20160404 – Yeah, 2017 Season Ski Pass Purchased; House Booked For Winter & Summer

Monday – mixture of sun, cloud and occasional rain

Snow Basin's palatial ski lodge,

Snow Basin’s palatial ski lodge,

Have a day out to Snowbasin ski resort, scene of the 2002 Mens Downhill Olympics. One of my favourite resort but must be over 4 years since we skied here. It’s about an hours drive. All very swish – see photos. Wendy has lunch there.

Just look at these awesome toilets in the ski lodge. Bear i mind this is a ski lodge full of skiers in clunky boots, wet clothes etc.

Just look at these awesome toilets in the ski lodge. Bear i mind this is a ski lodge full of skiers in clunky boots, wet clothes etc.

Then we drive down a scenic canyon into Ogden. Thought we’d explore it but a tad disappointing so we just drive through and drive down I15 to Salt Lake.

Well that was our day out. Thank the FSM we have a car and can get out and about.

Snow basin.

Snow basin.

Today was a major breakthrough day for my recovery. Now it may not sound much to all my able bodied blog readers – all 4 of you – but today I PUT MY UNDERPANTS ON STOOD UP. I know the mind boggles, too much sordid detail. Last year it took me 9 months of recovery and physical torture
to achieve this.

My Sick Humour

 
Muslim master mind:

 

Snow Basin

Snow Basin

David Cameron threw the full weight of the government machine behind the campaign to remain in Europe last night by announcing a taxpayer-funded leaflet to be sent to 27 million homes.

No 10 angered Brexit supporters by saying that it would spend £9.5 million on the 16-page glossy brochure, a new website and online advertising designed to persuade the public to vote on June 23 to stay in the European Union.

No doubt more biased deceitful scaremongering. Best advice seems to be RETURN TO SENDER  ie.  10 Downing Street, SW1A 2AA. 


Tuesday – windy, cold and sunny

We now know it's Spring as the Sandhill Cranes are back.

We now know it’s Spring as the Sandhill Cranes are back.

Lazy morning. Book our Hertz mobile for next week, I’ve enough points to get a free week – about time after all the blackout dates.

Set off for a stroll around the estate but the winds enough to freeze the nipples off a French tart in a brass bra. Abandon that idea after 5 minutes.

Excitement of the day is a trip to Dans supermarket for a weekly shop, so much more enjoyable than having to go skiing!

Get some web work done on Hals site. Battle with he vagaries of the various widgets. Take some figuring out but keeps me out of trouble.

Just a reminder of our view from the lounge before the snow was cruelly taken from us.

Just a reminder of our view from the lounge before the snow was cruelly taken from us.

Great news our next door neighbours who we’re renting off next year are letting us store our clothes in their lock cupboard until February next year. Skis are already in the garage. Really handy.

In the evening we go round to the Blind Dog restaurant with Helen and George for a farewell meal. They leave on Thursday. Food was excellent. Mainly sushi, which I quite enjoy occasionally, Wendy’s not that keen but they have a good selection of other items. Company was awesome as always and as usual George and I manage to put the World and Trump to rights. Politicians they’re the same the World over. We all seem to suffer the same lunacy.

Religion – Beyond Belief

 
2005-11-25

 
One would hope this is an independent view of the in / out arguments. But knowing the BBC it probably about as biased as a muslimist on the peaceful nature of the Quran.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32793642

However it is a good source of references to both sides of the debate. It strikes me that you can read all the scholarly analysis on the economic arguments until you get mind constipation and resort to a medicinal bottle or two of red wine to ease the numbing confusion. Surely at the end of the day it’s all about immigration, safety, independence and sovereignty. The economic arguments are just how much we may have to pay.


Wednesday – hot and sunny
Another gorgeous day here in paradise.

DSC_8198Off down to Red Butte gardens. It’s what geriatrics do before they get carted off to the retirement home. Pleasant walk around and then lunch sat out in the sunshine on the patio.

 
A good web site that gives independent analysis on the EU fiasco and the BREXIT debate:

http://openeurope.org.uk

Religion – Beyond Belief

 
Why do people become religious extremists:


Thursday – hot and sunny
Lazy start to the day as usual.

IMG_7946
Take the Hertz mobile back to swap for my next rental. What a pearler of crap customer service, could be made into a customer service training video.

