It's you... Not Me

Steph and I are zooming across the German country-scape (between Frankfurt and Hamburg) and a flood of memories has cropped up. In the beginning of September 1994, I first arrived in Frankfurt with my AFS group sometime early in the morning (if I remember correctly it was around 8 am). I was sixteen then.
At 28 (going on 29) my perception of my surroundings has certainly changed. One thing that remains, though, is my excitement every time we come back. This is the first time, though, that Steph and I are making the same maiden voyage together I made over twelve years ago. So many of the landmarks and sights I remember from the age of sixteen remain very much the same. I'm fascinated with the way towns develop in Germany. When compared to land use planning in the States, Germany gives the appearance of having gone through much more organic and evolutionary growth. I think I understand why they developed differently (considering the fact that people have lived in what is now Germany for well over a millenia, it isn't hard to imagine) and each has its own charm. One thing I've always found convenient about cities in the US is the N-W-S-E layout of the streets. In Germany, you're lucky if a street in a given city has the same name for more than a few kilometers and goes straight for more than a few blocks.
While Steph snoozes away, I remain fascinated by my second home. I wish we were able to spend more time here, and perhaps someday we will have the ability to do so, but for now, I try to take in as much as I can in the short time we're here. I do wish that my view of this great country weren't so clouded by the politics I have learned more of since I first lived here. Some of the newness has, indeed, worn off, much as the edges of an oft looked upon photo become rounded. One of the worst things we as humans seem to do is get used to things and lose fascination with the world around us (and in my mind, it is fascination that fosters creativity and imagination). That is one of the things I most enjoy about coming here. Even though it is like home, it is different enough to shock my system and jump start my imagination once again.
I'll be updating as often as time permits. On Monday I go to visit Lukas in Prague - another city I haven't been to since '94. So, I should have lots to say and lots of pictures.

Be wary of renting cars from Sixt and expecting to get the car you were expecting to receive. Car rental companies always use categories to describe the car you should get and Sixt follows that same method. The problem we have always had with Sixt (I've been renting cars from them since I was in Saarbruecken for college) is that they never give us a car in the category we reserved. We reserved a BMW 1'er (1 series, not available in the US), which is also comparable to the Mercedes A class (also not available in the US). I wanted an upper tier car, but not a big one, because of the driving we'd be doing on the Autobahn. (Last time I got a Ford Shitkiste - not a real car - I just can't remember the name of their smallest model, I thought the car was going to fall apart every time we exceeded 100kmh.) So, we get to the rental office and lo and behold... the old switcheroo. "Ja, wir haben fuer Sie den Ford Mondeo mit Navi und Dieselbetrieb." A Ford Mondeo. Please. This is not a BMW 1'er or Mercedes A class.
I look at Steph with a raised eyebrow (my way of asking, what the hell?). She shakes her head, too. Tja. "Wir wollen den Ford nicht, was haben Sie noch?"
We went through a few different cars, VW Golf (ok, but no navigation), Mercedes C class (not ok, don't like the way they drive) and arrived at a BMW 320d - with navigation (ok, but we specifically wanted the smaller car). And, of course, the car is more expensive than the one we reserved. But, "wir koennen in die Mitte treffen." Meaning, we can meet price-wise in the middle between the class of car we reserved and the class we agreed to take.
I've gone through this process every time. Luckily, I kinda figured this would happen and am not too upset, but still, it is an unnecessary game to play every time we get here.
So, warning to anyone renting from Sixt: if you plan on getting the car you think you've rented, don't.

Just an update: Last night I returned to Hamburg from Prague (and a ridiculously awesome visit to Lukas, Ulrika and their hilarious son, Melvin) and just started working through the hundreds of pictures I've taken since arriving in Germany last week. So many things, so much to write about. Between politics and business talk, I'm really enjoying being here. The weather in Prague was better than here in Kaltenkirchen, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.
There is one big commentary I have to make, though. Considering Prague is in a completely different country and how quickly I was able to enter and leave the airport in Praha and Hamburg collectively, the Europeans simply know how to do transportation. While I was early both for my departure to Prague and my return to Hamburg, I still spent less than 15 minutes being checked in and go through security (and security is tight here, too) - and mind you, this was also with passport controls for non EU members. It was more convenient flying to another country than it is from Milwaukee to Detroit. It is simply a sad state of affairs that our air transportation system is suffering under. I don't know where most of the blame lies (I could start with airport design/layout, but that would be understating how inadequate our check-in people apparently are), but we have lots to learn from transportation in [northern] Europe.

