I'm just going outside...

The snow hasn't let up at all, making it a bit difficult to get out of the house. TallGirl swept the table clean last night. I know: what table?

This morning I hit the phone to try and sort our car out. Of course the man from the Audi garage needed the chassis number... and all the documents were still in the car. So I got all togged up and, with TallGirl to keep me company, headed off to walk the 3km or so to the car. Icy cold on the way there, with the blizzard in our faces, but more bearable on the way back when the snow lightened up a bit.

So, back at the ranch I was able to find out the likely cost of replacing the alternator (gasp) and get quotes for car hire. I talked Mr B out of something rather complicated involving a drive to the airport in Toulouse, though it may be inevitable if he has to pop to London for work.

Then back to the garage, with all of us this time, to unload the ski gear from the car and pay for it to be towed to Tarbes. Happily the nice lady at the local garage said we could leave the ski gear there, saving us carrying it all home through the blizzard, it being too flat to make it worthwhile skiing.

Now Mr B is upstairs with a migraine, the kids have soaked through all their clothes digging dens in the snow, and I'm a bit lacking in holiday spirit all of a sudden. Soon comes another long walk to the local bus stop then, hopefully, a bus to our hire car.

And it's still snowing.

Edit, added later.

We made the bus on time, in fact we were there early enough to witness many amusing episodes of attempted parking / de-parking in the village carpark - which was covered with about a foot of snow. The car hire man had very kindly come to the station to collect us from the bus, and he handed over our new (tiny) car with the minimum of paperwork and no extra charge for two drivers (I never understood that charge anyway - I mean you can't both drive it at once).

Back to our village then and a long conversation with the lovely lady at the garage about whether we could leave the hire car parked there, our local road being impassable to cars and us not wanting to be laughed at by joining the main carpark skidding circus. She eventually agreed if we left her the keys in case they got around to clearing the snow. And she said I'd put the chains on the wheels really well. Nice lady. If she carries on this way I may have to send her a cake.

Home (walking) in time for the kids to soak all their clothes again in the garden, for a quick chicken, chorizo and potato dinner, a dancing lesson, a quick chess game and bed. Here's hoping for some actual skiing in our ski holiday tomorrow....