Random

This has nothing to do with Snowboarding, or winter. or anything along those lines. But I did get Fifa '10 the other day and got to sit down and play it yesterday night. It is so much more than my old Fifa game. After getting it all set up with my favorite team Leeds United FC I got the first friendly match underway and I taked it hard. I lost 10-1 and it was heartbreaking. I need to read the instructions or something! So either play video games today or go running. Such a tough choice. I hope I can do something with this team.

Fall Colors

I got out of class today came home and figured why not go for a run? I mean I got the shoes for it! I finally took my new Smith running glasses for a spin. Popped in the rose lenses and took off for a easy 2 miler. The Fall colors are full on right now. With those lenses in the trees that were turning were absolutely stunning. It really brought the colors out. Now to finish packing for the weekend of fun.

good signs

After the first snow on Thursday we then had snow again on Friday, and then finally an all day ordeal on Sunday. It was great to be seeing the white stuff come down earlier than I have ever remembered. Unfortunately it did not stick and I have no pictures to show for it. My camera is broken after I had used and abused it all last year. Oh well, hopefully I'll save up for a new point & shoot. I hope we get plenty more snow this year.

First Snow

I walked from Youth Group tonight and to my surprise there was snow coming down. I ran around the parking lot like an idiot with my mouth open trying to catch the snowflakes in my mouth, because let's face it, that never gets old. After 15 seconds or so I think I filled my obligation. But this is the earliest I ever remember getting snow. It is so wild, I am hoping it is setting a pattern for the year

a good start

The snow isn't even falling yet and the season is gearing up. Today is the first day of Wachusett's Labor Day sale. I've been helping to set up for it all week, while still getting over pneumonia. It started out well today with a line out the door of people ready for their new-old gear. We're selling off all of last years stuff, so they can have more room in the shop which helps get everyone else 30% deals. Which isn't bad when that starts to look like about a hundred off a snowboard.

The doors opened at 3pm today and I was ushering those who couldn't wait out up until that point. From there on I worked nonstop selling snowboard setup after snowboard setup until around 8 with a short chili break. I got rid of all of most of the adult Flow bindings we had in stock which seemed to make the Rep smile. Through the chaos I found peace and harmony. Setting people up with something that will hopefully be the best tool for them and hopefully make them very very happy.

I got what I really needed today. Seeing those smiling faces I miss so much and those friendships that are just not the same anywhere else. As well as a very early kickin' present from my Rep.

This morning I learned how to poach eggs. This evening I invented a new sandwhich. New to me and thats all that counts. Smoked turkey, toasted buns, mayo and a poached egg in the middle. Not quite an egg mcmuffin which is what made it good for dinner. I squeezed down and the yoke kinda dribbled onto the bun, it was yum. Then I enjoyed some sprite and orange juice and to top off the day Out Cold.

It's good to feel good again.

In the Swing

I've been down with pneumonia for a week. Which was rough, the starting end of it making me cancel an 8 hour hike. Now the start of a new month, and I'm back on my feet. While I was down with the sickness I got the fever. The heat is gone, and all that cool weather is on its' way.

The first signs of winter are all around. Labor Day up at WaWa, instructors starting to get that twitch, and shop techs being dragged in to tune skis.

I'm gonna work the sale to get some extra scratch. Hopefully it'll either help me buy some of my own winter stuff this year, or pay for books for the semester. Either way it'll be a welcome visitor to my account. The deals at the sale this year are looking pretty good. 30% off last years stuff, which seems small until you look at the tag and see the 100 off. At least it won't be as crazy as Columbus day.

I'm ready for school to start to distract me for the next few months. Hopefully I'll be swimming everyday... at least that is the plan.

I'm still ready for that snow to be crunching underneath.

Stowe2

So the cliff hanger to what happened on the second day of the trip.

Well this is probably one of my favorite stories to tell in person so I'll give a totally lame recap. Basically we went out on the second day very very sore. So much so we couldn't drag ourselves out of bed to get an all day lift ticket. Instead we got there around mid day and got a half day ticket. Got on the snow and instead of it being bulletproof like the day before it was mushy and fun for trail riding. In the woods it was like wet cement. Not great condition for the woods. So we took a few laps through the park. It was fun, hit the half pipe, a couple well built jumps that I wasn't worried about because it wasn't Wachusett. On top of it we got some good pics.

Chris of course being such a tree monkey wanted to quickly get back in the trees. He had convinced us to hike the Chin which involved a 40 minute hike up to the summit. From there we were supposed to find a chute and make our way down. To some road and walk back to the car.

What happened was Chris getting lost on top of the Mtn. and Jarod taking over the leading portion of the hike. which I didn't know because I was at the back of the line. What I did know however is that Jarod had never been to Stowe, he had told me about a dozen times how excited he was to come on the four hour ride up. Now I was a bit dismayed and as we began our descent off the north face to find a better place to put our boards on I slipped on the hard snow and began sliding chest first towards a cliff with my trusty board in hand. I let go of my board and barehanded clawed my way towards the only charlie brown tree I could see. I grabbed hold of it and it whipped me around. I'm told that my board flew off the cliff quite well. It took quite a cliff drop.

I got up and my hands were mangled with nails bent back and blood starting to pour someone suggested I put my gloves on. From there on, after getting Jarod to find my board we made it down to the bottom. Not by jumping back on the trail but sticking to the woods as was our plan. I emerged around 5 30 with plenty of sweat pouring from my body. The near death experience didn't faze my friends, they still made fun of me fifteen minutes after the fact. Asking if I felt closer to God, or if my life had flashed before my eyes. None of us were fazed apparently. Once we got back to the car I grabbed my xtreme team medal that hangs from my mirror and put it on, proudly proclaiming "I earned this today".

We finished off the night with some killer sushi.