Christmas letter

This year we put together a Christmas letter. We have all gotten them and many of us have sent them so the pressure is on to not be boring. I used a super secret Microsoft template to build the letter (I've seen 2 letters from friends who also knew of the super secret template) We took our best shot but it seems some of you escaped having to read it. We didn't send it out until Christmas day and we forgot to fill in the subject line on the email, so most of them ended up in the bottomless bit-bucket with the rest of the spam never to be seen again.

You are not going to get off that easily. Posted here (below) for your torcher and amusement (no, I didn't forget to fill some things in, it was an attempt at humor) is our 2006 letter.

Click here for free money

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas friends and family, may you not be stuck in the Denver airport.  We sent out a Christmas letter.  If you have not received one but would like to, let us know and we will email it to you right away.

Who is Frannie?

Stu asks a good question. Someone answered that she is "the bomb". That's true but does not tell the whole story, although I don't think anyone knows the whole story.

I don't have many pictures of Frannie, but here is one from when I first met her. She was just back from some mysterious "vacation", she was saying goodbye to the "people" who dropped her off.

I do know she is very close with her sister Michelle (pictured on the left). They did dress a little oddly but always seemed to pull it off. Although they are extremely nice by default you don't want to cross them or you may end up on a milk carton. It has been roomered that are behind some kind of Police/Teacher/Sprinkler Installers mafia and that's a combination you don't want to mess with.

Who is Frannie? She is an enigma wrapped up in a cheese steak

Geeeee Whiiiiiiz

About 10 years ago or so I used volunteer at our Elementary School, mostly I would read, sometimes I would do presentations with a computer and a projector and on special occasions I would do a "Gee Whiz" session.

This is when I would spout useless but interesting facts to the kids, after hearing said facts the kids would all have to say, in unison . . . . Gee Whiz. Of course this turned into Geeeeeeeee Whiiiiiiiiiz

It's been a while but I have a few to lay on you. Don't forget, after each fact - Geee Whiiiz

1. Coca-Cola was originally green
2. The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska
3. The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom
   Sawyer
4. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you
   have to go until you would find the letter "A"?: One thousand
5. If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both
   front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Gee Whiz !

Sisters come to visit

 

  Phyllis and Michelle took time from their busy schedule to visit Mother Superior down here in Texas.  While here, they also blessed us with their presents (bagels).  They spent most of their time eating with a side trip to the nail salon as well as shopping where they picked up some bad habits.  A good time was had by all

This just in

We just found out that Katie is also one of the top HS Jazz Bass players in the Lone Star State! In fact you could count all the kids who did better on one hand!

Lets give it up in your best Kermit yell . . . .

ALL STATE - 2nd Year in a Row!

 

Our very own Katherine Allison has once again risen to the ranks of the best Bass (not the fish Keith) players in the great state of Texas for the second straight year!

 

This is continuing a trend started in elementary school (pictured right) where she was the best Bass player at Greenwood Forest elementary

 

Please join me in congratulating her on her wonderful accomplishment . . . but tell her she sill has to do her homework, and clean up her room and feed the dog, don't forget to mention cleaning up her stuff in the kitchen, and the car . . . . way to go Katie

I like accessories as much as the next guy

. . . but things seem to be getting a little out of hand with this whole "iPod" thing. My favorite store these days is Fry's. For those of you not from around here, Fry's is a GIANT electronics store that pretty much sells anything that runs on electricity. They are mostly in California and Texas. Fry's buys more advertising in our local newspaper that most car dealerships. Every Friday they have a 8 page insert full of the latest hardware, components and . . . . accessories.

Much to my surprise in the most recent issue was this modern marvel of personal music devices - The Toilet Paper/iPod holder. That's right, when you absolutely can't separate from your iPod and your headphones won't reach your pockets (because they are around your ankles) you need the Toilet Paper / iPod holder. How would you like to be the Marketing person on this account? For only $100 you too can . . . . . . .

What song do you think they are playing in the product demos?

My car makes me smile

That's right, my car. It's warm here in Houston, even in October. But we have some really great days in the fall. We recently had a few of those. And on those days when I get in my car in the morning or jump in to leave work in the evening, I feel good.

I drive a 1999 Saab 9-3 convertible. The top is down about 95% of the time parked or moving, winter or summer. The car is kind of quirky and isn't very popular down here in Texas but I like it. When I drive it on those days when the humidity is just right and the temperature is just low enough to remind you that you are a warm blooded animal, I ride down the road with a smile on my face. Most of the time I am oblivious to my windswept grin, but at some point my cheeks get tired and I figure out why.

Driving with the top down gives you a different perspective. I notice how the poles in the intersections hold up all the traffic lights and street signs. Clouds can be a major distraction. You notice the 5 degree temperature drop and the smell of plants as you move past a strip center into a wooded section of a neighborhood. It reminds me a little of riding my motorcycle but the seat is much better and there is a lot to be said for air conditioning and heating.

I have never owned a convertible before and I doubt this will be my last one.

The time of the Renaissance

It's that time of year, renaissance Festival time. Every October - November the renaissance Festival comes to town. Actually it's about 60 miles away from town. This Knight and Fair maiden stuff is big business. The Texas group owns a huge facility in Plantersville TX. They have shops and restaurants and shops and Jousting arenas and shops and gardens and . . . well you get the picture. There are 3 or 4 stages so there is always skits, magic and court Jesters to see.

