More Proof That I'm Old!

After Mrs. TBF woke me up from my (extremely short) afternoon nap by texting me from her meeting...

Mrs. TBF: what are u doing now?

TBF: I WAS taking a nap!

I got up (groggily) and noticed a little table with a few magazines on it. In fact, here's what I saw.

And... here's what I chose.

Energy saving? Are you kidding me? What could be more exciting than that?

Somebody, HELP ME!

Not As Planned...

The trip to London was quick...but good. I guess if I had to rate the trip, I'd put it in the "not-quite-as-planned" category. Nothing bad happened, it's just that I ended up not going to Madame Tussauds as planned - and that was one of the things I had really set out to do.

Everything started out OK for my day on my own. I walked out of the hotel into the unexpected sunshine, enjoyed the leisurely 25 minute stroll to Madame Tussauds, and then was confronted with THIS upon arriving. I'm not joking, there had to be 300 people in line waiting to get in. Not being one who enjoys waiting in line, I decided to just wander off...aimlessly. The weather began to change, so I ended up killing some time (while it rained) inside a Selfridges. After browsing for about and hour or so, I ended up at a pub that served up an excellent steak and kidney pie. After lunch, I just went back to the hotel and took a nap.

OK... so what else did we do? When Mrs. TBF wasn't working, we managed (as I said before) to squeeze in a little shopping, and we also met up (at a pub) with Julie of This non-American Life who just happened to be in London at the same time we were. Finally, we also enjoyed a couple of really nice dinners.

The first night, we ate at Marcus Wareing At The Berkeley which we really enjoyed and would recommend. Then, the next night, we ate at Nobu Berkeley Street which had really good food, but we wouldn't recommend. OK...maybe we're getting old, but... we don't like eating in a place where the music is so loud that you have to yell to each other while you're eating dinner. That's for bars, not for restaurants. Also, we showed up on time for our reservation, but our table wasn't ready and they kept us waiting. Sure, it was only for ten minutes, but...

Oh...my...GOD!

We're not only old, but we've become Swiss.

OH. MY. GOD!!!!!

We've become old Swiss people!!!!!!

Off To London...Again!

While I was in Chicago last month, Mrs. TBF told me she had to go to London in March for a meeting and asked if I wanted to "tag along".

"What will I do all day while you're working?" I asked.

"Whatever you want!" was her reply.

We left Basel yesterday afternoon. Much to Mrs. TBF's chagrin, we arrived at the airport about an hour and twenty minutes before our flight. Normally, she's one of those get-to-the-airport-with-minimal-time-to-spare people. I, on the other hand, would gladly get to the airport about three hours before my flight and just sit around relaxing. Mrs. TBF thought our flight was earlier than it was, we had already printed our boarding passes at home, and the long and short of it is that we arrived at the airport waaaaaaayyyy too early for Mrs. TBF's liking. This resulted in us RELAXING in the overly large Swiss lounge: Capacity? Probably about 150 passengers. Total number of people in the lounge? About 15.

After getting settled-in to our hotel, we had just enough time to do a little shopping, stop for a couple of quick pints (Ok...1.5 to .5 split), and then get ready for dinner at a really nice restaurant - probably our best dining experience in London so far.

What will I do all day today? Whatever I want! Stay tuned...

The Best Of Times...

David Granger, in the March 2009 issue of Esquire, writes:

...if you have the courage to buck the prevailing mood (and are amoung the 93 percent of us who still have a job) - these are actually damn good times...

Gas is under two bucks [at least in America]. There's never been a better time to buy a new car (half off! 0 percent!) or a new house (depressed prices + 5 percent over thirty years = unprecedented opportunity). Tables are available in the vast majority of excellent restaurants, to eat reduced-price menus... Airports are way less crowded, there are empty seats on flights, and those flights land on time more often. There's momentum afoot in the land to address the problems (infrastructure, education, health care, energy) we've ignored for the last eight years. All in all, it's easier to live a more enjoyable life right now than at any time in recent memory... if we can just convince ourselves to go ahead and do so.

Have I been saying it, or what? No, really, I HAVE been saying this same thing to Mrs. TBF and others. However, David Granger summed it up better than I ever could.

Let's go ahead and enjoy life! Just...do it! Who's in?

Keep Going!

The Swiss franc is starting to go up against the U.S. dollar again. That's good news - at least for us. Parity with the dollar will be just fine, thank you.

March 18, 2009 at 3:24 p.m.

I finally rode the new tram today. Remember... when I mentioned the Tango tram... way back in NOVEMBER???

Why has it taken so long, you ask?

Well, that's because they've been training the tram drivers on the new Tango trams for the past three months. That's right!! THREE MONTHS!!!!!

THEY'RE STILL DOING IT!!!

I first saw one of the new trams probably in December. However, they would just go down the track - taunting us - with a big "L" (as in learner) on the tram marquee instead of the final stop. The tram would have the driver, and two instructors sitting behind the driver. It would stop at our stop, not pick up any passengers, and then just move on to the next stop.

I mean, it's just moving on rails like the old trams, right? How hard can it be to drive one of those things. I mean really... COME ON!!!!!!!

Finally, a few weeks ago, I noticed that there was ONE new Tango car actually picking up passengers, and that was only during certain hours during morning and afternoon rush hour. Nothing like being a bit cautious. Sheesh!

Oh, and incidentally... Mrs. TBF is SEETHING right now. Here's why:

We've had this competition between the two of us regarding who would be the first to ride the Tango. It actually spiraled downward to where we were trash talking each other.

"I'm so going to be riding the Tango while you're in New York," I'd say to her.

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm going to ride it home from work one of these days while you're at home cooking dinner... and I'll call you to let you know that I'm doing it. That's right!"

And so on...

