January 2005 we had visitors from the Netherlands: namely Josca and Dirk, who took us out for a week-end in Andermatt. We sledged, I crawled backwards on the piste for 10 km with the snowboard attached to me, until I guessed it would be faster to take it off and walk holding it... It's all very good, but is it... entertainment?! Not for me obviously, and don't start the - how come? you ARE from Russia? gags! I am not made for either skiing or boarding downhills, the only thing I can do well downhill is roll cheese, well I have never tried, but very eager! Alright?!Yes I am 35 and all I can do is sledge, please, continue laughing... if you must! And yeah! I look really good in all the gear, but that's when I am standing with both feet firmly planted in the snow, as soon as I move though, what? yes. I fall indeed. Very confidently, too.
Josca and Dirk ski really well! John had fun snowboarding, too. That's at least until he finished the day, bent down to take the board off, fell backwards, knocked himself out, and came back in 25 minutes to his senses losing his short term memory... Pays to have two doctors visiting, but I tell you, that was one of the longest nights I remember... Every five minutes almost to the second his memory would "reset" and he would ask me again and again the loop of the same questions, like how did we get to the hotel? Did I drive? What has happened? Did the kids have dinner? and so on and so forth, after four hours (multiply by twelve times an hour) and getting closer to midnight I decided that he won't remember anyway, and started answering with the first thing that popped into my head, like we flew in a helicopter, you were hit by a meteorite, and so on... He might be cross with me now, but that's what stopped me from strangling him then, so I say, whatever works for you... No?
The village of Andermatt was beautiful, and John wanted to go snowboarding again the next day, and it took all my persuasion and both doctors to prevent him... he couldn't remember doing it the day before you see...
Just before the operation we went to our Carona botanical gardens up the hill for a walk, what a splendid view, what a sunny crispy day, how much fun for all the family!
Papa's knees are tired, he needs to rest, well, the faithful daughter will wait for him...
Come on Papa! You have had your rest, we walk on now! Come with me!
Waiting for papa to come out of the hospital, we have made bunny-guards to greet him, he claims we didn't visit him a lot, but what with mama not driving and being snowed in on Friday and the roads not being cleared till Sunday night... well, we went to collect him, didn't we?!
December 2005 - we are comfortable with where we are, we understand enough of Italian now and start talking back. The house feels like ours, and the girls have fun everywhere and anywhere.
John is still on the crutches but walking around and clearing snow, too. Bless him.
