Live on stage

My good friend John performing: http://www.redlasso.com/ClipPlayer.aspx?id=e27c4d16-dc3c-4ca3-88e7-441732272394

2,000 blog items

Now that's worth to celebrate, ain't it? I have under the name zurilife blogged 2,000 times since I started the blog on the 1st of January 2007. Not bad huh? But I think celebration will have to wait until tomorrow. Am plainly too hot and tired today to go out. Jeez, I sounded old just there :) Hurray for me!

Karaoke

This karaoke thing last Friday was lotsa fun. We sounded great! Until I took a break and went out on the terrace to have a smoke. Jeez! Meaning it didn't sound quite so great from a distance. It was funny though, one of the women had an even worse voice than I. Imagine that! This is definitely something I want to do again...

Viva Espana

Finally over and Spain won. Which is apparently best celebrated by driving around in cars, honking the horn and displaying the Spanish flag. Good thing I live just outside the city center. But it was fun I must admit. Even though I was stuck next to a bar (not a bad thing per se) being in a tight crowd sorta watching the second half of the game. One of the coaches was 69 years and 11 months. Some people just don't know to retire in time. Anyway, I'm happy for the Spanish people. If they now could only learn not to torture bulls, I would say they even deserve it!

Germany - Spain

Hell weeks are almost over. Germany - Spain is about to start (how can you tell the difference? Their flags have the same colour!) and I guess I have to drag my non-sporty ass into town for the last game. Will stay far away from the fanzone though :). Very hot today, over 30°C and water in the lake has warmed up to a very decent temperature. Was swimming today. Well, may the best team win.

The barbie

See how she handles the sausages...

Suburbia

This is what it looks like in Zürich...

Lesbian shoes

Many were the things tonight that I learned and lesbian shoes were one of them. Apparently this is what they look like. Good for the feet but not exactly fashionable. Hmmm. I like these type of shoes, does that mean I am now a lesbian? Double-hmmm.

Friday mix

Take five women, add a barbecue and spice it up with a big "ugly" dobermann, stir with a number of bottles of wine and top it off with a karaoke machine and voila, you have a perfectly good Friday night party.

Zürich kicked my ass

Remember that episode in Sex and the city when Carrie got her ass kicked by New York City? That's how I felt today.

First CG couldn't wait for me, while I finished a call so I was late into town. The match had already started. On the way to the fan-zone (long walk!) I decided to have a last strawberry marguerita before that particular stand closed down. It wasn't possible to order a small one. Half a liter was the name of the game. Ok.

It is kinda hard to finish half a liter of marguerita between Helmhaus and Bellevue (for you who don't live here it's one minute with the tram) and I figured there would be a problem to bring this glass into the fan-zone. Which is why I went to the exit and asked the guard. No probs he said, but they might ask you to put the drink into a plastic glass. Fine, I could live with losing 2 CHF which is what the glass cost.

Coming up to the body-search entrance I was told that not only wasn't I body-searched but I couldn't bring the drink into the area because it was ALCOHOL! Beer is apparently fine, they just pour the remains from a can into a plastic glass and in they go. But spirits! No go. And to top it off, seemingly the glass (plastic!) could be used as a weapon.

I just ask. When was the last time a xx-year-old Scandinavian woman caused ze Swiss crime statistics to go up? And does the pic look like a lethal weapon to you?

Germany - Turkey

No matter how much you try to avoid it, ze fuckin' football is everywhere these days. I have been informed (very much against my will I might add) that Germany is playing Turkey tonight. Talk to the hand I say. However, since there undoubtly will be a party in town nomatterwhat, I guess I have to venture out. Unlucky me :)

