Cross Country Skiing
 

Much to the despair of certain displaced St Louisians, Griffs place has significant snow compared to a place where Ben Franklin organized the volunteer fire company. The adult Griffs have wooden skis which over the course of the week I resurfaced with creosote. Last night we scrambled to get the Yutes reoutfitted since they have the temerity to keep growing.

This morning the Mrs. and I put the base coat of wax on 'em followed by the kick wax. Since the Mrs. has to do the birthday party/ get the skates sharpened run this afternoon she got first dibs and took Merlin along for the ride. I've just gotten back from my loop and I'll tell yah its a different workout altogether from cycling. Its not quite the adrenelin fix mtn biking is although if I switched over to telemark style it could be. I had a nice ski did a short downhill bomb and talked to a hunter, who it was good to see out since he's had some health problems. Anyway, its great fun and tomorrow we'll get after it serious like with the kids and hot chocolate and all. Now I've got to go cut a couple cherries so I can eventually face the kitchen cabinets.

(Fud voice) ooooo.... womantic moonwight ski wit de ole wady wase night.(/Fud voice)

We've got a solid enough base to handle the little thaw that's coming. I thought we'd lose it during the sleet/freezing rain last week but we got enough snow between to get us by. very cool

Snow envy-
we might just pull out a little coverage before Christmas. Your descriptive text made me flash on a movie called "Pathfinder" its from Lapland I think, 10 yrs old or so, subtitled and the only film ever in this dying language, the retelling of an ancient adventure tale. I think it was up for an Oscar. Crushingly beautiful landscape, good underdog story, great scenes of skiing, what struck me as particularly beautiful-the rhythmic singing as they ski along- its cool. Also scenes of primal tribal life, Og would like!

48 degrees F... clinging desparately to our base.... *sniff* Griff curls up in fetal position on floor

God DAMN it is warm here today. It went from being FREEZING on Monday to stupid warm on Friday. I felt ill from how warm it was at 5:50 AM when I got into the car to go to work. Ugh.

I hear ya, Dave. It's been ~80 here lately, too. Luckily we had a front come through last night, and the gauge fell quite a bit. Maybe it'll be a cold Xmas after all.

Snow! a sparkly inch anyway, to make it look perty. I walked to work passing students dealing with their last finals. Some Classics: Frantic- The disheveled guy in what looks like PJs and a parka with that finished final paper in a death grip, staggering up steps to beat the clock. Focused- The two geared up with identically organized backpacks, quizing each other intensely, flipping through notes, while heading to a sciences building. And Giddy- the guy without a coat, fuzzy eyes, bopping homeward with a grin of relief.- or maybe he was drunk...anyway, he was enjoying the snow!

On the campus I'm looking at, there's also the Perpetually Unperturbed, wearing cutoffs and Tivas in driving snow and blistering wind.

If we don't get more snow down here in balmy Maryland (motto: "We close schools at the first sign of frost") the kids and I hope to encounter some in upstate NY next week. The descriptions of moonlit family ski sessions sound fantastic . . .

I'm mellllllllllttttting....

Ok its a quarter after one and the temp is starting to drop. The base is wrecked but there is snow in the forcast. (mantra)Its going to be alright.(/mantra)

If you're downhilling, 99 it should be fine they've been making snow for quite some time.

Oh, did I imply that the kids and I actually SKI in the snow? Whoops. No, good ol' Mom is too uncoordinated for that (although I was a mean skateboarder in my day) and I'm afraid downhill is outside our budget right now. What we do is PLAY in the snow. Y'know, sledding, digging, romping, that sort of thing.

I know this is a SKIING thread, but, forgive me, I sometimes get off on a tangent.

Hope you all get the weather you wish for this winter!

Okay, our Christmas snow appears to be developing over the Gulf. NEPA looks like a fair bet for a storm but maybe not further North. Have great holiday!

Yah Baby
 

Bring it on!

"Winter storm Outlook
National Weather Service Binghamton ny
355 PM EST Mon Dec 23 2002

...A significant Christmas snowfall is possible...

Low pressure is forecast to move Northeast into the Tennessee
valley by Tuesday evening, and then Reform as a coastal storm near
cape Hatteras before daybreak on Christmas Day. It's projected track
would then take the storm Center just off The Eastern Seaboard
toward cape cod by Christmas night.

The exact storm track...Strength...And amount of snow accumulation
remains Uncertain at this time. However, current trends suggest that
snow will spread North into Northeast Pennsylvania after midnight on
Tuesday, and into the southern tier of New York before daybreak on
Christmas. Snow is expected across the entire region on Christmas
day.

At the present time, it appears that the greatest snow accumulations
will be over the poconos and Western catskills of New York, where
accumulations May exceed 7 inches. Lesser accumulations are expected
across the remainder of Central New York, but the potential still
exists for significant accumulations across this area, especially
over the Susquehanna region.

Holiday travel May be considerably impacted around the region by
this storm. Travelers should take Note of storm developments and
later forecasts and statements over the next two days. Tune into
noaa weather radio...Or your favorite Media source for the latest
details...Or...Visit the National Weather Service directly via the
internet at weather.Gov. "

Frankly, I don't give a good goddamn, or a bad one for that matter, over xmas snow. (certainly griff, I hope you get a pile dumped upon you if you're wantin' it ... playing in the snow is a good thing). I have to work on that day, so I'd prefer a green christmas to drive to and from work.

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for a LACK of snow come New Years. I got some travelling to do over and would prefer not to get snowed in along the way.

I know 10-day forecasts are not the most reliable things in the world, but I've been watching weather.com like a hawk. They've already changed to forecast from snow to no snow, and I've got my fingers crossed for it to stay that way.

Sorry, I was distracted by that manipulative whiner Ciara over in home base . . . Wolf, I hope you get the clear roads you are hoping for. It never occured to me that all kind of folks have to work on Christmas Day. I have the kids bake cookies and take 'em to the Police, Fire and Emergency Room staff on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I think we'll broaden our horizons to include nut houses -- er, psychiatric facilities -- next year.

Merry Christmas!

I kind of like to think of myself as the travel agent for Club Head. ;)

It is indeed very different being one of the people who work for a 24 hour a day, 365 day a year business. I'm sure that the folks you take cookies and cheer to very much appreciate it. (I know we do ...)

I used to work a normal job, with normal hours.

One which even closed down the week between Christmas and New Year's (not because the boss was kind or anything like that. Scrooge and his wife liked to spend the week at their house at the shore, and they didn't trust their company full of Bob Cratchett's not to loot the place while they weren't watching our every move. I'm not complaining about the time off, I'm just pointing out it was any kind of altruism on their parts).

Silly me.

I could have continued on with a nice, reliable, normal job ... working with computers, being able to leave early on snow days, and take long lunches and stuff ...

But I actually like what I do. I enjoy the patients. And I consider what I do to be valuable. And it's nice to hear that from folks from time to time.