Out of Necessity - Perhaps

Out of Necessity - Perhaps

Friday, 28 February 2014

Gammla, Gammla - Fätza sammla! "Gompiga Donnschtig"

Good Morning... Fri 28th, 6.13, +2.3dg, Forecasting a super sunny day up top. Yesterday was Gammla, Gammla - Fätza sammla! "Gompiga Donnschtig" the children's carnival Have taken some fab videos of the parade and one, they have no sound, and two they will not open on the computer... This is a very grumpy face... there is no point in posting a video from my phone without the brilliant sound the Guggamusig Latschasorri band creates. Grrrr. Adult parade kicks off at 18.00 this evening so this will be another evening out... Yesterday's forecast did not deliver, so thankfully by the time all the littles assembled for their parade the sun was all over the place. A lovely uncomplicated session in the Alpenrose bar... much more dignified than standing in the church square, in the cold, with some random glass of wine !!! So all over again tonight but probably for longer, but bearing in mind I have to wear my sensible hat as I have my cleaning job bright and early Sat morning.. another grumpy face. This morning it is feet on the floor running ... Friday conversation girls, then two tuitions after lunch then down to the Kirchplatz for the parade. Another bright shiny day here in Schruns so all will go well with the celebrations. My guests had a good day up on the Hoch Joch and admitted they were pleasantly surprised at the good snow conditions...they had heard it was not so stellar.. Hmmm... So come on in Friday... happy days 

Thursday, 27 February 2014

Wednesday, always a fun day

" You won't sit and drink on your own will you Darling... Oh for heavens sake Dad don't worry, I won't "

Good Morning...Thurs 27th, 6.46, +4.4dg. My snow alert yesterday from both mountains said 14 cm at mid level overnight... I think not Mr Alerter. The roads are dry. Amended to 6cm overnight and if you will excuse me at +4.4dg I think not again. Today "they" say light flurries. Yeah, right. Yesterday was a lovely sunny day and used my bike to do a few odd jobs... not a lot of energy in my legs at the mo. Littles tuition at 14.00 and the Granny of one of the littles who delivered them yesterday said I was giving them too much to do through the week... this little dot has an hour of cello and piano practise every night, and spends the whole of Tuesday at school, and she does not want to stop coming as she loves it so much, but cannot find time to do the work.... I thanked her politely for the heads up. My Wednesday Conversation girls were full of scorn when we discussed that little fact, but admit that the face of learning has a different emphasis these days. So, Wednesday conversation group.. re-arranged the sitting room so we would be comfy with our DVD afternoon. One went and poured the gins while I went through the paper work on tenses they had done from the previous week...Then it was movie time. We are watching the German made DVD on 200 days in New Zealand. My over riding feeling is that it was done in conjunction with the tourismus bureau, one of the girls there has spent a month in NZ some time ago and seen both Islands.. she agreed with me and said that the video was not so good. Part two in a fortnight. We have finished the Nth Island and will do the South Island next. Today is a me day... Kinderfasching parade in the village starting at 14.00 and then it is anyone's guess.. Klaudia tells me it is off to the Alpenrose.. I am keeping my options open. My incoming guests from Germany did not arrive here until 23.30 last night , they had had terrible weather and traffic conditions coming down, consequently this is one tired rabbit today. No matter a couple of good coffees to kick start the system and smile on... You have got to love the Wednesday girls. Someone in town said to me the other day " I love the sound of the conversation group I want to join it... " They said yesterday," no way.. we are full.. !!!"


Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Tidy Tuesday




“We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works. Works with simple, easy to understand instructions, and just works. ”

Good Morning...Wed 26th, 6.11, +0.5dg. Stars are out and the Wörmser Hutte lights are twinkling up on the sky line. Me thinks the weather Gods are playing silly buggars, one minute they say a beautiful week with light snow Wednesday afternoon evening, next we have incoming for the next four to five days. Don't they know we have the Kinderfasching parade tomorrow and with out a lie that is better in the sunshine. So it is!! Yesterday was a Tuesday, love Tuesdays as they are me to fritter as I please. First to the bank as the internet banking has not been accessible since last Friday, seems it is only me, of course... the account was locked on Friday after two failed attempts with a wrong password. Well my head was not mine on Friday. Now I must wait until next week when I will receive new login details... just humming quietly to myself. They organised payment of my whopper account for the Golf Club for this years membership €1101.00... I had been sitting on it for a while as thought I may not do it, I will be away for a good part of the summer, but my friendly Golf Pro told me that I had to inform them by October last year if I wanted to pause the membership... Last October I was still in NZ!! Visit to the dry cleaner, supermarket and then home to make little raspberry pastries for the breakfast box, and the littles. Quick catch up with her who drinks Aperitivos and then up into the Dachboden to complete prep for today's incoming family.
Whilst I am finally starting to feel more human, thank goodness, the trip up to the re-cycler yesterday afternoon exhausted me. Nothing for it but to lock the door, light the fire and pour a soothing gin. Today is the morning 26th, in New Zealand it is evening 26th, that means for someone in Wanaka tomorrow is the end of an era... happy retirement Mrs N. Hope there are plenty of celebrations going on, Wanaka retail will miss you 

