Ausländer in Austria: Spring is officially here.....

Yes, finally the weather has warmed up, and for the first time this year, flip flops were worn at the weekend (22c). You may think it is simply the month or the weather that pronounces it is spring, but no, here in Austria there are a few things that predict when spring is officially here.

Our little friendly ants start to creep into the house through the tiniest of gaps and make a nuisance.

Ian starts to get more irritated with driving to work, behind the slow tractors and the even more annoying tiny cars (the ones where you don't need a licence, and they only go 45km/h).

My work decided to fill the huge fountain on the plaza, and take down the rope barriers (to stop people walking in the snow).

It's light when we drive home from work.

The twice a year ritual of swapping winter and summer clothes takes place in the Pattison household.

Its time to swap the winter tyres to summer tyres on the car.

Hazel starts to moan that is too hot

Hazel starts to moan that we should never have put a glass roof over the wintergarden.

and finally this year, Ian and Hazel rejoice in being able to fit into the summer clothes that have been stored away for 5 months.

So last weekend, we took the trip to Vienna and went for a little shop, as, after been extremely happy that we now had 4 PCs networked together, the PC in the lounge decided it no longer liked its power supply. So we went looking for a small power supply to fit a slimline PC......Stupidly thinking we may find one. But no this is Austria, yes there are big electrical stores, and one maplin-like shop (with only 5 different power supplies), but that is it folks.......If only they would bring a huge supermarket, electrical store, PC store, TK Maxx and, and and.....to Austria.

So internet shopping wll have to do.

Sunday, we finished the roof garden, by laying the final 60m2 of weed cloth protection, to kill the overgrown garden. Ian took a little trip outside with his helicopter. Oh yeah and we watched the whole and only season of 'Moonlight' - a similar minded sci-fi friend at work lent me the DVD - Vampires, romance, mystery and murder....oh and a wonderfully hunky Alex O'Loughlin. All that a girl needs.

Monday, my 'sista from another mista' (as Mollie likes to call me) came into work. I had been on holiday, and then she went back to the States for 2 weeks, so I was missing my BF. Little Vinnie has grown lots. She had been shopping while visiting the states and bought me a present from Marshalls (TK Maxx of the USA). A pink, cupcake, frilly, cute apron, a cake slice with red and pink shiney gems on it, and some cute Easter kitchen towels. She wants me to look like a Stepford wife I think.

Tuesday - Ian is somewhere in Austria with work, a team meeting/retreat thingy. He will be attending and also facilitating - using 5 types of balls, lego, and string (mmmm). I am at work (lunch break now), and have just receieved a parcel from my mum which includes some cadbury's easter nest cakes.....THANK YOU MUM! It made a nice surprise, as I was having slightly murderous intentions towards my office mate earlier. It makes me chuckle - the look of pity in her eyes when I say that we don't really 'club' anymore. We did that from the age of 16 - 28, and now it is more gigs, friends houses, meals and BBQs. I told her we were going to see Limp Bizkit in July, so she told everyone that I don't 'club' because I only like heavy metal music. Not sure if it an age thing or another cultural difference we all find working in an international environment.

Finally as I have no photos this week to share, I thought I would include 2 cute photos of Neo:

Peekaboo