Mark your calendar....

.... Garnet '08 will be Feb 08, '08!!! Deposit is down on the house.

Garnet 07

Sometime late Saturday night…..

The group formely known as the New Hope Nordics are back up at the Bazil house in Garnet Hill. The trip got off to a rocky start as Art got his Subaru stuck in the snow. I thought those 4 wheel drive things didn’t get stuck! The deep snow that is lousy for driving is just deep and fluffy, but just right for skiing! Last year’s garlic offering to the snow gods seems to work it’s magic. The skiing was fantastic only thing was yours truly got a blister again. I have to do something like walk in my ski boots to break in my feet before the season. Seems like the rest of the crew made the picture of the Week! What a good looking bunch of skiiers! This year’s dinner was a hit even though I just made pasta and garlic bread. There were a lot more things in the pot luck offerings. More desserts that you can shake a ski pole at! Tomorrow night Mike and Ellen are going to work their magic with dinner. I’m going to try something else with my heel. And the weather will give us some more snow.

….but somehow that new antler chandelier is disturbing!
Later Saturday Night….

I hate not being able to fall asleep. I have a house load of compatriots that are gently snoring and I’m out here in the dining room tapping away on the blog!

Sunday Morning….

My blister is preventing me from skiing. I’m going to try petroleum jelly on my heel next year to give the heel more slide. I rented the Bazil house for next year Garlic Hill 08 is set for Feb 08.
Notes from last night dinner. We had garlic bread, roasted garlic, Gemelli with tomato sauce and salad. The sauce was made from a jar of sun dried tomato pesto sauce, it was finely chopped in olive oil with pine nuts, that pesto was put into chopped garlic and olive oil, then a jar of tomato sauce is added. A very rich sauce indeed.
Note from dinner….

I made 4 pounds of pasta. 3 or maybe 2 may do it. 2 sour dough loafs were good for garlic bread. Two large bags of chopped lettuce is OK. Roasted garlic – Put bulbs of garlic with olive oil in the oven in a closed container. Roast for 2 hours at 325.

Sunday Evening……

Chris left for an early train. We tried to watch parts of the Blob on the computer’s DVD. We were looking for gaffes in the scene where they are running out of the theater in Phoenixville. We could not control the DVD player with enough fine detail. There was a cat hearding exersice when we had to move the cars to let Chris out to catch his train. I was driving Art’s car and the tires really stink for the snow. It’s the first four wheel drive car could not get up the driveway.

Dinner was great Ellen’s Red Lentil and Tomato soup was excellent. Very good even if it did not have the herbs de provance. Mike’s mac and cheese was a hit. But now we are up to our ears in pasta. Note to both cooks. Less pasta. But I’m a mac-aholaic I’ve been enrolled in a 12 sauce program and it had not detered me from any pasta. I have not met a shape that I did not like.

I tried to explain to Art the reason that the bus drivers would turn up the heat…. you know to make all the passengers in the back fall asleep. This is the same reasoning I guess that we serve all that pasta.

Meg and I tried to get the TV working even though that they have a Dish Network we could not figure it out. So the Oscars will go on without us.
Also, Art mentioned to us that Herring was the only fish that can be said while holding your tongue. Well soon as that was said a chorus of Cod, Halibut, Patagonian Toothfish was heard while people held their tongues.


Monday…..
Blister gone! Smeared heel with petroluem jelly and we headed out. Marilyn, Art and I took Blue Jay trail. We climbed to the lodge. The climbing was the thing that blistered my heel and I was feeling no discomfort. The temps were in the twentys it was a great snow day. About two inches of fresh power were on the freshly groomed trails. Marilyn and I decided to do Duffany’s Run. It is allways closed as it is pretty steep and gets icy fast. The snow was soft and not too packed. The snow gave way under the skis so in addition to snow plowing you had to do some tip management to keep them up above the snow. Coming around a right hand turn my ski dug in and over I went. About mid way down there is a 90 deg left turn which I never made. No dice today either went off the course and into the woods. We then took the long climb to the ski shop on Trapper. I had the shop fix my bindings that broke last year. And we head back to the house for lunch and to see Mike, Meg, Saul and Ellen off.

Tuesday….

