Domesticated

It was 5:30am and time to get up. I had little trouble following through after almost 8 full hours of restful sleep. The weekend was finally upon us after a short three-day work week. In truth, though, despite the short week, it seemed to drag on. I was looking forward to the two day reprieve.

It didn’t take long to finish my sit-ups. Once again, I rested my shoulder, and probably will continue to do so through at least Wednesday of next week. Ykraps and I were out early because of this. There was lots of hard packed ice and snow lying on the sidewalk & bridge over the stream. I walked in the street to bypass it. I didn’t want to slip. I think Ykraps understood the change in plan.

My Friday run went well. It was snowing once again but a little warmer than the preceding day. It was still below freezing, however. Fortunately, the weekend promises a slight warm-up timed perfectly with the arrival of March. I’d certainly welcome a mild March much like we experienced last year. Save for one late cold snap, it was one of the warmest in recent memory. All that aside, February 2008 will go down as one of the wintriest in a long time.

Mindy & Bella left shortly after my return home. Jacob & I spent our time much like any other school/work morning. He played Wii while I showered. He left for the bus stop while I was busy warming & scrapping snow off the Trooper. By the time I drove to the corner the bus was just pulling up to pick-up the children. I wished Pat well before heading off to work.

Work wasn’t too bad at all. I had a planned interview at 9:30am which carried on until 10:45am. I chose to skip an official lunch break since I had no errands needing run. Instead, I worked straight through eating my packed lunch while I worked. During the afternoon, I saw that the temperature crept above 40 – Wahoo! Mindy phoned after school to let me know that she had stopped by Ashley’s new apartment just minutes from her school. Keeping with tradition, there was drama surrounding her move. Mindy was bringing Olivia home so that Ashley could focus on moving/organizing. Ashley was originally counting on her sister Lindsey to keep Olivia while she completed her move but Lindsey was involved in a vehicle mishap and couldn’t keep her commitment. Always something! Mindy, I think, knew that I’d be OK having Olivia over. We both adore her plenty. It’s especially nice to have her alone. She’s always pleasant as well as fun!

I arrived home from work by 5:45pm. The kids were off playing and Olivia and Mindy were alone in the kitchen. Olivia was a busy body, getting into everything. I helped where I could. My first order of business, however, was walking Ykraps. That didn’t take long at all. I was back by 6pm. I played with Olivia while Mindy prepared to leave for the grocery. Olivia was tired but fighting it – nothing unusual there! Mindy saw this and offered to put her down before leaving. I agreed. Despite her throwing a little fit for maybe a minute, she went right out and pretty much slept for the next two hours. While Mindy & Bella were gone, I updated my blog, which hadn’t been updated since prior to our trip. I had an entire weeks worth to post. I was playing Wii golf when Mindy returned. I stopped to help carry in all the groceries. Ashley phoned to let us know that she was on her way to fetch Olivia. I went up to get her a few minutes later. She was still very groggy. So much so, that I think she could of slept all night long. She wasn’t very responsive to anything, not even her mother’s arrival a few minutes later. But that eventually changed. She wanted her momma like always.

I assured Ashley that I’d be over with the washer, dryer, & bed sometime tomorrow afternoon. She & Olivia left. Meanwhile, Mindy & I weren’t up much longer. We headed to bed around 10pm. I was feeling very sleepy after two Columbus Pale Ales.

Camilla Bedelia

Mindy set her alarm for 5:30am. I assume to make sure that both of us were up early since she had another one of those early morning meetings to attend. When her alarm sounded at 5:30am I leaped from bed cursing that I had overslept, not yet realizing that it was only 5:30am. Mindy heard me espousing displeasure and chimed in with the correct time. Once I realized the mistake I had made I was much calmer. Still, though, the jolt to my system carried through the first part of my morning routine.

I noticed as I descended on the day I felt very sleepy. And my shoulder that began to feel better last evening was again throbbing profusely. I took my vitamin and anti-inflammatory just like I have for the past week before beginning my sit-ups. Once again, I wasn’t even going to try to do any push-ups. Soon Ykraps and I were on our way out the door. The walk was fruitful.

We were back for coffee by 5:53am. I delivered Mindy’s coffee immediately knowing that she needed to be up and moving early. Because of her early meeting, I needed to be back from my run by 7am. That meant that I should take the first step of my run no later than 6:25am. I moved briskly through PC and meditation and was ready for my run by 6:20am. After stretching on the front porch I dashed off into the cold morning air. It was only 12 degrees.

My run went well. Even leaving early, it was pretty much daylight for the entire run. Looking ahead, I won’t be running in total darkness again until next November. At least I don’t think so. Oops! Thinking that through a little more, I just realized that daylight saving time begins early this year, March 9th to be exact. Looks like I’ll be cast back into darkness in ten days for at least another few weeks until the days once again lengthen.

I completed my run just before 7am just as Mindy asked. She left soon after I made my entrance back into the house. She was nice enough to preheat the breakfast skillet. All I had to do was mix up my scrambled eggs. I made a ham & cheese omelet. It was very, very tasty. I hit the shower early and was ready to go by 7:43am. I alerted Jacob not to rush since we had several minutes yet. I warmed the Trooper to help combat winter’s ugly grip.

We walked to the bus stop. I noticed a new driver today. Not sure if she’s a permanent replacement or a temporary. Only time will tell. I returned to a warm vehicle at 8:05am and headed into work.

The morning went like most work mornings. I was busy until my lunch appointment. I had to depart for home at 12:10pm to meet the counter top guy who was coming to complete the official measure for our granite tops. According to him, it wouldn’t take that long at all. I arrived just before the scheduled 12:30pm appointment. He was already there waiting. He was right. I didn’t take that long at all. Most of the time was spent having me sign papers relinquishing any rights should trouble arise. Geesh! J
I had to give them the second half of the total too. Otherwise, the clock for the install doesn’t start. That hardly seems fair but that’s how it is. I also made arrangements at Mindy’s U-Store-It facility to use their truck to help Ashley move into her apartment on Saturday. I drove by the granite counter tops office on my way back to work to pick-up my receipt. I was back by 1:15pm as predicted.

The afternoon was a busy one. I ate my packed lunch while I worked. Things were hopping so the time flew by. Soon it was 5:30pm. I prepared to leave just after. Mindy was expecting me home so that we could drive to her sisters for dinner. Camilla, their former foreign exchange student, was in town from Denmark and the entire family was over for dinner. According to Mindy, the whole family adopted her while she was here past. This was a big deal.

