Kick@**!

   I made it to illustration circle for the second week (in a row!!!) and was planning to sketch, but Mirna kindly offered to share her gouache, brushes, and postcard-sized watercolor paper, so I painted! Today's theme was to create an Olympics poster. And here's the trouble I caused:

   It's not great and it's not even finished but I love it. I plan to keep going... and plan to do what the painting says soon again. Just booked my next snowboarding trip.

Skiers vs. Boarders

    Jack sent me this side-by-side image and I have to admit, she does have my smile. But... she's a skier and I'm a snowboarder... we're from different worlds!

   The thing about skiers and snowboarders, I've learned, is that when you are on the mountain together, you can ride side-by-side in harmony, regardless of your mixed modes of travel. Except that the skiers get all pissy when they glide right off the lift and are ready to take off immediately. Their friends the snowboarders ride the lift with only their front leg strapped in, and have to dismount and simultaneously land their back foot in the middle of their board next to their back binding, hold their balance and not fall down like an amateur, causing the lift operator to stop the lift--which would embarrassingly leave all those people hanging in midair. And not only that, then the snowboarder has to pull over to a spot where they can stand or sit to strap in. As for me, I'm quick at that, but I have an additional pause at the top of every run for starting up my iPod so I have the proper riding music. Critically important. By then the skiers are either getting impatient, or they've already left without you.

   But the advantage of snowboarding over skiing (other than it just looking a helluva lot cooler, let's be honest) is that when you're tearing down the slopes and hit a bump or patch of ice or just pick up too much speed, and happen to crash? Well, the snowboard ain't goin' anywhere... It's strapped to your feets. When skiers crash it's a "yard sale" because all their wares (poles, skis) are strewn out along the mountain.
   I will say, though, that when I'm out riding I get a little jealous of the cute little snowbunny skier girls in their color-coordinated tight snow pants and tiny fitted jackets. They look super-cute and feminine... like I try to look in my street clothes.

   Snowboarders play a little rougher and have their own style, with longer jackets and baggier snow pants and thicker boots... and certainly all in louder colors.

   I also happen to look three times larger when dressed for snowboarding that I am in real life. ;)

When I'm out there, I'd rather look kick@** than cute anyway.

Proper Protection

   Just placed my order for all the safety gear I'll need to safely & properly start longboarding, to give me confidence and hopefully reduce the risk of injury. (I'd rather not spend four months of the year in an immobilizer again, thanks.)
   I also invested in better wrist guards for snowboarding. I was hunting for reviews online, and found a helpful forum. This comment made me LOL! Sounds perfect for me. Look out, Mike & Rafael!

Let the games begin!!!!!

Get on the bus, Gus!

   Due to my snowboarding trip, I missed out on the chance to buy my monthly bus pass for February. I was so bummed when I realized it! So I was put in touch with the admin of our fleet department, and she had the bus driver bring a pass for me. Wow. This is what I left on her desk…. Hope it gave her a laugh and adequately expressed my sincere appreciation.

Reunited and it feels so good

   Southwest airlines located my snowboard bag (with all my gear inside) and it was delivered at 1:30 AM. I know this because the courier left it on the front doorstep. The dogs heard his car in the drive, and barked up a storm. Let's just say I didn't get much sleep after that.

   Very glad to have my board back, as it's my first--the only one I've ridden, save the lessons I took on rentals. I think it's about time to retire it and hang it on the wall, and upgrade to a higher-grade board. A little treat for all the progress I've made. I can blame Brett for this idea; at Solitude he suggested that I'm hitting a point where my beginner board may impede further progress.

   And now that I'm watching night one of the Olympics featuring the slope style competition, I already can't wait to get back on my ride again. It's only been two days, but that's two days too long. My heart is definitely in the mountains!

