SallyCat

I can't imagine Salty asking a woman out until he's met and evaluated the 3.5 other billion women in the world and analyzed their relative merits. (I'm only kidding, Salty!)

Dude. When they offer next year's pass in February and you don't buy it, the trash talk you received over your 170 RTMs will seem like sweet talk whispered in your ear by a beautiful lover compared to the firehose of absolute filth that will rain down on you for your terrible, terrible decision.

That's because me and Salty wrecked the place.

Hey, good for you; that's no small thing. I'm way older than you, but even back in the 1980s, UVM was considered a "public ivy" and was very selective for students from out of state. I spent some time in Burlington because my Vermont cousin went there and we were good friends. I saw Phish play at Nectars and had some amazing gravy fries. EDIT: The dorm scene was pretty crazy , though. And I went to Syracuse, which wasn't exactly tame, either. But UVM: wow.

Thank you, I will. And I will be in much better spirits!

You should try three months of listening to them whine about college admissions. Oh sorry you might have to go to your second -choice school which is also AMAZING and for which you will not have to be saddled with student loans for the rest of your life. Sorry you have easy access to an incredible education that 70% of Americans can't even conceive of. Jaysus. Time to step away from the desk and start drinking.

That is a fair point, well made. Thanks for the perspective!

Fair point. I bought it because I have family in central Vermont, including an elderly mother with some mobility issues. As a result and by necessity, I've been driving up there a lot recently to help her get by and get the house on the market, etc. so she can move into an assisted-living situation, which is where she really should be (her choice, too, but we're stuck until the house sells). So I figured it would at least pay for itself the times I'm up there during ski season. Tbh, I haven't been using it as much as I'd planned, but I think February and March should see me up there more often. I'll at least get my money's worth out of it. Whether I buy it again depends on where I'm living next year.

I can't fucking believe I wasted today grading essays for a bunch of the most petulant and obnoxious students I've ever had instead of skiing. . If I could nominate every last one of them to graduate tomorrow I would. Or maybe they could go live on a fucking desert island until June. #$%^&*()_+@. EDIT: Sorry. Not having a great day. First time in my career I don't enjoy being in the classroom with kids. And when they cut into my fun time, well. Shit just got real.

Ah, but you've read my stupid blog so you know how much I like an excuse to putter around in the workshop.

Spring skiing last year is why I now know how to do p-tex repairs. I work for 6-packs of IPA, btw.

My Max pass includes Mountain Creek, but my Blue season pass always wins that battle. Can't justify the drive to Vernon, but a great trip report! I feel awkward listening to music with other people on the lift (except for snowboarders). Am I just old?

I've found that asking someone to video me with my phone is incredibly helpful. I need to be half drunk to deal with the horror of seeing myself ski, but quite seriously, it's extremely revealing. I've taken some one-hour lessons and don't think they helped in a lasting way. I miss being an athlete with access to coaches for consistent, real-time feedback. I reckon that skiing with better skiers who are willing to critique could accomplish something close to that. I often notice intermediate-level skiers (very often women for some reason) with what looks like textbook good form, but also a rigidity that makes them look like a zombie with rigor. It doesn't seem natural or fun. Maybe that's a necessary step on the way to being an expert? I dunno. It doesn't seem natural or dynamic. I would be disappointed if I saw myself skiing like that, though I know I have a lot of sloppy movement i need to quiet.

I was bopping around Main St. around that time and I had fun going in and out of the lower set of bumps just on the edge of the mogul field so as to avoid the ice and have a quick emergency escape route in case of disaster. I don't know how to ski bumps: I treat them like little jumps followed by a quick turn and I'm going to hurt myself probably, but it sure is fun.

Congrats and good luck!

For some reason ski club cancelled tonight, so I'm going drinking with friends. So you know, also not grading exams tonight. I'm proctoring an exam right now and writing cover letters to potential employers. I'm an absolute model of professional responsibility lately!

True, I have submitted my resignation and that has had a significant dampening effect on my work ethic.

Will be grading exams and checking the web cams with great sadness.

I think you caught my car pulling out of the lot--black vw wagon on the far left. Was a super fun night. Good snow most everywhere. Happy to finally be on my RTMs.

Ha ha ha ha ha, I just skied three runs with a 35 year old dude I happened to sit next to at the bar. His idea to ski together. I kept giving HUGE OBVIOUS clues about how old I was and kept giving him exit opportunities. He finally went in for an elk burker. That was hilarious. Nice guy--sorry to have wasted his time but it was his call!

Conditions are great this evening; not even many school kids. Literally no lines and sparsely-occupied slopes.

They treat the help pretty good at Fancy Pants Academy. Actually, faculty lunch is a holdover from having been a boarding school

Teacher's sometimes good, too. Had midterm exams today, so I was done at 10:30 but hung around for free lunch. Am at the bar at the valley lodge now waiting for the shop to adjust my RTMs to my boots. Me and Salty: RTM Squad.

So well said. As with any sport, it's relatively easy to reach a level of basic competence, but also easy to stagnate there. Progress thereafter seems to be a matter of numerous and very subtle adjustments to form. After a lifetime of playing basketball I can diagnose my jump shot the moment the ball leaves my hand. But skiing is a foreign physical language to me and so far all I can do is ask for directions to the train station.

"Chillin' with a hair tie/no makeup and some sweatpants on..." Right.