the only real difference is in the people you meet

[jawnbc]

toneyvr and I made it up to Cypress for some cross-country skiing this morning--early. We got there at 835, only to discover they now open at 900...though they opened 10 minutes early. It was very crunchy, but also very quiet. So we stomped our way up and across some green and blue runs before the ceremonial hot chocolate here:



Ritual is important, and when it's in fab place like this (wood-burning stove, crooked floors, memorability galore on the walls), it's all the more the pleasure. Then, since it was too icy for us to head all the way up (toneyvr gets stressed on icy black diamons...fair enough), we still had some gas in the tank for another stomp back up, across and to the car. Home by 1030!

I decided to make Irish Soda bread for St Patrick's Day on Monday...4.5 loaves actually. 1 for toneyvr to bring to work, 2 for my office, 1 for home and .5 (no raisins) for querrelle. I mixed and baked while watching the Swedish national final. In Sweden the Melodifestivalen final is the most watched programme of the year--edging out the actual Eurovision final for which they are selecting a song. Wholly predictably after finishing near the bottom last year (they send glam rock légere The Ark), they opted for a blond amazon schlager kween stomping in front of a wind machine to a song not terribly unlike ABBA. Make that faux ABBA.

Still, it was great entertainment, impecably produced, and the webcast looked great on my new HDTV (which doubles as a monitor).

Then we destroyed the bedlinens before having toasted chicken sandwiches for dinner. Now we're off to our gay hockey team's annual fundraiser. Hairy men in jockstraps + ice skating + dancing = fun!