Happy New Year and welcome to the first Saturday of 2020 here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is January 4th, aka, either an auspicious or unlucky day to die if you happen to be a Nobel Prize laureate (see below).
Our family had an uneventful blast into the new year. I cooked a lot on New Year's Eve day, then worked on a puzzle while cheering on the The Oldest as she finished and submitted two more college applications. The littles watched lots of Czech cartoons, while the remaining teen boys were "left to their own devices." (Pun intended.) Around 1:00 a.m., hubby gathered those still awake to watch a family movie favorite a Louis de Funes comedy, Le gendarme et les extra-terrestres (original title) dubbed in Czech and titled as ÄŒetnÃk a mimozemÅ¡Å¥ané (in English, The Troops & Aliens) in which the hilarious "French gendarme Cruchot and his men battle petroleum-drinking, human-looking, metallic aliens" in St. Tropez. Those awake hooted and howled laughter at one joke and gag after another. (Think the Three Stooges but in French, dubbed in Czech.)
New Year's Day we gathered all the ski equipment we'd amassed over the course of our 19-year marriage and headed out to Giant's Ridge for two days of family skiing. (Prompted by another one of those "lasts" with The Oldest, as in this may be the "last time" we ski as an entire family unit.) Our family trip started out like any normal family trip, that is to say, with lots of griping and crabbing until we hit the road, followed by more griping and crabbing when we had to stop at Walmart, then Target, in search of two more pairs of ski goggles and one pair of snowpants, (no luck on the goggles, and one size too small snowpants) and rounding out the arrival to The Lodge at Giant's Ridge (right on the ski hill, 5 stars, highly recommend) with more griping and crabbing.
January 2nd, we woke up well past 8 o'clock and much too close to the 9:00 a.m. opening time to catch the first chair lift of the day which, you guessed it, prompted more griping and crabbing. Somehow we managed to get everyone suited up with our miscellany of gear and equipment and hit the hill by 10:00 a.m. while I went back to Virginia on the hunt for ski goggles and a larger size in snowpants, which I'm pleased to report, I had success on both accounts. (Hurrah and thank you, L&M Fleet Supply!)
After lunch, I too, finally made it outdoors. The temperature was absolutely perfect - mid-20s, fresh snow - and my ski boots were absolutely killing me. I grumbled and grouched in misery, lamenting the extra pounds that represented 2019, as the ski boots slowly cut the circulation from my lower extremities. I changed out my socks and base layer which provided some relief, but the boots still pinched my calves, leaving an indelible, bruised outline of the boot liner and an alarming shade of purple from the line on down. The only one in worse shape than me was the Second Oldest, who'd taken a beating learning how to snowboard. (The upshot being he did learn and learned well.)
Day 2 of the ski trip, again we woke up past 8 o' clock, this time adding packing our suitcases and checking out of the hotel, again pushing our first ski until 10:00 a.m. Crabbiness and sour moods were shared by all as we finished the pot of white bean and ham soup, nibbled our warm crusty bread and sipped our cold cider, tending to our respective aches and pains. The Toddler hadn't napped the day before, so I knew trouble would be a brewin'.
Twenty minutes on the Magic Carpet side of the Bunny Hill with the Toddler, it was me who had the meltdown. I couldn't take it anymore. I limped off to the chalet and moaned my agony to my husband. He suggested I try the WAKWIR's boots. I slid a foot in, squeezed the plastic parts together and cinched the boot latch. They felt like silk to my skin. I exhaled a sigh of relief. I slapped on the second boot and heard the angels sing a Gloria. The WAKWIR tried on one of my ski boots and said in a Tow Mater voice, "It fits perfectly!"
We swapped skis and hit the hills. I was a born-again woman. I told kids later I felt like I'd become a completely new person - I went from being Kim to being a Tiffany. The rest of the day was glorious, just like the angels had proclaimed. Gorgeous weather - another day of mid-20s and fresh snow - and I even got the Second Grader to upgrade from the Bunny Hill to the Big Hill (mostly Melbourne run). Generally, I prefer only the green runs, but the elation prompted me to try not one, but two, blue runs - Sochi and Rocky Top. I nailed them like an Olympic pro-beginner.
At 3:30 p.m., the teenagers, anxious to hit the road in order to see their Alaskan friend who was visiting Wannaska, set about packing up and getting the van ready. Hubby, now relieved from this task usually delegated to him, got in almost an additional hour of black diamonds before we headed for home.