Solitude, Indeed

Photo by Brad B

   Brett, Rafael, Brad and I spent Monday and half a day today at the aptly-named Solitude. It's a small resort, and since these are weekdays, we REALLY had zero lift lines, and the slopes to ourselves. And the slopes, as it turned out, were fantastic: wide-open rolling groomers and bowls. It was another bluebird day, and there was a great number of fun and fast blue runs. I even hit a couple of blacks. Learning to carve down the steeps still—it's intimidating, but I'm getting better. I've come a long, long way on this trip.
   Many of the lifts were the old-style ones that whip around at the ends, but fortunately I had gotten over my acute fear of those on day 1 at Park City Mountain Resort. You just have to be ready to get off those things FAST. The first time I rode one, at Breck a couple of years ago, I was riding up with a stranger on skis who didn't move quickly, I got tangled, lost my balance and slipped, and the lift grabbed my right arm and nearly tore it off. Fortunately the operator was vigilant. I wasn't clamoring to get on another one like it, but had no such trouble this time. Progress!

   On Monday we rode like crazy from 9-4:15, then hit the Porcupine for a massive pile of gourmet nachos and beers, before we headed back home. Later, Brad picked me up and gave me a tour of downtown SLC. The coolest part was grabbing a coffee to abate the chill, and walking around the Mormon temple, tabernacle, gardens, conference center, reflecting pool, and statuary. It is a stunning complex, right down to the ornate iron gates surrounding the grounds.

Walker Center tells the weather!!!

   Tuesday morning the Tres Amigos loaded up all our things and headed back to Solitude to ride for a half day. Our only option was a full-day lift ticket, so we rode like mad men to get the most out of it. I really dig the Eagle Ridge to Sunshine Bowl to Grumble run. Super long, rolling groomers with long, flat, FAST stretches in between. I've made peace with speed and we are amigos now. And I have the windburn on the exposed areas of my face to prove it.
   Now we're at the airport hoping to catch our flight from SLC through Denver to KC. All three cities got significant snow last night (all my coworkers seem to be working from home!), so it will be interesting to see if we actually make it tonight as planned. I have to admit, it wouldn't break my heart to be stuck in a ski town for an extra day. Have board, will ride.  :)
   You don't see pictures on these last few posts because, apparently, the cold in Utah was too much for my old iPhone 4s. Said a prayer, steeped it in rice, prayed again, didn't work. So I'll have to get some photos from my friends to add in later.

Snowbird, Day 3

   By this morning (4 am to be exact), it was clear that I had more than a cold. Richard graciously offered to take me to urgent care and to pick up my prescription, so the other three boys could get on with their day. Sinus infection confirmed, I got on my meds and debated on whether to take it easy at the condo or head to the 'bird. The decision was easy: fresh powder yesterday, and a gorgeous, sunny, bluebird day today. To the mountain!
   We arrived by 11:00 when the crowd was already thinning for lunch & the Superbowl, so I was able to get a lot of riding in. My head began to feel much better, and much to my relief, I was able to focus 100% on having fun again. By 1:00 the slopes were empty; we nearly had all the runs to ourselves. Thank you, football!!!! We rode until 4:30 when the lifts closed and made a beeline home to the beef stew we'd thrown in the crock pot this morning.
   I was thinking, as crummy as it is that I'm not feeling well, I'm well enough to ride, and THANK GOODNESS it hit me on this trip and not when I was in Roatan. Here in Draper, a great urgent care facility was 2.5 miles away, and the pharmacy next door. I could ride with a head cold. In diving, however, there would be no such luck: congestion means no diving, there was NOTHING else to do at our resort, and good luck finding urgent care on the tiny, remote island of Roatan. So I'm very grateful things worked out the way they did!