Finally, this afternoon, as I was walking back to the apartment after returning my Mobility car, I looked down the track and noticed that the 15:24 tram was a Tango. It was headin' my way, and... IT DIDN'T HAVE AN "L" ON IT. I didn't really need to go anywhere, but I hopped on anyway. And let me tell you... IT WAS SA-WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

Roomy...quiet...comfortable. Ahhhhhhhhhh, a real joy.

I rode it for three stops, and then I got off to return home because there were a couple of things that needed tending to.

As I got off the Tango, I noticed some tram-geek on the other side of the platform actually taking a picture of it. God, what a freak! However, I quickly realized that I too was a tram-geek because I was merely crossing from one side of the platform to the other side to head off in the other direction on the same line. Worse yet: I knew that HE knew what I had just done and what I was now doing.

Maybe I should wear a big "L" on my forehead.

L for LOSER!

The Friendly Skies...

Mrs. TBF is on her way to NYC right now. Per the usual drill when she travels on business, I rode with her in the taxi to the airport (6 a.m. - OUCH!) so that I could spend every possible waking moment with her (Awwwwwwwww!), waved to her after she went through security, and then rode the airport bus/tram back home. Unlike previous times, I actually went back to bed this morning and woke up a little before 10 a.m. when Mrs. TBF called me to let me know that she had arrived safely at Heathrow.

While Mrs. TBF was going through security at our local airport, I noticed that there was some kind of "discussion" going-on with the security person regarding the liquids in her little Ziploc bag. It turns out that Mrs. TBF uses some unmarked containers for some of her liquids and the security person told her that she needs to....LABEL THE CONTAINERS WITH THE VOLUME AND CONTENTS! Can you believe it? How's that for security? Are you interested in bringing some gasoline on an airplane? Apparently the x-ray machines are unable to detect what it is. But... no problem! Just write "100 ml of water" on the container and you should be fine.

Sheesh!

Also, Mrs. TBF informed me that laptops must once again be taken out of the carry-on bags and loaded into individual trays at security at Heathrow. The result this morning? Massive back-up at security that stretched all the way to the top of the escalator causing mayhem as people tried to get off of said escalator.

Don't you just love it when people stop dead in their tracks after getting off of an escalator. Another good one is when people stop to hug all of their relatives immediately after exiting passport control/customs at any airport resulting in complete blockage of said exit for all the other passengers.

People! Sheesh!

Things I Read...

I read in last week's Economist that it takes 1,120 liters of water to produce 1 liter of coffee (or 140 liters per cup). Only 120 liters go into making the same amount of tea. Wine? Nearly 1,000 liters. Beer? Only about 300 liters.

Here's the blurb from economist.com in case you're interested.

I guess the best thing for the planet is for us to drink tea instead of coffee, and beer instead of wine. Better yet, just drink water...and don't eat anything.

Going Down...

A couple of weeks ago, I checked the price of a flight going from Basel to Chicago. I plan on going back in early May, so I figured there was no hurry and I just decided to put it off a couple of weeks.

Boy, am I glad I did.

Today, I checked again, and...the fare is nearly 10% lower than it was 2.5 weeks ago. Should I book now, or should I wait even longer? Hmmmm....

Prices are dropping! This economic crisis RULES!!!*

*trying to stay upbeat!

That Was Easy!

I met with the accountants (one American and one Swiss) earlier this afternoon. If you'll recall, last year I went into the meeting, armed with my perfectly organized records and laptop, full o' piss and vinegar, and I came out spitting a few nails.

This year, I opted for the low-tech approach. Reaaaaaaaaal low-tech!

Yes, I went in once again with my perfectly organized records, of course! However, this year? No laptop! Also, I just stuck my records into a jumbo, 2.5 gallon Ziploc bag which proved to be very popular with the bean counters. After barely and hour, we were all done. Somebody who looked like me forged Mrs. TBF's signature on a bunch of forms, I ate a couple of mints (individually wrapped with the firm's logo prominently displayed on the wrapper), drank a coffee, shot the breeze with the beaners for a few minutes, and that was it.

No attitude this year, no complaints, no...nothing! Happy! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaapy!

Am I mellowing out in my old age, or what? Hell! I didn't even lie about our net worth for the Swiss wealth tax this year.

Wait a second...

Is that a halo over my head?

Brotherly Love

I saw this on the CNN ticker this morning.

Very few things cause my sister to panic as much as the thought of an asteroid colliding with Earth.

Hey, Diana...

Are you FREAKING OUT?

San Sebastian: The Photos...

They're all here, people! More photos (100+) from this past weekend than you can probably even handle: in and around San Sebastian, the day-trip to Bilbao, the dinners at Mugaritz and Arzak, the pintxos crawl.

Knock yourselves out!

On Egin!

That's "cheers" in the Basque language.

We've been in San Sebastian, Spain since Thursday. During our flight, we figured out that it's our ninth trip to Spain.

We kind of expected it to be a good trip, but it has totally exceeded our expectations. San Sebastian is a really, REALLY nice place to spend a long weekend, and we hope to return again in the not-too-distant future.

What have we done so far?

We hired a local guide named Iñaki who showed us around San Sebastian. He told us about the history, but (more importantly) he also brought us around to many of his favorite pintxos (the Basque word for tapas) bars where we proceeded to gladly sample all of the best San Sebastian has to offer.

Hey...don't worry. We've also eaten some good sit-down meals too. We ate at Mugaritz on Thursday night, and Arzak (five Michelin stars between them) last night. We even had our picture taken with (and touched) Elena Arzak. Both she and her father were incredibly nice.

"We're not worthy! WE'RE NOT WORTHY!!!!"

On Friday, we took a day-trip to Bilbao. Exactly 1 hour 10 minutes by bus from San Sebastian, Bilbao is famous for the Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim Museum. I slapped on the SPF-15, and we walked around Bilbao for hours. While at the museum, Jo Ann was chased by a man-eating spider, and I was engulfed by some man-made fog. However, we both lived to tell the tale.

