Summer Conversions

Blog

Been back a week or so now and have been slow to update. Here are some things that have been happening (or at least being thought about).

Just like it seems each flight back and forth is getting easier it feels like the jet lag that accompanies them is as well. The only side effect we each had this time was waking up at around 5:30 am for a couple days. Big difference considering the first time we came out I was waking up at 5:30 pm (or 17:30 if you prefer the European way – I don’t. Although, I will admit to actually preferring the date format of putting the day before the month like 25/7/06. Common sense and whatnot.). I think the heat wave we are going through may have played a roll in this as well. Not really possible to sleep much past 9:00 when it is already 80 degrees (27 Celsius) in your room. I know you are all going through this right now about 5255 miles (8457 km) from here.

I hate to keep apologizing for it, but I just want you to realize I am fully aware of the increased spamming to the comments. I finally put a call in to the big guns on this one. Imagine The Wolf from Pulp Fiction rolling in and taking care of it. Yeah, it’s J.

Speaking of J, he let me borrow the second season of Arrested Development on my way out of town and it is possibly the best comedy show ever created. I tried to catch these on TV back in the day but wasn’t fanatical about it. Check them out on Netflix or something if you haven’t gotten into it. Tobias alone is worth the price of admission.

One other quick thing about DVDs. I think one of my long standing hypotheses officially transitioned to a theory with this box set. Never turn on DVD commentary for a show that is being done by the actors. It is beyond painful to hear them pat each other on the back during each scene and comment on how good/bad they looked that day and how great/poorly they delivered a line. No matter how cool the character appears on the show, you will lose all respect for this actor once you listen to them do DVD commentary. Find commentary done by the writers and directors and you might have a chance to prevent ear bleeding.

Chizzy is doing great. I know you never hear from her, but it is just because she doesn’t have blog updating anywhere near the top of her priority list. What she does have at the top right now is Top Model. Actually, it would probably be work first. Here she is on the beaches of Grayland.

Grayland? What an amazing segue into my next topic. The Chizrents are coming! They arrive on Saturday and are staying for a couple weeks. Highlights will include Irish countryside and the canals of Venice. Of course, there will also be lots of fun in Zurich as well. The big ferris wheel is up in Bellevue and Chizzy promised she would go on it this year. This is all going to be very exciting.

In a more blunt transition. I mentioned to everybody who knew him that I ran into one of the “neighborhood kids” on this trip back playing in a local band, but I also want to plug them on the site for anybody interested in that kind of thing. Mark is the drummer for the Ian McFeron Band and it was really great to catch up with him. You may have heard of the band if you are into KMTT. Good stuff and I’d recommend checking them out if they are playing near you. If you don't know him and awkward conversation is your thing just go ahead and approach Mark during the set break and tell him that you know me. “Oh you know Bryan? Cool… cool…. good guy… yeah… knew him growing up… so… nice… thanks for coming out.”

Pulled the trigger on a medium sized Weber grill this weekend. Since I don’t have the slightest interest in cars or power tools, I sometimes try to compensate with hot coals. Actually, I enjoy BBQ/grilling a lot and I’m sure Chiz will appreciate it as well once I figure out how to work with the type of ‘lump charcoal’ they use over here. Haven’t seen any briquettes here, but the Internets are telling me that natural charcoal is the way to go so I’m going to figure it out. The inaugural meal on Sunday was shish kebabs but I just didn’t have a good handle on the heat and Chizzy stubbornly refused to eat raw meat so the oven had to be embarrassingly called in. Unfortunately it is not cheap to experiment with meat here. Two chicken, two beef, and two veggie kebabs cost 45 freaking francs ($36). That's only like a pound of meat tops (500 kilograms). Of course, we did buy the pre-made ones from the swanky market so we are not totally blameless.

Here are some long shadows to end the post.