Well........ 2009 is rapidly drawing to a close

and I can't really say that I will be sorry to see the end of it! Does anyone have any interesting New Year's Resolutions to inspire me before 2010 kicks off?

Christmas Day was relaxing and I could really get comfortable

with the idea of not doing very much at all  :-)  Today is a beautiful day- the sun is shining and although it is still cool, things are very nice. I went for a swim this morning and took advantage of an almost-empty pool. Very much worth getting up for!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

It is already Christmas Morning (albeit still very early) in Sydney and I can think of a few kids who will be ready to get up and cause havoc in a few hours' time  :-)  We are heading out to dinner with some good friends shortly and will turn skype on when we return to see what is happening on the other side of the world.
Merry Christmas everybody!

I am sitting here wearing my new hoodie and enjoying my day off

although I would enjoy it a lot more if I didn't have such a bad cold. It is still only early and breakfast was good and in a little while I will head into town to get a few things done. Lunch in Lugano yesterday was great and the train ride was cool too. Lots of snow north of the alps on the way down in the morning and then it was snowing like crazy on the south side on my way home.
Only a couple more days until Christmas- hope that everyone is getting relaxed  :-)

Look out Angus!

It won't be too long and my hoodie collection will be as big as yours :-) I went to Patagonia today and bought myself another to celebrate our cold, snowy weather. I will be in town again tomorrow morning- it is a shopping Sunday, but I will have an early swim and grab a couple of essentials before heading home. We have guests coming for dinner tomorrow evening and then I have Monday and Tuesday off to do some bits and pieces.

Winter is here- well this week at least

and we are not going to get above freezing until after the weekend. Fingers crossed for some snowfall to keep the skiers happy and I am off to Lugano for lunch on Monday  :-) Depending on timing, I might get to the gym beforehand or maybe even fit in a swim...... one way or another, lunch with Stefano will be great.
Mrs and the Mini-Mooses are flying out for sunny Oz on Saturday. Have a great trip gang- we hope to catch up with you at Christmas time.

Now you've made me jealous......

and thanks for the invitation to Northbridge for a swim and Christmas lunch  :-) Great that the gang will all get together on the 25th and I hope to be able to skype with you all and have a catch-up. Not long to wait now!

The end of a long week

and I really enjoyed a beer when I arrived home this evening. It is going to be cool over the weekend and this coming week- winter might be here at last!

I didn't make it to the pool this evening, sadly enough

but I did manage to take a few photos for my week-long challenge and have edited and posted the best of the day since arriving home. I really do need to do some exercise tomorrow evening...... many thanks to Tiffany, Lula and Noel for the fantastic package of biscuits..... I really do need to do some exercise tomorrow evening  
:-)

I managed to stretch my swim out to 1.2km this morning

and although this is not particularly long, it was a good step for me. The idea of swimming for a longer time at a slightly slower pace on Saturday makes sense and I will try for a slightly faster swim tomorrow even if I don't manage to swim quite so far. Three trips to the pool each week should see me continue to make good progress and I will also try to keep up with my other training.
The new pull buoy is good- it allowed me to swim more slowly and still maintain the correct body position, which means that I can get comfortable and swim for a longer time.

Curry and beer tonight to celebrate!

A small step for one man

A great leap forward for mankind! I have processed my first couple of RAW images and although it is slow going at the moment, I can see that the idea has promise. Just this evening I have joined in a one week photo challenge for next week to give myself a little push along in the photography and processing departments.

Thank you Tiffany and Noel,

and Tiffany's mom, for a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner. My first Thanksgiving turkey and it was delicious, so were the mashed potatoes, carrots, green bean casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy. The pecan pie and the pumpkin pie were outstanding and a slice of the apple pie is in the refrigerator for 'ron. There are lots of thing to be thankful for and at the top of the list is family and friends (especially friends who can cook mmmmmm).

P.S. This is why I didn't mention it at the dinner table, origins of salmon****

No photo today......

I was in the city, had a swim, took a few pics and did some shopping but I don't wish to share any pics just at the moment. After having a discussion with a photography buddy during the week, I changed the settings on my camera and now I am taking RAW + jpeg photo files. That probably doesn't seem like much, but he tells me that the possibilities for adjusting RAW files in post-processing are enormous, so now I will just have to learn to deal with them. If the worst comes to the worst, the files can sit on a back-up disc for years and I can come back and process them when I am good and ready. No real down-side I guess....

