Ringin' in the New Year ... Grand Kids, Kohl's & Kenny's

I was out of bed near 730am in anticipation of the arrival of the grand kids as well as the new year now just a hours away. It's also worth mentioning how good it felt to sleep in my own bed after four nights away. That feeling never gets old. I prepped a pot of coffee then checked the weather. It was 44 degrees under cloudy skies. Because it was Saturday, I didn't plan any calisthenics. I planned to play on the  computer and sip coffee until run time.

Lindsey dropped the boys just after 8am. They both seemed happy to be at our place and asked if they could play the Wii once the kids were up. Yes, once the kids are up. Until then, I put a movie in for them to enjoy. I chose Ratatouille. They sat surprisingly quiet watching the movie for about 45 minutes all the while I did some writing for my blog.

Mindy must've gotten up around 9am. Shortly after she was up, I prepared and left for my run, the last of 2011. I ran just three miles and was still feeling the effects of skiing 5 days in a row. My legs were spent. They weren't sore or stiff, but lifeless and tired.

Once Jacob and Bella were awake the kids played in the basement and then the XBox in Jacob's room. Landon was excluded from a lot of the play. I'm thinking it was 11am or after when I whipped up a ham, cheese, and spinach omelet for Bella, Mindy and I. The boys ate leftover HV pizza, but then asked for scrambled eggs after finishing the pizza. Jacob wanted scrambled eggs too.

Soon after our late breakfast, Mindy, Jacob and Rocky left to run a series of errands, including taking back a few Xmas gifts. Mindy needed to stop by her mom's first to pick-up the receipts. I'm thinking that they were gone for more than 2 hours. Of course, I had Bella and Landon home with me.

As expected, Lindsey got off work early and was there to pick-up the boys around 330pm. Mindy apparently called or texted that she would be dropping Rocky once their shopping spree was over. Mindy called me shortly after Lindsey left to measure my willingness to have the boys over night. Jacob apparently wanted Rocky to stay all night. I didn't mind. Mindy said she would call Lindsey and have her bring Landon back. I then suggested shared my desire to run to Kohl's to see if they still had that jacket I wanted. Mindy suggested we make the run together and have Lindsey keep an eye on the kids for an hour or so.

I'm thinking that it was near 430pm when Mindy got back to the house with Jacob & Rocky. Lindsey and Landon showed up around 5pm. It wasn't long before Mindy and I headed off to Kohl's in the Accord, its first such use since the Thursday before Xmas. Traffic around the Hilliard shopping area was moderately to heavy. But we weren't in too big of a hurry.  Kohl's was fairly busy, too.

Mindy and I went our separate ways once inside the store. She went to make a Jacob related return while I headed to the men's department to look for that Free Country Jacket I had my eye on before Xmas. At first pass it didn't appear that they had any, but after making a second pass I found that they had two, and both mediums. I was thinking I wanted a large since I would most likely wear it skiing with two thick layers underneath.  I tried it on wearing a light sweater and my thick winter fleece. It was a tad snug in the arms but otherwise fine. It was originally priced at $100 but marked down by %50, or $50. But I also had an internet coupon good for 15-20% off depending on the total amount spent.

I really don't need another jacket, but have been looking to replace my light ski jacket for the last two years. I carried it with me as I went to find Mindy.

I found Mindy in women's coats. She's in the market for a new ski jacket now too after the zipper broke on hers while at HV. Their inventory was pretty much picked over. She couldn't find anything she liked that also met all the requirements she was after, like zipping inner pockets, water proof, and attractive.

We moved on to look at snow/ski pants for both kids. We found some for Bella that match the colors of her ski jacket. They were regularly $50 but on sale for $22.50, of course they'd be even less with our coupon. We headed to the boys department next where we bought a pair of snow pants for Jacob. He's only 11 but we had to buy XL/ 18-20. They're really cool and match/clash with his new jacket. We got Jacob some new daily wear socks too.

Mindy picked out some new underwear for herself and then browsed a few other items, but picked out nothing else. We headed to check-out where we waited patiently in line behind two others. Our total outlay was something like $110 after accounting for the sale prices and then our coupon. Our overall savings, which Kohl's likes to point out at checkout, was $160. And according to the clerk, more than our total bill. I quipped that we would've saved even more had we stayed home. We all laughed.

We were gonna walk next door to Dick's to look for a new pair of ski gloves for Bella but they turned off their lights just as we were heading to our car to drop our bags. No biggie. It's not like we're going skiing in the next couple of days. Instead, we simply headed for home.

As we neared the house Mindy suggested we make a quick stop in the corner Convenience market to buy some scratch-off lottery tickets with our Xmas lottery game winnings. Why not? We bought $20 worth of scratch-offs and then spent $2 on the night's Power Ball drawing, which was sitting at $20 million.

On our walk back to the car, we were first approached by a 20 something male asking for directions to Toledo.  I was a bit leery but gave him quick directions while also keeping my distance (about ten feet). When he asked for further clarification Mindy quickly offered greater detail all the while I was using exaggerated body language to get her attention to move away from the seedy looking stranger.

Just as we turned to get in our car another 20 something male, who was also in the Convenient store while we were, asked if I would be kind enough to give him a jump. I reluctantly agreed. He was parked right next to us in a beater pick-up truck. I noticed a missing bumper and the tires had cords showing. He had jumper cables ready and did the attachments at his end. I insisted on doing my own. Didn't want him monkeying with my car. It still wouldn't start. Sounded like a started/solenoid problem to me. He shared that he came from Reynoldsburg. Something didn't seem right with him either. I kept a careful eye on him until we gave up on the jump thing and left him there and headed for home. Once I was back in the Accord, Mindy shared that she had 911 dialed and was ready to press call if he tried something.

We arrived home around 7pm. Lindsey was watching TV. Apparently Jacob, Jake, and Bella were already at the neighbors, where we planned to spend our New Year's Eve. Early on, we thought we'd be spending it with the Shultz's just as I have for many of the past 15 or so, but we hadn't heard from them. Furthermore, a glance across the pond revealed a dark home. I wondered if they might've headed home to Norwalk or possibly even made a trip to Manhattan and Times Square.

We weren't home too long before we gathered our stuff and headed to the neighbors. We offered Lindsey the opportunity to join us but she declined citing the need to get a good night's rest in order to be at work early the next morning for overtime. When she headed home, Mindy, Landon and I headed to the neighbors, but not before I diverted across the street to get a quick photo of our house in Xmas lights.

Just two other couples at the neighbors, Mike & Julie and then Josh & Rachel. All the kids were upstairs, the boys playing video games and the girls doing who knows what.  I brought the jug of Barley's Pale that I bought last Friday night, December 23rd. It was still fresh. Mindy brought wine and a whole assortment of kiddie champagnes. Chrissy laid out a spread of hand to mouth foods, including cheese, meats, dips and crackers.

