off fishing with his brother the day arrived, so my sister left the kids with Grandma Nellie and met us for dinner at a pub not too far from our hotel. We all enjoyed the pub food, and Mrs. TBF and I washed it down with Guinness - as you do in Ireland, right? Of course, my sister insisted on drinking Heineken.
Whatever!
After returning to our room, we thought we'd open the curtains in order to check out the view.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Mrs. TBF quickly closed the curtains, and I immediately began treating her for third-degree burns!
How's this for bad luck? Ryanair used to have direct flights from Basel to Dublin. I say "used to" because they had them until July 1st. That's right, they discontinued the flights as of July 1st, so we opted to fly Aer Lingus out of Zürich.
It's the last time we'll do that.
Ok... I'll just admit blame by saying that it's my fault for not reading the fine print. Aer Lingus has a 6 kg. weight limit for carry-on bags. 6 KILOS!!!! That's about 13 lbs. I mean, my shoes weight nearly that much.
What a joke!
Naturally, we were both over the maximum allowed weight on our carry ons. So, we ended up having to check one bag. Not only that, but we then had to PAY 30 francs for the privilege of checking the bag. It was a total example of over-zealous, Swiss rule following. When we checked in with Aer Lingus in Dublin for the return flight home, they didn't even weigh our bags. Nope... they didn't care one bit. I mean, if it's a regulation size carry on bag.... WHO THE F#$% CARES HOW MUCH IT WEIGHS AS LONG AS YOU CAN LIFT IT INTO THE OVERHEAD COMPARTMENT YOURSELF???? Whether it weighs 5 lbs. or 25 lbs., IT STILL TAKES UP THE SAME AMOUNT OF ROOM!!!!!!!!
As a result, if I ever fly to Dublin from Basel again, I'll choose to fly BA or Lufthansa out of Basel... EVEN IF IT COSTS MORE!!! It's the principle of the thing.
Enough ranting!
The reason for our trip to Dublin was to see my sister, my Irish bro-in-law, and the kids who were in Dublin visiting Grandma Nellie. We stayed at The Westbury this time, and I won't go into details, but...
The Merrion (where we stayed last time) is MUCH nicer. The Westbury has a great location right on Grafton Street, but we'll stay at The Merrion again if we ever return to Dublin.
Our bro-in-law, Colm, was off fishing with his brother the day arrived, so my sister left the kids with Grandma Nellie and met us for dinner at a pub not too far from our hotel. We all enjoyed the pub food, and Mrs. TBF and I washed it down with Guinness - as you do in Ireland, right? Of course, my sister insisted on drinking Heineken.Whatever!
After returning to our room, we thought we'd open the curtains in order to check out the view."YAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Mrs. TBF quickly closed the curtains, and I immediately began treating her for third-degree burns!
Labels: Aer Lingus, Diana, Dublin, Guinness, real Irish pubs, Swiss rule obsession, The Merrion Hotel, The Westbury Hotel
Japandy!
We celebrated Dr. Andy's birthday this past weekend. Some time back, Mrs. TBF decided on a menu of sushi and grilled steak with an Asian marinade. Hence, we decided that the theme of this dinner party would be... JAPANDY!Pretty good, isn't it? I came up with that one, and Mrs. TBF is still seething about it!
Dr. Andy's birthday was actually last month. But due to travel/work conflicts, we were unable to celebrate until this past Saturday. Even this date proved to not be perfect since Dr. Rammy and Oliver were unable to attend due to a prior commitment in England, but we still had a nice, intimate gathering.
One of the sushi offerings was a Mrs. TBF creation: steak tartare sushi. Go ahead, Google it. You'll see that sushi AND steak tartare come up often in the same paragraph, but NEVER as "steak tartare sushi." I'm telling you, Mrs. TBF invented steak tartare rolled up as a sushi roll! And???? It's GREAT!!!! As an aside: I once came up with what I thought was my own invention: the oyster martini. It was probably around 2004 or 2005 when, on a Friday evening, I was sitting at the dinner table with a martini and a plate of raw oysters. Suddenly, I came up with the idea of scraping an oyster off the shell - oyster liquor and all - right into my martini. At the end of the drink, when the gin is still just barely covering the oyster, you just slurp the whole thing right down.
