Another week in Tahoe

Two weekends ago we went to our 3rd Annual Tahoe Trip!! Each year Julie's aunt is kind enough to let us all stay at their beautiful summer home (even though we tend to break things - crystal, lamp shades, hot tubs...) This year, with only 11 people the breaking of things was kept to a minimum. We stayed 4 full days total, we skied 3 days and snowshoed one day.

I have to say the snowshoe day was one of the most fun. The goal was to snowshoe 3 miles round trip to the top of a mountain with a great view of Lake Tahoe. Instead of following the groomed switchback trail that gently leads you up the mountain, everyone one started straight up the mountain with at least 3 feet of fluffy snow!!! We made it to the top (with lots of rest breaks - including one to throw snow balls at tree trunks and another one to slide down part of the mountain on our butts in this chute that Mike ingeniously carved out with his own big butt!). Then we stopped for lunch (and a beer) in Truckee afterwards.

On our last day of skiing, It was only Mike, Laura, Justin and I. Laura and Justin are good skiers but had never skied a Black Diamond. So, the 4 of us were happily skiing Blues when we started to follow signs for Lookout Mountain. This was still early in the morning so the trails were very icy since the day before it was 65 degrees and then the slush refroze overnight. We reached a point where there was 2 ways down (both happened to be Black Diamonds). We obviously took the trail that was wide, groomed and not in trees. Unfortunately it was straight down and very long! Justin and Laura were both scared. Justin started out with a big fall and long slide, and then made it down, but Laura was not so lucky! She stared out with 2 falls with 2 slides (she Barely stopped before heading into the trees) and then was so scared it took her like another 30-45 minutes to get down the mountain!! Mike helped her down and Laura kept her humor about her. In fact, they did 3 other Black Diamonds after lunch!!

Every evening we sat in the hot tub, cooked dinner, played board games and most importantly had Family Home Video Night, where Mike complied the days pictures and videos from everyone's camera and we watched them on the huge TV!!

Jeep!

Well, after 3 good years my little Galant finally pooped out!! We have been down to 1 car for the past 2 weeks and taking Mike to the bus stop at 5:25 every morning got old fast!! So I let Mike pick out the car this time (The new 07 Corolla is mine). This is how we ended up with a 1998 Jeep Wrangler. I am acutually pretty excited about it - even though it is loud, a stick shift, has NO storage (unless you take out the back seat), did not come with air conditioning, and the windows have to be zipped down. But it looks really COOL!!!

Jim's Birthday

Happy Birthday Jim!!! We made Jim a birthday cake and he came over and we sang to him!! Unfortunately, Katie had come down with the flu, so she missed the birthday party and we missed the chicken enchalada's she was going to make!! Get well soon Katie!!

What can I say... I love my liquor

In case you didn't notice, I haven't been posting many photos lately. It's not that I haven't been taking any, just not many weekend trips with my camera. I've been playing with my flash units this winter while it rains outside. The problem here is finding subjects.

For someone that likes landscapes, finding interesting things lying around the house can be difficult. Aside from pictures of my wonderful wife I seem to be drawn to liquor. I'm not sure why, maybe some fond memories of my summers spent bar tending are popping into my subconscious. But also, I really like the reflections that show up in the glass. In any case, here are some of my favorites. Maybe, if your lucky, I dig up a few more later...