The real show, in my opinion are all the people who come to these events to get medieval. I don't think they are exactly historically accurate but they make up for it with enthusiasm and in some cases cleavage.

We don't go every year, but the kids like to. We can only take so many Lord of the Rings wannabes and $30 snacks. Although when we do go, its always a sight to see.

The night the lights went out in Aggieland

This just in from our student reporter in the field - Sarah

Today about 5:30pm there was a flicker and poof! power went out in Aggieland. All of the Texas A&M university campus and the two closest towns College Station and Bryan(maybe more) lost power this evening (10/3/06). Traffic lights, TV stations, Radio Stations, ATMs, cafeterias, classrooms, dorms, and all air conditioners all shut down.

A&M is the site of the countries largest block party mixer as thousands break out the frisbees, footballs, acoustic guitars, and BBQ grills. The surrounding apartments and off campus housing is emptying into the A&M campus as it is clearly the place to be in this time of "emergency".

The bars and restaurants are reportedly having "blow-out black-out sales" Cell phones are still working (evidenced by our reporter) but little else besides some emergency generators. Homework is being totally disregarded, studying - non existent. To get through this the kids are going to need to spend time out in the common areas acting like 18-21 yr olds doing their best to re-enact Woodstock.

Send batteries

Front Yard Tennis

Hello friends and family. We have one from the archives. I found this while cleaning up my hard drive and thought I would share it with you. I uploaded this short movie to www.youtube.com This site is amazing it has everything (for better or for worse) if you have never been there you might want to check it out, maybe even upload your own video!

If you just click the little "> Play" button the video should play in the little window. If you try to find the video (and give it a good rating) on YouTube just search for "Sarah and Katie front yard tennis" or click on this link
Show Me the Kids

Moving up to the Big Time

As you all know, we are now Texas Aggies. We went to our first Texas A&M football game with a couple of our friends who happen to be A&M graduates.

We had (free) seats on the 50 yard line, a parking pass in the front row, a patsy of an opponent, and an invite to hang out in the suites (luxury boxes) with the other big time Aggies

The adult refreshments were flowing freely. The A&M mascot, a dog named Reveille (who is the highest ranking member of the Corps of Cadets) makes the rounds to all the boxes at halftime. Then the Governor (an A&M alum) stops by to press the flesh. This gives you some idea of the pecking order at A&M.

A quick note about the guy who invited us up to his suite - Sterling Braswell, and academic at A&M is also the author of American Meth: A history of the Methamphetamine Epidemic in America. Half history lesson half autobiography, he apparently was married to a meth addict/dealer unbeknownst to him (at least till the FBI called). Here is a LINK to find out more.

The NCL girls hit the Runway

Katie and her fellow Junior NCL women put on a fashion show for their chapter. One by one they sashayed down the runway looking absolutely fabulous.

Backstage they carried on like the Carmen Electra and her pals as the parents and press out front clamored for MORE!

a good time was had by all

and so it begins

You must have had your fingers crossed. As it worked out Sarah was asked to join the sorority at the top of her list - ZTA. She was fortunate to be invited back to all (but one) of the houses that she was interested in. She is really really excited.

When Sarah was little, her mom did everything and more that most moms do to make sure their kids are safe and well taken care of. One day in elementary school, around the beginning of a new school year Sarah asked her mom if "when she went to college would she hold her hand?" As always Linda was true to her word.

Howdy Week

Although we moved Sarah in on Sunday, classes don't start for another week. What's a freshman to do? The week before classes start is called Howdy week. At A&M when you walk past someone it's customary to say "howdy" instead of "hello" or "hi". In fact those that join the Corps have to say howdy to everyone they pass on the way to and from classes. So Howdy Week is a time to meet your fellow students and get involved in things like clubs and sororities.

Sarah has chosen the sorority rout. Each day/night she takes a bus (with about 800) girls over to sorority row where they have quick meetings in each of the houses. On the first day they go to 12 houses, then 9, then 6, then 4, then 2, then they pick. of course at each step of the way they sororities have to pick you as well. If you are lucky the ones you like ask you back the next day, if not you have to go with your secondary choices or even worse you are on the outside looking in. It's brutal in a very female way.

Tonight they are down to 2. Sarah picked her top 2 houses last night (from 4 possibilities). When she goes to her bus she will find out if either of those 2 also picked her. If they did, she will meet with them (for the 5th time), if not, well, it will be a short night and tears are in the forecast. On Saturday the final decisions are made on both sides. Keep your fingers crossed for Sarah.

College Move-in

This past Sunday we moved Sarah into her dorm room at Texas A&M. We left the house before the crack of dawn, Sarah, her boyfriend Drew, her mom and me. 1 hour and 45 minutes later we were standing in line to get our key. I parked the big rig in a nearby garage.

Small crisis - we have been assigned a . . . a . . . Handicapped room. Immediately we all sprung into action. Parents - damage control, Drew - empathy, Sarah - alert the roommate (pictured above). After much "look at the bright side" and a few cleansing breaths we began the migration.

After several warm-up rounds we were finally ready to move the furniture around to it's real best spot. Executive decisions were made, blueprints were modified.

Did you ever see the movie "March of the Penguins"? This is what it was like as the parents moved back and forth between the various makeshift moving vans and the dormroom-nest. The biggest difference - about 168 degrees. Boxes and bags, pompoos and flu-fluglers, all winding their way to their new home.