Mindy took care of walking Ykraps so we could pretty much depart on demand. I arrived home around 5:45pm. After a quick grooming session we departed for Jodie & Larry’s. Ashley phoned along the way returning my earlier call. I wanted to ensure that everything was still a go for Saturday. She said it was. I left a VM for brother Tommy asking if he would care to assist with Ashley’s move Saturday.

We arrived at Mindy’s sister’s just after 6pm. The house was full of family. After all the hoopla, Mindy introduced me to Camilla, the guest of honor. Jodie insisted that we enjoy some food right off. I was hungry so those words were like heaven. We enjoyed some chicken & noodles along with baked chicken breast. Soon even more visitors arrived to greet Camilla. She must've made some impact while she was here past.

We stayed and hung out with family for the better part of the evening hours. We left for home around 8:15pm. Mindy got the kids ready for bed even before leaving Jodie's. She wisely took their jammies along. She put them to bed soon after we were home. I played a few rounds of Wii golf while Mindy folded laundry. We headed to bed early - around 9:30pm. As mentioned earlier, I was tired all day long. I insisted on watching South Park from bed. And while Mindy wasn't so keen about it, she allowed me to partake. I didn't last but about ten minutes. Good Night Mooon!

Wednesday Cometh

I was up even before 5:30am. I felt pretty good save for my bum shoulder. Without much thought I began my routine as if we had never left. I gutted out my sit-ups but once again opted out of push-ups. I grabbed my dumb bells to give my curls a try but that proved way too painful as well. I decided then that I’d better give my shoulder 10 days to heal- pretty much the same as the last time this happened.

I walked Ykraps in the snow which was still coming down. We had about 3 or 4 inches out there. I’ve had about enough snow for the season. I’m ready for some pre spring weather. After some coffee and internet I woke and delivered coffee to Mindy. I returned downstairs for meditation, which I hadn’t done since last Thursday. I’d missed it.

I left for my run right at 6:30am. As much as I am tired of it, running through the soft snow was a pleasing experience. It felt good to have my first ‘home run’ under my belt. Mindy had my eggs ready upon my return. Things are getting back on track fast making it all more difficult to believe that we were on vacation just one day prior. There’s little time for reflection.

Mindy and Bella departed for school at 7:25am. Meanwhile, Jacob was saddled with a 2-hr delay. I volunteered to take the hit and emailed my boss to let him know that I would be late. I logged into work from home. Jacob played several video games while waiting on the time to move along.

After a shower I spent a few minutes down loading my vacation photos from both cameras. I was pleased to see that the picture quality from my new Olympus was far better on screen than it appears on the camera’s own LCD.

Jacob and I left around 10am. I left the Trooper warming while we waited at the bus stop. The bus was there at 10am and I was on my way to the office by 10:05am. It was go-go-go once at work. I had an 11am interview to kick things off. We had an all-hands meeting come 2pm. The day moved somewhat slowly. I spent a lot of time digging out of piles of email.

I left for home around 5:44pm. I walked Ykraps before sitting down for dinner. Mindy made tacos. Funny thing was, when I was thinking about what I wanted for dinner earlier, tacos were the only thing that sounded good. Perfect! Too, she took my advice and made it with 2lbs of beef. Jacob and I made pigs of ourselves, although he had more than me.

It was after 6:30pm when we finished up with dinner. By the time that clean-up was done it was 7pm. I spent the lion’s share of the evening writing in my blog and viewing pictures. I also spent more time putting vacation stuff away. Mindy continued chipping away at the many piles of laundry built by all of us. After the kids were tucked into bed I made myself a bourbon and Coke.

We stayed up for just a short time longer after I begged out for sleepiness.

Departure Day Already - Dry Ice

I woke before the alarm and quickly snuck off to the bathroom to brush my teeth and dress in my running clothes. Someone had already prepped morning coffee, so after my 55 sit-ups I left out the door for my early morning run (I skipped push-ups for my badly aching shoulder). For whatever the reason, it is most often pouring rain during my final run when visiting Glenn. Today, however, was an exception. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and more stars than I could count were visible overhead. The moon provided ample light as I ran through town towards the river. I shortened my run by about a ½ mile turning around at the waterfront condos.

I woke Mindy upon my return. Mary Ann & Tommy were already up and milling about. I poured myself a much desired cup of coffee. By the time I got out of the shower everyone was up, including Glenn. We had plans to leave the house just after 7am for our 9am PDX departure. By the time we had our luggage loaded into the Expedition it was 7:08am. We returned inside for a final goodbye & a few pictures. As he often does, Glenn continued snapping pictures even as we pulled away from the curb into the sunny vista.

No more than a few miles down the road, we had to give Glenn a call to confirm our exit. Traffic was extremely thick on the 5 and a wrong turn would eat up lots of precious time. Lucky for us, the exit we needed was the least populated one. We were on track in a handful of minutes driving along the Columbia towards the airport on a sun this drenched morning.

Bob dropped us curbside much like he did when we left home last Thursday only this time he waited for his boarding pass. After the skycap tagged all seven of our bags and printed our boarding passes Bob left to drop the rental car. We were on our way to the security check point in short order. Bob caught up with us even before we passed through security. It didn’t take him long at all. We were at our gate a few minutes later.

Once there, we visited the Wendy’s directly across from our gate for a fast bite to eat. We were lucky in that they were already serving lunch even at 8am. As luck would have it, we boarded the plane on time but then sat for almost an hour on the tarmac as the airline dealt with a “dry ice” issue. We didn’t leave Portland until almost 10am. By the time we took off fog had engulfed the airport. We weren’t sure if the mountains would be in view or not. They were, though! We could see all of them lined up for our viewing with Rainier, St Helen’s, and Adams out to our left and Hood, Jefferson, and others off to our right. They were breathtakingly beautiful.

I did plenty of reading and sleeping on the first leg of our flight home. As is often the case, the flight back east seemed to go much quicker. The pilot alerted us of our impending landing in Minny in what seemed like a couple of hours. We were just a bit nervous since we left Portland an hour late. Making our connection home was a crap shoot. Little did we know that our connecting plane had yet to land in Minny. We hurried from concourse G to concourse F. It was probably three times as far as our walk last Thursday from C to F. But as we hurried up to F11 we saw that our departing plane was just pulling in. Our departing flight as it turns out was delayed by about 20 minutes.

We tinkered with the idea of grabbing a beer but didn’t. I wasn’t really in the mood for one anyhow. Instead, it was time to begin refocusing on home and work. Ho-hum.

