The last couple of weeks have been wonderfully crazy. Michael Shivers and his wife, Laurie, came to visit and we've had a ball catching up. We all went to Le Soleil one evening to play pool, and they came up for fondue another night. I've loved hearing his loud laugh as I walk downstairs on occasion... it's good to reminisce a little, especially with him, as he was the very first person I met here way back in 2003. Funny how things change, who would have guessed? Today Frankie arrived, and Daniella and Juanita are stopping in at the end of the week, and it's a blast to see all these familiar faces.
With Spring springing forth, outdoor activities are on the rise, and it feels so good to stretch out and run around again now that the ice has thawed. On Sunday I took a long walk down Panex and took lots of pictures, several of which are posted below. I love walking along and seeing the crocuses and other wildflowers beginning to poke their heads up, and then rounding a bend and seeing a snow covered field spread before me. Yesterday was so unbelievably warm that 9 of us bared down to shorts and t-shirts and played a game of soccer on the volleyball court. It was my very first time to play, and I can't wait to do it again. We played 3 on 3 with a team rotation at each goal, but even with the rests every once and a while, it was exhausting. Anna, Tobias and I put up a good fight, but I think the day ultimately went to Danny, Patrick and Thomas with Adrienne, Dan and Eden posting a close second. Afterwards, we ladies left the boys and headed up to the targets to enjoy the last vestiges of the sun, toasting the day with a cold beer. What a terrific day.
Monday, March 27, 2006
My favorite spot on Panex Road. The photo is taken from my perch on the stack of logs facing the shed, which is where I do my best thinking. For whatever reason, something about this old structure at the top of the path makes me really happy.
Michael Shivers and his wife Laurie - it's so good to see old friends come through and take them to the new haunts
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Today on our day off, I decided to try something completely new: cross-country skiing. Eden, Maria, Fallon and I headed out this morning to Col de la Croix, a beautiful mountain pass that we hike in the summer across the ridge, and that is home to a great ski track during winter. Of us, only Eden had gone cross-country before, and Fallon had never even been on skis. Needless to say, it was a very entertaining day. I learned the hard way that on skinny, light skis you just don't have the same amount of control, and on a downhill section I completely tumbled after nearly doing the splits while trying to wedge to a stop. I didn't have to feel too bad, though, as everyone but Eden spent ample time on their butts. In a particulary hysterical moment, Fallon tried to go downhilling on a slope we were crossing and ended up poised in the middle of about a thousand ski classes and downhill racers.
After an hour or so of exhausting ourselves, we stopped at La Buvette to chat and have a cup of mulled wine before skiing back to the car. It was so gorgeous - the sun was shining and we were able to sit outside and enjoy the view. Have I mentioned that I really love Switzerland?
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
On Sunday for Eden's High Tea we had a 'Ridiculously Good Looking' themed dance party at Club Bellevue, complete with a walk-off to "I'm too sexy". If you haven't seen Zoolander, well, go see it and then it will all make more sense. Everyone did a great job with their costumes... but for some reason it seems that most of the guys think that dress-up means to get in touch with their feminine side. Huh.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Sock Puppet Theater
I had my high tea this Sunday, and it ended up being a blast. Adrienne, Peggy, Sarah, Turbo (aka Allison) and I spent the afternoon preparing a fiesta for our mouths with a spread of veggie fajitas (with homemade tortillas), black beans, rice and all the fixin's for dinner. MmmmFajitas. After dinner was over, the evening's entertainment commenced, for which I must give credit to Dave G. for giving me the idea. We split into teams, with our intrepid helpers acting as team leaders, and then each team wrote down a scenario for one of the other teams to act out. We randomly picked, and then everyone had 30 minutes to create both sock puppets and a play to perform for the rest of the group. We had Team Patrick doing 'The Trial and Death of Sockrates", Team Luz giving us the thoughts of everyone at table during Eden's silent formal meal, Team Thomas with Celebrity Love Connection, Team Adrienne with an interesting version of Rapunzel in which she loses her hair and is courted by a gay French philosopher, Team Fallon with a scene from 'The Godsock', and finally, Team Dave with "The Sadist and the Masochist", a one-line play. It all had the potential to suck on a grand scale, but everyone got into it and made it fun. Phew.
Team Thomas (with Jesse, Eden, Elizabeth and Dan) creating an extravagantly coiffed J-Lo puppet for Celebrity Love Connection, where J-Lo (magnificently voiced by Jesse) must choose between Sean Connery, The Arnold, and Satan. Lucky girl.
Team Fallon (with Peggy, Sterling and Giordana) creating a puntastic version of the Godsock, in which Sockula is ordered by the Don to kill an old Jewish candy store owner over some sockers. You get the picture...
Maria has had just about enough of Andy, Tobias and Chad as they struggle to put together something to present at the last minute. Hence 'The Sadist'. Poor girl.
Team Dave treated us to the shortest play in sock puppet history: The Sadist and the Masochist. Go team?
