Awake in Winterthur

I am attempting to begin my day at a somewhat reasonable time, 10 AM (GMT +1), in contrast with yesterday when I awoke inconveniently and infuriatingly ten minutes before my train was scheduled to leave Zurich. Of course, yesterday's indiscretion may have some basis in the 62 hours without real sleep that I crowned with a Western-themed office party for Rüe's brother's company. There was an open bar and an open sausage bar and an inflated ring with a mechanical bull and unsurprisingly many a person speaking German. I enjoyed the dancing and revelry irregardles of language barriers, especially in a cowboy hat and despite the men on the dance floor stealing my six shooter when I was not looking. I could not have asked for a better night or a better host or a better bullride.

After missing the first train from sleeping through my watch alarm, I missed another train because I just had to get a schoko-croissant---I was running, literally running, off one glass of juice since drinking the night before. I successfully boarded an appropriate train, albeit a bit later than planned, and enjoyed the scenic ride from München to Zurich. Someone should pay me to drive through the European countryside and take photographs---I would be content.

Now, I am sitting in Sili's apartment in Winterthur, north of Zurich, while Claire, Whit, and Sili still sleep. Claire cooked us fantastic lasagna and we then hung out till the wee hours, catching up, watching Final Four, and drinking wine and beer. Quöllfrisch was delicious and one of my new favorites. We may see Lichtenstein today but our plans are not at all fixed.

Happy Birthday, Mom: I'm staying in Europe for the rest of my life. Am I kidding? April Fools? Ah, ah?