Holy Smackeral

Just found this watch and was shocked at the price.  Is there anybody on this whole planet Earth that would spend $54,800 for a watch??!!?

Wyler Geneve

Men's Dakar Rally Mechanical Tourbillion Black Perforated Dial Black Alligator

List $156,800.00

$54,880.00

You Save: 65%



Perhaps I'm just out of touch.  However, shipping is free.

14.8 feet

Just in case you are interested, 14.8 feet of snow (base) remains on the slopes at Alta.  There have been 561 inches (total snowfall) this year.  That's 46.75 feet of total snowfall.  Can you even picture that much in your head???

Here's the shocker.  With 14.8 feet still on the ground, resorts are closing.  In November the masses flock to the hills where there is a mere 8 inches on a 12-inch base of man-made junk.  Life doesn't make sense sometimes.

Monday

The day is done,

My feet doeth ache.

Asparagus soup,

I shall partake.



My bod upon,

The couch will rest.

Until I doze,

Then bed is best.



And when I wake,

With plans galore,

The same ol’ thing,

Begins once more.

Mountain Gear Tip #10

Have fun!  There is no bad weather, only improper clothing.  There are no bad days, just some better than others.  Enjoy the air, the company, the mountain, and the opportunity to take one more breath on this good ol' earth.

Mountain Gear Tip #9

Keep your fingers and toes warm. 

Nothing is going to heat your toes (except battery powered footbeds) so you have to keep the warmth in.  I invented toe hats, which is thinsulate sewn between two layers of flannel that fit just over your toes (think mittens without the thumb).  Wear these under your socks.  Someday I shall patten them.

If your fingers get cold, purchase the best mittens you can find. This can be a harrowing feat since most outdoor-wear shops don't carry those for -20 degrees. The hunt is worth it.

Mittens are warmer than gloves.  Liners make them warmer, chemical heaters make them even warmer, placing your thumb under the warmer and then tucking your thumbs into your palms keeps things even warmer.  And for the ultimate warmthness, shove the above arrangement under your arms for the lift ride.

Mountain Gear Tip #8

Always, always, always, always, always, always, always ski in control.

Difficult Step

The most difficult step on a run is the heel strike from kitchen to street.  I hereby give permission to quote this sagely wisdom. 

 If you are a regular reader of this blog, you may have benefitted from other sagely advice on Mountain Gear: Tip #7, Tip #6, Tip #5, Tip #4, Tip #3, Tip #2, and Tip #1
After our next trip to the mountain, I shall wrap it up with a few  other tips.  There should be at least 2 feet of new snow after today's storm.

Here, for spring, are a few running tips:

Never get rid of your old pair of running shoes.  Alternate days with new shoes until you love the new shoes.



When the new shoes become old shoes, buy new, but keep the old new/now old.






Hats from resorts extend the ski season in an imaginary way.




Pleasant music with a good beat makes for delightfulness in running.




It's nice to peel off layers as one warms up.





Hot feet are not happy feet.  Thin socks are great.

 



Velour pants from the 80's are great for cold-weather running.  They may, perhaps, be stylish once again.

Today

A glimpse of spring in my yard today....

Top of the World

On Friday we lived the dream - cat skiing at Powder Mountain.  The cat takes you to the ridge line above the resort, the ski patrol guy points the way down, and you go!  AWESOME and AMAZING !!!

Snow Cat, Us at the Top, Garth on Sunrise

Our Ski Patrol Guy, Warning Signs, My Sweetie and Me

Project

A group of neighborhood friends are getting together to do a craft project.  I have to pick 8 photos from all of these wonderful choices.

Any suggestions???

One

one cube, one pound, one cup, one can, one HUGE bowl popcorn = one sugar-loaded nauseated gal

There is no leaving this stuff alone.  It was prepared Saturday afternoon, eaten that night, munched on Sunday after church and throughout the day, slicked off today............burp.

For those unfamiliar with the recipe: one cube butter, one pound brown sugar, one cup corn syrup, one can sweetened condensed milk, one HUGE bowl popcorn.  Cook stirring constantly until the gooey mass reaches the soft ball stage.  Pour over 5 - 6 batches air popped popcorn.

Sigh....

