Today was a Good Day

10/12/08

Today was a good day. It was filled with new, familiar, and exciting. Last night, we were invited to a housewarming of two of the senior staff members. Andrea and I spent the night there because we were offered a ride back to work in the morning, versus walking the 30 minute walk in the middle of the night back to the chalet (it was dark and we had no flashlights).

So this morning started off with a car ride which doesn't happen everyday and I occasionally miss riding in a car.

We had our morning meeting, and Andrea and I opted to continue working with Ben on stuff outside. (Yesterday, we did some leaf raking, some tree staking, and some step breaking - I have gotten damn good with a pick ax.)

So we started the morning modifying a path from the staff house to Spycher. We added large flat stones to the path so that we no longer get mud in our shoes. We get lazy about the indoor/outdoor shoe policy, and this makes it easier to cheat.

We lifted, hauled, and plopped down stones. Then dug, scraped, and clipped around roots. We got half of it done before lunch time. Which was exciting because we were going to Ham's Bistro for Brunch.

Ham's Bistro is the small restaurant about a 10 minute walk from here. It was his last operating day today for the season and he was having a brunch (at lunch time mind you) to celebrate.

We got there and were ushered around by the owner himself. He shook each of our hands (there were about 10 of us total) and then showed us the buffet, telling us there was plenty of cheese so no worries (in some English - it was more like "We have cheese. More is coming. Please have some. There is more cheese coming).

We ate outside, it was a BEAUTIFUL day. The perfect fall day when the air is cool and crisp but the sun is bright and warm.

We filled up on the cheese, there was plenty and more was coming, and bread and muesli. While eating there was this elderly Swiss man walking around singing. He'd just approach the table and start singing. And it wasn't that he was particularly talented, but just loved to sing. And it wasn't that he worked there, but had just had some brunch and felt like singing. I imagine his post meal wine helped.

There were also two babies rolling around in cow shit during all of this as well. Because of course, Ham's Bistro is in the middle of a cow pasture.

Then as the meal seemed to come to an end and we were all full on bread and cheese, because there was plenty and more was coming, out of nowhere this fork hits my leg and this arm comes from above and lands rosti on my placemat. The owner, of course, had told us that he was making us some, but because it was in Swiss German, I had no clue. It was like the heavens opened up and served me food. But first tried to stab my leg with a fork.

Rosti is a Swiss dish. It's hashbrowns. And Ham's Bistro serves it with a fried egg on top - sunny side up. It was delicious. And I was stuffed. Because, of course, I was full on cheese, because of course, there was plenty, and more was coming.

So after a wonderful meal, we all headed back to Our Chalet to continue to work, but not without doing a few cartwheels and pulling my groin first.

Andrea and I finished the path much to our pride and pleasure. We needed motivation, so we put one of the CD's Jessie sent me in the cd player in the staff house and blasted it out the windows. Everyone was walking around singing and shaking their hips. It was a good thing.

We then tackled some wood chopping. I've never chopped wood. And I have very, very limited ax experience. So I was excited, but also very nervous about this part of the day. As you know, I'm not exactly accident-proof.

But Andrea and Ben both showed me how, and after about 45 minutes, I was a wood chopping fool. It's the same motion as the pick ax, so I had that part down - because I am damn good with a pick ax (Hey! maybe I should be a miner next!). It was the aiming for the wood and hitting my mark with the ax without charving a v-shaped hole in my shin part that was tricky. But I did it, and man did I do it good. (Although I found out Kat was watching me, unknown to me, and laughing at my technique.)

Then we had dinner and afterwards, Kat and I introduced the Scandinavians and Australian to kick ball. We played on the only flat part on site which is edged by a giant steep hill. I got a grand slam! But it was only because the ball went down that hill and no one was going after it at the speed needed to accomplish the out. So after my lap, (I made them wait on me to run the "bases" (two posts and a cardboard box)) I was sent down the hill to get the ball.

Then we played kick the can (that's what Kat calls it, but it's hide-and-seek) in the dark. And I successfully scared the shit, and by shit I mean she screamed like a little girl that just saw her cat ran over, out of my boss Sarah.

Then Kat, Louise, and I rounded out the evening with a game of trivial pursuit. (I suck at the game but enjoy the company, so it all evens out.)

Oh, and did I mention we have cows now!

I now have the tiredness that comes from a day in the sun, filled with satisfying work and good friends. Days like this are the reason I wanted to come here.

Today was a good day.