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

It would be a horrible world without friends...

“When in doubt, ignore and be horribly unimpressed”

Good Morning... Tues 25th, 6.21, -2.0dg.. wooo minus, we are in a fine weather pattern so there will be a cracker frost outside when the sun comes up. It is so nice to see a minus temp as we haven't done these so well this winter. Yesterday was a bluebird, one out of the box, brilliant day. The mountains looked divine.... from inside the house!! I had my new Monday Conversation girls yesterday. I felt it better not to postpone them as we had worked hard to get it up and going... two of them are nursing broken bones from ski accidents and so we have been sliding the start dates for a while. Seamless morning with a huge mixed bag of ability... makes it a challenge to work the system I have designed to do these conversation groups when every person is of a massively different level of English understanding. But like the littles they come with friends so I must adapt. Thankfully cancelled my littles tuition as did not have the mental capacity to do them yesterday. Had a nice surprise last night checking my incoming guest calendar... as my head has been so full of fluff balls since Friday I thought I had incoming today, but yay... they arrive tomorrow so a day in hand which was a God send yesterday afternoon. This girl is not ready, but the Dachboden will be bright and shiny by this afternoon. Today is just another quiet day for me, getting slowly better and sorting upstairs. Would love to go up the hill but do still have enough sensible working parts in my brain to know that is a silly billy thing to do. Incoming snow forecast for tomorrow and then Thursday Fasching starts.. with the Kinderfasching parade through the village and then I have been commanded to appear at the after party at the Alpenrose Hotel... I sense a little mayhem coming my way later this week. La la la... What are friends for?

Monday, 24 February 2014

New week..



“Everyone should be able to do one card trick, tell two jokes, and recite three poems, in case they are ever trapped in an elevator.”

Good Morning...Mon 24th, 6.12, - 1.1 dg, forecast stable... sun through the week with the small aberration of snow Wednesday evening night. A good week in the Vorarlberg. There is something so toe curlingly lovely about not having to get up and prepare a breakfast basket for guests... the house is mine until Tuesday evening and then a family of three from Germany arrive. With any luck my enforced bed rest will be well and truly over and I will be once again a functioning person. Cancelled littles Tuition for today... the thought of teaching two energetic 9 yr olds is too much at the mo but will do my Monday Conversation group... heavens these girls are cute... there is one who has joined the Friday group and now wants to come to the Monday group as well so she can do it twice a week .. tick. Yesterday I was in bed for the day. My head was too heavy to carry and my feet stuck in mud so best on my back doing nix... bliss, well it would be if it was a choice not a necessity. Guests departed around 10, stripped the beds did the laundry and shut the door to the flat... today is another day. Am thinking I may need to take my computer into the doctor in Bludenz... I must have opened something, downloaded something or done something to cause the computer to behave as it is and has been for the last two weeks.. slow, so slow it is concerning, so will get the whizz kids to cast an eye over it for me before it implodes. One of my special children suggested it was the porn sites I have been in... I suggest, quite respectfully, that I was not in the porn site from choice, but the page kept re-directing me there... what chance do little people in this modern communication world, have when by doing a simple research you get directed to a porn site ? So, happy Monday from my corner to yours. For the girl doing the countdown in Wanaka... 3 days 

