Sunday, March 27, 2016

Hello Again, Tahoe!

Spring break is here and I just can't let one go by unplanned.  I have no kids, a job with built in vacation, and friends to see!  My great friend Katie moved back out to Tahoe, so I had to give her a visit! 


Reno and Tahoe will always be a second home for me.  I still have dear friends there who always make me feel at home.  When I arrived to Reno, Katie and I went for a drink and ran into our friend Natalie as she was going to work...small world!

Katie and I got to ski Squaw Valley together and I am lucky enough to have friends help me out with comp tickets.  Robyn and James are working at Alpine Meadows.  Sometimes when I am around a kids ski school, I want to jump right in and help put little gloves on little hands and take kids out to the slopes.  The job never changes, but the staff does.  Another generation of ski bum instructors doing just what I did when I was there.  I felt like I should know all these new people, but I didn't; I just knew the atmosphere and characteristics of the folks.


Once I picked up my ski tickets, Katie and I headed over to Squaw Valley to hit up some of our favorite runs.  It feels like I never left!  And good old Squaw Kids had some familiar faces, like Ian, Karen, and Kerri.  I went into the office and felt like a staff member again!  I was able to ski some runs with Jonny too, the local legend.  We hit up Silverado and skied a little harder than usual.  Oh how I miss it!



And of course, what's a visit to Tahoe without Live Band Karaoke at the Silver Legacy in Reno.  Robyn organized it and we had our usual amazing time singing with a live band! 



I stayed with Robyn right near Lake Tahoe for the last few days of my trip.  It was nice to have some time by the beautiful blue lake which never fails to impress me.  Then Jonny picked me up, we headed up to Reno for all you can eat sushi with Katie, and it was time to go.



I miss Katie and the gang lots, and I am very grateful to be able to return whenever I get the chance!

Monday, March 14, 2016

More Snowshoe, West Virginia

Tim continues to improve his snowboarding skills at Snowshoe, West Virginia.  We had a little more rain than snow on this trip, so we had to make the slopes a little more interesting by racing to the bottom.  At the condo, the traditions continue with Mafia, Cards Against Humanity, and now a new Asian dinner experience called "hot pot."  Always a good time!


Sunday, March 6, 2016

Charlie Learns to Ski at Perfect North

My best friend's daughter is 4 years old, so it's time for her to strap on the skis and give it a try at Perfect North Ski Slopes in Indiana.  It was super fun to be a ski instructor again and Charlotte had a great time in the snow.  She was a pretty typical kid who was more interested in throwing snow than focusing on going down the hill.  Thank goodness for the edgy wedgy to help her ski tips stay together!  Hopefully next year we can get her on a chairlift.

Tim was a saint helping Erin watch the twins in the ski lodge while Aaron and I were on the slopes with Charlotte.  It takes a village....