it's my friday off
and for some reason i'm already awake. obviously i can't get out of bed before noon on a josh-off, so it looks like i'll finally be blogging. and i know you are all tickled pink.
the weather has been chilly. it hasn't been that the lows are -5, that's what they are even in clinton. it's that the highs are -2. been scraping my car every morning. i'm ready for the 16 hours of sunlight in the summer.
prague was ... cold. but nice. i liked it better last time i visited in early fall, with plenty of sun for lounging around old town drinking a pilsner from Plzeň. but it was still nice to see the sights again. and czech girls. and lounge around inside drinking a pilsner from Plzeň.
christmas was quiet, at least compared to how it used to be. wasn't even up til 11. no mad dash down the stairs. never once begged my dad to forgo shaving. we even ate brunch before opening presents. that wouldn't fly a few years ago. but we still had a nice day, and it was nice to have the fam around for the holiday. gave: your stereotypical german steins. got: cash from the parents, amazon gift card from tim and pete. and 7 liters of wine from bridget. just what i wanted, all around. and my mom cooked a nice christmas dinner. great day.
new year's was not quiet. we got a few bottles of the local sekt, couple cigars all the way from cuba, and headed down to the casino for the festivities. same insanity as last year. constant fireworks from seemingly all celebrants for a good hour, on either side of midnight. great time. und einen guten rutsch!
i've been working throughout the holidays. it's quiet around the office (so devoid of colleagues, in fact, that i was acting chief of our office for a week), good for showing up and either accomplishing a lot or nothing (whatever the case may be). there's been no compelling reason to take leave, and i'd rather spend it lounging on a topless beach in spain in july than hiding from the cold in my apartment in december. because a) i had a day of comp time from traveling to class in brussels, b) president bush declared the 24th a federal holiday, and c) my josh-offs, i've been off seven days in three weeks while only taking one day of leave. topless beaches, here i come.
i am actually going to barcelona in a couple weeks, though it probably won't be warm enough yet to enjoy the beaches. flying ryanair (roundtrip, for a grand total of 33 €), three days in barcelona over mlk day. not too much is planned at the moment, besides eating too much paella and tapas and the general sightseeing. fc barca is playing at home that sunday evening. i foresee myself attempting to attend.
not too much other travel is in concrete at the moment. in 2008, my top 5 are spain, switzerland, poland, scandanavia, and russia. all are probably with the exception of russia, which i think is more likely for 2009. and we can't forget euro 2008.
between prague, christmas, the fam, and choking on firework smoke, i haven't done a lot of 2007 reflecting or 2008 resolving.
i enjoyed christmas brunch so much that i went to the commissary yesterday with the express purpose of procuring some sausage and pancakes for brunch today. and now that it's after noon, it's safe to get up, get showered, and get cooking.
beautiful weekend, amis.
the weather has been chilly. it hasn't been that the lows are -5, that's what they are even in clinton. it's that the highs are -2. been scraping my car every morning. i'm ready for the 16 hours of sunlight in the summer.
prague was ... cold. but nice. i liked it better last time i visited in early fall, with plenty of sun for lounging around old town drinking a pilsner from Plzeň. but it was still nice to see the sights again. and czech girls. and lounge around inside drinking a pilsner from Plzeň.
christmas was quiet, at least compared to how it used to be. wasn't even up til 11. no mad dash down the stairs. never once begged my dad to forgo shaving. we even ate brunch before opening presents. that wouldn't fly a few years ago. but we still had a nice day, and it was nice to have the fam around for the holiday. gave: your stereotypical german steins. got: cash from the parents, amazon gift card from tim and pete. and 7 liters of wine from bridget. just what i wanted, all around. and my mom cooked a nice christmas dinner. great day.
new year's was not quiet. we got a few bottles of the local sekt, couple cigars all the way from cuba, and headed down to the casino for the festivities. same insanity as last year. constant fireworks from seemingly all celebrants for a good hour, on either side of midnight. great time. und einen guten rutsch!
i've been working throughout the holidays. it's quiet around the office (so devoid of colleagues, in fact, that i was acting chief of our office for a week), good for showing up and either accomplishing a lot or nothing (whatever the case may be). there's been no compelling reason to take leave, and i'd rather spend it lounging on a topless beach in spain in july than hiding from the cold in my apartment in december. because a) i had a day of comp time from traveling to class in brussels, b) president bush declared the 24th a federal holiday, and c) my josh-offs, i've been off seven days in three weeks while only taking one day of leave. topless beaches, here i come.
i am actually going to barcelona in a couple weeks, though it probably won't be warm enough yet to enjoy the beaches. flying ryanair (roundtrip, for a grand total of 33 €), three days in barcelona over mlk day. not too much is planned at the moment, besides eating too much paella and tapas and the general sightseeing. fc barca is playing at home that sunday evening. i foresee myself attempting to attend.
not too much other travel is in concrete at the moment. in 2008, my top 5 are spain, switzerland, poland, scandanavia, and russia. all are probably with the exception of russia, which i think is more likely for 2009. and we can't forget euro 2008.
between prague, christmas, the fam, and choking on firework smoke, i haven't done a lot of 2007 reflecting or 2008 resolving.
i enjoyed christmas brunch so much that i went to the commissary yesterday with the express purpose of procuring some sausage and pancakes for brunch today. and now that it's after noon, it's safe to get up, get showered, and get cooking.
beautiful weekend, amis.