Reunion @ MRM

Was up a couple times during the night but quickly back asleep. Got up for keeps near 730am. I plan was to ski, but we hadn’t agreed on a departure time and I didn’t feel like being in a hurry. Instead, I started coffee and enjoyed a quiet house for the 90 minutes or more. First time that I’ve been able to do that in more than a couple weeks.

Mindy got up somewhere between 9-930am. I walked the pug then did my run. Ran 3 miles. It was gorgeous – sunny and cold, about 22 degrees.

Mindy was already organizing her ski things by the time I got back from my run. By the time we finished organizing ourselves, got showered and dressed, it was 1130am. We weren’t in any big hurry. We left the house at 1145am. The plan was for Lindsey and the boys to come over and do their laundry around noon.

Tina Cubra called while we were in route wondering if we were coming up. My dad called from Florida too. Said he was sitting in the sunshine and heading to the beach. It was almost 80 degrees already. Forgot to put ice in the cooler earlier at home. We stopped in Marysville to get a bag.

Arrived at MRM at 1230pm. Lot was pretty full. We circled a few times before settling on a spot far removed from the lodge and ticket windows, but still not as far away as most newcomers were parking. I figured I would move the Pilot closer later, depending on how late we stayed.

Mindy geared up quick and walked on ahead. I stayed back a few more minutes. They still haven’t fixed the ski check issue. Had to hand write it on our lift tickets. For once, neither of us had to pee. Headed right for the lift. Mindy spotted Mary Ann and Tina as we headed up the lift. Met up with the entire gang a few minutes later at the top of the hill.

Snow was OK, though packed and even a tad icy. Lines weren’t too long at the outset but continued to grow as the afternoon progressed. For some reason, I just wasn’t feeling it. After 4 or 5 runs I suggested we take a break. By then the lines were borderline ridiculous. My nose was starting to run like a faucet, but I didn’t feel bad.

Mindy agreed to head in and find a table while I went for the cooler and snack bag. I talked about moving the Pilot, but more cars were still steaming in with few exiting. I decided to wait and do that later. I simply fetched the cooler and snacks and made the long trek back to the lodge.

Mindy secured us a small round table – actually two. Once she returned from the restroom I went after a pitcher of beer even though we brought a cooler full from home. Didn’t want to freeload. The others said they were gonna do another run or two and join us, but we’ve heard that before. I didn’t mind. Said earlier, I just wasn’t feeling it. Didn’t have my mojo. I was content to chill out for a while, at least until the lines died down some. The pitcher of Sam Adams Winter lager we bought must’ve been from the bottom of the keg. It foamed excessively and then was a tad flat. Mindy went after a bowl of chili despite us bringing a sack/cooler full of snacks. We hung in the lodge just she & I for at least an hour before the others came in. It was demo day and Tina was trying out different skis. Demo’s ended at 3pm.

Shared our Honey Baked ham and snacks with the others. Eventually popped open the bottled beers we coolered in too. Figured to save the canned IPA for the lift. Stayed inside until 430pm. Long break for Mindy & I.

We headed out for more runs. After a couple quick runs, I headed to the Pilot for our clear goggles. By t hen the crowd had thinned some, at least enough to move the Pilot. Took a spot three rows back and right in line with the sidewalk to the gift shop. Much closer. Bob, Tina and kids peeled off around 6-630pm. They got there at 9am. Always do. Mindy & I skied with Bob & Mary Ann for a while. Mindy polished off her flask of Goldschlager and was feeling no pain. She got a little goofy and loud with the line/lift operators. I was more concerned with her skiing, however, worried that she might take a hard fall. She was skiing fast and hill packed and icy. To my knowledge, she luckily never did fall.

Both Bob & Mary Ann were sporting new skis. In fact, Mary Ann had new boots, too. She’s been battling plantar fasciitis for some time now. Said her right foot was almost completely numb! Noticed Bob sporting a whiter smile, assumed them veneers. I gave him a quiet thumbs up. Looks really good.
We skied until 730pm. I agreed to carry Mindy’s skis to the Pilot if she went for the cooler and snacks in the lodge.

I had my skis stowed and was out of my ski pants by the time Mindy met me in the lot. I tuned the XM radio to ESPN and quickly heard them announce that Christian Ponder was a scratch for the Vikings – not playing due to an elbow injury he sustained one week earlier. The game was set to kick-off near 8pm. I decided right then that I wasn’t even going to listen. Didn’t want to get worked up. Also learned that the Bengals were about to lose to the Texans.

Mindy was half asleep for most of our drive home, though she did talk with the kids shortly after pulling out of MRM. Bella professed being extremely bored. With Jacob grounded and her daddy sick, there wasn’t much for her to do.

We got home around 830pm. We carried in all of our gear. Left our skis in the garage against the work bend to dry. I was real eager to get out of my ski attire and into loose flannel pajamas. Warmed my leftover CBC pizza I the oven and poured a Jack on the rocks. Yum! Both were outstanding. Mindy was busy texting with neighbor Chrissy. Kenny got home from hunting minutes later with his first deer of the season. Already had pictures posted to Facebook.

After a 2nd Jack on the rocks we headed for bed. Wasn’t even 10pm, but both of us were really tired. Man we’re getting old!

Friday = CBC

Up somewhere between 530-6am. Still dealing with a scratchy throat and slightly stuffed head.

Sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups.

Much warmer – 30 degrees at 6am.

Didn’t leave for a run until 650am. No need to add more winter layers. Felt warm after Thursday’s cold, single digit run. Ran 4.1 miles.

Walked the pug. She struggled to find a place to go in the frozen tundra.

Enjoyed eggs, strawberries, OJ.

Mindy shared that she might go skiing or possibly even take her mom to the casino, nothing firm, however.

Mindy did bus stop duty again, likely the last for a quite a while.

Shower, left for work around 840am.

Arrived near 9am. Hallways empty. One of the few actually working from the office. Boss apparently working from home.

Fairly easy day. Monthly reports.

Left for lunch at 115pm after calling Giant Eagle Market District and learning they had White Rajah in stock. Asked about Hop Slam too. No such luck. Checked Bell’s website later. Not launching this year’s batch until Jan-08.

