What is it about aliens and bums?

It snowed heavily here on Tuesday night and we awoke to 10cm of snow on the Terrace. Sissi had a wonderful time and spent quite a bit of time burrowing around in it. I had a brief look at Beatrixgasse and there are cars covered with snow – but the footpaths are clear.

The Christmas Tree was chopped up and burnt on Wednesday. It made a nice crackling sound which startled the cats a bit but was otherwise most satisfying.

It was a public holiday in Austria (Epiphany - any excuse will do here) so we stayed at home. Cate and Gwenyth are building photo albums online which they will have printed and give to people. I don’t know why they are doing this but it is keeping them busy and out of my way so that I can get on the household chores.

Reflecting on St Petersburg I think it was one of those magic times that could never be repeated. We got there at perfect time in terms of weather and the quantity of snow and it may not be like that again for many years. There are of course many things still to see so we will go back again one day – probably in Spring.

We missed New Years Eve because we couldn’t make a decision about what to do. We had originally planned to go somewhere for dinner but the place we wanted to go to - the Grand Hotel Europe - go was €455 per person (Eeek!) so we passed on that.

We ended up having a pizza and an early night after deciding not to walk to the gigantic square outside the Hermitage where they had the stages set up for a show (yesterday’s blog photo). The chances of getting lost, robbed, murdered – or just plain freezing to death - were just too high.

In the interim I have been browsing websites which tell me about graduation caps and gowns, graduation songs, graduation themes and graduation parties. These are for pre-schoolers who get through the almost impossibly difficult first couple of years with building blocks and paints. It’s hell – who doesn’t deserve to graduate after that.

Graduations are also the current big thing for kids coming out of kindergarten and early school – and then the big one – grade school.

By the time these American kids come out of grade school they will have graduated about six times – but won’t be going to college. More than 60% will believe in Creationism and think that Jayzuz died for their sins (and if graduation after pre-school is not a sin I just don’t know what is), quite a few will have been kidnapped by aliens and been examined rectally, (what is it with these damned aliens and bums?) and an extraordinary number will think that Sarah Palin will make a good President.

So after about multiple graduations they will still be dumber than Mud Ducks. The dumber America gets – the more it scares me.

My Blogs since getting back have been dull and listless and I am having trouble getting back into it. I am sure I will be better next week.