Coffee and chatting

Last weekend I was in Atlanta and spent time with my family who are generally based in the east. I am the western outlier.  We spent a lot of time reconnecting, again, mostly me as I was away or so long. This was done with a beverage in hand most times and a lot of the time it was coffee.

There is something about talking to someone, really connecting with them, over coffee.  I remember a fair few years ago, drinking “International Roast” in a canteen cup at some bridge site, demo range, or other training site in Germany really enjoying the conversations.

In Europe of course the coffee was great but, as I look back, I realize I didn’t in general, drink coffee and chat to people. And because of this, I never did have those deep conversations. I must exclude my time sailing here, that was a whole different level, both in coffee and conversation.

Back here in the states, it is different. People really do talk over coffee, a deeper conversation then normal. Perhaps it’s the caffeine enhancing my awareness? What ever it is, I forgot how much I missed talking over a cup of coffee. My work colleagues appreciate coffee and we have great conversations here. Mostly work related of course, but other topics come in to play as well.

All this really hit me this morning as I was drinking a coffee with someone and realizing how deeply into the conversation I was, how it was both visceral and cerebral at the same time. You don’t get that with juice.

Not coffee related, just a great shot of Sacramento.

A Grey Overlay

Fog. Not a big fan, at all.

In Zurich, there was fog, quite a bit of it. From September until November, a seemingly solid blanket of fog descended on the valley. This was the same in Zug as well. So, for months, if you lived under the fog line, you would be in this grey soup wondering what happened to the sun and beginning to suffer rickets.

OK maybe not that bad, no one got rickets.

There was an escape however. You could live above the fog line in one of the higher towns and villages, or on the weekend take a train to a mountain village and soak up as much sun as you could in a few hours. This was quite common, the weekend exodus to the sun. This dichotomy led to the saying “Unter grau, oberer blau”, which translates roughly to gray below and blue above.

Where"s the city?!?

But hey I live in Sacramento, that is all behind me now.

Ah, sorry, no.

Sacramento fog it turns out is just as bad, well not really. It does try to clear out in the afternoon, not very successfully though. The past few days (weeks? months? eons? – OK it’s been two days…). It is a thick fog as well. Some days I can’t see across the street. Damp, dark and spooky. Meanwhile, I have a friend at the edge of the central valley sending me pictures of piercing blue skies. Rub it in.

Unter grau, oberer blau indeed.

Find the New

Sacramento is not a new city, in fact, it is the oldest city in California. Incorporated on 27 February 1849. Zurich on the other hand was listed as a Roman tax station in the 2^nd century, so it wins on this one.

Burglar Alarm?

As the baby of the two it is not with out it’s historical charms. As stated in an earlier blog, the core area of the city is in a grid. Old Sacramento, Downtown, Midtown and East Sacramento. Today though is about downtown and the small historical things seen.

On the walk to work I pass by a mix of old and new buildings. It is the little things that stand out in relation to age. A building can be made to look old but something will give it away. Same for an older building masquerading as a new one.

It is these little clues I love to see and each day I see new ones. It is one of the differences from Zurich. Buildings are clearly old or new, not much middle ground. Even when an old building is revamped, the core aesthetic is not changed. Its still an old place.

I like the attempts at trying to hide and or mask the age of a building. It’s very “New City”.

As usual, loving SacTown.

Just Chill and Wait.

I have a new job!

Same type of work, IT systems and network management. Its what I do, and I like to think I do it well. I guess after 20 years, you have either mastered the task or the ability to sham. And I don’t sham….. Anymore.

But that is another story...

However, those days are over. I am a fully functioning adult (really) and I manage to do what I need to do.

Back on to the subject. I walk to work now, which is fantastic. The weather has been great, and it makes a lovely open and close to the work day. It takes me a grand total of 14 minutes from locking my front door to sitting at my desk on the 16^th floor. That dear reader is most excellent!

Downtown and the Capital

Moving on up!

As with anything in our modern word, this is not completely smooth or even risk free. One of the intersections I cross is I Street and 12^th Street. This has recently become a very dangerous place traffic wise. In the last year there have been 3 major collisions, two of which happened with in a few days of each other last month.