Bought two six-packs of White Rajah. Also bought a pound of my favorite cheese – Beemster 18 month cheddar – pricey stuff! Back to the office by 2pm. Nice afternoon – sunny 32 degrees.

Left for home at 510pm. No traffic slowdowns on 270.

Jimaken and nephew Joe at the house. Kids and Jimaken just leaving. Jacob wearing only shorts and windbreaker. Poor decision!

Mindy & Joe having wine sitting at the island. Mindy said she didn’t go anywhere. Instead, stayed home all day relaxing. Put together Bella’s new dollhouse.

I suggested we visit one of the new gastropubs. Mindy wanted to dine at CBC. CBC it was.

I gave Mindy crap for letting Jacob leave the house dressed like spring/summer. She wasn’t pleased.

Left for CBC at 630pm. Throat beginning to feel better, but nose starting to run. Uh-oh!

At CBC, no stools immediately available, but like always, it didn’t take long for a couple to clear. Vince was quick to outfit us with Bodhi’s. Served us bread and risotto balls. Yum!

Due most likely to my cold symptoms, the beer was just OK. Wasn’t that hungry either. Ended up having 3 Bodhi’s, each one tasting better. 

Mindy ordered dinner: salmon. Initially, I passed, but then changed my mind and ordered one of their signature pizzas with pepperoni, sausage, and hot pepper rings. It was really good! I ate half, or 4 small slices.

Our plan was to ski on Saturday. We left for home around 9pm. At home I cracked open a White Rajah. Yum! In bed before 10pm.

Cold Outside

Despite an ongoing battle with a dry, scratchy throat, I still managed to pull myself from bed just after 530am.

Exercise, Coffee, PC time - Meditation & Stretch

Really cold – 8 degrees!

Ran 4.1 miles. Was plenty warm enough above the waist, but probably should’ve worn running tights or ski long johns. As it was, I wore only loose running pants, and my legs never did warm-up which gave way to cold, achy knees. I survived.

Shared how cold I was with Mindy, who immediately responded that she’s never heard me complain about being cold.

Walked the pug.

Enjoyed eggs, strawberries & OJ.

Mindy took Bella to the bus stop while I showered.

Warmed the Accord for extended time. Arrived at the office near 9am.

Spent most of the day on monthly reports.

At home, wheeled the trashcan to the curb for Friday AM pick-up.

Mindy suggested we take the kids and got out for dinner. We talked about trying one of the many new gastropubs in the CMH area but once I was home from work we simply opted for Barley’s.


Justin our server. Katy & Janet working the bar. Sat at a booth.

I had just one beer, a 20oz. Double Dog IPA. Yum! It hasn’t been on tap for a really long time. I think Mindy had a Fortune Teller.

Dinner: Bella: cheeseburger, Jacob: chicken tenders, Mindy: seafood pasta, Me: a Reuben.

There for about 90 minutes tops.

Home: watched the Fiesta Bowl – Oregon/Kansas St. Oregon ahead 22-10 at halftime, or when we went to bed.

Back to the Grind

I didn’t sleep well at all. It seems Glenn was correct about taking Dayquil before bed. I tossed and turned through most of the night. And while I may have fallen asleep, it was never deep enough to wake feeling satisfied and/or rested. As it was, I needed to run Glenn to the airport to catch a 7am flight. He wanted to leave at 515am. To that end I was up and out of bed at 445am. The light was on in the guest room and I could hear Glenn already up and stirring. A little surprised. I had coffee all set to go. All I had to do was push the go button, which I took care of and then proceeded to whip out calisthenics.

Hadn’t done push-ups since Xmas eve, I think. By the time sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups were done I was completely winded. I played around online for a couple minutes while the coffee finished brewing. Glenn joined me downstairs around 5am. We both enjoyed a quick cup of coffee.

I headed out to start the Pilot at 505am. It was cold and frosted over. I carried out Glenn’s skis and giant suitcase too. We left for the airport at 515am on the nose. It was a quick drive, though we almost missed the airport exit off of 670. It’s not marked that well and we were talking as it neared. I cut over two lanes last second.

The drop was quick. Glenn took a picture of me standing with his luggage. Promised to let me know about Utah by next Friday. I headed back home arriving at 545am. I pretty much carried out my usual pre-run routine over the next 30 minutes. Despite cold symptoms, it felt good to be back in the groove.

Jacob was downstairs to ready for the school bus just after 630am. I headed out for my run ahead of him, somewhere near 640am. It was cold, about 18 degrees. I wore standard winter layers. Once again the roads were difficult to navigate with uneven ice and snow cover. I stuck to the walks wherever possible. I ran 4.1 miles for the first time in quite a while. Felt good.

Mindy and Bella were up and busy in the kitchen when I got back. I leashed up the pug and headed out for our morning walk. Again, felt good to back into our normal routine. Without the benefit of a prior scent, Eiknarf struggled to relieve herself. She only peed. Mindy was out of practice with my morning eggs. They were a tad runny. This was her first time using the new Green ceramic frying pan.

Bella asked Mindy to take her to the bus stop. I took my time showering and getting dressed. They were already out when I made it back downstairs. I quickly threw together a lunch of nuts, cheese, yogurt, and carrots. I headed out to start the Accord ten minutes before leaving. It felt a little odd to be heading to a customer’s campus this my first day back from vacation. Mindy reminded me that it was a Jimaken night. Wanted to know how I felt about dinner out. Wasn’t sure, especially given my cold symptoms. After my run, I began feeling totally drained. An hour long nap would’ve been nice, but wasn’t in the cards. Mindy doesn’t go back to school until next Monday. Said she planned on taking down Xmas decorations.


Left for work around 835am. Despite being cold, it was mostly sunny and a nice drive across town. Second time in the last three hours that I drove past the airport. Arrived at 9am and was settled a few minutes later. Perhaps because I hadn’t logged on for about 10 days, my laptop was slow to boot. But then, once I had all my necessary apps up, I got one of those pesky reboot necessary messages. Crap! Had to go through the login process all over again. The customer reported only one issue for our 10am call, but it was actually resolved before the call began. Because of that, our call was brief. I used the remainder of the morning, and rest of the day for that matter, to get started on my December monthly reports.

