They think it's all over.....

It is now,

I'VE PASSED!!

That's right folks! Muggins over here is now a qualified snowboard instructor (except in france where I am merely a legal grey area). That means I can rip your riding styles to shreds with authority.

I have to say it was a pretty stressful last day with me having to show all the elements that I was weak on. We had a mere 4 hours to strut our stuff. After 3hours 40 mins I was told that I had passed. If you think that's cutting it fine poor Gary was made to do the face twice to prove his ability on steep terrain. Apparently his legs were like jelly afterwards.

This is the final week i'm in Val and I have to say the weather is not great. The temperature is now touching double figures and the slopes have turned to mush. Added to this the fact that it's raining below 2500m and it's getting pretty mucky. Still I'm not ;etting it get me down this week is all about chilling out and relaxing. And that's what I'm doing.

Sarah has popped over for a holiday with her sister, Jen and I'm whipping them all over the mountain to get their techniques up to scratch. Having Sarah over here means that for the first time in over 10 weeks I can get what only a woman can give a man..... a decent meal. I know I've mentioned this before but I think i've forgotten what good food is like. Say food to me and I conjour up images of burnt lasagne and flacid chips garnished with a bill for E15. Considering the French laugh at us English based on our supposed ineptitude in the kitchen they are skating on pretty thin ice up here.

Now that I am the proud owner of a new instructor licence I may well head over to italy to the resort of Aosta/Pila for two weeks. I guess that I'll be helping out with the Easter rush so my days will probably consist of herding sugar crazed kiddies around the mountain or hauling overweight city boys of their arses so they can get "extreme". Still it will be a change of scenery and some experience plus they will pay for my ticket home On the minus side the snow there is 40/30cm and most of it man made apparently.

After the two weeks I'll probably head back to Blighty to chill and gorge myself on over boiled veggies and lumpy custard and all foods english.