From the info I have, it seems to be all related to people trying to beat the traffic lights. It probably doesn’t help that the streetcar/tram/light rail (choose your name for it) travels on 12^th. People don’t want to wait for the train or other cars. Each time I am at the intersection I wait as my crosswalk light turns green and watch some one run the red light. It happens every time.

So here is my public service announcement for the day; wait for the light. It only takes a minute. No one should be in that much of a hurry. Either you’re going to crash into another car, hit a pedestrian, or make the Thai place on the corner a drive through for the third time.

At least there is one saving grace, the closest fire station and ambulance crew is at Station #2, at this very intersection, on 12^th and I Street.

Open 24 Hours

Switzerland was an amazing place, no doubt about it, but one of those nagging items that would occasionally get to me, as an American, was the fact that once the sun went down, generally, everything closed.

Normally this was good. A slower pace, more time at home ect, but if it was 3 AM and you were hungery, your options were severely limited.

Now that I am back in California, this is no longer an issue. Many places are open 24 hours; gas stations, grocery stores, check-cashing places and most importantly, restaurants.

Of course, using the term restaurant is being a bit generous here.

I refer to the ubiquitous American Diner. Healthy options don't exist. Its cheap, fast and flavorful. Just what you need in the middle of the morning after a night out drinking and dancing.

The unusual suspects

Last Friday (errr, Saturday morning) after a great night out, we stopped at a well known diner chain and for an hour we ate, talked and enjoyed the early morning.

SOOOOO TASTY!

This is one of those truly quintessential American things. Nowhere else can you do this, even if you wanted to. We have something here that is special. Part of Americana and I am so happy I can experience it again.

Folsom California. Even here you can find a Welsh Flag

Possible New State Motto

Two of the many things in the news recently about California are wind and fire.

No puns about earth please....

So we have just finished quite a 24 hours here in Sacramento with some robust wind and quite a few fires. There were large fires in the Bay Area and a quite destructive fire in the Wine Country, still raging today.

Carquinez Bridge - California Department of Transportation

The region's largest electrical provider PG&E is shutting down power lines before hand to reduce the chance of a falling high tension line starting a fire, again.

It was the same last year when I arrived (yes, almost one year) with fires raging north of here. But this time the fires were closer, much closer. Two freeways were closed in Sacramento today due to a fire, a shopping center suffered a fire in South Sacramento. Brush fires in the River DIstrict, adjacent to downtown, were burning. As well as this, they are trees down everywhere and quite a lot of dust in the air.

The price we pay living here I suppose.

But this leads me to the title of this post.
After fires, wind, (we had a tornado last month), floods, blizzards, drought and earthquakes, I came up with a new motto...

"California, Still Hurricane Free"

Fences down

"Here are you sandwiches, thank you"

One of the things I didn't know I missed was the random conversations you have here in the states.

In Switzerland, people are generally restrained in their interactions with people in public. With the exception of the greeting of the day, there isn't much else said.

Here on the other hand, conversations get personal, quickly.

Todays example....

I went to the store to get some sandwiches. At the counter I said "hello" to the woman working there, whom I have never seen before. By the time I had the sandwiches I was made aware of the following things;

• She has a son
• Her cousin and her just bought a duplex together
• she is moving this week
• She is missing her nieces ice cream social today
• She is divorced
• Has a boyfriend but he "doesn't understand"
• Every month she gets $350 in child support
• Two hours after moving into the new duplex, her son damaged the floor
• The floor is hardwood laminate 
• The boyfriend "still doesn't get it"
• She was very thankful I was there for her to vent to

So there you have it, a MAJOR difference between Zurich and Sacramento.

You don't get that in the Subway on Sihlstrasse.

© Google Street view

Windows to the New World

In the apartment, there is alas, no porch or balcony. 

Not that it matters too much as there are the windows on to the street.