Next, unbeknownst to us we were about to tackle the most diabolical, frustrating, intellectually challenging task we have faced since Christmas eve 19 91 when we tried to assemble the doll house, bicycle and gas grill before dawn. It was - the shower pole. Deceptively simple looking, it was a long shiny Rubix Cube in disguise. After struggling mightily for about 45 min, I called in reinforcements and asked Linda to bend it to her will. 20 minutes later we were standing in the shower speaking of college parties, varnish remover and other possible causes of brain damage. We had yet to assemble the pole. As we exhausted all the possible permutations and faded into fits of turrets-laughter we stumbled across the right combination. It was such a momentous occasion we asked Sarah to snap a picture (also above). We weren't even finshed, we had not yet hung the little baskets, but we had won a battle.

I feel a little shaken now I am going to have to stop typing.

First Day of School

Today Katie went back to school now a Junior in High School. She was up an gone by herself by 6:40. We have a somewhat odd tradition, we take the kids pictures before the first day of school standing in front of the TV. I think the first time we did it, it was just an accident but then we did it the next year because the girls thought that was where they were supposed to stand. Then we used the "TV picture" to measure their height. Sarah made sure she wore some kind of heels to put off the inevitable moniker of "shortest in the family"

Just for fun, I included a picture of Katie from 2000, as you can see, we moved the TV.

Summer fun

OK Frannie, in the interest of keeping things moving and keeping you interested, I share with you one of our summer fun staples - Outdoor Movies.

Tonight (as I write this) Katie and friends are watching V for Vendetta out in our driveway.

We set up sheets or drapes or shower curtain liners (they work best) and plug a laptop or DVD player into a projector and shine it on the "screen". I hook up some speakers or a boombox and voila homemade drive-in movie. We have been doing this for about 6 years, it's one of Katie's favorite birthday parties. Usually the neighbors stop by and pull up a lawn chair. The kids across the street are always asking when we will do it again. I am sure I am breaking some kind of copyright law but darn it, I'm a rebel!

New hardware!

I love the smell of new hardware in the morning . . . and the afternoon . . . and the night. We'll just say I love new hardware.

Our latest acquisition is a new notebook for Sarah for her academic pursuits in Collage Station.

It is a HP dv2000 with all the goodies. I slaved over the product configurator for hours, even days coming up with the perfect balance of cool-power-value. One of the cool features is the case. It uses some kind of "inlay" process to get this silver swirling pattern in the shiny plastic/metal-like substance. Click on the picture to get a better look.

I am not sure I should let Sarah take it, at least not right away. Perhaps it should spend some time with me so it can be properly broken in and appreciated before it is released into the harsh environment which is collage. Yeaaaaaah that's the ticket!

Something to think about

OK, so no one guess the name of that cartoon dog. It's from Bugs Bunny, he is Marvin the Martians dog, K-9.

Now if you didn't know it was related to Bugs Bunny or Marvin but you really wanted to know who he was, how would you have found out? Searched the internet for it? Cartoon dog?

One of the next important developments in internet search will be (should be) searching on pictures, graphics and symbols. You would be surprised how often you would use it. Right click on a picture and get back information on who was in the picture, when and where it was, maybe the context of what was going on at the time, links to related pictures, news articles or web sites that used that picture . . . . on and on.

Back in the day, the internet was only text. Only academics and government types used it, then the graphical browser was invented and the WWW was born. People besides researchers and defense experts saw the value and joined in. To make another jump applications (including search) need to work with images (still or moving) and audio the same way they do with text. It's something to think about.

Name that Toon

Look familiar?

Do you know his name?

Clicker

I just got this cool universal remote for my birthday. They are made by Logitech, this one is called the Harmony 360 because it not only controls TVs, stereos, DVDs etc, it also controls my Xbox 360.

You program it using the internet and PC so it can be constantly updated as new components come out. Also it remembers your configuration so it's easy to set back up when your batteries run out.

The coolest feature are the "Activities" that will do things like;

• turn on the TV
• change the input to DVD
• turn on the Stereo
• change the input to DVD
• and turn on the DVD player

Then it's smart enough to know when I push the volume up button, I want to talk to the stereo, not the TV.

It has all kinds of cool features like that. If you need a universal remote

Who is this guy?

Does Wee Willie Webber mean anything to you? It might if you lived within 100 miles of the Susquehanna Valley in the early 70s. And if you knew Mr Webber then you would surely recognized this super hero and his alias.

On the road again

Katie and her bass (it's not a fish Keith) travel to Texas Tech Univ. in Lubbock Tx. for a Jazz camp and Linda and I get to drive her.

For youse guys up in New Jersey, this little trek halfway across the state of Texas is like driving from Cape May to Newark and back twice. And since we will be coming right back the next day, that would be 8 trips between Cape May and Newark this weekend!

For our driving pleasure we will be listening to The DiVinci Code. Linda and I have already read the book and seen the movie but the audio books really help pass the time in the car. This one is only 16 hrs so we will need another one for the pickup trip.

We only listen the the unabridged versions of books. When we have a really long hall I threaten to break out the nuclear option - the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This massive collection spans 56 CDs. By the time we finish it we are all speaking middle English like elves and hobbits and need to buy new tires for the car. You should try it!

