"September has come, it is hers whose vitality leaps in the autumn..."

I'm ready for a changing of seasons. In so very many ways.

I'm ready for fall, with reds and golds and cool temperatures and that particular woodsy smell that can't be captured in a Yankee Candle Company scent. Ready for vanilla and pumpkin and cinnamon and caramel. Ready for apples, and pumpkin patches, and indian corn. Ready for corduroy, and tweed.

I'm ready for a changing of the guard. For new people, and faces, and things. Ready for something different, because I can't keep going with where I'm at.

I'm ready to feel better about things. Physically, mentally, emotionally.

Come on seasons. Let's go.

Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr.
Wer jetzt allein ist, wird es lange bleiben,
wird wachen, lesen, lange Briefe schreiben
und wird in den Alleen hin und her
unruhig wandern, wenn die Blätter treiben. 

-- Rainer Marie Wilke

"Another aeroplane, another sunny place, I'm lucky I know, but I wanna go home ... hmmm, I've got to go home."

Day 30, and I'm home!

That's really about it. That, and I just posted six photo albums up on my picasa page. Go take a look! If you need the address, let me know.

I'm going to go crash now.

Night.

"High on a hill stood a lonely goatherd ..."

Day 28.

I think I may get to actually be at my house on Day 30! Not that I don't love Switzerland, because quite honestly I do. I think it's a beautiful country, and I really have loved being here. But I miss my house. And my cat. And my friends. Being away makes coming home feel even nicer.

I haven't updated on my weekend travels recently. Last weekend I went to Basel, which is right on the German/French/Swiss border, and also right along the Rhine. I meandered around the town and explored a few old churches, then did a little shopping along the main street in the Old Town, and then found my way to the old city walls and towers (dating from 1080). I spent some time at the Basel Papermuhle, where they still make all of the paper using waterwheel power. Also had a cappucino outside Les Trois Rois (where Napoleon, Goethe, and The Rolling Stones stayed while in Basel) overlooking the Rhine. Quite a nice day. I promise I'll post some pictures of these trips once I get home!

I celebrated my official entry into the world of spinster-dom yesterday (at least I think I did ... I can no longer find the definition of a spinster which includes the age of twenty-six, though I swear I found it a few months ago. Apparently the British did an even better job of purging the word from usage than they planned, as it's web history is now cleaner than someone who's paid for a professional www-cleaning). Anyway, that was tangential ... but went out to dinner with some Tecan and Abbott colleagues for a joint celebration of a product release and the birthday, and then took a trip up to the Jules Verne Panorama bar (great view of Zurich). All in all, a nice evening.

I am, I have to say, quite proud of my spinster-ly accomplishments. I'm hereby taking a small sentence to celebrate all the things that my spinster self has accomplished ...

And then I saw this comic, which made me laugh hysterically and then sigh. And then laugh again.

"This keeps time in three different time zones, but none of them are the one he's usually in."

Day 20.

Just got back to Zurich after a grueling and very long trip from California ... I left my hotel in Paradise at 10:30 am on 9/2. I arrived Zurich at 5:45 pm on 9/3. Granted, there's a 9 hour time difference. But still, it's a long time.

Anyway, I took off from Zurich on Wednesday last week to make a brief stop in Chicago. I was at my house for a grand total of 15 minutes, after which I went down to my folks house for Wednesday night and Thursday. My great-grandmother passed away last weekend (she was 98!) and I was so glad I had a chance to be home for the funeral. It would have sucked if I had been in Zurich and not been able to be there. I also had a chance to help my parents out a bit with their massive project for the church's 100th anniversary.

Friday morning I caught the first of my three flights to get me out to California for Darcy's wedding. After having all three of them be late, I made it to Chico at 4:15, with just barely enough time to get to the hotel, take a quick shower, and change before heading to the rehearsal dinner. :) The wedding on Saturday was absolutely lovely. Especially Darcy Kelly ... hmm, Darcy Greene. I'm going to have to get used to that ... Anyway, it was an outdoor wedding, and it was beautiful and fun. Hooray for Darcy's wedding!

Sunday morning I went to the airport ... and we're back to the first paragraph. :)

Anyway, I've got two more weeks here in Zurich. It'll be busy!! Hopefully after that I'll be able to actually live in my house for awhile ... :)

"All this yellow yolk and running white is all that's left of the promise of wings ..."

Hello from Switzerland ... I'm on Day 11 of my 32 day road trip (I know, that's bizarre, is it not? I had to count it a few times to make sure that it was really 32 days. But yes, it is). Anyway, I've been here nearly two weeks already, and things are chugging along just fine.

Work is work, so I won't bore you with the details, aside from a one-sentence rant about this two-timezone thing. I'm re-reading The World is Flat at the moment (the 3.0 update is out in paperback, so I figured I might as well), and I have to say that as flat as the world may be, it's still extremely irritating to have to work two shifts in a row. I have a standing 3pm meeting in Chicago that translates to 10 pm meeting here in Zurich ... And sorry, that was two sentences.

Anyway, I've been taking advantage of my weekends while I've been here. My Swiss pass gives me access to all transportation (train/bus/boat) throughout the country, which is extremely convenient. :) Last Saturday, I visited Lucerne (which was gorgeous) and the Verkerhshaus (Swiss Museum of Transport), which was really cool. On Sunday I visited the Zurich Zoo, and sympathized with the penguins, who looked as though they thought it was a bit too hot. Today I meandered off to Bern, the capital city, and spent a happy few hours wandering around the Einstein museum before exploring the city center. Tomorrow's plans are still up in the air ... I may just stay around Zurich, but Basel is also sounding alluring. I'll let you know what I decide. And sorry, I forgot my card reader at home ... so I can't post pictures at the moment. They will be forthcoming. Expect lots of old buildings, lots of mountains, and a ton of engines (sorry, the trains engines were just much too cool).

Something that's rolling around in my head is that there should be a way for people who are travelling on work assignments to find other people who are in the same situation. For example, I have seen several other people who I would bet were in Zurich on business and were also on their own and wouldn't have minded having dinner with someone else rather than another solo night. But it's awkward to ask. This seems like a gap in our socialization abilities. Maybe there's a website or something somewhere. Hmm.

As a random note, I've seen way more old guys in speedos on this trip than I have ever needed to see.

Okey-dokey, I'm off for now. Later everyone!

*EDIT*

Oh, I meant to mention ... I've read a few books so far (as you might imagine, if you know me at all!) Anyway, has anyone other than my brother read A Severe Mercy? (Not that your opinion doesn't count, Jason)