Our flight boarded by 3:45pm CST. We must’ve taken off just after 4pm. I read during most of the final leg. It was dark by the time we landed back home. Where had the day gone? I felt like we just left Oregon a couple hours prior yet it was already 6:30pm at home. The weather was 32 degrees with snow – about like it was when we took-off five days earlier. The forecast called for plenty more overnight.

Bob got us home pretty quickly. And after he and Mary Ann helped us carry in our bags they headed on home. We had a terrific time wasting not a single minute. It was go-go-go the entire time!

Even though we were home we couldn’t yet rest. We had to leave immediately to fetch the kids who were at the dance studio with Grandma Sharon. In the meantime, the snow kept coming down harder and harder. We arrived at the dance studio around 7:45pm. We ordered a pizza from Minelli’s just as we pulled away towards home. Both Mindy & I were craving one of their pizzas.

Bella went in with me to fetch the pie. She was very clingy, but I guess that’s to be expected after being gone for five days. Our pizza had a couple minutes yet upon entering. Perfect – just the way I like it. That guarantees it hot out of the oven. I couldn’t wait to get home and tear into the pie. The kids were hungry too. We ate immediately. Mindy gave the kids their souvenirs from our trip. Bella expressed her displeasure with the mini-treasure chest from Multnomah Falls. J Jacob, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy his basalt rock straight from the cascades.

While Mindy got the kids ready for bed, I tried to unpack and organize as much as possible without being to anal. I managed to get my suitcase & backpack unpacked and separated before giving way to sleepiness. We were in bed by 10pm after a ridiculously fast day. It was hard to imagine that I woke up about 13 hrs ago almost 2600 miles away in Oregon but was back home to sleep in my own bed – almost like we never left.

It's the Last Ride

I was up by 6:45am in part because I couldn’t sleep. My shoulder ached and I couldn’t get comfortable. I made my way downstairs after carefully dressing in my running clothes. After completing some sit-ups I decided to try push-ups despite my shoulder injury. The pain was still present, yet somehow I was able to rip off 50 alligator-armed push-ups. I left for my run immediately after. It had snowed overnight – about two inches in Gov’t Camp. The trail was sloppy as the temperature hovered near freezing. By the time I had finished I had flung slush all up my backside.

Breakfast was ready upon my return. The girls had whipped up yet another morning delight. After breakfast we got moving quickly. We needed to shower, pack, and check-out of the condo before heading up the mountain for our final day of skiing. We closed the door to our condo around 9:45am. I was happy to be heading back up the mountain to ski, but at the same time sad about leaving. The four days & three nights on the mountain went really fast.

We were gazing down the mountain at 10:30am. The sky was almost completely sunny save for a cluster of clouds surrounding the Hood’s summit (happens often). And at this elevation, the overnight snow was more like 4 fresh inches. We all skied a green run to get our legs back under us. After the initial run we took the new Jeff Flood Express lift up. I took another spill as my skis hung up in the thick, fresh snow. Thankfully, it would be my last fall.

We made that run ours for the remainder of the day. It was really quite invigorating – long, fast, and curvy. We still held out hope that they would open the Magic Mile, probably our favorite run. The weather was hardly an excuse, at least at that point. By then the summit was in clear view. They never did open it, however. Later, they cited welding work taking place on the lift. Somehow we doubted it. We made the best of things and skied the new Jeff Flood run the rest of the day. We broke for lunch and brew around 1pm, but kept our time in the bar to less than an hour so that we could get in as many good runs as possible before the 4pm closing.

Bob broke free from the group around 3:15pm eager to take some more advanced runs without the worry of less skilled skiers. The rest of us skied Jeff Flood until it closed. We truly tore it up the final two runs. Even Mindy was skiing with the confidence of a true intermediate skier. We emptied the lift just before 4pm. I gazed over the park and then ahead towards the lodge realizing that the short ride in would be my finale for at least this trip.

We met by the lockers where we turned in our rented gear. There we waited for everyone in our party of seven. Once everyone was accounted for Glenn & Bob took the vehicles up to the historic Timberline Lodge where we would spend a final hour or so before driving back into town. Just like last year, the final day on the mountain provided the most spectacular views of the mountains to the south and the summit of Hood itself. We took plenty of pictures. We left for home (Glenn’s) around 5:30pm.

We stopped in Government Camp so Bob could check the condo office for his camera battery charger, but they were closed. We pulled out of Gov’t Camp around 5:45pm just as the sun sunk below the mountain tops on the western horizon. Portland bound!

Our first stop was Tom Shepherd’s place. We all got out to bid Tom farewell until next time. We arrived back at Glenn’s around 7:30pm. We quickly carried in all of our gear and began reorganizing for our departure tomorrow morning. The plan called for dinner out at a local establishment, but Mindy was too tired and requested a bye. Glenn, Tommy, Bob & Mary Ann all headed out to McMenamins on the waterfront.

Staying back provided me the opportunity to get completely packed for our return home. That took only ten or fifteen minutes. Afterwards I popped some popcorn and enjoyed a little TV before an early bedtime. I think we were in bed by 9pm. I wanted to be up by 5:30am PT.

Moving to Meadows

Sunday had a much different look & feel than Saturday. It was cloudy and foggy. Any chance of seeing the mountain peak was definitely out of the question, at least for the time begin. Tommy & Mary Ann were both up when I made my way downstairs. I was ridiculously thirsty all through the night and not matter how much water I took in I couldn’t shake the dry mouth. I chalked it up to the Transderm Scop patch and altitude.

I left for my run taking the exact same route I took the morning prior – down hill first. The chilly air felt good. It began to snow and continued through the duration of my run. I felt pretty good physically, but it was a challenge lugging my rear back up the hill to the east end of Gov’t Camp. For whatever reason, I was craving donuts. There was a bakery next door, the Ratskeller. Immediately after my run I went back to the condo to fetch my wallet.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have donuts. Instead, they had a broad assortment of muffins and breads. The prices were so stiff that a dozen muffins would have cost me nearly $40. No! As an alternative, I went in the Gov’t Camp Store below our condo and bought a dozen Hostess donuts for less than $4.00. They would complement our breakfast burritos just fine.

The day’s ski plans called for a short trip to Mt Hood Meadows ski resort. The biggest reason for the venue change was to take advantage of their Sunday night skiing since Timberline would close at 4pm. Mindy wasn’t too keen on the idea but kept her desires somewhat to herself. She expressed comfort with Timberline. By the time everyone had eaten, showered and was ready to go, it was almost 10am. We arrived at Meadows around 10:15am, but had to park in their ancillary lot and were shuttled to the actual ski lodge.