Sunday, 23 February 2014

Sunday.. rest day

Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Good Morning... Sun 23rd, 6.43, +0.8dg. The grit trucks were on the road early this morning so I am guessing that means we have had a freeze. I see there has been a touch of precipitation on the glass roof of the gin terrasse. Forecasting a beautiful sunny day today, with fine and clear through until Wednesday evening. My Dutch guests, from Germany, leave today then I have a day off before an incoming family from Germany arrive for a week. Not one of my more spectacular weekends. In bed feeling VB sorry for myself. I hate being sick, I have no patience for lying around but am feeling so unbelievably disgusting that I have had no choice.. My skin is so sore clothes are a test, and my head follows 10 paces behind me... You know it is bad when I cancel tuition classes and Saturday work. Tomorrow is a new week..  gosh and soon the end of the month. Sochi has now finished, and I imagine there will be a lot of post mortems going on over the next while. As an armchair critic I loved watching the best in their field go out and do their best on the day... I am in awe of the athletes, all of them. Favourite discipline.. too hard to tell, as I watched as much as I could of everything on offer. I am going to be having a one foot in front of the other for a day or so... Klaudia suggested she pop over this morning with a jug of Voddy and fresh orange juice... that is for the vit C don't you know... I suggested she stay at home !!! Happy Sunday.

Friday, 21 February 2014

TGIF

“I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then.
Good Morning, Fri 21st, 6.15, +2.8dg. Forecasting for snow this afternoon this evening, clearing for Saturday and then sunshine through until Wednesday. Perfect. Yesterday was a beautiful day, one to be on the mountain... where was I... at the hairdressers.. the things a girl has to do to keep up !! The day just disappeared as it does when you go to the hairdresser, but did get some necessary ironing done and ordered the wood for next winter. Progress. Then had to take an evening trip on my bicycle at 19.30 to give a steadying hand to a friend... have not been on my bike at night for ages, and thankfully it travelled in a nice straight line... another note to self, put some air in the tyres. Today I have a crazy day.. conversation girls at 10.00, change over in the Dachboden and then tuition at 15.00. Thank goodness my Swiss guests are not arriving until 17.00-18.00 so I can take some moments to breathe without panic. I want to watch the Women's slalom in Sochi, timed for 13.45, so it will be a squeeze. I seemed to have picked up a cold... fab, just what is needed. First for an absolute age. There was a women in the hairdressers yesterday who was helping with the foils and she sneezed, sniffed and coughed her way through the entire process... why oh why do they not stay at home instead of spreading their bloody germs everywhere. Tomorrow off to my job.. brilliant..  I may be sick.

Thursday, 20 February 2014

Recovered from the excesses of Tuesday...

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
Good Morning... Thurs 20th, 6.09, +3.2dg, forecasting today for a beautiful blue sky, full sun day... it will be a cracker up on the mountain. Yesterday was a day of rain, sleet and snow all day and for me was a day with concrete feet..really and truly, I felt like a sloth, and the worst part of that was there was no-one to blame other than me. So no, I am not skiing today, I will be head down working as good girls do. I refuelled my bod with food and water big time yesterday, quick nana nap after lunch and then a littles tuition.. just what everyone needs when your day is only so-so average !! After tuition comes the Wednesday girls, armed with mixes and nibbles for a session with and after conversation... thankfully it was decided to rain check that one until next week when we will all be there and we are going to watch a German made documentary on New Zealand.. I have been lent this video by one of the girls from the Friday group so will be interested to see what it comprises of... 200 days in a beautiful place at the bottom of the world.. So next Wednesday it will be a film afternoon with extras. I am beginning to wonder if it has something to do with my reputation, my personality or just the way we like to do things in 2014 at this age !!! Today is a clear calendar day, my Dutch family leave tomorrow and then it is a change over for incoming guests from Switzerland ... it will be an interesting change over as I have to juggle my Friday girls and a tuition in amongst cleaning and remaking the Dachboden in preparation for incoming guests hence the reason to stay quietly tucked up in my house out of sight today! I have a funny feeling that I have agreed to go to the Fasching Ball next week... What am I like?? Note to self, when you are out socialising never agree to things until you can consider them properly in the cold light of day. Discussing it with Klaudia last night she suggested we go together... now that is one huge recipe for impending disaster when we get together. La la la. Hugs to my little bubble monster, this is the new trick, face planting into her bubbles in the bath..  

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Up on the mountain today

“Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot.”