We'll be heading back to Basel tomorrow afternoon. I've taken a bunch of photos, and I'll post a link to them all after we're back home again...counting our calories.

Warm Thoughts...

I absolutely froze my butt off today. It wasn't really super cold outside, but it was moderately cold AND damp. I'm 100% Finnish, I was born in Canada, and I grew up in Chicago! I can't handle 45˚F and damp anymore? What da heck is da matter wit' me?

Sorry about that...King must've taken over my body for a couple of seconds.

It's time to fight the cold, damp Basel weather with a little mind over matter. Here are a few pictures of me and my folks taken last week in warm (80˚F), sunny Florida.

Separated At Birth?

The masses have spoken! Here are the most likely candidates (other than Alexander McQueen) for people roaming the planet who may be my separated-at-birth twin brother.

Vincent D'Onofrio as Private Pyle in Full Metal Jacket
Back in the mid-90s, I was actually once asked by a waitress in a restaurant if I was "the guy from Full Metal Jacket." I guess I can see the resemblance, but I'm guessing that Mrs. TBF should really be the judge since she's the one who sees me in this pose (minus the assault rifle) pretty much every morning. Sorry...long-time married couple thing!

Ainsley Harriott - British celebrity chef
Ainsley Harriott is, or at least used to be (haven't seen him for a while), a pretty big star on the UK Food Network. Back in the late 90s, I worked with this American guy named John who had a British wife and had lived in the England for many years. One day, out of the blue, he said to me: "You know what? You remind me EXACTLY of this British TV chef named Ainsley Harriott. He's a dead ringer for you. He's big and he shaves his head. He's exactly like you. Ummmm....except he's black."

Christian Gross - coach of the FC Basel professional soccer team
What are the odds that I would resemble (down to the bulging vein I get in my temple when I drink wine) the head coach of Basel's soccer team? One time, several years back, we went out to dinner with some friends (Christian and Nimashini) of ours. It just so happened that FC Basel had won the Swiss League Championship - or whatever it's called (I'm not a big soccer fan) - earlier that day. Christian - who's taller than I am - and I walked into the restaurant, and suddenly we heard everyone start yelling "Christian Gross!!!" I figured that they were calling out to Christian because he was Christian AND gross.

TBF: Do you know those guys?
Christian: No.
TBF: Why are they yelling at you?
Christian: I...have no...idea.

I figured out about a year later that they were really yelling at me. I should have tried for some free drinks. Opportunity lost!

And...the perennial favorite:

Mr. Clean. I've been called Maestro Lindo in Italy, Meister Proper in Germany, and Monsieur Propre in France. Oddly enough, nobody has ever called me Mr. Clean in America. Maybe it'll happen when I get older and my eyebrows turn white.

Are there any others out there?

Let me know.

Hey...Remember me????

I know, I know...I haven't blogged in a long time. And, I also haven't been very active in reading, commenting or really all things "blog". But, I am trying to turn over a new leaf. TBF has been on my case now for a long time about it, so today I decided that there's no time like the present, so here I am again. The big question for me is do I have anything that interesting, amusing, intelligent or otherwise compelling to say??? Well, at the moment I must admit that I really don't. But, maybe you do, so I'm going to pose a question. But first, a prelude to the question....

As you've read, TBF and I were back in Chicago for a few days together. At the end of one of my biz trips I flew to Chicago to meet him and spend the weekend visiting family and friends...frantically moving from one place to another to see as many people as possible in a short time. Luckily, things worked out pretty well and we got to see some people that we weren't able to hook up with last August. I always end up feeling bit stressed though and I would hate for people to feel as though we rushed through the visit. One evening we had what I would call a pretty relaxed dinner with Jo Mama. It was relaxed in that she didn't protest to drinking a glass of wine, having soup and a burger, and even a few spoonfuls of our shared dessert. The restaurant wasn't crowded and I generally didn't feel we were rushed out the door to turn a table which is usually the case on a Friday night. We also had a nice conversation which was not littered with angst or guilt over anything...not an easy thing for Jo Mama who worries about EVERYTHING! When we left Jo Mama's house to go to the restaurant, TBF announced with confidence that he was looking forward to his (our) mega-million dollar lottery winnings, but first we needed to remind him to buy some Lotto tickets. On the way to dinner we forgot to buy the winning ticket, but on the way home Jo Mama and I made sure that he bought the winning ticket.

Well, as you may have guessed, we did not win the Lotto. Our spread of numbers was absolutely pathetic. But, the nice thing about the Lotto is that it always gets you thinking. If you didn't think there was a chance to win you wouldn't buy a ticket, right? I honestly believe that every single person who buys a ticket, even if it's just one ticket believes that he or she can and will win. Who doesn't eagerly review the winning numbers against their own ticket(s) with anticipation? And who doesn't think about what they would do if they won...the big one???

So, prelude over. TBF and I are no different. We've had the conversation about what we'd do if we won. We've talked about our "magic number" that we'd need for me to join him in retirement. We've discussed buying a home, or maybe two. We've talked about our investment strategy. So, now the questions....

1. What's your magic number - what size lottery would you need to win to feel you could retire?
2. What's the first thing you'd buy?
3. Would you take a lump sum or an annual annuity, and why?

Ciao!

Mistaken Identity...

We're back.

I flew to Chicago nearly two weeks ago. After spending a few days in Chicago, I flew down to Palm Beach International to spend a few days with my folks in the Florida warmth and sunshine. Then, I flew back to Chicago, met up with Mrs. TBF, spent a couple of quick days visiting family and friends, and then we flew back together to Basel.

As we were getting off the plane in Basel, a British woman who was standing behind me said to me:

"Excuse me... I'm sure you get this all the time, but are you a designer?"

