le bon goût

We have been picture-free since skiing, with these exceptions:

1. The maine lobster from the Flagstaff House Restaurant, on Valentine's Day. I know, ladies and gentlemen -- this stint of swanky v-day dinners won't last, but as long as it does, I'm going to enjoy it!!

2. 3rd - 5th grade teachers & our principal dressed in the colors of the rainbow for our kids' Movement and Music program. I've got really cute pictures of me with the kids doing the Chicken Dance too, but since this journal is public, I won't post pictures of kiddos. Child protection and all that.

There are no pictures for the following events that have taken up my time this past week: dinner at Em's with Hallie, CSAP testing of kiddos, and my growing Olympic obsession.

Rocky Mountain high...

After 1 year and 9 months of living in Colorado, I finally make it to the mountains for a romp with powder skiing. Outfitted by Audra (skis, pants, gloves and all) and accompanied by Derek "turn right!" A, I spent yesterday at Winter Park battling it out with "green" trails. It wasn't exactly like riding a bike in the morning, but by the afternoon, I was a pro. It's just that whole stopping / controlling my speed thing that I'll have to work on next time. But anyway, goodbye, Wachussett "Mountain," hello Winter Park & Mary Jane. Colorado skiing is a whole new experience!

Visuals:

First realization after going up the first lift and being told to get on a second: Oh, wow. This is an actual mountain. (Second thought: shit.)

My version of "stopping" lands me here. This is because I'm slightly terrified that we've been skiing for 10 minutes and have not yet reached the base of the mountain and I'm still waiting to fall on nonexistent ice. Also, I cannot control myself if it gets too "steep" as I like to say or "slightly slanted" as Derek would judge it. Needless to say, Derek carried me out of this mess.

The pros who got us up here in the first place, whose race we stopped to watch at lunchtime, about the time I decided skiing was for chumps. Ball Aerospace racers (l-r): Peter, Chris, Tim and Audra. We spared ourselves and the Internet of any pictures of them in full speed suits.

If at first you don't succeed.... bring Audra on green trails with you so you can't cry and have mental breakdowns because she's not your boyfriend and can offer additional tips of the trade. Afternoon = success! Here we're at the first lift, headed to Mary Jane, from which we skied down twice and then made our way toward base, with much less stopping, no plowing into trees/powder piles, and a less traumatic finish (no back flips into powder, just a high-speed plow past the gate and into the empty ski school meeting area). I might actually like skiing after all!

CBW vs. Kobe

We thought Kobe came away from Camp Bow Wow unscathed yesterday, but we must have overlooked his injuries due to the fact that we were busy entertaining our couple's book club (which, this meeting, only consisted of audra, peter, derek, me and one actual book club member) and he was busy being completely wiped out at our feet last night.

However, we found the irritations when he was caught licking his hind paws. The old booties are nowhere in sight, so here's the makeshift version, held in place by my hair elastics and strangely reminiscent of 80's legwarmers.

(Yeah. He hates them. Don't be deceived by that smile!)