After a beer, Kenny suggested we head to the basement to shoot some pool. Sounded good to me. Josh and I were partners. We didn't fair to well, either. These days, I pretty much suck at pool. Was getting pretty good back in my single days. Oh well. We still had fun.

While playing pool, Chrissy hollered down that their two pugs got out and wanted Kenny to go after them. He & I suggested she enlist the help of Jacob, who excels at such endeavors. She wasn't pleased and seemed to hold a grudge for the duration of the evening, or until just before midnight. Mindy & Julie were out on the back deck chatting. I headed out briefly to see what was up. It was a lovely star filled New Year's eve with the temperature still around 40 degrees. As a matter of fact, it didn't seem like New Year's eve at all.

Just as it usually does, the waning hours went by quickly. Soon it was time to ring in the new year. We kept a loose eye on Ryan Seacrest (Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve) through most of the evening. These day's (post stroke) Dick's role has been minimized to just a few brief cameos. With 15 minutes to go, I rushed home to get two bottles of cheap bubbly. Aside from Mindy & I, no one else expressed interest in champagne, though the kids wanted the kiddie variety.

We rang in 2012 at the stroke of midnight ET. :) What now? We hung out with the neighbors for perhaps another hour. Mindy was getting loopy from the wine and now the champagne. She eventually slipped off quietly to the sofa and fell asleep. I cracked open a rocket of Hoppin' Frog's Doris the Destroyer Double Imperial Stout after polishing off the entire growler of Pale Ale. It was really good. I believe we've had that sitting around since last winter, a gift, I believe from Bob I.

Near 1am I figured we ought to be heading home. I woke both Mindy & Landon (all the other kids were already at our house playing and having a sleep over) and headed home. Landon pissed himself while sleeping at the foot of Jake's bed. Mindy was still buzzed, but managed to get Landon changed into PJs before plopping down in our bed. I made sure all the kids were settled before jumping in bed myself. The boys (Jake, Jacob, and Rocky) were in Jacob's room playing XBox games. The girls were giggling in Bella's room. Good night and happy new year -  Wahoo!

Holiday in the Valley Day 5 - Buebird Ski Day in New York - Thunder Storm in CMH

Because it was our day of departure, I thought I might get up earlier than I had all week. That wasn't the case. I ended up sleeping in until 715am. It was probably the least amount of sleep I had gotten all week. I still felt pretty good though. I quickly donned my running gear, grabbed my door key, and breakfast pass and headed out. The sky consisted of broken cloud cover and the temperature was much warmer than the prior two days. In fact, it was already above freezing. This I could tell by the dripping icicles. The sun was just coming up over the southeastern hillside. A picture would've been nice.

I grabbed a cup of OJ before setting out on my run. Only a handful of early risers having breakfast. It was a fairly easy run uptown and back. Adding a new wrinkle, I headed north of route 242 just past the post office and further into the Ellicottville neighborhood. Again, very quaint. I didn't go too far, though. I turned around after about two or three blocks.

Back at the Inn, I poured two cups of Starbucks from the buffet then headed back to the room. I fancied them up with our homespun fixins. Mindy was happy to have hot coffee from bed. While she and the kids began the waking process, I headed out to clear the Thule of snow and prepare it for loading. I was concerned that there might be a heavy coat of ice under all the snow. The snow was heavy and sticky but swept off rather easily. I then threw out all the trash we amassed on our drive up. I'm guessing that I was out there for 20 minutes.

Back in the room, Mindy was just beginning to pack our gear. Check out is 11am but our goal was to be out closer to 10a. While Mindy dealt with the clothes, I packed the dry storage tub and cooler. The two 12 packs of soda we left out on the deck were weakened from four days in the snow and rain. I asked that we handle them with care. I carried out the big bulky stuff first (cooler, tub, two suitcases). I enlisted Jacob's help for the rest. And yes, he failed to heed my advice on carrying the soda. The Coke carton split at the seams. No biggie. I must've made 12 trips up and down the steps loading the Pilot. We had a lot of stuff, especially the incidentals.

Once 90% of our gear was loaded for departure, I took a shower. Everybody geared up for skiing just before exiting the room for the final time. It's always a bit tricky trying to pack efficiently to leave but also planning to ski. You have to have gear stowage available as well as anything you want to change into before leaving. We managed. I headed to the lobby desk to checkout while the kids and Mindy waited by our ski gear. No surprises.

It was 1025am by the time we were at the lift. By then it was bluebird conditions. Unfortunately, we were all dressed a tad warm. We all took Mindy's advice and unzipped our outer shell about half way. That helped a great deal. At least for the first 45 minutes or so, the morning sun  and warmer temps softened up the icy spots making for favorable ski conditions. We skied a handful of runs, including me doing Champagne. It was fairly easy, though my legs were about spent. Independence was opened for the first time all week. While Mindy & the kids did Northwind, I did it. Awesome! Fresh, ungroomed terrain. Morning Star was opened again, too, so I suggested we all ski it. We did, but because it had a southern exposure, it was the first run to get a bit sticky/slushy. We headed back up the Morning Star lift but stayed on Northwind, Mardi Gras, and eventually Cindy's. But aside from Cindy's all the runs were getting sticky from the warm sunshine. Shaded from the bright sun, Cindy's was still very nice. We skied it a couple times. Jacob's lat run down Cindy's was perhaps his most daring. For the first time all week, he let it rip a bit, though still under control.  Nearing 1230pm we skied once last time down Sunrise to the Pilot. Mindy and Bella headed in the Inn bathrooms to change into street clothes while Jacob and I loaded our skis into the Thule. We were on the road by 1245pm, our first stop the Burger King directly across the street for lunch. It was 1250pm when we hit the road for real, though we still needed to gas up in Salamanca.

We stopped at the last gas station before hitting route 86. The laws must've changed in the last year. New York used to be a non-self serve state. But now they had pay at the pump and self-serve. I like that a lot better. We joked about the crusty kid that fueled us the two times prior. At 105pm, we were finally on the road for home.

The drive home went incredibly fast. We were in Ohio in the blink of an eye. Unless I'm mistaken, it's only 100 miles to HV from the Ohio/Pennsylvania border. This time the drive across route 90 to 271 went faster than ever. For me, that's generally the most monotonous stretch. I was getting drowsy and asked Mindy if she would mind driving once we got to Cleveland. She agreed. But I got my second wind once we hit 271 and 71 south. By the way, it rained on and off once we got out of the HV area. I think we left at the ideal time.