I had to admit that I'd never been asked that question before in my life, so I just had to find out who she thought I was.

It turns out that she thought I was Alexander McQueen.

I don't think I look anything like him, but...whatever. Maybe I'll grow a mustache and chin-beard and try to get some free meals at London restaurants.

I was once asked (when we were on our way back from Japan a couple of years ago) in the BA lounge at Heathrow by an American woman: "Did you used to play basketball?" to which I replied, "Why yes, I did." I'm sure she thought I used to be a professional basketball player, but I did, in fact, play basketball when I was a kid, so I didn't feel like I was lying. Ok, I'm tall. Yes, I can understand if somebody would think that I used to be a basketball player, but...

A designer?

I guess each one of us has a "separated at birth" twin somewhere in the world.

Who do people say you look like?

I slept for four hours yesterday afternoon, and then like a rock for nearly eight hours last night. Give me a couple of days to get back on track, and maybe I'll find, and post, a couple of photos from my trip to the U.S.

A Farewell To King: ?/?/1988 - 2/2/2009

King passed away quietly this morning. He was part of our household for 18 years, 2 months, and 23 days. We will, and already do, miss him greatly.

It was on a sunny afternoon on November 10, 1990 that we walked into the "cat room" of a local animal shelter in Palatine, Illinois. I saw a ray of sun beaming in through the window directly onto a sleeping King, and I said: "THAT'S my cat!"

We adopted another cat (Binky) along with King that day, but I'll always consider King to be our first pet because I decided at first glance that we'd take him home that day. I walked over to him, gave a gentle stroke on the head, he opened his eyes, meowed at me, and went back to sleep. SOLD!

In retrospect, I think he may have actually chosen us.

We added yet another cat (Zane) and a dog (Dominique) the year after adopting King and Binky. So, at one point, we had a house full of pets. Binky was the first to go to the great scratching post in the sky. Then, Zane followed in 2000 shortly before our move to Switzerland. Nearly four years ago, Dominique "ripped out our hearts" when we had to put her to sleep after her battle with chronic kidney failure.

It was also chronic kidney failure that would eventually cause King's demise.

A blood test from a couple of years ago confirmed that he was in the early stages of renal failure. We began noticing him drinking, and using the litter box, a lot. One of the many things to King's credit was that he ALWAYS used the litter box (at least when he wasn't in the rooftop garden). A couple of months ago, I began noticing blood in his urine. Last week, for the first time ever, he had an accident on the duvet on our bed. The vet decided to try antibiotics just in case it was just a bladder infection.

It wasn't.

This past Friday night, we came home and found a puddle of bloody urine in the bathroom right where King often slept on the heated tiles.

We knew it was time.

I brought King to Dr. "Boozer's" office this morning for the last time. I gently stroked his head - just like I did for the first time 6,659 days ago - King closed his eyes and...went to sleep.

It's hard to believe that Mrs. TBF and I are now empty-nesters. It's just the two of us in the house for the first time since late-1990. A new chapter has begun.

Boy...it sure is quite around here.

Thanks, Andy!

It's been five years (tomorrow) since I last skied.

Five years ago today, a bunch of us guys went to Gstaad for a ski weekend. The first night, we just had a group dinner and stayed up into the wee hours. The next morning - a beautiful, sunny morning - we got up early and hit the slopes. The first run went fine. Then, everything changed.

To make a long story short:

Andy and I ride up the chairlift for our second run.

Our bindings get tangled up as we get off the chairlift.

My one leg goes one way, and the other leg goes the other way, and I feel a sharp pain in my right knee.

Thud!

Andy thinks a helicopter rescue may be necessary.

I shrug off the helicopter rescue and tell Andy I'm fine.

Andy and I snap these pictures of each other (yes, I was still heavy back then) on what turns out to be my last day of skiing...EVER!

I end up skiing the rest of the day.

The next morning, I wake up with pain in my right knee which is now the size of a honeydew melon.

I am dropped off at the Gstaad train station for the long, solo train ride back to Basel where Mrs. TBF meets me on the train platform.

I hobble around for a few weeks (I never did go to the doctor), and make the decision to hang up my skis for good. The glass knees just can't take it.

Do I miss skiing? No. I wasn't very good at it, and I just didn't enjoy it enough to make it worth the hassle. Plus, I found skiing in Switzerland rather...intimidating. I wasn't scared, but I wasn't exactly in my comfort zone either. It's one thing skiing at Wilmot Mountain in Wilmot, Wisconsin with a vertical drop of a few hundred feet, and quite another thing skiing in Switzerland at several thousand feet, thin oxygen, potential for avalanches, etc.

Skiing at Wilmot? Maybe a broken leg.

Skiing in Switzerland? Maybe...death.

Thanks, Andy! You did me a favor by "taking me out" (that's how I always refer to it)! I think I'll celebrate my five year anniversary this Sunday by soaking in a nice hot bath with a martini in hand.

...much easier on the knees!

Happy 250th Birthday, rrrrrrrrrrRabbie Burns!

Mrs. TBF and I participated in our first-ever Rabbie Burns supper this past Saturday night.

Who is Rabbie Burns, you may be asking if you live outside of the U.K. & Ireland?

Widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, his best known contribution to the world (at least as far as I'm concerned) is his poem (and song) Auld Lang Syne. Every year, people throughout the world, celebrate his birthday (January 25th) with the lethal combination of: poetry, haggis with neeps & tatties, and a nice sampling of fine whiskeys.

This year was extra special since it was the 250th anniversary of his birth. So, Jeanette (a real, honest-to-goodness Scot), Mrs. TBF, and I converged on Mark and Lisa's apartment for a Rabbie Burns pot-luck dinner.

We enjoyed some fine wines and whiskeys, cock-a-leekie soup, the aforementioned haggis (tip: Haggis pairs well with Rioja!) with neeps & tatties, cranachan, and...