Penfolds Bin 8 2005 Cabernet Shiraz steak and vegetable stew and mash cooked in the love pot.

Fab photos.

David was out on Thursday night with a couple of friends to take some pics of Zurich at night. These are my two favourite ones.

David is out with the 'boys' tonight.

They are meeting at the Helvti for a few brews then going to Gigi's for dinner. I am at home alone sipping on a 2004 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz. Oh, woe is me...

Tasting notes for Rockford Basket Press Barossa Valley Shiraz 2004:

"A complete Barossa traditional shiraz; moderate alcohol, oak and tannins, yet full of flavour and character. Has taken full advantage of a very good vintage. In its own-branded, high-shouldered brown bottle. Cork.
14.5% alc. Rating 96." James Halliday, January 2007

"Yummmmmmm." Catherine Hamilton, November 2009

Wow! It's the weekend again

and I am hoping to fit in a couple of swims, a visit to the gym, some shopping and dinner and a few drinks with Stefano. Should be a great weekend- hope that you can all have some fun too.

The world has survived Melbourne Cup week

even though it did not have too much of an effect in this part of the world  :-)  There was plenty of partying going on in Oz and now the Christmas silly season is officially underway.

We have a cool weekend in front of us and I am about to buy myself some new sweaters and a warm jacket to get me through the coming winter. Off to the pool again shortly and I hope that the improvement can continue!

Happy Birthday Gary

hope that you have a great day. We will certainly try to give you a call a little later. Enjoy mate!

Sorry to hear that our nephew and God-son Campbell

has had an argument with his skateboard and will be nursing some plaster on his arm for a little while. What the heck were you trying to do, buddy?

Somehow today has a very different feel to yesterday....

quite apart from the miserable weather, the change of clocks early this morning has made a huge difference! I am sitting here at 5 in the afternoon and it is looking very murky and starting to get dark outside already  :-( Luckily I was out early and went for a swim and another visit to the gym which helps to keep my comeback on the rails- I have my fingers crossed that I can continue with the training this week.

Thursday night at Oktoberfest was loads of fun

and everybody enjoyed themselves immensely. Friday was a little slow in the office but at least we managed to get a few things on the pad.....
I have just returned from town after going for a swim and doing a little shopping. This afternoon might be a good opportunity to head out and take a few photos- we do change the clocks tonight and that means that it will be dark even earlier in the evenings from now on. Not exactly great news for photographers  :-(

Had a most enjoyable dinner with Enzo and Cornelia last night

and this morning headed into town and went for a swim. It was tough but I know that after a couple of months things will get easier. If I can keep up my other training in the meantime, this will help by working a different group of muscles and giving me another good cardio workout. Still a lot more to do before getting out on the snowshoes again......

I guess that I was inspired by my Australian trip

and I headed off this morning and went for a swim in the pool. It was a lot harder than I remembered, but hopefully after a couple of months things will become somewhat easier. Along with riding a bike and doing some strength training, this should help me to get ready to get out and about on my snow-shoes when winter proper arrives.

Is anyone having fun in Tasmania?

Thanks for the e-mail and the pictures, gang. It was a shame to hear that you weren't enjoying yourselves  :-)

Thanks Noel and Tiffany- dinner was fun

it was nice to meet some more of your family and friends. Today has been successful too- a visit to the gym, a nice sleep in and we will go for a little walk later to enjoy the beautiful afternoon.
Going to a concert this coming Friday- Raphael Saadiq is playing at the Kaufleuten on Friday night and it will be lots of fun. Otherwise, I will try to keep the training up and get myself to the stage where I can spend a tough hour in a spinning class as soon as possible again.

Have a good week

I know that you can serve less time for murder, however

tomorrow I will be celebrating 15 years with the company here in Switzerland. The really scary part is that one of my buddies on the desk is going to celebrate 35 years tomorrow. Good enough reason for a drink in my book  :-)

The sun is shining and hopefully I can get out for a bike ride

tomorrow is back to the office, so I need to keep training and getting my weight down after a massive holiday attack on the food and drink  :-) Fingers crossed that Catherine will come along with me- I think that it will do both of us the world of good.

