For many kids in northern Switzerland, today is the first day back at school. They won’t have slept a wink, spending most of the night worrying about the “new kids” and fretting over the possibility that their alarm clock may just not ring.

But for two of them, this morning will never be forgotten.

They’ve officially joined the Rat Race.

Good luck babes: only 9’400 and 9’200 days to go before you’re pensioned!

Me: “Hey Vic: TGIF!!!”

Vic: “Haaaa?”

Me: “TGIF!!”

Vic: “Errmm..”

Me: “C’mon, Vic: T-G-I-F. Thank God It’s…”

Vic: “Weekend?”

I wish I would have known that you can visit the Transport for London web site and check out service disruptions BEFORE I booked a hotel on the Jubilee line…which was closed this weekend.

Sarah wishes she would have known that there is NO WAY you will get anyway near a London pub (after 17:00) before you are officially 18.

Life sucks..

And so, a mere 14 hours after we had originally planned to depart, we were on our way to London.

There was practically no sign of snow in Central London, but the suburbs were a different story altogether! While they had managed to clean up the main arteries, side roads and pavements were covered in slush and, in some places, a treacherous coat of ice.

And it didn’t help that I decided to turn right and charge in a northern direction upon leaving the Swiss Cottage Tube station (I eventually realised my mistake when I noticed the sun setting on our left instead of our right; DBW still doesn’t believe me, though..).

But we got there in the end, checked in, dumped the 173 kilos of clothes Sarah had brought along and headed back to town.

Later that evening we even managed to convince a bold taxi driver to take us “all the way up to High Barnet”, despite the fact that he (and everyone else in the UK) had NEVER heard of winter tyres and wasn’t sure if he would make it back in one piece. Jo and Andy welcomed up with open arms, a delightful meal and a few alcoholic beverages were consumed, Sarah was dropped off and everything was perfect again!

Ok: let’s start 2010 off the way one should (especially since one has been a totally lazy b’stard for the last 10 weeks…)

1) What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Visited Florida and Ireland.

Flew on a B747-400.

Successfully put up our Christmas comet without the tail flaming out. Took part in a Bloggy Friday.

Took part in a Bloggy Friday again. Subsequently did not blog for over two months.

2) Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next this year?
I kept one of two resolutions (lose ten kilos), but..for some weird reason it reset!

And, yes: I have made a dozen more for this year!

3) Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope, nada and not that I knew of.

4) Did anyone close to you die?
No-one close, thank god.

But Daniel Rüthemann, boss of IBM Switzerland’s death just before Christmas affected me more than I would have wished.

He left behind 4 year old twin sons, a six and a seven year old daughter.

It put a lot of things in perspective; MANY things…

Our next-door neighbour; Walter Kalt, 72, also dropped dead after having hurtled himself down the Zurziberg on a bike. We’ll miss him as well..

5) What countries did you visit?
Italy, USA and Ireland

Edit: and Spain, of course!

6) What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Get the IBM Management Certification.

7) What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
26.06: DBW and myself’s 20th wedding anniversary. Why? Because absolutely nobody would have thought we would make it: but we did.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Still no tumors..

9) What was your biggest failure?
I honestly cannot think of any, apart from still not starting the IBM lead@IBM program. Oh, and still not having any contact to half my family.

10) Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope!

11) What was the best thing you bought?
A plane ticket to Miami.

A Rollei negative scanner which enabled me to start scanning all those kiddie pics we took before the world went digital.

12) Where did most of your money go?
The kiddie’s schools.

13) What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Sarah managing her exams and qualifying for highschool, followed by her signing an apprentiship contract.

14) What song will always remind you of 2009?
The Noisettes: Never Forget Me

15) Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Never been happier.
b) thinner or fatter?
Round about the same.
c) richer or poorer?
As long as I get my CHF 300/month, who cares?

16) What do you wish you’d done more of?
Transformed my 1-pack into a six-pack.

17) What do you wish you’d done less of?
Procrastination. Smoked.

18) How will you spend Christmas?
Done: and, as usual, just us four, at home, with a great meal and lots of prezzies!

19) Did you fall in love in 2009?
Again and again and again (always with the same woman: does that count?)

20) What was your favorite TV program?
E.R. RIP! Grey’s Anatomy has taken over.

21) What was the best book you read?
Yet another Bathroom Reader, I’m afraid.

22) What was your favorite film of this year?
Hollywood has been churning out so much cr@p, it’s pretty difficult to find at least one film which made the difference. Ok: I guess Slumdog is pretty obvious.

23) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 45 and DBW treated me to a feast!

24) What kept you sane?
Vodka? :o)

25) Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Oh cr@p..

26) Who did you miss?
Mum, Dad, Luke, Alex: basically all those wankers who decided they would prefer to “keep a distance”.

27) Who was the best new person you met?
Not actually a “new” person, but I’m really happy to have renewed contact with Françoise Lanter and to have met Doris, both weird and wonderful women!

Thanks to Ms-Mac for the Meme!

1. There are 3 females in this household.
2. I have an electric razor and have never wet-shaved in my life.
3. Only one boyfriend irregularly graces us with his presence.
4. The other male in the family gets a haircut every three months.

So…….. WTF?!?