His name is - Joey

While enduring my 14th week of agony with Time Warner I got a call from "Joey". A man, soon to become a legend. He spoke like a normal person (not the usual TW torture artists). He asked simple PERTINENT questions. Within 60 seconds we had a Mr. Spock mindmeld going. 13.6 seconds later we had discovered the problem. 5 minutes after that it was solved.

It seems that unbeknownst to me, my service had been downgraded to a "lite" high speed service. Something like a really fast turtle. I wasn't even aware such a useless service existed much less that I had been crippled by this "service" on purpose. Joey clicked the regular service button on his system then put in a special code that gave us the regular service at the lite price for a year.

He shall be called Joey. He gave me his email address. He gave me his cell phone number. He probably won't last the month.

p.s. Stu, thatnks for the tip on the Director

Summer Music

These guys arn't "new" anymore but I still find them fun. I am speaking of Gnarls Barkly Their most popular song is Crazy. Here is a link to a 30 second sample on Amazon.

Click here

It may only be valid for a few days


Good summer fun music even down to the name - Gnarls Barkly

AIR

Today we got a new air conditioner. Our old one had served us well. It was in place before we bought the house and 15 yrs later it was still keeping us cool, although we were not sure for how much longer. About 6 years ago it started making some noises that sounded more like a trash compacter than an air conditioner. We called in a specialist. He said some internal parts of the compressor were coming apart and there wasn't anything we could do about it. It might last another week, month or even a year. That was 6 years ago.

Like it's predecessor, the new model stands proudly on the side of our house, it's broad shoulders proclaiming to everyone this is no ordinary cooler. Men look at it with envy. I can not overstate how important an air conditioner is in Houston. It is on the same level as a fireplace in Manitoba or a well in the Sahara. At certain times of the year without air conditioning your life expectancy would be that of an astronaut in space without a space suit. This is serious stuff.

If you wish to see this marvel of modern technology merely say so in a comment and I will post a pic.

%#@!@&*$@!!#

You know what I mean. The cable company has a reputation of the worst customer service of all time. It's not easy to beat out cell phone carriers, state and federal bureaucracies or used car dealerships but they manage to do it year after year. Our scourge is Time Warner. It's not our TV that is the problem it's our internet service (or lack there of). My problem is in it's 14th week and going strong. Characterizing them as spineless-lying-double lobotomy rejects does not begin to do them justice.

But wait, I don't give them enough credit. I don't think it's possible to have a service department that sinks as low as TW without a systematic process. Without one, they would run the risk of someone helping you by accident. Plus, getting the same lies and ridiculous run around each time you call requires relentless dedication to misery. Have a nice day.

School Pics slide show

This (the link below) is a little slide show I made from Sarah's school pictures grades 1-12. It's about 1MB so it shouldn't be too hard to download.

SlideShow

Graduation

Soooo much has happened since my last post. We have a lot to catch up on.

The biggest event is Sarah's graduation from High School. It happened this Saturday at the Univ of Houston.

On Friday night we had a graduation party at our house with our best friends and neighbors. It went very well. A good time was had by all. But we have quite a bit of leftover salami and cheese. Snacks anyone?

As part of the festivities I did some slideshows of Sarah. I think they came out well. I will see if I can figure out how to post one.

Thanks to everyone for all the cards, flowers and graduation gifts. We will be making Sarah send thank you cards shortly.

Sweet 16

Another major milestone in the Christy household, our baby has turned 16. Her sister decorated her car for her so everyone would know. She also gave up her parking space at school so Katie could take he wheels to school with her right away.

The celebratory dinner was held at one of Katie's favorite restaurants - Buca De Beppo, perhaps you remember it from an earlier "Homecoming" post.

Sarah's Birthday party

To celebrate Sarah's milestone birthday, her and her friends went to Magic Island. This is a night spot downtown that has a magic theme. It's like a magic dinner theater. They also have small rooms where they do close up magic and fortune telling. They met at our house and car pooled down to the venue.

Although we didn't get much information out of Sarah, her friends said a good time was had by all.

Unrelated, but equally (if not more) important

As the first child of the Texas Christys, I thought I, Sarahcakes, should post a small bulletin to announce the big news that...
(drumroll please)
I will be 18 this Wed.
The big 1-8.
Its about time.
Oh, and tax season is over, so our mom can like breathe and stuff now.
All the more time for her to nag me with...kidding. (Shes standing right behind me...with the flat iron I left on in the bathroom...Ooops)
But thats another blog for another day.
GIG EM!

Last Part

It’s Wednesday and we have already had an action packed week but we are going for one more fling – snowboarding. We leave earlier than usual, we want to make sure we get a spot this time. The trip us is uneventful. We make a beeline for the rental line. Today there are only 10 slots, we are #7 & 8. After getting our equipment we put on our boots and take our boards over to a hill that is about 2 ft high and 15 feet long and take our first ride. If you go down the hill on skis your are a skier, if you go down on a board you are a rider.

After strapping on the board, we are able to slide down our 2ft mountain will relative ease. Getting up to the top again was a slightly different story. It’s like wearing a giant skateboard that wants to point off to the side while pushing and hopping with the other foot. After a couple of runs we take a break, we are still not used to the altitude. Then we assemble at the ski school meeting place with the other newbies. We are a mixed bunch. I am clearly the oldest although there is another man there with his daughter.