The temperature hovered in the mid 40's for most of the drive home. Once we hit 71 south we got into some spring-like torrential down pours. And as we closed in on CMH, there was even some lightning. It was near 50 degrees and pouring rain as we connected with I-270. We decided to head straight to Gloria's place to pick-up Eiknarf. The kids were very excited to see our dog. We arrived at Gloria's house just after 6pm. Made really good time, a 5.5 hour drive that include a drive-thru stop for food, a stop for gas, and lastly a rest area stop to pee. We visited with Gloria for about 10-15 minutes arriving at our home just before 7pm. Mindy wisely reviewed the unloading plan with the kids even prior to our arrival.

We didn't plan to unload the Thule until the following day. Took us about 5 minutes to carry everything else inside. Bella walked Eiknarf while Mindy & I carried gear to the basement, unloaded the cooler and tub, and sorted laundry. I poured a Hop Wallop to enjoy through all the chaos. While Mindy went for a hot shower I furthered our organizational cause. Soon after Mindy was out of the shower I changed into more comfortable attire ,namely my PJs. Always feels good to strip out of the long johns and ski socks.

Bella spent some time creating signage for her personal business, Peanut's Spa. She hollered over the balcony for Jacob and I to come visit. I had to laugh at the sign and service. For $2, she gave me an incredible foot/toe massage complete with lotion. I joked that all she needed was some soft music. Jacob saw to it that there was noise versus calm. And when Bella offered to do his feet next, he balked. Mindy, however, fresh out of the shower, took advantage of her services too. I think she's found her calling.

Mindy peeled off to bed early, asserting more than once her strong desire to sleep in our own bed. I'm thinking that it was 1030pm when I joined her. Good bye HV and hello pillow.

Holiday in the Valley - day 4

I was up at 715am and feeling pretty good despite Mindy coughing all night long. Once again, I was quickly outfitted in my running gear and out the door by 730am. I stopped for a quick cup of orange juice that darted off into the cold with just a few stray snow flurries. The day's high was expected to breach freezing but they were still calling for snow all day with an additional inch or two by day's end.

With the walks cleared, it was a comparably easy run. This time I took a right into town running by the EBC, Balloons, and other popular EVL party spots. I noticed that Ellicottville has its own jean company aptly named The Ellicottville Jean Company. The run was easier than the day before though I was beginning to feel some fatigue in my legs after three days of skiing.

Back in the room I showered then asked the others if they were ready for breakfast. The only one ready and willing was Bella. She and l headed down to the buffet. It was near 9am so the crowd at its optimum. They were serving sausage and eggs again. Yum-yum. All the tables taken, we opted for the big comfy sofa in the lobby near the fire. Very nice! We both enjoyed perusing the local paper while we ate. Bella was an enjoyable date. She buttered a bagel to take back to Jacob.

Back in the room Mindy was up and in the shower. Said she was feeling a little better now that the antibiotics were kicking in. We were geared up and at the lift line by 1015am. Jacob was a bit more daring, this his third day boarding at the Valley. We started off doing Laurel and Tannenbaum then sprinkled in a few runs on Crystal, Northwind, & Mardi Gras. While Mindy and the kids played on the green and blue hills, I peeled off for a few runs each on Yodeler & Champagne. Yodeler was a real workout. Never have I seen it so mogulled. But the moguls and rollers were spaced far enough apart to allow for carving, but with my tired legs it was one heck of a workout. The benefit, of course, was that Champagne now seemed like a piece of cake. I guess it's all a matter of perspective!

We took a lunch break in the room near 1230pm enjoying Honey Baked ham sandwiches and brew. It was 2pm before we headed out again. I had a heck of a buzz after just two beers. It was snowed on and off all day, and sometimes hard. After our break we noticed that Morning Star was now opened. Excitedly, we skied over there and did that run. Like most other times, it wasn't groomed which made it difficult for the Mindy and the kids. Not entirely sure why, but they had created large tight rollers even on Mardi Gras. The snow boarders were loving it.  We spent a lot of time on Tannenbaum & Crystal until another late afternoon break in the Tannenbaum lodge, after which Mindy & Bella tried out the new mountain coaster for $8 each. For my money, it appeared a rip off. Begins at the Tannenbaum lodge and ends or turns around, just above where the Tannenbaum run releases into Spruce Lake. They both enjoyed it, but Mindy agreed that it was priced way to high. She cited $3 as the right price. After the coaster ride we did a few more runs at that end but spent the lion's share of our evening on Mardi Gras, Northwind and Cindy's.  By nightfall, Jacob's confidence was soaring. He was doing all of his runs without stopping and even did Cindy's from the very top, which by then was quite daunting (icy and mogully). I was very surprised, He even asked if he could stay there and ride up the Cindy's lift by himself while we did Northwind. Mindy & Bella headed in a run before Jacob and I.

We finished up our Thursday skiing around 7pm with a plan to return to the Depot for dinner, but this time for their pizza.  When we headed in it was still snowing albeit lightly. Regardless, it was the wintry conditions we'd been hoping for all autumn long, and for that I was most grateful.

Mindy & Bella were showering when Jacob and I got back to the room. We headed to dinner at 8pm. Once again, I had to scrape the Pilot clear of snow. The Depot was a bit more crowded than the evening before. Including us, there were two parties waiting tables. Thankfully, the wait wasn't too long, about 10 minutes. This time we were seated closer to restrooms, or deeper into the narrow establishment. Brian was our server again. Mindy & Bella were pleased with that. He remembered what I was drinking but was lost when trying to recall both Mindy & Bella's preferences.

We ordered two large pizzas. The first, a pepperoni, and the  second a pepperoni, sausage, and hot pepper rings. Took about 10-15 minutes for our pies to arrive. Mindy and I shared the latter while Jacob and Bella shared the former. It was better than Cadillac Jack's but definitely not anywhere close to the  pizza back home. I enjoyed a 2nd Jack & Coke with dinner. Brian brought us a pizza box for our leftovers which amounted to nearly an entire pie.

We tuned into the Baylor/Washington Alamo bowl batch-up from our beds. I started to dose right off but quickly got my second wind. The game was exciting. Lots of scoring and lots of big plays. Bella gave both Mindy & I a foot massage while we watched the game. It was heavenly. Still can't believe she's that good at it.

Mindy eventually put in her ear plugs and asked if we could turn off the TV more than once. And eventually both kids asked the same. But I held my ground wanting badly to watch more of the game.  I turned the volume way down as a concession. Baylor was behind by 18 points at one point. I must've fallen asleep mid way through the third quarter. When I woke they were up 52 - 49 with about 8 minutes left. I didn't see any more of the game. Good night moon!

Holiday in the Valley - day 3 - Heavy Snow!!!