I lost track of time, and didn’t take a lunch until 115pm. I headed towards Target and Macy’s thinking I might pick-p one of those Andy Capp hats I’ve been eying for some time now. Surely they’d be marked down now that it’s after Xmas. I stopped at the Easton Macy’s 1st. More crowded than I expected. I found the Andy Capp hats quickly. Yikes, they wanted $45. No thanks! I was out of there less than two minutes later. Headed over to the Target. They had a couple, but not in my size and they looked comparably cheap. I opted not to buy one. I headed back to the office. If nothing else, it was good to simply get away from the office for a little while.

Back at my desk by 2pm, I spent the rest of the afternoon on monthly reporting. I enjoy crunching numbers so much that time literally flies by. Can’t believe how fast it goes. Seemed like the next time I checked the time it was time to head for home. Checked Glenn’s flight status via American Airlines website. He landed in Portland around 250pm our time. Talked with Mindy at some point just before leaving work. She was organizing the kids to leave with their dad. She asked how I felt and if I wanted to go out for dinner. No. Fighting cold symptoms, staying in and resting sounded awfully good. She didn’t seem to mind.

The drive around 270 went fast. No traffic back-ups in Hilliard. Arrived home around 540pm. The kids were gone and Mindy still in her PJs. After a quick look around the house, all the Xmas decorations were down, including the tree. Looks normal again. We chatted some and then Mindy headed upstairs for a shower. While Mindy did that I offered that I would take a nap. Instead, however, I played around online.

Once Mindy was out of the shower and back downstairs we decided on dinner. I opted for chicken noodle soup and leftover Honey Baked ham. Mindy had soup too, but Progresso vegetable. With my belly full, I wanted nothing more than my PJs and book. I snuggled up in the family room chair where I read and napped until the kids got home. In fact, I fell asleep for about 2 hours, not waking until almost 830pm. The long nap felt great. I asked Mindy about taking some more Dayquill. She insisted that it made more sense to hold off until bedtime and to take Nyquill.

Started to get a 2nd wind once I was up and around. Was a little hungry again and craving soda, too – a Fresca. To satisfy my hunger I popped some popcorn and fetched a soda. Soon tuned into the Sugar Bowl from New Orleans – Louisville vs. Florida. Despite being a heavy underdog, Louisville was leading 14-0 when we joined. Bella soon joined Mindy and I downstairs after her shower and to finish her snack. She ate donuts and Slim Jim’s. Yuck! And as soon as they were gone she swooped in on my popcorn too. Mindy wanted some too. She asked me to pop another bag. I offered that Bella could do it, and she did. The three of us ate popcorn and watched more of the Sugar Bowl. Near 10pm and halftime we headed for bed, but planned to watch at least some of the game from bed before sleep.

I took a half dose of Nyquil then watched about 10 minutes into the 2nd half before turning off the TV and falling quickly asleep.

Ready, Set, Go!

New Year’s Day, 2013. I was awake and out of bed at 715am. I was still a little tired and had a dry, scratchy throat, but otherwise felt pretty good. After brushing my teeth I headed downstairs to start some coffee. Mindy stopped me on my way out of the room to ask that I bring her coffee in a little while. Yes dear.

Another inch or so of snow fell during the overnight, made apparent by our snow covered foot prints on the front porch. I started coffee then played on the internet until it was ready. No matter what I did, drink water or otherwise, I couldn’t seem to clear the dry, scratchy throat.

Headed upstairs with coffee for Mindy near 745am. I handed off the coffee then headed back downstairs where I continued playing around on the PC. For the next hour or more I downloaded New Year’s photos and edited ski vacation pictures for later posting. Mindy was up a little after 9am. We chatted for a while, although about nothing too significant. She shared her plan to go shopping later in the day with her mom. I headed out for a run around 930am. It wasn’t that cold – near 30 degrees but with lots of ice and snow to navigate through.

The walks were in far better shape than the subdivision roads. Not only were the roads covered with ice and snow, but they were uneven too, which made running on them hazardous. Where possible, I stuck to the mostly shoveled sidewalks. I ran three miles for like the 12th day in a row. Plan to get back to my normal 4.1 miles beginning Wednesday, Jan 2nd, or my return to work day.

As soon as I finished my run I headed in through the overhead garage door to retrieve the Pilot keys in preparation for shoveling the drive and removing our skis from the Thule. Inside, Mindy was making breakfast burritos. Yum! I pulled the Pilot perpendicular to the driveway, which placed it on more even ground for easier access to the Thule. Before unloading the skis, I shoveled the driveway clear of the newly fallen snow. That took about 10-15 minutes. With the driveway clear, I methodically removed all the ski gear from the Thule and leaned it against my work bench. Noticed more than a few scuffs on my new Mantras, most likely from the rocks at the bottom of the Chute run at HV. I noticed an even bigger gash in one of Glenn’s skis.

Once the Thule was emptied, I shoveled the walks and stoop before pulling the Pilot back into the driveway. I toweled off the skis and Jacob’s board, removing any residual ice, snow and water. All told, I was out front for a good 40 minutes. By then the breakfast burrito concoction was ready. In the kitchen, I opted to make my own and then joined the others already at the breakfast table.

Bella and Frankie were the last one’s up. Thinking it was after 11am. Jacob asked if he could build a snow ramp off the deck and use his snow board. I agreed provided he build up a solid base of snow and then take care not to expose the wood of the deck. That kept he and Bella busy for quite a while. I asked Mindy for some cough syrup to counter my dry, scratchy throat. I felt like I might be getting a cough. Oh no!

Mindy put pork chops in the oven, showered, then left to fetch her mom and head to Kohl’s. I tuned the TV to one of the early bowl games. Glenn stayed busy on his laptop for most of the afternoon. I might’ve dosed off a time or two, but eventually got up off the sofa to work on my blog, read, and take a shower. I hadn’t written anything new for my blog since Saturday, December 22nd. I decided not to sweat it, and instead posted a plethora pictures both from our family Xmas celebrations and then our HV ski trip.

I also spent about 30 minutes pricing out a complete Utah ski trip that included air, lodging, transportation, and skiing so we could all make an informed decision. I shared the numbers with Glenn then asked that he let me know no if he’s in by no later than Friday, January 11th. I tried using Tommy’s timeshare points but we couldn’t make the dates and venue work.