Well...you can check out the pictures for yourself right here.

Four Years...

...and still counting.

Time...keeps flowing like a river...to the seaaaaaaaa.

That song kills me, I think I'll download it.

It's been four years, people! That's right. We moved into this apartment four years ago today. It seems like just yesterday that I was looking at our lease agreement and asking Mrs. TBF:

This is a two-year lease. Are you ABSOLUTELY SURE that we're going to live in Switzerland for at least two more years?!?!?!?!

We signed the lease, and FOUR YEARS LATER we're still here. Hmmmm... How did she know?

The people in our building must be thinking that we're due to move because a couple who lives two floors below us saw me walking out of the building last week as they were walking in and told me:

Please let us know in advance when you're going to move because we would like your apartment.

I told them that it wouldn't happen for at least another year, but that I'd let them know as soon as I knew. Our apartment has always been rented to expats who have never lived here for more than five or six years, so I guess the neighbors think it's only a matter of time before we're gone.

We'll see.

I wrote about our move, and posted some pictures, two years ago. But here are a couple of new photos, never before seen on this blog, from that cold time in January, 2005. We had a lot of boxes to unpack, but Dominique absolutely refused to help. King was in hiding because he didn't want to help either. And judging by my size, Mrs. TBF was probably in the kitchen cooking the copious amounts of food I required back then.

It's hard to believe that this May we'll have lived in this apartment for longer than we lived in our first apartment in Reinach.

Who woulda thunk it?

More Guilty Pleasures...

It's approaching a year since I dropped the bombshell about my love for Kelly Clarkson's Because Of You, so I guess the time is about right for me to come clean regarding my latest obsession: Leona Lewis - Run (Sorry. YouTube has disabled the ability to embed the video.).

Yeah, I know it's a cover tune. And yeah, I know the video is completely over-the-top melodrama, but she has the VOICE OF AN ANGEL...with a little brown sugar sprinkled on top. I LOVE IT!

There...I said it.

Now, not only am I totally in touch with my feminine side, but I'm also in touch with my pre-teen feminine side - my eleven year old niece loves Leona Lewis.

I'm scared!

Maybe I'll just try to balance things out by listening to the original version by Snow Patrol. Yeah...that's it..

OMG! Who am I kidding? I like the Leona Lewis version better! (**sniff**)

Friday Flashback: Five Years Ago & 35 lbs. Heavier Edition

Every now and then I like to take a little wander down memory lane and see what there is to see. Yesterday, I decided to see what was going on five years ago this month, and I uncovered this golden oldie.

Jo - the mother-in-law - had just been in Basel for a visit. After she left, I went up to the guest room to strip the bed, and I discovered that she had left one of her fleeces behind in the dresser. Sensing potential photographic gold, I stripped down to my birthday suit, squeezed into her several-sizes-too-small fleece, and snapped this self-portrait on January 7, 2004.

On my next visit to Chicago, I returned her fleece. Of course, I waited until I saw her wearing it before showing her the picture. Aren't I a great son-in-law?

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen her wearing it since then. I wonder if she still has it?

It's Cold In Basel!

In unison: HOW COLD IS IT?

It's been so cold that...

Mrs. TBF has actually been going to work wearing long underwear under her skirt! I hope she hasn't been forgetting to take it off once she gets to the office.

It's a little warmer today, but it's been consistently below freezing for the past couple of weeks. It even reached -8˚C/18˚F, according to our thermometer at least, last week. It rarely gets that cold in Basel. In fact, I'd say it only gets that cold around here for one or two days (if any) per winter. Actually, I don't mind the cold because it's been cold and sunny. I'll take cold and sunny over warm and dreary any day!

Plus, if the cold gets to be too much, we can always just look at our Amalfi puzzle that's sitting on the "puzzle table" in our office. Yeah, we finished it nearly two weeks ago, but I haven't put it away because it's nice to look at it and think about warmer days ahead. Hmmmmmm...

I think I'll book our hotel for Amalfi for this September right now while I'm thinking about it.

You Are Now Free To Move About The World!

My "get of jail free" card (as Mrs. TBF has been calling it), just arrived via registered mail.

MY NEW CANADIAN PASSPORT IS HERE!

I am VERY happy about it! Not only am I now able to venture outside of Switzerland, but I am also now all set for my trip to the U.S. at the beginning of next month.

It's funny how little things like getting a new passport are now big issues for me. When I worked, and had a zillion things going on, something like getting a new passport was a no-brainer. I barely gave it a second thought. But now, since I don't really have that much going on, I semi-obsess over things like getting a passport. No, I don't lose sleep over it. NO, I don't really worry about it. But...I would say that it kind of "weighs" on me.

Last month, the day after getting back from London, Mrs. TBF and I took the train to Bern so that I could drop off my passport application at the very low-security (at least when compared to the fortress that is the American embassy) Canadian embassy. When we arrived, we had to wait out front for a few minutes because THEY WERE CLOSED FOR LUNCH, but at about 1:01 p.m. we rang the doorbell.

Embassy lady (over the little speaker): Hello. May I help you?

TBF: Hi. I'm here to drop off my passport application.

Embassy lady: Please...come in. The four foot high driveway gate slides open.

We went into the lobby (nobody was there except for us), I submitted the application, paid the fee, and...that was about it. Oh...we both used the lobby bathroom. So, since I think entering the embassy meant that we were both legally in Canada, I can proudly say that we both peed in Canada that afternoon before walking back out into Switzerland. Fortunately (for the embassy's janitor), I was over my stomach flu (before coming down with it again a few days later) by that point.

Pretty exciting stuff, eh?

