Making the Ghost

Living in Switzerland required some cultural adjustment. For example I had to give up flatheets for duvet covers. It has taken some getting used to, but my husband has helped me out and given me the rundown on getting a duvet cover over a comforter. He calls it making the ghost.

Step One:
Turn the duvet cover inside out

Step Two:
Reach your arms in through the opening and grab on to the two corners at the opposite end of the blanket

Step Three:
Let the duvet fall over your head. You should now look like a ghost

Step Four:
Have your partner give you the corresponding corners of the comforter.

Step Five:
Bend over and let the duvet fall off of your head and start shaking your hands wildly to get the comforter inside the duvet. You partner should be helping this process along

I always want to be the ghost, but my husband thinks I make a terrible ghost because I rely on him to do the work as I skip steps four and five.

Tuesday at Home

I did not set my alarm last night, because I am not going into work today...YEAH

Nik woke me up to show me a rainbow stretching over Olten. It was set against a dark blue sky, and I was hoping that it was a sign that today was going to be bright and sunny. Unfortunately it was immediately followed by wind and rain.

Eventhough I did not have to go into work, Nik still had to get ready for school. I tried to return the favor for all the times he has gotten up and made me breakfast, by running to the local bakery for bread while he was in she shower. I tied Mifan to the giant croissant outside teh store like I always do and bought some St. Gallen bread. On the way home Mifan, when she was not being hit by debris, chased the leaves whirling in the wind. By the time I arrived home, Nik was already biting into a sandwhich made with crusty old bread. All that mess for nothing ohh well, it is the thought that counts right?

Deciding their Fate

Yesterday after work I had a meeting with the head of the social studies department and Regina and Ron. Regina, Ron, and I are the 10th grade social studies teachers and we had to meet and discuss every single student to decide what class recommendations to give them for next year. It seems so much easier to decide on the high fliers and the low fliers, but deciding on the in-between kids can cause an existential crisis. I am sometimes caught off guard by how much power I yield as a teacher, and I find myself wondering if my past teachers respected that power when deciding my own future.

It took nearly two hours to make all of the recommendations, but the day ended on a light note. I found out that I did not have to go in to school the next day, because my students would be taking a standardized test. I waited for Nik to finish school and we met in Zurich to ride the train home together.

Migros or Coop

This morning my eyes snapped open and all at once I was wide awake. Well, almost. I complained a tiny bit that I hate waking up alone. Nik came in to rectify the problem. I love waking up in my own time. It is so much better than waking for an alarm and immediately being in a hurry to catch a train so that I can catch a train so that I can catch a bus. There are 11 days left of vacation and I intend to enjoy them.

Today we will have a slow breakfast followed by cleanup and a walk with Mifan. Then we need to buy a few things. The week in the mountains and holiday store closings have left us with a chunk of cheese and a plate of baking soda in the fridge.

But the question remains Migros or Coop?