All that took me until well after 5pm. By then Mindy was home from shopping and readying dinner for the table. Earlier, while Mindy was out shopping, she sent a text, apparently forwarded by Mike O. sharing that Evan and Rocky reported being flipped off by our Jacob. I opted not to deal with it until Mindy was home and we had time to discuss it. As it stood, he’s already grounded from all screens for a full week due to some very poor choices he made while on our ski trip. Sometimes he just doesn’t think before he speaks.

As usual, Big Ten teams made a poor showing in the New Year’s Day bowls. Both Michigan and Nebraska lost to SEC teams. Mindy called me to dinner around 530pm. By then I was convinced that there was something more to my dry, scratchy throat. I wasn’t feeling too well at all. Felt like cold symptoms beginning to kick in. Dang it!

I sat for dinner: pork chops, our friend Ben’s homemade sauerkraut, White Castles (compliments of Mindy and one of Glenn’s favorite CMH foods), salad, and mac & cheese. Everything was good, but my appetite was compromised due to feeling under the weather. Apparently noticing that I wasn’t feeling well, Mindy offered to manage clean up. TY, dear! Near the end of dinner, Lindsey & Landon showed up to pick-up Rocky, who spent the night with Evan. Landon said he could smell roast the minute he walked in. It’s one of his favorite dishes. While he sat down to eat, Lindsey walked down to get Rocky.

Once Lindsey was back with Rocky, they didn’t stick around too long at all. For privacy, However, before the left, Mindy took Rocky into the living room to ask about the ‘flipping off’ incident. I am pretty sure that Jacob knew it was coming. He seemed to be trying to listen from the hallway. Mindy shared that we would talk about it at length later.

After Lindsey & the boys left, I headed back to my PC for a while. Mindy soon joined me and then lured Jacob in so we could discuss the flipping off incident. He didn’t deny it, but did go on and on trying to justify why he did it. After giving him time to share his feelings, we discussed additional punishment. Bottom line, he lost outside privileges until next Monday as well.

While we took care of that, Glenn started packing his gear for his 7am Wednesday flight home. Hard to believe he had been home for 12 days. The time went incredibly fast. I’d be taking him to the airport early. Said he wanted to leave the house no later than 515am. That meant getting up around 445am. During the afternoon and early evening, Glenn managed to polish off the two rockets of beer I gifted him for Xmas (a Chimay & Dog Fish).

We watched the 1st half of the Orange bowl from downstairs. But at or near halftime (940pm), I excused myself for bed. Not only did I need to be up early to run Glenn to the airport, but I’d be returning to work on Wednesday, too. Mindy and the kids bidded Glenn farewell before hitting the sack.

I laid in bed for a few minutes still dealing with a dry, scratchy throat. I got up around 10pm and headed downstairs to take a 2nd dose of DayQuil despite Glenn warning that it would likely keep me awake. Mindy & I watched about half of the 3rd quarter of the Orange Bowl from bed. I think we turned off the TV around 1020pm.

No Skiing day

Celebrating Collin @ 4 and a new arrving year, too!

 

Begrudgingly woke at 615am thinking I needed to get up to greet the boys, who we agreed to watch while Lindsey worked. However, as promised, Jacob was already up and waiting at the foot of the stairs just as he promised his mother and I. Cool. Headed back to bed. They remained quiet playing in Jacob's room.
Must have been about 745am. Still a little stiff after 4 days of skiing. No big deal.
Made coffee. Played on the internet. Took Mindy coffee around 830am.

Observed snow pack. Looked to be about 8".

Dad soon at the door to pick-up Glenn for breakfast. Dad leaving for Florida with Uncle Kenny later that afternoon.

Headed out for a run around 9am. Ran 3 miles. Spitting snow.

Mindy was up and started laundry immediately. House remained dysfunctional from Xmas and vacation.

Jacob, Rocky, and Landon all geared up in snow pants, boots and jackets and headed out to play. Out for most of the day. Bella spent the night at Makayla's. Big surprise!

Dad dropped Glenn back at the house around 11am. Didn't come in. Said his goodbye's earlier.

At my request, Mindy called CBC to see if they had Bodhi on tap. They did.

I spent 30 minutes removing the last week's snow pack from the Accord then left for CBC with two empty growlers. Snowing hard. Called Tommy in route. Talked about our HV trip and about our potential Utah trip. Invited him to stop over for New Year's Eve, though we didn't have special plans. Said he would.

Jen working the bar so other CBC employees could have the time off with families. Sweet! Filled two jugs with Bodhi. Comp'd us one of them. Tipped well. Headed home.

Stashed the Bodhi in the large HV cooler still holding a large bag of ice that I bought Xmas eve.

Hung out all afternoon doing much of nothing. Edited photos from HV trip.

Lindsey there to pick-up the boys near 4pm. Rocky elected to stay after Evan invited him to spend the night at his place. Landon went home with Lindsey. She was working New Year's day too, though Kelly watching them this time. Shock, I know! poor Landon. :)

Invited to the McVey home to help celebrate Collin's 4th b-day, we headed there just after 6pm. Glenn went along too. Bella wasn't happy about having to go. As Mindy often say's, she didn't ask.

Darwin was genuinely glad we showed and also happy to see Glenn. Didn't know it, but they laid out one heck of a summer barbeque spread. Darwin smoked a pork butt with all the fixins. Meanwhile, Lane and his friend AJ (big snow boarders) made snow ramps off the deck into the backyard and were having a ball. Jacob was sad that he didn't bring his. Asked if we could go home and get it. But it was buried under all the skis in the Thule. Sorry!
He and Bella played outside with the boys.

Got to know many of Connie's extended family members better, including Tammy and her husband Nick. Carol and her husband Tom along with their kids. Tim Dietz and his new wife, Artie were there too. Had a nice time visiting. Darwin insisted we go home and get our beer, but i opted not. Didn't realize it was a New Year's Eve party too. Plus, I didn't feel right drinking in front of Darwin, who is on the wagon.