Like a kid at Xmas, I rolled excitedly from bed just before 7am and went quickly to the sliding glass door with a view looking out over the slopes. Everything covered in a fresh 4" of snow. And moreover, it was still coming down.

Like the day before, I quickly changed into my running attire and headed out the door for my Ellicottville run. Burrr! It was cold too. It couldn't have been more than 20 degrees. I snapped down a quick cup of orange juice at the buffet then headed out taking the same trail as the morning before. Only this time I took to the opposite side of the street where there was a sidewalk the entire way into town. The only trouble was, it was coated in 4 inches of snow. I hadn't gone 200 yards when I looked up and saw a snow plow coming my way on the sidewalk. After seeing no traffic coming from behind, I quickly bounced out into the street to allow the plow to pass. Only in Ellicottville would they have snow plows for the town's sidewalks! It had belt treads much like the trail groomers.

From that pint forward, the walk was scraped the entire run. I was giddy with excitement for the wintry ski day ahead. For my money, the snow couldn't have come at a more opportune time. I was back by to the room and in the shower by 745am. I alerted Mindy to the freshly fallen snow. She was happy but just a quickly back to sleep. By 805am I was off to breakfast and blogging in the main lodge.

This time I grabbed a table near an electrical outlet so I could blog without worry of losing the battery, which was down to 15% life. The place filled up quickly and two couple joined me at the table. I didn't mind. Soon, Mindy and the kids showed up but had to sit at a table across the room. We laughed that we were both sitting with strangers. Mindy and the kids got the table from the two Columbus guys just as they were leaving.

When the opportunity presented itself, I joined Mindy and the kids. Wednesday's breakfast was all carbs, no eggs or sausage, only waffles, cereal, muffins, bagels. I enjoyed two fresh waffles they were good.

Back in the room we quickly changed into ski attire and were in line at Sunrise by 10am. Jacob was eager to show us his stuff, though figured he would venture back to Creekside to practice his technique. We encouraged as much. Whatever you need to gain more confidence.

He did well enough that he decided to hang with us instead of going to Creekside. We took him down Laurel, Tannenbaum, and eventually Crystal, the first two being more scenic than technically challenging. Jacob was doing progressively better which each ensuing run. In fact, by lunch time, he was turning both to the right and left and completing full runs without stopping. He's still very careful, just as he was on skis, but he was definitely getting the hang of it.

Meanwhile, the snowfall was awesome. At times it snowed so hard one could see only a few feet ahead. It was gorgeous. We played until 1pm when we headed back to the room for lunch. We hung out there for about 60-90 minutes before heading out again. It continued to snow at a remarkable clip making our trip that much more enjoyable. They were making snow all day too, something we anticipated given the lack of ideal conditions up till now. We held out hope that they might open some of the other runs before the end of the week.

We took a late afternoon break in Yodeler after doing Crystal about 5 or 6 times in a row. It's a good run for working on technique. Jacob was showing lots and lots of progress. Unfortunately, Jacob lost one of his wrist guards while de-gearing in Yodeler. We checked in lost and found and back tracked all his steps. Crap. We still owe Kenny $20 for the pair. Not wanting to risk a wrist injury, Mindy headed into the Yodeler gear shop to see if they sold them there. They did. In fact, they were only $15.

As evening set in, the crowds thinned. If there's one thing we've learned about Holiday Valley, the crowds, no matter how big, tend to leave as darkness sets in. We skied until about 5pm before going in for another hot tub break with the promise of heading back out for more skiing soon after.

Once again, Jacob opted not to hot tub. It was just Mindy, Bella and me. This time Bella befriended two boys in the pool and was playing monkey in the middle. We did the same thing as the day before, hot tubbed for 20 minutes then hopped in the sauna for about 10 more  minutes.

I enjoyed another beer before gearing up and heading back to the slopes. I had a good buzz! We skied until almost 8pm with Jacob doing Cindy's top to bottom for the very first time. Mindy and I let Jacob & Bella lift and ski together for the first time. They did well. No fighting/bickering that we could see.

I showed everybody the short cut back to our room, which was to ski to the south end of our building. Saving us about 5 steps and several paces to our front door. Mindy showered. I only freshened up before heading to the Depot for dinner. Jacob was equally excited about the dining at the Depot.

Even though the Depot is within eyeshot, Mindy wanted to drive. After all, it was cold and snowy. However, before heading out, and for the first time all winter, we had to scrape and warm the Pilot. I enjoyed every second of it, too. A novelty if you will.

We were seated at the window table again. We've been to the Depot maybe four times and have been seated at the window table three times. This is the place adorning all the Stone's memorabilia as well as many, many others. I was bummed to learn that they were out of the Southern Tier Old Man. None of the other beers sounded remotely good. I opted instead for a Jack & Coke. The kids each ordered Mt Dew. Mindy had a Sam Adams Winter lager. I was surprised when all four of us declared an hankering for wings.

Jacob and I split a basket of 20 hot while Mindy and Bella split a basket of 20 mild. They were quite good. I drank two Jack & Cokes through dinner. And yes, it was still snowing.  I drove us back to the room which again was right across the street.

I opted for only water once back in the room to further ensure another easy early rise. I'll bet all of us were out by 1030pm. Good night snow fall!

Holiday in the Valley - day 2 - Snow RAIN Snow

After lots of tossing and turning I finally woke for good just after 715am and felt my way through the dark hotel room and into the bathroom. Planning ahead, I had my running kit placed strategically in the closet so I could grab them in the darkness and then dress in the bathroom. It didn't take me long. By 730am I was headed out the door for my morning run.

It was cold, about 26 degrees. I stopped in the lobby where I had a quick glass of orange juice from the complimentary breakfast buffet just before heading off on my run. Last second I decided to try running up through town instead of the Holiday Valley Rd. hill I've run every other time we stay at the Inn or Tamarack. I wasn't sure if there was a sidewalk available since the ground is usually covered in well over a foot of snow. That wasn't the case this time. There might've been 2 inches. I ran the first mile or so opposing traffic but without the benefit of a sidewalk. There were two other runners about a 1/4 mile ahead. I cut over at the same place they did, which just happened to be at the town cemetery. There was a sidewalk on the that side. I ran all the way into town. And then, instead of turning right towards EBC, I went left into the residential area with a clear view of the semi-private Holimont ski area.

Many of the homes in the area look like they were built in the late 19th/early 20th century. Some are absolutely gorgeous. I wound my way through the small neighborhood and eventually back out onto 219 and back to the Inn @ HV taking the sidewalk the entire way back. The crowd at the breakfast buffet was twice as big as earlier.

