Newly Inspired Season

On a rainy autumn Saturday one American girl and one Swedish boy set out to find some inspiration in the Swiss countryside. There had been tales of a pumpkin patch so big it could take hours to find the perfect one so they thought they would have a go. Well in this story they didn't make it there. But where they did go was about 1.5kilometers away.
As they turned left into this single lane half paved-half dirt road they saw fruit trees and a big ass garden and an old country house and cows and eventually, a little blackboard with a list of goodies. So they parked their Saab 9000 next to the 900 year old tractor and shouted "Greutzi!" to the confused local farmers. Theyexplained that they would like some apples and with a smile in the rain were asked if they had other foot ware. They didn't. So in her poop covered boots she called up to the nosey old woman standing in the doorway, they grabbed a basket and we set out to the orchard to pluck some fresh apples.
They had a nice German chat and country stroll with the two nicest ladies covered in cow poop you could meet by accident and after sampling the apples and collecting a healthy bunch, they then led the smiling giddy couple downstairs into the cellar where they had fresh picked tomatoes, all kinds of potatoes, onions, you name it. Then she asked if they wanted some lettuce, so she went to the garden and hucked a head then she came back and asked if they wanted a pumpkin so she went back out and plucked a pumpkin, then she threw in some pears to sweeten the deal and 20chf later they walked away with the most fall inspired ingredients straight off the farm and made their way back to the flat to start choppin!
Within a few hours they had a delicious apple crumble-half American style, half Swedish, all Swiss. An amazing tomato salad and an experimental roasted pumpkin with ginger and nutmeg soup. Ummmmmm what?!
To be clear, I love living in the city but what I love even more is driving out to the country and getting lost only to find the nicest people willing to drag their little old mothers out of the house in the rain to pick you apples so your shoes don't get dirty and then opening their vault of nutritious hard worked goodness so you could go home, put on some fantastic music, open a bottle of red wine and spend the rest of the day cozy in your slippers and appreciative for a Saab 9000 and a little adventure. Which is exactly what they did.

The End.

Spass Freitag!

Every Friday at work we do something special with the few kids who make it to school. I know, they don't even know their ABCs and 123s and they are at school maybe four days a week, maybe.....Great message Mom... ;)

Anyway, for those whose parents believe in a strong learning ethic send their kids to us and we get to beat ourselves up while pretending to have the time of our lives. I can assure you that while it sounds super fun to go on boat rides and to the farm and the biggest playground a set of 3 year old eyes has ever seen...it's bloody exhausting! Fun for them though which, at the end of the day is our mission, but shit. 18 kids moving at three speeds of a) I dont pay the fuck attention b) I know how to walk but today I am choosing not to and c) tug of speed walking war with their buddy stirring a breakdown of the system. It happens and is bound to happen with that many little people, but it's no picnic let me tell you and takes about 6times the average time google maps states with walking conviction. I think they should add an icon that has a big person walking with a little person and calculate THAT time and show alternative routes. That would be something!

Anyway, last week we went to the playground with this awesome ship climbing thing and tunnels for them to get stuck in and make echoing sounds and for meeeee....this! The mega super awesome killer Swiss hill slide.

Now I have seen some slides in my day and personally I am more of a swinger than a slider, but when you see this monster your age and preference and sense of being at work goes right out the window and it's ah-ma-zing!!!

So next time you are in Rapperswil or some other dorf (village) in Switzerland or anywhere in the world for that matter, and you see the beast. Take it on. Its the little things that count, feeling silly is stupid, just be silly because that's what counts!

Perfect Playlists

There is something to be said when you find/discover/notice yourself at the perfect moment on the perfect street in the perfect daylight enjoying perfect scenery listening to your perfect playlist.
It's an amazing and glowing feeling how the light in conjunction with the right song changes your mood and being on the street that you've walked 1000 times somehow seems different when listening to that song that ignites a smile so big that when strangers pass you by it's like they're looking right into your soul.
Moments like this always happen when you play a song that you've heard a million times but it somehow seems better or perfect at that moment when other times you can't stand it.
One can claim that because it's your iPod they are your songs so every song could be the perfect song. Au contraire! Having to skip or reshuffle defeats the perfect playlist. It's when it's a continuously ongoing stream of magical musical greatness keeps up with your mood/high/amazement of how fantastic it continues to get!
Today my perfect playlist included the following tracks back to back (no peeking or fast forwarding!)

-Time to Move On (Tom Petty)
-Magic in Me (B.o.B)
-Miss Independent (Ne-yo)
-Everything Is Wonderful (Lily Allen)
-Soul Meets Body (Death Cab For Cutie)
-Don't Dream It's Over (Sixpence None the Richer)
-Feels So Good (Armin Van Buuren)