Vacanza d'Italia, Prima Parte

Finally, after a VERY hectic week, even more insane than the last couple
of weeks, I am off to my vacation in Italy. The plan is to take a plan to
Frankfurt and than hop over the alpes to Verona, where my sister and family
will pick me up. So, here I am in Frankfurt on a 4 hour layover. I briefly
talked with my sister on the phone. The weather in Italy is great and
the house they rented seems to be awesome.
Can't wait to finally get there.
The flight was uneventful. The plane was not very full with many open seats.
I guess, I am used to fly around Christmas, where the planes are filled to
the brim. We depart on time and thanks to tail winds, we reached Frankfurt
30 minutes earlier. Lufthansa usually has descent food on their flights,
but this time it was awful. I had the fish and it was so overcooked
I could have used it to break the window in an emergency.
But now I am sitting in a nice cafe, with a real coffee and Broetchen.
The classic always gets the job done.
I am still thinking of work and what I didn't get done before leaving,
but the memory is fading and by tomorrow all that will occupy my brain is
sunshine, gelato, and vino.

I saw two movies on the plane.
Arthur: Mindless comedy and dull even for in-flight entertainment (2 stars)
Ringo: Quirky cartoon. A bit more interesting than Arthur, but nothing
to write your mom home about. Maybe I was to tired to get the subtle humor.

Vacation .... not soon enough

It's about 56 days until vacation, but I am afraid, I won't make it that far
without a break. Usually, I can tell that I need a break, because people
start to annoy me. I actually found myself getting loud with people because they
behave like stone-heads, but its really mostly me losing patience.
Luckily, the long 4th of July weekend is coming up and I seriously
consider extending it by a day or so and taking a short trip somewhere.
Vegas .............. maybe,
the Ocean ........ always an option.
Niagara Falls ........ never been there, might be a good trip for the Audi.


Audi Update:

Slowly, I don't feel like in a rental car any more. I get more familiar with
handling. Except the parking brake. It's not a lever anymore, but a switch
that turns the break on/off. I am still trying to pull the lever every time
I shut off the car. I am sure, I'll get used to it eventually.
And, I still have not found a cool nick name for the Audi. The name
'Black Pearl' was floated around. Maybe the German version
"Schwarze Perle" would fit better.
Since the car talks I could name it KITT, too. Oh nooooo, bad 80s flashback.

The A4 Experience

I've been driving the Audi, no nickname yet, around for a couple of days now
and it slowly doesn't
feel like a rental car anymore.
The shifting is slowly getting
better, too. The engine and gearbox
in the A4 are quite different from
the  Jetta, so shifting is still
somewhat rough and jerky.

The very Audi daylight running LED lights.

I really like the form of the car.
It is a 4 dour sedan, but still has
a sporty look to it.

The wheels help to make the car
look good, too.

The instruments are clear
and easy to read. The LCD
screen in the middle helps to
keep the eyes from wandering
to the main display.

Of course, a manual gearbox.
It's a little bit strange to get used
to 6 gears, but I am sure, over time,
it will become second nature.

 The main display, here with rear view camera.

Overall, awesome ride for the last couple of days.

So long, Schnitzelwagen.

All good times come to an end. After almost 10 years, I decided to
buy a new car and today, I traded the trusty Schnitzelwagen for a new
Audi A4. I can't believe that I've driven the Jetta for almost 10 years.
I still remember the day I picked it up from the VW dealership in
Bloomington. This was the first car I ever bought new, so I was very
excited. It was September 10th, 2001 and you can imagine, how the
excitement vanished the next day.

Over the years, I always enjoyed driving the Wagon around, especially
after using a rental for a while. There were ups and downs for sure.
I remember watching in horror, when a block of ice come of a truck
just outside Boston and hit the car at 70mph. The result was a split
oil pan. Or, when I pounded the steering wheel, because I needed to
drive from Boston to Detroit and the engine decided it was time to kick
it back at 1100rpm and don't worry about the gas pedal.
But, what is that against a nice spring day, the sun roof open and driving
along the countryside.
In the end, the Schnitzelwagen got a bit long in the tooth and the little
things just started piling up. I am hoping the new Audi will be as good
as the Jetta.

