There and back again.

Writing, is not necessarily something to be ashamed of — but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once.

Robert A Heinlein, Author

(I've been reading a lot of Heinlein lately, so he's on my mind)

So we're back from Vegas and it's Wednesday of my first week at school in 2008. In some ways a very different start to 2007, but very similar in many respects. I am already exhausted and most of the day it feels like I never left, but from time to time I remember the things I have seen and done and I smile. We've been far too busy for me to catch you all up in one blog so I'll spread it out. Also, this week is marking hell so it might have to wait till next week but I'll try and fill you all before my birthday on Thursday next week.

Forgoing the holiday entirely, let's begin with last night and our first hockey game. As I have mentioned Victoria is volunteering as a leader with the local girl guides, the pathfinders. She is out with them now making plans for their winter camping trip next month. Tents in the snow? Silly idea if you ask me but then again these girls have to live in this ridiculous climate, I suppose it'll do them good to get toughened up a bit. Anyway, being a member of the girl guides Vicky gets complementary tickets to the women's under-18 ice hockey world cup (they just call it hockey over here, no need to specify). We saw one of the opening games, the hosts vs Germany.

It was a hell of a game, fast paced and high scoring with Canada emerging victorious, the final score being 10-1. I was amazed how quickly those girls moved around and not surprised that they substituted most or all of the team every minute or two in a rolling programme off the bench. Those girls were doing the equivalent of sprinting on ice so they get tired pretty quickly. That's why hockey teams are so very big. 17 people to put 5 players and a goalie on the ice. And those goalies! I know they're wearing a lot of padding, but those girls proved me wrong because I always thought it must take balls to put yourself in front of a puck flying at 100mph. Anywhere else they'd call that a missile.

At some point I'm going to need someone to explain when charging into someone on a pair of knives and hitting them with a stick is allowed and when the rules preclude it. I could not work out why players were sent to the sin bin sometimes and not others. Still, they did prove that it's perfectly possible to play an hour of hockey (in 3 periods of 20 minutes) without squaring off at centre ice for fistycuffs like the boys do.

To cap it all I had beer and popcorn while the team I was cheering won. How could a night be any better!

We did chuckle on the way out. We picked up the team sheet with all the players stats on it, and I think it's a little unkind to print the height and weight of a bunch of 17 year olds. I'm sure their self-confidence is fairly high what with making the national team, but it can't be nice to have your size details out there for all the world to see.

So the holiday part one:

We started at Panorama, a 4 hour drive down on the Saturday took us to our room about 10 meters from the chair lift. We drove through the snow, optimistic of skiing conditions on the mountain. En-route we stopped at Radium hot springs where we floated around in super hot water while moonlit snow fell out of the chilly night sky past the steep sandstone cliffs. A truly beautiful sight and one you should all experience sometime. There were hot springs (possibly not natural) at Panorama too. An excellent place to soak aching muscles after a day on the piste, getting ready for a night on the ...

Panorama was also home to the only really pubby feeling pub we've encountered in the West of Canada. The Jackpine was a down to earth little establishment run by a local volunteer fireman. Around the world one thing I have found to be true is that good landlords run good pubs, and Bruce was definitely a good 'un. You could sit at the bar, pay for your drinks as you went and anyone looking to have a peaceful beer or a boisterous few was made personally welcome. Darts and pool topped it off nicely, along with a reasonable ale.

Two paragraphs and no word about the skiing! Well, it snowed a lot, which is good. The mountain was big so we found a wide variety of pistes to entertain us, but best of all were the mountain friends. These guys volunteer to take groups out and show them around the mountain in return for a free skipass. Going with experienced locals gave us the confidence to push ourselves and the group structure meant that Vic and I could ski together or apart as we saw fit. Vic is way more confident and as yet more skilled on her board than I am on my skis, so we could both push ourselves with groups at the right level, or she could slum, it with me and take it easy. She did a bit of both, sometime carving fresh tracks through virgin powder off the summit of the mountain, looking like people in those extreme snowboard videos weaving through trees and up to her armpits in snow, sometimes with me on the blue and black runs I was gaining confidence and skill on. I was lucky enough that one member of my group was Keith, an ex-army ski instructor who gave me so many tips you can only call it a free lesson; thanks Keith, it definitely did the trick. He helped me really carve my turns and find a way to make the skis bite on ice.

Christmas eve saw us open presents after a nice turkey dinner. Many thanks for my outstanding fashionista scarf, Mum, thanks for the pigs Dad and a good set of handy nick-nacks from Jim n Eve; bookmark put to immediate use. I toasted all of your health with a dram of 12-year old Bowmore my gorgeous wife bought me. I had already opened my 'truck-nuts' from Carmen before we left; a giant pair of plastic testicles you can hang off the back of your truck. Not having a truck I don't know where to put mine at the mo. Currently they function as a ridiculous pull on the blinds in the kitchen.

We both enjoyed our time there apart from the loud noise from the bar keeping us awake at 2pm on two of the nights, the king size bed which was really two singles pushed together with a consequent gap down the middle and the fobbing off we got from guest services when we complained about these things. It was a great mountain to ski, but try not to stay at the budget end if you want a comfortable stay. I'm not sure we'll be going back.

Anyway, we drove our weary way home after 3 days hard skiing on Christmas Day, where it was nice to feel at home again. We had a few days lounging around, I had a snowboard lesson (and I think I've cracked it but for a little practice) and we went to the cinema a few times to see Charlie Wilson's War (9 out of 10), PS I Love you (8 out of ten, but it did even get me a bit weepy and Vic cried throughout) and Sweeney Todd (another 8, this one not V's cup of tea so I went with Carmen).

It was nice to take a little time to relax, ready for the next vacation onslaught.

The rest will have to come later...