Our instructor, Jason shows up and dude, he’s stoked about teaching us. Turns out most of us are from Texas although there are 2 girls from Japan who don’t speak much English. Jason figures out the names of half of us. With some prompting he remembers Katie’s name but I have been relegated to “dad”. He takes us over to the practice hill, it is the 2ft one Katie and I were practicing on earlier. Our confidence bolstered, he herds us over to the bunny hill chair lift.

I have been skiing for over 30 years and I can unequivocally state that the bunny hill is the most terrifying place on a ski mountain. There are tears, screams, anxiety attracts and hopeless despair and that just covers the parents, ski instructors and lift operators. If you already know how to ski you are still scared because you know the damage an adolescent boy or a 20 something wanabe ski-bunny can do when the urge to “just do it” overcomes common sense. One by one we mount the lift and view the carnage below that will soon claim us.

For the next 2 hours our instructor has us try and ski about 30 yards make a turn and stop. It’s usually that last part that gets tricky. There are a couple of girls that are having a real hard time. The rest of us lay on the snow waiting for our turn. We resemble a yard sale after a storm. Katie is doing great, she is getting the hang of it. Just as important, she is able to pop right up when she needs to get off the snow. The lunch time break is upon us. We are only sore in 2 places, the front and the back. When you fall on a snowboard there are two options, a face plant or a butt slam. You might be able to save your face if you sacrifice your knees and wrists. Your behind is garneted to take a pounding.

Our 1 hour lunch seemed to last about 2.5 minutes. Back at the lift, our numbers have diminished, several of our classmates have thrown in the towel. The snow is picking up and starting to blow. We are making multiple turns before we assume the yard sale position. I am able to handle the turning and stopping but the getting up off the snow is killing me. I begin to ski to the bottom without stopping and wait for them at the lift. Jason pays me the ultimate complement, “dude! are you sure you have never done this before?” I tell him “noway dude”. Katie is really enjoying herself she likes snowboarding even more than skiing. We take a few runs by ourselves, the class is disintegrating. It’s a full blown snowstorm now. We are ready to pack it in.

We make it, lasted the whole day. It’s a long walk back to the rental hut. After returning our gear we make our way to the car. With some trepidation we start it and make our way out of the parking lot. Down the mountain, past Nederland Middle High School and back to Boulder we teeter back and fourth between satisfaction and exhaustion.

4 hotel nights and food $400, car repair $1000, cheeseburgers and cokes in the ski lodge $23, one of the most memorable vacations of all time with your daughter – priceless.

Part 10

When we were in Winter Park the last time, Katie was about 6 which would make Sarah 8. The kids were good skiers able to navigate the intermediate runs and were ready for another challenge. We had heard about a place down the road where you could go tubing down a hill. They even had a "lift" and it was lit at night. Sounds great! Our kids had never been sledding, everyone was game.

We found the place easily. I was at night and it was glowing. We parked at the top of the hill, paid our money at a little shack and got our inner tubes. The "hill" looked a little scary to me, it seemed steep. On a sled I think you would have gone about a mile before you stopped. But there were other people going down and we didn't see any bodies strewn about. I took one kid and Linda took the other. We held on to their tube and down we went. It was a blast. It was a bit of a walk to the lift which was actually a rope tow. For those of you unfamiliar with rope tows, they are innocuous looking devices used for torture, humiliation and pulling you up the hill.

The instructions suggested you lay on your tube and grab one of the rope loops and let it pull you up the hill. This is analogous to saying to change your car tire, lift the car by the bumper, take off the old one and mount the new one. The kids have no chance of holding on to the rope much less staying on their tube.

Linda and I each take a kid and try various strategies involving stacking tubes, dragging kids and putting them on our backs. On more than one occasion we lost something, a kid, a tube or a parent that went sliding down the line tormenting the poor souls behind us. I think I made it up twice, Linda once before the torture/humiliation machine owned us and sent us whimpering back to the car with our knuckles dragging the ground. This is where Katie and I were going to try and fill the void left by the missing snow scoots.

We parked at the top of the hill, paid our money at a little shack and got our inner tubes. This time we had to watch a safety film that essentially said "if you fall off the rope tow don't slide down and torment the poor people behind you . . . and if you get hurt it's not our fault". Looking down from the top of the hill 10 years later it looks even scarier. Not wanting to cry in front of my teenage daughter we just go for it, hold on to each other's tubes and slide. It was a blast. First lesson learned, maintain several inches clearance between the bottom of your tube and your own bottom.

There is a pretty good size line waiting for the torture machine and surprising enough no one is whimpering. When we get to the front we see why. There is a kid there, he is helping you sit in your tube. The rope loops are replaced with shiny metal clubs. The kid grabs a ring that is attached to your tube and slides it around the club as it goes by. After the initial jerk you sit there with your dignity intact and your arms securely in their sockets. All is peachy until you are unceremoniously dumped in a small bowl at the top and have to scramble to your feet before the next guy is dumped on you. Over all, the experience is 100% better.

We ride the white monster over and over, laying, sitting and sliding into other people. It's not snow scooting but it's a lot a fun and it's a good recovery considering earlier in the afternoon we didn't even have a car. Even though Winter Park is a couple hours away from Boulder, I hear something, yes it's clear now, it's the hot tub in our hotel. It's calling me.

Part 9

Katie and I quickly decide our next move – hot tub. We needed it both physically and mentally. The stress was melting away. It actually started to subside on the ride home with Ed – you remember Ed. After becoming suitably pliable, we slunk back to the room and got dressed for dinner. Delicious as always, we replaced most of the calories we had burned earlier in the day.

