This weekend should have been all about studying. However, after going for three weeks straight, Ryan hit a boiling point. You'd think it would be me, but you'd be wrong. He was sick of playing by himself, and he insists that I don't know when to stop, so this weekend I did just that. We rented a car, went shopping and ate the most fantastic meal. I'm convinced that I will befriend the man that owns this restaurant, and persuade him to give me cooking lessons. More on that later. While out shopping, Ryan got new ski pants (in preparation for our upcoming ski weekend) and new black work shoes. He's feeling much better now.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for me. I think I broke the free time seal, so to speak. I sat down about two hours ago, and haven't gotten very far. I've checked Facebook 5 times in one hour (post some pictures, people!). I perused the Latter and Blum selection of houses for sale in New Orleans. And I just recently emailed someone a You Tube video entitled Cat Shower 2. Things are not looking good. However, I did get halfway through one of my practice exam problems. But that's right about the time when I decided to update our blog. So, now you're all caught up! Here's hoping the next two hours will be a little bit more productive... I've got economic models of efficiency to get to (which are mind numbing, especially considering there's a world of funny cats at my fingertips).
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Don't See This Every Day
These guys were running around the lawn of my university. These are times when I wish I really knew Italian... would like to have asked what this was about. Instead, I just walked by like it was perfectly normal, then tried to sneak a photo.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Countdown to San Bernardino
My last exam is next Friday. As soon as it's over, we're headed to San Bernardino for a little ski weekend. Ryan didn't get to go once last year because of his work schedule. We're not going to let that happen again... you can't exactly leave Switzerland without trying the slopes.
So, I'm pretty much counting down the days. This test session has been particularly difficult, and the last week will be the worst, so there will be a lot of celebrating on the train. I think I may pack champagne.
On a completely random side note, we have a lemon tree! Our upstairs neighbor moved back to Austria, and couldn't take it with him, so he gave it to us. I'm waiting for this little green baby to turn yellow. It's been a while, though. I asked Ryan whether he thought we got a lime tree instead, but he insisted it was lemon. I guess we'll just wait and see. It's really cool how they grow... the first thing to apear is a white flower. Then come these little black things (pictured on the right - might be hard to find). So far we have one lemon, and two little black things. Can't wait to see what comes next. Although, it will probably just be lemons. Or limes.
So, I'm pretty much counting down the days. This test session has been particularly difficult, and the last week will be the worst, so there will be a lot of celebrating on the train. I think I may pack champagne.
On a completely random side note, we have a lemon tree! Our upstairs neighbor moved back to Austria, and couldn't take it with him, so he gave it to us. I'm waiting for this little green baby to turn yellow. It's been a while, though. I asked Ryan whether he thought we got a lime tree instead, but he insisted it was lemon. I guess we'll just wait and see. It's really cool how they grow... the first thing to apear is a white flower. Then come these little black things (pictured on the right - might be hard to find). So far we have one lemon, and two little black things. Can't wait to see what comes next. Although, it will probably just be lemons. Or limes.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Let Us Eat Cake!
I had to make the cake in our dutch oven. Long story. But it's ready! And it looked really pretty before I randomly decided to sprinkle powdered sugar on the top of it. So, Dad, ready when you are.
50th
My dad turns 50 today!
He doesn't really need gifts (I just decided this week), so when I thought of what I would do for his birthday if I was home, it was easy. I'd drive to Lafayette for the day, and we'd all probably go out to dinner. The last time we had dinner over there it involved my brother, Liam, dancing (full-body) at the end of table, so dinner doesn't disappoint. Since I can't do that this year, I thought we'd do the next best thing... cook dinner, make a cake, and Skype with him (just as if we were there). It sounded a lot cuter in my head, but in reality, it will be Ryan and I eating cake, and Skyping with him right when he gets home from work. Not necessarily the most thoughtful scenario, but it should work.
It's a good thing my step-mom is good at the thoughtful stuff... she set up a surprise for him this morning, via Skype, so I could sit in on their birthday breakfast. Dad seemed blown away. See THAT is an appropriate birthday Skype session.
P.S. - Here's the full-body dancing I was referring to. He's just doing his thing.
He doesn't really need gifts (I just decided this week), so when I thought of what I would do for his birthday if I was home, it was easy. I'd drive to Lafayette for the day, and we'd all probably go out to dinner. The last time we had dinner over there it involved my brother, Liam, dancing (full-body) at the end of table, so dinner doesn't disappoint. Since I can't do that this year, I thought we'd do the next best thing... cook dinner, make a cake, and Skype with him (just as if we were there). It sounded a lot cuter in my head, but in reality, it will be Ryan and I eating cake, and Skyping with him right when he gets home from work. Not necessarily the most thoughtful scenario, but it should work.
It's a good thing my step-mom is good at the thoughtful stuff... she set up a surprise for him this morning, via Skype, so I could sit in on their birthday breakfast. Dad seemed blown away. See THAT is an appropriate birthday Skype session.
P.S. - Here's the full-body dancing I was referring to. He's just doing his thing.