Good Morning...Tues 18th, 7.22, 0.3dg. Forecasting a bluebird day up on the mountain, so boot bag plugged in to heat and morning sorted to go up and have a look. Yesterday dawned with high broken cloud and fog rolling around the mountain tops on and off, but my guests said the skiing was fab. It was a terribly quiet house last night with no pitter patters of little feet charging around... amazing how tiring skiing is for little bodies....and so my daughter found out after the Poppet's first swimming lesson yesterday... in bed at 10 am after her lesson and didn't wake until 13.30.. result. Yesterday morning was spent in the office sorting lesson plans for the littles... learning about clothes, dressing up and undressing so there was a " washing Line " strung up in the dining room yesterday. The things one does !!! Today I have a 9am appointment then off up to the mountain office for a couple of hours. I will have my TV on record and catch up on everyone doing their thing at the Olympics later in the day.. fingers crossed the satellite signal from England is co-operating. Things to do, places to go... have a happy one 

Monday, 17 February 2014

Monday.. quiet day back to normal.. sort of



“There are only two kinds of women in the world, those who love shoes and those who had the misfortune to be born without the ability to experience total bliss on finding a pair of perfectly designed pumps in the right size at half price.”

Good Morning, Mn 17th, 5.57, +2.0dg, forecasting some early flurries in the mountain clearing and that will mean showers down here clearing later to cloudy weather. It was snowing big fat lazys when I got up at 3.30 this morning but no need for the snow ploughs out on the low village roads. Yesterday was a miz day with rain down in the village all day which would have been snow at the higher levels. Looking out the Dachboden window yesterday as I was sorting the flat ready for incoming, the Talfahrt to the bottom lift station has quite brown snow.. it is just so warm. Back to back change over yesterday.. yes I appreciate I said I would never do it again after the pressure it created over Christmas, but boy have I got this thing down to a fine art now, it was humming n smoking all the way. Probably now because I am organised and not making a hundred trips up and down the stairwells. I have a family of four from Holland in the house until Friday when I have another change over. They are a lovely young couple with two girls 8 and 10. I am hoping that the excitement of being here will settle down tonight and that the running around will slow down after a day up on the mountain!!  Today I have a new Conversation group starting this morning, and then a Littles tuition at 15.30. Just another quiet day here in Schruns. Humming quietly to myself... I do recognise that I am the former, not the latter. 

Sunday, 16 February 2014

Done and dusted

Men's SG 

1
1:18.14
-
2
1:18.44
+0.30
3
1:18.67
+0.53

#makingusproud


Sunday, Sunday



“When I was growing up I always wanted to be someone. Now I realise I should have been more specific.”

Good Morning...Sun 16th, 6.19, +5.3dg. We have a big fat yellow full moon out.. email alert said snow overnight and snow through today... not seeing that as I look out the window. Yesterday was a lovely sunny day.. one of those sort of days my Mother always said, when the Nor'west was blowing in ChCh in the winter, you could wash your blankets and put them out on the line.. we hit 17dg outside yesterday... mid Feb !!! so I put the sheets out on the washing line, scrumbly, there is nothing quite like the fragrance of sheets off the line, especially as they are dried on an inside line all winter. Did my Saturday morning job... I am hating it... and the cash was used in a green exchange for handyman work the husband did for me last week.. a positive I suppose but really hating the job. Quick trip to the Lidl on my bicycle and then home to watch the pre-recorded Women's SG from Sochi. Wow what carnage, but a brilliant result. Was reading today that as the games are now halfway through the big nations are doing medal counts and fingers are already starting to be pointed. What a shame it is that they cannot just rejoice in the fact that their athletes are out there with the best there is on the world stage, rather than worrying about the return for money spent. Sport. Today the Men's SG is scheduled to start in half an hour so I need running shoes on today. My German guests leave this morning, hopefully in a timely exit, and I have a family of four coming in from Holland for a week. School is back on Monday so back into the routine of littles through the door as well as Conversation and guests.. should have been a ballerina as am getting so good at doing pirouettes!!! Happy Sunday... Looking for podiums from the big guns in the Austrian team. 

Ahhh Austria...