It had been our plan to spend Tuesday in Winter Park, the closest big ski resort which was about 1.5 hrs away. When the kids were little we skied in the area and took them to a meadow where we rented “Snow Scoots”. They are essentially mini snowmobiles. The kids loved it and we have the video to prove it. Last year Sarah and I returned and did it again. This time I let her drive her own. It might have been her most favorite part of the trip (right up there with the food) Katie was really looking forward to snow scooting on this trip. We weren’t sure if we were going to make it. I would depend on when we would get our car back. Also remember that we didn’t get to snowboard yesterday so that was on our list for our last day (Wednesday).

The next morning we had a lazy breakfast, we had time on our hands. The Ford dealer called and told me I needed a new alternator and idle valve. Great, at least it wasn’t the dreaded gasketcylinderEMCmanifold. “Go ahead and fix it”. It was a beautiful day, the air seemed ultraclear, no clouds, no humidity and about 50 degrees. We went for a walk. The hotel is right next to Colorado Univ. home of the Buffalos. The campus is pretty although everything is pretty on a day like today. We did a little light shopping in a nearby shopping center and had the random snowball fight. Around 1:30 the Ford guy called and said the car would be ready soon and they would send the van to pick us up. We hoofed it back to the hotel and waited.

We left the dealership around 3:00 and decided to try to make it to Winter Park in time to do some scooting. It was a beautiful ride as we went over and through mountains bigger then Eldora. The car drove great although I must admit I was nervous several times. We drove through Winter Park but I couldn’t find the Snow Scoot place. I began to fear the worst. We stopped at a gas station to fill up and I asked the girl behind the counter. She said they were gone, the meadow was sold to a developer and they had a hard time getting replacement parts for their scoots. Now I had to tell Katie – not good.

She took it OK but was clearly unhappy. Once again we needed a plan B. I remembered another activity we did when they were little. It didn’t turn out that great back then but maybe now that they were older . . .?

Part 8

I had decided to go with Marvs. The Ford guy said they were a good outfit and they have done quite a bit of business with them. Also when I had asked Ray if Katie and I could get a ride into town in the tow truck, he didn’t sound too sure but said “I guess”. The Marvs guy said “sure”. I use the next 15 min or so trying to impart some of life’s lessons pertaining to tow trucks and other “opportunistic” professions to Katie. I actually said to Katie as we left breakfast this morning that we were going to have an adventure today. We are cranking out the memories.

I am pacing around the front door. I imagine Ray’s boys grabbing my truck and running off with it. A tow truck pulls into the parking lot, it’s Ray’s boys. In my best apologetic but firm voice I tell them I won’t need them. The driver seems OK but the other guy with him is not happy and grills me on the details. Eventually they give me their card and tell me to call them if the other guy can’t make it through the canyon or doesn’t show up, maybe they can help me maybe not.

Back in the school, there has been a steady stream of kids and adults leaving. We give our story to various people who wonder what we are doing hanging out here so long. This is a SMALL school. If you look at the picture in our last post – click on it. You will see a picture on the wall of the entire faculty, middle school plus high school. I think the PE staff at Katie’s high school has more people. Another tow truck pulls into the parking lot, it’s Marvs this time. As I walk out I am hoping for the best and expecting the worst.

I introduce myself and explain our situation. The man in the truck has the requisite dirty overalls, wild hair and big boots. His name is Ed and he has a few surprises. The first one is a pair of sideburns that could hide small woodland creatures. The second which is no less surprising, is a speaking voice that is very literate with a slight Boston accent. He has little round professor glasses and he seems like a nice guy. He also seems like he knows what he is doing. I explain our situation and he gets to work.

Katie and I climb into the cab and bid Nederland Middle High School goodbye. I start a friendly conversation he responds in kind. Turns out he has a college degree from Boston U. has lived many places around the country, is a writer and was lured to Colorado from New Orleans just before the hurricane by his girlfriend who is going to school at Colorado Univ. Katie chimes in and asks about Jazz in New Orleans. They hit it off. Most of the 45 min ride is consumed with discussions about Miles Davis, local Jazz clubs and the possibility of mutual acquaintances. So much for my instructive on tow truck drivers.

As we come down the canyon the snow and ice dissipate. Ray’s boys were just trying to scare us. We arrive at the Ford dealer just before they close and I explain my situation. He tells us they can look at it tomorrow and they can give us a ride back to our hotel in the courtesy van. About 12 hrs after we walked out of our hotel room we walked back in. Yes, we had an adventure and there is always tomorrow.

Our travels part 7

So now what? The car is deader than a doornail. It isn’t going to start and even if it did, there is no way I am going to attempt to drive it again. We need a tow truck. Cell phones out! Nada. We try Katie’s (she has a different carrier), no luck. We now have to rely on the kindness of strangers. I get out of the truck and head for Nederland Middle and High School.

Nederland (pronounced Ned er lend) is a little village at the base of the mountains. This is their middle school and high school. I am wearing my ski clothes. The school looks pretty normal, fairly new, small, except there are no metal detectors. I go to the office and explain our situation. The office lady writes down the number for a local tow truck and points to a phone just outside the office. I say thank you and go for the phone. I have not finished dialing and a girl of about 14 stands next to me. A guy named Ray answers the phone and puts me on hold. Now there is a boy standing next to the girl. They are both looking at me. I am not talking and they want to use the phone. I sheepishly tell them my car died, my cell phone won’t work and I am on hold. I got about the same reaction as if I told them my socks were a little tight.