Try it! It's great!!!
I called Dr. Andy, and I told him to come over to try my invention - the "oyster 'tini." He came over, tried it, and praised my creativity and inventiveness. Unfortunately, he Googled "oyster martini" after going home and came up with hundreds of hits. The next morning, he came over and broke the bad news over a cup of coffee.
Oh well. I guess one inventor per household is enough.
Labels: dinner party themes, Dr. Andy, Japandy, oyster martini, steak tartare sushi
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
If It Ain't Broke...
...don't fix it!
When will I ever learn?
I've been wearing Jockey underwear for as long as I can remember. I noticed a few months ago that some of my old tighty whities were starting to look a little worn, so I decided that I'd pick up a new supply during my last trip to Chicago. For whatever reason, when I went to the department store, I decided to get all fancy and buy a bunch of different brands - none of them Jockey. I bought some Polo/Ralph Lauren, 2(x)ist, and Emporio Armani.
The Armani underwear is great. Of course, at $25 each, THEY SHOULD BE!! Am I stuck in about 1977? I think men's briefs should still be something like 3 for $10. The Polo underwear is not bad either. However...
The 2(x)ist underwear has got to be the worst underwear ever made. I'm not sure what body type they've designed this underwear for, but it seems to me that it would fit me much better if I were lacking a rear end AND a scrotum. Sheesh! Talk about uncomfortable! Naturally, that's the underwear I bought the most of. Double-sheesh! I just threw it all in the garbage. That's right! I don't even want to look at it!!!
Next time, I'm just going to do what I've always done: I'm going to order Jockey underwear on the internet, have it sent to my mother-in-law's house, and have it waiting for me when I get to Chicago. Unfortunately, I won't be back in Chicago until October which means that I'm hoping my current supply holds up until then. Either that, or...
I'm gonna be goin' commando!
When will I ever learn?
I've been wearing Jockey underwear for as long as I can remember. I noticed a few months ago that some of my old tighty whities were starting to look a little worn, so I decided that I'd pick up a new supply during my last trip to Chicago. For whatever reason, when I went to the department store, I decided to get all fancy and buy a bunch of different brands - none of them Jockey. I bought some Polo/Ralph Lauren, 2(x)ist, and Emporio Armani.
The Armani underwear is great. Of course, at $25 each, THEY SHOULD BE!! Am I stuck in about 1977? I think men's briefs should still be something like 3 for $10. The Polo underwear is not bad either. However...
The 2(x)ist underwear has got to be the worst underwear ever made. I'm not sure what body type they've designed this underwear for, but it seems to me that it would fit me much better if I were lacking a rear end AND a scrotum. Sheesh! Talk about uncomfortable! Naturally, that's the underwear I bought the most of. Double-sheesh! I just threw it all in the garbage. That's right! I don't even want to look at it!!!
Next time, I'm just going to do what I've always done: I'm going to order Jockey underwear on the internet, have it sent to my mother-in-law's house, and have it waiting for me when I get to Chicago. Unfortunately, I won't be back in Chicago until October which means that I'm hoping my current supply holds up until then. Either that, or...
I'm gonna be goin' commando!
Labels: 2(x)ist underwear SUCKS, going commando, Jockey underwear, tighty whities
Yard Bird
There are few foods I enjoy more than BBQ chicken. In fact, it just may be my favorite food. If you ever want to distract me for a good hour or so, just grill a chicken, put the whole thing on my plate, and I won't look up until the carcass is gnawed clean. I'll eat all of the skin, meat, the pope's nose, the bloody blobs inside, and even some of the bones. Don't believe me? Just ask Mrs. TBF... she'll tell ya!
