Weekend

Just a quick second to write—this week has at times crept by and at other times moved remarkably fast. The fact that I've been walloped with a cold hasn't helped, but I'm feeling better now and am ready to have fun! This is the first weekend in a while that we have no triathlons, no plans to visit Maryland and Virginia (or other states!), and just a few piles of work to do. Corinne will be our houseguest for the next two days, and I can't wait just to toot around town with her and enjoy the lovely, crisp (I love when I can actually say the weather is crisp!) autumn air.

Not sure what's in the cards in terms of plans, but I'm sure we'll find plenty to keep us entertained...we always do!

As you can tell from the pictures posted below, I spent the weekend with my brand-new "first cousins-once-removed" (let's just call them my nieces), Sophia and Lucia. Stella and Joe were visiting as well, so Sissy and Erik had a crowded house. The lengthy journey (six flights!) was completely worth it--I'd fly cross country any day to see these beauties! Here they are in their "bopsie" pillows, which they seem to love...where can I find one of those for myself? :-)

One last thing: on my last leg home (redeye from LAX-JFK), I thought I might see one recognizeable/famous face. Little did I know I'd be boarding a star-studded flight! On board were none other than Reese Witherspoon (tiny, casually dressed, looked much younger than she is), Sarah Silverman (just as crazy/funny in person as she is on TV), Lily Tomlin (I was dying to tell her how much I loved "The Incredibly Shrinking Woman), Julia DiPandi (E! Talking Head and Botox Queen), and another actor who was familiar looking but I couldn't place his name

Sleeping Beauty II

Sleeping Beauty I

These girls are loved!

Mirror Images

The Many Faces of Lucia

Mother and Daughter (Sophia)

Perks of the Job

Unlike National Geographic, where I could never answer "yes" when people asked I got to travel, I can now say that meeting teen heart throbs is just part of the job here at CG! (A popular question). See below for proof...that's JC Chasez, formerly of N'SYNC. And look who he has his arm around! Sigh!

We remember.

Happy Birthday, Lonnie

As an ode to my dear friend, Lonnie, here is a little acrostic (remember those?):
Lovely
Original
Noble
Nice
Intelligent
Exquisite




(Photo by Karl)

Bec Update

Bec competed in another World Cup Triathlon today--this time, in Hamburg Germany. We "watched" the race online this morning, and learned that the trick to staying sane during these webcasts is to keep the sound OFF! Unlike the on-air commentator, the live stats and results posted are not biased, erroneous, or annoying. Bec held her own in a tough international field, and just missed cracking the top 20 (she finished 23rd, the 3rd American). Next up for her: Home for a bit, then Beijing!

Countdown to Calder Baby #2

Yesterday, we made the quick trip down to Baltimore and Silver Spring (and Fairfax for Mark) for a two-fold mission. #1: Attend Aleta's baby shower at her friend's house just a few miles away from BWI, and #2: pick-up a lovely addition to our apartment (see below). Both were competed with ease, as we got down to B-more in no time flat and had a wonderful time at the shower! Aleta looks beautiful, and though she's ready to pop (her due date isn't for a few more weeks, but she may go any day...), she seems completely relaxed and ready for baby #2. Many of her friends from Southwest joined the festivities (flight attendants are such a friendly bunch!), as well as her BFF from California, and of course the "Aunties" and Jeanie. Mrs. Saxman made the trip, too, so it was a really nice group. Aleta got some great gifts for the baby (all neutral, of course, as she doesn't know the sex! I'm guessing it's a boy...), and we were all completely stuffed with the delicious food (lots of it prepared by Jeanie!) and cake!

Later that night, I visited with everyone at the Apartment, checked out Uncle Phil and Jeanie's awesome pics from their Mediteranean Cruise, and capped the night with a trip out in Silver Spring with Corinne! We ventured into the Quarry House on Bonifant Street, which--in all of my trekking around SS--I've never even noticed! It's even next to Grandpop's favorite coffee shop (aside from the Silver, of course), Kefa Cafe, so I was baffled why I'd never heard of it. This morning, I found out why: Bubba and Muthe were horrified as that was the place where "all of the town drunks" hung out back in the day! Apparently, Grandpop and Grandmommy didn't want anything to do with the ol' QH! I'm pleased to report that the crowd has certainly changed (much like the rest of Silver Spring)...at least there were no visible town drunks there last night.

Our own "new arrival"

Thanks to my extremely generous parents, Mark and I are now the lucky new owners of their beautiful Domain couch--which they've replaced with an even more gorgeous beige sectional, making their apartment look straight out of a showroom. This addition brings a sense of refinement to our apartment that ol' "Coils" (or Eggplant, or whatever you wanted to call our other couch) just didn't do. It wasn't even a chore to bring it from University Towers to Christopher Street...with a little help from some rope and bungee cords and some good man (and woman!) power, we brought it right up the Jersey Turnpike, and straight into our place!Above: Thanks to the 'rents and Mark made sure everything was just so, the couch got up to the city with no problem!

2nd pic: The new couch! Now...we just need to get rid of "Coils"...any takers?

Switzerland Snaps!

Here's a good one of M and I. Many, many, many more can be viewed here: http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=19661157553124748/l=127380731/g=8711239/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Lausanne

Photos are coming, but in the meantime, here are my highlights (and some funny lowlights, too!) from Lausanne:

* Having a nice Swiss man move the car for us after our stick-shift/parallel parking skills failed on a very steep descent

* Practically burning my eye off after accidentally dropping hydrogen peroxide into them (eyes are resilient; I recovered)

* Smashing a complimentary bottle of Swiss wine in front of everyone in the press center (completely humiliating...but it wasn't my fault! They didn't package the box right!)

* Having fabulous meals in quaint restaurants including a decadent Fondue feast in an outdoor garden at the top of Lausanne

* Being part of the crush of photographers, reporters, and camera crews at the finish line of the Triathlon World Championships; interviewing the athletes just seconds after they crossed the line

* Wearing our "TEAM WASSNER" t's with pride as Bec wowed us yet again with her athletic prowess

* Checking out memorabilia of past Olympics at the official Olympic museum, including Shannon Miller's leotard, Lasse Vieran's racing flats, and sets medals from each of the games (Alberta's were the coolest)

* Basking in the shadows of the Alps on the banks of pristine Lake Geneva with my sisters (minus one) and my mom in one of the most breathtaking locations in the world!

Hello From Bussingy

I am writing this standing in front of a giant red internet machine, logging on after popping in ten swiss francs. I dont't have a converter with me (didn't need one in London...) so my laptop is no help here. We are having a fabulous time. Lausanne is about seven miles away from here, about the eqivalent of Arlington to DC, so we rented a car and have been driving allover. The only scary thing about that are the mega hills in Lausanne....think San Francisco but more narrow. My stick shift skills are definitely being put to the test.

Lausanne has transformed into a mini Olympic village for the weekend, with athletes from allover the world strolling down the streets decked out in their national colors. Tomorrow the age groupers race and on Sunday, it's Bec and the rest of the elites...I got my press pass this afternoon and will be covering both days. Should be very exciting. The course is challenging but the setting is amazing. It is like a resort town, with the most stunning panoramic views of Lake Geneva and the Alps.

We have experienced a lot of funny-calamitous moments here...but everything is working out perfectly.

Happy Birthday to Bec and ula...we will be doing to real celebrating after the race on Sunday night.

More tomorrow.