Whistler 2008- Part 5

I woke up with an anxiety monster in my stomach. I don't really know why. Guess we had make breakfast and pack up and get our shit together cos it was our last day.
Wah.

We managed it, though. At the gondola by 8:30. Josh went off on his own to do some crazy shit that no one who cares for him should have to watch.
Nathan and Shelly headed off for some green runs on Whistler.
And that left Sue, Steve, Me, and miles of Blackcomb corduroy. It looked perfect- even squeaked when you turned.
Sue eventually ditched Spanky and I for the upper mountain-- skiers.

Sadly, we had to leave our corduroy paradise for the Roundhouse on Whistler for the lunch get together. Unbeknowingst to us, however, lunch had been cancelled by Dr. No due to the impending opening of Symphony Bowl. After realizing we had been ditched, Shelly and Nathan left to gut out a few more runs and me and the Spankster headed for Symphony ourselves after the usual hour long debate.

Symphony bowl is a there and back again adventure for snowboarders since the only entrance and exit is a winding cattrack. Playing dodge a dummy on one edge for a half an hour can make you homicidal.
It was mostly worth it, if for nothing else that we didn't have to wonder.
Managed not to kill anyone on the way back.

My anxiety monster had been for naught. We were headed down safe and sound. I could actually see the bottom. Then Steve ran right through a bungee line at the lift and snapped it and it popped me right in the ass! He had the audacity to blame it on me!

Anyway, easy ride back. I was in the Subaru with Josh and Shelly. Her taste in music is mostly beyond reproach.
Got to stop at DQ for the Swiss Mushroom Melt. Managed to make it through whole weekend without eating one healthy thing.

Decision 2008

Conundrum:
Shelly, Steve, Nathan, and I want to watch the Hawks get their asses handed to them by the Green Bay Packers at 1:30.
Sue does not want to watch the game.
Josh wants to do anything but ski.
Lift tickets are EIGHTY-FIVE FUCKING DOLLARS!

What to do?

Spazella Cousteau has the solution!
Nathan and Shelly are already set up with a half day lesson.
Steve and I use the last Warren Miller voucher and board until 12:30.
Three inches of powder over corduroy. Am I dreaming? We take it as a personal challenge to destroy as much of the run under Solar Coaster as possible in three hours.
Then Sue takes one lift ticket from Steve and sells mine for $50.
She skis and we go watch the game.
Then we order pizza with the $50!
Fuck Yes!

Despite the fantastic conditions, we were all basically trashed after three tough days on a big mountain. Nathan had unwittingly? discovered an amazing restorative conditioning program. Rolling around in snow as long as you can handle it then jumping back in the hot tub. What started out as a drunken challange (Nathan gets giddy on hot Tang) turned into a quadriceps savior. Ice, Heat, Repeat. Ok maybe he didn't discover it but it was an epiphany to some of us. (The "how long can your stupid ass take laying prone in the snow" challange was eventually won, BTW, by the Swede. Big surprise.)

Whistler 2008- Part 3

Friday.
More powder.

Nathan and Shelly go to day 2 of lessons. This means they can hang out in the condo until 9 or so while Sue, Steve, Josh, and I scramble out the door around 8 to try in vain to catch the first lift.

Josh is on his tele gear and the rest of us are still worked from Day 1 so we head to some mellow runs with the occasional terrain park adventure. Josh and I amuse people we don't even know by yardselling over the jumps. I find the easiest rail in existence and style it like I'm Shaun White. Fuck yeah.

Steve and I amuse ourselves and boost our egos by screaming down green runs and making newbies fall down.



Sue found the ultimate lunch spot on the top floor of the Roundhouse by the window.
Sweet. Took a long break before resuming the tedious job of completely destroying all leg muscles.
Sue and I gave up first and headed to the Dubliner. (Actually... I don't know that it's called the Dubliner but the waitresses wear short plaid skirts and they sell Guinness and soda bread so I'm calling it the Dubliner.)


We were eventually joined by Nathan

who was now singing a different tune of torment and suffering after a long day of picking himself up and running into people. To his credit he was still mostly upbeat.

Unlike Shelly

who put on an impressive bear chugging display after regaling us with her own "waist deep in powder" story.



Therapy was only a short jeep ride away.
As were the Marie Calender Pot Pies and more Gin & Tonics.

