Observations

ew: the German word for password is passwort.

I have finally fallen into the patterns of life here, which is not to say that they already feel normal to me, which is not to say they are not yet enjoyable to me....ya know?

I do not really want to update about the family, because the dad is a huge lurk- or at least a computer programmer with the necessary know-how - but I do get along with them all pretty well. The one year old, Olivier regards me as a part of the family now. It is precious. And Anais,4,is adorable all all all the time. I can entertain her most easily, too, because her favorite things are flowers, princesses and Hello Kitty.

As for all the Swiss outside the family, they are hard to figure out. I have the sneaking suspicion that they just sort of boring, although I try often to find those who are exceptions. This country is all about work; that is why their economy has done so well for so long (Although the conversion rate between the CHF and the dollar are close, everything costs A LOT here. Starbucks talls are about 6 USD and cheapest McDonalds hamburgers about 3! Affordable for the Swiss...)
Everything here is already beautiful and efficient, yet they never stop improving. Improvement upon transportation, environmental standards, education, governmental operations....blah blah....it doesn`t matter....my point is that the focus on being better makes them so very serious, or at least as compared to complacent Americans.
However, I will say that the young people are not really too boring, provided they are young enough. I think this will be the case worldwide.

For now, I will say that the Swiss are not the French, or the Germans, or the Italians, although they are surrounded by and speak the languages of these countries. They adopt things from all 3 countries and -of course- improve upon them. However, these are essentially and perhaps even uniquely "Suisse" things: open shutters, farming on nearly vertical slopes, and obvz, high quality chocolate.

This is where I live.

Accents

My family's mother is from German Switzerland, though she also speaks fluent English and French (just about perfectly but cannot pronounce Rs). Tonight she said the word "Svedish" to me and I luved it so.

My favorite occurence: Anais, who is 4 and looks like a five year old Michelle Tanner, asked me to push her on the tire swing at the best park. I did it with top effort, and afterwards we walked 100 meters from it before she stopped me and exclaimed in her adorable British accent, "It was super-cool, this!" gesturing toward the swing. <3

It's gorgey here, love you

oh my goodness

I hope other people think these things are remotely funny:

Washington D.C.
Chinatown- I go into a restaurant for lunch and ask for a menu. Thirty seconds later, a woman sets one on my table, pats it sort of lovingly, and says "yes"
Metro Center, Wachovia- A woman asks what she has to do to get a lollipop. Nothing? Seriously? Well can I have a green one? I would really like a green one? She stands there at the window and opens it and starts to lick on it although her transaction is already finished. Man this is so good. I would really love another one. Yeah, another would be so nice, but I'm not gonna push my luck. For free, damn. What a good lollipop. BIGGEST N00B EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT THAT

Above the Atlantic Ocean, trapped- a man gets up to go to the restroom and I cannot help but notice his gaelic long sleeved floor length robe tied with a rope. I notice not so much because of his costume as because he is seven feet tall, promise.

London- shuttle bus between airport gates is Mercedes Benz. ballin

Why do I feel like the way I am dressed is so dorky?
Also now I am a member of the ACLU.
I can't wait to sleep.

3eb?

Tonight, mid-"Jumper", this man inserted "if you wanna go and take a ride wit me, 3 wheelin in the fo with the gold d's, oh why do I live this way?" and then left it to us to finish- "hay, must be the monay"....
I loved it so much at the time; I love it even more now that I realize that this is my second post about a song combo. The other, "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay"+"Da Dip", strikes me as the absolute antithesis of the one I witnessed tonight.
Tonight, lead singer Stephan Jenkins restored balance to the scale of musical mistakes/successes

luv you America

didn't sleep last night, can't sleep now, and feeling so weary and frail and anxious.

http://www.brimia.com/
Crazy that my internet username for everything is also used by a business that sells ionic silver as a natural health remedy. A very small amount of silver is dissolved into water and you can drink it.....hmmmm. Apparently it's an immune system booster and it can kill up to 650 pathogens. uhhhh

OMG

THESE ARE BRITTANY SPANIELS! i mean it's even spelled the same way....

it's meant to be.

Sunday

I'm still going to be in the states aka able to go to Third Eye Blind.
I hope they play:
Ode to Maybe
Faster
Anything
Forget Myself
Blinded (When I see you)
Losing a Whole Year

and I guess Semi-charmed Life, Jumper, How's It Gonna Be and Never Let You Go might be cool, too. I love this band; they are way more than shitty 90s/ a couple hits that come with fond memories to me. However I do recognize that I enjoy their music on a strictly simple level- I don't know that much about music from a production standpoint, so I won't try to claim that Third Eye Blind's members are exceptionally talented at making music. I just know that they are exceptionally talented at making me feel upbeat and unbored.

Mike and Ikes only come in good colors.
Also:

Blink 182 set list for summer tour!!

