Hannabella

The winds they are a changin'

Funny how much can change in a year innit...

Kaprun Kaos

Yes folkes, the end of March saw Hannabella, the new fella (the lovely Rusty), the VLDGPE and a gang of the usual suspects drag themselves off to Kaprun in the Austrian alps for a week of the usual debauched, drunken, daring deluge of snow action!
Now, in previous years, I think it is fair to say that the appropriate adjective to describe Hannabella's attitude to a skiing holiday, is HARDCORE! I'm a real 'first-lift-up last-run-down' kind of girl, and I think it's probably fair to say that I don't just burn the candle at both ends, I like to attack the whole frikking candle with a full on, alcohol fuelled blowtorch, raised from the belly of hell, from day one till the end of the week!

But, as the title of this post implies, there has been a bit of a change in recent times! Indeed, I think it came as somewhat of a suprise to the VLDGPE and a few of the usual suspects that, this year, Hannabella took a bit of a back seat, and well, even maybe took it easy on the slopes! There was no Brown-Owling this year, in fact, I barely looked at the piste map for the first day! And for once, I actually got to USE the sauna in the chalet! Yes people, this year, I discovered a new type of skiing holiday; at a more refined, gentler pace. I actually took time to enjoy lunch, there was no rush to queue angrily for the first lift, stamping on pushers-ins' skis whilst cramming like sardines onto the lift. And, if by 3pm I'd had enough, I didn't see it necessary to force myself to stay out till 4:30 to catch that last lift, and endure the mogled hell that is the run home at 5pm! No people, this year, Hannabella actually became the sort of 'fair-weather' skier she has so vehemently detested in previous years! I think this alarming change in Hannabella's approach to snowsports has stemmed from attending a fair few conferences in recent times at which she has skied with colleagues from 'the continent', for whom, a more relaxed approach to skiing is simply de rigeur dahling! Get me!

Having said all that, there was still an onslaught of alcohol-fuelled fierce and firey frolicks both on and off the piste. One notable comment from the Chalet rep (overheard by Rusty in the kitchen) along the lines of "What, they've drunk it all already?! but there's only 8 of them!" Referred to our consumption of complimentary wine with dinner, and the entire stock of the store-room in the chalet on the first or second night... And, although Hannabella managed to escape ailment-free (apart from a slightly dented ego after having to give up the board and go back to the trusty blades after the first run - less said about that the better), there were a fair few injuries in the group by the end of the week from some seriously hardcore snow action (Rusty's legendary 'Riggie-mortis', nose-bleed, injured shoulder, and 250 euros worth of stitches in his FOREHEAD, and Mr Weatherby's genuine snow-blindness), and dozens of aprez ski bruises all-round.

All that aside though, we were uber-lucky! The weather was awesome - yet another sunshine tour! And we were treated to apparently the best conditions of the season! I have to say, there really was some awesome powder out there for us, Kaprun has a glacier, so we got some excellent white stuff up there, and Zell am See next-door was looking good on the upper runs too! But it has to be said, that the piste of the week for Hannabella was the Maiskogel - gorgeous, wide, pistes, steep enough to let you scare yourself a bit, but still blast it down NFF style, and not another soul in sight, with the best mountain restaurant in the world by the side! PERFECT!

The other stuff

Just around the time of the ski holiday, Hannabella got the chance to do something she's not done for something like 6 years now: 'meet the parents'. Luckily, Rusty's Mum nearly swallowed me with all the kissin' so I think things went well there! Bit nerve-wracking though!

And, well, I'm pleased to report that the winter has finally lifted from Glasgow, and just the other weekend, Hannabella was out in flip-flops, 3/4-length trousers and a halter-neck enjoying a nice long walk in the sun (the highlight of which was being caught by a mountain-biker, bare bum, pants round mi ankles having a pee in the bushes!).

Bit of a blast from the past - an awesome visit from the lovely Tilesey last weekend. Good times - innit funny how you see an old friend you haven't seen for ages, but it feels like nothing's changed, and it's still just was wicked as it always was - nice one mate!

And last but not least, none of my summer clothes from last year fit me!! I've lost so much weight! Not good for the bank balance, but awesome news non-the-less! Especially seeing as my style has really changed - I'm wearing some left-overs that I can still get away with wearing without looking like I'm wearing a tent today, and I have to say, this flowery, flouncy, earthy vibe just isn't me anymore. I don't need all these ruffles to hide the flab nowadays - cos there isn't any anymore! Bring it on!

Glasgow women's 10k next month - watch this space for mi time, if the hip is up to the challenge! Grr!