Meadows has a much more intimidating look, especially to newcomers. The slopes you see after your first step from the lodge are incredibly steep. It took only about 20 minutes to get our ski gear on and head to the lift ticket line. We were a bit taken back by the price of their lift tickets. They were $64 each, more than double Timberline. This was due mostly to the lack of the same discount we enjoy at Timberline for being a lodging guest.

Glenn was the only skier completely familiar with the terrain, although I’ve skied here two other times. The skies were foggy and it was snowing making it difficult to see much further than about 100 yards at times. We all rode up the lift together and planned to take the green trail down to get our legs. The blues looked much more difficult than any at Timberline. Mindy was noticeably intimidated from the outset. I was careful to stay right by her side after yesterday’s events. We were the final two down the hill.

We met again at the first check point and again discussed the trail we’d be taking down. There are typically several ways one can go. Once again, we were the last to launch, and Mindy took a minor spill so we lost sight of our group. We slowly made our way the direction that we thought the others went but obviously got crossed up. It wasn’t long before we were staring down a long, steep blue run. This brought tears to Mindy’s eyes. She wasn’t pleased. Her displeasure turned to several repeated spills. I felt awful for her. It must’ve looked daunting staring down the mountain. It didn’t get any easier, either.

It took us about 45 minutes to find our way down. It seemed like an eternity. I did my level best to remain positive in Mindy’s gloom. I tried my hand at getting her to refocus her attention from the steep downhill. It worked well enough to get her to the bottom in one piece. I can’t recall the exact details but we finally stumbled upon Glenn and Mary Ann. I begged for Glenn to stay right with us since he was the only one who knew the trails intimately, and because Mindy was our most inexperienced skier. Mindy, I knew, was ready to throw in the towel. In fact, if it wasn’t for Mary Ann I am sure that she would’ve. Mary Ann not only was empathetic, she shared her fear of the ominous looking slopes too. Glenn heeded the request to ski with us to ensure that we stayed on the “green” trails.

Eventually, we found the others and we all agreed to ski the green trails that were still quite challenging but not nearly as steep. Mindy soon regained her composure and got her ski legs back. Soon everyone was having a good time traversing the mountain. A couple of us took a few blue off-shoots but they eventually merged back to the same green trail.

We hit the lodge bar around 130pm where we enjoyed a few pitchers of pricy beer and food. Mindy & I split a cheeseburger that went for $14.50. That had to be the most expensive burger I’ve ever eaten! It was good but not $14.50 good. Ouch! We must’ve hung out in the bar for at least an hour. I was careful not to eat too much. I wanted to ski well during our afternoon runs.

The afternoon took us back to the long green trails we all skied earlier. Mindy eventually agreed to take a few blue off-shoots, which she handled quite well. Mindy & others headed back to the bar around 4pm while the rest of us did more skiing. We eventually met them there after a few more runs. There we enjoyed a couple more pitchers of good beer. Glenn, Bob and I headed out for more night time skiing.

Our first run took us down a mogley black run just under the lift. Not long into the run I bit the dust, or shall I say the powder, pretty damn hard. I hit so hard that I lost both skis and both poles. Lucky for me, Bob laid back and eventually skied to my aid. I am not sure how exactly I did it, but I injured my left shoulder much the same way I did a few years ago out here. It hurt badly. I laid there for a few trying to assess the damage. At least I knew I could move my arm and fingers. That was a good sign. Once I was confident that nothing was broken, I tried to get my skies back on, but that was easier said than done. Bob helped me get it together. The slope was steep which only served to complicate the process. Finally, after about 20 minutes we skied on with my shoulder still smarting from the earlier fall. But I fell again, not yet having my confidence back. Truth is, I was in pain. I wanted badly to ski more so I toughed it out. In all, we took three more runs. I didn’t fall again, thankfully. We took two blue runs, but they were still quite challenging.

I was ready to quit when we did. From experience, I knew that if I stopped moving my shoulder that it would seize up and really start to hurt. That’s exactly what happened. Even as we met up in the bar with the rest of our group it was beginning to throb with pain. Others helped me with my gear. Just carrying it sent shards of pain shooting across my shoulder. I was worried that it might be damaged more than originally thought.

We made our way back to the condo with little trouble. We chose to head directly to the Huckleberry Inn right next door for dinner without stopping in our condo first, because if we would’ve, some of us might not of made it to dinner. The food there was surprisingly good. I had a hearty Reuben and a Coke. The Coke tasted so good I was really thirsty.

It was 9pm or so by the time we made our way back to the condo. Mindy helped me out of my ski clothes and into comfy flannels. My shoulder was in extreme pain with minimal movement. We watched the movie, The Departed, downstairs on the flat panel. It was very good. There were only four us remaining at its conclusion. The others, save for Mindy, had seen it before. Mindy was still awake when I headed up to bed. She gently rubbed my sore shoulder before we went to sleep.

Ski Anniversary

It must’ve been near 6:30am when I finally rose. A glance out of our bedroom window looking west revealed a clear sky and a beautiful ¾ moon still hovering in the west – southwest sky. While I began my sit-ups Mary Ann emerged from their room preparing for her morning walk. This time, however, Bob was up too. I was more than a little surprised. Those two took off on foot for a morning walk even before I set out on my run. I wasn’t far behind. It was chilly, probably about 22 degrees best guess. I ran the downhill toward the MT Hood Brewery first – about ¾ mile. That little stretch deadends into highway 26 where I turned and ran up hill for approximately a mile and one half, and then back down hill to our condo. I was exhausted at runs end. Not only was I running at a mile above sea level but also uphill.

By the time I was back, everyone else was already up or getting that way. Mary Ann & Mindy whipped up a breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs that satisfied everyone’s hunger. The food and accommodations were superb, but we weren’t there for that. We were there for the skiing. With that in mind, we all prepared for our day on the mountain. We left the condo eager to hit the slopes even before 10am. The road to the lodge is reported to be 6 miles as it winds up the mountainside. Meanwhile, the snow is stacked high against the guardrail giving you the feeling that you’re in mouse maze. Four of us needed to rent gear, which is more often than not the most time consumingpart of getting on the slopes. This time, however, it went about as efficiently as one could imagine. We each did a three-day rental which saved us about $8 each day - per person. In addition, because we were staying at the Lodge at Government Camp, we got our lift tickets for $31 each – a savings of $18 each. That made our skiing cheaper than at Mad River back home!