The flat is at ground level on a reasonably busy street in Midtown. As well as decent vehicle traffic, there is quite a bit of foot traffic. Within a few blocks is the Music Circus, the Memorial Auditorium and what is left of the Convention Center (under redevelopment). Since people are generally cheap, a lot of people park in the neighborhood and walk to the venues. It is on these days, the people watching peaks.

The "Porch"

Allow me to explain. Sitting on the couch, we can observe the comings and goings of all sorts of people. The windows are right at upper body level, the screes are dark and we are in shadow, so people just walk by and don't even see us.

On most days, the windows are open and we hear all the conversations of the folks walking by. Even in these sweltering days of summer (over 100ºF/40ºC each day) we still open up the windows and "sit on the porch". There are a few people in the neighborhood that stop by and chat which is nice, but generally we sit, chat, watch and listen.


So, if you find yourself one evening walking in Midtown remember, we might be there, like Statler and Waldorf......

Ah, where have you been?

Yes, I have been absent for a while.
I have been busy!!!
New job!
New relationship!
New me!

So' I am back on the blog. Lots to catch up on and not sure where to start. So for today, I'll leave a hint for the next post.... the highest form of civilization is....

Stand by!

Fastnacht Mardi Gras Pancake day.....

It's all the same.
I have lived in four different countries (five if you count Wales and England separately). In each country the day before Ash Wednesday was celebrated. In Germany it is called Fastnacht, Switzerland it is Fasnacht. In the UK it is Shrove Tuesday and here in the US it is Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday.
The celebrations vary. In the UK, it is a simple affair where people make pancakes on the day thus its common name of pancake day. This was a tradition we celebrated with the kids in Switzerland to celebrate their British side.

In Switzerland and Germany, they celebrate with street parades, loud music and lots of drinking.And here in the US, it's the same. I haven't lived in the US for a long time and last night was my first Mardi Gras. 



I went to my local bar. It was on the parade route for a local brass band and it was wild! Loads of people all in good spirits. It's funny how the same event, celebrated in different places and in slightly different ways, can also be the same no matter what the cultural background is. Sure it was a bit low key compared to New Orleans or Luzern, but it was fun and I really had a great time.

Thank you for....

Something happened in the US while I was away. It's not bad but it affects me and I have trouble reacting to it.

Not too long ago, actually, it was a long time ago, it just doesn't seem like it, I raised my right hand and swore to "...support and defend the constitution of the United States...". Thus I became a soldier, like my father and step father before me.

I did my enlistment, got my DD214 and an honorable discharge, and then got on with my life. That was the end of it as far as I was concerned.

Germany 1993 - Spot the Californian.

While living my life overseas, my military past was never a item of conversation and if it did come up, it was usually just a simple "Yeah, I was in the Army, did my 4 years and got out". Simple and direct. meanwhile, the US has had transformed on how former military service is acknowledged. 

As I am on the job hunt, my military past comes up often. I am very proud of my service but it was a long time ago. So I am often faced with someone saying "Thank you for your service". I honestly am always at a lost what to say. My service is personal to me, not something I want lauded about. When people say this, and I know it is heartfelt and honest, it makes me uncomfortable. I did serve during a war and almost went, but it was generally just a job for those years. So I feel rather disingenuous with the praise as I don't feel it is that big of a deal. Again, this is only my personal feelings. I know a lot of vets and I only speak for myself here.

However, I smile and say something to the effect of "Oh, thank you but really it was nothing". 

A different country now, better for recognizing veterans, but for me, no need for thanks. I love my country, did what I felt I had to and that was that. Carry on.

What, and how, we eat

We all eat. 

I have recently had a bit of the old culture shock on this activity in the past week. Two specific items came up, one food related, one utensil related and both brought home to me there is a long way to go on this path of "reintegration" into American culture.

