We finally arrived at the top at which point, Andy and I kicked it in fast gear wanting to get up to the lookout at the “top of Europe” and try and catch the next train down. We stopped briefly at the bathrooms where a guy puked on Andy’s shoes. Between the thin area and train in a tunnel for 50 minutes a few people were sick. We were glad the girls were not with us. Belén probably would have freaked out in that tunnel, but even more importantly, it was not advisable to bring a baby up to this altitude as the air has 20 – 30% less oxygen than sea level.
A high-tech 90-second elevator ride up 364 feet to the Sphinx Observatory and we were truly at the “Top of Europe” from a vantage point in the Bernese Alps.
The Sphinx Observatory was completed in 1937 is the highest-altitude construction in the entire continent. With multiple laboratories, a weather observation station, astronomical and meteorological domes, and a 76-cm telescope, the Sphinx has served as a headquarters for researchers in fields such as glaciology, medicine, cosmic ray physics, and astronomy. And over the years, the building has adapted to meet scientists’ needs. Today, the observatory is fully outfitted with electricity, water, telephone, internet, and even a machine to produce liquid air (this information was borrowed from here.)
So I’m standing in the shower this morning when I see my shower gel next to Andy’s body wash. I literally pause as the hot water continues to hit my body and smile at how well our cleansing agent choices exemplify each of us. My Body Shop Shower Gel for “earth lovers” was purchased after [...]
Andy and I really needed the eleven plus days off of work. We enjoyed the heck out of our kids and reveled in the lack of schedule and commitments. In all honestly, I am surprised my adventure-seeking husband didn’t get cabin fever because, well, we were in the cabin (cabin being our home) a lot. It was great.
There was a pretty big sucky part to the time though, actually two pretty big sucky parts but the second one was planned. Before I go into more detail let me warn you that this is a TMI post so if you don’t want to look at us differently because you know some intimate medical information, please stop reading now. Don’t worry, its nothing too crazy but I always want to error on the side of warning you.
Okay, you are still reading, so considered yourself warned.
Andy ended up having to make another trip to Guangzhou (pronounced Goo-ANG-joe) for work. He volunteered to share his “communte” for this week’s Mini Adventure Monday. I think the mini can be dropped on this occasion. Where Are you Going Again? That is usually the response when I tell somebody that I am [...]
View of Andy in Hong Kong
A couple of weeks ago in a random turn of events, we found ourselves four miles from the famous Walden Pond. Being so close, of course we had to stop by and see what all of the hype was about.
“Leesh you better get up if you want to make it to work by 8.”
I look up to see the digital clock projecting 6:40am on ceiling. I roll over, lay in bed for 2 more minutes before getting up and taking a shower.
Meanwhile Andy makes Belén’s lunch, gets her sheet and other stuff ready for school, feeds the pets and solves world hunger.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, pitter-patter, pitter-patter, pitter-patter, pitter-patter.
Belén must be up.
“MOMMY…MOOOOMMMMY…Where are you?”
“In the closet sweetie.”
“Mommy!”
“Back here.”
“Hi Mommy.”
“Hi Belén.”
“Mommy, what is this?”
“I don’t know sweetie, some sort of plastic thing.’’
“Mommy, what is this?”
“I don’t know, maybe daddy knows.”
One thing Andy and I virtually gave up when having kids was an ability to workout together. It’s not like we exercised every day together pre-kids but every so often, we would go for a run or dust off our mountain or road bikes and ride, or whatever we were in the mood for. This is something we definitely took for granted at the time and now in our current situation miss.
There is something about sweating together that really does bring people closer together and I mean that with no hidden dirty message. When you exercise with someone, the conversation is just a little different than if you are sitting across the table from them at a restaurant and silence is perfectly acceptable as all of your energy may well be needed to pump blood through your body at a faster than normal rate.
So ever since the day two weeks ago when we hatched a plan for both of us, together, to go mountain biking with my sister, Anna, and her husband, Derik, we have been like two little kids giddy with excitement. I didn’t stop to think about how hard the excursion was going to be physically because I was just so darned excited to do it.
We are just plucking along over here at the Hoobing household enjoying the heck out of July. I mean seriously, a smiley baby, entertaining toddler, nice weather, no work, the Tour de France, BBQs, a backyard fire pit, an ability to drink wine again, a new book by George R. R. Martin and workouts finally feeling great…does it really get much better?