We hit the slopes just after 1030am. The plan was to take the route we’ve taken the two years prior - a green run to get our legs underneath us. I was one of the first to descend. Mindy, on the other hand, was one of the last. That didn’t surprise me. She’s still rather new to skiing. But what did surprise me was that she and Tom S. began pegging their way towards Bruno, the beginner lift. Even as I yelled they failed to acknowledge. Glenn surmised that perhaps they wanted a quick jaunt down the beginner lift just to get acclimated. That made sense to the rest of us, so we decided to make a fast run down the blue trail returning to fetch Mindy & Tom in a short amount of time.

After two quick runs my cell rang but I was too late retrieving it from my pocket. I figured it Mindy saying she was ready for the real mountain. By then I was one step ahead and already back at the starting point by the day lodge. I called Mindy’s cell only to learn that she was at the Stormin’ Normin’ lift. She was there alone, separated from Tom S by accident. She wasn’t happy and let me know it! Yikes!!! Truthfully, I can’t blame her for being scared. I wouldn’t want to be out there alone. The thing is, we didn’t abandon those two on purpose. Instead, it was innocent miscommunication. But Mindy, still angry over the mishap, continued giving me the dickens! I apologized as we mounted the lift for another ride down. We skied until 1:30pm – our agreed upon break time. We pretty much skied together in a pack until then, although we often took different paths to the same end, mostly to better match the varying skill levels.

Some of us skied the Magic Mile just before lunch. I can’t remember who did and who didn’t. One thing I do remember is that it was socked in with fog adding a bit of mystique. They expect the fog and have fog markers placed strategically to aid in the skier’s descent. Still, even with the fog markers, it’s a bit unnerving soaring down the wide open slope towards the lodge with no more vision than about 20 feet ahead. You see, the Magic Mile lies above the timberline, where no trees can sustain growth. Clouds can and do descend in a matter of seconds and the calm that typically resides down in the tree line suddenly is replaced by cold ripping winds. It’s definitely a thrill, and also the run where Mindy netted a black eye two years prior.

Our break was well deserved. We enjoyed several pitchers of beer and lots of good food in the day lodge pub. After lunch we launched our second assault on the mountain perhaps a bit more daring than earlier, thanks in no small part to the liquid courage. We skied our tails off. We stopped for another short break as evening emerged. Mindy & Tommy bagged it for the day. The rest of us skied some more. Eventually Mary Ann and Tom S called it quits too. Bob, Glenn, and I stayed out for another few runs under the lights.

We called it a night around 7pm so that we would have energy for tomorrow. We headed back down the mountain to our condo and eventually dinner at the Mt Hood Brewery Pub. I was drained and didn’t really feel like going to dinner. Mindy expressed her preference that I go. I did. After all, it was our actual anniversary.

This year we wisely drove to the Pub. Last year we walked thinking it much closer than it actually was. We had fun and enjoyed the food. I ordered my own 10” pizza. Can’t recall what others had. My pizza was tasty. We made it back to our condo just before 10pm. Instead of going directly to bed we decided to watch another movie, Super Bad. I am not certain, but I don’t think anyone stayed up through the very end despite its hilariousness. Live to fight another day!

Waking Friday in the 'Couv

Mary Ann and I were the first ones' up. Mindy asked to sleep a while longer. While I exercised Mary Ann headed out on a walk down Columbia St towards the river & town. Just a few minutes behind, I darted out the door for my run by 7:10am. Compared to the weather at home, it felt like spring. It was close to 40 degrees. That made for a great run. I especially look forward to my first run each visit. The air has an unmistakably pleasant earthy smell. And given the number of visits that I’ve made, the track is a very familiar one – one that I can practically close my eyes and see even now as I type from back home. My typical trek takes me up town through Ester Short Park where I always tap the bronze statue of a young girl handing an old man a rose, and then finally making my way down along the nicely appointed water front where I find my turnaround point at the Ilchee (Moon Girl) statue. The round trip is guesstimated to be about 5.5 miles. It’s a wonderful run each time.

Others were up and milling around by the time I returned. I can’t recall for certain who was and wasn’t yet awake. In the end it mattered little. I was much looking forward to my first cup of coffee having set it up just before heading out the door.

The coffee was good. We were surprised to see Columbus making national headlines all the while we were out in the PNW. It made the national news on two fronts – the weather and then some national cheerleading competition. Mindy received a call at 3am PST from her teacher pal, Keri. Neither of us answered the call, but figured it to be about schools being closed. Mindy confirmed that to be the case. Mindy soon phoned the kids too who were spending the day with their daddy, who took the day off work.

We had made loose plans to eat breakfast and then for Mindy & I to head to Council Crest while others prepped for our four day trip to the mountains. Those plans changed some. We decided instead to pack up and all leave together making a brief detour to Council Crest Park (the large hill overlooking Portland where Mindy & I tied the knot last year). We showered up, loaded the vehicles, and departed Glenn’s at 10am PST.

We made it to Council Crest with little trouble. The weather was much warmer and sunnier than it was a year earlier. We all took advantage of the view, each of us snapping a handful of pictures. Mindy & I embraced and kissed at the very spot where we exchanged our wedding vows and then piled back into our vehicles destined for Tom Shepherd’s place in NE Portland.

We arrived at Tom’s place before 11:30am. We didn’t stay long, just long enough to use the facilities and load up his gear. We were on our way up the pristine Columbia River Gorge. It didn’t take long at all to make our way east on highway 84 to the gorge. Our first planned stop was Multnomah Falls, a scenic waterfall fed by mountain run off dropping some 620 feet – a spectacular site indeed.

We climbed to the stone bridge overlooking the bottom tier of the falls, collectively deciding that the hour long hike to the top might place our arrival into Government Camp in jeopardy. And besides, we hadn’t yet eaten a meal. Everyone was hungry. So, after about 45 minutes at Multnomah we agreed to move on and stop next in Hood River for lunch. That’s located at the junction of Rt 84 & 35, I believe. It was about 30 miles up the road.

