20180327 – The Kids Arrive

Well that’s it not a mention of Scum…..ers from now on. Photos this week are somewhat limited so I’ve added “Ski Memories” over the years to brighten things up a bit.

Lazy morning again – cabin fever sort of day – chance to catch up on my French. It would be so much easier to have a few drinks, watch TV and nod off to sleep as the mood takes me, but I manage to resist. Wendy’s volunteering at the CC for the morning. Comes home with the usual red cross parcels and an Easter Basket for Jasper and Beatrix.

In the afternoon she takes me to the gun club. My treat. 100 rounds of 9mm in a Glock 34. One hell of a kick, it spits fire and sparks and without safety glasses could easily take an eye out as it spurts out the bullet case. Makes you wonder how anyone in the police, who doesn’t wear glasses, would ever use this without risking being blinded.

Call at the hospital to pick up something for tea with Wendy’s volunteer vouchers. The food there has definitely gone down hill. Not a patch on how good it used to be. But it’s free and still better than NHS hospital food.

Watch the last of Victoria on Amazon Prime. Impressive series. They certainly don’t portrait her as straight laced and frigid like her reputation.

Make a start on “Sneaky Pete” but one strong Dark and Stormy along with a few Bourye whiskeys gets the better of me as we both nod off to sleep. But at least my plan worked, the alcohol helps me sleep at night better than them dam junky tablets that addle your brain. Fortunately this fracture is not really painful but in the middle of the night it can just get a tad uncomfortable.

Wendy’s at the CC all day so I’ve an overdose of cabin fever, French and blogging, I feel like a Dalek whose plan to conquer the world was frustrated by a staircase.

Relief in the evening as we go out for dinner – delicious carnitas – at Bob and Marilyn’s. Also get to meet their kids and new baby.

Try staying awake to watch “Sneaky Pete” afterwards.

Meanwhile Ross is trying to sort their flights to Park City for summer.

Wendy drops me at the gun club for some AR15 time with Joe. Enjoy it but prefer hand gun shooting in the main, especially with Joe’s 9mm Rock Island ROCK ULTRA FS. Feels good and love the sights. Nearly as good as the Wilson Combat.

We pass on the Quiz as we’re going out to dinner and rumour has it that a scumboarder may be joining us. I really don’t think I would be able to restrain myself from some acrid comment.

Off out to the Boneyard for dinner with Joe and Donna. Have a great evening. Donna does a good job on convincing Wendy of the benefits of a Safari. Need to investigate further.

Lazy morning. call at Bob & MArilyns to pick up the baby seat. They’re all such a joy to fit in the car, fortunately we have a top mechanic on the job.

Wendy braves and survives the drive down to the airport to pick the kids up. Their planes about an hour early. Much better for them arriving in the day.

Obviously they’re exhausted but manage to stay up until about 19:00. Kurt’s trying to cough up a rancid dishcloth as a result of some dreaded lurgy he’s infected with.

Kids time clocks are all over the place, so they’re up with the night owls. Beatrix kicks off so Jasper comes and sleeps with us – we need a good kicking. Kurt has a bad cough and tight chest so he’s going to stay in bed. Fiona’s excited and keen to make the most of the amazing facilities here in PC. Yes, she’s all geared up for some lonesome retail therapy down at Tangier Outlets. We have the kids, drop her off and then run a few errands.

Pick Fiona up and then Wendy gets her fix at the supermarket. This is all too much excitement for me.

Wendy and I are off wine tasting for the evening. There’s only 14 of us but it’s a pleasant evening of drinking and socialising with other members of the Newcomers club. Sadly my Zen of Zin Zinfandel didn’t win the blind tasting but glad to say that both Wendy and I rated it as the best. Kids are all in bed when we get back.

I thought I had a rabid hatred of scumboarders but one woman’s F…ing and jeffing hatred of them makes me look like the president of the snowboarders fan club.

If you think skiing is dangerous you should try negotiating your way around lego and toys on the carpet, on a pair of crutches.

Lazy start to the day.

Hot cross buns for breakfast. Memories of hot cross buns on Good Friday, fresh from the bakery in Oakham. Then it’s Easter eggs all round – apart from Wendy – in keeping with family traditions, as a kid, I pig out on a whole Easter egg.

Baby Einstein drives us nuts.

Take the kids up to Deer Valley to see the Easter Bunny. He’s so elusive he doesn’t turn up. Must have disappeared down a rabbit hole. Wendy’s declared war on Deer valley. They advertise this event, none of the staff have a clue about it and then there’s no Easter Bunny. Bloody clueless and the organisational skills of a drunken penguin – laziness and stupidity the parents of disorganisation. Guess they be getting the sharp end of Wendy’s tongue in a email tirade.

Helen and George pick us up to go to the Apres ski up at Red Ledgers. Another lovely house with great views of the Timpanogas.

You can tell it’s nearly the end of the season by the number of cripples hobbling in. 3 of us. I get lumbered talking to one guy, let’s call him superman, given his physical prowess. Yes this guy has enough legendary ski tales to go on stage with his own 3 hour monologue. Just some of his many “achievements” include “No problem skiing with a broken leg as he can ski down the whole mountain on one leg”; “skis and chats – simultaneously – with olympic champions, and at 60 MPH”; “ski instructor”; “ski patroller”; he’s threatened Deer Valley ski patrollers who cross him with “being unemployed tomorrow”; now he’s recovering he’s achieving 60MPH on his trainer bike; you name it he’s done it with bells on and at speed. Fortunately manage to escape his monologue and inflict him on an unsuspecting Wendy.

Helen and George pop in for some quality Jasper time. They’ll be glad to get home for a rest.

Kurt’s still in bed but feeling a tad better.

Beatrix has a a real hissy fit overnight so Wendy takes her downstairs so Fiona can get some much needed sleep. Then it’s a real battle of wills. Plenty of crying but no real tears. Just a 10 minute tirade and a squirming struggle. She – Beatrix that is – finally gives up and nods off.

Lazy start to the day. Kurt’s still poxy, needs a bell round his neck and should wander around shouting “bring out your dead”.

Drop Kurt off at the doctors. Then take Fiona and Jasper up to the PCMR base for them to have a ski on the magic carpet. But it’s not long before Jasper wants to get on First Time lift. Has a few good runs down following in Fiona’s wake. Those ski lessons in Manchester seem to have really paid off, he’s looking quite comfortable on skis, turning and stopping well.

Pick Kurt up complete with a $295 bill for seeing doctor and meds. A tad worrying, diagnosed with a viral chest infection but they give him a prescription for antibiotics – another chink in the wall of antibiotic resistance.

In the evening Bob and Marilyn come round with their kids and grandkids. Papa Murphy’s for tea, some wine and then it’s onto a serious whisky tasting. Now have a full collection of 6 of the High West whiskeys. Two youngest kids get on well as they sit in the corner, under the table playing on their iPads and eating and ice cream cornet.