Lots of snow, eh?

Got up super-early to find that it was snowing! I drove to Ludlow and picked up Michelle (who's living in the apartment (and same room) that i rented last year) and we drove down to Mt. Snow for the 2-day PSIA/AASI Children's Academy.

We met our examiner and fellow snowboarders (10 total i think) and after the first run Michelle and i were a little worried because everyone else was WAY slower than us, but it turned out that for most of them, this was their first time on snow for the season and Michelle and i had already been riding for over a week. The day was fun, even if we had to ride through snow guns all day.

That evening there was a $25 dinner which Michelle and i skipped. We drove down into town, got a pizza, and ate in the hotel room (provided for us by Okemo). I was sharing a room with Fred, an Okemo ski instructor, and Michelle was rooming with Carolee, a Snow Stars supervisor.

In the morning there was a talk by Jack Turner, who started the SnowMonsters and Next Snow Search programs. It was a really good talk and inspired me to teach in a more fun way. After that it was another fun day riding through fresh man-made snow. The snow quality was surprisingly good.

I got home that evening to find Aaron had moved in from Virginia. (Yes, i knew he was coming.)

Turned 42, the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

Also slid over the C-box and wiped out, leaving a nice green skid-mark on my new snow pants. I believe that this is called a "racing stripe."

Aaron took some pics of me while i was working on something that i might use in the Okemo Learning Center end of season video.

The new orange banner for the snowboarding school.

Sunset.

Cool clouds sitting in the valleys. D2 running morning line-up.

Doesn't Okemo look great?

Nice bright sunny morning, but then clouds rolled in and it actually snowed!

That morning i saw Roger Reese, a motivational speaker brought in by Okemo. I was unimpressed and wrote an email to the owners expressing my lack of enthusiasm. Apparently i was the only one who complained.

Day off. Aaron tried to ride my unicycle, then i took the trash to the transfer station and walked the dogs around the park in Wallingford by the Otter Creek.

Finally getting cold enough to blow snow in the base area.

Views from the base lift and the "bunkhouse"; the shack at the upper meeting area.

Christmas. Nice cloud.

Felt sick, so left work early.

Still felt sick, so left work early again. Went to bed in the afternoon and slept until morning.