Onion Rings
That last post doesn't allow you to pull up a big picture of the onion rings, which is really a shame because they're the best part. So here, enjoy them in their full glory.
"Best Salad EVER" (Ryan)
I shouldn't be blogging right now, but... we made the most incredible salad last night and I have to share. I'm not going to be descriptive, or witty, or tell you the funny story about how the steak was on sale. I am simply going to tell you about the BEST SALAD EVER. That's what Ryan kept saying as he ate it.
The salad included blue cheese, grape tomatoes, candied pecans (you have to do them yourself), the best dressing I've ever tasted, steak, and homemade onion rings. It makes a huge mess, is really involved, and is quite possibly the least healthy salad you could ever eat. But it's sooooo good.
If you take nothing away from this post, you must at least TRY these homemade onion "strings" from the Pioneer Woman blog. People have their reservations about her, and while she may be obnoxious, she makes a mean ring. They include soaking the onions in buttermilk (yes!), and then putting them in a flour mixture that includes cayenne (yes!). They're amazing, and so tasty on a salad. Who knew?
The dressing includes whole garlic, ginger, canola oil - which I thought might be disgusting so I substituted olive oil infused with little chili peppers (too bad you don't live in Switzerland, this oil is unbelievably good). There are a whole host of other ingredients... lots of different vinegars, some sugar, lime, worcestershire, soy sauce, the list goes on.
And leftovers are yummy too... just had some for lunch.
If you want to try it yourself, plan for about three hours to make it and about 20 minutes to wolf it down.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/big-steak-salad/
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Beautiful Weather + Exams = One Disappointed Student
The highs are around 40 during the day, the sun is REALLY shining, the mountains and the lake are enormously picturesque (the water is shimmering so brightly, sometimes you have to look away)... this is the weather we've been having lately. I just hope it stays liket this until the week of Feb 7th. That's when exams are over and I can come up for air.
It's a good thing our apartment has a fantastic view. If I can't engage in this amazing scenery, I might as well enjoy looking at it from my couch, surrounded by computers, notes, calculators, binders, highlighters, printouts... you get the idea.
It's a good thing our apartment has a fantastic view. If I can't engage in this amazing scenery, I might as well enjoy looking at it from my couch, surrounded by computers, notes, calculators, binders, highlighters, printouts... you get the idea.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Natural Fridge
I mentioned earlier that our refrigerator broke during our US visit. It was disgusting. Good thing it's cold outside, otherwise we'd really be in trouble.
We're slowly building back our stock. So far it's Ryan's coke, my fizzy water, beer, eggs, applesauce (I felt sick this week), bread dough, and last night's leftovers. We've got a ways to go.
The towel is serving as a cover over the holes in our lid. Can't have critters in the curry! It's actually pasta, but I just love alliteration.
We're slowly building back our stock. So far it's Ryan's coke, my fizzy water, beer, eggs, applesauce (I felt sick this week), bread dough, and last night's leftovers. We've got a ways to go.
The towel is serving as a cover over the holes in our lid. Can't have critters in the curry! It's actually pasta, but I just love alliteration.
Jet Lag
This was the scene at our apartment at about 4:00 yesterday. Ryan, only getting 3 hours of sleep the night before, had to come home early from work and take a nap. So, I guess you could say we're not back to normal yet.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Still A Foreign Country
I'm sure people liked our blog posts a lot more in the beginning... everything was new and our stories were exciting. But now that our lives are routine, it's difficult to captivate. Take today for example. I got out of bed when Ryan left for work. I took the dog for a walk (we're dog sitting). I came back, got on the couch with a blanket, and put the computer in front of my face. This went on until lunch time. Then, I ate pieces of bread with tomato sauce on top (I tried to find something other than leftovers, hoping to make last night's dinner stretch to tonight, so I didn't have to cook again). I got off the couch and cleaned the refrigerator. It broke while we were in the US, and smelled atrocious. That took up the whole afternoon. Pre-Ryan coming home from work, that about sums up my day. Makes for an exciting post, right? I didn't think so.
However, every once in a while, I have days like when we first moved here. I get nervous, unsure of the language, and feel totally out of my element. You seemed to like those stories, so here goes.
Ryan bought a converter while we were in the States, so his new xbox could work with Swiss voltage. He was SO disappointed to learn it didn't work, and was very determined to return it, get a new one, and start playing Assassin's Creed II. However, I have to run most of the errands because I'm the one with no job. So, he found what looked like a UPS location in a city called Grancia (right outside Lugano - really close). We happened to have the neighbor's car, so he asked if I would take the package and get it mailed off. That's when I say "sure" when I'm really thinking - why couldn't we have done this on a Saturday?
I'm still nervous driving by myself around here because I just don't do it that often. So finding this place (even with GPS) was the first obstacle. Then, I had to communicate my needs somehow. Ryan just handed me the part... it still needed to be packaged and processed, which requires help.
