Spring, I Think

Spring would be nice right now; the remnants of the Valentine's Day snow are fading fast and the seed catalogs clog the mailbox on a daily basis. (Garrison Keillor says these are equivalent to porn for Midwestern farmers.) In addition, the fever bug has paid a visit to our house and chose to spend time with Hayes. And poor Jezzy really is looking forward to taking walks again without stepping through the snow.

Es regnet in Heidelberg

And, it appears it will keep raining through the end of the week. At least it's not snowing!

Finally, A Step in the Right Direction

Here's a major advance in US and world relations with North Korea. This must be a first for the Bush administration. NY Times article here.

Wie viel Uhr ist es?

All attempts at smoothly transitioning into local time vanished today courtesy of a large breakfast and rainy weather. I tried to lie down for an hour nap and wound up asleep for 3 1/2 hours. I'm still yawning so there's a good chance I'll sleep well tonight.

On the flight to Frankfurt I was seated next to four US soldiers on their way to Manheim. I thought about starting a conversation with them but they were pretty tight knit and, for that matter, terribly loud and obnoxious. There's a lot to say about that but I think I'll wait until there's something valuable there.

Oklahoma!, Oklahoma!, Oklahoma!

Sorry, I watched 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' the other night and the Ruprecht scene with Steve Martin just popped into my head. What a classic.

Bloggen von Deutschland

I'm headed to Walldorf for five days of customer acceptance testing and all the schnitzel I can eat. It's a bit of a last minute call but should be good for everyone involved and it'll be nice to see what's going on with the new product. I had hoped to snag a ticket to a Bundesliga matchup but I'll arrive too late on Sunday and leave too early the following Saturday to catch the usual weekend games. Eintracht Frankfurt does play at home on Friday night (16 Feb) but I can't imagine taking a cab into Frankfurt and back plus watching the game alone. There's always TV and a nice pub in Heidelberg, though.

A new home team?

On a recent flight to Chicago I had the opportunity to talk to a Bears fan on his way home after Superbowl XLI. We had a nice 45 minute conversation about the NFL, the dearth of quality QBs in the league, how the Superbowl is so much *not* like a football game, the power the media has over the players, his Bears, and my Colts?/Ravens?/Other?
I've always been lukewarm regarding my current home team, the Colts, based on my childhood in Baltimore. After moving to Indianapolis in 2000, I took great pleasure in the Ravens' Superbowl win that year. And although I pass the Colts complex practically every day it's been hard to switch allegiances to this team. If you look at it from a dispassionate view, the Colts are far better in terms of community impact, storyline, approach towards life, etc. and the Ravens are a smash-mouth defensive treat. I could go on forever but, perhaps, it's time to root for two teams or leave the Ravens behind.

Ten tiny marbles in my mind

These are the things I'm thinking about today:

1. Hayes and his school. Are we expecting too much from the boy? No, I think not. (Please see this post.)
2. Why is my wife so excited about the Colts? (Refer to the link in 1 and check out the avatar.)
3. You realize, of course, that growing up in Baltimore and watching the Lucky Charms evacuation in 1984 precludes me from visibly rooting for Dungy, Manning, Harrison & Co. on Sunday. Nonetheless, I'd like to see them win.
4. A new TV. (Here's the one I bought; I highly recommend it and, let me tell you, I researched the hell out of TVs over the past 2 months.)
5. Pitchers and catchers report in only two weeks!
6. Clinton vs. Obama; Obama vs. Clinton.
7. Looks like the Terrapins are going to miss the dance this year.
8. The food at El Morocco (Indianapolis at 86th and Ditch RD.) is fabulous. I'm looking forward to a repeat visit with a dear friend on Monday.
9. Revisiting item #3, seven points is a pretty big spread and a sure-fire recipe for disaster.
10. I hate snow. (So does someone else I know. I wonder why he couldn't put two cheeks into it?)