House cleanup. We packed up cleaned up and hauled out. Got the house in shape and loaded the car. Said goodbye to Art and we for a shower. As I’m taking the shower Marilyn knocks on the door to say that Art got stuck in the driveway. I got dressed an Phyllis, Marilyn and I push Art out but he ended up deeped and up to his axels. AAA had to be called again. About an hour the same tow truck but a new driver came to rescue Art. He mentioned that his son dragged him out a few days ago, and that he hardly ever saw Subarus stuck… Anyway a few minutes and a tug on the cable an Art was free to go. We then followed and made it home easily.

12 steps of the e-mail addicted.....

Are you panicky if you don't have touch with your BlackBerry? Feel leashed to your inbox?

This could be for you! Found this on CNN ......





Following are the 12 steps of a plan devised by executive coach Marsha Egan in Pennsylvania to teach people how to manage their e-mail:

1. Admit that e-mail is managing you. Let go of your need to check e-mail every ten minutes.


2. Commit to keeping your inbox empty.


3. Create files where you can put inbox material that needs to be acted on.


4. Make broad headings for your filing system so that you have to spend less time looking for filed material.


5. Deal immediately with any e-mail that can be handled in two minutes or less but create a file for mails that will take longer.


6. Set a target date to empty your in box. Don't spend more than an hour at a time doing it.


7. Turn off automatic send/receive.


8. Establish regular times to review your e-mail.


9. Involve others in conquering your addiction.


10. Reduce the amount of e-mail you receive.


11. Save time by using only one subject per e-mail; delete extra comments from forwarded e-mail, and make the subject line detailed.


12. Celebrate taking a new approach to e-mail.

Now Don't you feel better?

Garlic Hill fever!

All seem to be excited about going to Garnet. Mike and Ellen are preping Sat night meal. I'll keeping a weather eye out. Looks like maybe some warm weather heading for Albany. We'll be north and in the woods so it should be cooler.

DSL back On....

Had to reboot the outside box to start the internet access again.

Would have been nice if Verizon told me to do that but it's one of those things you just have to figure out on your own.

Gotta love those ad slogans....

DSL Network
Posted Date: 2/20/2007 5:49:21 AM CST
Status: Open
Some Verizon DSL customers in the WILLOW GROVE, PA area may be experiencing difficulties accessing the Internet at this time.
Engineers are aware of this issue and are working to resolve it as quickly as possible. Estimated time of repair 4 hours.

Verizon's new ad campagin is "It's On"

Hey Verizon ..... It's 1:30 pm and "It's Still NOT On"

odd and ends....

Verizon DSL down this morning. That's why there are no images or weather on the blog this morning. Remember this when Verizon tell you that IT'S ON. Yeah Right!

Final thoughts on King Tut. It was amazing to see a glimpse of the past 3000 years ago. All of this was done for immortality. I guess he achieved it in some small measure.

Garnet Hill ski trip is on track. It's going to be warmer blue or purple ski wax at the ready. Mike and Ellen are on deck for making dinner too this time. Looks like lots of good skiing and good eats.

Also, today is Mardis Gras. Happy Doughnut day! Laissez les bons temps rouler!

King Tut....

We went to see the King Tut exhibit down at the Franklin Institute. It really was pretty amazing to see all the artifacts from 3000 years ago. The small gold canopic coffinette was terrific and the detail of the statues was really remarkable. We just got back so it all has not sunk in .








King Tut


( (c) 1978 Steve Martin - Wild and Crazy Guy )

King Tut (King Tut)

Now when he was a young man,
He never thought he’d see
People stand in line to see the boy king.
(King Tut) How’d you get so funky?
(funky Tut) Did you do the monkey?


Born in Arizona,
Moved to Babylonia (king Tut).
(king Tut) Now, if I’d known
they’d line up just to see you,
I’d trade in all my money
And bought me a museum. (king Tut)
Buried with a donkey (funky Tut)


He’s my favorite honkey!

Born in Arizona,
Moved to Babylonia (king Tut)
Dancin’ by the Nile, (Disco Tut)
The ladies love his style, (waltzing Tut)
Rockin’ for a mile (rockin’ Tut)

He ate a crocodile.
He gave his life for tourism.
Golden idol!
He’s an Egyptian


They’re sellin’ you.
Now, when I die,
don’t think I’m a nut,
don’t want no fancy funeral,
Just one like ole king Tut.

(King Tut)

He coulda won a Grammy,
Buried in his Jammies,
Born in Arizona,
moved to Babylonia,
He was born in Arizona,
lived in a condo made of stone-a,
King Tut

Nerds

We went to the Plays and Players theater last night to see Nerds a Musical Software Satire. It was Ok. Let me explain. It was kind of like the saying when Joe Kennedy was getting stock tips from his shoe shine boy in 1929 he knew it was time to get out of the market.