What a crazy amount of DNF's in the Women's Super G... course set by the Austrian Coach....  Quietly smiling for the Gold and Bronze medal... well done Fenninger and Hosp. A girl has to support someone and with no New Zealanders running in these disciplines then it is Austria all the way.
KRASNAYA POLYANA - Anna FENNINGER (AUT) took gold in the ladies super G on Saturday. The 24-year-old won Austria's fourth Olympic gold in the event, finishing ahead of Maria HOEFL-RIESCH (GER) and teammate Nicole HOSP (AUT). 
It was a first Olympic medal for FENNINGER, the 2011 super combined champion, as she finished in 1 minute and 25.52 seconds. Her previous best Olympic performance was 16th in the same event at the Vancouver 2010 Games.
On a course set by Austrian alpine skiing coach Florian WINKLER (AUT), the big guns watched on and learned as eight of the first 11 starters failed to finish the course. The tight, steep turns are typical of WINKLER's designs.
"It's such a difficult track but I have to give praise to the coach who set the course because you have to be so tactical," said FENNINGER. 
Teammate HOSP continued her scorching form at the Games, setting the pace with a blistering bottom section. The Sochi 2014 super combined silver medallist was followed down the course by FENNINGER, after Tina WEIRATHER (LIE) pulled out at the start gate, succumbing to a training-run injury.
FENNINGER finished on the podium in each of the first three world cup super G races this season and she brought that form to the Rosa Khutor slope. She was ahead of HOSP from the first intermediate split.
An Austrian one-two looked a possibility as HOEFL-RIESCH, the last of the top seeds to start, was down at the first and second splits. The three-time Olympic gold medallist produced a flawless middle section, however, to take the lead on the third split. A mistake on the final jump prevented the German from adding super G gold to the super combined gold she won on Monday.
"This is my 10th (Olympic and world championship) medal and my first silver. Of course, gold would have been better, but I'm still very proud, especially because it was on such a difficult course," HOEFL-RIESCH said.  
Despite the fact only one of the top seven seeds failed to finish (Elisabeth GOERGL, AUT), the course and conditions remained under the spotlight.
WINKLER was unapologetic about the course he had set.
"It was our goal for the course [to be difficult]. I was surprised by the amount of girls who skied out. It was a day of mistakes for many," said the Austrian, having watched two of his charges claim gold and bronze, the second time this has happened in the ladies Olympic super G.

Saturday, 15 February 2014

Valentines Day ...

Making mistakes simply means you are learning faster.

Good Evening... Fri 14th, 19.58, +5.0dg. A beautiful full moon has just popped up over the top of the Hoch Joch... clear sky, full moon, looks brilliant. Happy Valentines that was, hope it was a happy day if it is something you celebrate. Today has been a cool sort of day, but they say the skiing was wonderful. We woke to snow on the ground and a broken high overcast here at the house so the mountain would have been super. Forecasting a right royal bobby dazzler for tomorrow, so hopefully for my young guests it is a good skiing day. I spent a good part of the day at the computer sorting papers on prepositions, tenses and grammar work for a variety of people who come to me. School goes back on Monday so littles tuition will resume.. in amongst the Conversation groups I am now in a pattern of guests in the house without a break for the next two and a half weeks... it will take some serious fine tuning for me to come out of this in one piece. Off to my beloved Saturday cleaning job tomorrow... Not so smiley face. I will miss the Women's Super G tomorrow morning 8am, as I missed the Men's Combined today, and Sunday I will not have the opportunity to see the Mens Super G either as I have a change over. Bring in the DVD recorder. The young couple up in the Dachboden at the mo are lovely, and have gone out for a Valentines celebration... sweet!! I am in for an early retirement to muster the strength for tomorrow. Happy 14th Feb. 


Friday, 14 February 2014

Just saying....


Long day...

“If I saw you hitchhiking, I’d smile and return your thumb’s up, just for you doing such a great job of being a positive roadside influence.” - 

this is totally indicative of my current state of mind at the moment... 
Good Evening... Thurs 13th, 19.06, +5.2dg. Day dawned a bright shiny button and by late afternoon we had incoming bad weather from Switzerland that has delivered a dusting up top.. maybe more overnight. Sunshine in through the windows was super. Forecasting fine for a couple of days collapsing Sunday. I am currently doing a countdown on my watch... I have to sit up until 23.00 - 23.30 for my incoming guests... not really ideal I say under my breath. What to do to fill in the hours. Mani sorted and final coat in a bit. Spent the morning, until quite late into the morning, on the chair mentally supporting ‪#‎teamwells‬. I imagine they are full of all sorts of emotions, but hope that the biggest one is pride for gaining selection into the NZ Olympic team, followed by the thrill of competing in an inaugural event at the 2014 Olympics, and third by doing the best at the moment as two remarkably skilled and dedicated young men. Looking forward to the next phase of their competition when all three brothers will be in action in the half pipe. The rest of my day or rather afternoon was spent carting rubbish to the re-cycler and then 12 empty apfelsaft bottles up to the refund machine. I am well miffed at the moment as I am semi crippled with a fat knee... water back on my wretched knee, so am a hobbler, big time. And, FYI it is jolly darn uncomfortable as it doesn't like to bend. So.. tomorrow am imagining it will be a slow start, but no luxury of swanning around as have Conversation girls at 10 and tuition at 15.00. I also imagine a relatively early night!! I think there will be two very achey heads in the Taihape region tomorrow!! For all of it... have a happy one

Thursday, 13 February 2014

#teamwells


Not really a coffee and conversation group at all !!