This past Sunday, we went to the home of Orange-X and Canadian-Swiss for some BBQ. When I saw that we were having rotisserie chicken, I started to get all tingly inside. Even better, they kept brushing them with butter and then let the butter and chicken drippings drip into a pan filled with potatoes.
WOW!!!
The smell drove me so insane that I almost began chomping on Dale. Instead, I took a little bite out of C-S as she carved up the beautiful, brown birds. She kind of tasted a little bit like a combination of Canadian maple syrup and Swiss chocolate. I would have taken a bite out of Orange-X too, but, fortunately for him, C-S served up the food just in time. I kind of imagine that he'd taste like a combo of rijsttafel and bitterballen. Hmmm... maybe next time!
I'm happy to report that I got some pope's nose. Also, I ate most of the skin that Mrs. TBF had pulled off her yard bird and put on the side of her plate (Jeez! What's the matter with her?!?!?), PLUS I grabbed some of her bones and gnawed on them just like I do at home. I think I also enjoyed the potatoes.
...can't remember exactly. I was in the yard bird zone!
This past Sunday, we went to the home of Orange-X and Canadian-Swiss for some BBQ. When I saw that we were having rotisserie chicken, I started to get all tingly inside. Even better, they kept brushing them with butter and then let the butter and chicken drippings drip into a pan filled with potatoes.WOW!!!
The smell drove me so insane that I almost began chomping on Dale. Instead, I took a little bite out of C-S as she carved up the beautiful, brown birds. She kind of tasted a little bit like a combination of Canadian maple syrup and Swiss chocolate. I would have taken a bite out of Orange-X too, but, fortunately for him, C-S served up the food just in time. I kind of imagine that he'd taste like a combo of rijsttafel and bitterballen. Hmmm... maybe next time!I'm happy to report that I got some pope's nose. Also, I ate most of the skin that Mrs. TBF had pulled off her yard bird and put on the side of her plate (Jeez! What's the matter with her?!?!?), PLUS I grabbed some of her bones and gnawed on them just like I do at home. I think I also enjoyed the potatoes.
...can't remember exactly. I was in the yard bird zone!
Labels: Canadian-Swiss and Orange-X, chicken on the grill, Dale, my favorite foods, tasting the flesh of friends, yard bird
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
TD F 90-22.1
Do you have a foreign bank or securities account? If you're an American person living abroad, then you probably do.
Did you know that you're required to file IRS form TD F 90-22.1 by June 30, 2009. That's the "Report Of Foreign Bank And Financial Accounts". On this form, you have to report all of the foreign bank/securities accounts you held in 2008. This year, the form has been revised from previous years. On the current form, you have to list all sorts of details such as: Maxiumum value of account during calender year reported. You didn't have to report that on the previous forms.
The penalty for not reporting your accounts to the IRS? $100,000!!! Of course, our accountants told us that they have not heard of one fine being levied... YET!
I can understand the U.S. government wanting to keep track of Americans with foreign assets. I mean, there are a lot of tax cheats out there. However, do they really think that somebody attempting to avoid paying U.S. taxes by hiding millions of dollars in an offshore account is really going to file this form - OR, even worry about a $100,000 fine??? Instead, I end up filling out the forms, spending $7.00 (twice) on sending them with a proof of mailing from Switzerland because I have to send my forms and Mrs. TBF's forms separately just to make sure that at least one set gets to the IRS (...kind of anal that way!), and all this just so some IRS clerk on the taxpayers' tab can just sit there entering numbers into a datafile that will probably never be used anyway?
What a waste of time and resources!
Isn't it about time the U.S. adopted a better method of taxation???? Anyhoo... Our forms are on there way to the IRS as we speak.
The forms must be postmarked one week from today. You better sharpen those pencils.
** UPDATED ON JUNE 24, 2009: Apparently there are a lot of people finally getting around to filing this form - 7 hits resulting from "TD F 90-22.1" in the last 12 hours.
