Close the door, put out the lightNo, they won't be home tonightThe snow falls hard and don't you know?The winds of Thor are blowing cold

My niece, Lucy, was pretending to sleep at her Grandma's house last night when *gasp* she saw Rudolph's nose and heard reindeer on the roof!

When discussing what she heard, she commented, "It was probably that Dancer, because he's always just dancin' around."

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I tweaked my knee pretty good snowboarding yesterday. I could hardly walk last night. Ice, aleve. It felt much better today, but I am going to postpone further activity until the troops are better rested.

Damn.

We were going to ride again tomorrow.

Oh well, it is supposed to snow this week, so we'll hit it in a few days, when my knee feels better.

By the by... enough with the "get a helmet, you moron" suggestions. I'll get around to it.

My garage:


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It was a lazy day. Two walks: one with the dogs; one for us. A nap. Ice, ibuprofen.

Then we went over to Casa de Bells for Christmas dinner.

I think we have a candidate for Cutest Kid in Montana:


Dinner was good.




Thundercake found a new drummer.


We played some Foo Fighters, some Stones, some Ben Harper, and a free form Jazz Oddesey that we're calling "Saucy Jack."


We watched March of The Penguins.

I was excited.


Aden was really campaigning hard for Cutest Kid in Montana.




We had chocolate cream pie, and the kid pretty much took the title by 5th round K.O.


(I know that is a big picture... but I wanted you to feel the chocolate.)

Hmmmm. Feel the Chocolate. That could be our next band name. Demi is pushing hard for ManScent, which I also like.

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Pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' bout half past dead.
I just need someplace where I can lay my head.
Hey mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?
He just grinned and shook my hand; "no" was all he said.

===

I'm bummed about not being able to ride tomorrow. I know it is a long season, but I have an "I want it all, and I want it now" kind of personality.

I have made some pretty big strides already this season, mainly because of the way we ride.

Our pattern has been to get there at first chair, around 9 a.m., and hit exclusively blacks and double-blacks until 2. If you don't ever get out of your comfort zone, you will never evolve.

After five hours, my legs are usually non-responsive and feel like molten lava.

I am gearing up for "Big Couloir," which we almost did yesterday, but decided against it. A couple more sessions like yesterday, and I will be ready.

Big Couloir-


You have to sign in with ski patrol before going down it, and you are required to go with a partner. The sign says an avalanche transceiver and shovel are required, but they have not been enforcing that rule.

90% of riding something like that is mental. Of course, a certain level of technical skill is required, as you have to be able to do controlled jump turns on very steep terrain... but that is nothing compared to the heart-in-the-throat-shit-your-pants feeling you have to overcome just to jump into the damn thing.

Actually, there is a lot of hairball terrain off that tram.

They were firing explosives into the couloir yesterday, and huge slabs of snow were breaking loose.

Where do I sign up for that job?

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I wish I was a sentimental ornament you hung on
the Christmas tree
I wish I was the star that went on top.