Actually, I guess there was one bit of excitement on the way back to the train station: we were both asked to show our tram tickets by Bernese tram inspectors doing a random inspection. Yes...OF COURSE we had valid tickets! I think I was only inspected three or four times during all of 2008 in Basel, and then were inspected in Bern on the one day we rode their tram. What are the odds?

After a quick, exorbitantly-priced pizza lunch at the Bern train station, we hopped onto the train for the return trip to Basel. As you can see, I was elated that I could now cross "submit passport application" off of my things-to-do list and focus on things like doing laundry, shopping, cleaning King's litter box, and vacuuming.

I'm guessing that I had pretty much the same look on my face this morning right after signing for my passport.

Friday Flashback: Fleeced Edition

I've decided to make room for some new clothes. For whatever reason, I've been holding on to two polar fleeces that I bought wayyyyyy before I lost weight and they're both wayyyyyy too big for me now. They're both just like new (does fleece every really wear out?), but I just can't bring myself to walk around in these tents anymore; they're both going in the charity bin.

I decided to go into the photo albums to try to find out just how old these fleeces are. The first one, according to this picture from December 1995, goes back at least 13 years. Mrs. TBF took this picture of me in front of our garage right after I had arrived home after having surgery to repair my deviated septum. The surgery itself wasn't very painful, but the miles of gauze stuffed up my nose....AWFUL! I don't need any memories of that event lying around.

The fleece goes!

The second fleece I'm actually giving up with some regret because I've always liked it. It's orange - my favorite color - and really comfortable. However, it's even bigger than Deviated Septum Fleece (DSF), so it has to go. Unlike DSF, this fleece actually brings back pleasant memories.

I found some pictures of me wearing Big Orange Fleece (BOF) when we came to Switzerland as tourists in March of 2000. I seem to recall buying it shortly before going on that trip, so that would make BOF only about nine years old - a relative youngster compared to DSF. This picture was taken by Mrs. TBF after a train ride up to Kleine Scheidegg with Simon, Rosemarie, and the kids. Just look at me: all fat and happy, without even the slightest clue that two months later our house would be up for sale and we'd be preparing to move to Basel.

I've already ordered replacements for DSF and BOF from the L.L. Bean catalog, and they're being shipped to my mother-in-law's house so that they'll be waiting for me when I go to Chicago early next month. Who knows? Perhaps I'll still have them both thirteen years from now...

...as I approach 60!

Should I, Or Shouldn't I?

I'm in a rut.

Not in a rut, rut - more like a musical rut.

I've felt for some time now that I've been listening to the same stuff for years...and years...AND YEARS! Yeah, I buy the occasional CD and download the occasional stuff from iTunes, but I'm feeling the need for a big change. I think the main reason for my musical rut is that we no longer have a car, so I don't really get a chance to listen to the radio as often as I used to and hear "what the kids are listening to" on a regular basis.

So...what to do? What TO DO? Here's what I did: I decided to turn to my year-end issues of Blender and Rolling Stone for some guidance; pages and pages of "Best Albums of 2008" and "Singles Of The Year"!

I went to iTunes and listened to some albums; things I've never heard before - TV On The Radio, My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, etc. I have to admit: none of it really got me that excited. Am I getting old? It all sounded the same to me and nothing really stood out from the pack. I ended up downloading the new Kanye West CD and "Lollipop" by Lil Wayne (cue: Mrs. TBF rolling her eyes up into her head), but that was it.

Then it hit me. Maybe albums aren't the answer. Yes, that's it! Singles!!!

I turned to the list of top-100 2008 singles in Blender and listened to a few of them. I'd never heard most of them before, but that's no surprise. I've never even heard "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry, for God's sake! Needless to say, I'm feeling really, REALLY out of touch. Time for drastic action...

I'm thinking of downloading ALL of Blender's "Singles Of The Year"...no exceptions. And I mean NO exceptions. I'll even download "viva la vida" by Coldplay (#9) despite the affiliation with Gwyneth Paltrow which, in my opinion, makes them a chick-band and should immediately disqualify them from a spot on my play list. Others on the list include: MGMT (is it M-G-M-T, or management?), Blitzen Trapper, Lykke Li, Conor Oberst, Jonas Brothers, Cat Power, Sigur Rós, M.I.A., The Ting Tings, Ra Ra Riot, The Knux...

Wow! Wouldn't I just be the coolest ever???

Should I?

Yes...I should!

I will!

Thanks for your help!

Updated later: I did!

Not The Best Holiday Season Ever...

It's 2009*, and not a moment too soon. Here's a quick recap on my life between the middle of December and now.

Mrs. TBF and I left for London on the 19th and returned to Basel on the 22nd. All started out well. We ate at some really nice restaurants, took a nice walk through Hyde Park on Saturday, and then things began to take a turn for the worse on Sunday when I began feeling really sick at Harrod's.

Yes, I had a cold when we left for London, but on Sunday it developed into a full-on flu. We ate at one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants that night, ordered a seven-course tasting menu, and I was only able to force down a couple of bites of each course. That night? Well, I won't get into the details, but let's just say that I was REALLY sick. Fortunately, I felt well enough late Monday morning that we were able to go out for lunch.

I think my illness affected my limited photographic skills because my photos from London pretty much suck. But in case you're interested, here are a few of the ones that are halfway decent.

We got home on Monday night, and then I seemed to be on the mend. I was ok through Christmas and Boxing Day, and then I came down with the flu...AGAIN! It was even worse this time than it was in London. I slept under a blanket on the sofa during the day wearing a fleece, hat, and gloves because I was so cold. Then, I'd wake up drenched with sweat. We went out for New Year's Eve, and I was ok, but I didn't dare stray too far away from a bathroom.

Today, I feel well enough to go to the gym...for the first time since December 18th. Hopefully, that's it as far as illnesses go for me during Winter 08/09.

*Isn't it about time we started saying twenty-oh-nine instead of two-thousand and nine? I mean, we say nineteen-oh-nine, eighteen-oh-nine, and even ten-oh-nine...don't we?