Did you know that you're required to file IRS form TD F 90-22.1 by June 30, 2009. That's the "Report Of Foreign Bank And Financial Accounts". On this form, you have to report all of the foreign bank/securities accounts you held in 2008. This year, the form has been revised from previous years. On the current form, you have to list all sorts of details such as: Maxiumum value of account during calender year reported. You didn't have to report that on the previous forms. The penalty for not reporting your accounts to the IRS? $100,000!!! Of course, our accountants told us that they have not heard of one fine being levied... YET!
I can understand the U.S. government wanting to keep track of Americans with foreign assets. I mean, there are a lot of tax cheats out there. However, do they really think that somebody attempting to avoid paying U.S. taxes by hiding millions of dollars in an offshore account is really going to file this form - OR, even worry about a $100,000 fine??? Instead, I end up filling out the forms, spending $7.00 (twice) on sending them with a proof of mailing from Switzerland because I have to send my forms and Mrs. TBF's forms separately just to make sure that at least one set gets to the IRS (...kind of anal that way!), and all this just so some IRS clerk on the taxpayers' tab can just sit there entering numbers into a datafile that will probably never be used anyway?
What a waste of time and resources!
Isn't it about time the U.S. adopted a better method of taxation???? Anyhoo... Our forms are on there way to the IRS as we speak.
The forms must be postmarked one week from today. You better sharpen those pencils.
** UPDATED ON JUNE 24, 2009: Apparently there are a lot of people finally getting around to filing this form - 7 hits resulting from "TD F 90-22.1" in the last 12 hours.
Labels: Fair Tax, I.R.S., Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, TD F 90-22.1, wasting my time
Two Milestones
In all the excitement preceding last week's parental visit, I completely missed two major TBF milestones :
June 16th marked the 25th anniversary of my graduation from Northwestern University, and...
June 17th marked the 5th anniversary of my first blog post.
Having blogged for five years is no big deal, but JEE-ZUS! I graduated from college over 25 years ago! YIKES!!!
Time flies!
June 16th marked the 25th anniversary of my graduation from Northwestern University, and...
June 17th marked the 5th anniversary of my first blog post.
Having blogged for five years is no big deal, but JEE-ZUS! I graduated from college over 25 years ago! YIKES!!!
Time flies!
Labels: blogging anniversary, getting old, life's milestones, Northwestern University, time flies
Out With The Old-New...
... and in with the New-New!!!
Our Nespresso machine bit the dust this weekend. It had a two year warranty, and it lasted just over three years. I consider it a personal victory that the thing lasted 50% longer than the warranty period: perhaps a new record for a product made in Switzerland.
Actually, the thing did break - and was repaired free of charge - one time during the warranty period. So, in all fairness, the fine people at Nespresso did take care of us. However, I STILL SAY...
Swiss Quality: HA! RUBBISH!!!
Seeing how the fine people at Nespresso pretty much had me by MY coffee beans since I had ordered about 500 Nespresso coffee capsules the previous week, I had basically no choice but to go out and buy another Nespresso machine. And, that I did.
We are now the proud owners of the latest (and greatest?) Citiz Nespresso machine. It's sleeker, has nice little features that our previous machine didn't have, and the coffee seems to come out hotter than before: all good! Plus, we have a brand new zwei Jahre Garantie! That means that IT WILL BE THE LAST COFFEE MACHINE WE EVER BUY IN SWITZERLAND!!!!!!!!
And now for an installment of like/no like:
LIKE: The Swiss certainly know how to make machines that make a great cup of coffee.
NO LIKE: Swiss Quality is a sham! The coffee machines should last, in my opinion, AT LEAST five years!
Our Nespresso machine bit the dust this weekend. It had a two year warranty, and it lasted just over three years. I consider it a personal victory that the thing lasted 50% longer than the warranty period: perhaps a new record for a product made in Switzerland.
