More skiing in Telluride
Phenomenal second day skiing here in Telluride. I got rid of my altitude problem - so - skiing in 4000m is no longer a problem for my body. It was sunny till the early afternoon. We got a lot of rides on the phenomenal trails in this resort.
Thanks to Tony - who is a chef - we also get great food every day. He commited to cook 4 dinnerst this week. We started with a great Salmon and we are going to have Turkey tonight. Last night we went out to a Sushi place - really good stuff.
Well - thats the update. Time for a shower now - then the dinner - and - guess what? It seems there is a latin night tonight at one of the bars here :-)

Out for Sushi with the guys	On my way from our place to the gondola
On the first lift - yeah - we did the bumps on the ride	Our lunch place
Clouds rolling in in the PM	Amazing scenery here in the Rocky Mountains

Skiing in Telluride, Colorado
Boy - I am dead - in a good way :-) - had the first day skiing here in Telluride. I think I am generally in really good shape - but - the altitude is really killing. Telluride starts at 2900m and it goes up to 4000m. The thin air definitely makes it much harder - but - the weather was perfect - the tracks are amazing - snow is nice - life is good :-)
Too tired now to write too much about what happened. We have a great place - 3 walking minutes to the gondola. The guys in the group are pretty cool which will make this trip even more amazing.
More pictures to come in the next days - and hopefully some nice stories.

Mountain range	Getting of the lift
Up at 4000m	Getting beers with Tony at lunchbreak
Great tracks	lots of bumps :-)
Made it through that	Relaxing after a long day

Friends are leaving Boston
It is a week of farewells. Andreas and Christoph both leave Boston to go back to Europe. Andreas is heading to Linz, Christoph is going back to France. Went with Andreas to Christophers on monday night - for a last plate of Nachos and some good beers. Tuesday night it was time to say good bye to Christoph at the Asgard in Central Square.
There sould have been pictures from Kansas City this week - but - as my trip got canceled I dont have any :-( - on the other side I am not too sad about it. I got the chance to check out Avatar - boy - what a movie - especially in 3D. I got the chance to say good bye to Andreas and Christoph - and - I got to spend some time on the salsa dancefloors :-)
There is one other topic that excites me even more than others - and it is a hopefully soon upcoming trip from Barbara to Boston - lets hope the best :-)
Anyway - back to Business. Here are two pictures from the farewell parties.

Saying Farewell to Andreas	Saying Farewell to Christoph (2nd from the left)

Life can be a roller coaster ride
Sometimes it feels like the world is on a roller coaster ride. Everything feels good in one moment - but in the next it feels like everything has changed and it is hard to get it back on track.
Got some rollercoaster moments last week. The Earthquake in Haiti was unexpected and a country that was hoped to get out of a century long poverty phase is now even more devastated than before. The recent special elections in Massachusetts also felt like a rollercoaster ride. It seemed there was no question about the outcome until the very end were everything changed.
My business trip to Kansas has also been cancelled on short notice. It would have been a new city for me to explore - but - now I can enjoy my sunday, monday and tuesday in Boston - not a bad thing :-) (there wouldnt have been any salsa in Kansas on these days)
So - it's been an interesting week. Went to a Haiti Fundraiser Salsa Party on wednesday. It was also Joanna's birthday so - Happy Birthday again!! Met with some old former colleagues on thursday and finally got the chance to welcome David (a friend from New York) in Boston. I've been telling him about the special Sam Adams Sunray brew which you can only get here at our very local Milky Way/Bella Luna restaurant. It seemed he liked it.
What's to come? Salsa tonight - no plans for tomorrow - and - ta ta - my skiing trip to Colorado starting next weekend :-)
Adios - oh yeah - the first 4 pictures show how hard it is to get a good picture with Raj :-)

Attempt 1	Attempt 2
Attempt 3	Attempt 4
Happy Birthday Joanna - 21 finally :-)	Inanc and Joanna at Bukowski's
Friday night in JP with David and Stephan	And our friends Winter Ale and Winter Lager

Winter is back in Boston
I woke up monday morning just before dawn. After a peek out of the window and a quick look at the traffic report it was clear to put in a Home Office day - it was a wise choice after hearing how long it took some of my colleagues to get into the office.
Snowfall continued today - not as strong - but it definitely added another couple of cm's on the snow from yesterday. I made it to the office and actually got to take some pictures from the beautiful view I have from my desk.
Tonight it was finally time for a visit to Christophers - havent been there in ages (at least it feels like it). Ardy and I drove to Cambridge after a long day in the office - trying to find a parking spot at Porter Square. Well - what can I tell you - its not easy - especially when some of the free parking spots available are actually taken by big piles of snow. So - in the end we both ended up parking in a spot where we risked a ticket. Fortunately for me - I didnt get one - not sure about Ardy yet. The Julius Echter and the Nachos were awesome - as always. But - the Nachos still don't look good in a picture (as you can see below) :-)
Another big thing that happened today as the special election for the Massachusetts Senate Race. It was a big surprise for the state that has been democratic for so many years. Will be interesting what this change will bring.
Final note: Lately I've been happy that Skype works so well :-)