Surprisingly, I arrive at the UPS building with no real problem. Then I have to park. That's a problem. Parking spaces are color coordinated, and I'm not totally sure which ones are public. So, I cheat and park down the block at a grocery lot. Someone braver would have parked in front of the actual UPS location, but I wasn't chancing it. I start walking towards the building and I'm not seeing any normal entrance. There's a loading dock type entrance with a truck blocking the way, so that can't be right. There's a side door that leads right into someone's office, so that can't be right either. After circling the building a few times, I decide to stop at the truck blocked entrance and ask for help. I say "posso" which means "can I" and point to the box, because I have no idea how to say "ship." He says something and leads me to a guy, who surprisingly speaks a bit of English. That's the best thing that could have happened because it turns out it's not really a "store front" location (just a warehouse), we didn't really have a proper label printed out for the return, and I really wouldn't have been able to do anything there without this guys help.
So, the story ends well. But at the start, I had a feeling that was very familiar to feelings in those first few days/weeks. As much as we are confortable here, it's definitely still a foreign country.
However, every once in a while, I have days like when we first moved here. I get nervous, unsure of the language, and feel totally out of my element. You seemed to like those stories, so here goes.
Ryan bought a converter while we were in the States, so his new xbox could work with Swiss voltage. He was SO disappointed to learn it didn't work, and was very determined to return it, get a new one, and start playing Assassin's Creed II. However, I have to run most of the errands because I'm the one with no job. So, he found what looked like a UPS location in a city called Grancia (right outside Lugano - really close). We happened to have the neighbor's car, so he asked if I would take the package and get it mailed off. That's when I say "sure" when I'm really thinking - why couldn't we have done this on a Saturday?
I'm still nervous driving by myself around here because I just don't do it that often. So finding this place (even with GPS) was the first obstacle. Then, I had to communicate my needs somehow. Ryan just handed me the part... it still needed to be packaged and processed, which requires help.
Surprisingly, I arrive at the UPS building with no real problem. Then I have to park. That's a problem. Parking spaces are color coordinated, and I'm not totally sure which ones are public. So, I cheat and park down the block at a grocery lot. Someone braver would have parked in front of the actual UPS location, but I wasn't chancing it. I start walking towards the building and I'm not seeing any normal entrance. There's a loading dock type entrance with a truck blocking the way, so that can't be right. There's a side door that leads right into someone's office, so that can't be right either. After circling the building a few times, I decide to stop at the truck blocked entrance and ask for help. I say "posso" which means "can I" and point to the box, because I have no idea how to say "ship." He says something and leads me to a guy, who surprisingly speaks a bit of English. That's the best thing that could have happened because it turns out it's not really a "store front" location (just a warehouse), we didn't really have a proper label printed out for the return, and I really wouldn't have been able to do anything there without this guys help.
So, the story ends well. But at the start, I had a feeling that was very familiar to feelings in those first few days/weeks. As much as we are confortable here, it's definitely still a foreign country.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Smoking Santas and Flying Christmas Trees
Leaving for the US was a little hectic, so I missed writing about a couple of things... namely, smoking Santas and flying Christmas trees.
I was walking through the center one day, and stumbled on a plethora of Santas. There were probably 30 of them, all handing out oranges (see the girl-Santa with the hand in her bag). I'm still not sure what their deal was, but these guys taking a break made me laugh... they were having a beer and some smokes. This picture doesn't do it justice, but I couldn't exactly go up to them and say "sorriso" (smile).
And this is a picture of a helicopter bringing in a gigantic Christmas tree that was eventually placed in Lagano's main piazza. This is actually my friend's picture. She was pretty shocked to see a flying tree outside her window, and it took a minute to register.
The tree made it!
I was walking through the center one day, and stumbled on a plethora of Santas. There were probably 30 of them, all handing out oranges (see the girl-Santa with the hand in her bag). I'm still not sure what their deal was, but these guys taking a break made me laugh... they were having a beer and some smokes. This picture doesn't do it justice, but I couldn't exactly go up to them and say "sorriso" (smile).
And this is a picture of a helicopter bringing in a gigantic Christmas tree that was eventually placed in Lagano's main piazza. This is actually my friend's picture. She was pretty shocked to see a flying tree outside her window, and it took a minute to register.
The tree made it!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Joys of Traveling
We're back in Lugano, and the airline can't find two of our bags. They just so happen to be the two bags we carried on and stuffed with all the things we would NEVER want to get lost. We were running to catch our Chicago to Zurich connection, were last on the plane, and were stopped at the gate because there was no room for our carry-ons. They took the bags, gave us little tickets, and said we'd see them in Lugano.
The camera is in one of those bags.
The camera is in one of those bags.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Friends
We are spending healthy doses of much needed time with our families. But we've managed to squeeze in good friend time, and have been consistently amazed at their level of effort. They keep coming out, making time, and probably clearing schedules, just to be with us. I plan to write a full Christmas rundown, but because our friend time has come to a close, I thought I pay homage to those people who, unlike family, don't HAVE to love us, but do it anyway.
P.S. - We love you back.
P.S. - We love you back.