Actually, the thing did break - and was repaired free of charge - one time during the warranty period. So, in all fairness, the fine people at Nespresso did take care of us. However, I STILL SAY...
Swiss Quality: HA! RUBBISH!!!
Seeing how the fine people at Nespresso pretty much had me by MY coffee beans since I had ordered about 500 Nespresso coffee capsules the previous week, I had basically no choice but to go out and buy another Nespresso machine. And, that I did.
We are now the proud owners of the latest (and greatest?) Citiz Nespresso machine. It's sleeker, has nice little features that our previous machine didn't have, and the coffee seems to come out hotter than before: all good! Plus, we have a brand new zwei Jahre Garantie! That means that IT WILL BE THE LAST COFFEE MACHINE WE EVER BUY IN SWITZERLAND!!!!!!!!And now for an installment of like/no like:
LIKE: The Swiss certainly know how to make machines that make a great cup of coffee.
NO LIKE: Swiss Quality is a sham! The coffee machines should last, in my opinion, AT LEAST five years!
Labels: like/no like, Nespresso Citiz machine, so-called Swiss quality, zwei Jahre Garantie
Came And Went...
My parents arrived in Basel this past Friday. This morning, I drove them to the airport (at 4:45 a.m.!!!!), and now they're gone. But no worries because they're going to spend a few weeks in Finland visiting friends and relatives, and then they'll be coming back to Basel at the end of July.We didn't really do too much this past weekend. The folks adjusted to the time zone with a few naps, ventured into Basel a couple of times, and we had a few drinks (and enjoyed a fire) on the rooftop. That's about it.
Who knows? Maybe we'll actually venture out of the Basel area when they return at the end of next month.
Labels: enjoying drinks on the rooftop, martinis, Roquefort-stuffed olives, TBF's parents in Switzerland, TBF's parents living the good life
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Bougainvillea
This is me wondering how much bigger our bougainvillea (one of the true stars of our rooftop garden) will actually get this year if it's already this big by the middle of June.Last fall, for the first time, I sent "Bogie" (and other plants) to a greenhouse to spend the winter - he (yes, he's a he!) came back home the first week of May ready to explode with flowers. In prior years, I had him winter-over in our stairwell. While the stairwell is warm, it's also very dry. Bogie would go dormant, lose all his leaves, and have to start from scratch when I'd bring him outside in May.
Although I have yet to receive a bill, I think sending him to a greenhouse was a good decision. Don't cha think?
Another thing...
I took this picture earlier this evening at 8:50 p.m. just before the sun set. The late setting summer sun, along with the fact that we have VERY FEW mosquitoes here which permits us to actually enjoy the sunset outdoors are two of my favorite things about living in Basel. I know (because my friends often tell me) that I can sometimes be very anti-Switzerland, but I think I'll start to balance it out by sometimes reporting on the things I actually like about living here. In fact, whenever I write about something I dislike about Switzerland, I'm going to (try to) balance it out by writing about something I like about living in Switzerland within the same post.
This post?
Like: 2
No like: 0
Labels: bougainvillea, like/no like, mosquitoes, the summer sun sets late in Basel
Just A Thought
What ever happened to postage stamps?
I rarely use them any more. Way back when we lived in the U.S., I used to have a roll in the car's glove box, a roll in the desk in the home office, and a few extras tucked into the checkbook. Nowadays... NONE!
That's right... I don't have any postage stamps in the apartment at all.
Today, I had to actually mail a letter. So, I went to the post office that is conveniently located about a one minute walk from our apartment, bought ONE stamp, and mailed the letter there. Yes, I guess I could have bought a book of stamps then and there, but...
I didn't.
Nope... didn't need 'em.
I started thinking about it, and the last time I actually mailed something was when I mailed our U.S. tax return back in April. Before that? Who knows? Maybe a few Christmas cards back in December???
I do all of our banking/paying of bills electronically, and all correspondence is done via e-mail, so there's just no need for me to keep postage around the house.
