SAD BUT PART OF LIFE
I went skiing this morning. It's probably the last time I will ever ski at Happy Hogadon, an uncrowded bargain for retired skiers. It snowed a little bit on the mountain last night. The wind has been blowing while the temps have been up in town. The road of the mountain started to get slick about 2/3rds of the way up. As one drives close to the Hogadon property there is a small dip which turns into a corner. A pick-up coming from Hogadon pulling a trailer jack-knifed at the bottom of the dip blocking one lane. Cars were backed up and a couple of guys were sending cars through on the open lane. I was lucky my side was moving when I came through.
When I pulled into the parking lot I heard a girl on a cell phone ranting about how long she had to wait to get through.
Someone described the conditions as "dust on crust" which summed it up. There were few skiers, no wind and the sun came out. Driving away to go down the mountain the trailer was parked by the side of the road.
All in all it was a great way to finish my over 25 years of skiing at Happy Hogadon.

BUMPER STICKER ON BACK OF AN AMERICAN MADE SUV LICENSED IN WYOMING:
"Obama Sucks
Thanks America"
The irony: the vehicle had a Chicago Bears license plate holder. Since Obama is from Chicago, do you suppose they knew each other? Na.

SENT BY A FRIEND:
"Let me get this straight.....we're trying to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman say he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president that also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke.
What the hell could possibly go wrong?"

I think one of the most amusing stories of the week is conservative writer Ann Coulter alleges she is a victim of a "hate crime." The irony of all this is Coulter was to deliver a speech at the University of Ottawa. She was warned by no less than the university provost that she could be in violation of Canada's hate laws which forbid hate speeches. If a writer lives by that reputation, she can be attacked for that reputation. In her retort she accuses UO students of having an average IQ of zero. How to win friends. Anyway, Ann Coulter is offended that anyone would say anything critical of her. Ah, justice. She just needs to limit her venues to Tea Party rallies.
I wonder is Rush Limbaugh is scheduled to make any speeches in Canada in the near future.

Kathy and I returned to the mount to ski this morning. This was the third day of grooming the 20 inches of base received Tuesday. It doesn't get any better than that.
After skiing we went over the the cross country lodge for lunch. They are closing Sunday so the menu was somewhat limited. Kathy, who runs the lodge, is retiring. She and her husband adopted three elementary-aged kids whom they had been raising as foster children. She is going to stay home with them. She and her husband are already grandparents. There are good people in the world.
On Thursdays, I've been taking my "Redneck" calendar pages and giving them to my "homies" who enjoy them as much as I do. It's also a great way to recycle.

I was disappointed that Prez Obama went to Iowa to sell the health reform bill. I think if he going to use that much jet fuel, he ought go where there's more of a challenge. I think he should have gone the Utah or Wyoming, the two most conservative states in the country.
Wait-they aren't going to vote for a Democrat under any circumstances.

GOOD-Went skiing yesterday morning. Hogadon got about 20 inches of snow Tuesday. There were several plows out as we drove up and came down the mountain. We only got around 4 inches at our house. Driving down the mountain the north half of Casper was brown. I guess the snowfall was in the foothills where we live and certainly on the mountain. May go up again tomorrow.
BAD-I crashed and burned for the first time this year while skiing . While turning I skied into some ungroomed snow below a jump on Boomerang. I almost made it through the season without crashing. Wasn't a yard sale, however. Ironically Kathy was the first person to ski by while I was putting my skis back on.
BAD-The rattle is back in my van.
VERY GOOD-Went to see "Hairspray", part of the Broadway Play series, at the Events Center last night. It is a fun play and the cast was outstanding.