M - End of a full and exciting year

Well, I finished the working year having got most things done. I've never really has a job where the whole place shuts down for the Xmas season, usually I am doing some kind of customer service role where the operation carries right on through. So it is a bit of a new experience to have to get every little thing done and shut up the factory for an entire week. I was more or less up to date so there was no nightmare situation of staying late on a Friday night in a panic. I as however the second to last person to leave. I can only hope the last person wasn't far behind me.

As you can see my ring is finally ready. I am really pleased with it, all the ladies at work went nuts, they are great, it's like having 15 aunties.

Josh and I are heading off to Sante Fe in the morning, to have Christmas with family who are living there, and more family who are visiting there at the moment. I am really looking forward to seeing them all, especially my niece and nephews. Packing was a problem, we have only one pack and lots of presents to take down! We really don't have any friends to speak of here in Calgary, so we are glad we won't be sitting here in our dungeon of an apartment having home made pasta, which is how we celebrated Thanks Giving. We did finally meet some really cool people at the Canmore Ice Festival, a German girl and her Aussie husband, but they have gone to Aus to visit his family for a month over the festive season.

When we come back from holiday it will be full on effort to try and get out to do some ice and mixed climbing. I have been to one popular spot already, which is easy access and you can top rope some ice routes, or there are bolted mixed climbs. This is great as we don't have any ice screws. We don't have axes, crampons or a rope either but somehow they are all easier to come by! Buying a car has really come in handy.

The air is amazingly dry here, and it can be a real problem, people actually buy humidifier machines. Both Josh and I feel very dehydrated when we wake up each morning. I have never used hand cream in my life but now I run for it every time I do the dishes or have a shower because my hands are totally stripped.

Flying all the way to New Mexico does seem like cheating, and I keep thinking of all the places I really want to see and climb but that we will just fly right over the top of...

A very happy new year to everyone and your family!