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Published: December 30th 2006
Oh my God! I have just been followed here by a wolf! I was so scared. At first I thought it was an Alsatian and still not best pleased seeing as I hate dogs and have to cross the road to avoid them. However, when I got closer I realised it was a giant wolf! It followed me all the way to Powder Monkey, where I am now. I hope it's not like the littlest hobo and waiting outside for me...
Anyway, Merry Crimbo and a Happy New Year to everybody! I hope you have all had a fab time over-indulging and escaping work for a few weeks.
We have been so busy here that it has flown by in a bit of a blur although that's probably a good thing as we got a little bit upset on Christmas day. Well actually, I was hard but Angus was a little wuss and then made me all sad too. We are now in our second week of guests who go home tomorrow and then it's a case of learning loads of names and who's related to who again.
The first week of guests were our guinea pigs and luckily
it all went smoothly, with no major cooking disasters. Some nights we have stayed in playing games with them and drinking the chalet wine-yummy!The difference between a chalet and a hotel is pointed out on a yellow card in each room. It states that we are fellow 'housemates' and not slaves etc. However, the first week we seemed to be washing up constantly and running round trying to meet all of the demands and requests. We would finish dinner/clearing up by 10pm ish and then head out for a few much earnt beers but by the time we got back the chalet would be covered in dirty wine glasses again which we had to wash up before bed-grrr! However, this week the guests have been great, washed up quite a bit and keep giving us sweets and wine-yey! One of them also dressed up in a giant, inflatable Santa oufit on Crimbo day. The dinner was a success and we made a massive mince pie for pudding which seemed to go down rather well. We got up at 7 to quickly open pressies then rushed downstairs to make scrambled eggs, salmon and bucks fizz for everyone. Surprisingly, with a whole
day of skiing in front of them, the idea of alcohol wasn't very popular with the guests, so Angus and I polished it off until midday whilst cooking and then went out for a few hours skiing. I am so poo when Angus is around so we would go on the lift together and then he would ski so I couldn't see him and do snazzy jumps.
I'm afraid I lied in the last blog about us all getting on well together. We have a major problem with the Oz guy as we all hate him! He is lazy, goes to bed instead of mucking in, sexist, racist, arrogant, messy, took the piss out of a disabled guy, drink drives, and always goes on about pulling and drugs. Basically he hardly talks to Mel and I cause we are not 'available' and has no respect for us. Anyway, I have had to confront him 3 times about not helping out etc as the boys are too scared to do it but felt the same. He just laughed in my face and walked off. It was so obvious last week to the guests that me and Angus are doing 10 hour days (7-12 then a bit of skiing and then 5-10) that we got 200 Euros in tips and told to not share them with anyone else! Hopefully it will all be sorted out soon as we have threatened to leave although I know secretly that we won't. We did not come here to do other peoles work whilst they go skiing all day and I get dishpan hands and dizzy from bleach fumes-haha!
On a lighter note I shall talk more about the guests. It is so nice meeting all of these different people and where they are from etc. Sunday is a bit scary when they arrive as we don't know what to expect and if they will like us. However, usually after a bit of cake, mulled wine (which we make and forgot to strain in the first week hence lots of spitting out of cloves-oops)and our terrible welcome speech they seem to be quite chatty and compliment our cooking lots-yey! We did get asked if it all came out of the microwave-the cheek!
This week has been rather tricky with the whole logistics and timing of the cooking as we have had 1 veggie, 2 no dairy and one of those also has to have gluten free. Working out the menus is easy but trying to cook 4 different meals with only 2 ovens and not contaminate the pans takes a lot of concentration. Angus learnt the hard way when he had to make dairy free pate and straight away put butter in it and had to start again!
Speaking of Angus, I am concerned that the altitude is making him a bit clumsy. He nearly sliced off the tip of one of his fingers when he was washing up. There is now a NO cutlery in the sink rule! It wouldn't stop bleeding and so he couldn't continue in the kitchen. The next day we went to the English Dr's and they said it doesn't need stitches but he should have had it glued so we know now for the future. He also keeps picking up hot things without oven gloves and then fell over skiing and head/nose butted some ice so he looks like he's been in a mild fight! He's out now investigating the Tignes glacier but I can't go over there as it's nearly all red runs and actually can't be bothered for now. I am happy sitting in here smelling of cooking and looking like a tramp whilst all the trendy Val types pose in their full faces of make up, prada ski suits and immaculate hair! Do they actually ever ski???
Speaking of skiing, I can ski!!! I have had a few more private lessons with Mel and we had this English guy called Ben who was great. We can't have anymore for a few weeks as it's peak season and our staff discount means they don't make a profit so we have been out practising instead. We have got the hang of reading the piste maps and have investigated quite a few of the green runs. It's important for us to explore otherwise we keep going down the same slopes that we are confident on and can't do anything else. It is so gorgeous when the sun is shining out on the mountian. How often do you get to do that in the middle of the day? On Thursday I said to Mel and Russ I would meet them at the bottom of the slope and then I went the wrong way and ended up going down an adjacent Blue run. I only realised when I had started it and saw the blue signs. I decided not to panic and continued in my fast-ish (for me), wide-turned way and got down in one piece, even adding a jump in by accident-oops! I have got caught on a few rocks as it still hasn't snowed but it is meant to now for the next 2 weeks. Ben has taught us parallel turns but I chicken out of them when it's really steep or I get scared by a poser zooming past me. He also taught us side slipping so if we get to a really steep bit we can just slide down with no effort.
Nightlife has been quite frequent with Tuesday nights being our big one out before our day off. Sometimes one of the teen guests comes with us but then it's embarrassing the next day cause you can't remember if you have said anything you shouldn't have! Angus' friend from home, Ben, was here the week before Christmas so we met up with him a few times and got boozed, resulting in some toilet hugging by Angus in the middle of the night. I ended up doing brekki alone as I think the smell of eggs and porridge would have set him off again. Angus and Ben swopped their skis and boards for a little while one day. I bumped into them and wondered what was going on. Angus looked pretty good actually so he might do some boarding at the end of the season when the snow is rubbish.
Yesterday was the supermarket day again. Angus and I are so quick now and can actually buy things before all the other hosts take them. We then go off and treat ourselves to a lardy McD's! We are sick of bread and cheese and all of our meals already and it's only 2 weeks in-nooo! Actually, some nights we have the veggie option as it makes a change and it is slightly healthier although eveything still seems to be full of butter and cream. I am still sticking to the no starter or pudding rule although last night I gave in to the cheesy fondue-mmmmm....
Right, I am off now to try and sort my nails out before dinner. Next time I will try and pin Angus down to write this and then he can make fun of me instead. Pics to follow as I forgot the camera.
I hope the wolf isn't outside-woof!
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Horrified of Lymm
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Toilets.............
Hasn't Angus learnt to drink sociably yet, without ending up in the toilet!! Don't know whether he sounds safer on slopes or in kitchen! Help!! MaMa xx Happy New Year!