The views along the way up the gorge were nothing short of spectacular, but with hunger mounting, food was first and foremost on my mind. A short time later we exited Rt. 84 into Hood River, a windsurfers’ paradise due to the ever-present gorge winds. Within in eyeshot we spotted two or three brew pubs. We ultimately settled on Full Sail’s brew pub over looking the mighty Columbia. The brew pub was on the second story in a modern looking facility clad in steel but also appointed with lots of natural wood. We were seated by the window providing us with a pristine view of the surroundings. Everyone, like me, was a bit giddy over the fun weekend ahead. We each ordered our personal faves. I, of course, ordered up one of their specialty IPA’s. I was hopeful that it would pack a powerful hoppy punch. It did! Eventually we ordered some food. I had their half-pound burger which featured local, Mount Shadow meat topped with applewood smoked bacon. It was nothing short of exquisite!

Before leaving, we bought a couple six packs to-go, a t-shirt for Mindy, and a couple logo’d pint glasses. Soon we were on our way to Gov’t Camp Lodge, reported to be just 25 miles up the road.


Coming from the gorge, we approached the Timberline area from the opposite direction that we usually take. The sunny skies back in the gorge and in Hood River were history. Just as pulled into Government Camp (at the foot of the Timberline Lodge ski area) it began to snow fairly heavily. I took my paperwork to the office to check-in and get keys while the others shopped the general store for some hand to mouth provisions. Thus far our plan was executed flawlessly. We were into our room, condo #1, just before 5pm. Every one took the same bedrooms we had last year.

We spent the evening lazing around the condo ultimately deciding not to attempt any night skiing given the somewhat late hour. It was after 6pm by the time we were settled in. Instead, we sat around the woodstove in our comfy clothes sipping some quality brew while watching Talladega Nights on the 42” flat panel. Most of us were in bed even before 10pm save for Glenn & Tom S. They ventured Charlie’s, the pub directly across the street from our condo and at the foot of Ski Bowl, another ski slope. Everyone wanted to wake feeling refreshed come Saturday morning.

And ... We're Off

I was up a couple of times through the night. The instance I remember most was most likely prompted by the full moon shining brightly onto my scantly covered body through the aptly named half-moon window. It was about as bright as it ever gets – a by product of the crystal clear sky & the extremely cold temps. However, despite the momentary interruption, I was thankfully able to fall back asleep with little trouble after a quick pee.

I woke for good at 5:30am, exactly. I am a finely tuned machine, indeed. I gathered my stuff, brushed my teeth, and then headed down stairs to begin my morning routine. I was beyond giddy that this day had finally arrived. I haven’t had a day of vacation since the holidays. And I’ve really needed one.

I pushed through my usual exercise routine then turned my attention to Ykraps, who was patiently waiting by the door. It was cold, this I already knew. According to the Weather Channel it hit 1 degree. Thankfully, there was little to no breeze. Our walk was a fruitful one. Ykraps emptied his bowels and then some.

Mindy was up on her own. She retrieved her own coffee but promptly returned upstairs. I did what I usually do. I read the Daily OM, read a couple email, and meditated. I dressed and left for a run a few minutes behind schedule. It was cold but I was comfy, especially after a quarter mile or so. My thoughts were all over the place. I thought about our flight, the kids, specifically Lindsey, and then my coming meeting with my boss. But nothing that was gonna ruin my day. My run went well. I marveled at the speed in which it went by.

Inside, Jacob & Mindy were up and milling about the kitchen. Bella remained in bed even after waking initially around 5am. The day went on about like normal. Mindy & Bella left around 7:25am. Jacob & I ate, and then he played Wii while I showered.

We left for the bus stop at 7:55am. There were greeted Pat & Alanna. I gave Jacob a hug good bye not sure that I’d see him later this afternoon. While the Trooper thawed, I went back inside to enjoy a few minutes more of quiet time. I played some Wii. Earlier, I took a handful of snap shots with my new camera of the beautiful sunrise glistening against the ice covered trees. Magnificent!

I left for work a few minutes later than usual but in a fabulous state of mind. Work went smoothly. I had an interview scheduled for 930am so I had little time to interact with my team prior. Afterwards, I met with my boss in what I would deem as a productive and amicable meeting. The work day was preogressing smoothly. My boss, around 2pm, offered that I leave early. I didn't hesitate to get going. I was really excited!





I spent the afternoon alone wrapping up any last minute packing. It was nice having that hour or so all to myself. I was perfectly organized and ready by the time that Mindy arrived home. In fact, so much so that I was able to play Wii with the kids while waiting on Jimaken to come pick-up the children, and Bob I. to come pick up Mindy & I.

Jimaken arrived around 4pm and left with the kids after Bella and I completed our game of Wii golf. They left around 4:30pm. Everyone was in very good spirits. I walked Ykraps at 4:40pm determined to get a last minute poop out of him. It worked. While out on our walk Bob & Mary Ann arrived to fetch Mindy & I. All of us were very excited to be getting our ski vacation underway.

We left the house just before 5pm. Before hopping on the freeway we made a last minute stop at the corner Ameristop to but a few Mega-Millions lottery tickets. The jackpot was setting at a cool $270 million for the Friday night drawing. We were finally airport bound just after 5pm.

Our flight was slated to depart at 7pm, essentially the same time that a big winter storm was expected to hit. We cared little beyond getting the hell out of town on schedule. At the time the skies were dry and only thinly veiled in clouds. Ironically, my mother called on our trek towards the airport checking on our safety given the “nasty weather”. Apparently the weather had already taken a turn for the worse in her neck of the woods, so it was like work convincing her that it wasn’t the same here. Ultimately I found it easier just to agree that we’d drive carefully to the airport.

We arrived a short time later. Bob kindly dropped all of us curbside along with our luggage while he went to park. We chose to check our bags curbside so we could head directly to security. Five minutes later we were removing our shoes and emptying our pockets at the security checkpoint. At the last minute Mary Ann realized that she had Bob’s boarding pass so she waited for his arrival by the “Brush Strokes in Flight” sculpture.

The rest of us headed towards CBC (Columbus Brewing Company), our schedule meeting point. By the time we fetched ourselves a beer along came Bob & Mary Ann. There we toasted to a fabulous ski weekend. Time flew by as we sipped (some gulped) our beers. It was 6:30pm – time to board. We zipped to the jet way at B35. Our seats were in row 14. Just as we boarded the snow storm everyone was talking about all day began.

Sadly, we had to sit on the tarmac waiting our turn to deice. That put us about 40 minutes behind. We had only an hour or so lay over in Minny. A missed connection would almost certainly equate to an over night given our knowledge of additional flights to Portland flying late out of Minny. Because of that, all of us were a bit anxious. However, if there was a silver lining, we knew the storm was coming at CMH from the south west and that Minny was clear and dry. Once in the air we would be able to make good time.

