Week in review

Wow, where did the week go?  We did a lot and we did a lot of nothing.  LGG and I spent several mornings just hanging around the apartment and playing with toys.  However, our afternoons and evening were pretty busy.

Tuesday was ZDG's birthday so we met him at work and went to Digitec where we finally purchased a new camera and hard drive for the desktop.  Here it is, with the iPod Touch for scale:

Isn't it cute?

Afterwards we went to Restaurant Rosso by Bahnhof Hardbrücke for dinner.  Unfortunately it wasn't a non-smoking restaurant, but carafes were available so you could get your own tap water (and spend more on beer).  LGG had a couple of bites of the octopus appetizer and then we each had huge very thin crust pizzas.  Afterwards we returned home for lemon cake and chocolate sauce.

On Wednesday evening we met several other families for a cookout in the forest.  It was a farewell gathering for a couple of Northern American families getting ready to return to their countries of origin.  At first LGG was disappointed that we were stopping at the playground that was "only a swing set," but she soon learned that building a fire and running around with friends is a lot of fun.  And there were marshmallows and chocolate chip cookies for dessert!

Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons we visited some of the outside pools.  Since electronics and pools don't really mix that well we don't have any pictures, but if you check out the websites for Allenmoos and Seebach you can check out the panoramic pictures.  Both have tall water slides, large "play" pools, diving areas, and 50 m lap pools.

Saturday night we headed into the city for ZDG's weekend birthday dinner and went to Kings Kurry for Indian food.  Afterwards we went down to the Zürichsee to feed the ducks.  On Monday LGG and I saw the structure for a very big ferris wheel being assembled at Sechseläutenplatz.  Saturday night it was running with all the lights on and of course LGG wanted to go, so she went with ZDG.  As soon as she got off she was ready to go again, but we managed to convince her that we should have dessert and save the ferris wheel for another night when we had the camera with us.

Today (Sunday) we went down to the Zürichsee and rented a pedal boat and ZDG was very disappointed that we didn't bring our swimming stuff with us.  When we left the apartment at 1 pm it was overcast and I had actually packed sweaters and sweatshirts.  Oh well, another reminder of the very changeable weather in Zürich.  I have a feeling that ZDG will want to post more on this (with pictures) so I will sign off for now.

On cheese and chocolate

A couple weeks ago I was faced with the challenge of deciding what to bring to LGG's kindergarten party.  ZDG suggested chocolate chip cookies, but in our two local grocery stores I hadn't seen any baking chocolate.  Lots and lots of eating chocolate bars of every flavor of your heart's desire (my favorite is Frey's Dark chocolate with lemon and black pepper), but no baking chocolate.  So instead I went for Grandma's walnut balls.  I ended up using a lot of my precious store of vanilla extract in the cookies, but they were a big hit.  I've already had three requests for the recipe.  However, vanilla sugar is more commonly used than vanilla extract here, so I'll have to make a couple more batches to make sure the substitution is good before I hand out the recipe.

Yesterday LGG and I went to pick up some "special cheese," aka Pecorino Romano.  LGG is particular about the cheese for her noodles.  She doesn't like the more easily found Grana Padano or other Parmesan-type cheese.  And of course our two local grocery stores do not carry Pecorino Romano, but it is available at other Coop grocery stores in the city with a cheese counter.   

We took the trolley/tram down to Bellevue and I suggested that we look for a cookie to feed ourselves before we feed the ducks our old bread.  However, we couldn't find anything that would satisfy the cookie craving.  Lots of fancy pastries, tarts, and croissants, but no simple cookies (I was trying to avoid Sprüngli because she would want Luxemburgerli).  So we went to the lake to feed the ducks.  Afterwards we went into Globus one more time and I noticed they had some "brownies."  So we stopped for a brownie for LGG and sfogliatelle and latte for me.  However, LGG was quite disappointed in the brownie.  First it had nuts in it, and second it wasn't really sweet at all.  So lesson learned, don't buy brownies.