BTW- dinner last night was good....... many thanks to Stevie and Nigella Lawson for the recipe/idea!

Leaving on a jet plane.......

after a great trip, I am preparing to fly out of Singapore at lunchtime on Thursday and head back to Zürich. It has been lots of fun catching up with family and friends and I have eaten and drunk far too much  :-)  Now comes the gym sessions and hopefully some bike riding too.

Fingers crossed that it is dry and not too cold in Zürich so that I can get out and about to burn some excess calories......... I will need to fit into some of my clothing again soon.

Anyone lose their keys between Pontresina and Niederglatt?

At least it is not -12° and snowing.......    :-)

If you are in Lindfield and looking for a restaurant,

don't go past Maureen Chan's. We went with the whole family last night for a fun reunion dinner- the food was great, it was good to catch up with Maureen again after many years and the children all enjoyed themselves. One of the things that I do miss about being here is the terrific variety of Asian food- a great advantage when you live in a large city....

Aaaarrrgghh!

It be that time of the year again..... aaarrrgghh! Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day... aaaarrrrggh!

Happy Birthday Catherine

I know that you have to go to the office and I am not there to celebrate with you...... however, I am sure that you will manage to have a great day. Happy Birthday!  xxx
EDIT; some of us are not going to the office today!? :-)

Happy Birthday Stevie

I am really looking forward to your little gathering this evening- it should be lots of fun. Have a great day!

Happy Birthday to Campbell and Angus

I am looking forward to having dinner with you both this evening. Have a great day guys!

I'm appalled that RM Williams has become

a high street fashion label..... I went into one of their stores today and was terribly disheartened to hear that they only carry a very limited range of boots but "we also have seasonal specials which change on a regular basis". What the heck is that supposed to mean?? Sad to say, but I am sure that Reg would turn in his grave. Luckily I found a pair of boots that were a leftover from some season past and was able to exit the store having spent worthwhile time- it might be difficult to drag me in there again though.

Only a couple of days until les Chefs take over

the kitchen and turn on another extravaganza in our dining room  :-) I'm really looking forward to getting together with the guys and having a glass of wine or two while we do the prep work and start cooking. It might not be as much fun as Chef Enzo's in the winter (where the guests can sit in the hot tub) but I'm sure that we will all have a good time.

I'm not sure if my almost 24 hour flight the next day will be quite so much fun.......

London was good

and will hopefully prove to be successful over the next couple of months. After arriving home today, I am really looking forward to having a sleep in my own bed. Had a great night at the Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine concert on Wednesday night.

Oh Lord

won't you buy me a big diamond ring... I like pink, gorgeous darling man.

Hehehehehe xxxxxxxx

This is a busy week

I am off to a concert tomorrow night here in Zürich and then heading to London for a little business on Thursday and Friday before flying back on Saturday morning. Looking forward to London as the people that I am due to meet are all pleasant so it should be enjoyable.

As always there might be a small (maybe 10 minute long) window to do some personal shopping. What do I need to buy?  :-)

Well, the Poms are rubbish

but at the moment the Australians are even worse :-( After hearing bits and pieces from the first two days of the fifth Test it is hard not to start looking for that raindance again.
I had an enjoyable meeting with the lads on Thursday evening- I think that we have come up with a good plan for our next Cook Club meeting (one way or another, we will have a good time). Chef Giorgio was out of the country and couldn't join us but I feel sure that he would agree with our decisions and it will be good to catch up with him.
After being very tired on Friday night, I am up early and ready to attack the weekend. Gentle rain at the moment, which makes a nice noise on our roof and windows and will help to build an appetite for Schuppi's zopf!

Summer is here- the fifth Test starts tomorrow

so I guess that summer will come to an end very soon :-) Although the Australians only need to draw the Match to retain The Ashes, I believe (and certainly hope) that they will be out for some English blood and to win the last Test.
Catherine has already been at the new job for a couple of days and is appropriately tired. It will take a while to get right back into the swing of things- I guess that after the weekend things will be back to normal.
Tomorrow evening I have a small get-together with les Chefs Tomaso & Enzo in order that we can decide upon a menu for our next Cook Club extravaganza. I have a few ideas and with luck the others do as well- I'm confident that we will get something sorted.