^^guess they got rid of that. now you vote for the songs you want to hear at pickrset.com

listen up

Panda Veg does not brew coffee, and Starbucks does not have free wireless. Those are my complaints/warnings.


Featuring


This is not a complaint, but rather a hilarious story:
Last night at work, the live band Goes Good with Beer (not Goes Well with Beer, mind you) played six songs. Of the six, two were Otis Reddings' Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay. Although the second time surprised me, the song is too perfect to be overplayed or unpleasant- or so I thought, until a really lively and adorable couple started dancing a sort of square-dancing-esque jig. Goes Good with Beer's frontman decided that he wanted to see them grind instead, SO he simply incorporated the melodic "I put my hand up on your hip, when I dip, you dip, we dip" into the song, just as if it were a verse. Just did a lil rap, sort of sang it for optimal flow, and slid right back into "sittin' in the mornin sun".... I can't believe these two songs were synthesized. And I can't believe I witnessed it. I mean, I know that it was the only time that has ever occurred. I. WAS. THERE.
fuck

"We Drink Beer and Wear Adidas"

I have really wanted a camera lately and have got to get one before I leave, anyway. Things I have seen that needed documentation: puppies, lightning, and a woman in the very back of the Kroger parking lot letting her two kids stand in her cart and play with her cigarette cartons as if they were shape mobiles that hang over babies' heads. I also have seen some amusing license plates. Two that I can remember are KOOL MOM and MILFEN. As much as I want to be attractive and kool 4eva, I hope that in my parenthood I am more focused on serving warm cookies and being in book clubs. I also hope to be a swinger, but I just wouldn't want that aspect of my life to be so prominent that I announce it on my license plate.
But I mean, come to think of it, the lady who has MILFEN probably got her car- forgot to mention it was a super nice, super shiny black SUV- from a pompous older husband. If a man got it for her, I give him props, because that would just be awfully lol.

If you are interested in selling your digital camera, let me know.

The cutest thing guys do is wear these:

"We drink beer and wear Adidas"- I know they are talking about Sambas and definitely think these two things define a type of guy.

I mean come on, please don't wear these


Seriously....

Olivier et Anais

Can you believe these babies? I get to play with them next week!

I posted a few back that I was going to the cardiologist. I went to St. Mary's, waited for like 30 minutes in the front sitting next to a couple of potential heart attacks, got felt up by a male nurse, and then finally met Dr. Crowl. She was so so nice and cute and after asking me lots of questions, she determined that I had described classic textbook vasovagal syncope. This means you faint easily. Trusty wikipedia says that possible triggers include:

1) Prolonged standing or upright sitting, particularly when standing with legs in a locked position for long periods of time
2) Stress
3) Any painful or unpleasant stimuli, such as:
a. Giving a blood donation or watching someone give one
b. Watching someone experience pain
c. Watching/experiencing medical procedures
d. Sight of blood
e. Occasions of slight discomfort, such as dental and eye examinations
4) Hyperthermia, a prolonged exposure to heat
5) Sudden onset of extreme emotions
6) Hunger
7) Nausea or vomiting
8) Dehydration
9) Urination ('micturition syncope') or defecation ('defecation syncope')
10) Abdominal straining or 'bearing down' (as in defecation)
11) Swallowing ('swallowing syncope') or coughing ('cough syncope')
12) Random onsets due to nerve malfunctions
13) Pressing upon certain places on the throat, sinuses, and eyes
14) High altitude
15) Use of certain drugs that affect blood pressure, such as amphetamine
16) Intense laughter

Some of these triggers get me weak.

Swallow Syncope.

school's out/ cinco de mayo

When I was younger, we would have parties on the school bus on the last day. The driver organized them and bought supplies for her themes- paper ball fight, bubbles, candy. Generally the point was to trash everything and be loud, free of any threat that our Radio Disney privileges might be revoked.

I walk or ride my bike to class. GRTC is not festive, though, for Mexican military victory OR summer. Wish city bus drivers decorated, wore sombreros, and played the radio. After elementary school, Golddigger was ALWAYS on the radio, which was fun.

I have three official As. I want to celebrate, and I want a bus driver to plan and pay for it.

Why won't it just STORM

here's the deal:

I want triplet girls to sleep in these and a puppy who sleeps in the
remaining one.

Ella Enchanted rules, I love sweeping, and I'm freaking out about
1) Crazy- K-Ci & Jojo and 2) Punks in Vegas- Bouncing Souls.

I have a cardiologist appointment tomorrow, weird. I pass out very very easily and a VCU student health center Dr decided that we've got to get to the bottom of this if I'm to take care of a 5 and a 3 year old all summer. Admittedly this is a very good idea. But supposedly the cardiologist will prob do a tilt table test!!! omg

Also, Ella (Anne Hathaway) just sang Queen's "Somebody to Love". It would be nice if someone would please find this for me. Thanks very much.