I really thought I would spend more time writing about my experiences in Germany over the last two weeks. I sit in my pajamas on the day before we leave to go home and think, "what the hell has gone on while I was here? And why didn't I have more to say?" I think part of the problem is that writing things such that they might interest others is difficult. When people ask why I post some of my thoughts to the net, I usually respond that I do it because I like writing and it's for no one other than me. That I get other people interested in what I have to say is simply a nice side effect. The problem is that deep down, whenever I sit down to write something, I'm really concerned it will come across the way I mean it and will show some small amount of creativity. At the same time, while I sit here thinking about the lost time / wasted time of not blogging, I realize, this trip is really no different than my normal life - full and complicated. Each day here built upon the day before. I'll give you an example:
Every time we arrive back [home] in Germany, we go through the process of decompression: unpack our bags, get something to eat, shower (perhaps), chat a bit and eventually say how tired we are and head to bed. (By that time, Steph and I have often been up for the better part of the last 36 hrs. She sleeps better than I do while traveling, but then again, I sleep less actual hours than she does normally.) The next two days are usually chock full of quick trips to the markets and/or making phone calls and getting ourselves arranged. This time, because Kseni had been in Delavan for a visit up until a few days before we flew to Germany, we already had made plans to see a few friends through her. At some point, Steph and I go our separate ways, seeing different groups of friends with whom we still maintain contact. As the years have gone by, I have less of an impulse to do any sort of shopping - i.e. looking for schnick schnack that we can't get in the States (I, decidedly, have enough crap at home ;)) So, Steph usually takes the opportunity to shop with her friends and sister (if she's in Hamburg/Kaltenkirchen at the same time). Each day after the first few, though, is simply another day. The plans evolve and change as the time progresses. There really is nothing special per se about our travels. It is what it is - and we forget all too often how very, very luck we are to be able to travel like we do. I still haven't gotten pictures from Prague up in a post - one of the highlights of this trip. I probably experienced more in the three days I spent in Prague than the other ten days here in Hamburg/Kaltenkirchen. This is not to say I was bored, but just that being here is much like being at home, with the exception of me not working all day.
I think the best and most interesting way I can talk and write about this trip, though, has to do with photos. I'm glad, nay... ecstatic, that we actually took a ton of pictures this trip. Last night I tested an Aperture (Apple Photo management program) Export plugin for flickr.com. Originally, I wanted to re-set up my own image gallery because I simply don't like relying on others, but the fact is that flickr has one of the easiest and most convenient user interfaces that I couldn't imagine puting in the work trying to somehow recreate that.
For now, I have pics up of LawDad's 60th birthday (only a few so far) and will be slowly loading other photos (after removing some of the fuzzy ones). You can take a peek at http://flickr.com/photos/stevenfettig/

I laughed when I read the following post from Sarah's weblog*:

Naughty Wine

Her post is relatively short, so I'll let you click through. What a hilarious gaffe!

* At some point in time, Sarah and I were at Hillsdale College at the same time. I don't remember whether I met her or not (I knew of her by name, but can't remember why), but I try to keep up with some former grad's blogs, and hers happened to be hit by my bookmarks-not-hit-for-a-while list.

