Auf Wiedersehen, Rian.

Dear Rian,

We found your note and the feelings are mutual. We loved having you come, hearing about the lazy-eye couple, hearing the list from your journal, listening to alternative music and beating you in Golf. Especially beating you in Golf.

All your photos are gorgeous, but this one taken at the historic Cafe Central the night before you left, may be my favorite. We are now bonded because of the Schokozauber, (the best chocolate dessert ever made). Thank your father for footing the bill for the most delicious meal of the summer.

Hope you had a great trip home. Kiss all the homies for me.

Love,

Grandma P.

P.S. May the power of the cane go with you.

Weekend update

We took the train to Halstaat with the students and Rian on Friday. It was supposed to be non-stop from Vienna but because of rail repairs we ended up getting off the train, on a bus, and back on a train. Old crippled women don't like this kind of lumping about. Grrrr.

But picturesque Halstaat always lowers my blood pressure especially when we're on the water. Rian is paddling with Jessica and Kayla in the first photo on Friday afternoon. Next morning, we rented our own boat and Rian drove us around a couple of hours. It was delicious. Tom is behind us taking a jillion photographs.

We have been following the World Cup games--when in Europe, do as the Europeans do--and last night was the final game between Spain and the Netherlands. We were whooped up for the Netherlands to win, even though everyone knew Spain would win. Perhaps even me. There was no score until they went into overtime when Spain got their single, winning point.

This morning the Austrian papers are full of sneers for the Dutch teams' mean spirited playing. They show a photo of the Dutch player kicking a Spanish player hard on his chest, a kung fu kind of move that flattened the Spanish guy.

I feel defensive and unreasonably uppity about the rivalry. I wish I had some orange to wear.

We ate at THE RUBENS CAFE at Palais Lichtenstein and this time, I was wise enough to order the Saffron Risotta and Prawns as did Rian. Tom ordered wienershnitzel and he got three huge pieces of it without vegetables (a pomme frite is not a vegetable). It could have eaten HIM. We ate inside because it is hot and humid outside.

We played Golf (the card game). We drank Cokes. Rian wore her new scarf on her head, my sunglasses and used my cane as a prop. She looked like the eunuchs in Duerenmatt's THE VISIT. That cane has power. Like in the power of the cane be with you.

Rian is in Vienna

She's jet lagged and tired, but she made it. She's eaten and had a diet Coke and a shower, so she's recovering. Hurrah for Rian!

Happy 4th of July

I wish Murgatroyd had been here for our 4th of July party held after church in our apartment. The fifteen BYU females wore bright red lipstick to celebrate the day and sang and acted out songs from HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.

Murgatroyd could have rocked it tonight.

They sang all the patriotic songs from that elementary school program that my boys sang years ago, ending with THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND; THIS LAND IS MY LAND, FROM CALIFORNIA TO THE NEW YORK ISLANDS.

We ate McDonald hamburgers (a half block away). What can be more American than that? Frankly, they tasted delicious. The kids brought treats. I made tons of ice over the last few days, because they miss ice. They miss air conditioning and clothes dryers.

We played Charades and that electronic game that you pass while the clock ticks and you have to describe the words that come up? My synapses aren't making connections I can't think of what that game is called. We've played it with family. Does it start with an "O"?

Tell me what the name of that game is!

Fireworks exploded from our our mouths and then we exclaimed at the ones we loved: AAAH and OOOH that was a good one, look up at the sky. It's been a lot of pretending today.

I asked Tom to find a flag store, but that didn't happen. So he called The American Embassy and they had them for us, paper ones, large enough to hang in the windows and little ones perfect for our Vienna travel journals. These are coming up as works of art. I'm keeping one too, and frankly find it difficult to keep a written journal and a blog at the same time. Have never been good at multi-tasking. The students are ALIVE and PASSIONATE and they make me happy.

We sang no American patriotic hymns at church, but I suspect that's because our English speaking ward members come from Ghana, the Phillipines , Nigeria, Australia and Korea. Americans are just a small part of the community

Tom and I ran into the Gay Pride Parade yesterday, and we without our cameras. The cross dressing was the most entertaining: guys in red high heels and black skivvies and capes pulling other guys in leather collars and leather shorts. I liked the ones who looked like women with huge wigs and purses and petticoats. The parade ended at the Ratshaus where the big Wien Fest is being held this month. Large screen productions of operas every night and lots of eating tents.

We went home and watched Law and Order on Channel 131.com without advertising. It was heavenly. And very American.

Healthy Feet

I now regret that I ever asked for information about the Healthy Feet Store, because I am receiving daily emails from them. I don't want or need to know about how to get rid of stinky feet. Foot odor has never been a problem.

Bone spurs, ankle replacement, nails holding this and that in place. I would be better off subscribing to an orthopedic journal.

My brother had ridiculously smelly feet and he was meticulous about caring for them with talcums, soda, sock deodorizers, showering several times a day. His feet still smelled.

I also receive daily emails from Kathleen Peddicord advising me on how I can live abroad on a thousand dollars a month. I receive emails from Bert somebody who is going to tell me the secret of happiness. Did I actually invite Bert into my life? I already know the secret of happiness: do your work and drink lots of water. Or is that the secret to a long life?

The secret of happiness: deciding to be happy. I wonder if I could sell that.