I didn't mean it, I just want you back for good

Sooooooooooooooo......17 days since a post and two people have begged me to blog. And I mean literally begged. They got down on their knees and threatened self harm if I didn't write. So rather than further burden the weakened back of the NHS with attempted suicides, I thought i'd best write.

By the way, in case you have any expectations, I doubt anything will be particularly interesting but who knows what might come out of my head?

So Christmas was fun. Lots of sleeping and playing old computer games. I managed to get a new highscore on every table of Pinball Fantasies on the old Amiga, which had stood for a good few years which gave me a good sense of inflated achievement. And then, as many of you know, I went to Wengen in Switzerland from the 26th to 2nd of January. Quite simply it was probably the best snowboarding trip I've been on (rivalling Tignes last Easter).

The snow was pretty much perfect with fresh poweder 4 days out of 6 and although it was apparently very cold (minus 17 C) you never really felt it. The powder meant I was able to keep Dixon (and his bother and my dadat bay for the morning) I rode with him, leaving them eating my proverbial snowy dust. Seeing my dad and Andy flounce around in knee deep snow was a sight to behold!

The people we went with we're also great. We were travelling through Oak Hall, which for those who don't know, is a cheap Christian holiday company. It is also particularly infamous for being a place for women scared of being left on the shelf to pick up husbands, leading to the alternative name, Bloke Hall holidays. Don't worry, I wasn't picked up, but what it did mean is that there were lots of fun people to hang out with. Most the people there were groups of friends in their late 20s (or my family), and it made for lots of fun.

The highlight of the whole week, however was not the discover of a real life Fawlty Towers, but of Shaun, the "professional" musician. He can't ski or snowboard (probably due to the lack of balance caused by his overhanging beergut), but he lives in a ski village, where he does nothing but do his work as a muscian. To be found in Sima's Pub almost every night, he'll belt all sorts of classics including Sting's Englishman in New York, James Blunt's You're Beautiful and Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight, and if you're lucky may even play most of the notes and not leave it all to his clever machines ("EasyJet charged me £180 to get this gear accross!").

Unless of course, he's drunk. Then he'll play Sting twice in a row and get bored and leave the stage. This however, leaves his guitar free for much fun to be had playing Perfect Day, Back For Good )featuring special duet from Shaun) and (this took balls frinm Ed) Beautiful One. Equally beautiful (in my humble opinion) was the certain character belting out Eternal Flame to rapturous cheers from the crowd. What a bar. Viva Apres Ski!

8 and a half hours sleep total over new years eve and the next night interspersed with 6 and half hours boarding wasn't much fun, but making fresh tracks in the powder was worth it! and now I'm back in beautiful Edinburgh. We had crazy fog weather on Wednesday which made the most grogeous sunset at dusk around the castle, but I didn't bring my camera (and had even held it in my hand before deciding not to take it out! grrr), so I can't show you how amazing this city is (again). And now it's so cold I can't type, so I'll leave you with pretty pictures.


Andy and Jason - Oak Hall stalwarts!

New Year flares

Clan Lindop

To the person who suggested it, we're not gay! Just happy

p.s. Does anyone else think Dry County is a flipping AMAZING song? How rock should be. 9:51 minutes (12:10 in the live version) of genius epic (November Rain falls in the same category).