Merry Christmas, 2008!

To: All our friends, relatives, bloggers, and anybody else who might stumble upon this blog.

From: TBF, Mrs. TBF, and a very uncooperative King

We hope you all have a great Christmas Eve, Christmas, and continued jubilation through the New Year.

Happy Hanukkah!

We've been in London for the past few days celebrating Mrs. TBF's birthday. In all the excitement (including a bout with the flu), I forgot that Hanukkah began last night. I'll have some catching up to do with the menorah (and my candy Advent calender) when we get home, but I guess this one will have to do until then.

Right now, we're sitting in the BA lounge at Heathrow waiting for our return flight to Switzerland. I'll post some pictures from London in the next couple of days.

Maybe I DO Need The Practice...

If you'll recall, Mrs. TBF suggested earlier this year that I book a Mobility car every couple of weeks so that my driving skills wouldn't become "rusty". After a quick self-examination, I determined that I was indeed NOT retarded and I just let the suggestion drop to the wayside along with past suggestions involving walks which would culminate in picnic lunches and other things that I won't mention so that I don't fall victim to a middle-of-the-night-rolling-pin-to-the head.

Not needing the practice driving, but needing to run some errands last Wednesday, I booked a car. Sure, it snowed all day, but everything went without a hitch and all errands were completed successfully. Today, I had another car booked, and when I walked to the parking spot to pick up the car, it was, again, snowing like a banshee!

Hmmm... Now that I think about it, maybe I should book a car for Christmas Eve so that we're ensured a white Christmas.

So I jumped into the little, red, Honda Jazz just after 11 a.m. and took off to run my errands. First, I stopped at the pet supply store and bought King a load of cat food. On the way, I noticed that the car sounded a bit funny and that the ride seemed a bit rough, but I figured it probably had something to do with the snow on the road so I just let it go. After buying King's food, I walked next door to Wyss Nursery and bought a Christmas tree. It took a bit of engineering, but after putting down the back seats I managed to cram the tree into the car.

On the way back home, I began to notice a funny smell - like metal burning.

Why are the wheels locking when I come to a stop?

What's that smell?

What's that weird, bright red symbol on the instrument panel?

What's this strange lever next to me that's sticking up in the air?

What the...? Doh!!!

It turns out that I had been driving with the parking brake on the entire time! When I thought about it, I remembered that when I got into the car, the keys were in the ignition, and the transmission was still in drive. I thought it was strange, but obviously the person who had the car before me was used to driving a stick instead of an automatic, and she (had to have been a woman!) had engaged the parking brake before turning off the engine.

Me, having only driven automatics in the flat, Midwestern U.S., would never even THINK to check if a car's parking brake is engaged. I mean, I think I've probably used a parking brake maybe twenty times in the past 30 years of driving. FU**ING parking brake! Sheesh!

I'm happy to report that the car performed perfectly for the duration of my remaining errands...

...once the parking brake had been disengaged!

Evil...But Sooooo Good!

I just saw a little snippet on the Chicagoist blog about something that is now officially my new obsession. Ladies and gentlemen, meet my new obsession:

country fried bacon!

Dip some bacon in batter and then deep-fry until golden brown. Mmmmmmmmmmmm, so good!

NOTE TO SELF: Pay a visit to Wiener and Still Champion at 802 Dempster Street, Evanston on your next trip to Chicago.

I Got Into A Fight...

...yesterday evening, with the common cold.

I was just sitting around reading a magazine, and I suddenly felt my throat getting scratchy. Seeing it as a good excuse to take my beloved generic Night Time Cherry Flavor cold medicine that I bring back from the U.S. (Mrs. TBF says I'm addicted), I did just that. Although I did sleep like a rock for over eight hours, I did wake up with a sore throat.

So how does one fight a cold? I...

...fight the sore throat by gargling with salt water.

...pound Vitamin C tablets even though there's no real proof that it does anything to help.

...drink the blessed nectar from heaven cherry elixir, and...

...whine like a baby so that Mrs. TBF will wait on me hand and foot when she gets home from work.*

I'm open to suggestions. What do you do?

*My cold hasn't yet developed into a full-blown man cold. But Mrs. TBF doesn't know that. Does she?

Flyin' High...

'Tis the season for feeding the birds. Much to the chagrin (I'm sure) of our downstairs neighbors, we set up a bird feeder on our balcony during the cold months so that our little winged friends don't starve. Also, another reason we do it is to provide King with some entertainment - we call it "kitty cable". King just sits at the window, watches the birds, and goes about making strange noises...mesmerized! He'll be twice as mesmerized this year as we've added a suet feeder channel to his cable subscription.

The reason I think our neighbors don't like our bird feeder is because the birds make an awful mess. I end up having to sweep/vacuum up the huge amount of seed shells/mess that ends up on our balcony, and that wouldn't be so bad if it was just a mess on OUR balcony. However, I've begun to notice the seeds on the walkway leading up to our building, so I'm sure that the seeds are also ending up on the balconies of the people who live below us too. I kind of feel bad...um...

Oh...who am I kidding? As long as the neighbors aren't complaining, I don't give a rip!

Earlier this week, I noticed that we were running low on birdseed, so I picked up a bag at the local grocery store, brought it home, and noticed for the first time ever that our birdseed mix contains hemp seed. Is this legal? Obviously it is here. But...would this be legal in the U.S.?

I guess I should hold off on feeding the birds for a few days before any trip to the U.S.; wouldn't want to end up being surrounded by drug-sniffing dogs at O'Hare Airport.

Happy 1,000 To Me!

This is the 1,000th posting on The Big Finn's Big Blog. I guess I should really say 'Happy 1,000 To Us' even though Mrs. TBF hasn't blogged for ages (...ahem!). But regardless of who's been doing all the blogging, it's still a milestone. I figure that the average blog post is about 200 words, so that means TBFBB is equivalent to a 200,000 word novel.

