5-25-21 What is “Whit” Monday??

By the way – in case you didn’t know yesterday was a holiday here in my second homeland.  After talking to several people, I am still not quite sure what the name of the holiday is – just that it is a religious day here in Switzerland.

I looked it up on my new favorite source – Wikipedia!   From I can understand it is called Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday and has to do with the Holy Ghost.  All businesses shut down and people have a day off.

I was warned by our new president of the Thun Tigers – Nadia to make sure I got beer ahead of time because the groceries would all be closed.  Now, that’s what I call being a good friend – a warning about a potential beer shortage!

Nadia will do a fantastic job leading the team.  Although I feel bad that my good friend Dan is stepping aside – he can certainly feel great of what he has done for the Tigers.  It will be fun to watch Nadia work with the club.  In the short period of time I have been in Switzerland I could see that she has the qualifications, personality and the charisma to be a great director.

I also know that everyone associated with the club … the players, coaches and administrators will all step in and make this a smooth transition.  Since everyone in the club works at jobs or goes to school – and I don’t (wow imagine that – me with just football to work on) it will be my job to make sure that anything needs to be done during the working day is handled and to make sure the club runs smoothly under her leadership.

Perhaps we should think of it like me being a bouncer in a bar.  Hey, wait a minute I already have done that!  You make sure everyone is behaving and you clean up any problems.

But, back to the beer situation.  (Why does that always seem to come up with me??)  Well, I did have some in my mini-mini-mini fridge (It holds six).  But, hey wait a minute.  My friend Daniel and the lovely Tamara came by to visit.

Tamara spent time visiting with my pal Ruedi and well “Danou”  (DAN ou – the “ou” is like in caribou) and I spent a few hours talking about football.  (Apparently in Bern the “ou” thing on the end of a first name is a term of endearment.  OK – so think Daniel is “Danou,”  Mattias = “Mattou” … I guess I am “Donou”)

I certainly have a tendency to get off subject.  Well, tough it’s my post!

So, Daniel and I have a great time swapping ideas about football.  It was a great couple of hours and I can’t wait to do it again.   He is a great young coach and a thing I like about the Tigers … they have some really outstanding people from top to bottom.  Their coaching staff is top notch and continues to evolve and improve all the time – a great blend of youth and experience.

But … Daniel and Tamara – the saints that they are (on a Holy Day as well).  They brought me six bottles of beer …two from Belgium and four … and yes (drumroll in background) … four bottles of Coors Light!

What a day!

So, our football session ends Danou and the lovely Tamara depart for Bern and my pal Ruedi takes me to his wellness class called “Brain Training!”  Although somewhat apprehensive it turns into a fantastic time.

I wish I could explain the things we did.  It is a combination of using visual, movement, concentration and focus, coordination and also communication in various exercises.  It was a terrific experience.

The instructor – well she was absolutely great in helping the six of us work through her regimen.  That was a really quick hour session and I am looking forward to doing it again next Monday.  As I suspected … I am not very well coordinated, not very smart, can’t focus and have a hard time concentrating when doing several things at once.

In other words I am an uncoordinated unfocused dumbshit!

Hah … What a life!