Stupid Passport

Well, I left my passport at the condo in Austria but still got to Paris ok. Luckily there is time to have it mailed to me so I will not have to cancel it and get a new one. Is not life grand.

My Camera is Evil, But I'm Alive

For those of you who know the sad story of how my camera got dropped on it's lens the first day I had it causing $150 in damage this will sound unfortunately familer. But with a happier ending.
So, it snowed today, which the slopes desperately needed but which also caused almost white out conditions at the top of the mountain. Now picture me on a snowboard, which is odd because I don't snowboard for very good reason, I'm bad at it. After a few landings on my rear I had a nice slam onto the icy run but first followed by my head at full speed. I was done snowboarding and decided to walk the rest of the way down. Here is where it gets good, I decide to take a "short cut" down a powdery slope using the board as a sled. This is probably the only place here that has 2-3 ft of powder and I end up struggling my way down but make it in one piece. At this point I realize that I have lost my camera and Rachelle's goggles, which were attached to the camera, somewhere in the powder. I started crying, cause it took me 15-20 minutes just to get down that thing. I realize that my current best option is to get down to the bottom, get my skis back and come down the slope in them. Unfortunetaly by the time I get back to the top of the lift I cam barely see and going down the slope is not an option. So I ski down to where I came out, remove the skis and start climbing up. I must have climbed for at least half an hour and I almost gave up hope. I decide to get up to the next ridge so I can see farther and if I don't see anything just give up. I was extatic when I saw the goggles, and thus my camera at about 20 ft further on. I am so tired but I have my camera and it works and I am going to sleep good on the train to Paris.
I'm gonna go take some advil now so see ya'll on the flipside.

Snow Shmow

Well, I have completed my first full day of skiing in the Austrian Alps and while I am quite tired I am a bit disapointed as well. All this bug hullabaloo about European skiing seems out of place when I would easily rate Mt Hood Meadows or Timberline above Murau. However, as I have much missed skiing it is still quite enjoyable and I look forward to being completely pooped my first day in Paris.