Despite the fact that we deplaned on concourse C and our connection was leaving out of concourse F, the universe was very kind to us. We made it to our connecting gate just as boarding began. The only negative was that we were all hungry and certainly would’ve preferred to grab a bite to eat. But given our druthers, we preferred to get to our destination - Portland - somewhat on schedule.

The Minny to Portland leg went fast. I slept most of the way, and so did everyone else.
We landed just before 11pm PST under a rare moonlit sky. Any tension that may have mounted during our travel unraveled as we made our way to baggage claim. Bob & I contemplated stopping at the new Rogue draft house in the terminal, but ended up thinking it a better choice to get our bags and car and head to Glenn’s. He had food & beer awaiting our arrival.

We had our bags and our Hertz rental vehicle in short order. Having the vehicles right there at the terminal was a big time saver. We made our way to Glenn’s in about twenty minutes. It’s not too far – perhaps 9 miles.

Glenn greeted us at the front door just as we pulled up curbside. His house was warm and inviting as we all exchanged hugs and handshakes. Glenn exclaimed that each of us was assigned the same sleeping quarters as last year. He had a toasty fire roaring as well as several bouquets of native pink rhododendrons - our wedding flowers. After moving our bags to our rooms we kicked back with some cold brew, wings, and nachos. We visited for just about an hour before calling it a night. Mindy & Mary Ann were the first to call it. However, the rest of us weren’t far behind. After all, we had an aggressive morning agenda.

Lunacy

I woke feeling completely rested. I felt even better than I did on Tuesday. I knew then that I had successfully beaten the cold that tried to invade my system. I was downstairs exercising just as the clock struck 5:30am. After a glance out the window, I noticed that it was snowing. It seemed to be coming down harder and harder. I find it interesting that the relatively few snow storms we’ve had this winter have all come during morning commute time. Today’s was, at least originally, only to dump upwards of an inch.

Ykraps and I enjoyed our walk. I was hopeful that he wouldn’t have any troubles. My thoughts turned to Craig & Rene who would be tending to Ykraps during our trip. I was hopeful that snow wouldn’t be too much of a problem. They’d be coming over tonight for directions/specifics. Lucky for the both of us, he did his business.

Because the temperature was in the teens, the snowfall was extra fluffy. I allowed Mindy to sleep until 6:10am when I finally delivered her coffee. I let her know that it was snowing. I went back downstairs to meditate and ready for a run. Meditation went extremely well. I dressed & left for a cold, snowy run at 6:30am. For the most part, I kept to the street. The inch of snow provided a very soft cushion. This was some of the fluffiest snow I have ever seen – no kidding! And it just kept coming. A check of the forecast just before heading out revealed they had upped the accumulation total to as much as 3 inches.

There was all of about two inches by the time I returned from my run. I shoveled the drive and a path up our walk, but there was ice underneath, so I threw out some salt too.
Mindy & Bella departed. The garage door wouldn’t go down. I waved Mindy on and grabbed my jacket and went to investigate. I got it fixed.

Meanwhile, the snow kept coming down. The flakes were gigantic and still very fluffy. I was ready to head out with Jacoby at 7:55am. Jacob walked to the bus stop. I was lagging behind warming, scraping the Trooper.

The bus was a little late, but that was to be expected. The snow kept coming down heavier and heavier. I wondered if schools should’ve closed. They didn’t. Around 8:15am I headed on into work. Traffic wasn’t too bad considering the weather. I was at work in short order, or right about 8:30am.

I had a 9am meeting set up with my boss and a 930am interview. My boss canceled due to being caught in eastbound downtown traffic. The morning drudged on and the snow kept coming down. It snowed all morning long. In fact, I left to run an errand around 12:45pm and it was still coming down. I drove to Circuit City to buy an XD memory card for my new camera. They had a 2gig card advertised on their webpage for $39. I also wanted/needed to buy a case.

I was one of only a few customers in the store. I’m sure it had as much to do with the weather as anything else. I found what I needed. I looked for a Bhangra CD, too, but they had none. I also looked for a charging cord for the MP3 player I found but they didn’t have one. Too bad. It’s a $100 player.

Back at work. I worked through the afternoon. A peer of mine left for lunch around 3pm and called short time later to report being in a rather serious car accident. Word was he was OK but his Jeep totaled. Before calling it a day I wrapped Mindy’s anniversary gift. I left for home at 5:40pm.

I arrived home around 5:50pm. Neighbor Mike the fireman was over as where his kids. I walked Ykraps almost immediately. I was surprised at how much snow we had at home. I’ll bet we got 5 inches. Again, it was the real fluffy stuff too. If nothing else, that made for easy shoveling. I did that before going in to eat dinner. Mike & the kids left just as I finished up.

No sooner did we begin eating did Craig & Rene stop over to review Ykraps detail duties. They had stopped next door to get their mail and also picked up their baby niece, whom they agreed to watch for the evening. We reviewed the details of the doggie watch plan and exchanged numbers and email addresses should anything come up.

After they left we finished our dinner. It was now almost 7:30pm. Mindy herded the kids up to ready for bed. I worked on more trip prep. It’s amazing how complicated of a traveler I’ve become with all my gadgets, chargers, and toys – not to mention my running, which requires extra thought when planning and packing. Finally, just after 8pm, we were alone. I shared with Mindy the pending lunar eclipse. I poured a Beam & Coke and then gave Mindy her anniversary gift. I thought about waiting until we were on the mountain but since she gave me mine already I felt it appropriate to give her hers. Incidentally, thank you to Jody & Larry, Craig & Jeff, as well as Gloria for the thoughtful anniversary cards.

Mindy opened her gift while I gazed skyward. The lunar eclipse just unfolding was indeed a sight to behold - the most beautiful one I’ve witnessed. It was crystal clear and icy cold. Mindy read the note I wrote first. I think that she liked it. She liked her gift, too even though it won’t actually arrive until maybe next Friday. It’s a new laptop! She’s wanted one for a while. She’s a very expensive girl, but also worth it. Hey –she reads this, too!!!! :)

We watched and photographed the eclipse as it moved from stage to stage. I was surprised at how vividly red the shadowed moon appeared. Awesome! We witnessed it at its peak and then just a bit more. We headed to bed around 10pm. I headed up feeling well accomplished this evening. Not much left to do before heading out.

A New Toy Good to 33ft

It was Tuesday morning, and I woke feeling tremendously better than the day before. In fact, I felt terrific, especially considering I was steeped in cold symptoms just one day earlier. The Theraflu & bourbon, along with my stellar immune system, must’ve done the trick.