Mindy called brother Tommy who shared that he was on his way. We left Darwin's, I'm guessing near 9pm. Bella asked me if she could walk/run home. Sure, why not? Mindy wasn't too pleased to learn that I'd granted her permission to do so when we piled into the car. Couldn't believe she would want to do it in the snow and cold.

Yep, we passed Bella as we drove home. And despite wearing stylish boots, she began running really fast as we past her. Too cute! She runs like a gazelle.

Waited for Tommy, who showed up around 930pm in costume. Once settled, we gathered beers and walked down to the neighbors. Glenn opted to stay back, citing being full and feeling anti-social. Odd? OK. We left him behind and headed down. Bella was already there.

Unlike past New Year's parties, not a lot of visitors. But neighbor Teri was there, and Ivan, one of Kenny's employees. We hung there ringing in the new year. Played pool in the basement after the ball dropped. Mindy and I lost badly. Tommy pretty good. He plays pool often with brother Charles.

Mindy and I headed home around 1am. Tommy elected to stay there and continue shooting pool.

Ski Day #4 - Eagle has landed

Wake, Run, Eat, Ski ...

 

 

Sunday – last ski day

Woke around 7am. Much to my surprise, there was more snow overnight. Looked like 2.5” and it was still coming down.

Coffee at the Inn ahead of my run. The soft snow was easier to run in than the day before. An almost constant stream of traffic kept me from ditching into the road. Figured it busy on the slopes!
After my run and after taking Mindy coffee, I headed out to scrape the Pilot free of snow. By then there was about 4” of fresh snow. Took a while to clear the Pilot and Thule of the powdery snow pack. I wanted the Pilot road ready. After all, we’d be driving home at the end of the ski day. By the way, Jacob found himself stuck in the closet middle of the night. Mindy had to wake and free him. He knocked the door off the track. 

Everyone was up and packing for home in the room. I took a quick shower. Felt great! We had everything ready for loading but then went for breakfast. This time they had scrambled eggs and sausage! Yum-yum. I was careful not to over indulge.

Back to the room to load the Pilot and ready for our last day of skiing. Always a trick to organize the gear so that one can change into comfy clothes at day’s end for the drive and then leave enough room for all the snowy ski boots etc. I made more than my fair share of trips up and down those stairs loading the Pilot. Packed to the hilt. I was sweating good!

Checked out of the room at 1050am. Somewhat lengthy line. A woman ahead of me arguing and getting a credit. Not sure what all that was about.

Finally headed up Cindy’s lift at 1110am. Snow was again very nice, though not as virgin as it was Saturday early. We skied Morning Star then Eagle & Raven, it’s first opening. Had a little scare with Bella at the bottom of Eagle. She fell and had one ski bury deep into the snow pack. Her legs were twisted in such a way that I thought it impossible. Thankfully, she was giggling. Had to release her binding manually and then tug on the ski to free it. Yikes! Ever since Saturday’s powder skiing, she’d been skiing tentatively, and that’s after the private lesson on Friday.

We spent about an hour over there then headed to Tannenbaum, Independence (now officially opened), and then Spruce Lake. Skied for a solid three hours before calling it a day and heading to the Pilot. It was 245pm by the time we had the skis loaded in the Thule, our other gear comfortably stowed, and everybody peed. Good times had by all. All the runs were finally opened.

Even though there wasn’t any snow forecasted, the roads got dangerously slick near Erie in a couple quick hit or miss snow squalls. We stopped in west Erie for lunch, going through a Wendy’s drive-thru. I had a double baconator! After Erie the drive was a piece of cake and the roads clear and mostly dry. Ten miles shy of 271 in Ohio, I pulled in a rest stop so everyone could pee. Mindy drove the rest of the way home. I much appreciated the opportunity to rest my eyes.

David sent a text near 615pm letting me know that the Vikings were leading the Packers 20-7. I promised myself not to listen or check the score so not to get antsy. Still, it was nice to see that they had the lead. Another text came in about 45 minutes later. I refused to look, not wanting to know anymore until the game was over, which I figured that to be near 745pm. The I-71 leg of the drive can be mind- numbing. To help pass the time, we played the alphabet and guess my number game. Arrived home just before 8pm, or after 5 hours and 10 minutes.

Asked Mindy to stop at the base of the drive so I could shovel a path to avoid packing down the snow. Turned out, everybody, including Bella, helped shovel snow. We shoveled the entire drive and walk. We carried everything inside except for our skis which I left in the Thule. Inside, we put almost everything away, too. The house, you may recall, was already a disaster from Xmas.
Things settled down around 930pm. Mindy called her mom to let her know we were home but that we wouldn’t pick up the dog until the following morning. She was OK with that. Glenn and I enjoyed a few Jack & Cokes. Headed to bed around 11pm.

Ski Day #3 - Angry Children - Angry mom

Wake, Run, Eat, Ski ...

 

 

 

Woke to more snow – heavy snow. According to the forecast, there wasn’t any coming. Hmm? Changed into my running clothes and was off to the Inn for coffee and a muffin by 7am.
Lady at the door checking rooms and names greeted me by name and smiled. I think she liked me. 
The run was even more difficult than the morning before. Deep snow – about 6 inches of powder on top of compressed snow from the days prior to run through. Somehow I managed. Ran by the first framed house in Ellicottville – 1817. Nice!

Whenever possible, I ditched into the road to avoid running/tromping through deep snow. My legs got one heck of a work out.

Stopped at the Inn for two cups of Starbucks. Bella was up and awaiting my return. She wanted to quickly head to breakfast and then get an early start skiing. That did my heart good. I quickly showered while she got into her base layer. We were off to breakfast by 810am.

We loaded up on carbs again. No scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage like last Xmas.  Bella took Jacob a blueberry muffin. How sweet! She and I were back in the room even before the others were ready to leave for breakfast.

Snowing hard!!! Powder again, too. Nice! Bella and I hurried into our ski gear and then headed out. I was much looking forward to skiing with only Bella. The others would text/call once they were heading out. Headed up Sunrise between 9-915am.

Holy smoke! Bella and I were covered with snow by the time we were atop Sunrise. We got to ski virgin powder down Sunrise. Bella hadn’t skied fresh powder before. Took her by surprise. She fell a couple times, but softly. After a couple runs down Sunrise, I went back for our clear goggles. That helped immensely.

