We had lots more snow last night and Sissi loved it.
It is still snowing today and it has been a delightful start to the winter – although probably not for the Austrians – who do not really seem to get happy about much at all.
Except for Michael - the butcher at Radatz in the open air markets in Landstrasser Hauptstrasse.
He is unfailingly cheerful and helpful as I grind out my German. Of course I would probably be happy too if people were buying Lamm Ruckenfilets (Lamb Back Straps) at €37.50 per kilo. That is an astonishing amount of money – but Lamb is by far the most expensive meat here.
Australia has survived the first cricket match against England in the Ashes series. It was a draw (that is a tie for you Americans).
I class this as a victory because they did not get beaten. It also avoids the embarrassment of Australia losing all five matches – the most they can lose now – and probably will – is four.
Unfortunately my respite will be brief as the next match starts on Friday and I have no doubt that Australia will get flogged mercilessly by the English.
An indication of where we are heading is the fact that England declared its second Innings at 1-517. That sort of score is enough to keep Australians awake at night.
It's like finding a Redback Spider in your underpants as you put them on - you think about it for a long time afterwards.
(For Americans there is no exact equivalent - but to illustrate - it is like a 15-1 score in a Baseball game - it indicates that the team that scored 1 was not really in the game).
The best part about this series is that it is being played in Australia so does not come on TV here until 1:00 AM – by which time I am in bed - and finishes about 8:00 AM which means that I can avoid seeing any of at all.
It is going to be a long, grisly and humiliating summer for Australian cricket supporters. But when it is over the English cricketers will go home to be awarded knighthoods or to be made Peers of the Realm and we can finally hang Ricky Ponting and banish the rest of the team to a detention center somewhere in the wilds of Australia.