I also need a new nickname. The original Schnitzelwagen was derived
from Schnitzel-Wagon, but since the Audi is no wagon, that won't work.
I have to think about it.

In the mean time, I hope the Schnitzelwagen will find a nice home where
it can enjoy its retirement.

So long, Schnitzelwagen.

Space Shuttle era is coming to an end ...

With the landing of the Endeavour today the era of the Space Shuttle is slowly
coming to an end. There is only one mission left and the US will be without
a space craft that can transport people into space.



I always thought the Space Shuttle is one of the most amazing engineering
feats, I have seen. As a kid, I remember being glued to the TV to watch
the first start of Columbia. Over the years, shuttle starts became routine
and it seem going to space was a easy as flying around the world.
Of course, the Challenger disaster and later the Columbia tragedy made
us realize that space exploration is still a dangerous adventure, but in
general the shuttle flights and the ISS, for that matter, made space
exploration look normal.
I think the shuttle in that sense suffered the same fate as the Apollo
program, where the public interest would fade and the excitement about
the technology would be left for geeks, like me.
Of course, the US has a program for a new space vehicle as some point in
time, but it certainly is not going to be as cool as the shuttle.
And of course, past and current presidents have expressed interest in
keep space exploration going, with either going back to the Moon or
shoot for Mars, but it all sounds half hearted, without much 
force behind it.
It seem like we are missing the drive and maybe the competition to
strive for something extraordinary. I remember watching a TV series
about the Apollo program with started with a pledge from Kennedy during
a speech in Texas:


At the time, the motivation certainly was the space race with the Russians
and maybe we need something similar again to kick off our interest in space.
My guess is as soon as the first Chinese astronaut sets foot on the moon,
we will get exited about it again. Or, maybe, we will go to Mars.
Who knows. But its not going to be in a Space Shuttle.

Happy Easter!!

Finally a descent weekend, just in time for Easter. Made it to the driving
range yesterday, with mixed results, as usual. Today was not as sunny,
but still warm enough to take a walk through Lakeshore park.

There are some signs of spring and slowly, fresh green is taking over.
I hope this is a sign, that old man winter is finally saying good-bye to
Michigan. For some reason it seemed longer this year, but I do rememeber
Winterstorms in Boston and Detroit just before Easter.

Movie Update:
Certified Copy (3/5)
Certified Copy is a strange, artsy movie playing in Italy. The story line
plays in Tuscany where a middle-aged British writer, while promoting his
latest book, meets a French woman who leads him to the village of
Lucignano. While there, a chance question reveals something deeper.

Originally, I thought the plot was strange and half way through, I thought
I missed the boat altogether. But the story kept me thinking and after a while,
it made a little bit more sense. Together with the beautiful cinematography
the movie deserves 3 stars, despite the mind boggling screen play.

Always look on the bright side of life

Well, well, April's Fools is over, but I guess the Schnitzelwagen decided
to play a joke on me anyhow. I got in my car on Monday to the sound of
metal breaking in the front suspension. GREAT!! I drove around for a
while, but every time I turn the steering wheel, a loud popping sound
emerges from the front of the car.
Not knowing what is was, I called AAA to have the car towed to the dealer.
Turns out to be a broking coil spring. Super....... This is getting annoying.
The reliable Jetta is showing its age lately. Not sure what to make of it.
Maybe its time to look for Schnitzelwagen II...................
It certainly doesn't help my mood, that it is raining here all day long
and temperatures are still well below spring time......
But hey, remember the words of the wise British and it ain't to bad:
"Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best..."




That's right. This spring is going to be awesome. There will be sunshine
for the next 8 months and I will hit a 90 on the golf course every time.

So there.


Movie Update: Paul (3.5/5)
Saw the movie 'Paul' the other day. It's about two British Sci-Fi fans touring
the USA and meeting the alien Paul. Not the most original idea, but still an 
entertaining film to watch, with plenty nods to the sci-fi movie world.
It was made by the same guys who did 'Hot Fuzz' and I like these kind
of movies. A solid 3.5 stars.