The Family Sideways: Winter is here!

Winter is here! 11/12/2008 08:34:00 AM

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM MST FRIDAY

I get weather reports every day in my work email (I work for a ski mountain, remember?), and seeing notices like this, while it means more work for me (shoveling, snowblowing, etc) also means good things for my work. Apparently in hard economic times, mountains aren't really hurt as long as there's good snow. So here's hoping for another 40-foot year. We're off to a better start, for sure! We started snowmaking last week (miles of new lines were installed off season), and though the few inches of snow we've had in the valley is mostly melting off, it's sticking on the mountain. Last year, our first big snow didn't come until the day after C was born, and we put off opening by a week - then had a record-breaking year. People are expecting another good snow year this year - I guess we'll see.

In other news, the laundry room walls are patched and primed - hopefully I'll be able to get at least one coat of paint on before the weekend (though that's not looking terribly likely, since I don't have a color picked out yet). We had a minor scare with the washer (small leak due to excessive shaking during the spin cycle) that I rectified last night, but it forced me to deal with the fact that our machines will need replacing in the next year or so (after last year's dryer failure).

Grandpa and Granimal visit next week for C's one year bday, and her present should arrive today (we got a very nice new hiking backpack, as she doesn't really fit in the bjorn anymore - especially not with winter clothes on). We decided this would really be all we get her for her birthday and Christmas this year, as (A) it's wicked expensive, and (B) we're told that at 1, kids are more interested in ripping the paper than the gifts themselves. We'll wrap up a couple books she hasn't seen yet (she loves her some books!) and I'm sure there will be a deluge of toys from relatives, especially with a trip to Fargo on the books.

Other than that, not much is happening. Oh yeah, except for the fact that I'm getting an MRI sometime in the next week (they're going to call me back when they've set up a time). Long story short, my foot has been bothering me for about three weeks now (to the point where people are used to seeing me limp around). I finally gave in and went to see a local orthopod, and he was as baffled as Dana is with my condition. Apparently it presents like a stress fracture, but I haven't done anything that would give me a stress fracture. Unless I've been living with it forever and I'm just so tough I never noticed until Caroline brought out my softer side.

So he said we could wait and see, or get an MRI. I think it bugged him that he didn't know exactly what was going on (very Type-A, this guy), and he wants to figure out what the heck is up. So into the MRI I go. Luckily, they don't have to irradiate me (*ahem* sorry, they prefer to use the word "contrast"), so that's a bonus.

Last little bit (I realize this is reading like a novel): Dana and I instituted a "no TV night" last night - I think it will be Tuesdays from now on - because we watch way too much TV. A lot was accomplished! I got some grocery shopping done (usually do that on the weekend), fixed the washer, fixed the printer, and taught Dana - a little too late - how to use the wood stove. (It kept going out when she closed the door. Because she didn't open the vent. Thank god there's no flue, she would have smoked us out!) D got some work done for a presentation she's giving to SSWSC today, and we ate fishsticks. I didn't get as much reading done as I had hoped, but it was a more productive evening than I had expected, so that was a bonus. Maybe in the future we'll be able to extend to two-nights as non-TV nights. (it really is sad how much TV we watch).

THAT IS ALL! Feel free to go back about your lives.

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2 Comments:

Anonymous said...

Contrast MRI is no fun, and expensive even after insurance. I think I paid as much for the MRI as I did (or will) for the surgery after.

Let us know how the No TV night works out. Sounds like a good idea.

Hope your foot feels better soon, and it's not too serious!

posted at 9:26 AM

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about your foot!! Definitely keep us posted! Did you hurt it boarding last season perhaps?

Thats quite a backpack!

Can't wait to see snow pics!! Or Caroline in snow for that matter!

posted at 6:45 AM