Ski #6 and some other stuff

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It was cold and grey for skiing today so I left the camera at home.  I was expecting the snow to be slow but it was actually pretty good.  Shows how much I know.  It was one of those days that started at -26C and was up to -18C by the time I headed out at 4pm.  It's meant to be +1C tomorrow.  Go figure as they say.

In lieu of a picture of me standing still or of a tree covered in snow or of a nicely groomed trail, here is a young man entertaining the crowd during a ski race.


In other news, the week came to an almighty climax with Crystal's birthday on Friday.  She is 35 in case you are wondering and are too polite to ask.  We ordered Indian, made a pumpkin cake and went to the climbing gym.  Only because we couldn't get tickets to our favourite thrash metal band you understand.  My fear of heights is alive and well.  Not so much heights per se but of getting stuck at the top.  Anyway, I am safely back on the couch now.  Luckily I don't have this guy's job...  


That's right, two days after the city tree surgeons came to trim our tree the city's tree surgeons came to trim our tree.  This was a different crew.  Same entertainment value.  Some compensation for the $500+ that we pay every month in city taxes.  Ouch.

Oh and I should tell you that we now have a picture on our wall.  The big wall with no pictures now has a picture.  It's a montage of pictures of birds which we bought from a small art dealer that sometimes sells bespoke furniture.  That's not true.  It came from Ikea.  I saw it on their website and liked it and we went to buy it and it was only then that I realised that the patterning on the birds was in fact extracts from British maps.  The British Museum, Bath and Bristol, the Solent and Southampton Water all feature.  Go figure as they say.



Finally, I want to try giving up reading online news, specifically the Grauniad.  I think that if I devoted this time to reading about other interests of mine I would learn something rather than simply reinforcing my already formed views.  It's going to be tough.  The Guardian is entertaining, the writing is good and there is always something interesting to read.  I only read a fraction of the all the articles that catch my attention. So we'll see how long I last. Here's a good one to start with: Manual Front Wheel Lift on a website called Mountain Bike Techniques. But you see that has to compete with such treasures as: It used to be rude not to answer the phone. Now you’re rude if you do. One last time, go figure.
  

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