Just a reminder

Sometimes we let the stress of life take over and we forget about the important things. Yada yada, I know. How many times do we say it but ever really think about it? But for real, I think I may have forgotten for a second that I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

So, this is just a reminder to me.

Naama's Birthday!

Earlier this week we went out to have a surprise birthday drink with our friend Naama. Although it turned out not to be a surprise and a little different than planned, it was a beautiful night with great friends. We started at the Terrasse le Paradis and Paradise Terrace it was! It is just a bunch of lounge chairs and umbrellas on the bank of the river.

my lounge chair and lemonade

Nicholas'

always working... 

And the view

I think I found my new favorite spot in Geneva :)

The Walk Home

almost half-way up

Every night when we arrive from Geneva we tackle this enormous hill. We could take the metro but in reality it doesn't save anytime and it is hard to justify the laziness when I haven't been getting many runs in.

So we hike up the hill to the apartment.

Some days, you see bike-couriers pushing large metal carts on the front of their bikes flying up the hill as if it were the reverse. Other times, you see women in very high heels or runners progressing impressively up. The pace is always admirable.

There have been days when I have been the woman in heels. Others where I am the runner. Even once, on a bike... (never again!)

Yesterday, I noticed a man walking at a good pace right in front of me. Immediately I became annoyed. I couldn't believe I was choking on his cigarette smoke. Ugh! I hate smoke... Then I thought about it. This man was walking up one of the steepest hills in our town, at a great pace, while smoking. How his lung capacity was able to handle the hill, pace and cigarette at once I have no idea. I struggle daily to get up that hill and then... there are others :)

Decaf..

This week Nicholas and I have been busier than usual. Spending a few nights during the week in Geneva after work to see friends, celebrate birthdays and take care of some things. We still have been getting up at 6:30am, or as I like to refer to it as, "NO it's TOO EARLY!!"

We have been so tired all week. Every morning we get up and have a cup of coffee and cereal before we head to the train for the 1.5 hr commute to our respective offices... Normally that coffee kickstarts my day and I never look back. This week, I have had to drag myself to the train station, then to my office and half-way through the morning I have to get a coffee from the cafe. In the normal world, two cups of coffee makes me super jittery, so I was shocked when I had no adverse side-effects from my second cup.

Very obviously decaf

That was until I looked closely at the new bag of coffee I bought last weekend. I thought I would mix it up and try a different selection to make a comparison... Turns out, reading labels closely is really important and something I should have learned by now :) Yep, yep. It seems that I bought decaf!  I mean, please look at the photo. It is not like I can even blame this on language... this is just a clear disdain for details. When Nicholas got home last night and I told him, he started laughing and told me, that he too has been having a second cup as soon as he got to work and telling himself that he really needs to cut back on his coffee consumption. Just another day in the life... :)

Random Holiday

Today in Geneva it is a holiday, so Nicholas and I both have the day "off", although he has been on call after call, responding to emails and even spent the morning mentoring a current IMD student. What a guy!

Well, since I have only to put together a presentation and I decided to put that off til a little later, I have decided to do what I discovered last year. Baking! I have a loaf of rosemary bread rising as we speak and am about to make some muffins for the guys in the distribution center at the WHO who have been helping me out tons!! I owe them more than a plate of muffins, but as a volunteer, that is all they are getting :)

Wish you were here, the place smells amazing!

Classified: English Hairdresser Desperately needed!

This is my  third time getting a haircut in Switzerland and third time was not a charm...

I went from having very long hair to having shoulder-length, or shorter, hair. Talk about frustrating when you are trying to communicate in another language and you think you can and when they finish you realize you both spoke different languages... It is just part of the joy of living abroad :)

Nicholas suggested we find an English salon, and I said no, I need to work on my French. However, when he said that he even didn't get what he wanted, I realized that maybe hair salon French is different than street French... Who knows!

I love going to the salon and getting my hair done. I loved it today. I just hated the results and the fact that I am going to have to wait 6 months for my hair to grow out to a length that I like :)

Swiss scissors: 3
Nicki:  0

Dear Month at the Museum2,

I cannot begin to imagine the person you are going to have stay with you for a full 30 days, but I do know you really lost out by not selecting my gnome-loving, zest-for-lifer, up-for-anything friend, Stace! 

I would give just about anything to steal away Stacey for a full month! I cannot even begin to imagine all the fun and trouble we would get into. She is one of the only people I know that makes the absolute ordinary extraordinary! Her positivity is contagious and her joy can put a smile on any face. 

So, you made a big big mistake and, the sad thing is, you will probably never know it... but I can bet that there are about 1,219 people who agree with me (give or take... as I know I may have watched it twice, and I know my mother did, as well :) 

As Maya Angelou said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." That is probably the thing all the visitors at the MSI Chicago will never have the pleasure of knowing. A moment with my sweet friend and how it would make them feel! Knowing Stacey is loving Stacey, and trust me, it is unforgettable! 

Sincerely yours, 

A firm supporter of SMH :)