9 to 5!

Working 9 to 5! What a way to make a living! Especially nowadays. Does anybody work 9 to 5 anymore? I think not. It has gone way of the 8 Track. Very rare indeed. If your spouse is anything like mine, it is to leave before 7 and get home 6:30/7. Makes for a long day. Us Americans. We work, work, work. Busy little bees we are (or wasps and hornets in some cases). I love that commercial on TV right now. Who is it? Nationwide? Blue Cross? No idea. It is the one with the kids saying "Give us one more day of vacation," because Americans leaves like 40 million vacation days unused every year. Crazy!!!

Well Jen, do the Swiss work crazy hours like us? Well no. They don't. I don't even think they work 9 to 5; at least in regards to the retail stores, banks, and post offices. Maybe they do. Let's see...

I have had to relearn how to shop. Not very helpful to me. However, I am sure my husband's wallet is very grateful. See stores here open at 9-ish, close at 12 for lunch, reopen at 2, then close at 6, and 7 for the grocery store. Post offices have a 3 hour lunch, though I am not sure why this is. I have only been to the post office once. I will have to research it. However, this is not the case for Mondays. All retail stores and some restaurants are closed on Mondays. Doctors offices are closed on Thursdays. Nothing is open on Sundays, not even the grocery store, though maybe half the restaurants are. Oh and on Saturdays, all retail and grocery stores closes at 5 pm. Sometimes I do not remember this so it is eggs or cereal for Sunday dinner. Oops! Sorry babies!

I don't know how women work here, or even if they do. There is no time for anything else. The Swiss public school age kids come home for the 2 hour lunch break as well. How they get anything done is beyond me at the moment. And like the rest of Europe, the Swiss take August off. I have been told this place becomes a ghost town. Fine, twist my arm. I guess I will have to plan a nice vacation in August. Whatever....

My new shopping strategy is to hit the grocery store each day for the daily essentials, including dinner. Which is not too bad since there are two stores within a five minute walk of the house. So if I forget something I can go back. I never do though. I just wait for the next day. Add it to the list! Which is usually left at home on the counter. I am trying to get used to this. It is hard for me since I sometimes took mommy vacations to Target. There is not that option here. No late night wanderings with a Starbucks coffee and a bakery donut. Too bad, so very sad....

So 9 to 5. Really the time I have to hit the stores to run errands, hit grocery store and get the dailies. No wait, 9 to 4 because the boys come home, and then their activities start. Oh wait, and I can't go during lunch because things are either not open or are packed. So okay, when can I go? Hmmm...