February Skiing

We spent the weekend up in unseasonably warm Breckenridge.  We went up Friday evening, and spent the last two days in our little mountain retreat.  We didn't do much--skiing, lunch at Downstairs Eric's, and then some goofing off at home, which included some time in the hot tub.  I also got my fill of moving firewood from the wood pile to the garage, and then from the garage to the big storage bin by the fireplace.  The weather was so warm that we didn't even light a fire.  Even getting out of the hot tub wasn't bad--it wasn't warm either, but I didn't go sprinting into the house like I normally do.  We skied both Saturday and Sunday.  The crowds didn't show up until around 1000.  Saturday, we stayed until 1230.  It was a beautiful day, with Bode complaining about being too hot on a couple occasions.  Better warm than cold I say.  I took a variety of pictures.   First we have Ashley and Bode getting ready to ski down from the Mercury lift.

At some point during the day, we headed over to Peak 8 and then Peak 7.

Lots of nice runs on these peaks, but all end up at the bottom of the mountain, meaning the lifts were packed.  Still, we were glad we headed over to this side of the mountain because to get back to the Peak 9 side of the mountain, we needed to take E-Chair (we could have skied a bunch of crowded greens to the bottom, but this did not appeal to either of us).  To get to E-chair, we needed to do a black diamond (gasp!)  Bode, to our surprise, was up for it.  First, an action shot of Bode as we headed over to the run.

We needed to take Frosty's Access to get to E-Chair.  I had Bode pose in front of the sign so no one could say he didn't do a black diamond.

To our surprise, Bode said he really liked it--"it's just a steep blue" is how he characterized it.  He wasn't shredding down the mountain, but he did make it down unscathed, and he went through the bumps at the bottom.  Very cool.  Once we made it back to Peak 9, I took the time to try to get a movie of Bode skiing.  I think the movie makes us look like we are going a lot faster :-)

We came home today, and I worked a little in the garden.  It's been unseasonably warm here, so the soil wasn't frozen, which let me do a little tilling.  I won't plant anything for another month or so, but I must say I'm pleased with the soil condition.  And on the topic of fruits and veggies, I have grown to regret a statement I made to Bode many years ago.  When he was but a wee lad (maybe four), I told him he could eat fruit whenever he wanted.  He's really taken this to heart.  Last week, our family went through 24 eight-ounce cartons of blueberries, with Bode eating the vast majority of them.  I guess it's better than Little Debbies, so I'm sure this investment in healthy eating will pay off.  But why do I feel like we should own a good portion of Driscoll? :-)  Nothing exciting this week, but Bode does have a piano recital on Saturday.  We'll spend a good portion of our evenings working on his technique and putting the finishing touches on the pieces.  Pleasant week to all.

Charlie's Birthday

We had an epic snowstorm at the start of February.  Over a three-day span, we got close to twenty inches of snow at our house.  Bode's school was cancelled for three days, so we all spent some quality time indoors, trying to avoid the snow madness.  I took some pictures.  First is me measuring a large pile on our patio table.  The pile doesn't do the amount of snow justice, as the snow compacts once it starts to get heavy.  Still, it's a good idea of the amount of snow we were getting.

I also took some pictures once I the snow (so I had thought) stopped after shoveling the driveway.   We probably got another three or four inches after these pictures were taken.

The most telling picture is the first picture.  The snow cliff is the difference between the snow I had shoveled and the snow on the street.  Obviously my little car was going nowhere.  We did venture out, and the Xterra did make it up to the street...sort of.  We got stuck just past the light pole.  I had to shovel a path so we could get the car back in the driveway.  We had a nice time at home, although it did get a little nervy sitting inside.  We played some games, watched movies, and Ashley managed to get some work done, as she had the foresight to bring home her work computer.

Today we headed up to Denver for Charlie's 7th birthday party.  The party was held at a Ninja-Warrior-esque facility.  The games and obstacles were sort of a cross between American Ninja Warrior and the old American Gladiators show.   I tried to take some action pictures, but nothing really came out all that great.  Since I don't claim to be a photog, I've no problem showing my less-than-exemplary pictures.  First up is a shot of the set.

There was a coach that monitored the kids and showed them how to do the various exercises and obstacles.  In this next picture, note the person at the top of the rope ladder.  That is none other than Teddy "Concussion" Rankin, who has a history of whacking his head and getting injured.  Fortunately he managed to make it through today without a trip to the ER.

There were some other games where the kids tried to knock each other off various platforms using some cool weapons.  Of course, they needed to wear a helmet, as Bode is doing in this picture.

Teddy surprised us by climbing up this rubbery chute that went from the ground to the ceiling.

The chute is that black rubber hose in the above picture.  The kids can start at the ground and try to make it to the top.  Bode tried but didn't get too far.

Teddy got all the way to the top.  Amazing skills, and doubly amazing that he wasn't injured :-)

That bulge in the top of the chute is Teddy.  After an hour or so of playing, it was time for some cake.

Of course, we had to sing.  I tried to convince Charlie to use his birthday wish for his favorite Uncle to get a new car.  Not sure if he obliged me.