Let's start with the food item. Last week someone was over for dinner. I made pork, pasta and mediterranean vegetables.  The vegetables were red onion, bell peppers and zucchini, roasted in paprika and olive oil. During the course of the meal, it became apparent that the peppers were not my friends favorite. Since there were more veggies in the pan, I offered, more "courgettes". Her reaction was, "what are courgettes?". Ah, yes, I made that mistake of calling a zucchini a courgette. A usual term in the UK with no meaning here in the US. Some foods have completely different names. Examples;

• eggplant - aubergine 
• french fries - chips
• cookies - biscuits
• chips - crisps (not to be further confused with fries)

US Style

UK/European style

The second issue was how utensils are used. This started not directly with me but what we observed someone else doing at a restaurant. We saw someone eating, with a fork, in a very european way. There was a brief, and humorous conversation on this type of eating and how someone might have been taught this way. I confessed that I too, have eaten like this but it was not the way I was raised. I learned to use a fork in a "normal" US manner, but living in the UK and in Switzerland, I developed the habit of eating with the fork in an inverted position typical of the european style.

Most importantly though, was the discovery the other day it was National Margarita Day and the nearest mexican place was doing $5 margaritas!!!!
CHEERS!!!!

With salt.

Grid

I love maps, and if I'm on a boat, charts.

I find them interesting. When we observe the world visually, we do so at the limits of our ability to see straight line distances. On the ground this is hampered by objects, air quality and even the curvature of the earth. Therefore to make a logical representation of a large area and, to keep it from running into the abstract, we have developed maps. These help us maneuver around when we can't bridge the visual and spatial differences to get from point A to point B.

Between 19th and 20th looking south

Here in downtown, midtown, and to a certain degree East Sacramento, we don't need maps to get around. I know I have repeatedly extolled about the area here and you might suspect I would infer some near magical reason for this but no, it is simply because we have a grid system for the streets. And more importantly, a logical way of naming these said streets and making the address fit in the same logical way.

In general, east/west streets are lettered, with a small named alley in between, from "C" in the north to "X" in the south. "M" streed is missing as this is named Capitol Street, and it would bisect the capitol building on it's was from Tower Bridge in the west to the east.

North/south streets are numbered. From 2nd in the west to 69th in the east. But for today's blog we will stop at 29th, the eastern limit of midtown.

Downtown/Midtown

Address on letter streets start are prefixed with the number street on the west, example, just east of 16th street on H street will have the first 2 numbers at 16, followed by 2 more.

Numbered streets are a bit different, these are counted down from the letter street on the north. A address on 16th street south of S street has an address of 19xx as S is the 19th letter. 

So it is very easy to navigate the city, as long as you can count and read. Perfect.

Mod Cons.

Moving here, I took a hit on modern conveniences.

I was speaking to a friend the other day about apartments. She lives in midtown too and she said how when she moved from the suburbs, some of the things we used to take for granted are lost.

Big American Fridge!!

In the previous life, I lived in a house with ALL the modern conveniences. Swiss new build homes are built to an extremely high standard. Heavy duty foam insulation to keep the home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Large domestic water heater, over 100 gallons of 140 degree fahrenheit hot water always waiting. Triple paned UV protective windows. Underfloor heating,  modern bathroom and kitchen with a dishwasher and of course, a utility room with a washer and dryer.

The ubiquitous California wall heater

Yeah, don't have that now.

The apartment building I'm in was built in 1959, think Eisenhower. It has been recently remodeled, but the basic infrastructure is still pre spaceflight.

A california wall heater and a small aircon unit. The bathtub is, well, quaint. The kitchen has new appliances but the units are old school. Laundry is in the laundry room in the back of the complex. I have slatted/louvered glass windows and who has those anymore? However, I do have a garbage disposal.

A happy kitchen.

I might be making it sound somewhat down trodden and lackluster, but it is not I assure you. I have made it my home. I have my pictures up, furniture in place and it is warm and inviting. It is quirky and unique. I love it!

And there is a pool.

Midtown.

It isn't just New York City with a midtown, we have one here too!

And ours is better.

Yes, I know that will start a cascade of people saying "WTF dude, really?" but yes, I am serious.

First off, it's nothing like NYC's version. Midtown here is a flat residential district with a selection of commercial areas interspersed on major avenues. Mostly, is small apartment buildings and homes. The commercial areas have a mix of garages, restaurants, bars (a lot of bars) shops and generally everything else under the sun. There isn't much you can't get midtown and so much to do.

