We got the afternoon off on Christmas day, and so it was spent dancing on tables at the Follie Deuce and buying bottles of rose at 40 Euros a pop. Ouchy. Loud DJs, tons of people, Santas everywhere; it was fab. To get into the spirit (/look like a mug) I decorated my helmet in the bows and ribbons from my presents I'd opened earlier. The selotape did a good job (though I wasn't skiing fast enough for them to fall off).
Around 4pm I deteriorated...
Monday, 31 December 2012
Monday, 24 December 2012
What day is it?
At some point this week I went out and drank a lot.
At some point this week I had another lesson with Laurent and it was going fine and then I went over some mounds, screamed, then ended up front flipping several times into the powder with both skis lost in neck deep snow. Laurent gave me a Mars bar so I was OK... but yes, that was the end of the lesson and I went back down the mountain in the cable car and in a huff. I hate not...
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Breakfast hosting is my favourite. Bar the initial stress and eeshk of waking up pre 7am and then speed walking to the cash and carry and bakery in a horizontal blasting snow blizzard, it's actually quite good fun. You just have to watch out for the mega snow ploughs and piste bashers as the sun rises and sprint in the opposite direction whilst carrying pastries et une baguette. Luckily all the clients have been lovely though and as long as you...
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Note: I'm writing this whilst really ill and PISSED OFF.
No, we haven't had a day off yet.
Yes, I've spent a fortune on food (Milka) and drink (vodka). My diet is basically Milka, cheese, bread, vodka and different varieties of Milka.
I've experienced my first hangover at altitude which is basically quadruple the non-fun and I look like death on a stick.
Our first day of skiing was so beautiful but then I fell down and remembered I'm...
'Here's your accommodation - it's cosy!'
Cosy is a word I use for when I'm on the sofa curled up in a ball reading some trashy magazine about some trashy celeb I know nothing about whilst the fire's blazing and I have a blanket and a fat cushion. Cosy is not a teeny one room apartment that combines the kitchen/diner/bedroom adjoined with a shoebox double-bunk room attached to a bathroom that is potentially bigger than bunk room.
There are 4 of us...
Sunday, 4 November 2012
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Last Sunday I ran my first half-marathon. 5 degrees and a chilly wind meant that even after initial cursing (f f f f-ing freezingggg) it was OK to run in.
Waiting for the start with my fellow penners, I found that crouching conserved warmth and heated the air around me in a little swirl of goodness. Once we were off I started a little fast, I thought, but then I just kinda...
Monday, 29 October 2012
The days are shorter and the cold draws in, shoulders hunch and you catch yawns off sleepy passers by who remind you you're sleepier too.* As your summer freckles fade and you delve into those bottom drawers for opaque tights, there's a little change in everyone.
For me, it seems that this time of year always gives me a good kicking - puts things into perspective and encourages me to do something different. This time last year I was in Nepal...
Saturday, 7 July 2012
At the beginning of the year I joined a running club at work. Prior to that, I simply ran for the hell of it. Usually because I'd eaten a whole cake the day before, or something. I'd never taken it seriously, nor particularly enjoyed it. Heckles and beeps from builders and white van men were not taken in my stride* and would result in a speedy change of direction en route.
I was mega self-conscious about everything; from my wonky running style...
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
I remember my first pair of jeans. They were electric blue, from Gap kids, and had an elasticated waist with a fake zipper and big button. I wore them every weekend with either my Gap hoodie or Next hoodie. One day the button fell off: devastating! That signalled the end of my tom-boy era, I think.
Years later, my love of hoodies and elasticated waists has not faltered, though I have adjusted my everyday preferences slightly: hoodies and body-con...
Friday, 16 March 2012
When I'm travelling anywhere, most likely I'll see the majority of people thumb-smacking their phone keys, swiping a swish swizzle on their iPads, holding a Kindle (woe), or maybe just reading a book or the paper.
We become so engrossed in these activities that our spine suffers: contorting and stiffening while our focus remains with what's held in our hands, our gaze...
Saturday, 4 February 2012
*SWEEPS AWAY VIRTUAL LAYER OF DUST ACCUMULATED ON TOP OF BLOG*
My blog-writing style combines sitting, looking, tea-making, staring, glaring, cursor-moving, cursing, deleting, deleting more, etc. Not a good combo and hence why there has been so little content on the Kactus Plant for some time. However, I have tried to kick my lazy brain into gear to write a little...
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