Monday morning - the snow is coming in	Yeah - there was also snow in the backyard :-)
My view from my desk	And - that is my desk - taken from the kitchen (so - I am pretty close to the coffee machine)
Yeah - it doesnt picture well - but it tastes AWESOME!! Julius Echter and Assorted Nachos	Round two: more healthy food - Chicken Fingers

A busy first week back in Boston
One week has almost past already since I came back to Boston. I successfully fought the Jetlag - spent my days working - and my nights on the dancefloors :-)
Today I finally managed to enjoy the beautiful weather we have hear. Its not too cold anymore - actually a bit above freezing - making the snow and ice melt - but - that was perfect for a nice run around the Jamaica Pond.
We also finally got the timt for some "fall activity" - meaning - getting the patio furniture and the grill down to the basement. Would have been smarter to do it before the couple of snow storms that we had since - but - well - better late than too late :-)
That's pretty much it. More salsa tonight - and probably a movie tomorrow night. Oh yeah - and I got a business trip scheduled to a city I haven't yet been to: Kansas City.
Thats the deal. Adios

Salsa Performance by Rumba y Timbal on thursday at Club Caribe	Craig Ferguson - host of the Late Late Night Snow. Just finished his book American on Purpose
My favorite salsa place: Havana Club in Cambridge	Birthday dance for Johnny
Patio with the furniture	Patio without it
Jamaica Pond - still frozen	Enjoyed running around the pond

Back in Boston - 2 days later than expected
Thanks to the snow in central europe I had 2 extra days in Linz before heading back to Boston. Everything was packed - we drove to the airport - Friends and Family was there to say good bye - but - the lady at the check-in counter only told me: "please go to the ticket counter and reschedule your flight as yours has been cancelled"
As the next available flight to Boston wasn't until monday morning I got 2 additional days in Linz. Barbara and I took advantage of that and enjoyed an extra night in Linz - hoping from bar to bar to find opportunities to dance. We found a small salsa group dancing at the Tapas Bar. From there we went on to explore Remembar (a bit too loud for us), the new Almrausch (not really to recommend), Sky Garden (got there too late and weren't served anymore) and finally Exxtrablatt where we enjoyed the last drink of the night.
It's been a busy weekend. Besides the two extra days I got due to the delay I had my original plan of going to the Modeball in the Linzer Brucknerhaus. It is one of the most famous Balls in Linz and the Bruckernhaus is definitely one of the best venues for a Ball. Brita, Didi, Sandro, Tanja, Veronika, Kurt and 3 or 4 thousand other folks enjoyed the night with dancing or enjoying the great costumes made by the fashion students of the Modeschule.
Now I am back home in Boston - sitting here at my "home office" desk - sipping a bottle of Sam Adams Coastal Wheat and snacking on the stuff that Stephan bought me as a welcome present (Pringles, KitKat and Golden Delicious Apples - yep - all of these are some favorites of mine).
I hope the jetlag is not too bad today. The new episodes of 2 1/2 men is on at 9 - hope to make it until then without falling asleep.
Thats it - here are some pictures.

The Lindners, Tanja, Brita and I getting ready for a night full of dancing	Some sheep drink :-)
It likes Heineken	And Zipfer too
But sometimes too much is too much - even for sheep :-)	Thanks for joining me at the ball Didi
My sister and Kurt	Barbara and me enjoying the extra time we got this weekend

Time is running out
4 weeks seemed a long long time when I started my trip to Linz in December. Now - with only 2 remaining days - it seems that there can't be enough time to meet all my friends that I wanted to see.
I haven't seen Florian and his newborn son - I haven't seen Leo and his twins - and there are others that I wished to see but where time simply ran out. Great thing though is - there is always a "next time" - and the fact that good friends stay good friends even though you don't see them as regularly as you wish.
The last couple of days were really busy. Besides working in our Linz office I managed to visit Udo in his new apartment with his new family. Julius is the new addition since last summer. Although he tries to convince people that his name was chosen for a different reason we (the Bostonians) know that it comes from Julius Echter (our beloved beer) :-). Thanks for hosting me on monday night - and thanks for the great dinner. Salsa dancing at Remembar gave me the chance to say good bye to my fellow salseros. I know - I haven't danced with as many as I usually do and not as many dances - but - there was obviously a good reason for that :-) (will come to that later)
I am glad that I also made it to Didi Strasser (there are some Didi's in my life - so don't get confused). On tuesday evening Didi and Dorli invited me for dinner. Besides a delicious meal I got great fashion advice. I was on my way to the Neuhofner Buergerball and changed my clothes at their place. Thanks to Dorli I could wear my tie :-) (P.S.: I know the green tie was not to best fit - but nobody complained :-) ).
The Neuhofner Buergerball was amazing. We danced all night till the band stopped playing shortly before 3AM. The countless Waltz, Rumbas, Cha-Chas, Jives, Tangos and DiscoSamSa's (thats Martins word for my style of dancing - it means - Disco Fox - Samba and Salsa) not only made us sweat a lot - but also ensured that the Neuhofner Ball audience keeps us in good memory :-)
Well - and today - January 6th - it was time to celebrate the 32nd birthday of Martin (aka Resl). Its always a pleasure to be invited at his parents place. I enjoyed the breakfast at 11:30AM followed by lunch at 12:30PM (Gulasch), coffee and cake at 13:30PM and more Gulasch throughout the afternoon :-)
2 days are left. Its going to be a final visit at my parents - a final night with my friends in Gallneukirchen and another Ball in the Brucknerhaus on friday night before I board the plane in Linz to fly back to Boston.
Its been a trip that I enjoyed more than I originally thought - thanks Barbara!!