Mindy and the kids remained sleeping in the room. I grabbed my backpack (Mindy's laptop) and headed to the main lobby for breakfast and blogging. On the menu were sausage and scrambled eggs. I enjoyed my breakfast in the finely appointed lobby at a table near a roaring fire while writing in my blog. I blogged for about an hour or until just after 9am when I headed back to the room. By then Mindy and the kids were just up and stirring. While they headed to the lobby for breakfast, I showered and dressed for a day of skiing. Mindy suggested I head out to ski by myself rather than wait for her and the kids. I headed out at 10am sharp.

I did several runs by my lonesome letting it rip. The conditions were what most would describe as typical east coast ski conditions - groomed, packed surface with several icy spots. All the runs were very, very fast. I celled Mindy who was just heading out with the kids. We agreed to meet at the base of Cindy's. I wondered how Jacob would do coming down the Snow Ledge. As it turned out, not good. I waited and waited, until finally, there they were. Bella skied down and said Jacob was not happy. I could see Mindy at the cut over but still no Jacob. After about 5 minutes there he was, carrying his snow board and walking down the mountain. I felt for Mindy, knowing how he must've been giving her an earful. By the time he reached bottom nothing good was coming from his mouth. All negative.

Mindy headed in to see about a lesson while I headed over to the Creekside lift (beginner hill and lift) where Jacob could practice. While Mindy was inside, Jacob talked of quitting, going back to the room, never trying boarding again, and on and on. At one point I thought I might grab him by the scruff of his jacket as he continued to espouse negative sentiment. But on the other hand, I felt for him, having just struggled down a fairly difficult terrain with next to no experience. Once Mindy reemerged, Jacob and I had done taken a ride or two down Creekside. Jacob's mood improved as he regained some of the confidence he demonstrated on Sundowner back at Mad River. Mindy purchased him a 90 minute private lesson with Courtney for $105 that started in about 40 minutes. Until then, we all did Creekside with Jacob. During our time on the bunny hill, it began to snow hard. Very wintry looking! We cheered in delight over the welcome snow fall. Having done the beginner hill 3 or 4 times, I was ready for a beer and real skiing again. I told Mindy that I was heading back to the room for a beer and a quick break. I would meet them at Cindy's soon after Jacob's lesson was underway.

In the room, I poured myself and IPA and enjoyed a small snack. I wasn't there long. Probably 40 minutes. I was surprised when I threw back the drapes and noticed that the snow had turned to rain. :( My hope was that it would turn to snow again in a hurry. I geared up and headed out to meet Mindy & Bella near Cindy's. Word on the slopes was that 4 inches of snow was coming that evening. I was stoked to learn that. I skied down Sunrise and met Mindy and Bella at Cindy's. We skied several runs over the next 90 minutes.

Near 3pm, we skied back to Cindy's/Mardi Gras base to find Jacob. We happened upon he and Courtney near the bottom of Mardi Gras. I scolded Bella for interfering, stopping near them after we'd just asked that she not. We didn't want Jacob to see us. We could tell that he was already doing better. At the end of his lesson I skied over to greet him. He was eager to show us his mojo. We did a couple of runs down Snow Ledge where he showed marked improvement. Meanwhile, it had to be near freezing, but it was still raining and showing no signs of changing back to snow anytime soon. Still, the talk about the park was big snow coming. I'm thinking it was near 430pm when we decided to bag it until the rain stopped. We headed back to the room and then the hot tub.

Jacob, as it turned out, wasn't in to hot tubbing with Mindy, Bella and I. He remained in the room watching Sports Center and playing on his Kindle Fire. Mindy and I poured beers in our plastic Viking cups. We met two single guys in the hot tub from Columbus who worked at Honda. One had his 9 year old son, Billy with him. He kept trying to hook him up with Bella. It was funny. Neither seemed interested. Bella was back and forth between the hot tub and heated pool. After about 20 minutes Mindy and I opted for the dry sauna just inside the club house. Once again, we were joined by the two Columbus guys, who admitted being on the prowl for some women. It was 5-530pm and still raining. We headed back to the room.

WE hung out in the room for at least another hour before the rain started to change back to snow. But even then it was wet and mixed with sleet. And even then, it turned back to all rain again. My snow pants were wet as were my gloves. I made sure that everyone brought tow of everything just in case conditions turned as such. Still, no one was excited about heading out in the rain. We opted to call it a night and go do dinner around 7pm.

After showers, we walked across the street to Cadillac Jack's, Jacob's pick. By then it was snowing again, but still a very wet snow. The place was about 3/4 full but staffed for half that at best. Service was kind but awfully slow. And one of my biggest complaints is the lack of good beer at either there or at the Depot. Surprisingly, not into the micro brew stuff at either venue.

Jacob and I ordered orange soda while Bella went with Mt Dew. Mindy had only water. Jacob ordered a buffalo chicken pizza, and Bella and I shared a pepperoni pizza. Took forever for the food to arrive, but we took the slow service in stride. They're out of practice since they haven't really had any crowds yet this season for the lack of appreciable snow.

We headed back across the street near 830pm. The snow had turned back to almost all rain. I was bummed because if it didn't turn back to snow soon, I knew our Wednesday skiing would be in serious jeopardy. While we watched a football game from the room the rain turned to all snow. Through it all, several diehards remained out skiing through it all. This we witnessed just out our window. The forecast was still calling for 4 inches over night and then another 2-4 inches the following day with a high of 25 degrees. All of the sudden, it looked like my fears were unfounded.

We turned off the lights near 10pm. Good snow fall!

Holiday in the Valley - day 1 - Cold + Snow = Ski

In an effort to be on the road by 9am, I was up a little after 630am. And while Mindy never actually requested a specific wake time, I planned to wake her after exercise, a stretch, and some coffee. That ended up being just after 7am. And for the first time that I can readily recall, she gave me little more than a disapproving grunt before rolling over and going back to sleep. Truth be told, I was more than a little put out after pouring so much of myself into the planning of our holiday ski trip. However, I also knew that she wasn't feeling so well.

Speaking of not feeling well, the tingle in my sinuses was still there but to a lesser degree. I continued to hold out hope that it would pass without becoming a full-fledged cold.

I headed out for my run around 715am running only three miles, just like I do on weekends & holidays. It was partly clear and about 35 degrees. Expecting a high in the mid 40's here at home. Meanwhile, the streets were extraordinarily quiet with little to no commute traffic as well as any others out for a morning run/walk. I enjoyed the stillness.

Back home, I pulled the Pilot to the bottom of the drive where it's far more level. I then loaded our skis and boards into the Thule. Went in easily. I then headed in and packed our dry goods tub and cooler. We weren't taking much in the way of food, just our coffee fixin's, Honey baked ham and cheese for sandwiches, and a few condiments. Our breakfasts would be included in our lodging package and we planned to have dinner out each evening.