I decided to wait before starting up my little training diary again because last time I did that, the desire and drive fizzled like never before. As of this evening (Merry Christmas, by the way!), I have three days of basic training under my belt. Two days of running, one day of elliptical work and two days of combined weight lifting. Over a year and a half ago, when I first became acquainted with triathlon training, I basically gave up weight lifting. I had been lifting (I don't like calling it bodybuilding because I never did steroids, nor did I ever have the courage to compete - so I just called it lifting - but it was with a definite bodybuilding bent) on and off for over 12 years. My ewige partner has always been Josh. He's the only one I felt most comfortable lifting with because we approached things in a similar manner and (the most important), when I was down, he was up, and vice versa. It always made the days where I didn't want to do anything bearable. But, as I have gotten older, the idea of putting on more weight and being sore more often than not left my desire on a slow, but steady waning slope. Josh then mentioned the idea of doing something quite different, and perhaps, even competitively, and I was hooked.
I somehow hit a serious mental block this year, though, after the triathlon in June. I lost all motivation to do anything sports related. So, I simply stopped.
Around October, I started to notice my midsection grow and other parts of my body shrink. I figured, what the hell, all I need to do is eat less. I'm active enough to keep from continually gaining weight. I was only partially right. While I didn't necessarily gain more weight, my strength continued to fall and mentally I wasn't where I wanted to be. There were rare times of physical exertion and every evening after, I thought of how great I felt. Boy, I really need to get into the gym again. And the voice in the back of my head would respond, for what? I didn't have an answer, because frankly, I didn't really care at that point.
Come December (2006), something changed and I started to actually want to do something physical. But, because the time of year and where we live, there really wasn't much I could or wanted to do outside. The desire started growing again, though, to pick up a few dumbbells and maybe jog a few miles.
By the time Steph and I left for Germany, I was ready to hop in the saddle again. I was nervous, though, what the last six months had done to my body and whether or not I would mentally even keep up with it after running or going to the gym the first time.
Now that I have a few days behind me, I know that the desire is back and the realization of what time without activity does to my body and mind is not something I want to feel again. I know they're will be ups and downs, but for the first time since I first picked up a set of weights, I feel like there's good reason and real motivation to continue.
So, perhaps there will be more entries in the category of training{tri} again.

Can Do:
2-3 mi run at 6.5 mi/hr.

Can't Do:
much weight (for lifting), period...

Kyra (our Rottie):
Run further, longer and faster than me. That's sad.

Not that I'm against fads altogether - I've partaken in my share of them - but this is one I can agree to disagree with. After passing the 10 mile mark since starting my {tri}training all over again, I came across the following article in the Wall Street Journal Online: Baring Their Soles: Pain Doesn't Defeat Unshod Marathoners (you must pay to read) and laughed when I finished reading it.

The gist of the story is that a number of hard core marathoners are shunning their shoes and running barefoot because they believe it is better for them and will improve their running times. The argument is that shoes may be the cause of weakening of foot muscles and (potentially) long term injuries (only one is cited: plantar fasciitis). I have seen this type of argument used before - in particular with weightlifting and the use of a weight belt. People do, indeed, overuse support belts, etc. to the point where never really "teach" their supporting muscles how to deal with the stress of a given activity or workout. (If you've ever been consistent with any type of sports activity and gone for a long period of time before starting again, you'll notice that it's all the muscles you didn't know you had that cause the pain and not necessarily the larger muscle groups. While not a scientific statement by any stretch of the imagination, this is a possible example of what I am referring to above.)
Having sold shoes for a good number of my teen years, though, I don't buy the argument that some of the runners are using for going barefoot - i.e. that shoes cause more damage than provide protection. I don't have anything against anyone who wants to try to learn to run barefoot, but I do think it is a stretch to make the statement that we would be better off running barefoot.

"A lot of this shoe support stuff just makes your foot lazy and puts your foot muscles to sleep," says Dr. Irene Davis, a biomechanics researcher and director of the University of Delaware's Running Injury Clinic.

The issue of mechanics is mentioned a few times and I don't necessarily agree with that side of argument either. If people are taking the time to find a pair of shoes that fits their running style, weight and training style/plan, it is hard to believe that they will cause themselves harm over the long term. Like tools in a workshop, the right tool for the job is essential.
If you took a softie like me and pushed me out onto the streets to run barefoot, I'd never run again. Having burned the hell out of my foot once with a cigarette butt, I am well aware of the risks involved in going barefoot (something I do often at home and in areas that permit) and prefer to keep something between my feet and the ground.

I tested the theory that less is more at a time I had been running regularly by buying a pair of the Nike Frees (also mentioned in the article as an example of a shoe or slipper designed to help people wishing to eventually go barefoot).

I was not happy when I returned home. Firstly, the run I went on was on solid concrete and a distance that simply was too far to go the first time out in a pair of shoes like those. Secondly, my knees ached for hours and my back was sore the next day. Perhaps my experience was the extreme, but I learned an important lesson: use the right tool for the job (say it ten times). I was neither ready for the distance I went in those shoes, nor did I pay attention to the way I ran so as to minimize any damage I did to myself. I can only imagine the following happening to me:

Paul Keeley, a U.S. Marine at the South Carolina Military School, wants to run the Boston Marathon unshod next year. Last summer, he began training by pounding the streets of Charleston, S.C., in combat boots, hoping to nurture some preliminary calluses. He took off the boots this fall but soon landed on a surgeon's table for an abscess in his middle toe that required draining. Mr. Keeley, 18, says his calluses had hardened so well that he felt no pain when a pine needle or some other sharp object penetrated his skin and worked its way to the bone. He says he's still on track with his barefoot-in-Boston plan.