Bella and I skied 7 or 8 runs before finally meeting up with the others around Mardi Gras. Speaking of Mardi Gras, it was crowded. In fact, so much so that even with 5 or 6 inches of fresh powder, it was already all but skied off of Mardi Gras.

We headed over to Morning Star & Moon Shadow. Fun had by all. Tons of torn up powder on Morning Star. And with my Mantras, that is some fun skiing! Mindy made it a point to employ her new skills learned in her lesson. Seemed to be skiing more in attack mode.
Spruce Lake was opened. Did that too, even though it’s a run I try to avoid for all the slow downs and families. Took a break in Yodeler. Skied Champagne & Yodeler. Nice runs. Skied Independence too even though it was still closed. Bella and I headed back to the room for a break near 245pm. Jacob decided to join us. Mindy & Glenn wanted more runs. The kids and I headed back to the room by lift & ski. Serious lift delays on Yodeler and Cindy’s. What made it worse, I had to pee like no tomorrow. Yikes! Finally back to the room by 330pm.

Enjoyed some food, football, and a nap. I was tired and achy. Mindy called at some point wondering when we were coming back. I don’t she realized that we spent 45 minutes simply getting back to the room. We headed back out just as darkness was setting in. Mindy & Glenn were breaking at the HV lodge. We sent at least two texts, but she insisted they were still breaking. Oh well! Me and the kids skied on making our way to Morning Star where once again we had a ball! Sometime around 630-645pm Mindy found us at the bottom of the Morning Star lift. Both kids were put out by Mindy’s advances. I was surprised. Jacob spoke very poorly to his mother, in fact, so much so that she skied away from us. On our next ride up the lift I let Jacob know that he handled that poorly and that he should never under any circumstances think it’s OK to talk to his mom like that. I insisted he apologize. Both kids shared that Mindy called them lazy for taking a break. Even Bella expressed disdain.

Jacob apologized and soon we were all skiing together again. I think we skied until about 730pm. Still snowing, by the way.

Back at the room, we all headed to the hot tub. I needed it bad. This time the hot tub was about full, but still enough room for all of us. I enjoyed another canned IPA – good stuff. Mindy, Bella and I got in the sauna for a while too.

Readied for dinner – pizza at the Depot. Didn’t get there until almost 9pm. I’m pretty sure that everyone was tired. Still, we ordered a pitcher or Southern Tier IPA and two large pizzas. Most of us ordered salads too. Pizza was good, and so was the IPA. Mindy paid the bill.

After snowing virtually all day long, there was a full moon overhead. Gorgeous! Back to the room just ahead of 11pm. Asleep within 15 minutes. Jacob, once again, headed for the closet, though this time Mindy took the suitcases out to make it more comfortable.

Ski Day #2 - Thunderous Snoring

Wake, Run, Eat, Ski ...

 

 

Up just before 7am and in running clothes and out room 224 door by 705am. Coffee and a muffin at the free Continental Breakfast bar. Asked my name and room number this time. XM Xmas music playing – Holly.

It snowed overnight. Looked like 3 inches or so. I stretched just outside the Inn’s main entrance then dashed off for my run.

Tough running without the benefit of early snow removal from the sidewalk into town. Footing difficult but not impossible. Ran through town and by EBC. Back on the main walk and about half way back, I heard beeping. It was the tiny snow plow coming up behind me plowing the walk. I had no choice but to step through the knee deep snow and into the road until he passed.

Same thing on his return north. Had to jump into the road to let him pass. Showed no emotion or greeting as he passed. Hmm? Perhaps he lost his mother?

Skipped a shower and instead dressed for skiing, though only the base layer through breakfast. Headed to the complimentary Continental breakfast with the family. Jacob opted out. Don’t think he went even once.
Loaded up on carbs again. Our relatively late arrival meant no seats in the main dining area. Opted for table in the main lobby. No biggie. Back to the room after 9am to finish readying for another day of skiing.

Hit the slopes around 10am. Mindy wanted to sign herself and Bella up for private ski lessons. I wanted to check out the new Holiday Valley lodge (same building). In addition, wanted to have Mindy’s boots adjusted. I could do it but needed a hex tool (allen wrench). Signed herself and Bella up for individual private lessons. Even though Bella is a child, she’d be getting an adult lesson given her ability level. $224 for both. Asked that she and Bella be back at 115pm. Headed to the new high performance center next where the kind gentleman behind the desk let us borrow their set of allen wrenches. I quickly adjusted the buckle to a narrower fit on Mindy’s boots. As they were, even on the last notch she claimed them too loose.

Out to ski. We together for about 90 minutes then took a brief break before Mindy and Bella headed off to their lesson. Bella and Mindy both warmed up with some food from the Yodeler lodge food court beforehand. Glenn, and I enjoyed a beer while Jacob drank Gatorade and ate chicken tenders. Glenn, Jacob and I skied for the next two hours taking on varied terrain, including Champagne, Chute, and Edelweiss. Fun! Skied hard for almost two hours.

Headed to the new Holiday Valley lodge bar called T-bar lounge overlooking Cindy’s/Mardi Gras lifts. Lovely. Reminds me much of the Blue Ox bar in the day lodge at Timberline. Glenn & I enjoyed a couple Southern Tier brews while Jacob ate lunch.

Mindy and Bella joined us after about 30 minutes. Headed out to ski again around 330pm. Skied varied terrain until 630-7pm. Bella, Mindy & Jacob headed back just ahead of Glenn and I. By day’s end, my hamstrings and calves were stiffening halfway through each run. I knew it was time to stop.
It snowed at a steady pace all day long. Was cold, too. Jacob didn’t want to join us for dinner. Bella, believe it or not, wanted to go to EBC for macaroni. We headed into town but struggled mightily to find a parking spot. Everything was packed. Finally found a spot after circling two or three times just down from EBC. Hour wait. We opted to try something different. Walked to the Barn, just across Jefferson Ave, but still on Monroe Ave. 30 minute wait there.

Neat atmosphere. Ordered a double Jack on the rocks. Glenn and Mindy soon followed with drinks of their own. Took every bit of the 30 minutes to get a table.