Wir dutzen

Ha! I am now on first-name basis with my formal architect. The trick is to play dumb, claiming I do not know when to use sie, Sie, Du, Ihnen etc etc. Which I actually do not need to play dumb for. I really do not know. Well, I do know most of the time but it's just too energy-draining to have to figure out which one it is, depending on this, that or the other. Anyway, I met my religious, formal family person who is my architect and despite not sharing any values in those areas we got along just fine. We could laugh together and I made my position clear as to what was expected from him. As a man he needs instructions. Downside is that he now has actually delivered, and it's my turn to provide input. 20 pages of German specifications of stuff for the flat to be gone through, understood and signed. And of course to be paid, since I have gone slightly (HAHAHA!) over budget already. If I had known how much work this new flat involves...I would've done it anyway. But not just now because it's Wednesday :)

The lovely leo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNTdWbVBgc

Zürich is hot hot hot

Literally, Zürich is sizzling right now. After quite a cold spring this is so welcome. And with this heat, you really have to drink a lot. How lucky we are...

It's only Monday

...so apologize for the evening being a bit slow...

A Swiss church

Protection

It feels safe being protected by these guys.

Euts chl

German boobs.

30°C

Yesterday was hot, hot, hot. And funnily enough lots of sail boats on the lake, despite no wind...

Football flags

Have a feeling that people in this house like football...

My best friend

I am about to exchange a trustworthy (well almost always) bestest friend for a new one. I feel very emotional about it. The new one is pink with a lot more capacity than my current one, but somehow I feel like it's betrayal. Is that weird? But my computer has served me well over more than 5 years. And after I deleted 52 meg of pics it has picked up speed. Am I wrong to just ditch it? And having to go through that difficult phase of saving all my favourites once again, installing programs I know won't work (which is why I paid extra to have a little man coming around when I need it...didn't specify the services :) and get the thing connected to the world wide web. Perhaps I'll just stick it in a drawer...

Midsummer

In the part of the world where I originate from they have some mighty strange habits celebrating midsummer including maypoles, food like herring and meatballs, schnapps and the famous frog dance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer So tomorrow will be a day of partying, having some friends over, together with my little Bro. I wonder if I can make them all do the frog dance? No doubt we'll all behave like frogs after the schnapps I plan to serve...

Gavin & Stacey - round II

Just had this series delivered. I will not be contactable this evening...

Parallel universe

I don't know what's going on anymore. My world is upside down. Not only did CG cook, and deliciously I might add, but he's gone to bed before I do. What is going on here? How can I deal with all this change? Well, honestly, I'm happy about it. Because it means I can sleep with an open door and not having to nearly suffocate every night. Hurray! Change is good. But will it last?

Hell froze over

Actually, he did it. I have to give it to him. Credit where credit is due and all that. It was really very good. Delicious in fact. But where the hell he managed to find a ready-made salad with the ingredients I had suggested (salad, carrots and radishes) is beyond me. Well done! In fact, this you haven't done for the last time :)

Hell can freeze over

This evening something unthinkable is about to happen. Something so out of character and unexpected, that I almost think I'm dreaming. CG has promised to cook! Mind you, I haven't seen it happen yet but according to his promise I will be fed one of the two courses he has on his culinary repertoire and it ain't boiled eggs. Report later.

Words of wisdom

I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either. I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem. Am I getting smart with you? How would you know? Everyone has a right to be stupid. Some just abuse the privilege. From my favourite Scandinavian blogger darkhorse.

Life's little mysteries

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard? Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are flat? Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough? Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets? Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet? Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"? What is the speed of darkness? Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up every two hours? Are there specially reserved parking spaces for "normal" people at the Special Olympics? If the temperature is zero outside today and it's going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be? Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem longer? How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage? Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground? Did you ever stop and wonder...... Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these pink dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?" Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there... I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta it's bottom." Why do toasters always have a setting so high that could burn the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat? Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer? Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their parts when they ask where the bathroom is? Why does your Obstetrician, Gynaecologist leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look there anyway? Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs! If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from? If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons? Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune? Stop singing and read on....... Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup? Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window? Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster? Do you ever wonder why you read my blog in the first place?

Losers

Not entirely sure why some people think it's appropriate to send messages like: "the Swedish boofball team is a bunch of poofties! All men in womens clothing" and "Pansies, the lot of them. Italian mama's have bigger balls than the Swedish football team". Hah! But not bigger meatballs...