The crabbing and griping washed away by good moods, good weather, excellent ski conditions, and proper gear left us all feeling like this had been our best family trip yet.
Happy New Year from our family to yours and all the best in 2020!
Our family had an uneventful blast into the new year. I cooked a lot on New Year's Eve day, then worked on a puzzle while cheering on the The Oldest as she finished and submitted two more college applications. The littles watched lots of Czech cartoons, while the remaining teen boys were "left to their own devices." (Pun intended.) Around 1:00 a.m., hubby gathered those still awake to watch a family movie favorite a Louis de Funes comedy, Le gendarme et les extra-terrestres (original title) dubbed in Czech and titled as ÄŒetnÃk a mimozemÅ¡Å¥ané (in English, The Troops & Aliens) in which the hilarious "French gendarme Cruchot and his men battle petroleum-drinking, human-looking, metallic aliens" in St. Tropez. Those awake hooted and howled laughter at one joke and gag after another. (Think the Three Stooges but in French, dubbed in Czech.)
New Year's Day we gathered all the ski equipment we'd amassed over the course of our 19-year marriage and headed out to Giant's Ridge for two days of family skiing. (Prompted by another one of those "lasts" with The Oldest, as in this may be the "last time" we ski as an entire family unit.) Our family trip started out like any normal family trip, that is to say, with lots of griping and crabbing until we hit the road, followed by more griping and crabbing when we had to stop at Walmart, then Target, in search of two more pairs of ski goggles and one pair of snowpants, (no luck on the goggles, and one size too small snowpants) and rounding out the arrival to The Lodge at Giant's Ridge (right on the ski hill, 5 stars, highly recommend) with more griping and crabbing.
January 2nd, we woke up well past 8 o'clock and much too close to the 9:00 a.m. opening time to catch the first chair lift of the day which, you guessed it, prompted more griping and crabbing. Somehow we managed to get everyone suited up with our miscellany of gear and equipment and hit the hill by 10:00 a.m. while I went back to Virginia on the hunt for ski goggles and a larger size in snowpants, which I'm pleased to report, I had success on both accounts. (Hurrah and thank you, L&M Fleet Supply!)
After lunch, I too, finally made it outdoors. The temperature was absolutely perfect - mid-20s, fresh snow - and my ski boots were absolutely killing me. I grumbled and grouched in misery, lamenting the extra pounds that represented 2019, as the ski boots slowly cut the circulation from my lower extremities. I changed out my socks and base layer which provided some relief, but the boots still pinched my calves, leaving an indelible, bruised outline of the boot liner and an alarming shade of purple from the line on down. The only one in worse shape than me was the Second Oldest, who'd taken a beating learning how to snowboard. (The upshot being he did learn and learned well.)
Day 2 of the ski trip, again we woke up past 8 o' clock, this time adding packing our suitcases and checking out of the hotel, again pushing our first ski until 10:00 a.m. Crabbiness and sour moods were shared by all as we finished the pot of white bean and ham soup, nibbled our warm crusty bread and sipped our cold cider, tending to our respective aches and pains. The Toddler hadn't napped the day before, so I knew trouble would be a brewin'.
Twenty minutes on the Magic Carpet side of the Bunny Hill with the Toddler, it was me who had the meltdown. I couldn't take it anymore. I limped off to the chalet and moaned my agony to my husband. He suggested I try the WAKWIR's boots. I slid a foot in, squeezed the plastic parts together and cinched the boot latch. They felt like silk to my skin. I exhaled a sigh of relief. I slapped on the second boot and heard the angels sing a Gloria. The WAKWIR tried on one of my ski boots and said in a Tow Mater voice, "It fits perfectly!"
We swapped skis and hit the hills. I was a born-again woman. I told kids later I felt like I'd become a completely new person - I went from being Kim to being a Tiffany. The rest of the day was glorious, just like the angels had proclaimed. Gorgeous weather - another day of mid-20s and fresh snow - and I even got the Second Grader to upgrade from the Bunny Hill to the Big Hill (mostly Melbourne run). Generally, I prefer only the green runs, but the elation prompted me to try not one, but two, blue runs - Sochi and Rocky Top. I nailed them like an Olympic pro-beginner.
At 3:30 p.m., the teenagers, anxious to hit the road in order to see their Alaskan friend who was visiting Wannaska, set about packing up and getting the van ready. Hubby, now relieved from this task usually delegated to him, got in almost an additional hour of black diamonds before we headed for home.