Afterwards we went next door to the Coop and picked up the Pecorino Romano and also some Pecorino Brigante which we like.  We went by the baking section to buy some cake mix, marzipan carrots to decorate, and happily found some baking chocolate.  Today is ZDG's birthday and today we are baking him his favorite lemon cake and topping it with a chocolate glaze and marzipan carrots.

Added later:  Darn, the glaze never thickened.  I guess we're having lemon cake with chocolate sauce.  

Our funny LGG

The Geeks are slowly improving from the latest round of colds, and this evening LGG and ZMG went for a walk.  While they were out, I realized I had to return to work, and we arranged to meet at a cafe near there and come home together.  We missed the direct bus -- too much fun talking with some of my work friends at the cafe -- and took another bus partway, then got out to walk.

LGG almost immediately started whining about being tired, even though she had been dancing about at the cafe not five minutes earlier.  We basically ignored it and continued walking, with her holding my hand, when she spoke Gem #1:

"I don't want to walk, I'm too tired, I've got no ener--ooo, I want to climb those rocks and the tree!"

and she yanked her hand out of mine and sprinted off to do just that.  Good to know you're on your last legs, dear.

A few minutes later, we passed a playground at the elementary school just up the hill.  We were strolling along, listening to her whine about being tired, and out came Gem #2:

"I'm soooo tired.  I'm too tired to walk!"

[pass playground, very next breath]

"I want to go to the playground!"

"LGG, you just told us you were soooo tired!"

[voice used when talking to a very dumb person]

"Too tired to walk, Dada, not too tired for a playground!"

Well, duh, I guess.  This is the same kind of logic that she uses when she wants a dessert even though she has just finished telling us she's not hungry anymore: "My dinner stomach is full, Dada, but not my treat stomach!"  (She gets that from her Auntie Geek.)

Job Opening

Randomly found today, a job ad on Craigslist that you won't believe unless I post the whole thing:

I've been trying to think of ways to spice up my life. I'm 35 years old, happily married with two kids and I have a good job in insurance. But somethings missing. I feel like I'm old before my time. I need to inject some excitement into my daily routine through my arm before its too late. I need a challenge, something to get the adrenaline pumping again. An addiction would be nice, but, in short, I need a nemesis. I'm willing to pay $350 up front for you services as an arch enemy over the next six months. Nothing crazy. Steal my parking space, knock my coffee over, trip me when Im running to catch the BART and occasionaly whisper in my ear, "Ahha, we meet again". That kind of thing. Just keep me on my toes. Complacency will be the death of me. You need to have an evil streak and be blessed with innate guile and cunning. You should also be adept at inconsicuous pursuit. Evil laugh preferred. Send me a photo and a brief explanation why you would be a good nemesis.

British accent preferred.

I love the part about the British accent.

Movie Day

Thursday was gorgeous -- beautiful, clear, sunny weather. Friday was mixed, humid, some clouds, still generally sunny. Saturday: raining. Sunday: raining. Naturally.

Since it was so rainy, we decided to head off to SihlCity for our first trip to the movies in Zürich. LGG and I were going to see Kung Fu Panda, and ZMG would go see an arty movie elsewhere, and then we'd meet afterward for camera browsing (yes, we still need to get a camera).

At first glance, the SihlCity theater would not be out of place in any large American city. It's a big multi-screen complex, with the usual ads for current and future movies, a box office, and concessions. After you get your tickets and snacks and go into the theater, they play music, show ads - including one encouraging all patrons to "sit down and be quiet" - and finally previews before the main attraction. There's the now-common stadium seating.

There are some significant differences, of course:

• Cost. We paid 31 CHF (pretty much the same in USD) for two tickets to a Saturday afternoon matinee. A medium popcorn and two 500ml mineral waters: 15 CHF.
• Your ticket comes with an assigned seat, and you can pick the seats you want from an interactive display that shows real-time seat availability.
  