Why bother

So finally CG got out of bed this afternoon, asking "so how did your meeting go?". Uhh? What meeting? Appears he thought I had a meeting about my new apartment, all the while I'm sitting opposite him with new hair. Much shorter, a bit more blondie, all fixed. And he didn't even notice. Well, that's men for you. Can't live with them, can't shoot'm.

Zürich rocks

Once again... http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/105235/The-World's-Best-Places-to-Live-2008

Stop the press

Ohmigad, my world is spinning. Was just in the kitchen, and the dishwasher signalled that it had finished. Without me putting it on! I have lived with many men, but I cannot think of a single one (except you M :) that has actually bothered to put it on when it was full. Mind you, he didn't tell me about it, nor did he stop the machine and empty it when it was done. But I guess it's a start...

How many grüezi's?

Every day I wonder how many "grüezi's" are uttered in Switzerland every day. This is the word for hello, hallo, hi, hoi or whatever other sane languages use for greeting each other. Ok, so in Austria it's servus, but that's pretty cool if you ask me. In some so called English-speaking countries it's g'day mate or ya alright. But grüezi? Pronounced differently depending where you are in the country. Also, it's just not said to friends and other known people. Oh no, it's used for people you meet in the elevator, stairs, in shops, on the streets, in buses, basically in every place where you see another person. It's tiring! But I guess it's also charming, that you do greet each other considering the shy nature of ze Swiss. Only it doesn't really mean anything. I mean, normally you don't give a shit whether an unknown says hello or not, at least I don't and I'm sure they feel they same about me. On the other hand, if it can stop people from being violent, it's a good thing. Doubt a grüezi will do it though.

Make it up to me?

Ok, so now I'm really angry with CG. I wonder if he's gonna make it up to me, or if he thinks another sorry is enough. Again.

Paradise

Pretty empty out there today. Only me, my boat and loads of uniformed police men...

The vipfloss

The place where the vip's hang out in Zürich or so I'm told. Personally I think that the important people have their own boats :)

Fussballfreie Zone

How very thoughtful of the ferry lines to have football free zones. Like this boat had.

The perfect day

My day was as close to perfection as you can get. At least in my world. Nice sleep-in (and mind you, I didn't wake up alone :), then a brunch at my new fav place sitting outdoors. Followed by 4 hours on the lake. It was basically me, two sail boats and lotsa uniformed policemen checking on the football hooligans. Exactly why they chose to do that on the lake is beyond me, but far be it for me to complain! In the evening I had dinner with a good friend, and in the end listened to some really good live music at the place of my choice. My kinda day. Wish there were 364 more of them!

Auntie Annika

An acquaintance of mine refers to me as auntie Annika. This is because of a long story involving him and younger girl sitting on his lap, referring to him as uncle C when he had other things in mind. Obviously I now call him uncle C, and he counters by calling me auntie Annika. This is an epithet I don't much care for. At all. Unless of course it is agony aunt. That would be right up my alley. I can give as crappy advice as any newspaper column. Or better! Mostly it would probably involve "ditch him", "lots of other fish in the sea", "best way of getting over a man is to get under another" or "what once is broken cannot be repaired". See? I'm doing it already.

Chance of rain

Was double-checking the weather forecast for tomorrow. Crucial since I'm going on the boat. It says 25° with chance of rain. Like rain is a good thing! It should say risk of rain if you ask me. And it better not! I am so going to enjoy tomorrow on the lake, and if the weather man lies again...I know where you live! Well I don't, but I bloody well am going to find out.

Well deserved

In life you get what you deserve. Most of the time. Tomorrow I think I deserve a day on the lake. So that's what I'm gonna do. But first, since the sun is out and city full of party people, I will join in. What better way to spend a Monday? And Tuesday for that matter...

That football thing

Ze Swiss lost yesterday. I was rolling meatballs in front of the telly, and all channels showed football simultaneously so there wasn't really a choice. I saw when that Czech guy got pushed and had to be carried out on a stretcher. It was just a tiny push. Wimp!

