Calm Before The Storm...

Mrs. TBF and I just spent a GREAT long-weekend in Spain celebrating my 45th birthday. We slept, ate breakfast (which I'm just going to be calling "bacon" from now on..."What's for bacon?"), soaked up the sun next to the pool for hours on end, watched beautiful sunsets, ate fantastic food for dinner, and then repeated the process. We came back very rested.

Now begins a very busy time...

I'm leaving for Chicago in about an hour to take care of some personal business I wasn't able to handle when I was there a few weeks ago, and I'll be returning to Basel next Monday. Mrs. TBF has big meetings this week, leaves for Singapore next Tuesday, and then goes to the U.S. the following week.

We won't see each other too much for the next couple of weeks. But at least there's a lot of time for us to see each other in the next 31+ years I am expected to live according to the online actuarial tables. Thirty-one years is a long time!

...isn't it?

Feeling The (lack of) Heat

Two years ago at this time, we were in Amalfi enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures.

Last year at this time, we were in Amalfi enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures.

This morning, I walked Mrs. TBF to the tram at 7:40, and it was sunny...but only 7˚C (mid-40s ˚F).

What the heck happened?

Here's what happened: we didn't go to Amalfi this year.

Yes, despite the fact that Mrs. TBF said last year that she wanted to go back to Amalfi every year for the rest of her life, we didn't go this year. Why? Well...the main reason is that we'll be going to Japan next month to celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary, and we just felt that three long vacations in three consecutive months (August: Chicago/Canada, September: Amalfi, October: Japan) would be a bit too much. And...well...that's pretty much the reason.

But don't worry. We'll probably end up going to Amalfi at some point next spring. Perhaps during the "Basel Week Of Hell..." when Euro 2008 and Art Basel are occurring simultaneously during the first week of June, 2008!

All is not lost, however, regarding warm/sunny vacations. As I mentioned recently, we will be heading back to El Montiboli in Villajoyosa, Spain (one week from tomorrow) for a long weekend.

Who knows? Maybe I'll even score a "perfect day" while we're there!

...bacon, blue sky/sunny weather, cigar, marital relations, sauna, (in alphabetical order)!!!!!