Hmmm... how things change! It's no wonder the postal service is hurting.
I rarely use them any more. Way back when we lived in the U.S., I used to have a roll in the car's glove box, a roll in the desk in the home office, and a few extras tucked into the checkbook. Nowadays... NONE!
That's right... I don't have any postage stamps in the apartment at all.
Today, I had to actually mail a letter. So, I went to the post office that is conveniently located about a one minute walk from our apartment, bought ONE stamp, and mailed the letter there. Yes, I guess I could have bought a book of stamps then and there, but...
I didn't.
Nope... didn't need 'em.
I started thinking about it, and the last time I actually mailed something was when I mailed our U.S. tax return back in April. Before that? Who knows? Maybe a few Christmas cards back in December???
I do all of our banking/paying of bills electronically, and all correspondence is done via e-mail, so there's just no need for me to keep postage around the house.
Hmmm... how things change! It's no wonder the postal service is hurting.
Labels: mailing a letter, postage stamps, snail mail, the times they are a changing
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
One Of My Favorite Things...
...is to watch people falling asleep in public. I find few things funnier than a person nodding off, suddenly jerking awake, and then looking up at everybody and wondering why they're all staring at him.
I'm even chuckling right now thinking about it.
The 2+ hour train ride from Lausanne to Basel last month provided a worthy subject. First, the guy spent about ten minutes "digging for gold" - that, I tried to ignore. However, soon the eyes grew heavy, and the head began to nod.
I got my camera ready.
A couple of minutes later, Mrs. TBF said: "NOW!"
Snap! Photographic gold!
Another one for the "falling asleep in public" collection. They go into the file with this one from somewhere over the Atlantic in January 2007, and this one from Tokyo in October 2007.
Maybe one day I'll publish them all in a coffee table book
I'm even chuckling right now thinking about it.
The 2+ hour train ride from Lausanne to Basel last month provided a worthy subject. First, the guy spent about ten minutes "digging for gold" - that, I tried to ignore. However, soon the eyes grew heavy, and the head began to nod.
I got my camera ready.
A couple of minutes later, Mrs. TBF said: "NOW!"
Snap! Photographic gold!Another one for the "falling asleep in public" collection. They go into the file with this one from somewhere over the Atlantic in January 2007, and this one from Tokyo in October 2007.
Maybe one day I'll publish them all in a coffee table book
Labels: candid camera, my favorite things, people falling asleep in public
I Forgot To Mention...
In early May, Mrs. TBF and I celebrated the 25th anniversary of our first date. Since the anniversary fell right before my trip to Chicago and Mrs. TBF's trip to New York, we decided to celebrate the anniversary later in the month - in Lausanne.
Lausanne was actually the first place we traveled to (other than day trips) after moving to Switzerland. We took the train to Lausanne, checked into the same hotel we stayed in eight years ago, unpacked our overnight bags, and... then I watched Mrs. TBF break out the laptop so that she could take care of some important work e-mails.
But hey... no worries! That just took a few minutes.
We went down to the spa, swam in the pool, went in the sauna and hammam, and just plain relaxed. Afterwards, we had a drink in one of the hotel bars before heading out to dinner at a restaurant called Hôtel de Ville in nearby Crissier.
The restaurant was FANTASTIC! Perhaps the best meal I've ever eaten: definitely in the top five. Waiters in tuxedos... 11 courses... great wines... etc. I even wore a suit... and a tie! Of course, I could go on and on, but I won't. Just go check it out for yourself if you're ever in the Lausanne area. It's expensive, but worth it!
The next day, we woke up still full from the night before, but we managed to make it downstairs for breakfast anyway. After breakfast, we tried to burn off a few calories by walking along Lac Léman a bit, and then it was back to Basel. Short... but sweet!
Kind of like Mrs. TBF.
Lausanne was actually the first place we traveled to (other than day trips) after moving to Switzerland. We took the train to Lausanne, checked into the same hotel we stayed in eight years ago, unpacked our overnight bags, and... then I watched Mrs. TBF break out the laptop so that she could take care of some important work e-mails.