We didn't have enough ice, so while Mindy showered, I headed to the Circle K for a bag of ice. I paid for a small bag but took a large since that's all they had available. Back at home I put the must-keep-colds in the cooler then placed the large unopened bag of ice over top. It just fit. By then, it was closing on 9am, my preferred departure time. But I had already resigned myself to the fact that we wouldn't be on the road by then. Realistically, leaving by 10am would still get us in town before 4pm, which is pretty much the target. Before heading up for my own shower, I loaded everything into the Pilot, including the tub, cooler, suitcases, soda, water, Gatorade and ski boots and bags. All that remained were everyone's personal effects.

While Mindy contended with the children, I took a shower and dressed. I wore the same jeans that I've been wearing for a week running. Very comfortable! We locked up the house around 945am but still needed to drop Eiknarf by Gloria's  and then top off the gas. I asked the kids to remember our starting mileage, 37,074. I could've set the trip odometer but decided to make a game of it. Gloria was up and awaiting our arrival. We visited for about 10 minutes before hitting the road. All of us were more than eager to get there.

We topped off our fuel at the Georgesville Wal-Mart with the Pilot taking only 4 or 5 gallons. And we're off!

It was a pleasant drive up I-71N towards Cleveland. Traffic wasn't an issue nor was the weather. It was a gorgeous morning, in fact. Like we have a two or three other times, we made a pit stop for lunch at the Northfield exit (Rt 8) Wendy's. We had a quick lunch and were soon back on the road. Guessing it was near 1230pm when we got back on the road.

The rest of 271 and then route 90 east to Pennsylvania went fast. Always does. In fact, the entire drive always goes incredibly fast, almost as if we're in a time warp. Nobody asked for a potty break. I was a little surprised. Mindy and the kids did a lot of napping. I got tired a few times but each time I was able to shake it off. I kept a close eye on the temperature which hovered around 41 degrees all the way across route 90 & 86. However, I know that the Pilot's outside temperature gauge reads 3 to 4 degrees warm. We didn't see any snow until we crossed into New York near Jamestown. There were 3 or 4 inches of snow present there, especially on the north facing side of the highway.

We exited route 86 into Salamanca at roughly 3pm, or just 5 hours after leaving cowtown. It's another 12 miles or so to Holiday Valley through the land of icicles, which there were none. There was a fresh coating of snow about the ground, however, which made everybody cheer. The real temperature in Salamanca was at or near freezing and the skies completely clear.

We pulled up to the door of the Inn at HV near 330pm. Just the sight of snow and skiers raised my spirits more than you can imagine. And based on the weather reports, they had far more snow on the slopes than I had seen last I looked on the web cams. I felt at ease. Check-in was a snap.

When I booked the room way back in late October, there were no lift view double queen rooms available. But based on the recent weather woes, I figured there might be more than a few cancels. When I asked, they were more than happy to change our booking to a lift view room. The only snafu was that we weren't permitted to purchase our 5-day lift tickets until 430pm. No problem. We headed to our room to unpack.

Our room was 215, which is just three doors from the southern-most corner of the lift view suites. Ideal, really. We placed our cooler, soda, and water on the deck overlooking the lift and Sunrise trail. Mindy and I unloaded our packs and suitcases into the available drawers and closet while the kids stretched out on one of the beds. Jacob said he was tired and didn't want to ski/board that evening. Said he preferred to nap in the room. Actually, we considered that a blessing since he really needed a lesson before unleashing him on the slopes of HV with his new snowboard. Mindy went after the lift tickets at 430pm while I poured the both of us pints of St Joan's.

Mindy, Bella, and I headed out to ski around 5pm. It was gorgeous, too. A slivery moon hung low in the southwestern sky and temperature hovered near 28 degrees. We cruised up Sunrise and cut across Snow Ledge to Cindy's. No problem. Felt great to get on my edges! We did 5 or 6 runs before breaking at Yodeler lodge. As I eluded to earlier, there was far more snow than I envisioned, but many of our favorite runs weren't yet opened. Still, there were plenty of well maintained runs to ski. And a side benefit was a very limited number guests. We could pretty much get right on the lift without a wait.

We skied for about 3 hours before heading back to the room and then heading into town for dinner. We planned to visit my personal favorite, the Ellicottville Brewing Company. The kids weren't too excited about my choice given the usual crowd and long wait. We stopped at the local grocery before going to dinner. We needed to pick-up a few items we didn't have at home. Bella and I went in to shop. We picked up whipped cream, swiss cheese, chocolate for Mindy, donuts, and white bread.

We got a parking spot right out front and they quoted us a 20 minute wait. In reality, we were paged to our table soon after getting two beers from the bar. Mindy opted for the imperial stout while I went with their Imperial IPA, Pantius Dropius. Bella ordered root beer and Jacob ordered just water.

We were seated in the same booth we sat the night of the Vikings playoff victory over the Cowboys. Can't recall our servers name but she was more than pleasant. Mindy opted for the burger while I went with the chicken quesadilla. Bella ordered fries and macaroni and cheese, and Jacob ordered smothered fries. I ended up drinking a second Pantius Dropius. It's really good! I picked up the check. Mindy drove us back to the Inn.

We all jumped into bed around 1030pm. Good night slivery HV moon!

Ski Holiday Valley

Merry Xmas 2011

Family Xmas 2011

It was about 7am on Xmas morning 2011. As usual, I was the first one up. As  Just as I finished brushing my teeth Mindy rolled over and shared that she was up in the middle of the night placing the kids gifts around the tree.  She went right back to sleep. I headed downstairs and started some coffee then put Mindy’s gifts around the tree.

I went to my PC with coffee where I spent the next 30 minutes or so before being joined by Mindy. Now near 745am, I began to contemplate doing my run before anyone else got up and about. Usually that’s not the case. The past few Xmases I waited until the gift opening was over before running. So naturally, I expected the kids to be up & chomping at the bit to get to their Xmas bounty.

Just before 8am I was joined by Mindy. We exchanged Xmas morning greetings then I asked her opinion about a pre gift opening run.  She was all for it. I quickly garbed out for a run. It was sunny, about 30 degrees and frosty. Expecting a high somewhere in the 40s later.

I wasn’t a half mile into my run when I heard a car horn honk from well behind me. It was my dad, or at least it looked like his minivan. I gave a quick wave then continued on my run. I saw him park and head on inside our house. Mindy was up and awaiting him.

I ran three miles extending a warm Xmas greeting to the few folks I encountered out and about. By the time I was back at home everyone was up. The kids, especially Bella, were cheering my return. She was ready to open her gifts. My mom and dad were sitting comfortably in the family room.