Before the play started there was this guy behind me that was just blathering on about PC's, Macs, Windows, Office and other things software and hardware. With all the authority of a Saturday afternoon living room coach. But this was not the only conversation I heard about three!

Then I really tried not to listen. It must have been all the glitter painted pc's on the walls as decoration that stired up all this computer nonsense.

But anyway the play was a fun little number. It depiced the early life of Bill Gates/Paul Allen and Steve Jobs/Steve Woz. And it's a musical. What more can be said. The play has the themes of success, failure an redemption. But in Bill Gates place it's only success, success and more success. It plays a little like an old worn Apple ad. Microsoft bad Apple cool. And the jokes about nerdy guys not being able to get dates is tiresome. But on the whole it was a fun play and a great night out.

BTW go see it and leave the laptop at home.

Snow!!

It finally snowed here today. We got a few inches of mixed snow, ice and sleet. The big news is that in the ski areas above Albany they are using the blizzard word. They may be getting three feet. So the snow gods may have found our garlic offering favorable! We may just have something white to ski on!!!!!!

E-mail Trouble.

I've been setting up a mail server at home. This is because I have about 3 e-mail address that I answer in addition to the one at work. I was trying to consolidate them into one place for retrieval.

Only thing is now when I send a message I'm getting stuck in spam filters. So if I mail you send me an answer back to make sure that it's working.

An if you don't get e-mail from me check your spam filter. ( I may be in there among the Viagra ads and Nigerian get rich scams ) .

If I'm not in your spam filter ( Sorry for having you look thru the XXX mails to find me ) or your inbox maybe I didn't send you anything.

In that case send me an e-mail and I'll send you one telling you to get right back to me.....

Hmmmm maybe I should rethink this whole e-mail thing.

Uninterruptible Power Supply

I found a UPS ( Uninterpretable Power Supply ) at Home Depot when looking for salt for the driveway this Saturday. I installed it on the web server and our VOIP phone equipment. Now our phone will stay on in the event of a blackout. Also, the server will shut down in a controlled manner. Also.........

Hey.... Hey you.... yeah you!! Keep pedaling!!!! I need to finish this blog entry!

You think I should dangle a Power Bar in front of that kid?

A relaxing wax........

Mike and I both had a waxing session this morning.

No No it had nothing to do with personal grooming. We waxed our cross country skis.

But it does look like she is using Universal Klister.

We both did grip zones with base wax and no glide wax. Seems the glide was good from last year. We cleaned up the nasty wax from last year. Then we slathered on the sticky SWIX base wax and ironed it on. It will provide a good foundation for all the sticky business that is grip wax.

Job well done... and we lost no hair... to the wax anyway.

Enough snow for ya?

Found some pictures from that snow fall in upstate NY. Here are the pix from New Haven and Mexico. ( You think they might want to be south of the border today eh? )

Shoveling the driveway is a pain but shoveling the roof!








Hey kids, this is what is means to be snowed in!

Could ya turn off the snow..... PLEASE!!!!!

I've been geeting snow condition e-mails from Hugh Quinn at Salmon Hills for a while. This year has been plagued by late openings beacause of warm temps and dry conditions. I found this in my in box today:

Well if you have been listening to any of the local or even national news this week you know that we have been getting hammered with lake effect snow. I measure snow just once a day so if anything my totals are low and I've come up with almost 70 inches of snow so far in the last week. The news tonight said north redfield had received 111 inches, mexico and parish around 101 inches. My guess is that we are up somewhere between the amount I have recorded and the 100 inch plus totals. Not that it makes much difference - the packed snow depths on the trails are between 3 and 4 foot. unpacked areas have considerably higher measurements.

Temperatures for the weekend look good with highs of 24 for saturday and sunday. Lake effect is supposed to be around until monday so you want to pay attention to wind directions. Saturday looks like we will be under a westerly wind where we might get hit. Sunday looks like a southwest wind where the snow should go north of us. I have seen a lot of lake effect storms over the years, the worst was when we got 100 inches plus in a 3 day stretch a few years back when montague got hit so hard. But even that year it was a fairly limited area that got hit real hard. This year a large area got hit. I currently have a request into wsyr9 to see if they have any computer models that could estimate the tonage of all the snow that has fallen. So far no reply, but everybody is busy with the snow.

we will be open, everything has been packed and all my gas cans are full so we will pack as hard as we can for the weekend. oh yeah - maybe back off on the THINK SNOW for a couple of days.