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”

Good evening from here... Wed 12th, 21.31, +0.6dg. Not a very stable weather forecast... this comes from a girl who thought she would plug the boot bag in early this morning and pop up to the mountain office for a couple of hours... Yeah, right!! By daylight it was snowing... beautiful fat lazy silent flakes... there is nothing quite like it. Snow stopped by 11.00 and I went out to shovel because it is good for me, because the mailman had left huge compressed prints in the snow, which turn to ice later, and I also had a conversation group coming in later in the afternoon. Done and dusted with relative ease as the snow was so fluffy and dry. Popped off down to the Lidl to do a few comestibles with my trusty nana trolley and did the long circuit as I thought the walk would do me good. Am experiencing quite a few problems with my right knee since I started going back downstairs every morning to try and get some discipline back into my life... the bloody thing now grumbles at me all the time especially with all the stairs in the house and all the long distance walking. Do or die. The skiing would have been out of this world this afternoon but could not take advantage as I had the Wednesday group at 16.00... they came armed, not with weapons but with bottles... this process initially started, and was advertised as Coffee and Conversation, so somewhere the lines have been blurred.. like really blurred!!! The end result of one hours conversation is a littered table... they were going on out after they left me and wanted me to join them, I figured discretion is the better part of valour in my case. Fire lit, and another glass of something as I watched the doubles figure skating from Sochi. Lovely. Have got a new conversation group starting up on Mondays at 10.00am .. much safer time as it will be water or coffee, so my week is now fairly well spoken for. Tomorrow I have a group of four arriving from England ETA 23.30... my poor little eyes will be out on stalks waiting for them at that hour. Hospitality !! Thursday is a Moochie day while I wait for my guests ...  ..... and then another conversation and senior tuition Friday. Joy to the world.


Wednesday, 12 February 2014

Be careful when you laugh

They say laughter is the best medicine....

Good evening, Tues 11th, 20.43, +1.4dg. The temps started at 4+ this morning dropped rose and dropped.. Fresh snow line after last nights delivery.. it is such a pretty sight with fresh snow, but none here at Village level. I am over waiting for it anyway. The sun was out for a cracker day by 10.00 so there would have been some V happy bunnies up on the mountains. My day was spent mostly with one eye on the TV as I still have a signal... and what is more exciting I can now get red button sport... yay!! Now I can watch my choice of the Olympic sports rather than the selection that I have had to suffer. Not grumbling really. Took a midday train into Bludenz to do the jobs that were unachievable in Dornbirn the previous day.... tick... quick stock up at the Hofer and ready for incoming from England.... this revolving door is a little like the United Nations... they are coming at me from everywhere. Tomorrow I am house bound for the afternoon as I have a conversation group, if the morning dawns a skippity sort of day then I may well pop up to the mountain office, but they are forecasting a varied sort of outlook... who to believe. My theory is to look out the window and make the call, just means the boots are not heated to super toasty warm... ahhh the vagaries of flying by the seat of your pants. Talking of pants, they say laugh uncontrollably... it clears the mind... in my case it does all of that and more !!! Happy happy days.

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Yes well... he was a spoilsport

“If you can't do anything about it, laugh like hell.”