Our Mistake

My friend was taking an afternoon nap and woke up because something was hammering on her house.  She listened, rolled over and went back to sleep, awoke again because of more hammering.  She thought that it was a woodpecker, but it stopped again, so she went back to sleep again.  When it started up again, she went outside to shoo away the offending woodpecker.  However, what she found was all of her siding on the front lawn and a guy up a ladder tearing off the rest of her siding. 

She asked him what he was doing and he told her that he was replacing her siding.  She knew nothing about it and hadn't ordered any siding.  Short story was that he was one street off on the address.  He replied, "Sorry, our mistake, but yours is all bent up now so you'll have to replace it.  Would you like me to have someone give you a quote?"

WH - - A - - A - - A - -TTTTT?

She acutally had them give her a quote and she PAID to have it replaced.  Those of you who have heard about my friends know that this could me none other than Willie!

Solitude Today

Ski Pal

So I counted up the years on my fingers and came up with 37.  Yes, I had to use some fingers twice.  That's how long I've had my ski pal SueAnne.  

We went to Disneyland after high school graduation, were college roomates at USU, became teachers, were roomies again after college, attended each other's wedding celebrations, arranged play time for our kids together, and swapped ideas on child rearing, education, home life, religion, politics, health, trama coping, and pretty much anything else  that might be hashed out on a lift ride to the summit of our wonderful Rocky Mountains or at dinner as our husbands chat about sports, computers, and careers.

Each fall we both carefully examine and share information to get the best lift rates and plan our days off so that we can take advantage of the greatest snow on earth.  We be lucky gals.

Toxic Chops

The proper procedure for handing meat in our foods lab is to sanitize all surfaces that have come in contact with meat.  The steps are: rinse, wash with soapy water, rinse, spray with sanitizing spray (1 tsp. bleach in 1 qt. water), rinse.  This is taught with great enthusiasm and accuracy.  Shocking case studies are included for drama and impact.

Fast forward to the gray matter hard at work.

Student:  "I'm a little unclear on the sanitizing procedure.  I just wanna make sure that this is the stuff I spray (indicating the sanitizing solution in a clearly labeled spray bottle)."

TA:  "Yes, that is the sanitizing solution."
Student:  "Okay, will it get the sink too."
TA:  "?????"  "Let me walk over and see what you're talking about."

The pork chops were tidily lined up in the SINK ready to receive a thorough drenching of BLEACH solution.  This student's precious gray matter is among the top 10% of all gray matter available for inclusion at our fine university.

....sigh....

Schrinch Nose

Favorite Chemicals

When there is a chemical that will do the work for me, I'm all about using it.  Here are some of my personal favorites:

*  Round-Up (a gardener's best friend)
*  Thuricide (a gardener's second best friend)
*  CRT (like Lime Away, eliminates scum)
*  Baking Soda and Vinegar (clears the drain if followed by 5 gallons of boiling water)*  Oven cleaner (removes old grease)
*  Al Chem Wax Remover (gets rid of petroleum based paints and wax)
*  Ammonia (soak hair brushes and combs then rinse away hair product)
*  Greased Lightning and SOS pads (dissolves built-up grease on pans)
*  Muratic Acid (you'll have to sign a waiver for me to disclose uses)
*  Ajax (solid surface sink cleaner)
*  Chlorine bleach (removes stains in towels)

"Ahh...." you are thinking, "What an enlightening post."

Ruler of His Domain

"Is there life after formula?"

"Back off the strained prunes and nobody gets hurt."

"Dessert first makes for one happy kid."



"Shopping stinks."



New Career

While relaxing on the sofa with my M & M's treat (pour one layer of M & M's into a cereal bowl one layer deep and microwave 30 seconds), I was impressed to ponder the possibilities of a new career. 

My TV viewing enlighted moment came during a program explaining the crucial need to preserve the coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean along California.  As we know, Californians are always the first to lead the rest of us idiots into nirvana.  It seems that there are people paid to bob along under water counting kelp.  Hmmm....pretty fish....underwater sounds....counting....floating....occasional side strokes....lunch on the beach....pretty fish...underwater sounds....counting....floating....occasional side strokes....

Forget it, I'd have to get off the sofa.