But hey... no worries! That just took a few minutes.
We went down to the spa, swam in the pool, went in the sauna and hammam, and just plain relaxed. Afterwards, we had a drink in one of the hotel bars before heading out to dinner at a restaurant called Hôtel de Ville in nearby Crissier.
The restaurant was FANTASTIC! Perhaps the best meal I've ever eaten: definitely in the top five. Waiters in tuxedos... 11 courses... great wines... etc. I even wore a suit... and a tie! Of course, I could go on and on, but I won't. Just go check it out for yourself if you're ever in the Lausanne area. It's expensive, but worth it!
The next day, we woke up still full from the night before, but we managed to make it downstairs for breakfast anyway. After breakfast, we tried to burn off a few calories by walking along Lac Léman a bit, and then it was back to Basel. Short... but sweet!Kind of like Mrs. TBF.
Labels: Crissier, Hôtel de Ville, Lac Léman, Lausanne, Lausanne Palace, Philippe Rochat
Getting All Spruced Up...
...inside and out!
Our next-door neighbor, the Migros grocery store, is being overhauled (it's about time!!) The interior is being rearranged and modernized, and the outside is getting a fresh coat of paint (a.k.a. an empty canvas for the local graffiti artists).
I think it was around the time we went to Amsterdam that I first noticed that something was going on inside. Stuff was being moved around, and then new shelves started going in. Then, late last month, the scaffolding started going up. In fact, they even began working on it AT 5:37 one Saturday MORNING! That's right... 5:37 A.M.!
So let me get this right...
I can't make noise between noon and 2 p.m. during "quiet time", but workers can hammer pieces of scaffolding together right next to our apartment building before 6 o'clock on a Saturday morning??? clank...Clank...CLANK!!!!!!
Whatever!
Anyway...
Although it's been open during the entire renovation, there's going to be a grand re-opening on June 18th. With the new layout, it seems like there's a lot more shelving which means a lot more room for new products.
Fritos? Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing?
Fat chance!
Our next-door neighbor, the Migros grocery store, is being overhauled (it's about time!!) The interior is being rearranged and modernized, and the outside is getting a fresh coat of paint (a.k.a. an empty canvas for the local graffiti artists).I think it was around the time we went to Amsterdam that I first noticed that something was going on inside. Stuff was being moved around, and then new shelves started going in. Then, late last month, the scaffolding started going up. In fact, they even began working on it AT 5:37 one Saturday MORNING! That's right... 5:37 A.M.!
So let me get this right...
I can't make noise between noon and 2 p.m. during "quiet time", but workers can hammer pieces of scaffolding together right next to our apartment building before 6 o'clock on a Saturday morning??? clank...Clank...CLANK!!!!!!
Whatever!
Anyway...
Although it's been open during the entire renovation, there's going to be a grand re-opening on June 18th. With the new layout, it seems like there's a lot more shelving which means a lot more room for new products.
Fritos? Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing?
Fat chance!
Labels: early-morning wake up, Migros renovation, quiet time
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Eight Eyes
I experienced a major life milestone while I was in Chicago.
On May 7th, at 3 p.m., I showed up at my cousin Greg's office for an eye exam - don't worry... he's an opthamologist. In fact, I arrived fifteen minutes early. God, I'm such a Swissy! Even he wasn't there yet!!!
First of all, I'd like to say that I successfully took public transportation from my sister's town in the northwest suburbs to my cousin's office on the nort'side of Chicago. So, who says you can't get anywhere using public transportation in America? It only took about 30 minutes longer than it would have if I had gone by car (assuming absolutely no traffic), so it wasn't too bad at all.
After Dr. Greg examined me, my suspicions were confirmed: I now need glasses for reading!
Greg told me that my distance vision was perfect, and that I should just pick up some cheap reading glasses (the lowest magnification possible) at a drug store. So, that's what I did. Kind of...