Disappointed. I ordered their special beef stroganoff. Have had better from a box. Mindy and Glenn ordered their prime rib but were told they were out. Opted instead for Delmonico steaks. Looked more like Ponderosa steaks. Very pricey, too. $25 entrees. Bella had Kraft mac and cheese. Our bill, over $100. Yikes! We most likely won’t go back there again. Took a salad back to Jacob, his request.

Like most nights, not long awake. Jacob slept in the closet in an effort to hide from the incessant snoring – both Glenn and me. Didn’t realize that Glenn snored. Kept me awake quite abit too. Very, very loud!!! Thunderous even.

Ski Day #1 - Winter Paradise

Wake, Run, Eat, Ski ...

 

Up at 615am. Grabbed the sack containing only running clothes and dressed in the bathroom.
Headed to the Inn for coffee and a muffin before a run. Enjoyed one cup of Starbucks breakfast blend and a banana nut muffin.

Deep powdery snow. My plan was to run into Ellicottville, like last year. I was lucky, the sidewalk trail into town had already been plowed that morning making for a very manageable run. Gorgeous run! I was giddy with excitement. I was in one of my favorite towns on Earth, with family, and with lots and lots of excellent snow. What could be better?

Ran about 3 miles best guess. Back at the Inn I poured two cups of coffee then headed back to the room. Got Mindy up then headed out to the Pilot to fetch all of our skis. The Pilot was covered in at least 6 inches of fresh overnight snow. Let some kid use our giant scraper for his Honda Civic.

Carried all 4 sets of skis and Jacob’s board to our private ski closet. Inside, most were up and beginning to ready. I took a shower then dressed in my ski based layer for breakfast. Today only carbs: muffins, bagels, cereal, fruit – no eggs, or meat. No biggie. We enjoyed breakfast together.
Back to the room to gear up fully. On the slopes by 1015am. Never seem to get out much earlier, especially with the kids in tow. They’re much easier these days, though. They know how to gear up properly on their own.

Up Sunrise and cut across to Cindy’s. Snow fast and fluffy! Awesome. Worried a little about Mindy, first time ever on her new Aura’s – 98mm under foot and 7cm’s longer than her K2s. Aside from fidgeting with her boots several times, she skied well. Despite the heavy snow fall, HV was making snow almost on every run. Many of the black shoots remained closed, but still plenty of fun, skiable terrain. We spent the lion’s share of our morning on Morning Star. It was awesome. Again, lot of deep powder, but not too steep. We all slayed it! I was surprised that Mindy was in attack mode. Thought she might back off, thinking about her knee. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

I cringed a time or two when she fell, but each time she quickly rebounded and skied on. Bella and Jacob were doing good, too. Jacob boarded everything at the same steady pace. Didn’t matter if it was Champagne or Morning Star. He’s always under control. In fact, Mindy likens his style to that of Mary Ann.

Took a lunch break in our room. Mindy made sandwiches. I opted only for a beer and snacks – no ham sandwich. After an hour or so we headed back out. Skied Champagne, Morning Star. Laurel, Tannenbaum, and Mardi Gras, some others too. Took another break in the Loft bar – Yodeler lodge.
Drank two beers, both EBC pale ales. Back out skied great for a few runs, and better than I had all day. I think the same could be said for all of us. Mindy fell again on Morning Star, and declared herself tired. We’ve all learned over the years that when you’re tired it’s time to call it a day. She and Bella headed back to the room. Glenn, Jacob and I skied a while longer, or until 715pm. My legs were getting stiff, too. I didn’t have much left in the tank.

Back in the room, Mindy & Bella were fresh back from the hot tub and sauna. Glenn and I suited up and headed there too, taking canned beers compliments of Bob Imber. Thanks Bob! Excellent hot tub beers (Stout & IPA).

Met a guy from Toronto in the hot tub. Met a woman from SC (formerly from Buffalo). All fun, good people. Back in the room we quickly readied for dinner out at the Depot. Offered that we walk, but no one thought it a good idea. It was cold. We drove. Many of the hanging decorations were down. Haven’t seen the ceiling this bare ever. Still neat, though. Everybody ordered wings of one kind or another. Happy to see that they had Sothern Tier IPA on tap. Wahoo! We drank two pitchers.
Back to the room by 10-1030pm, we were quickly off to bed.

He Said Come Ski and we DID - Hellish drive, but worth it!

 

I was up at 530am – much like a work day. Started coffee.

I exercised: sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups

Snowed a little overnight but only lightly at the outset.

Played on the PC and did some more packing/organizing

Left for a run just after 650am. Started snowing hard, covering my attire in a blanket of snow. Beautiful!
Took Mindy coffee as soon as I was back home. Showered.

Snowing like crazy and piling up quick. I suggested that we needed to get on the road as soon as possible.
Aside from car snacks, we weren’t taking a ton of food: Honey Baked ham, bread, cheese, coffee creamer. Took plenty of beer and booze.

Loaded the Pilot. Already about 2-3” of snow on the ground in a short period of time. Left the house at 930am sharp (30 minutes later than my preference). Filled the gas tank at Thornton’s.
Slow going around 270. Snow, as predicted, turned to sleet (ice). 25-35 mph. 71N a little faster, but not by much. Snow clumping up on windshield wipers rendering t hem almost useless. Just north of Delaware decided to smack wipers by hand to clear snow. Oops! Driver’s side blade snapped off and flew into the air. Holy crap! Now what?

Snow/ice coming down hard again. Had to drive 30 miles leaning over the center console to see using the passenger blade. Thought about stopping and moving it to the driver’s side but opted not. If that one broke we would really be screwed. Mindy Googled Autozone and found one in Mansfield. After driving 30 miles at 30mph via the center console we found the Autozone. Bought high quality winter wipers - $30 installed, and well worth every stinking penny! Picked up two more gallons of windshield juice, too, just in case we needed it.

Once north of Akron turned to all snow again, heavy, soft snow too! Driving was slow. Resigned ourselves to a much later arrival than planned. The object was to arrive safely. 271 was almost deserted, especially the first half, before Cleveland (Wadsworth/N.Royalton exit). Slow going.

