Random Traffic Through Nick's Brain

Nick: Should we buy a metric tape measure?

Dina: Nah. I can do math. And if I can’t do math, I can get Google almost anywhere.

Google Buzz, Facebook, LiveJournal, Blogger, this blog… it’d be nice if they all played along together… if not, I think I should start deleting.

You know it’s Carnivale because:

1. The guy sitting next to you on the plane is wearing Lederhosen (lit: leather pants). No, that’s not normal for where I live.
2. When you land, your plane waits 15 minutes on the tarmac in Dusseldorf because there aren’t enough people working to man the gate. Then you have to wait another 10 minutes while various people unlock various doors to let you in the terminal.
3. When you arrive at work, 75%+ of the staff is off for the day.
4. All of the above.

• For the first time in a long time I travelled light. All I took with me on my 2-day trip to Windsor was my backpack.
• On the way from Detroit to Windsor, there was a sign: “Do not follow your GPS. Follow signs for bridge to Canada.”
• Months and months ago, I systematized some things. All at once, it seems like things are coming together, and my work this month is made easy by all the serendipitous planning.
• I had difficulty crossing both borders. The Canadian border was surprisingly difficult to cross. At the US border, the guard tapped the car looking for hidden panels.
• The view from my hotel room in Windsor was pretty at night. 10th floor. View across the river to the lights of downtown Detroit (and Christmas lights on trees).
• In case I haven’t mentioned it already, I enjoy business travel without the business suit.
• Annoying travel event: Sitting next to an ultra-fidgety (presumed to be based on luggage adornment and figure) Victoria Secret model on my flight home yesterday. Thankfully she didn’t have enough body mass to shake the row of seats much.

I’m in Boston for the week… apparently I’m having trouble adjusting.

• My instincts are now to spell “Culture Shock” as “Culture Schock”… even trying to type it correctly results in my typing Sc[BACKSPACE]hock.
• I’m no longer used to the roads (potholes, disregard for speed limit, poorly planned streets).
• I realize that I just don’t talk when I’m in Switzerland. When I’ve been out to eat in the evenings here I’ve noticed that I don’t really talk to the people I deal with day-to-day. When waiters ask me questions, I usually nod. I point to menu items. Oddly, I realize that I don’t particularly mind this except when reminded of it here.

1. I will be in the Boston area between the 14th and 23rd. Most of my time will be taken up by work and Mystery Hunt.
2. I will be in 4 offices in the span of 8 calendar days (NL, CH, US, CA).

Alex seems like he’s really starting to think and reason things through… not at the slow-and-steady toddler pace… but on his feet… it’s interesting to watch.

Arianna is pulling to standing. Very chuffed with herself when she does, frustrated when she can’t. She’s understood object permanence for going on a month now. She’s becoming a bit nonchalant about peek-a-boo.

Not that great Mexican restaurant: $7.50 for a Corona, $14.50 for a tiny margarita, ~$30.00 – $35.00 for a fajita (with no cheese).

Brainstorming what to do if someone isn’t listening to me (they heard me, but they’re not listening).

• How do I convince them / make them pay attention / make them listen?
• Is it a sign that I shouldn’t be bothering them with something unimportant (either dropping it completely, or asking someone else)?
• Maybe they’re very busy. How do I make it easy for them to listen to me?
• …

Her: Do these glasses make my nose look big?

Him: …

Her: You can say “No bigger than it normally looks” if you need to.

Him: It doesn’t make your nose look any bigger than those jeans make your…

Alternate title: “Define Incomprehensible”.

5 hours of Swiss-German dinner theatre at my current level of German.

“Do you want pizza?” means:

1. We’re ordering pizza. Do you want us to order you some?
2. There is pizza here now, and we’re going to eat it unless you eat it soon.

Nick thinks: (1). Coworkers think: (2).

Bought mushrooms at the store for supper today because they looked like the ones from Fantasia (with beige instead of red tops).

Somehow, been travelling a lot lately. In the last 11 weeks, I’ve been home for 3, on vacation for 2.5, and travelling for work for 5.5.

1. Vacation: Montreal/Boston
2. Work: Boston
3. Work: Boston
4. Vacation: Boston/Montreal
5. Home.
6. Work: Netherlands
7. Home.
8. Home.
9. Work: Boston
10. Work: Boston
11. Vacation / Work: Netherlands.

Last week was pretty nice. On Sunday, we drove to Venlo in the Netherlands. On Monday we went to Aachen (or Aix-la-Chapelle in English), Germany to meet up with Mario, Michele, and Max who were visiting family in the area. Tuesday, Antwerp, Belgium. Wednesday to Friday was work for me, while Dina and Alex played with Sellina and Nathan, a couple of other ex-pats through work. Saturday and Sunday, driving home, stopping in Vianden and Luxembourg in Luxembourg. I’d been to Vianden in ‘89 with my high school. It was interesting to re-visit it after 20 years. The city of Luxembourg itself was beautiful… we were sad that we only had a short day to visit, and that the Casemates were closed for the winter. That may mean that we visit it again in the spring/summer.

All in all, we drove through Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. 6 countries in a week… not bad. That is one of the reasons we moved to Europe. :-)