It's hard to believe Charlie is seven and Teddy turns nine in a month and Bode is eight...very scary :-)  Not much going on this President's Day weekend.  We will try to play some games, and maybe some swimming.  We deemed it to busy of a weekend for skiing--maybe in a couple weeks.  Pleasant day to all.

1970's

What a great day so far.  We woke up and skipped breakfast because we were heading down to the Broadmoor for a nice Sunday brunch.  We needed to stop for gas on the way, which is not near an awful experience as stopping for gas was back in 2008 when gas topped $4 per gallon.  We do our grocery shopping at King Soopers, which gives back money on gas purchases at various stores.  To my surprise (and elatement), we were at $1 off per gallon of gas.  And since it was snowing, we had the Xterra, meaning we had a bigger tank to fill.  I almost couldn't believe my eyes as I put in 15.473 gallons of gas for the whopping price of $9.27, just under $0.60 per gallon.  I was tempted to offer to fill up other cars for $1 per gallon, but I'm sure that would be some sort of crime.  And like I said, we were headed to breakfast.

Normally we would stop for some nice pictures outside, but it was snowing and everyone was cold.  The best I could get was a couple of backs to me as they rushed through the cold.

We arrived, checked in, and were immediately seated.  Talk about service :-)  Before we headed to the buffet, we took some quick pictures.

We then attacked the buffet line with vigor.  Bode found the shrimp and crap claws, which he loved, and he also tried some lamb and the raw fishes.  And who can forgot the giant bowl of blueberries.

We each made a few trips to the main food lines.  Ashley likes the fresh meats and cheeses, along with some of the hotter food.  I like the shrimp, the meats, and for some reason, I really like the waffles.  I'm not normally a waffle-guy, but the fresh-made waffles are my thing when we go to brunch.  I think it's the large array of toppings--warm maple syrup, strawberry sauce, and what waffle isn't complete without some chocolate chips.  After the main course(s), we topped things off with dessert and tea.  Bode got a large bowl of ice cream which he devoured.

We had a wonderful meal this morning and have been digesting ever since.  It's cold and snowy outside, but we have a fire going, so it's nice and toasty in here.  Forecast is for more snow--maybe a foot by tomorrow.  I'm thinking school will be cancelled--nothing like starting a week with a snow day!!! Pleasant day to all.

Tylen's Birthday Party

Bode's best buddy, Tylen, had a birthday party today held at Dart Warz, which is basically a laser-tag facility except instead of lasers, the kids (and some of the adults) use an elaborate arsenal of Nerf dart guns.  The place was a madhouse--a new party every forty five minutes or so, kids running all around--the expected pandemonium when you get a lot of elementary school kids together.  Before the boys went into battle, I got a picture of the five of them.  Here's hoping this picture is not used in some VH-1 special in fifteen years :-)

The boys, from left-to-right, are Henry (a friend of Tyler's from scouts), Tylen, Levi, and James.  I know Tylen, Levi, and Bode were all in first grade together.  Levi and Tylen are in the same second grade class; not sure from where James hails, but it was a good group.  I tried to take some action shots, but there was a find mesh net between the gallery and the battle-field to protect us from stray bullets.  Here is the only one where you can actually tell it's Bode...

The game MC (a lot like Killian from The Running Man) did call out Tylen for a birthday shout-out before one of the games.  I took a movie.

The boys played for about forty-five minutes, after which we had cake, merriment, and presents.

Of course, there was cake and the obligatory singing.

We had a great time at Tyler's party.  Before we left, the two buddies took a final picture.

A huge snow storm is expected to hit Colorado Springs, with some snow starting tonight (1-3 inches) and then anywhere from six inches to two feet on Sunday and Monday.  I think Bode won't have any school on Monday, which means a snow day for all of us, because someone has to stay home :-)  Pleasant week to you all.

MLK Weekend

For the federal holiday (MLK-Day), we decided to take a trip up to the mountains.  Ashley's parents (aka Bode's Nana and Papa) were in town.  It'd been a couple weeks since we had been up to the mountain estate, which meant there was probably a little bit more snow on the ground.  This means shoveling.  And not your usual kind of shoveling.  There is a lot of snow that falls on the ground--it's almost impossible to walk across the flat part of our lot.  I tried and ended up waist-deep in snow.  Because of this, I needed to shovel some dog runs, which was quite exhausting because the snow is deep and also very heavy.  However, the dogs seemed to appreciate it, so I don't mind (too much).

On Saturday, we tried to do some skiing, and I emphasize tried.  Saturday of a three-day weekend meant it was crowded.  Added to this was the fact that it was very cold, so much so that Bode was near tears because his thumbs were so cold after 30 minutes on the mountain.  Thus, we cut the day short, which is the beauty of owning a season pass.  However, we did get some more epic shots.