While not completely against this latest fad, I would personally caution anyone thinking that running barefoot makes you a better person. I can see doing it when the timing is right and the environment sensible (try running barefoot in the middle of winter in Wisconsin). The article ends with a quote with which I could not agree more:

Not all runners are barefoot believers. "I'm sticking to my Asics Tigers," says Neil Murphy, a New York attorney who tried running without shoes through the streets of Brooklyn earlier this year after a friend recommended it. A barrage of nicks, cuts and bruises led him to declare recently, "Humans are too far up the evolutionary chain to be trying this kind of stuff."

via Baring Their Soles: Pain Doesn't Defeat Unshod Marathoners - WSJ.com

When I first visited Matt up in St. Paul, he was going through showing me his bikes that he used for triathlon training and general bike riding. On the floor, I saw a set of three rollers mounted on two rails and asked him what it was.
"Oh, that's a Kreitler trainer. I do indoor bike training on it... Here, let me show you how it works."
So, he gets on the trainer and starts riding away - gently balancing the bike on the three rollers without any supports. I couldn't believe it. "How the hell do you develop the balance to do that?," I thought to myself.
But, onto other topics we went and I didn't think much of it until about a month ago. My biggest challenge with road bike riding is increasing cadence without sacrificing balance. Whenever I would race much beyond 25 mph in the lowest gear my rear would bounce around on the saddle and send me out of control. Perhaps the bike is slightly off-sized for my frame, but more importantly, I have a hard time controlling my body in the sense that the faster my legs pump the pedals, the less control I have over balance. When I thought about getting back into training, I wanted to take advantage of the fact it is winter to work on increasing my cadence without losing my balance and the Kreitler came to mind.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any local dealers who carried the Kreitler brand, but our local Janesville shop carried Minoura Action Mag branded rollers. Frankly, I didn't care. I have no idea what the difference is between the brands and the web really offered no help. Until I have the chance to test two or more, I still couldn't tell you which one is better and for what reason.

Today I was finally able to level the base and try my hand at the "roller effect." In a word: awesome. Once you get over the fear of weaving off the rollers (and realize the faster you pedal, the more balanced you will feel), you can concentrate on the things for which the rollers are good - a training platform for balance (and subsequently higher cadence for me).
I don't expect miracles to happen because of using the rollers, but at least there's something I can do with my favorite bike when the weather won't assist.