Never being one to pass up an opportunity to go to Costco, I did just that and picked up a three-pack of reading glasses for about $20. Oh, and by the way, I checked out the price last week at our local grocery store in Basel, and...
$25 for ONE pair of glasses!
My glasses are now positioned on the bidet/magazine rack in our "library", in the TV room for when I want to read instead of watching yet another one of Mrs. TBF's cooking programs, and on the desk in our office to be used when blogging or surfing the net.
That is... when they're not all on my head simultaneously for display purposes only.
I actually thought I was being very frugal by getting three pairs of glasses for $20. However, my dad one-upped me.
While I was in Sudbury, my dad told me that he had to get a new pair of prescription glasses. Apparently he had to wait a week before getting them, so he went to the drugstore to buy a pair of cheap reading glasses. Oh, and here's the best part...
HE LEFT THE PLASTIC TAG ON THEM SO THAT HE COULD GET A REFUND AFTER RETURNING THEM AFTER RECEIVING HIS PRESCRIPTION GLASSES!!!
That's my dad - the master of frugality!
On May 7th, at 3 p.m., I showed up at my cousin Greg's office for an eye exam - don't worry... he's an opthamologist. In fact, I arrived fifteen minutes early. God, I'm such a Swissy! Even he wasn't there yet!!!
First of all, I'd like to say that I successfully took public transportation from my sister's town in the northwest suburbs to my cousin's office on the nort'side of Chicago. So, who says you can't get anywhere using public transportation in America? It only took about 30 minutes longer than it would have if I had gone by car (assuming absolutely no traffic), so it wasn't too bad at all.
After Dr. Greg examined me, my suspicions were confirmed: I now need glasses for reading!
Greg told me that my distance vision was perfect, and that I should just pick up some cheap reading glasses (the lowest magnification possible) at a drug store. So, that's what I did. Kind of...
Never being one to pass up an opportunity to go to Costco, I did just that and picked up a three-pack of reading glasses for about $20. Oh, and by the way, I checked out the price last week at our local grocery store in Basel, and...
$25 for ONE pair of glasses!
My glasses are now positioned on the bidet/magazine rack in our "library", in the TV room for when I want to read instead of watching yet another one of Mrs. TBF's cooking programs, and on the desk in our office to be used when blogging or surfing the net.
That is... when they're not all on my head simultaneously for display purposes only.I actually thought I was being very frugal by getting three pairs of glasses for $20. However, my dad one-upped me.
While I was in Sudbury, my dad told me that he had to get a new pair of prescription glasses. Apparently he had to wait a week before getting them, so he went to the drugstore to buy a pair of cheap reading glasses. Oh, and here's the best part...HE LEFT THE PLASTIC TAG ON THEM SO THAT HE COULD GET A REFUND AFTER RETURNING THEM AFTER RECEIVING HIS PRESCRIPTION GLASSES!!!
That's my dad - the master of frugality!
Labels: Costco reading glasses, life's milestones, my cousin Greg, my dad a.k.a. the master of frugality
What A Difference...
...a couple of months makes.
The rooftop garden: the first week of April.
The rooftop garden: the first week of June.
The rooftop garden: the first week of April.
The rooftop garden: the first week of June.Labels: rooftop garden then and now
They Grow Up So Fast...
This our niece (and goddaughter) Fiona. She's going to be 14 in July, and this picture was taken while we were in Chicago on the eve of her 8th grade dance. She's something like 5'7" or 5'8" now - a little taller than my sister, and half a head taller than Mrs. TBF. It's hard to believe that she and her sister Kiera looked like this when we moved to Switzerland.
Man, we've been here a long time!
I took this picture of the entire clan after going out for breakfast on the Sunday morning (May 17th) before returning to Basel. I tried a couple of times to get a picture where everyone's eyes were open.No such luck...
Labels: Chicago, Fiona and Kiera then and now, the nieces and nephew