Happy evening... Mon 10th, 19.51, +7.7dg. Well it would be as it is the evening but boy have we had some big Föhn down at street level today.
It has been a windy, cool and warm sort of day... just gotta slide that double dutchy thing in.. it is cold but it isn't. ... I'm already set up for the evening. Fire lit, gin poured and contemplation of day. Shot off to Dornbirn on the fast train this morning early. Really to do a specific job.. Murphy's Law when you go to get, you can't , coz they haven't got it. Resorted to online this afternoon, sorted. Back home for 13.00 and then the handy man arrived... panel of wood finally done, another with adjustments, as it involves a chainsaw in the Dachboden, organised... I rudely suggested perhaps before Christmas !! Smiling nicely.. Opps. Decided on a metal hanger screwed to the roadside wall to advertise my Ferienwohnung, he is going to do that for me also.. that one is an ASAP. Thought I was so jolly darn clever.. finally managed to get the BBC Olympics on the sky box, seemingly the weather has improved sufficiently to unscramble the signal. Sitting fatly watching the slalom leg of the women's combined from Sochi and gleefully say to my handy man .. ooohh Kirky is in first place... he just looks at me and says no, you are not watching live, Höfl-Riesch won that race.. stunned silence. He was bundled off to do his work and I sat and cursed quietly. So day finished, two more bookings confirmed in the Dachboden. This is a very smiley face, as will the Bank Manager's face be smiley also. I try not to go too near him often. Had a snow alert email in for tonight with a little fluffy stuff tomorrow morning clearing to a reasonable weather day for the afternoon.. good through until Thursday evening then some more snow. Tomorrow is a tuition free day, let's call it a day off.


Monday, 10 February 2014

Mayer's Gold... :)


Evening test..



If two wrongs don't make a right, try three.

Good Afternoon... Sun 9th, 16.09, +5.9dg. Woke to a flurry of snow on the top of the buxus puddings and a fresh snow line halfway down the mountains. Today has been an on off clear and cloudy with a quick flurry half an hour ago. Forecasting a stormy Föhn start to the week with snow rain and warm temps in the mix. Am testing a 12 hour turnaround on my posts... have got to find a good discipline in things and mornings in bed are just not very helpful. A girl has to try !!. Much skyping this morning and then straight into the mens Downhill from Sochi... and it was a totally woo hoo moment .. Gold for Austria.. big team hugs for Matthias Mayer, what a run.. shame the Bode did not manage to put a good one down. Still having to watch from live stream on the computer ... my English sky channels are still scrambled by weather.  Am spending such a lot of time watching the snowboard slope style comps... probably not my first choice, even so, but boy am I getting to grips with the lingo, have to say holy cow the two British commentators on the BBC channel are hilarious with the enthusiasm, shouting and whooping. Gotta love the dedicated sports commentator. So tomorrow is a free day as School is on hols, so I can concentrate on other things. This week is only adult conversation groups so there could be a bit of please yourself going on. Time to light the fire and pour an end of day glass. Happy Sunday evening.. 

Saturday, 8 February 2014

Good to go in Sochi...








Older people shouldn't eat health food, they need all the preservatives they can get.

Good Morning... Sat 8th, 5.46, +0.1dg. There is a fresh skiff of snow outside, but in no way a traffic stopper. Mountain forecast is for snow on and off through until tomorrow evening, in fact they are saying light snow showers periodically through the week... here in the village they say fine.. go figure. Yesterday started dry and finished wet. Not winter temps as we had the Föhn making its presence felt. Yesterday was a busy day with people in and out the door... a women joined the Friday group as a test to see if the conversation group idea would suit her. She now waits to come in on another group that is setting up. A smile for me as her best friend also holds English conversation and she has chosen mine in preference.  I was forced to watch the opening of the Winter Olympics from Sochi on computer live stream last night ... could not get BBC on my English sky box ( thanks Bro ) as there was no satellite reception... The weather in England is so atrocious that I imagine it was disturbing reception for me here in Austria. I was debating locking the door at 5.55pm last night ... Moldovia had just come into the arena and I knew New Zealand would be coming in soon after... the delivery man had not arrived with my new chairs, grrrrr ... incoming delivery at 6pm, New Zealand into the arena five mins after he left. It is always such a wonderful moment when you see the best your country has to offer in their special discipline, come into the arena at an Olympic Games... games uniforms looking fab and the flag bearer wearing the traditional cloak, flag waving... Ohhh  Thankfully my loyalties do not have to be tested as I sit on the couch watching and cheering them on... Austria for the alpine skiing, and NZ rocking it in the halfpipe and slopestyle, and my money is on them for medals in these disciplines!! The New Zealand Olympic Committee named a 15-strong team for the Sochi Winter Olympics, with the nation's top freeskiers and snowboarders forming the beating heart of it. NZ talent on snow at its best. Today it is off to my cleaning job, recorder set for action from Sochi so I can watch at my leisure especially as the weather is not conducive to anything other than inside activities. So for me a quiet weekend on the couch. Enjoy