Day 1:
Both Tim and I woke up very, very early in the morning thanks to good old jet lag. By 4:30 in the morning we were up and ready to scale the Alps! Unfortunately, we had to sit in our little room and wait first for the sun to rise around 8:15, and then for Harry (a.k.a. our unofficial tour guide) to come pick us up.
We hopped on the train to visit Schruns another little ski town nestled in the mountains. We walked around a bit and found a cozy little restaurant, the Restaurant Litz-Stobli. Tim and I were all about ordering the Schnitzel. Once again, friends and family, it did not disappoint! So delicious!
Time for some serious hiking. The plan for today-sledding! First, we had to board a bus which took us halfway up the mountain. We did have the small problem of our bus' engine exploding, but that wasn't going to stop us! We then hiked two hours up to the top of the mountain to grab a bite to eat and a drink. When you hike up to the top of the mountains in Austria there are usually huts for people to catch their breath and enjoy a nice hot meal before heading back down. Trust me, it is the only thing that gets you to the top. Forget a breathtaking view, Food! Food! Food! is all I heard in my head after each step...
During the entire trip I kept my eyes peeled for the best
place to ask the question. I even approached
our friend Harry. Apparently, it became a huge point of debate among his
family. His mother insisted that it be
done someplace romantic and sweet, but his brother claimed that if it isn’t
big it doesn’t count. He wanted to set
up search lights pointing towards the cliff while he and his friend rappelled
down with a giant screen professing my love.
This was to be followed by a massive fireworks display. While I was intrigued with this idea, I wasn’t
convinced.
On January 3rd I still hadn’t decided how I was
going to do it. While we hiked up a
mountain at the edge of the Brandnertal
Valley, I was overcome
with awe. Far up in the Alps we had the most
amazing views of the sleepy Austrian villages.
All around us the pure white snow blowing in the wind was unmatched in
its beauty. By the time we reached the
top, my mind was made up. This was the
place. After lunch in the mountain hut, I
told Harry and he agreed that it was perfect.
He convinced the owner to give us a bottle of champagne to celebrate the
event. Harry and I plotted while Brenda
got ready to walk back into the cold.
Invigorated, we jumped on our sleds and began the long ride down. A word about the Austrian sport of
sledding: Contrary to the American
variation, the Austrians take it quite serious.
They hike over two hours to reach the top of a mountain before beginning
a thirty minute sled ride down a narrow path that twists and turns around the
mountain. You shoot across bridges,
dodge hikers and hold on for dear life as you fly down the road.
About a quarter of the way down the mountain, Harry called for us to stop. He claimed he had something to show us. Brenda, reluctant to hike through knee deep snow, told us to go ahead. We assured her that she didn’t want to miss this. We came to an old wooden cross overlooking the valley. It was a sight to behold. Harry began to translate the sign that hung on the cross. I had hoped that knowing I was about to profess my love, Harry would change the translation if it wasn’t suitably romantic…I was wrong. “God save our animals from pestilence and bad weather!”
I told Harry to go over and take a picture of us. As he walked away, I started to whisper to Brenda. “We met in Europe over a decade ago. Since then I have traveled the world and met hundreds of people. Coming full circle I have reached one conclusion…I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I want you to be the mother of my children, I want you to be my wife.” Then, I fell to my knee and pulled my grandmother’s ring from my pocket, “Brenda, will you marry me?”
Her response was not quite what I had expected, “Are you really doing this?” Luckily after her initial shock, she agreed to become my fiancé. And our friend with the camera (unable to hear what was going on) yelled out to ask if we were done. Then he opened the champagne and we toasted our future adventures together. Suddenly, a great wind came upon us and clouds of snow encircled us. Brenda and I had to lean on one another to stay standing. We had differing opinions about what that gust of wind meant. She insisted that it was God screaming “Don’t do it!” But, I know He was giving us his blessing and reminding us that if we want to make it in this world we have to rely on each other.
How sweet! And, what you can't see in those proposal pictures is the utter look of shock on my face. I guess I'm not too good with surprises because part of me wanted to kick him. I thought that living in sin was adding spice to our relationship, but apparently Tim wants to make an honest woman of me!
Harry turned Master of Celebrations convinced every bartender, in the Apres Ski Huts down in the village, to give us free champagne!
Day 6
So the rest of the trip was a bit of a recovery from my shock! We did more mountain hiking, sledding and eating!
Farewell Austria with your fresh air and luscious pine trees! We hopped on a train to Munich, stayed there for a night and caught our plane early in the morning back to our real lives in Los Angeles. Before I end the "longest post ever"- we were bumped up to business class on our 11 hour flight to Chicago- a cherry on the top!
This is what I imagine Friday nights at Shannon's house to be like.
Oh yes, I love this commercial! And I rarely say that about any commercial. But, after the 130th time of seeing it it still manages to crack me up! To all the women in my family...and all the men who sit in cars and wait I give you this.
It was an easy going, quiet Christmas in Los Angeles. We woke up to our little X-mas plant and opened a few gifts.