The first one is supposed to be us in a canoe, with Bode acting as Captain.  A little corny, yes but we laughed.  Next is a family picture--note how you can't see any mountains in the background.  There was no sun, it was cloudy, and windy, and when you are riding lifts 30 feet off the ground sitting on a metal chair, and you know you have a season pass, you wonder why you came out at all :-)

Sunday was a better day.  Only Ashley and I went because the forecast was also for cold weather, but it was somewhat sunny.  Plus, we had about six inches of fresh snow.  The conditions were fantastic, and the crowds really weren't there in the morning.  I didn't take many action shots because I didn't want my hand to get cold, but I did take a shot of Ashley on the lift.  We skied almost uninterrupted for 3+ hours.  A fabulous day.

On Sunday, David, Teddy, and Charlie joined us at the estate.  It's always nice to visit with the cousins.  The boys entertained themselves with a game of Uno...

while the rest of us relaxed and watched the dreaded, err, beloved Donkos beat the Steelers in a playoff game.

On Monday, David and Ashley took Teddy and Bode skiing.  I stayed home because I just can't do three days in a row, even if one day was a short one.  I guess I'm old (but I did have some more shoveling to do, so it's not like I was napping).  Here are some sweet shots brother, sister, and cousins.

Like all weekends, this one ended, and we had to come home.  Joey is a rather easy dog with which to travel, as he just puts his head down and sleeps...

while Harley spends the entire time standing up in the back seat of the Xterra.

We did have one fun item to greet us when we returned.  Bode got an inflatable shark for Christmas, and I finally got it filled with helium.  It was a bit of a disappointment, because it didn't really float; evidently that is a common problem for these things at altitude.  Still, we hung the beast in the foyer.

We will probably do some relaxing this weekend.  We might even get up the energy to take the Christmas lights down :-)  Pleasant week to all.

New Year More Skiing

Bode's school doesn't start back until tomorrow (Wednesday, 6 January).  Rather than just sit around at home and play on the Xbox One, we decided to spend a couple days skiing.  Bode is becoming quite the skier.  On the first day, Bode skied with Ashley and me.  I took lots of pictures, and we also had a few taken by the Epic Photo staff.  Below are some nice family shots.

The weather was beautiful--temperatures were in the low 30's, not a cloud to be seen, and no wind.  Plus, since it was the end of the holiday season, the lifts weren't very crowded.  Here are some pictures showing both the beautiful day and Ashley and Bode in action.  The first is a picture at the top of Mercury Chair, while the second is a picture of Ashley and Bode somewhere down the mountain.  Note we have the run to ourselves!

When we were riding up the lifts, Bode saw some moguls, or "bumps" as he calls them.  He wanted to give them a try.  I didn't get any pictures of Bode in the moguls, but I did get one just below them.  I can't believe he enjoyed going through them...although it's probably a lot easier for him with his little skies.

I also took a couple movies.  The first one isn't too exciting--just Bode going down the mountain.

This next movie is more interesting.  We don't own an ego-camera, so I simply skied behind Bode and filmed.  The sound isn't the best, but it's kind of neat watching him ski.

We stopped for a quick snack, some water, and tea...

and then we convinced Bode to come up to the top of Peak 10 with us.  This is our favorite part of the mountain, and we wanted to see how Bode would do.  The runs are all black diamonds, due to parts being steep.  Bode did great, but in hindsight, we probably shouldn't have brought him up here just yet--not quite the aplomb of a professional skier for you newsletter fans.  First, here's proof Bode was at the top, with "Falcon Super Chair" showing in the background.

Next, here's a picture of Bode going down the mountain.

Again, note how beautiful it was.  Also note the run is a bit steeper than Bode was used to.  He didn't fall, but he didn't really enjoy it because he was a bit scared of the incline.  However, he did great turning and controlling his speed--it's just something he needs to practice  The funniest (to Ashley and me) was when Bode would hit a patch of ice.  No one likes ice, and when you hit a spot on skies, your backend slides out, and if you aren't careful, you will wipe out.  Bode didn't wipe out, but he did not like the ice.  He'd be skiing and hit a patch, and then he'd throw a mini-tantrum (in mid-ski) and shake his poles in anger.  Very cute :-)  I only wish I had a movie.

On Day 2, we dropped Bode off at ski-school and headed out together.  Another wonderful day.  We stopped for a quick Epic shot...

and then we skied until our legs fell off (which is only about three hours at this point in our lives).  We stayed on Peak 10 for awhile, and then we headed over to the top of Peak 8 and the Imperial Lift. Here's a picture of Ashley on this lift--not the absence of any trees on the mountain.  We are above tree line.

This next picture shows the route down...well, at least my route :-)   There is a less bumpy route off to the side that Ashley prefers.  Also, I've no idea why the ski is such a dark color in the picture.  It was a perfect ocean blue all day.

We had a great day skiing, but were exhausted at the end of the day.  Bode did great at ski-school.  He's working on his parallel turns, and is just about a Level 5 skier (roughly intermediate).

The holiday season ends tonight.  Ashley and I go back to work tomorrow and Bode heads back to school.  We continue to ask ourselves, "Why do we continue to work?"  And each month we are answered with the delivery of the mortgage balances :-)  Pleasant week to all, and Happy 2016.