I began my exercise regiment in earnest and was out the door with Ykraps well ahead of schedule. I noted first, the difference in today’s traction conditions. Yesterday morning the streets were a sheet of ice while the walks were just snow covered. Today was the opposite. The walks were icy and the streets were for the most part dry. This, of course, was most applicable to my pending run.

I carried on with my indoor activities after the walk. I let Mindy know just how cold it was and how much better I felt when I delivered her morning coffee. She was up extra early in preparation for her early staff meeting. When I heard her stir I stepped on the gas a bit myself. Prior to that I had forgotten about her early departure. To help, I left for my run at 6:15am.

It felt good to get an early jump on my run. I was back well before 7am – Mindy’s self-imposed departure time. She left as I continued on with my morning prep. I casually went about making an omelet and then spent considerable time on the PC since I was about 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

I walked Jacob to the bus stop at our usual time. The bus was on time and I was on my way to work by 8:10am. The work day was pretty much a blur. It went incredibly fast. I took another Theraflu just to help curb any possible return of cold symptoms. But as I stated earlier, I felt pretty darn good. Many commented on my rough, raspy voice, but that was a poor indicator of how I felt. Sounded worse – felt better.

I took lunch around 1pm. I ran a handful of errands. First, I stopped at the ATM to get some vacation cash. Next, I picked up two books at Barnes & Noble – The Third Jesus, by Deepak Chopra, and A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. I’ve been awaiting the release of Deepak’s new one for over 6 weeks. Today was release day. I bought the CD version figuring it will make a great listen during my trip. And finally, on my way back to the office I stopped at Saturday’s for a hair cut, at Jack’s for some crickets and meal worms, and Home Depot for extra house keys. That was a whole lot of stuff crammed into just over an hour.

I was back at the office by 2:10pm. I felt good for what I had accomplished and not pushing it out to the last day. The rest of the work day went quickly. I worked late – until 5:50pm. Bella was at dance so the house would be somewhat tame. Jacob was upstairs playing PS 2 when I arrived home. Mindy went for Chipotles burritos. I had one waiting my arrival home. It was good!

Mindy had a familiar gift bag setting on the island. She said she wanted me to have my anniversary gift before our trip. She seemed excited for me to open it. After some minor clean-up I opened my card and gift. Although I had a sneaking suspicion, I acted totally surprised. I got a new digital camera. More specifically, she got me the Olympus 770, which is a 7.1 mega-pixel pocket sized camera. But what makes this camera unique is its ruggedness. It is built to take a drop of up to five feet AND shoot pics underwater up to 33 feet. Not too many cameras on the market can tout that!

Having a small, rugged camera will be ideal for our snow skiing trip. Often, I choose to leave my bulky Canon safely behind not wanting to harm it, or, for that matter, fall on it and possibly injure myself. I spent the next two hours playing with the camera trying to understand its basic functionality. However, before using, I’d need to get an XD memory card & a case. Mindy joked that I’d need to spend money to use my gift. J

Mindy & I stayed up until 10pm – actually, me a bit longer. I surfed the net for XD memory cards.

El Presidente'

1) The 1st George W.

2) Our Halloween pumpkin finally bit the dust

I didn’t sleep well at all. Shortly after arriving home from Gloria’s I began to feel early cold symptoms. I felt a twinge in my nose and a dry throat. In fact, I had a mild sore throat coming on. I was hopeful that they might let up overnight, but they didn’t. My worst fears were substantiated. I was battling the tell-tale signs of a head cold.

I proceeded through my routine feeling warm, slow, and tired. The tiredness was from a lack of sleep. I got up twice through the night to gargle with salt water, which helped abate the sore throat, but it never lasts. My thoughts quickly turned towards our trip and how determined I would be to beat this thing prior to Thursday. The last I thing I wanted was to be battling a cold during our ski trip.

Mindy didn’t have school today so I could go about my routine at a much more leisurely pace. Believe me, I did. The warm temperatures from Sunday were already history. We were back in the freezer and the temperature was only going to sink further. I didn’t leave for a run until 6:45am. My run went pretty well despite my less than stellar disposition. My nose ran like a leaky facet, which I used my running glove to brush away.

I toyed with the idea of calling in sick but the thought of staying home and trying to rest with a house full didn’t sound too appealing. Work sounded much better. I decided to tough it out as I most often do. I made a big turkey & cheese omelet for breakfast. I could only eat half. I covered the other half and left it for Mindy. I knew that she’d appreciate it later. I showered and left the house at 8:15am. By then, Mindy & Bella were up. Mindy would be taking Jacob & Bella to their follow-up dental appointment where they’d both be having a cavity filled.

Work was dreadfully busy, and I felt like crap. I used some nasal spray so my sinuses were in check, but I still had those other undeniable cold symptoms to contend with. I was sleepy and slightly feverish. I wondered how I might make it through the entire day. Some how I did. My peer, as it turned out, was ill too. She was exhibiting similar symptoms. Misery likes company and I think knowing that helped, although just marginally.

The work day’s end finally came and I was no worse for the wear. I put off a couple of touchy issues I had to deal with, but other than that I was very productive. I was happy to finally be heading home. The temperature continued dropping through the day. Mindy touted the dental appointment as a success. Both kids received their treatment well. We were having burgers for dinner, but not until I completed Ykraps’ evening walk. As much as I dreaded it, it’s was a very good transition exercise for my psyche. I returned in a good mood despite my feeling ill.

I didn’t think that I was hungry but I was able to eat just fine. After dinner I did about an hours worth of packing/organizing for our trip. I didn’t really feel like it, but knew that I should to avoid the rushed feeling later in the week. The kids wanted to play family Wii. We all were in. However, just as we were beginning Bella begged out. Truth is, she had been a pill all evening. She went to her room to pout while Mindy, Jacob and I played on. She was over tired.

We played for about 45 minutes or longer. Around 7:30pm Mindy got the kids into the tub for a bath. I played some individual Wii golf. Some one, it appears, erased the history. My Wii professional status is GONE! Oh no! All th while we played, it snowed like the 'Dickens'!

After tucking in the kids I returned downstairs to update my blog and view some pictures. I also took some Theraflu (pill form) and made a Beam & Coke. Come 8:30pm I was feeling sleepy and my cold conditions in check. I was more than ready for bed. Mindy was tired, too, so we called it a night. I joked that she should never tell my friends that I was in bed so early. I had no trouble whatsoever falling asleep.