My family celebrated an early X-mas this year in Michigan. We all got together to celebrate Uncle Bob's 25th Anniversary as a priest. It was quite an interesting celebration as we got to watch Uncle Bob, with his very large Drambuie glass, roasted by his fellow brothers in the priesthood. There was no holding back, and unfortunately no family members were allowed to partake in the roasting. I think Aunt Vicki did get to scream a few things from her table across the room, though. Shannon was the star photographer that evening and she took some great pix here. Shannon, Kelly and I kept the party going at the end of the night when the D.J. showed up to play some tunes. The best part being when Shannon asked him to play Baby Got Back to a crowd of mainly 50 year old and above parishioners. I'm sure we amazed everyone (and possible gave a few heart attacks) with our sweet dance moves!
A couple days later during heavy snowfall we got together to open gifts at Aunt Jackie's house. She and Uncle Tim had prepared steaks and Aunt Vicki brought over shrimp scampi. It was quite a feast and there was delicious cheesecake to top it off. Gift opening was the highlight of the evening. Not only was Shannon the star photographer this trip, she was also star gift giver of the "kids" having had gotten everyone a gift! How can I possibly outdo the digital camera she gave to mom and dad this year!?!
The entertainment during the gift giving event was G-ma, of course. None of her gifts were properly labeled. Some had just been thrown into trash bags and others came in already ripped wrapping paper with the gift half hanging out. I don't think we laughed harder then we did as G-ma handed wrong gifts to wrong people! Good times! We got to see our Uncle John who flew in from Phoenix and I walked away with a waffle maker. Score! ;)
Anne and I hit the town the night I arrive. As we walk down the street to the wine bar it turns into a contest to see who can manage to slip and slide their way down the street without falling on a curb and breaking their neck. Neither one of us can fathom having to get the other one home if something like that were to happen so we are extra cautious.
We catch up on old times at the wine bar, share some really good pizza and then head over to a little pub further on down the street. There we grab a couple of beers and sit down to sing very obnoxiously to Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone" blaring from the jukebox. If you were to walk in at that moment you would think we were two crazy cat ladies who had been spurned by their only double date in years.
We were almost home, Anne really had to go to the bathroom and I really wanted to eat my hot dog but I could feel the foil it was wrapped in beginning to freeze through my gloves. I was Anne's cheerleader continuously telling her to just hold on until we were home. One more minute, just one more minute...when, Bam!, Anne gave us a brilliantly executed fall to the ground. And in her right hand, in it's death like grip, was the Chicago style hot dog. Not a chunk of tomato was gone and the pickle spear was still perfectly in place.
In my book that is four stars, a gold medal and a pat on the back. Anyone who manages to slip on ice, fall completely on their back and still keep their hot dog intact is a true Olympian in my book. We got home and ate our hot dogs which were more like frozen dogs at that point and the following morning we headed over to Hot Doug's Sausage Super Store to really celebrate getting home in one piece.
Well, Tim has been telling everyone (his parents, brother and the three people we know in L.A.) that I am going to be a flapper protester in the Clint Eastwood directed movie, The Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie. I'm sure he would also like everyone to believe that I have lines, my own trailer with a special room for Pierre Louis XIV, and an assistant to fetch me Soy Extreme Mocha Ice Blendeds (with three extra shots) on a whim. NOT TRUE! I'm glad I cleared up that confusion.
Actually, I will get to work on The Changeling but I won't be wearing a cute flapper dress protesting my rights to drink, smoke, and boogey all night long. Instead I will be a protester. Yep, that's it. I don't even know what exactly I am protesting yet. I'll just be a good background artist and walk around in the herd and silently "shout" into the air very angrily. Then I will be an even better background extra as I follow the herd to the holding area and sit on some butt-numbing folding chairs and not complain too loudly about how hungry I am and how blistered my feet are from standing for three hours straight. And, then I will be the best background artist when I follow the herd back out to the set and "protest" silently with such passion and fiery that no one would ever believe that I had been doing it for the past eight hours! All this with the hopes of getting my last golden ticket! Goody!
I had my fitting late in the day a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, they assigned all the cute 1920's costumes to people who came earlier in the day so I got stuck with a dress that is reminiscent of a potato sack. The lady costumer looked at me and asked me if a I had a small head. I said "yep" totally in fear of being turned away, therefore, missing my chance to see Angelina Jolie and possibly snatching one of her myriad of children. Well, it turns out that was the wrong answer. I have a very large head and this upset the lady costumer. Finally, we found one that was still too small for my head and we jammed it on and we (actually she decided) that it would work. She took my picture and told me that some people just weren't meant for certain eras.
uh...what is that supposed to mean? People didn't have big heads in 1928?
Anyway, I lied to get on this production. I was supposed to be 35-50 year old lady with very short, dark hair. I did it because I really want to see Clint Eastwood direct since he is like the King Midas of movies, all those he touches turn to gold. And, who doesn't want to see Angelina Jolie...? And possibly Brad Pitt? Not that I am one of those girls who goes all ga ga over Mista Pitt... Hmmmm...I'm sure we will all end up being best friends! :)
Here is an idea of what the costumes are like in the movie. My costume is like the poor woman's version of these since these are all photos from the fashion magazines of the period:
I swear that 5 seconds ago this apartment was spotless...
Now, it is pure madness...
When will it end!!!
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