Well, that hasn't stopped my neighbour from proudly stating she's Swiss (and I thought she was French! Shows how much I know about my current neighbours). So turns out I'm sleeping under the protection of the Swiss flag.

Nice Sunday

First brunch with friends at my fav cafe. Then a stroll to my new apartment (previous item)...or well, future flat. Followed by a trip to town to check on the boat, which turned out to be ok. No hooligans in sight fortunately. Then a couple of beers sitting outdoors people-watching. Delightful. There was a table full of Scottish people in kilts and all, and everybody knows the Scottish are good fans. No trouble, just drinking and laughing. Unlike the English.

Only Scotland is not playing the tournament are they? So I guess it's the drinking bit that attracted the Scots...

Top of the pile

See the pile to the right? That's where my flat will be. Sometime in the very distant future...

Opportunity

Ok, so football hell is on. What I didn't realize was the very increased police presence in town. They are everywhere. Hurray! Men in uniform, what can I say? I melt...

Nuns

Don't know why I was thinking of nuns today, but I was. And I realized that all of them are ugly. Figures I thought. It's not often I see them here in Zürich, but when I do they all are old, walking in shoes that I'm sure are good for the feet but don't look very nice, this cape thing with the white on top, no make-up. Married to god, my ass. Be my guest. I don't believe in marriage anyway :)

Unreliable Italians

Was watching Erin Brockovich today, which I happen to think is a really good movie. Even think Julia Roberts got an Oscar for it, although I noticed that she didn't thank Erin for it. Never mind. The point was that two thirds through the movie the language thing stopped to work on the Italian channel. So I saw the movie first in English, and the last bit in Italian. Duh! Not the first time it happens. But very Italian if you ask me. Now we're on, now we're not. Friggin unreliable. That's the Italians for you. Some of them are cute though :)

Football hell

Was in the city today checking on the boat, and getting rid of 100 liters of water that had collected on the cover due to the heavy raining. The city is filling up with stands, stages and whats-it all over the place. This will be 3 weeks of hell I tell ya.

Today they were doing something with fire...

Sex & the city - the movie

Finally got around to see it. It was fabulous of course. A real chick movie. Was just surprised to learn that the two friendsgirls I was with was crying as much as they were laughing. When I pointed out it was a comedy they didn't understand. "But it was sad at times". Naaah. Girls!

My own place

Yessss! Senior citizen sorted the lake police out today, and I will officially have the same boat place I have now. It's just some administrative stuff to go through first. Fabulous! And this time we'll celebrate with an even better bottle of wine...

Pavlovian conditioning

Today I learned about Pavlovian conditioning. I was told by a Swiss man that men and rats are good at that. It means that you learn to associate something with another thing. Like when Pavlov blew a whistle at the same time he was feeding his dog, and eventually the dog learned that when he heard the whistle it was time to eat. And apparently men can be trained the same way... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_conditioning

170 m

Met with the architect today, and he told me that they are drilling right now. 170 m down in the earth, twice. The heating system will come from down below. Cool, huh? But when I asked him if this will be warm enough he promised me a free sweater. Hmmm.

Wasserschutzpolizei

The lake police (oh men in uniform!) sent me a letter today, stating that they are giving me a boatplace. Officially. Hurray! Only until I realized that it wasn't my boat place, it was another one in a worse location. Darn. But I have a good feeling about this one, after I called my senior citizien friend and previous owner of the boat. He's going to the police station tomorrow to "sort them out". Excellent.

Ass - the size of...BIG

What can I say?

Swiss zug

Swiss trains are comfortable, especially when there are few people on them...

The evening rocked

What can I say? Every Monday rocks...

1.96

A like a big man, but unfortunately this one is a no-go. You know when you're out and a couple of hours into the evening you buy a round. And then he doesn't reciprocate. I'm sorry, but we won't be shopping household items together. He was nice though :)

Current status

Well, they have more than a year to finish...