It's been a while since I last posted here. Kurt's been in our holiday house in Carona again - some of the renovations to the house started this week, namely in the downstairs bathroom, toilet and passage. He went down with a builder friend of ours, Giuliano, and they apparently did quite a lot of work down there. These are early stages, and there is a long way to go, but at least the work has started. He's due back today to attend a family funeral this afternoon - a deceased cousin.In his absence, I've been looking after the business by myself. It hasn't been particularly busy, but enough to keep me going at a constant rate. There was a very interesting case involving a 101-year-old woman who died in New York, and wants to be buried in St. Moritz. I'm sorting it all out now, and have constant contact with lawyers and undertakers in The Big Apple. I enjoy these kind of cases, as they're different to the run-of-the-mill deaths we see every day.
The weather took a turn for the worse at the weekend, and winter has returned with blizzards and freezing conditions again, after two wonderful weeks of spring weather beforehand. There are too many cold months in Europe for my liking. I do miss the couple of minutes of winter in Durban. I remember going to university in Durban in the middle of winter with not even a jumper on!!!!!
Having been alone in the business this week, I haven't really had time (or inclination) to go to gym the last three days. I'll be glad when Kurt is back, because at least then I can go to gym with a clear conscience, and not have to worry about that mobile 'phone ringing, right when 140 kg are poised above my head!!!!! - not quite, but you know what I mean.
Cycling has also been shelved for the same reason, and also because of the cold conditions - running in the frozen wastelands is one thing I can sort-of cope with, but cycling in an Arctic environment is not my idea of fun. Things are set to improve slightly by the weekend, and a ride may be on the cards for Sunday, but from Monday, it's all rain/snow again.
I couldn't end this off without mention of my leg. Needless to say, after a 3,6-km run on the treadmill at gym last Sunday, there is no way I will run again until the end of April - a promise I have made myself. My leg hurt so much after Sunday's attempt, that I think I have finally learnt to be sensible, and just stop running for two months to give the inflammation time to subside, and the tendon time to heal. I've also struck up contact with a runner from Kosovo who has a similar ailment, and it's interesting to discuss treatments and therapies with someone who has almost the same problem. I know misery loves company, but I think in this case it's warranted.
The 2008 Marathon des Sables starts on 30th March, and the last stage is on 5th April. I shall be following it eagerly on the Internet (http://www.darbaroud.com/index_uk.php) and on TV on Eurosport. Apparently it's the longest and hardest race ever this year, covering some 245,3 km in various stages, the longest being around 80 km, with 850 competitors. When you think: that's about 6 full marathons each day for six days!!!!! Not bad going. And then, over small mountains, through tens of kilometres of dunes, over wadis and djebels and ergs (I love those words), sleeping in Berber tents, enduring temperatures varying from 45°C during the day to 5°C at night, possible sandstorms, camel spiders which run faster than man, snakes, horrible beetles that come out of the sand at night, the French, and many other such adversities. All sounds wonderful, and makes it the most gruelling foot race in the world. Why, then, am I so obsessed with doing it, when I could stick to a nice little road marathon in beautiful Switzerland? Well, there are several reasons, all of them valid and true for me, but we'll go into that another time.
This afternoon, gym again - I can hardly wait. Until then, the bodies are starting to come in - the joy of death.
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