Whistler 2008- Part 2

Be careful what you ask for....
Never have truer words been spoken.

Day 1 was powder, powder and more powder. Not a stitch of cordouroy in sight.
Powder=fun=hard work.
FUCK!
For those who don't know, you better ask.
Powder for a snowboarder is the best thing since sliced bread right up until the moment that you get your ass stuck in a bowl and have to dig out and post hole up a hill... which Spanky and I did about 3 times each until we gave up and went back to tracked up powder which is less fun but less dangerous. Regardless, everyone was superworked by the end of the day, even the superstar skiiers Sue, Josh, and Shelly.
With the notable excepton of FUCKING NATHAN! who took his first snowboard lesson which Steve and I assured him would be the equivalent of being beaten with lead pipe for 6 hours.

Me: How ya feeling Nathan?
Him: GREAT!
Me: Bullshit.
Him: No. I'm fine. Wonderful, in fact. It was fun. Can't wait until tomorrow.
Me: I fucking hate you.

After corraling me, Steve, and Josh (who, incidently, needs no corraling) for most of the day, Sue managed to get lost herself and missed lunch. Her version of events is much different, of course.

Well, anyway. We all ended up in the hottub waiting for the lasagne to cook. Ate dinner. And hijinks ensued.


Sadly, Patron was NINTY FUCKING DOLLARS in Canada (those poor, poor, people.)
So we had to make do with Gin & Tonics. It was rough but we preserveered.

Played a few rounds of Apples to Apples and went to bed.
And it was still snowing.

Whistler 2008-Part 1

Back in November, I think, Nathan sent out an email about a condo at Whistler he could get for a good price in January and was anyone interested.
I wonder if he has ever gotten so many replies so fast in his life.

The week finally came. Nathan, Steve, Josh, Shelly, Sue and I all headed up on Wednesday.
Nathan, Sue, and Shelly ditched work and headed up early.
Steve, Josh, and I had to stay until the bell and left at five. (How, you are wondering, did I end up in the latter group of people with real jobs? Chuck gave me a serious and meaningful look that morning and asked, "You are setting up tonight before you leave, right?" "Of course!", I answered. Damn.)

Steve and I spent a large portion of the drive wringing our hands over whether we would ski on Saturday or watch the Hawks. Making contigency plans and wondering whether the Hawks could pull it off and how sorry we would be if we missed it.
Arg. That's all I have to say about that.

Got there around ten and the place was sweet! Heated pool and outdoor hotub.

And it was snowing!

Don't hate the player...hate the game

A thousand miles seems pretty far,
But they’ve got planes and trains and cars,
I’d walk to you if I had no other way.

Once again, this time with feeling!

A thousand miles seems pretty far,
But they’ve got planes and trains and cars,
I’d WALK to you if I had no other way!

Better.

I'd like to think that Jeremy took this picture just for me (imitation being the highest form of flattery and what not) but I'm not sure that's the case. He's just that cool all the time. And like me, he loves Photobooth!
That is, when he's not too busy arresting and interogating known terrorists so they can be brought before the man (Hideyo) and properly diciplined.

I don't know how he has the time for it all. SWAT team, fireman, student, thug and rock star.
Amazing.

After the holidays Holiday Party

The gang finally got together for our annual Christmas/New Year's/December Birthdays/January Birthdays Party at Sue's house.

Every year Sue insists that everyone "dress up"!
Every year there are some compliance issues.

I personally haven't changed my definition of "dress up" since age 5!
It simply means my favorite clothes.
Since board shorts and wife beater would have been too cold and snowboard pants too hot, I just settled on my uniform. Black Calvins and black t-shirt.
Others made a better show of it.

And a good time was had by all.
Lot's of great food and Joan even made a cake for her own birthday.



Joan, Kumi, Sheila, and Annie all turned 29 again.. and they were sooooo excited about it. At some point, friends remember your birthday just to be passive-aggresive assholes, I think.
(I have issued a death threat if anyone gets me anything or throws a party for my birthday. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!)

We also did our usual "steal or pick" gift exchange. The climbing calander and video reached the maximum steal value. The "Chocolate Fountain" suffered a shocking lack of popularity. If I didn't live in a trailer, it would be mine! Who doesn't need a fountain that spews chocolate.
Seriously.