Ray comes back to the phone and tells me his tow truck is out on a job, he is not sure when they will be back, could be 20 min (if they just need a jump) or 3 hours if they have to tow the car into Boulder (the next real town). He as no way of knowing because CELL PHONES DON’T WORK out here. It’s not just ours, there is absolutely NO service. He asks for a number he can reach me at. What? Cell phones don’t work, there is no number on the mommy phone I am using. I consider asking the girl breathing on my shoulder. I think better of it and tell Ray I will call him in 30 min.

Back to the truck to check on Katie, remember Katie? She is freezing in the truck, she didn’t want to go into the school with me. The heat stopped working back in the skiing parking lot. The truck is about 3 feet in front of the people now sitting in the bus stop. They are staring at us. I convince Katie to go inside, we may have a long wait. The bus stop people tell me I can’t park there. I explain our situation. “Well at least put on your flashers.” I explain the part about the car being dead, this time I add hand gestures. I get the tight sock look again. Katie and I navigate the slushy parking lot in our snow sneakers and go back into the school.

3 hours? We can’t wait that long, they will close the school before that, who knows, the canyon road could be closed by then. It’s still snowing. I need a plan B. I go back to the office lady in search of a phone book. I tell her what Ray said. She opens the phone book and writes down another number “Marvs” she tells me this is the service she and her family use. I don’t say what I am thinking, just “thank you”. As I start for the phone outside the office she says maybe I should use this phone inside the office so the kids can use the other phone. Thank you.

The Marvs guy says he can have someone here in an hour and take us into Boulder. Let’s do it. I get the Ford dealership number from the Marvs guy and call to let them know we are coming. I hope to make it there by 6:00. The next call is to Ray, you remember Ray. I tell him we wont need his truck. He says “aw it’s too late they just left to get you and I can’t call them back . . . because cell phones don’t work out here."

Technical difficulties

The reason you have not seen any updates is because my internet service has been disrupted. I had 2 entries lost because of connectivity problems. Hopfully this will be posted before I am dropped.

Our travels part 6

I pump the breaks to make sure we are not sliding. The speedometer (the last electronic thing inside the car to work) drops to 0 but we are not stopped. This is a narrow 2 lane road with the mountain to our right starting about 8 inches for the white line at the edge of the road. We serpentine down the incline.

Snow is building on the windshield, I discover the windshield wipers don't work. Another sharp turn comes up. As I start to turn the wheel it feels like it is stuck. I instinctively hit the breaks, they are stuck too. But they do move just really slow and hard. The engine has died, the battery is dead, no power steering, no power breaks, no lights.


I am grunting trying to make the linked turns, Katie is not sure what to think. I explain we are having car trouble. I tell her I will let her know if I have to do anything drastic like drive the car into the side of the mountain to slow us down or stop us. I don't think I make her feel much better. Fortunately the traffic going up the mountain is light which gives me a little more room on the turns.

I need a place to pull off the road but there are no shoulders or driveways. The snow has been piled up by the snow plows where ever the road widens. Our speed is managable, I am guessing about 30MPH. I could stop the car but it will take about 100 yrds. Still no place to pull over. We merge with another road, we are off the mountain road an onto a rural road that leads into town about 4 miles away. The cars are backed up behind me now I am well under the speed limit.

The road is a little wider now but still not a real shoulder, just a ditch. At least the mountain is no longer leaning over our right side. We remember a school we passed on the way up. Surely we could get off the road there and we would have some idea where we were. The road flattens out, I am no longer concerned with uncontrollable speed. I notice Katie and I are both leaning forward trying to make it to the school. Several cars go around us. We have been drifting for about 3 miles (it seemed like 30). We can see the school, we are down to about 15MPH.

It's a small school, only 1 in and 1 out for the parking lot. I get ready to attempt a 90 degree turn, but wait - no parking spaces and the busses are lined up. It's about 3:30 school is still in session. In front of the school there is a public bus stop and a real shoulder for the bus to drive on - it's bus stop or bust. Going about 3 MPH we glide onto the bus lane and stop dead in front of the little hut where people wait, like we did it on purpose. We made it. Our backs leaned back up against the leather captains chairs for the first time since we were in the ski slope parking lot.

Our travels part 5

We climb back into our car and prepare for the long twisty ride back. Not so fast. We have the same problem we did earlier in the morning. The car will start but then it dies After 5 min or so of trying to keep it running matters get worse. It won't even start now, just the dreaded "click click click". We decide to wait to see if it will recover. The wind is blowing hard and the snow is really coming down.

15 min later I give up trying to revive the car on my own, I need a jump. I go in search of a good Samaritan. I end up in the Human Resources office of Eldora (the mountian), they say they will send someone to help us. 15 min later he shows up in his big white pickup and gives me a jump.

The car is running but it will die if I take my foot off the gas. The maintenance man tells me to keep it on until it warms up. Just then all the gauges in the car die. The car is still running. I tell the guy - his response - "I didn't do it". I ask if it is OK to drive, he says yes but you should probably take it to a mechanic. OK, I need to get out of here, things are getting worse by the minute. I decide to make my move.