Graffiti Sacramento style.

It's also, compared to what people imagine a midtown to be, quiet. Sure, there is some traffic, the occasional firetruck and even a train hor two, but generally, it is peaceful here.

Palm trees, it is California

It is a great mix of urban, suburban and even a bit rural as on the north side is the almond exchange and its open space just beyond. Giving the feel of being just next to the farms of the Sacramento Valley.

However, there are issues here. homelessness is chronic. Even outside my apartment building, as I write this, there are two homeless men sheltering from the rain. Also there is the G word, gentrification. But I still see a mix of families, elderly, young, middle and working class in the area so this could be more a downtown issue. I'll do downtown in another blog post.

So yes, even with those detractions, it's a lovely place and I am happy I landed here. I like midtown!!

Cars

I have a car, it's California, I need one.

I am not going to go on about public transport, that will be a different entry sometime. No, I will focus today on our cars and the difference I have faced when here, and I can assure you, it is different.

Over in Zurich, cars are, generally speaking, not an essential item. I know of many people who don't have cars, or even driver's licenses. The need for personal transport is not as great. 

Not seen in Zurich, ever.

Those who do have cars in Switzerland, generally take very good care of them. It is expensive to own and operate a vehicle. Fuel is around $5.90 a gallon (5 Feb 2019), insurance is in my case, 30% more expensive, and service costs are way over the top. Add parking, tolls, the two sets of tires (summer and winter), it becomes really pricey, fast.

And now to here in Sacramento. Cars are cheaper, by far. Either new or used, the price is lower. Also, contrary to what people seem to moan about, fuel is cheaper. I got gas for $2.99 a gallon the other day. Insurance is cheaper and you can get your oil changed for a fifth of the price in Zurich.

Now for the reasons that car ownership is cheaper here;

• There are A LOT of cars around, the market is a whole lot larger. More inventory, lower prices.
• Fuel is not taxed as much here, but that also makes the price more volatile.
• Insurance is not as good here. My liability tops out at $1 million and I had to ask for that as extra. In Zurich, it was 100 million (the franc and dollar are equal value). and no, that's not a typo.
• Oil changes are done only ever 30000km, (20000 miles), so it is a limited market again.

Broken down RV in the middle of the road.

But the most glaring difference is that here in California you can drive a "car" that is falling apart. I was following a minivan today with the bumper hanging off and being dragged along on the freeway. I have seen cars with no bumper or headlights driving around. Bald tires, no tail lights, no windows, cracked windscreens, missing fenders and space saving spares being run down to the rim.

Pretty sure a Zurich cop would have a heart attack here.

Water

All major cities in the world have one thing in common, their proximity to water, with the exception of Atlanta. Whether it be a river, sea, lake or canal, water plays an important part to a city's location.

Zurich of course is located on the Zürisee (Lake Zurich) and straddling the Limmat river. Sacramento is located at the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers. The city was named for the river, not the other way, FYI....

Sacramento River

This blog is not about the location of bodies of water but the quality of drinking water.

And now the battle begins.

Let's start with the "high water" mark on municipal water quality. The city of South Lake Tahoe and the humorously acronymed South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) deliver, without doubt, the BEST water you can get out of a tap, period. That stuff could be bottled and it would fly off the shelf. I challenge anyone who has tried it to doubt me.

South Lake Tahoe

Zurich, and in particular, the village of Galgenen where I lived, has, to be honest, awful water. It's potable and safe, but it is so hard, you can actually see the minerals floating in a glass. I'm not kidding, it was crap. It seems to surprise people when they hear that. They imagine the Alps and the crystal clear waters, which are indeed there. But the drinking water comes out of the ground, and well, like I said, it sucks.

Zürisee

Now to Sacramento and the similarly humorously acronymed Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). The water quality here is amazing. I have to admit I was quite surprised, and pleased, that the water from the tap was so nice! I have not bought a bottle of water here since moving. I see people at the grocery stores filling up their five gallon water jugs, but for me, tap all the way!

So for me, easy verdict, Sacramento and SMUD win the tap water battle between Zurich and Sacramento.

