Happy Christmas

I am sorry that I am not able to call everyone and wish them a happy Christmas as we have somehow come without any telephone numbers. Anyway I hope that you are all having a good time.

We have been skiing and sledging and generally relaxing around Boulder in the snow. Despite the bad press that the place sometimes receives from some residents, we like it a lot here.

As you can see we are having a white Christmas, it has been snowing all morning and so far there is about 10cm.

This morning we had a big present opening session after breakfast and J thoroughly enjoyed himself with all of the gifts.

Thanks to everyone for the presents.

J gets a yanky haircut

Despite appearances, this was not an experience that J enjoyed much. However we can report that the haircut was a success and we are all impressed with the results.

Yesterday we went to Golden (where I bought my tele skis), the home of Coors beer and and biggest brewery in the world. We had lunch in a redneck bar which included 2 unusual experiences, bulls testicles and someone we had never met bought us a beer (along with the other half dozen people in the bar)

Today we have walked into Boulder and generally strolled about enjoying the the free time...

before going to Med for the tapas happy hour which has become a regular feature of our Boulder trips.

Here and tired

The journey seemed much longer with J than it did 3 weeks ago on my own, but we are here, safe and sound.
It was cold for our first sledging trip yesterday, but today has been a bit warmer and we are planning skiing tomorrow after J has his first proper haircut (meaning not done by me!) I'll post some pictures after all of that excitement, but in the meantime we are about to pig out again on pasta with meatballs after my home made bagels this morning which were a big hit.

The idea room

This is where we are working at the moment.

Like an 80s children's television set but built this year!

Dark dark dark

We are entering the time of year when it never seems to get light, it is almost 9:00 am at the moment and almost completely dark still here in Aalborg. I didn't notice when it got dark last night, but I guess it was around 3:00.

It was a crazy day yesterday as we are trying to finish our work before the end of the day today so that we meet our deadline and can relax over the Christmas break. As a result we worked a lot of hours yesterday and will drink a lot of coffee today.

I can't believe how busy my first 2 weeks have been in this job, but I am really enjoying it.

Tomorrow we'll be up early and off to CPH with a baby jogger.

Push chair controversy

I am surprised, but happy that the pushchair conundrum has attracted at least one or two comments. Perhaps I should have explained that we are planning something more like hiking than simple drudges around M&S.

I think we are more or less decided on the baby jogger (for now).
For those of you who read blog written by non-family members (ajen?) I am pretty chuffed that it seems the author of this well known blog turned book has commented here... twice!
Wow, I suddenly feel like giving up work to become a writer...

Aalborg again

Not much changes here in Aalborg, it is dark and damp but the furniture is rather funky.

Yesterday was a quiet day at work and then an evening of packing to come to Aalborg again and packing for out big trip on Friday.

We are having a lot of discussions about which pushchair to take and so far it looks like the baby jogger has the edge as it is good on rough ground and snow, sort of folds up and isn't too heavy. (Ours is dark green which makes no difference at all.)

The bugaboo looses out on size and needing to break into 2 pieces to fold up

and the Maclaren looses out by being rubbish on anything remotely bumpy...

As there has been a lot of snow and MK is determined that we should get some exercise whilst we are in Boulder, I think the jogger is probably the only option.

Christmas part 1

It has started! I had a hangover before I got home at 2 on Saturday morning that persisted until after lunch when we were already prepared for the 1st family Christmas event of the season. MK's parents and grand parents came for dinner with K&L. They were armed with gifts as usually and by the end of it J was really getting the hang of distributing and opening presents!

Thank you everyone for all of the kind gifts.

Today we are back to work for a short week before heading off to the Rocky Mountain State for Christmas proper with W&M and a lot of snow apparently. We are looking forward to sledging and skiing for a couple of weeks...

Danish Christmas Party

Tomorrow is Christmas party day for both MK and I at our new jobs. I am not sure where hers is (other than it is in Copenhagen) but mine will be in Viborg.

The standard format for these things is:

• Early start
  
• Plenty to drink



• Plenty to eat


• Loss of coherence before it is dark (approx 3:45pm)

We are beginning with a beer tasting session before we eat and then I guess moving on to a beer and schnapps consuming session with less emphasis on the tasting.

My worry is that I have to take a train home at 9:30 that arrives in Ringsted at about 2am, I hope I don't sleep until Copenhagen...

Here is J at the zoo in September just because I haven't seen him much recently.

Busy Bees

Both MK and I have been very busy so far this week albeit in different parts of the country. I have been thrown in at the deep end in my new job and it is turning out to be good fun even if it was and still is somewhat daunting to be given a project about which you know almost nothing and told to get one with it when there are 4 of your own colleagues and 4 customers booked to spend 3 days in workshops with you.

The weather in Aalborg is awful today so we have eaten at the hotel buffet; frankly the canteen at work was better!

More of the same tomorrow although we have the Christmas party on Friday to look forward to...

Aalborg

I am in Aalborg at the moment working in this rather nice building overlooking the harbor. I am staying in the quality hotel with a South African guy from London and a Swede from Gothenburg which is actually OK.

Aalborg seems like an OK place and we were amazed that the first restaurant we went to was full which is pretty amazing for a Tuesday night.

It is really hard being away from home at the moment and I feel really bad that MK is stuck with J during month end whilst I am away for the whole week. At least we are going to have a couple of weeks together over Christmas...

Back in the saddle

Unfortunately that is just a metaphor for being back in an office chair.
J has a really bad cough which kept us all up quite a lot last night and then I had to get up at 4:40 to get the train accross Denmark to Viborg to start my new job. I got here at about 10:00 swearing that I will fly next time.

I have my new Dell laptop which is nice and shiney and even seems different as it has Windows Vista! Everyone has been very friendly and I think it will be fun working here.

It is a shame that I have to be away for the whole week, especially as MK has month end to deal with as well as a sick J. I hope he gets better quickly and that their week goes relatively smoothly.

Tonight I am staying in Aalborg, I haven't been there before so you can get my impression tomorrow...

Home again and the weather is s#%t

The journey home was just as smooth as the outbound one with both planes landing half an hourearly. MK and J were waiting for me (a long time for the bags) which was a wonderful surprise. I have spent the afternoon having a nap and putting up the finishing touches in the kitchen such as the notice board, clock and hooks.

The week in Boulder was really nice and relaxing although my legs are still aching from thetelemarking. Thanks a lot to Dad and M for putting me up and lending me the cars.

I have 9 days of work to do before we head back there which will be fun with MK and J in tow. Unfortunatley my first week in my new job will involve 4 nights away from home and the second will have 2 so I will not have spent much time with the family before we head back across the Atlantic.