e is away....: Merry Christmas!

Greetings from balmy Austria! it is like spring here, which is bad for people who like to ski in the wilderness. Thomas had a hell of a time. They went with "skins" (device on the bottom of their skis which enable them to walk up hill) and then when it was time to go down, had to contend with horrible icy, crusty snow through the trees. He said his skis were faster than the guides and he kept almost over taking him on this narrow way down with a genuine fear that this time, he would not be able to stop and end up in Innsbruck.
Harumi and I spent two hours dissecting my ready position. Seems to have helped-she is happy.

Best part of the day was when I was sitting with the S family at lunch. They joke that I am in charge of the ski race this year and I said that I thought it would be more fun if we challenged the rival five star hotel-the Gasthof Post. So we are laughing..batting around an America's cup type thing: where the two hotels compete for glory and the winner gets to make the rules (as in the sailing race)...and the hotel with the top 20 race times wins. All guests and staff welcome. Well Mrs. S listens to this, and in a move that made me love her even more than I loved her before...an act of such decisive action, of supreme Austrian bad ass backbone, she says, simply: Gerold, pass me the (goddamn- my words not hers, but they were in the air) phone. And with one arm on her seat cushion, and an exasperated look on her face asks for the Post's owner. Sigh. Yes I will wait. Yes tell her I called.
I turned to her son and said: Now that is what a hotel owner looks like!
Also when someone suggested another five star hotel (that shall remain nameless) She snorted and said "I don't think those (pansies- again my word but it was in the air...) even ski. " I mean she is so beyond....
So it looks like game on people. The owner called back and said she thinks she could get a group together. Who knows where this will go? uniforms? pranks over the years stealing the cup from its place in the window? steroids? One well-born Arab friend heard the proposal and said he was all in, but immediately accused them of cheating. I mean it-we told him the idea and he said: TRUST BUT VERIFY! We said verify what? doping? checking bode miller in as a guest? That is the point..there are no rules. (One understand why there is so little hope for harmony in the Middle East).
As usual Christmas eve (they call it holy evening) was a romantic night. We assemble in our room for champagne and presents, then go downstairs for Christmas singing and dinner.

It is very pretty and kind of sentimental and always the same. Plus everyone looks good in the semi darkness.
I told G to make an announcement that for the next few days no alcohol would be served to any potential racer. He did not. Mrs. S (exactly as I thought) is now scouting for the very best talent in the kitchen. She seems to think we have some real ski bums hiding under those chefs hats.....and who knows? maybe my ready position will enable me to somehow, someway help the cause.