Thank you

to all those who kept my spirits up during my recent unemployment and to those who have congratulated me on my new possie. Thanks to mum, in Chewton, who called me this morning wishing me well for my first day tomorrow and to family Moose, who sent a congratulatory SMS last week. Too bad I couldn't start on 1st September, the weather this week is going to be spectacular.

Thanks also to Eleanor for coming to visit recently. We had lots of fun, including a quick hop to France (Alsace) for the day for lunch in Riquewihr at Le Sarment d'Or, yummmmm. We also fitted in a trip to a health resort to bathe in the natural brine, at the spa center Rheinfelden.

Love to you all xxxxxxxx

BTW- thanks to all for crossing their fingers

Catherine has had some interviews in the last couple of weeks and starts in a new position at UBS tomorrow!

Summertime...... and the livin' is easy

Although you can't compare a central European summer with the Australian version, the sun has returned with a vengeance here and we are looking forward to an uninterrupted week of warm weather. Yesterday was beautiful- walking around in town, shopping and taking photos and then a quick visit to The Chief's Summer Party in the evening. Great food, cold beer and good company- could we ask for anything more?

It was with some relief that I saw Australia

win the Cricket Test to level the Series at 1-1. Now, at least, both teams have plenty to play for in the last Match and hopefully we won't have any weather interruptions.
Not a lot of news from here at the moment....... the Limmatswim is taking place without me on Saturday but I do plan on attending The Chief's summer party. It is always nice to be able to eat the best sushi in town as a guest of the house and it will be good to catch up with all of the gang.
Catherine has signed up and starts a new job next week- with a little luck, that will be a step in the right direction.

I don't think that Australia have played that badly

and I really don't understand why they are 1-0 down in the Ashes Series at the moment, however they seem to be trying to make amends in Leeds. After a sparkling innings from Mr Ponting and able support from Messrs Watson, Clarke and North things are looking somewhat brighter. A first innings lead of over 260, wickets in hand and it not yet tea time on Day 2- hopefully we will have a result.
Some people call me old-fashioned (others just call me old) but I love mechanical watches, fountain pens (which I carry and use every day) and pocketknives (one of which I also carry with me every day). It is hard to believe that the weather is good in the north of England while it is raining here- that was enough to stop me from trying to take photos of the Street Parade today and drive me to the desktop to shoot a few frames

It doesn't matter why.....

it really doesn't matter why....... but you do all need to cross your fingers....

Welcome to Swiss National Day

also known as Rockford Day in certain parts of the world. It probably doesn't mean as much to most of the population this year because it falls on a Saturday and therefore doesn't involve an extra holiday, but to me it is a day off and a chance to take it easy. I was too tired to go to a party last night and came home, processed a couple of photos and tried to get some sleep. Stupid! Every local kid was out letting off fireworks in practice for today and tonight! Eventually managed to get to sleep and enjoyed not having to get up this morning for anything in particular.
We have guests coming for a bbq this evening and with a good weather report, we should be able to watch the fireworks from the balcony after the sun has disappeared. Bottoms up!

Angus is a happy camper

and so would most almost 7 year olds be when receiving early birthday gifts. He is now officially a "Freitag" dude and I can hardly wait to see photos. Glad that you like it, mate and I will see you soon!
My photo project is coming to an end- I will be happy to see the end of this month from a business point-of-view and it will also mark the end of the July One Prime Challenge. I think that my photos have been OK- it is always easy to look back and bash yourself for not doing well enough, but at the time there were other things going on and one doesn't always have as much time as one would like.
Saturday is August 1st which is Swiss National Day and we hope to celebrate with a bbq if the weather plays along.....

"This is bowling. There are rules!"

At least the lads from across the way enjoyed "The Big Lebowski" on Wednesday night..... they even managed to squeeze in a few White Russians to make the experience that much more authentic!
The sun has finally come out again here after a stormy, wet time and I plan on heading out later to take some photos. My project for the month is coming along and with only a few more days to go, I would really like to get a few quality shots to round things off.
Saw a photo earlier of a Moose trying to eat a bowling pin...... someone talk me through that one?!? :-)