The kids tore into the Santa gifts first with Jacob finishing his in record time. Bella was slow and methodical. I didn’t keep count, but due to the nature of their Santa gifts, I’m quite sure Bella had more. She got lots and lots of American Girl stuff. Jacob got a Xbox 360 with Kinnect. They probably had a good 30 minutes of gift opening.

Mindy gifted my parents next. They each got gift cards and candy. It was my turn next.  I got a couple cashmere sweaters, some socks, gum, and an Adele CD, the same one I bought about two weeks prior from iTunes. J The kids got me an Adrian Peterson ornament, the same ornament that Lindsey and boys got me. Mindy also got me a 1.75 liter bottle of Jack Daniels.

Bella asked for help getting batteries in one of her American Girl doll accessories. It needed AAA batteries, the same type I just recently purchased. Problem was, I couldn’t find them anywhere. Looked high and low. It was driving me crazy. Mindy looked too. About an hour later I found them in the picnic basket just below the battery tub. Yeah!

Everyone enjoyed some of Mindy’s breakfast casserole. Next up, Jacob asked me to get his Xbox hooked up. Sure, why not? We had to disconnect his Play Station first. Took longer than I thought, but we got it hooked up. Jacob called and asked Jake to come down with one of his games.

My mom and dad departed near noon. Mom was heading back home and dad was heading to brother Bob’s. Mindy was getting anxious about getting to her mother’s. Not sure what time she planned on getting there, but we didn’t leave the house until 145pm.  As Mindy shared, we would be some of the last to arrive, which she dreaded. Apparently Mindy’s mom keeps score.

We had the Pilot loaded with gifts, food, libations, and the pug. We had everything Frankie would need to stay through our vacation, but Mindy wasn’t sure we’d be leaving her.

As it turned out, we weren’t the last to arrive. That made Mindy happy. Honestly, I was indifferent. We spent the first hour or so visiting before the gift opening began. Mindy asserted that we give our gifts first.  And by the time everyone had given their gifts another two hours had passed. The day was moving fast. I drank two Barley’s Double Dogs but stopped around 5pm.

Everyone interested in playing the lottery game brought $5 worth of tickets. We played two rounds. During the first round, Mindy & I won 4 or 5 tickets that were worth $25. That ended up being the big hull. I’m quite sure that round two (about 15 tickets) netted zero dollars in winnings. They advertise 1 in 4 are winners. Guess we bought the 3 thru 4 tickets. :)

We hung out with family until 8pm. And it wouldn’t be a holiday if it wasn’t filled with hourly interruptions from Lindsey pleading for our help. Thanksgiving day it was her car. Today it was finding child care for the following week. Apparently her mother, sisters, and grandparents said no. Big Rocky, who she’s relied on a few times recently, apparently moved on Xmas eve and Lindsey had no idea how to reach him.

Mindy gave Lindsey a call on our drive home.  Ashley stepped up to watch the boys on Monday, but she’d be heading back to work on Tuesday. Beyond encouragement, there wasn’t much more we could do to help.  Home would be a chore. We had to unload our Xmas hull and organize ourselves for our trip to HV early the next morning. Add to that, everyone was tired and really wanted to relax. That wasn’t in the cards, at least for another couple hours. Mindy spent a lot of time putting away Christmas gifts before focusing on our trip. I spent time organizing food for our trip, including cutting up what remained of the Honey Baked, one bag for travel, and another for home.

By 10pm we had the house looking fairly decent considering it was Xmas. We also had all of our ski trip stuff packed and ready to go. I sipped a pint of Double Dog while doing the final prep. We all headed to bed near 1030pm. Good bye Xmas &hello HV!

On the Eve of Xmas 2011

It was Xmas eve and I was up early once again so I could intercept the grandkids. Because it was a Saturday, I didn’t have exercises on my agenda. So after starting coffee I headed directly to my PC. I tried unsuccessfully to order Glenn’s replacement macbook pro battery. Something seemed afoul with Apple’s webpage, at least the checkout part. I must’ve tried five or six times before giving up.

Lindsey dropped the boys around 8am.  And soon I was joined downstairs by Mindy. We enjoyed some coffee before I set out on my run.  I am thinking it was near 9am when I headed out.  It was cold enough that there was frost on the ground and cars, but it couldn’t have been too far from 32 degrees.

I ran the usual three miles in something under 30 minutes .  When I got back, I made a batch of scrambled eggs for my mom and the boys. Mindy didn’t want any and was down the basement doing yet more xmas wrapping. I pulled a little bit of the Honey Baked ham out too. Mindy enjoyed some of that.

No sooner had I washed the pan the boys both asked for more eggs. I kindly made some more. By the time we were done with breakfast it was already nearing noon. We were expecting my family ot beign arriving near 3pm, but ahead of that Mindy would be leaving for the hospital to pick-up grand daughters Kaileigh and Sienna. Kai’s step-mom Shelly had her baby (Trip) the day before. Mindy was very excited to see the baby too.

I’m thinking that she left around 130-2pm.  I took shower while she was away. I’m pretty sure that dad showed up just before Mindy got back with the girls, which was just before 3pm and before anyone else arrived. Not sure who showed up next, but soon we had a house full of family, including Tommy, Wally, Ashley, Stven, Olivia, Lindsey, Rocky, Landon, Kaileigh and Sienna. Tommy’s step-daughter, Jaucqie came over with her two kids (Bradley & Brrook) too. Mindy passed out Xmas gifts around 4pm one kid at a time.

The neighbors, Kenny & Chrissy, came over at 4pm to give Rocky & Landon a gift, an Xbox of all things. Chrissy insisted. Very gracious. Courtney & Zach showed up late. By then, Joey was over to pick-up the girls, Kaileigh and Sienna. Wondered if there might be some tension. Joey was very cordial. I really like him. Not only is he a good dad to Kaileigh, he’s pleasant to everyone.

Courtney hadn’t been to our house for two years to the day, or Xmas 2009. She looked about as good as she has in years. Zach was friendly too.  As it was, we had Courtney’s Xmas presents from 2010 as well as this year’s. Zach was pleased and surprised we had a gift for him too.

While we had a house full, Ben & Ryan stopped over briefly. They were over at Chrissy & Kenny’s celebrating Xmas (Kenny’s family). We offered that we’d be stopping down once our company was gone. It was somewhere near 8pm when everyone left. Mom was still there, of course, but she planned an early bedtime.  Our kids were back from their Xmas with Jimaken. They were very excited with their new Kindle Fires.

They walked to the neighbors with us. Their house was much like ours, family and Honey Baked ham. I imagined the millions of homes around the country doing the exact same thing.

We hung with the neighbors for no more than an hour. Mindy and I needed to get the kids to bed and the do Santa Claus. I’m thinking it was 930pm when we headed home.