• There is an intermission about halfway through the movie. This actually works really well for us. LGG is incredibly inquisitive, and always wants to know what's happening. At home, when we watch movies on the computer, she can't go more than 30 seconds between "Dada, why is he doing that?" and "Mama, what's happening now?" and so on. I've taken her to a few movies and she knows the rule is: No talking, just watch and ask later. Well, having an intermission means LGG can ask all her questions halfway through, then build up a new set from the second half. It worked well for us.
• Children's movies that are originally in English come in two varieties in Zurich: English audio, with German and French subtitles, and German audio, with French subtitles. You can tell the difference by looking at the movie time listings: an (E/d/f) means the first, and a (D/f) means the second. You need to specify this when buying the tickets. Of course, for me this is not hard: the moment I open my mouth to speak German, the ticket sellers know what's going on...
• It's also important to get out to the kid's movies quickly: E/d/f showings tend to only be around in the first two or three weeks of the movie's release. We missed Horton Hört Ein Who because of this mistake.
• Our theater had 2-seater couches in the back row, which was great for us: LGG could sit on her heels and lean against me, we had space for our coats and popcorn, and nobody was going to be bothered by LGG - she couldn't kick the seat in front of her.

Despite the cost, it was great fun. LGG was laughing throughout the movie, and grabbed my arm during the few scary parts. Her review of the movie: "Dada, the panda is so funny!" Her favorite part was the eating/training scene - she has been recreating it since yesterday. Her review of the theater: "Daddy, this place is really clean! And it's much better than the Colorado theater: it has cool lights and couches!"

Now she's watching a Winnie the Pooh movie on our computer; it's that kind of weekend for The Geeks.

Pink Eye

This has not been a good health week for the Geeks. At the beginning of the week ZDG was getting better, but LGG and I were getting worse and Wednesday was a stay in bed day for me. On Thursday we were feeling better and we went to the community center with neighbor girl and her mom. Neighbor girl had been sent home from kindergarten because she had had an inflamed eye, which the doctor said was non-contagious, but the kindergarten teacher didn't want to risk the other kids right before the holiday (can you say foreshadowing). Anyways, it was a short outing because LGG was complaining about ear pain and we went home and tried to decide whether or not go to the Kinderspital (Children's hospital) since neighbor girl's mom said most doctor's offices were closed Thurdsday afternoon. ZDG had come home early and we decided not to go to the hospital, but keep a close eye on her.

Friday was the last day of school and no complaints about her ear. However, I didn't suggest going to a pool in case there was something going on with her ear. Everything was fine until the early evening, when she became kind of cranky and complaining about being hot, and that's when we realized she had a fever. We gave her some Motrin and sent her to bed early.

Saturday morning and ZDG and LGG both sleep in. LGG and I still have a cough and ZDG is starting to feel tired again. It's the second weekend that Kung Fu Panda has been playing in Zürich and we don't want to wait too long to see it before it stops showing in English (that happened with Horton). So after lunch we head to Sihl City to combine movie watching and camera shopping. I leave ZDG and LGG at their theater and attempt to go see Miss Pettigrew at a theater in another part of the city, but am unsuccessful. Next time actually confirm the location of the movie you want to see. I eventually found the theater, but minutes before showtime there was still a line and I decided to try another day (especially since the admission is CHF 12 on Mondays and ZDG might take Monday off). I walked a bit and poked my head into shops half-heartedly looking for a bathing suit. Someone remarked that women of all sizes and shapes wear bikinis here, but you're not going to catch me in one.

I took the tram back to Sihl City and went to MediaMarkt to look at cameras. After the movie ZDG and LGG found me there and after some gelato for LGG we went to the evil empire (Starbucks -- but they are non-smoking) for some coffee. At this point we realized that LGG's eyes were producing a lot of "sleep" (aka goop, gunk, eye crust). We weren't sure if we should go straight to the hospital or go home and consult the internet first (because as much as he wants one, ZDG doesn't have his iPhone yet). We decided to stop at the Zeughauskeller for dinner (able to get a table because we promised to be done in an hour) and then headed home. The internet and a phone call to ZDG's mom confirmed what we had suspected -- conjunctivitis, aka Pink Eye in the North America. LGG has been instructed to use a tissue any time she touches her face and when she woke up in the middle of the night she remembered to use the tissue. Unfortunately, due to my close contact with her I am probably doomed to get it too, but we can always hope.