How many pages would that be?

My first post on this blog was on June 17, 2004. That means it took 1,638 (4 years, 5 months, 24 days) to reach the big 1,000. At this torrid pace, I should reach 2,000 on June 6, 2013. I'll be 50 years old then.

Damn!

Will I still be blogging then? Will blogs still exist? Will some other format take its place? I don't know...facebook is pretty darn easy...

Someone Had To Do It!

I just returned home a little while ago from a babysitting adventure. Actually, since the kids (whom I've known for seven years) are 13 and 11, "baby" isn't really the correct term. Dad was out of town on business, and Mom had to suddenly go out of town for the night, so "Uncle" TBF was called in for a little "adult" (snort!) supervision.

Imagine...somebody entrusting me with the safety of their children. I feel like such a grownup.

I actually walked into the house last night and sang: "Here I come to save the dayyyyyyyyyyy!" Since these American kids have lived outside of the U.S. nearly their entire lives, they actually had no idea what I was singing about. I asked them if they knew who Mighty Mouse is. They had no idea.

Sad...

Everything went well. I cooked up a bit of pasta, watched some TV with the kids, answered about 827 questions like "How long have you been bald?", etc., and then the kids just went to bed at 9:30. I cleaned up a little in the kitchen, went upstairs to my room, read until about midnight, and then...proceeded to toss and turn on what has to be the shortest and most uncomfortable futon in the history of futons.

TBF advice: Don't ever buy a futon. If you have a futon - get rid of it!

So after having spent the previous evening with possibly the greatest, most polite kids in the history of kid-dom, I walked the kids to school and then got on the tram to head back home. I got on the tram with my ear buds in my ears, picked a seat, and opened my book. I was tired, crabby, and full of piss and vinegar from having woken up at 6:45 a.m. (It's inhumane, I tell ya!). At the next stop, two Swiss kids got on - one of the kids sat next to me, and the other one just stood next to him in the aisle. The trouble began immediately...

These two juvenile delinquents from Satan's brood began poking each other. Then, they started shoving each other. All the while, they squoli squonked at each other in their Swiss-German gibberish. Other people began giving them dirty looks - more shoving...more squonking...

Why is nobody saying anything? WHY IS NOBODY DOING ANYTHING???, I thought.

I'd had enough! I back-handed the kid sitting next to me in the arm - hard enough to get his attention, but not hard enough to hurt him - while simultaneously giving him the death glare and said:

"GENUG!"

He looked at me and saw that he was about two seconds away from having a size 13 American shoe stuck up his ass. I stared daggers at his friend and he immediately broke eye contact with me. The brats didn't say peep for the rest of their trip. In fact, I don't think anybody else in the entire tram car said peep.

"Here I come to save the dayyyyyyyyyyyyy!"

Warm Thoughts...

...by TBF.

We got our first Christmas card of the season yesterday. It was from my mom and dad.*

I looked at the postmark on the envelope, thought about how I've been freezing my keester off in Basel for the last few days, and then looked at the postmark again. This afternoon, I called my folks, ran a few dates by them, and then I went to the United Airlines website and booked a ticket.

I'll be in Florida in February!

*NOTE TO SELF: Buy Mom and Dad a Christmas card, and mail it, TOMORROW!!!

What Happened?

You used to be so great!

One day, not too long ago, I told Mrs. TBF that I had a real taste for Shake'N Bake. I really liked it as a kid on chicken and pork chops, so seeing how I hadn't eaten it in over thirty years, I decided it was time to relive a little part of my childhood. Figuring that it wouldn't take up too much space in my suitcase, I bought ONE box while I was in Chicago.

Tonight, I dropped the mix into the plastic bag, threw in a couple of chicken breasts, and shook it all up until the breasts were nicely coated. Then I popped the chicken into the oven at 400˚F for 20 minutes, like the instructions recommend. And????

They SUCKED!

Ok...they weren't THAT bad, but they weren't really that great either.

In all fairness, the chicken did end up being crispy on the outside and moist on the inside as advertised. No, that wasn't the problem at all. The problem IS that...it didn't taste anything at all like I remember it tasting when I was a kid. In fact, the coating just tasted like crumbs from the bottom of the toaster with a few (not enough) spices thrown in. Oddly enough, unlike most prepared food in America, it seemed to be lacking salt - I actually had to add some.

Is it me who has changed, or has Shake'N Bake changed? Or both?

And while we're on the topic of expats bringing food back with them from America...

What's with all the North Americans bringing back Kraft macaroni and cheese in their suitcases?

The strangest thing about it all is that most of the people who bring back suitcases full of the stuff admit to me that they rarely ate the stuff back when they lived in the U.S. or Canada. What's up with that? I guess it's just "the thing" to do.

There's nothing wrong with bringing back some stuff from "home" that you miss and can't get where you live now, but a suitcase full of crap that you never used to eat anyway?

Whatever! I've learned my lesson.

December....ALREADY???

Are you impressed that I actually set up my candy Advent calender before December 1st? I sure am! I've had it for as long as I can remember (and probably even before that). Here's what is written on the back:

Timmy [don't know who that is!]

December First to Christmas
Is the longest time of year,
Seems as the old Santa
Never will appear.

How many days till Christmas,
It's so mighty hard to count,
So this little candy ribbon
Will tell the exact amount.

Until [I think the person meant 'untie'] a candy every night
When the sandman casts his spell,
And Christmas will be here
By the time you reach the bell.

I guess I should have read the back before I ate my little Snickers bar THIS MORNING instead of 'when the sandman casts his spell'. Doh! But when you think about it: Why would someone eat candy right before going to bed? Who wrote this thing?

A dentist?