Front mountain Perisher Valley. First day of 2015 season. My friend Phil Thomas sent me this photo just to make me feel bad.

The first day of the Australian ski season opened rainy at Manly. Zoomed over to Balmoral for the 7am Saturday swim. Water cloudy and a lot colder then Manly but shock, horror and trepidation, the gas heating is broken and showers are cold. 1km swim and then cold rinse off in the shower outside the club. Did not linger. Didn’t whinge though, no point, everyone was too busy shivering too listen. A big pot of porridge with keffir on top fixed me up when I got home. Just as I walked in, a text from Phil Thomas with attached photo arrived from Perisher Valley. Couldn’t stop looking at it. I do so want to go for a ski and felt just for a split second that I could jump in the car and go down for the weekend. I know that’s fanciful. I’ll miss this season – won’t even see snow for the first time in decades. Slack day. Walked to Shelly and back. No other exercise.