So it's Sunday morning. LGG's eyelids are very swollen--no more double eyelids. It's a rainy Sunday and I don't think we're going anywhere. ZDG doesn't feel well and my throat is pretty tired from all of the coughing. And we left an umbrella behind at Starbucks. A great start to the holiday, eh?

We'll see what happens with her eyes and call the doctor first thing on Monday. I guess I should go look up how to say conjunctivitis auf Deutsch.

Summer Holiday

Yesterday was LGG's last day of Kindergarten 1.  Next year she'll have the same teacher for Kindergarten 2.  The Kindergarten 2 kids will go back for additional classes on Mondays and Tuesdays after lunch (have I mentioned that I don't look forward to getting her down the hill, convincing her to eat lunch, and getting back up the hill in 90 minutes -- but maybe she'll surprise me).  

Many people take off for the summer holidays.  One of ZDG's colleagues and family are going to Norway for three weeks.  Our Swiss friends are going to the Maldives.  And we are...staying here for the most part.  Party because we haven't planned, and mostly because it's our first summer and we want to see what it's like.  There's still a lot of Switzerland we haven't visited.  And we want to plan a cool trip for the fall holiday.

Normally the summer holiday is only five weeks, but this year it's six weeks because of a curriculum change.  Wee hoo.  For those who are curious, below is comparison between a US school calendar and our Swiss school calendar.

The school LGG would have attended:

12 weeks summer break.

14 weeks school.

1 week Thanksgiving break.

3 weeks school.

2 weeks winter break.

12 weeks school.

1 week spring break.

7 weeks of school.

For a total of 36 weeks of school and 16 weeks of vacation

This year's Swiss schedule:

6 weeks summer break.

6 weeks school.

2 weeks fall break.

9 weeks school.

2 weeks winter break.

5 weeks school.

2 weeks sports break.

7 weeks school.

2 weeks spring break.

11 weeks school.

For a total of 38 weeks of school and 14 weeks of vacation.  

Fourteen years and counting

Today is our 14th wedding anniversary.  In the last fourteen years we have:  completed our Ph.D.s, continued on with postdoctoral studies, moved to CO for ZDG's job and suburban living, and now here we are in Zürich (tomorrow is our 6 month anniversary of arriving here).  Oh yeah, and we had LGG.

Unfortunately, LGG and I now have the cold ZDG caught on the way to the Netherlands.  I've been in bed all day, ZDG worked from home, and amazingly LGG mostly entertained herself.  We have some good footage from the kindergarten party last night, but that will have to wait until a later date to be posted.  I haven't done my German homework and I'm too fried to go to German class, so I'm hoping the instructor will wait until after the six week break to go over prepositions.

The giraffe dress

Yesterday I hosted a lunch for a friend who's about to have her third baby.  While the moms ate and chatted, ZDG, LGG and the rest of the guest of honor's family went swimming at a small lake to the north of Zürich.  

LGG's favorite animal is the giraffe.  Recently ZDG's mom and sister's family went to Walt Disney World and found this lovely giraffe dress.  And since it's been a while, we thought we'd also post a family portrait.  Yes, we're still using the computer to take pictures.  Yes, we're going to buy a new camera soon.  Maybe next weekend.  Since today is Sunday and we can't shop, we'll have to go swimming.

Random bits II

I'm back from Utrecht. I got to spend some time wandering the city, mostly while looking for a bank, and it's certainly pretty. I got to wondering about the glut of bikes on the streets: does the Dutch government issue bikes to all its citizens? There certainly seemed to be enough of them, and most were of a very similar design. I'm kidding of course, just trying to get across how many bikes there were - lots and lots. Utrecht makes Davis look like LA.

Unfortunately, I'm back with a cold, so that's annoying. I slept most of today. Feeling somewhat better, but still not great.

Big news from the Geek household: LGG has two new molars! Her bottom "6-year" molars have erupted - her first permanent teeth. She was very excited, so we called my parents tonight to share.