It was a planned swap out but of course there’s no one there. Ring the number and told sorry we have no car available. They’d only had days to sort this. They hadn’t bothered to email to tell me not to bother, I’d have to keep this boring Volkswagen Passat. I complain that this is the 3rd week I’ve been here and every week there’s a problem. Hertz man tells me that’s it, if I don’t like it go elsewhere and slams the phone down.

IMG_7955Scrat around on their web site for a contact number. Bounced around every department conceivable apart from the one that specifically deals with “Booking a car on Christmas day when it falls on a Wednesday and its raining”. What is it with this company do they have no one with a brain who can take a problem and deal with it end to end. This is the Ford principle gone mad and they seem to be staffed by foreign goldfish with no ears who can only remember how to do one simple transaction. Finally manage to register a complaint about the Park City location.

Drive up to the mountain for lunch out on the plaza. Have a chat with my favourite barista – Eva – who’s led me into this obsession with dirty chai’s, one of the best Starbucks secret menu coffees ever. It’s absolutely gorgeous sat out there in shirt sleeves enjoying the mountains.

The Mystery of the Danish Pastry
12963802_10153594334439226_7994320818312236343_nEva tells me a young lady was in the other day, bought a Danish Pastry for me and left it with her. Sounds promising. Can’t for the life of me think who it would be and of course every one is younger than me so it’s a vague description. Who know’s perhaps it was a young piece of eye candy who had seen me handle these crutches with such panache that she wanted to get my attention – what a fantasy world I live in at times.

I drive home and Wendy has a walk home.

Sit out on the lawn with a coffee and Kindle chatting to our neighbour. My it’s so hot and that sun is frying us.

Hertz deliver a Mercedes GLK350 SUV to my door. Perhaps they’re trying to make up for their screw up and rudeness.

 
Why would we want our unemployment levels dragged down to the EU norm of 8.9.

image

My Sick Humour

 
Enjoy terroism says George Carlin, a tad extreme even for George:


To Ski Or Not To Ski?

 

The Big Philosophical Question?

The birds have started to arrive.

The birds have started to arrive.

After a second broken femur, two years in a row, I keep asking myself whether to ever ski again? Its been a big philosophical debate with me. It’s long and rambling so save yourself the boredom and skip this. I’ve only documented it for my benefit and justification. Here’s hoping next year I don’t regret it.

A broken femur two years in a row, to add insult to injury it’s even the same leg. Is there a message there? Who from? After 4 weeks skiing this year I was just getting back in my stride and feeling fit. The first few weeks were a major mind game of caution versus getting back on the blues and black and remembering that speed is my friend. Skiing is always a confidence game. At 35 mph a wrong edge and you’re doing the impression of a escaped wagon wheel.

DSC_8202Should I give it up? This has been a constant refrain over the past 5 weeks.

Here’s a few of the plus side arguments:

  • I had 4 awesome weeks skiing every day, more than most get in a year.
  • I never fell once.
  • My confidence and speed was back.
  • Being tripped up by some witch from Los Angelas is just bad luck.
  • Shit happens, suck it up.
  • I’ve been skiing over 50 years and had two breaks, an average of one every 25 years, not bad odds.
  • I’ve skied for over 93 weeks in my life, more than most, thats 1 break every 325 days.
  • Most people of my age have had 2 or even more serious accidents.
  • How can you give up being up in these mountains here in paradise.
  • What a glorious way to spend the winter.
  • How would I cope with a winter without the mountains and skiing.
  • I’m not alone, there’s at least 6 sports club members out of action.
  • I love skiing and being in the mountains.

DSC_8218Then there’s the negative side arguments:

  • I must be crazy.
  • It hurt like hell both times.
  • Nearly a year to recover last year.
  • Probably 8 weeks to recover this year.
  • It’s a dangerous sport and shit happens.
  • I suppose I could always stick to the green runs and walk back up!
  • In the first two days after this accident I’d decided it wasn’t worth it and time to call it quits.
  • My injury has a major impact on my family.

How can you possibly say NO to this?

How can you possibly say NO to this?

Conclusion:

  • Last year it was my fault, my lack of skill, this year was wrong place, wrong time.
  • Worst things happen.
  • If I hadn’t broke my femur last year and had some meccano in my femur, this would have been a major incident, probably required surgery and a long recovery.
  • How can I ever give it up.
  • To give up would be to accept old age.
  • I’m not ready for the knackers yard yet. I’m too young.
  • Carpe Diem – for rumour has it you’re a long time dead.

I’M SKIING NEXT YEAR.


This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.