So far, so good...

Just a quick update that Jeff has made it to the desert and has completed Stages 1&2 so far... running over huge sand dunes in temperatures over 100-120 degrees farenheit... Sounds like a fun way to spend one's vacation time doesn't it?!
He finished the first day in the top 10% and then even higher the second day! So he seems to be feeling good... Let's hope that continues...

For more details and updates each day, including personal updates provided by Jeff, you can refer to this site: http://mds2008jeff.blogspot.com/

And another big thank you to all that have donated to UNICEF/ING Chances for Children in support of Jeff's race. I have sent messages to Jeff in the desert (using this site, he's #493) including the words of encouragement and support that you have left on the donation site, and I know he really appreciates them all. It's nice that the charity was highlighted on the official Marathon des Sables website in detail here. Some good publicity for a great cause!

And our good friend has included info about the event and fundraiser on her blog "Life on a Bike". It is a great site with some incredible pictures on there, so be sure to check it out sometime if you haven't already. I especially like this post and I think you will to, especially if you've ever experienced the magic and memories of bike rides and/or trips with friends.

Cheers!
Becky

And he's off to the races!

Jeff left this afternoon to head to Morocco for the Marathon des Sables - I still can't believe he's doing it! The past few days have been completely full with preparations for this event and the fundraiser, so he was happy to finally be packed up and ready waiting for the train. (note what his shirt says - pretty appropriate for his upcoming days!):

When using trains, it always seems to be the "hurry up, and wait, and hurry again" syndrome. We ran down the hill from our apartment for him to catch his train, only to get there early and have to wait (at least it gave us time to take the above picture).

Then when the train arrived, it stopped further down the track than we thought, so Jeff had to sprint to catch it! Quite an abrupt start to a marathon trip, with no warmup! Here he is sprinting to jump on with his suitcase...

Before he left, Jeff really enjoyed receiving all your encouraging comments on his blog as well as on the fundraiser site. Thank you all for your generosity and your support for both UNICEF and for Jeff. It is much appreciated!! If you are interested in donating to UNICEF/ING Chances for Children in support of Jeff's race and haven't already, it's not too late - you can just click here to contribute.

If you would like to follow Jeff's progress across the Sahara, stay tuned to his blog, where I'll post updates as soon as I receive them. There's also info continuously updated on the main Marathon des Sables website. Guess who was featured on that site recently? I'll give you one guess...

It is exciting to have the opportunity to bring so much awareness to such a good cause. Now I just hope Jeff's travels and his run experience are so positive as well... Stay tuned!

Happy Easter from snowy Switzerland!

How is it that it hasn't really snowed here all winter, and now starting with the first day of spring, it has snowed every day?!? It just started sticking in the backyard...Well at least it makes it easier to hide the Easter eggs... Especially if you're too lazy to color them ;) Here they sell eggs already colored at the grocery store - no kidding! Guess that saves everyone time for church and then to hit the ski slopes afterward -- Our village is totally empty today, and I think everyone has gone skiing except us.

We had originally expected to have visitors this weekend, but that didn't work out so we have some unexpected free time. Jeff is using the time to get ready for his upcoming multi-day mega-ultramarathon race, and spreading the word electronically about the related UNICEF fundraiser, and I am getting a crash-course in learning how to be a personal chef/nutritionist as I try to fix the best meals possible to power him through a week in the desert... So I guess I have to think of something other than the usual Swiss cheese fondue or wienerschnitzel huh (!)

Hope you all are enjoying your day!

February flew by!

When I broke my ankle February 8th, I expected I would have plenty of time during my recovery to catch up on all those "sedentary" tasks, including blogs... but obviously that didn't end up happening! One thing that has kept me occupied is having friends visit, which I really enjoy - Every time someone visits, I am reminded of all the little things that are different here in Switzerland than in the U.S. -- things that we have already gotten used to and didn't even realize it.

One example is the way that sandwich spreads are sold in tubes here, like giant toothpastes made of ketchup, mayo, or mustard as our friend Michelle displays below. Tomato-flavored toothpaste, mmmmm...
Our history with Michelle and her husband Kevin goes back a looooooong time. Kevin went to high school with Jeff and me, and Michelle was my college roommate while Kevin was Jeff's. All four of us got married right after college, and now they have two boys ages 7 and 11 who are our godsons. So it was great to get to spend some time with them again.

On their first day here we did a walking tour of Zurich...I was really happy to be able to participate in the walk since it had only been one week since my ankle surgery! Can't even tell, can you - those special Swiss shoes just blend right in...We were glad that they came prepared and brought their own Pop Tarts, since I haven't been able to find those anywhere around here (so it was a special treat for us too!).
Trains are definitely the way to travel around Switzerland. They bought the Swiss Pass, which provides unlimited train travel (plus trams/boats/buses & discounts on cable-cars/funiculars). It's the perfect thing for getting around the country, especially for a family, since you can move around more than in a car, and plus it's just fun to ride trains.
And not having to drive makes the parents really happy!
We took a day-trip to nearby Einsiedeln, where we found a few hills to hike up, up, up...
The view from the top is always worth all the climbing...
After that big workout, it was time for some traditional Swiss fondue. We had just bought our first fondue pot, so this was our first attempt at the famous Swiss meal...
We might a slight adjustment though, and added some vegetables in addition to the bread (don't tell our Swiss friends!).
Later in the week it was time for some skiing in the Swiss Alps. At Flumserberg, there is a cable car that takes you literally straight up the mountain to get to the ski area. Just don't look down!
One thing about Swiss ski areas is that the T-bars are much more common than in the U.S., instead of chair lifts. And it doesn't help too much when the T-bar operator is giving instructions in German: "Sitzen Sie nicht hin!" (Don't sit down!) Oops, so the first try didn't go so well...
It eventually got easier, although sometimes the bar just wouldn't cooperate...
In the end everyone survived the T-bars and enjoyed a beautiful sunny Swiss day at the slopes.
Notice Jeff laying down on the right side... Guess it's just habit after all those years of snowboarding (!)...
On another day we took a trip to Bellinzona, in the Italian section of Switzerland. There it seems you are constantly being watched by castles on the top of the surrounding hills...
We walked through one of the castles, where you could spy on the castles on the other hillside...


Just like Italy, one of the best things about the Italian section of Switzerland is the food, mmm... Buono appetit!
On our way back to Zurich we stopped at a grocery store to pick up some food for the rest of their stay. It's funny how in a foreign country, even something as basic as grocery shopping can be quite entertaining, just observing all the different foods available. Here's one that we're glad they have a picture showing what it is just in case one isn't fluent in German yet...
Kids especially notice and are entertained by all the little different things. Here's one - there are free-standing restrooms that are available in various places around here (I've also seen them in Paris), kind of like porto-lets but with running water. It looks like an elevator out in the middle of nowhere, and feels like you're in a time machine when you go inside and push the button for the door to close (especially if you're 7!). It's lots of fun to try to push your big brother back into it right before the door closes and the whole thing fills with spraying cleaner fluid (I heard a story of a friend who got stuck in one while the spray went off and it doesn't sound like a pleasant experience!).
Toward the end of their visit we spent some time looking at old pictures from our college days... Hey look, there's a picture of your mom funneling a pony keg while your dad adds more Golden Grain to the punch in the trash can... (ha ha just kidding)
It was a great visit, and we loved sharing everything here with you. Y'all come back, ya hear!