Trains home from Zermatt

Kris made a neat map of the many trains we took home from Zermatt last Friday. Check it out here.

Sunday morning at home

Sunday morning at home
Originally uploaded by ripsaw ridge

Just a nice morning, happy to be back home after vacation. I'm gonna miss spending all day with the kids. Their abilities are growing so fast...

Great time in Zermatt

We had an awesome trip! We stayed in the Haus Ascott, had a nice apartment where, shocked by the high prices in Switzerland, we resolved to cook every meal. This turned out to be one of the most fun things. Kris invented a dish with chicken wrapped in bacon. Mmm. Lots of red peppers and onions too. Man it was good. Had many adventures with the boys, including a long hike down a mountain ('bout 500 feet elevation descent, not too shabby for 3 year olds I think).

I've got a Flickr slideshow here. Kris will also have pictures, and I'll add the link soon.

In Zermatt

We are in Zermatt for the week with an amazing view of the Matterhorn out our window. But today it's clouded over, and the family is huddling under blankets. Brr! We need the sun! We are staying right across the street from the 400 year old house/barns of the old town center. The houses seem to huddle together for warmth. I couldn't imagine living here in the 17th century!

Once we learned to buy groceries and not go out for exorbitant meals we started having fun :-). The Glacier Express train was really nice (and really expensive). We spent Thursday night in Chur, and it was kind of a shock. From the train station we walked to our hotel which was in the middle of the "red light district." Oh. The web site made it look like a charming Swiss villa! But there were strip clubs and "sex cabins," and noisy bars with people watching the soccer game. I never expected that in Switzerland! Rowan slept with Kris and I, thought I should put "slept" in quotes. He was so excited to sleep with us that he beamed and grinned and squealed for at least an hour. Then he tossed and turned violently. Apparently Elijah slept like a log with Kris's parents.

The boys traveled really well on the trains. One thing kind of funny, is the way Elijah says "hello" to everyone. He just boldly starts saying hello until they finally answer. People try to ignore him but he doesn't let them. Then he says "bye." Our Elijah, forcing the world to be more civil! I think maybe he does that to relieve the anxiety of being among lots of strangers: turn them into friends.

Kris is knitting me socks from yarn that she spun herself. One sock is done and it's awesome.

Gas tops $4/gallon on average in U.S.

The gasoline crunch is really hurting in rural areas of the U.S.:

Here in the Mississippi Delta, some farm workers are borrowing money from their bosses so they can fill their tanks and get to work. Some are switching jobs for shorter commutes.

People are giving up meat so they can buy fuel. Gasoline theft is rising. And drivers are running out of gas more often, leaving their cars by the side of the road until they can scrape together gas money.

Read the article here.

Incredible article on average height data

Dr. John Komlos, a professor here at the University of Munich has published fascinating data on average heights. Americans used to be the tallest people in the world, but around 1955 Europeans grew taller while Americans even lost some height. Fast food? Growing inequality? It's not immigration.

Anyway, here is the article, worth the long read:
The Height Gap.