It's tricky to back out of a parking space and maneuver around the other cars without letting off the gas. I finally make it to the open end of the parking lot, it hasn't stalled yet. We pass 2 guys trying to push their Mustang out of the ice and snow. We clear the parking lot and are in a line of cars going down the twisty mountain road, we are all going slow, it's slippery. The realization hits me that I can't keep my foot on the gas, it's all down hill.

Our travels part 4

Once at the mountain we proceeded to the ski school/rental area. There was a pretty good size line. When we made it to the front we asked about the Snowboarding package that included equipment, lift ticket and (most importantly) lessons. Too late, they were sold out. On to plan B.

We rented regular ski equipment and bought our lift ticket. We were off, it was about 9:30am. We went straight for the main lift. Katie hadn't skied for years but there would be an easy trail we could take from the top, or so I thought. As the chair lift reached the top and we stuck the dismount, all trails were marked intermediate or advanced. I said nothing, most people went to the left so we followed.

As we found out later, we chose the most difficult "intermediate" run on the mountain for our first time down. Katie was a little shaky at first but she only fell once. I was very proud of her, the last time she was on skis she was about 7. When we made it to the bottom we jumped right back on the lift and took a different "blue square" down. And so our morning went, we were having a fantastic time.

We broke for lunch in the lodge, had some overpriced cafeteria food and were back in the saddle (chair lift) in no time. We proceeded to explore most of the intermediate runs across the mountain. As we were wrapping up the day we found the green circle runs and finished on a high note. It had been snowing most of the day, but now it was really picking up. Time to get a move on so we wouldn't have too much trouble in the canyon.

Our travels part 3

It snowed all night. Our room has a view of the mountains, it was beautiful. Katie was very excited, it has been a while since she had been skiing. This year she was going to try snowboarding. I had been considering joining her, but I had some serious reservations. Someone of my years and girth are better suited to hot chocolate and books in the ski lodge. I had decided to try it anyway.

First we had to get there. There were 3-4 inches of snow on our car. Ice scraper? Hmmm, not standard issue in Houston. Katie and I proceeded to try and get the ice off by hand. When we were almost finished we found someone at the hotel who gave us one. Now to get the car started.

You have to understand, our car, a 98 Ford Expedition has been our trusted steed for 8+ years, never once giving us any trouble. But it was used to hot weather at sea level and now it was 15 degrees and over 8000 ft. It started but would not hold it’s idle, I had to keep my foot on the gas until it warmed up, then we left with a clean windshield and started up the mountain pass.

There was a fair amount of ice and snow but for the most part we were able to maintain our place in the procession up the canyon. There is nothing but mountains, rocks and trees for the next 18 miles or so although they look stunning with all the new snow and the bright blue sky. Eventually we hit the town of Nederland, it has 2 gas stations and no lights. From there we turn onto the road that will take us to the Eldora ski area about 5 miles away. About half way there we see a High School out in the middle of nowhere. We pass a sign that says “chains or adequate snow tires required”, we press on, and arrive safely 15 min later.

Our travels part 2

Sarah and I had made the same trip last spring break while Katie and Linda went to Carnegie Hall in NY. Skiing is always a popular choice of winter vacations in the Christy house. We picked this combination of Boulder Co and Eldora ski mountain for several reasons. Eldora is a small "local" ski mountain. It's plenty big enough for our meager talents but since it's not a resort it is far less crowded especially during popular times like spring break.

In Boulder there is a millennium House Hotel, sometime they run a special called 100 for a 100. Essentially this means you room costs $100/day but they give you $100 credit per day for food and drink! Fantastic! So that is what we are doing again this year.

After we got here on Sunday night we relaxed, got cleaned up then went down for dinner. Katie had the Cesar salad and the Gnochi with Bolognsese sauce, and I had the Wedge salad and Buffalo Ribeye steak. For desert we shared a Chocolate Pecan Caramel Tort. Yum!

Our travels part 1

Katie and I got up early on Sat. Morning so we could leave before the sunrise (she likes that). We didn't get far before we stopped for breakfast at our favorite on-the-road-breakfast-stop, waffle House. After stocking up on carbs and sugar we continued our trek north.

Another favorite traveling tradition is to listen to a book on tape. First up, "The restaurant at the end of the Universe" by Douglas Adams. This is the sequel to the "hitchhikers guide to the galaxy" another book we had listed to in the past.

Other than a perpetual traffic jam just north of Ft. Worth, the trip was un eventful. We stayed in Amarillo that night. Unfortunately we had picked a place next to a GIANT truck stop. It was far enough away that the noise and diesel fumes were not a real problem but the CONSTANT stream of trucks coming and going actually made it hard to get into and out of the hotel.

We got into Amarillo around 4:00 so we decided to take in a movie, while looking for the local features (isn't the internet great?) we saw that they still have a drive-in up in these parts! They even had a double feature. Although tempting, we did not want to stay up that late so we went to the local mega plex and saw "The Pink Panther". We had some time to kill before the movie started so we went next door to the arcade and played the usual sports - air hockey, pool and Return of the Dead shooting game.

The next mooring we were up bright and early as usual and ready to leave Texas, pass through New Mexico and start climbing Colorado. This is a fairly uninhabited part of the country and breakfast was a problem - no Waffle House. We ate from our cooler (another traveling tradition). We had also finished the Adams book so we moved on to "Harry Potter and the goblet of Fire". Although the movie just came out we wanted to listed to the story again, it is so much better than the movie. Other than a snow storm we ran into just south of Denver that stayed with us to Boulder, the trip went smoothly.