Mom was just heading to bed. Mindy insisted Jacob & Bella head to bed too. They weren’t in bed but 15 minutes when we started carrying the gifts up. We left them out of sight of the balcony until we were sure they were asleep. Bella was struggling to sleep and kept coming to the railing. We eventually gave up and headed to bed. I figured to be up early so I planned to place the gifts under the tree then. It couldn’t have been much later than 1030pm.

From bed I was hoping to catch the Xmas eve celebration from Rome, starring the pope, but I just couldn’t stay awake. Mindy, I know, was banking on me falling asleep quickly. She was right. Merry Xmas!

Let the Yule Tide Chaos Begin

Mindy & I were awake near 7am but not out of bed until 730am. I headed downstairs first to prep coffee, exercise, and await the arrival of the boys, who were expected to show up somewhere close to 8am.

I'd just sat back down at my PC with a cup of coffee when I heard a car door. It was Lindsey dropping the boys. They were both happy and excited and smiling ear to ear. It didn't take long for the boys to pop the big question. Can we play Wii? Asked that we wait until the kids were up.

Mindy was up early and back to wrapping presents while did my best to keep the boys entertained. I left for a run near 9am. Both boys asked if they could join me. Sure, if you think you can keep up. Landon expressed disappointment when I didn't let him go. :) But by then we had a movie whirling in the Blu-Ray. I hoped that would not only keep them occupied, but also quiet. It was 36 degrees and cloudy when I headed out. I ran just three miles and felt terrific.

Mindy put a beef roast in the crock-pot and then left for Kroger. She was picking up a Honey Baked ham as well as some other stuff for our upcoming holiday celebrations. Of course Jacob and Bella were up by then and were interacting with the boys. Jacob and Rocky asked if they could slip off to the park to play. I agreed as long as they left without alerting Landon who was busy playing Wii.

Mindy was back around 1130am and asked me to brown sausage for her famous breakfast casserole while she showered. My mom arrived around 1230pm. She'd be staying with us through sometime Xmas day. My dad showed up a little bit later. Mindy was still in the basement wrapping presents at her make shift wrapping station.

Mom and dad left to visit the cemetery where aunt Linda's buried mid-afternoon. They were gone for roughly an hour. Jacob & Bella were leaving late afternoon to spend the night and celebrate Xmas with him. They'd be back home Xmas eve evening. Jimaken must've gotten off work a little early and was there sometime between 4-430pm.  Not long after they left, Mindy dished up the roast beef that had been cooking in the crock-pot all day. Rocky was much looking forward to it. It's his favorite dish. Dad opted not to have and roast. Instead, he left for brother Bob's Xmas celebration.

We weren't expecting Lindsey until some time after her usual get-off time of 730pm, but she showed up while we were enjoying dinner. She got off early for not being busy. She took a few minutes to enjoy some dinner before heading home with the boys. Before she left we did her finances.  Not expecting Lindsey to get off early, we had asked my mom to keep an eye on the boys while Mindy & I made a quick visit to Barley's. But given that Lindsey got out of work early, that was no longer necessary. We offered that mom join us, but she refused. She simply asked that we set the TV up for her. We also invited her to join us for the island Xmas party at the O'Connell's which was slated to start at 8pm. We planned to head over there as soon as we were back from Barley's.

I'm thinking we showed up at Barley's around 630pm.  Decent crowd but nowhere close to what we encountered Wednesday. We brought two growlers to be filled, but I didn't think that was going to happen after discovering that they were out of the Double Dog IPA. Manager Zach said that they sold well over 200 growlers that day. Said they ran out of three of their most popular beers.  I ordered a pint of Cousin Eddie from their guest selections, and then ordered a St Joan's for Mindy. Unbeknownst to me, Mindy had already ordered a glass of wine. By the way, they can't or won't sell growlers of their guest selections. Mindy and I agreed to finish our beers then head to CBC to have our growlers filled.

We spotted Atlanta Tim just over the half wall at a table with his biking buddy as well their dates. Mindy went to chat with him first. I joined them later. We heard through the grapevine that he's got a new gig with the railroad in North Carolina. I asked about that. Said it was indeed true but that he needs to sell his house here first.

Meanwhile, Mindy spotted a teacher friend, her baby and husband in a nearby booth. She went over and talked with them. And I think she gave her St Joan's to that woman's husband. I walked over to meet her teacher friend too while Mindy held their baby. I walked back to my peeps at the bar while Mindy carried on with her friend and the baby. At that point we still planned to leave and head to CBC to have our growlers filled, but by the time Mindy rejoined me at the bar a few other longtime peeps showed up (Bob and Carol and banker Dan). We decided to stay for another beer and have our growlers filled with Barleys Pale Ale & St Joan's.

While enjoying a Centennial off the firkin, I shared my recent Hyundai woes with the twins, Kurt and Kevin. They're car guys. If nothing else, I thought they might be able to impart some wisdom. I had to laugh when one of them asked if this was a long story. :) I could tell that I was boring them to tears with all the details.

Kurt advised that he has two Hyundai's and that they've been most reliable. Reminded me that online forums often give the wrong impression because you won't get anyone posting positive feedback. They both agreed, however, that we likely just got a lemon. Agreed that my best bet might be to trade it in.

It was 815pm. We were late for the island party. Mindy asked that I settle the bar tab so we could leave. In years past we have purchased gift cards for all of our Barley's servers. This year we didn't. Instead, I left a hefty tip when settling our bill.

Arrived home near 825pm. Once again, we invited mom to join us at the O'Connell's but she opted instead to head to bed. We wished mom a good night then quickly gathered the island gifts and walked down to the neighbors.

We arrived about 35-40 minutes late. By then, the small gathering was already in full swing. Mindy apologized for out unintended lateness and then quickly transitioned to passing out island Xmas gifts. I cracked one of the three bottled beers I brought. Interestingly enough, since roughly TG, I've been drinking growlered beer almost exclusively. Haven't been into the bottles much at all. Terri laid out a really nice spread of finger foods, including buffalo dip, summer sausage, and water chestnuts wrapped in bacon and soaked in barbeque sauce.

We hung out for a couple hours easily. Towards the end of the evening Mindy & Terri got into a philosophical discussions regarding gays. Once again, it quickly turned heated with both expressing their strong but polar opinions. I really wished Mindy hadn't broached the topic since one could easily predict the outcome. We convinced the two of them to change the subject and move on to more common ground ... Christmas. Jesus Christ, can't we all just get along. It's Xmas! :)

Mindy and I headed home I'm guessing around 1130-12 midnight. I walked Eiknarf before we headed to bed. Let the yuletide chaos begin.