Hugh
Osceola Tug Hill XC
315-599-7377
www.uxcski.com

Once upon a mattress

We then went to see Amy Miller in the Beth Sholom production of Once upon a Mattress. It was a fun evening watching this adaption of the Princess and the Pea fairytale. The play was done in the round to make the most of the small auditorium. There was a full compliment of musicians to provide the score. And the players did a great job of bringing the story to life. Amy was the princess Fred, the lead princess in the play. She did a great job with the part. She had the quality of suspension of disbelief. Which is to say that she drew you into the part she was playing. Saul said playing a princess was not much of a stretch for her.

[UPDATE] I got a picture from the proud papa. Here is Amy and the jester.

Once again good going Amy!

Jonathan's

Marilyn and I went to Jonathan's at the Jenkintown train station. The station was originally designed by noted architect Horace Trumbauer at the turn of the 19th century. The menu is American steak and fish, but has a healthy helping of gourmet pizza. We got the brick oven strombolis. The crab and pesto is as good as any crabcake. I thought it could use some Old Bay seasoning but that would be cliche. The interior of the station is really impressive. And the price is very reasonable. Good food in a nice place with good service. What more can you want.

No Ad Hoc trips.....

No ad hoc ski trip this weekend. Gotta go unclog a drain for mom tomorrow night.

Yeeech!

Tonight...

We are going to see a play at Beth Sholom in Elkins Park. They are putting on "Once upon a Mattress". Saul and Ellen's daughter has a part in the play. The play is based on the fable of The Princess and the Pea. It will be in the round so it should be fun.

On one other note Beth Sholom was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Follow the link above it has some information and a photo gallery.

Wrong again..... and snow talk

Our tix for King Tut are not this weekend. They are for next weekend. With calendars and schedule software and PDA's you think that I would get a date right.

Looks like Lapland Lake snow fortunes have turned. They now have a respectable amount of snow on the trails. Western Upstate NY got hit hard with lake effect snow. Up to 6ft. Salmon Hills has about 30 inches of snow on the trails and up yo 94 inches in the woods!!!!!

Maybe time is right for an ad hoc trip?

Hey It's Cold.......

Winter is here. At least the cold part of it anyway. Crocuses were starting to break the surface. I wonder if they regret coming up? It's still dry here no snow.

Lee (Jr?) is in Cherry Hill on a trip from Texas. It was 60 degs when he left. (I wonder if he regrets coming up? Kind of like the crocuses. ) I sure hope he brought his hat and gloves. He asked if this was normal. I told him that no usually it's this cold and we have to deal with snow, ice and shoveling the driveway. I told him that since he's from Texas were cutting him some slack.

The cold will last at least until this weekend. We are going to the King Tut exhibit. Something nice and warm. Also, we are going to wax up the skis in firm hope that maybe, just maybe there will be SOMETHING to ski on by the end of the month.

Of Note....

It's finally cold here and we have a light dusting of snow on the ground. We went to the storage shed this morning to put the tires back in and the locks are frozen. We'll try again later and we'll bring something to warm the lock.

Which is a great segue into skiing.

Lapland lake is reporting that they have 100% of thier trails open.

Garnet Hill ( watch out the link has Garnet's cheesy music ) has 40Km of trails open.

Next week looks like it will be cold. What is on the trails will stay any they are getting 1 to 2 inch flurries daily for the beginning of next week.

Maybe we can really think about skiing!

Happy Birthday.....

Happy Birthday Gail and Jake.....

We went to Mike and Gail's to celebrate Gail's birthday. It was also Jake the cat's birthday. He was his hissing and snarling little self locked away upstairs.

Back to the party. The party was great. People were doing their best El Wingador imitation on Mike's famous wings. The cheese table was just spectacular and beautifully presented as aways. And the beer selection is something behold. The melted chocolate fountain had all the chocoholics dipping all kinds of things. ( Marshmallow's, Banana slices, strawberries, sweaters, shirts, hands, etc..... )

We ended the evening by singing "Happy Birthday" to Gail and Jake.

The ending line " ...any many more!!!" was left out of Jake's rendition.

Another Excellent Party... Thanks guys!!!!!!

Oh Phil.....

Look like Phil saw his shadow today. Which is suppose to mean an early spring. But next week is suppose to have the coldest weather we had all winter. Still we have three weeks before the first ski trip. We are still hoping for snow in the northlands.