Skiing season has been opened

Finally-finally-finally we have got snow! So we properly used the first chance to go skiing this weekend. Cross-country, as we do not have any mountains here around Tallinn. 32km is not bad for skiing season opening, I think. There is some reason for being so active. The story started already last year when I got skies as a present for my birthday. This autumn, with some influence from Kaido, I decided that the present has to be used properly, and I registered myself to Tartu Maraton. Yes, that's 63km. When I signed up, then I planned to have training for half December and all January. Well, there was just no snow..., and my training plan has totally failed so far. So we'll see if and how I survive this marathon :))

Another business trip

I've never seen so many kids in one airport than in Budapest on last Friday evening. Perhaps the effect was exaggerated by the fact that the terminal is not so large and all of them were in one place. However, I still think that it was more than usually as many of them were also on my flight, including 4 babies... Despite in general I like kids, this time I was really happy that Economist had so interesting articles that it helped to shut out great part of the noise going on during that flight.

And yes, I already expected that my luck with luggage has been too long, and finally it's over. This time it was me who stayed the last one to wait for the bag which didn't come. Luckily it arrived the next day, but Estonian Air, providing lost luggage service in the Tallinn airport, receives minus points from me. I was promised to deliver my luggage in 1 hour after next flight arrives in Tallinn. When I called next day the service, the other service person told, that it is nonsense, and bag is going to be delivered in 3 hours. In addition she tried to tell me that flight with my luggage was late, and it was the reason why the luggage is not yet delivered, although in internet on-line flight information it was visible that flight has arrived 5 minutes early. Telling lies and inconsistent information - that's really disappointing service.

Grāfs un grāfiene fon Pelītes

Once upon a time we got married. As one of the wedding gifts we received a flight with air-balloon. Then I promised to some people to tell how it was, so here it comes.
We actually did it already last October hoping for autumn colours, but it turned out to be one week too early. Nevertheless, we managed to get some autumn joys like picking chestnuts. After all, one cannot be too picky with flying times if it's necessary to announce at least 1 week in advance, come from Estonia to Latvia, account for absence of too strong wind or rain etc.
The title of this post comes from our honorary names assigned to everybody who has flown a balloon in Latvia. This derives from the place where we landed. It turned out to be a field close to country house named "Pelītes", so we got it as grāfs (count in English) and grāfiene (countess) fon Pelītes. The rest you can see in pictures, except for something what cannot be told - you have to try it yourselves.

...

It comes out that coming of new year is something similar to national disaster after which:
- there are no newspapers
- shelves in the shops are empty (even no bread, not speaking about smoked salmon or cherry tomatoes; it reminds me of Soviet times when one had to take what was available and not what was desired)
- no Terevisioon
- no reasonable food in the canteen

Next year I'll try to be smarter, and before year change I will stock up buy suhari, pasta and canned tomatoes to survive.

New month has started!

Good - December is over, and I have survived it quite ok, except for 2 additional kilos. Somehow in recent years December has become the worst, sorry, the most challenging month of the year: Christmas events (many of them, and food-food-food), lots of birthdays, lots of work, no time for sports (and there is no snow anyway) and so on. But now it's over, and life can get only better.
Farewell to the old year was fair enough, it was the most IT-driven in my life: reinstalling computer which is quite an event for me if I have to do it myself. Then I filled the hole in my movie experience and finally saw the Borat thing. Well, I'm happy that I didn't pay money for that, but now, at least, I can participate in conversations, although perhaps its an outdated topic. And then some sauna party in the old town which gave the right to sleep till noon today.
Start of new year has also not bad at all, got some tasty chicken soup instead of promised pancakes, met good friends, and won them in table game :P