The snow fall got even heavier as we merged onto 90 and later 86 – the snow belt! Sheets of heavy, soft snow. Typically, only one lane was navigable. /we crossed over into NY around 5pm. Lake Chitaqua wasn’t at all frozen. Once dark, it was very difficult to see. Took us 90 minutes to go the last 45 miles. Felt good to drive through Salamanca, or the ‘land of icicles’ as we like to refer to it as. Arrived at the Inn at HV at 630pm sharp, or 9 hours later.

Our room – 224, just one or two down from last year’s stay. Quickly settled, Mindy offered that after such a harrowing 9 hour drive that dinner was my choice. Well, EBC, of course!
Stopped to fill-up at the Quick-Fill in town. The snow was gorgeous! About a foot of fresh stuff fallen. Ellicottville was lovely, the snow, the lights. I bet Jacob that EBC wouldn’t be crowded. It wasn’t. We were seated right away. Reasoned that many delayed their arrival to the following day due to severe winter weather.

Drank two seasonal porters. Yum! Opted not to order dinner. Instead, I ate only a few appetizers. The others ordered food, though. Glenn picked up the dinner tab. Thanks Glenn!

Back to the room around 945pm. Very snowy and about 20 degrees. All were asleep by 11pm.

XMAS 2012

Rolled out of bed at 745am. Surprised that no one else was up. Mindy joined me downstairs 30 minutes later. Put breakfast strada in the oven. Still no others awake. Mindy opens the front door in case Dad was outside awaiting the cue. The kids weren’t up until well after 9am. I contemplated doing my run before gifts but opted to wait. Dad showed up around 9am. Shortly thereafter mom was up. Glenn was the last up. By then, we were well into gift opening with the kids.

Kids were quite pleased with their haul. Jacob: ski pants/jacket, soccer ball. Bella: American Girl doll stuff, ski pants/jacket.

Mindy went next: PJs, 2 massage gift certificates w/ Crista, perfume, chocolate truffles, jewelry, photo album, etc.

Jimmy: GoPro3 black edition (sweet!), Vikings white away jersey – Wright.

Mom, Dad, Glenn: candy, gift cards, beer, snacks, etc.

While everyone enjoyed strada, I headed out for a run. Ran 3 miles lovely run – cool, crisp.

Enjoyed strada and OJ after my run. Soon started our ready for Gloria’s. Already approaching noon.
Yikes!
Wore my special Xmas sweater: white Ralph Lauren golf sweater decorated with mini colorful Xmas ornaments. 

Dad& Glenn left to run mom home, actually were meeting Ronald halfway. Not sure their afternoon plans. Mindy invited them to join us at Gloria’s but neither accepted.

Arrived at Gloria’s just after 1pm. We took Eiknarf. She’d be staying there through our HV trip.

Several trips to carry everything inside. As always, celebrating Xmas on the lower level. I took the Honey Baked ham upstairs to slice and place on the platter. Only used about half then put the rest in the fridge.

Brought four beers but only drank one. Tired, plus with Wednesday’s drive to HV, I wanted to be in ship-shape.

Did family Xmas photos. Suggested several poses for multiple cameras. (past years folks looking at different cameras).

Enjoyed appetizers: ham, stuffing, cheese, plain chocolate fudge, meatballs, etc.

Gifts one person at a time. Took about two hours beginning to end. Warm, too. Removed my Xmas sweater.

Played the lottery ticket game. All players brought $5 worth of tickets. Timer set to one minutes. Roll doubles to claim ticket. Whoever has the ticket as time expires wins it. I ended up with 5 tickets.

Jacob played and on at least four occasions had the ticket with 1 second remaining only to lose it to someone on the last second roll. Too funny!

Xmas dessert: red velvet cake, pumpkin pie, another type too. I didn’t eat much.
Loaded our gear for home around 730pm. Said good byes to all. Expecting huge snow storm starting during the overnight. Larry, Jodi referring to it as White Death!

Arrived home around 8pm. Carried in all of our stuff then immediately switched to HV readiness drill despite being ridiculously tired. Chaotic! Decided not to worry too much about the condition of the house. Looked like a bomb went off inside!

Packed for the next 2 hours. Loaded the skis in the Thule too after Mindy suggested we do it that night rather than wait till morning. Good idea, especially given the coming snow storm. Neighbors came over for our long awaited gift exchange.

Chrissy gifted Mindy a mini coach purse. Gifted me a $100 Cameron Mitchell’s card! Wow! Felt kind of bad. We got the neighbors beer. Took care of all the kids too. The exchange was brief. Everyone, including all of them were tired.

Mindy and I headed to bed around 1030pm.

Eve of Xmas - Wonderful Life of Jimindy

 

Up around 720am to receive/greet Landon & Rocky. We agreed to watch them so Lindsey could work.
Mindy was up fairly early too. Joined me downstairs shortly after 8am.

Left for a run around 9am. Ran 3 miles. Organized my clothes and gear for HV.

Raining. Made a run to Target to p/u photos for Pat & Lisa. Also stopped at Kroger to p/u a bottle of Rumpleminze for Glenn. Picked up ice and two six packs of CBC IPA for HV trip, too.

Home. Helped Mindy prepare home for Wright family Xmas eve celebration.

Lindsey got off work early. At the house before 3pm. Others arrived over the next hour, including Shelly, Kaileigh, Sienna, Trip, Tommy, Wally, Dad, Ashley, Steven, and Olivia. Of course, mom & Glenn were already there.

Tommy shows up in upper Santa suit. Nice! Take photos of Tommy with others. Drank Southern Tier XXmas Ale most of the afternoon.

Gifts before dinner. Roast beef was tender and delicious. I didn’t eat much. House was pretty much a disaster after the party. Aside from Glenn and mom, all were gone by 730pm. Our kids got home around 730pm after spending the last 6 days with Jimaken.

Niece Lindy & now fiancé, Josh came over to show off the engagement ring. We only learned about it the day before and had a gift waiting for them. Took photos and posted to Facebook.

After the kids headed to bed, we watched It’s a Wondeful Life – 1946. Helped Mindy put the kids gifts around the tree near 11pm. After she headed for bed, I carried hers in from my stash in the garage. Glenn and I watched some of the Xmas Eve mass from St Peter’s basilica. Headed to bed only to find Mindy still awake doing her puzzle. She and I watched some of the mass from bed. Soon asleep.