Big Sky Montana

In March Stuart and I went skiing in Big Sky Montana having seen a commercial for it the previous year while we were in Breckenridge – ‘the biggest ski area in America’!  It is a bit of a hop to get there going via Denver into Bozeman and from there the public bus to our accommodation at the bottom of the mountain, just about an hour from the airport.
We decided to stay at Bucks T4 mainly because they offered a really good deal on lift passes and they had a bar with the best food in the area, and since we didn't have any transport booze and food were a great attraction for après ski  fun (plus there was also the outside hot tubs!)
We took the first free shuttle bus up the mountain every morning to be first in line when the lifts opened.  However, there was never any lines – what a difference from the bun fight at Tignes first thing in the morning!  

	First morning outside Bucks T4 waiting for the shuttle bus up the mountain.  Although Stuart was happy standing without his jacket – it was pretty chilly I was wearing all my thermals!
	First glimpse of Big Sky from the shuttle bus. The top of Big Sky is at about 14,000ft. The flat ground in the foreground is a golf course in the summer – I think you would need more than orange balls to play it at this time of year!
	Carving the white stuff with not a sole around that is what I call skiing – and look at the sunshine.

The only time in honesty we did have to wait for a lift was taking the gondola up to the peak.  We had gone from sea level to 14,000ft in a couple of hours and I had my first experience of altitude sickness.  When we got to the top it was very cold and windy and I started to feel short tempered and sick.  Stuart wanted to take photos but all I wanted to do was get down.  As we were going down I had a real urge to just lie down and go to sleep – but I knew if i could just lose some more altitude I would be alright.  I said to Stuart I would see him further down and almost immediately when I skied back to the tree line I started to feel better.  We never made back up there due to high winds that closed the gondola so I was glad we did when we did.
After a hard days skiing you need the après ski including a soak in the to rest those tired muscles.  Since we were staying a week and it appeared most people were only there for few days we quickly became the regulars and would get greeted by the bar staff get served our usual drinks – you know just like your local would!  Anyway we also managed to talk to other people at the bar and listen in to other peoples conversations!

	Hmm hot tube with beer and wine – very civilized! Just don't expose any part of your body above the waterline otherwise you will freeze!
	Bucks T4 make some of their own liquors – maybe some ideas for Demijohn!  There was bacon bourbon, apple cinnamon vodka and pineapple vanilla bean tequila!  We tried them all – the bacon one was a little strange but tasted ok!
	Then we made friends with a couple from Canada and we got talked in to doing a shot-ski!!  Yes, an old wooden ski with holes cut out for the shot glasses.  The trick is to all tip and drink at the same time
	otherwise you will be wearing your drink. Note set up and execution!
	all good – we are all smiling at the end!  I think I remember we did it twice!!

After a wonderful week of brilliant snow, empty runs and lots of great food it was hard to leave.  If you are thinking of a place to ski I would tell you to go here but then again I don’t want anyone else discovering it!

Bozeman Airport – security is grizzly!!

February around Houston

It was February hard to believe it had come around so quickly.  As always with February it started with Valentines day fever and even our regular monthly wine dinner had a love theme to it.  Just before heading to wine dinner though I decided I needed some exercise so got out the skipping rope – well that was a mistake.  I managed to pull my neck on the second bounce and that was it for sometime to come! 

However back to wine dinner and an assortment of food with love hearts!
Then one Saturday it was the St Arnold Brewery's pub crawl in the Heights.  So we met up with Danny and Laura for beer drinking.  Bit pointless for me as beer is not my favourite drink so instead I drank the softies while they drank the beer!  Again it was a great day and being outside at all these bars was perfect.  In the Heights you can just walk between the bars and on this pub crawl there was four to get stamps from for your free coosie!! (PS I must be holding Danny’s beer in the photo as Stuart has my OJ before you ask!)
At the end of February it is the BBQ cookoff – an event that runs ever year before the rodeo.  Lots of companies sponsor tents that cook BBQ food and serve free drinks all by invitation only.  So we went with John and Amy to one of the tents they had tickets to.  It was a night to dress up as a cowgirl and that is exactly what we did.  The drink choice was limited – Stuart and John had to suffer bud light while Amy, Laura and I had a choice of screwdrivers or margaritas (both hangover material!).  Let’s just say we made the most of free booze and food and it was fun!