Snowbird, Day 2

   Day 2 at the 'bird was a bit more trying... After two hard days of riding, my legs were beginning to talk back, making my form sloppy and falls more eminent. It snowed all day, with visibility greatly reduced for much of it. Thank goodness Brett loaned me his low-light goggles, so I had a snowball's chance of seeing where I was going! Mine are only for sunlight. While we were cold and vis was poor, fresh pow is always welcome.
   I also woke up feeling lousy, and suspected a sinus infection. Huge bummer to be sick on vacation, but I wasn't about to let that stop me. I rode from 9-2:00, until my head was pounding so hard I simply couldn't continue. Then I sat in Creekside Cafe at the base under a warm heater, drinking 50/50 hot chocolate & coffee, and chatted it up with the locals. Had an invitation to join a couple of guys in their hot tub but figured I'd better decline.  ;)
   We all cooked dinner tonight at the condo: Mexican extravaganza! Made chicken enchilada soup, fresh black bean salsa, and fresh guacamole. Big hit. (Thanks to Ginny for the mixes that made it even easier.)

Snowbird, day 1

Los Tres Amigos!

   Snowbird proved to not be as difficult of a mountain as everything I've read... Either that, or I'm becoming a better rider! Spent all day on the blues and some greens. Great day to ride, with the sun and even a little blue sky peeking out at times, near white out at others.

   Met up with Brad & his family briefly and then went back up to kill it some more.

   Traveling with five dudes + others met along the way = awesome

Dinner in Draper

   "Live underwater"?! Of course I'd find the scuba cart at the grocery store on a snowboarding trip to Utah!

   Extensive beer selection at the condo. Thinking of Trish!

   Putting Brett to work. Shopping & cooking for 5 is harder than for 1, it turns out.

Buckeye and Luckyboy

   Greetings from on high #jenandrafael #snowboarding #buckeye #luckyboy

I feel right at home here in Park City. In fact, I love it!!!!!!

Power to the Pow-Pow!!!

   I've already packed my lucky Snow Patrol T-shirt, to ensure we get dumped on. And the forecast is looking good so far… Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed!!!

   Update: 10" of fresh pow waiting for us at Park on Thursday, and it snowed all day long. Friday promises to be epic.

Giddyup!!!!!

   Heavy snow as we touched down... Double-digit fresh pow overnight! Pow all day long. Power to the Pow-Pow! Yesssssssssssssssssssssssss

MacDo

   I eat fast food mayyyybe 6 times a year. And I am in Filet-o-Fake-Fish a and greasy delicious French fry heaven at the Denver airport right now. #preemptiveregret #slimyyetsatisfying

   On a similarly unhealthy note:

Hahahhahhahahahahaha!!!!!

Double entendre

   Question: Someone asked me if, because my snowboard bag is bigger than me, it doubles as a sleeping bag when I arrive at my destination. Answer: if I had thought of that, I could have saved some major bucks on a condo!!! No indoor plumbing in the bag, though.

   However, it will be a moot point if I'm disallowed from departing...

I can almost taste the pow-pow

   Got the condo, the lift tickets, the new helmet, & the fellow riders. Countdown to Utah. It can't come soon enough!

   Sitzmark had some sweet used boards for sale. Too many toys with cool graphics. I should have chosen a less-tempting hobby. :)

Happiest Kid on Earth

   Sean donned my sunglasses and we were off...

...to the Magic Kingdom!

So true...

   Kelley, Sean, and Grandma rode the teacups

   While I braved the wild yeti on the Matterhorn

We rode It's a Small World (holiday edition)

And Haunted Mansion (holiday edition)

And went on an undersea voyage in a submarine to find Nemo

And sang and danced with some pirates!

Can't wait until little nephew Aaron is big enough to join us...

Travel Town

   It was SO FUN for Mom and I to experience Travel Town through the eyes of a two year old! Located in Griffith Park, it's a wonder for little train enthusiasts--and it's free. 

   We walked among the big trains, climbed aboard a few, and took a ride on the little replica train, twice around the track encircling the park. 

   Two would for comfortably in the seat, with a kid on a lap. Our kid insisted on sitting between us, and took great delight in waving his arms, thrashing his head side to side (into my boob. Umm... Ouch) and giggling. 

   These photos are the best present any Auntie could ask for.

Spoilage

   The tiny bag contains everything I need for the next 5 days in LA. The ginormo bag is FULL of presents. Two spoiled-rotten nephews, coming right up!!!