Udo let me taste beer from Finnland	At the Neuhofner Buergerball with the Lamm Family

Prosit Neujahr
I just came back from a nice evening with Andreas (aka Mustang) - we both live in Boston but spent our christmas time here in Linz. It seems that 2010 will bring some similar and interesting challenges for both of us.
The last day of 2009 was filled with sports (Linzer Sylvesterlauf), family (gathering of the Grabner family) and friends (at Sandros place).
Didi talked me into participating in the 9th Linzer Sylvesterlauf. It is a 6k run through the city of Linz. I guess that due to my extensive biking in Boston I was able to finish the race in 26:08 - Didi finished in 27:46 - awesome job!!
The big event at night was a party at Sandro's new place. It was great having many of my friends over to celebrate the old and to welcome the new year. Traditionally as it is in Austria - the new year is welcomed with Sparkling Wine, Fireworks AND a Midnight Waltz (An der schoenen blauen Donau).
Here are some pictures of the last day of the first century of our current millenium.

Pre-Race Warm-Up with a bottle of beer :-)	Udo and Julius came to visit before the race
Smiling after the first lap through downtown Linz	Still smiling at the finish line (still wearing my Red Sox Hat)
Finished: Didi in his Red Sox and I in my Red Bull Jersey	Sandro preparing the first meal of 2010
Weisswurst, Bretzel and Wheatbeer :-)	Thanks Barbara for joining us at the party

2009 is almost over - what will 2010 bring?
2009 was an amazing year with many highlights: * It started with New Year Celebration in Boston with my mum and sister visiting me in the states.
* The winter was cold, long and we got lots of snow.
* Leaving Cambridge was not easy - but our new house in Jamaica Plain and the great neighbourhood made it easy to call JP our new home.
* I had my first ski trips in the north east (thanks to Kathy, Brendan and Jessica).
* We had many salsa parties (both in clubs as well as private ones).
* I had several visitors this year from Austria showing them my 2nd home - hopefully I could give them a lasting impression of Boston and the States.
* I got to visit many cities in the states (New York, Seattle, San Francisco, LA, Las Vegas, Miami, ...)
* I was blessed with many friends on each side of the Atlantic that always welcomed me after my trips to either Europe or the US.
* I got to see live games of all major US sports: Baseball (Red Sox), Basketball (Celtics), Hockey (Bruins) and Football (Patriots).
* I lost a big love in my life - but got a friend in return
* I could enjoy Linz09 while I visited Linz in July
* Friends of mine got married or got kids.
* I turned 30 (yeah I know - I still look like early 20's)
* I got my US driving license (after 2 attempts and 6 weeks of waiting for the mail delivery)
* I got to see U2 and Coldplay in concert
* I was successful in my job - but the best of all - I LOVE IT :-)
* I consider myself lucky because I was given the opportunity to move to the US for the 2nd time in my life
2010 is on the doorstep - what will it bring? Well - we will see. It's up to us to make the best out of every day that we have. Walking with a smile increases the chances that the world smiles back to you. Being grateful for the things that we take for granted is a noble thing to do. Being humble is a good attitude even in situations where someone could admit that a job was well done.
Thanks again to all my friends out there - especially to Stephan who is the main contributor to my positive experiences in Boston. Thanks to my salsa friends in Boston and Linz who allow me to enjoy the latin rhythm and latin life. Thanks to my friends and family who supported me in my decision to go abroad.
Life is Good if you allow it to be good - here are some highlight pictures of 2009!

My Mum and Sister visiting me in Boston	Winter Wonderland in Boston
With Stephan in Florida	At an NBA Playoff Game in Boston Garden
Wine Tasting with Friends in Napa Valley	In Key West with Peter (aka Hutti)
Extending the Red Sox Nation to Linz :-)	Martin and Sonja getting married!!
Exploring Linz09 with Stephan	My 30th BDay - celebrating with Raj and Friends
With Alois at Sarah's Summer Camp in NH	U2 Concert in Boston
Stephan being interviewed by News Stations	My bike commute to work
With friends at the Christkindlmarkt in Linz	My salsa friends in Boston