sundries, in which I am really cool

[rm]

Guess who just earned out her advance?

Yes, that I had that conversation means other conversations are now in play.

My traveling life 2009/2010 (SO FAR):

- Oct 17 - 18: New Haven (w/ Patty)
- Nov 17 - 21: Switzerland (desk job)
- Jan 3 - 14: Caribbean (w/ Patty)
- Feb 25 - Mar 1: Los Angeles (Gallifrey One)
- Mar ??? - Washington DC (LoC reading, hopefully w/ Patty)
- Mar 19 - 21: Rye Brook (Lunacon w/ Patty)
- Apr 12ish - 16ish: London, Cardiff and maybe Ireland (Patty has a conference, I'm tagging along)
- Jul 8 - 9: Bristol, hopefully (academic conference, not sure if Patty will be on a dig then)
- Jul 15 - 18: Florida, maybe (Infinitius, looking more likely by the second)
- September 2 - 6: Atlanta (Dragon*Con w/ Patty)

This doesn't take into account the possibility of a brief jaunt to Ohio in December or the fact that we'd really like to take a weekend in Cold Spring sometimes between November and March or that we might go to a Holiday Ball in December. HOLY CRAP HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE? I AM NOT THAT COOL TO BE ON THE ROAD THIS MUCH.

Speaking of Switzerland, what can I expect the language situation to be like? I have _no_ German and my French will probably come back online after a couple of days. I'm curious not just what level of English people have and how useful my French will be, but what level of language effort on my part decorum demands -- should I learn a few phrases of German?

My birthday is coming up soon, but I am feeling aggressively ambivalent about it.

Man, most of my front-burner writing projects just reached the really cranky stage where I have awesome structure and awesome content, and I'm going to have to sacrifice pieces of each to each other and that makes me sad. Sometimes, in fact, I wish I was worse at structure so that I could leave in more random awesome.

Comments

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

*nods* My aunt did her second language as French, but it's German in that part of the country - and they tittered at my High German I learned in school, but it's perfectly acceptable to get by on.

Attempt as much as you feel comfortable with - what I learned, I learned full-immersion style in 1991 when I had to live there for a year. Anyplace you go that doesn't speak your language? Will always appreciate an attempt in theirs.

Still envious as HECK. Get inside a MIGROS at least once. Buy as much chocolate as you can stuff in a suitcase. At those dates, you'll have access to the BEST Christmas stuff you ever saw. Promise.

[lawsontl.livejournal.com]

My mother-in-law speaks Swiss-German, German, French and English. But when I wasn't with her in Zurich, my bad French and the Zuri's bad English got us through sufficiently, even to the point of me being able to describe a head cold and get good cold medicine for the problem.

And, OH, TOTALLY snag some bottles of Rivella. Blau (blue) is the best, IMHO, but the Green/Grun I swear tastes like a Pimm's Cup without the alcohol :) Blau is lo cal, Grun is fuller cal but still not as bad as a traditional soda. Both are lovely and herbal, quite refreshing.

And don't forget Kinder Eggs. The toys inside are endlessly fun to assemble, the chocolate is just a bonus.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Rivella is only slightly better than Irn Bru ;)