More things in January

Writing this in the past reminds me of all the things we got up to in January.

	Feeding the ducks at Terry Hershey park with all the left over crusts from Christmas.  These are quite sizable ducks but I guess we are in Texas after all!
We played disc golf on a beautiful sunny day.  I cant remember who won I would like to say it was me but I suspect this time it was Stuart!
	Not Gretchen this was another doggy visitor we had back in January.  Laura was looking after a friends dog for the weekend called Brenan, a Wheaton terrier, who found our sofa very comfortable!
And finally to end the month we had a Burn’s Night supper!  Laura read a fine poem while Stuart did another fine address to the haggis – he is getting good at those! I have to add the Burn’s Night Supper was the night before the Houston half marathon!

Houston Half Marathon

I hadn't managed to get into the Houston half marathon but lucky for one of my colleagues who did couldn't do so I took her place.  Amy was running the marathon so I did not have anyone to run with except my iPod.  The morning was cool but not too bad but it was threatening thunder and lightening which could have stopped the race.  However on about mile 8 the heavens opened and we were kept cool and soggy by the rain but that was OK.  Laura came out to support in the crowds and I did eventually see her in the crowds that literally lined the entire half marathon course.  I got a personal best of 2:03 unfortunately I just couldn't get under the 2 hour mark so close! But would you believe the first marathon runner came through in 2:04!
Amy did fantastically well and Laura and I managed to cheer her in – well only once she shouted at us when she passed us because we missed her!!

Back to snowy UK

I took the opportunity to travel back home for a semi surprise visit to see Mum and Dad and the rest of the family.  It was a wonderful week and the weather was so good when I was home – a bit of snow and then sunny days – I couldn’t understand what everyone had been complaining about!!
Glenlair was like a winter wonderland on the second morning I woke up. Toby was enjoying snow!
It was so nice to see Mum and Dad and Toby it was hard to say goodbye after my three days passed so quickly.
I then left the farm and headed to Stobo Castle to meet up with Sam for a nights pampering.  It was rather slippery and slidey over the Beeftub but nothing my Ford Focus hire car couldn't handle. I arrived before Sam so went straight off to the gym for a bit of run followed by swim.  When she turned up we had the first of our treatments then we followed that with a swim fit class – and the lady could tell we were sisters because of our similar swimming styles!!  It was fun but by the time dinner came around I was starving.  That night we sneaked back to our room and drank the bottle of wine Mum had sent me away with!  The next morning was no more relaxing with aqua aerobics followed by circuit training and then a second treatment, lunch then off!! 
We left Stobo and headed straight to pick up Mariska and Thomas from school.  I found it really funny at Thomas’s school everything seemed so small – little doors, little rooms and smelt of wet smelly muddy socks – basically it brought back my memories of school!  We had a nice evening together and managed to help with homework. The following morning I was able to drop them at the school bus – Sam was very confused why I was so keen to go to the school bus so early but it was something different I guess. Sam took me to see her school – would you believe it was the first time I had seen where she worked and it was an impressive old building.
I am not sure why but I seemed only to only photograph the pets!
I drove Jude up to Angus’s while Sam was at work and we stopped at Tesco for some British goodies where she managed to run through out the car depositing white hairs on the black upholstery and setting off the car alarm!! 
That evening we were having a sibling night out in Edinburgh – basically curry followed by drinking – great night with some dancing thrown in.  It was also the night I discovered that I quite like whisky!
Mind you I suffered the next day as it was Chloe’s birthday bash at the bowling rink! 
It was hard to leave beautiful Scotland I do miss the hills and green!

Another year gone!

It was hard to believe it was another year to bring in the last one only seemed like yesterday.  This year we had two parties to go to and since they were in Midtown I decided to sit out the alcohol indulgence (especially after our Christmas party!)

First we went to Danny’s for an excellent big sit down dinner of many courses and I do believe the group consumed a very large amount of wine as well! There was lots of fun with party poppers as you can see!

Following our big dinner we rushed to Cecelia and Eric’s for the bells and got there in the nick of time!

Happy New Year!