Rebekka has been applying for hairdressing apprenticeships (Switzerland is big on apprenticeships). She wants to be a make-up artist, so this is the first step

She has had 3 try outs in salons, which seems to be the interview technique here, put the girl in the salon for 3 days, don't pay her, and see what she can do.
Anyway, 1 salon she did not like, the owner was way too scary, but the other 2 she liked. And one of them, which even does make-up as well, has now asked for us to go in with her tomorrow.
Must be a good sign, but I have no idea what they are going to be asking me and my husband. Actually we have told him to keep quiet as much as possible

So fingers crossed. One benefit will be free haircuts and colours for life - my hairdresser is already worried

Well, my wellness day yesterday was wonderful. My skin is lovely and smooth now from the peeling mud bath, and it was the first time I actually looked brown - for 15 minutes
I think it is something I should do regularly, as it was a really nice day out, and the Christmas market was really pretty, and I got lots of goodies. Even with the strong euro, and the higher VAT rate, Germany is cheaper than Switzerland for a lot of things.

Today I drove in instead of taking my normal train. I was supposed to visit the warehouse the other side of Bern. And I need the car tonight for a networking event. So at 7.45 I set off, at 7.55 I was already in a traffic jam. We crawled along km after km. On the radio they told us about the jam we were in. By 9.30 I had covered 20km, and was still a long way from the warehouse. I called ahead. It turned out that 15 cars had smashed into each other on ice this morning, on the very bridge I needed to cross.
I gave up and headed for the office, which took a further 35 minutes as Bern was in chaos.
Here, it was pretty quiet, as the boss was stuck in the same jam from the other direction. He got in about 11.15.

They announced this morning that the Swiss are the leaders in Europe for taking the train. After this morning, i am not surprised.
Tomorrow I will be on the train.

Tomorrow I have taken a day off work, and me and 3 friends are off to Germany for a day at the Spa, and then in the evening we are visiting a Christmas market.
Should be good fun. We are promised sunshine and 4 degrees and I am going to have my first ever mud bath.
it might even help with the weight loss, which I must admit is sticking a bit.
Plus I will have a massage - I love a good massage, so on Thursday I can return to work with glowing skin and full of beans I hope-

See you all on Thursday - almost makes up for being too far away to attend a blog meet.

We were watching a bit of ITV tonight, thanks to the wonder of digital cable tv, and there was some trailer on where the presenter claimed the Queen always watched his program, so "cooee Mrs Queen".
it looked a fairly stupid program, so I think it may have been wishful thinking on his part.
But that made me think, what does the Royal Family actually watch on British TV?, cos there does seem to be a lot of dumping down going on. What with X factor, and I'm a celebrity etc, and Big Brother, and all these other reality programs. Doesn't leave much choice for the Gentry does it?

I find them dire enough. 48 channels, and often nothing worth watching

Mind you we did watch Coast, which was pretty good. Lovely scenery around the coast of Scotland, so maybe that is what they watch, Documentaries, along with historical dramas involving long dead relatives, or even current relatives, and the News to see what Her Government is up to.

a post from  Kayenne  http://kayenne.blog.co.uk/2007/11/18/children~3315968
 
got me thinking. She is writing about teenagers rooms and laundry and chores.

I also never really had our kids doing chores, and now they won't. I have tried everything short of cutting allowances. My latest plan was a list of all tasks, which the person who did it signed and dated each time.
Needless to say, my name is there 90% of the time, with the kids feeding the cats now and then
So I have given up on lists

rebekka did do the ironing last night however, which is amazing. Apparently my husband asked her to, and after an inital protest she then did part of it.
I thought it is maybe because we had been watching Little Angels on the TV on Monday, and it was about a 15 year old girl, who didn't do chores either. Rebekka watched the program with great interest, and I am hoping she saw the horrors of the girl before she changed into a perfect daughter.
Maybe I need the psychiatrists round here, but not sure I would want it all on national TV.

The kids aren't too bad really, but i do wish they would help more, and keep their bedrooms a bit tidier.
Rebekka has an allowance each month to cover everything, and has spent a large part of it on clothes!
she must have about 20 pairs of jeans, and most of them seem to get worn once and then left on a chair, until as kayenne says, clear up day, when they all end up in the laundry basket

Picture yourself near a stream.

Birds are singing in the crisp, cool mountain air.

Nothing can bother you here.

No one knows this secret place.

You are in total seclusion from that place called the world.

The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity.

The water is clear.

You can easily make out the face of the person whose head you're holding under the water.

There now, feeling better?D

I was reading in the paper this morning that about 500 cats have gone missing in one part of Switzerland. The residents suspect that they are being catnapped for their fur or Laboratories

Our cat is still missing, and I often see lost cat posters round here too. Maybe there is some truth in the report. Our other cat is too old for experiments, and the youngest too disabled, so the fit, 2 year old sleek one disappears.
Won't mention it to the kids though.

This is todays strip on www.dilbert.com . It is so amusing to me, as I can just imagine my husband using those words that Dilbert did in the second drawing, and I can just hear the  tone he would use when he said them

Well Rebekka went to the party last night, and survived. The invite was to stay overnight, but she didn't fancy it. In fact she almost didn't go, but then did with a friend, by train, and was back on the last train - so I am very happy about that

Today, I stopped procrastinating long enough to finally complete last years tax return and actually posted it on the way to the Gym. If they accept it all, i should be due a refund.

last week had the final test for laser treatment, and have fixed a date in January. Thing is, there are so many restrictions afterwards. It is important for the eyes to heal that they do not get touched or knocked, so I would have to wear protective dark glasses for a month, no eye make up, avoid skiing and ball sports, not go swimming, close eyes when in the shower or washing hair, and at night tape some sort of eye masks on.
I am now wondering if it is worth it. My main reasons are after all vanity. But it will be nice to not have optical aids after 40 years of having them, and when my eyes start changing again as i get older, i can just get nice thin reading glasses instead of multifocals.