The crabbing and griping washed away by good moods, good weather, excellent ski conditions, and proper gear left us all feeling like this had been our best family trip yet.
Happy New Year from our family to yours and all the best in 2020!
On This Day
Historic Highlights (credits)
2010 - Burj Khalifa is opened
Burj Khalifa in Dubai is currently the world's tallest building, at 829.8 m (2,722 ft).
1958 - Sputnik 1 falls to Earth from orbit
The Soviet Union was the first nation to send an artificial Earth satellite into space.
1948 - Burma gains independence from the United Kingdom
Burma (Myanmar) came under British rule on January 1, 1886.
1896 - Utah becomes the 45th state of the U.S.A.
One condition for statehood was that a ban on polygamy had to be written into the state constitution.
1847 - Samuel Colt sells his first revolver
Captain Samuel Walker of the Texas Rangers placed an order for 1000 revolver pistols after having witnessed their devastating effect.
Burj Khalifa in Dubai is currently the world's tallest building, at 829.8 m (2,722 ft).
1958 - Sputnik 1 falls to Earth from orbit
The Soviet Union was the first nation to send an artificial Earth satellite into space.
1948 - Burma gains independence from the United Kingdom
Burma (Myanmar) came under British rule on January 1, 1886.
1896 - Utah becomes the 45th state of the U.S.A.
One condition for statehood was that a ban on polygamy had to be written into the state constitution.
1847 - Samuel Colt sells his first revolver
Captain Samuel Walker of the Texas Rangers placed an order for 1000 revolver pistols after having witnessed their devastating effect.
Happy Birthday to You!🎶
1965 - Guy Forget, French tennis player
1942 - John McLaughlin, English guitarist, songwriter
1832 - George Tryon, English Admiral
1809 - Louis Braille, French educator, invented Braille
1785 - Jacob Grimm, German author, philologist
1942 - John McLaughlin, English guitarist, songwriter
1832 - George Tryon, English Admiral
1809 - Louis Braille, French educator, invented Braille
1785 - Jacob Grimm, German author, philologist
Remembering You
2011 - Gerry Rafferty, Scottish singer-songwriter
1965 - T. S. Eliot, American/English publisher, playwright, critic, Nobel Prize laureate
1961 - Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
1960 - Albert Camus, French author, journalist, philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate
1941 - Henri Bergson, French philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate
1965 - T. S. Eliot, American/English publisher, playwright, critic, Nobel Prize laureate
1961 - Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
1960 - Albert Camus, French author, journalist, philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate
1941 - Henri Bergson, French philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate
Pack your bags and gear, take a family trip, and make it a great Saturday!
Kim
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| "Braille is knowledge, and knowledge is power." - Louis Braille |
Great post Kim. Reminds me of the old truism: If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
ReplyDeleteYour post also solved a long-standing riddle for me. You said at one point that WAKWIR used a voice like Tow Matter. Now the tow truck over in Badger has "Tow Mater" painted on it's side. I always though it had something to do with the fluff between a person's toes, but that didn't make sense. If I had seen the Disney movie "Cars," I'd have learned Tow Mater is a character, a tow truck, and that "Mater" is "short for tuh-mater without the tuh," which is how people in North Carolina say tomato.
I should have just dropped it there, but why does a tow truck's nickname stem from tomato? Well, when the director of the movie was doing research at a NASCAR track in NC, he met a friendly guy named Douglas "Mater" Keever who got his nickname working as a boy an his grandparents tomato farm. Maternal grandparents if it matters. Ennaways the director asked if he could use the nickname for the movie. Mater was also given a bit part as one of the RVs watching a race in the movie. Tow Mater's voice, the one used by WAKWIR is a Southern redneck hillbilly twang, and was inspired by an Oklahoman named Harley Russell. Tow Mater is voiced Larry the Cable Guy.
One other tidbit: the "Cars" movie (2006) was Paul Newman's final acting role. He played Doc Hudson, a 1951 Hudson Hornet. Don't ask me why they called him Doc. Someone else can Git-R-Done.
Thank you for the explanation! The WAKWIR will love it. The Cars trilogy was his hands down, absolute favorite as a little-little boy. He's moved on to other bigger boy interests, but I think Cars will always be his first love. (P.S. The Badger Tow Mater was in our 4th of July parade this last summer. So nicely done!)
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