So, it looks like 2007 is looking to be an extreme year of travel for Steph and I. (Don't take that as a complaint, though, I am looking forward to it!) We're sitting in flight UA 1082 on our way with five nieces and nephews and my parents to Aruba. Tomorrow is my birthday (one more year closer to 30 I go ;)) and as for what our plans are for tonight, I have no idea. Aruba is 2 hrs ahead of our time zone (Central US) and 5 hrs behind Germany. O'Hare was relatively tame, but because of the rainy weather, we were delayed by a good 30 minutes on the tarmac.
This is the first time I've flown United Airlines in more than five years. (It might have been further back, but that's as far as my flight memory goes...) The plane is a A320 and we have the luxury of sitting in business class (with nine people on the trip, my dad wanted to make sure we were all together), but frankly, other than the expanded width of the seat, it really isn't anything to write home about. With as much travel as we've been doing over the past two years, I'm learning something quite quickly about the airlines (and I wrote about this last year) - we're on a glorified flying bus. I don't know if my memory is shaded by the fun trips of the past that we took as a family, but one thing is distinctly different about flying these days: the crew is less happy to see us as guests. I don't know if that's because of the trouble the US airline industry has been having of late, but really it is no excuse for the so-so customer service we've experienced. I feel like the door greeters at Wal-Mart are happier to see me than the stewardess in our cabin (and other than our recent flight on Lufthansa from Munich to Chicago - and experiences with SAS - this seems to have become a standard modus operandi). It's not that they're being [directly] unfriendly, but it is as if they're not all to happy about being here today. I know... it's the 31st of Dec. and people are getting ready to celebrate the coming of the new year, but c'mon - once I left college, the excitement of the new year ... was, well ... muted a bit. I enjoy the celebration like the next person, but I'm more excited about simply enjoying other people having fun. With all of the craziness we see on tv and read about, it's nice to see people simply forget their problems once and a while and come together for a common celebration. So, considering we are on our way to an island where the weather is almost guaranteed to be good (the average year-round temperature in aruba is 85°F/30°C and it is a dry, desert-like island), I can't see a reason why someone wouldn't be in a relatively good mood. Let me make another analogy, even though getting to the office in the morning is old-hat, I still try to be cordial and friendly to our employees when I arrive in the morning (and when leaving at night). In the first few years, I didn't realize the positive effect this had on the people who worked around me and I probably entered more often than not with a less than inviting presence. (In traveling, you realize quickly that regardless of language, a smile speaks volumes. A friendly nod and a grin or full smile automatically lowers people's barriers and opens the bridge to hey, you can talk to me, or at least, have a good day!)
So, in an environment where your entire job depends on how you deal with people, it would seem one would know this up front, right? Experience seems to say not...
One of the common refrains from people who complain about traveling a lot is, "well, my comments or choice to go to a different airline can't make a difference... I'm only one person." I guess that is true to some extent, but with the amount of people out there leaving their commentaries for all to view on the web, perhaps we who make coherent and thoughtful comments (which I hope the above is) will slowly make a difference. Doc Searls and Jeff Jarvis (two bloggers I read relatively often - and who have large followings) constantly comment on the power of citizen journalism and why it is so important for businesses to think about (either in the sense of creating an environment where corporate blogs reach out to customers or by understanding the impact of the public's comments on what they are doing). While I wouldn't call what I do journalism in any sense (nor am I trying to be a journalist in most cases - other than the once-and-a-while-reviews), I still hope that what I write isn't reactionary, so as to be worthy of ignoring, and may lead someone to change the way they do things (and for me, the more important reason why I write, is to remember what I've done in years past).
Oh, and one thing to the captain - or whomever's decision it was to be a seat-belt nazi - LET OFF! (Flight 1082, December 31, 2006) We are adults and know when we can hold it or not. For the tenth time, one of us has been chastised for getting out of our seat to use the lav. For one, when we know we're going to be delayed on the tarmac and two kids tell you they have to go, let them, dammit! (A niece and nephew had to go badly before we took off and the captain ordered - so said the flight attendant - the crew to require people to remain seated. What is wrong with this industry? It was obvious from the line of planes in front of us that we weren't going to take off for at least another 10 minutes.) Secondly, when did turbulence suddenly become such an issue that if your ass isn't planted in your seat with the seat-belt tightly fastened around your waist, you're somehow going to fall out of the plane or cause the plane to fall out of the sky? I just got up to use the lav myself and the flight attendant says, "the 'fasten seat-belt sign' is on..."
I respond, "so does that mean I can't use the lav?"
"I can't answer that - I was simply asked to tell people that when the sign is on," she responds.
What??? I don't get it. (I went in anyway thinking, "what a bunch of bs - we're six miles up, three hours away from Aruba and you're worried about me using the lav...)
Let's say we're on one of those unlucky flights where we hit turbulence a majority of the time - so now we're going to force people to do a mad rush to the lav when the sign eventually turns off? I understand asking people to remain seated if they aren't going somewhere specific. I also understand asking a group of people who might be gathering around a specific area of the plane to sit down or disperse. Acting like people are in your way when your job is to carry them from one place to the next is absurd - and not trying to accommodate basic needs is beyond absurd.
The leaders in this industry have lost their minds and don't know the line between sensible and ridiculous. I'm also pretty sure the rules we are being held to are particular to this flight crew or captain because the guy sitting next to my mom is a captain for the return flight and he keeps shaking his head when he sees the crew doing senseless things like this.
The final note I'll make on travel (to keep this from meandering too far off course ;)) is this: life is good and treating people well even if you're stressed by the tension of being away from home (or for our flight attendants, being on the job, away from home) will help make others around you feel more at ease and will likely make you feel better in return. Crews of late could help themselves by being aware of this.

It's always good to be where people want to be and simply know another successful year has past. For those who may not have been so fortunate, here's to wishing you a successful and enjoyable 2007!