Dog

One of the few "items" I moved back to the states with was Charlie, my dog.

Enjoying the evening.

He was born in Romania, rescued by a charity and delivered to Switzerland where we adopted him. When it came time to move, Charlie came with me.

I think he is a mix of a black lab and a whippet. More whippet in the end.

He has had an adventure to get here. Flown to Chicago with my father and then driven to Wyoming to stay for a few weeks. Then I collected him and we drove here to Sacramento.

In Switzerland you are required by law to get your dog registered with a vet and the local government. In this process, all shots are given, a microchip inserted, or verified if already in place, and a tag issued, along with a fee.

Not too different here. In the city of Sacramento, you are supposed to register your dog and have a rabies vaccination and a microchip. So when it came time to register Charlie here I grabbed all of his paperwork (shot records, vet certifications and pet passport) and headed down to the animal shelter on Front Street.

Lots of people were there on the day to adopt a pet which was great to see. When I got to the counter, a very nice person helped me. What transpired was that having paperwork from Europe was not only normal for them, it was helpful as everything was in one easy to collect place. I was in and out in 10 minutes. Now Charlie is a legal dog in Sacramento!!

A side point is that, in conjunction with the weather, he is shedding, a lot. He has always been living in places with a hot summer and cold winter, so his coat is a bit too thick and he is shedding. As well as him becoming shed master, his coat is begining to lighten to a brown.

New place, "new" dog!

Friends.

I guess I have to be honest, although the weather is great here (usually), the main, well, only, real reason I moved here were friends.

Crossing over.

I had the choice of practically anywhere in the US to go. I was starting from ground up and there were no factors I really had to look at. The question of where to go was a huge one I had to face. I gave myself some broad basics. Employment opportunities (and let's save that for another post), livability and weather. However, all three were surpassed by the need to be back with friends.

I have friends around the world from my time living in Europe and from my travels. However, I knew my life was going to drastically transform and my ability to see these friends was going to be curtailed. I had to be someplace where I would have a base, or core, of friends. A ready made support network if you will.

So, That left me with three real choices. South Lake Tahoe, Reno/Carson City/Minden/Gardnerville, or Sacramento.

There is a very interesting thing that happens to people from South Lake Tahoe which is generally, we all can not wait to leave. To be fair, many friends I have are still happily living there. For me though, the town has changed too much. I have no family there anymore, jobs are few and far between, and the cost of living was just too high.

The rest of us from South Lake Tahoe, seemed to have melted down the hill, either east or west.

Biggest Little City

So let's look east, to Reno and what I call Mindenville (the Carson Valley). I have many good friends there and I do love the area. There are jobs, decent cost of living and no state income taxes. BUT, it is windy. I don't mean a slight breeze occasionally, no I mean wind! And frankly, I don't like wind. And it snows there, so, I had to take a pass.

So that leads me to Sacramento.

I have many close friends here. I have been visiting here for so many years, it was easy to keep up. Along with social media, it has been easy to "fall" back into friendship. I have also made new friends as well who I deeply cherish. In the end, it was the correct choice for me to come here, a place I am quite happy to refer to in a single short phrase;

Home

Let's Start with the Weather.

No subject was a better ice breaker (pardon the pun) when I lived in the UK then the weather.

And that is where I will begin.

For my entire life, I have lived in places where it snowed. Some of these were expected (Zurich, South Lake Tahoe) and some surprising (Tucson, and Falmouth).  So when it came time to relocate, I had a seriously important decision to make, I needed to move where this wouldn't happen.

Falmouth, where it "never" snows.

The Alps, where, yes, it's supposed to snow. (Photo credit E Owen-Jones)

No more shoveling. No more scraping ice off of a windshield. No more freezing. I needed to be warm. Where to go.....

There were lots of reasons I chose Sacramento. Weather was one. 

Ah, winter in Sacramento

While my friends and family suffer freezing temperatures, snow drifts, avalanches (or at least the threat of them), I am here, walking my dog in the sun in temperatures of 70f/21c. 

And that is one fabulous reason to move somewhere.