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March 29, 2004
I'M BACK -- DIDJA MISS ME?
So after a well-earned (if I do say so myself) vacation for the last four days, I am back home in Noo Yuck and am back online. It was great to get away - and Vermont is a beautiful place to get away to.
As you may have guessed, I was part of the surprise 35th birthday celebration that Tim's wife Donna threw for him. (Before I go any further, let me just say that Donna is a saint. The amount of planning it took just to get this weekend in place was astounding -- and then Donna pretty much ran the show this weekend once we were there. Donna, on the off chance you've actually got a spare moment and you're reading this, thank you for everything ... you did a wonderful job!)
Anyway, so we had this surprise ski weekend booked in Killington, Vermont - probably the best ski destination on the east coast. Donna had arranged for family members from literally all over the world to attend (all unbeknownst to Tim), as well as a couple who live next door to Tim, Mike & Jenn, and li'l ol' me. 15 people, 14 of whom knew what was going on, one of whom did not -- and yet we managed to keep it a secret. (That's why I couldn't tell you where I would be - couldn't take the chance that Tim might read it before we left. So Friday morning, Tim left with five others for the four hour drive up to Vermont - not knowing that any of the rest of us would be showing up. I trucked on over to Mike & Jenn's, and we all went up together. (Head over to Mike's site and ask him about the speed traps on I-87 just north of Albany, NY!)
We got to Killington around 2:00, and Tim was suitably surprised - and seemed pretty happy to see us. (Which is a good thing, I suggest.) I have to tell you, I ordinarily would not plug the place we stayed, for privacy reasons -- but not only is the house amazing, but the owner, Kevin, is an incredibly nice guy and accomodating host, and he took very good care of us. So, if you are ever in the mood to go skiing in Killington and are looking for a group chalet/house to rent, I recommend The Matterhorn.
I actually didn't go skiing this weekend. I do like to ski, but my knees don't allow it much anymore... and my right knee especially has been bothering me for much of the last week. So I held back, deciding that it was better to just get away from home for a few days and enjoy the relaxation, rather than push my knee and make it worse. One other person didn't ski either, but we were able to nab a couple of last minute appointments on Saturday at The Spa At The Woods. I have to tell you, a 50 minute massage was really, really refreshing after the last few weeks at work -- and much to my surprise, my knee just did not hurt anymore after the therapist finished! So that was outstanding. Of course, between skipping out of skiing due to knee pain, raving about a peppermint oil massage, and my unfortunate choice to drink a Smirnoff Ice instead of a beer, I set myself up for plenty of "you're such a girl" comments from the boys for the rest of the weekend. (You guys who're reading this? You're all bastards.
I have quite a few very fond memories and sights out of the weekend...Mike's slightly(?) inebriated skid toward the hot tub on the rain slickened deck around 9:00... he slipped, skidded for a moment, then slipped into the air, reaching an altitude of about three feet while achieving a perfect 180 parallel degrees to the deck, before thudding to the wooden deck like a short, bald sack of potatoes. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt -- which made it damn funny.
Dinner at The Grist Mill and their great jambalaya special. Someone getting the bright - if inebriated - idea that an emptied out hard-sided suitcase might make a decent sled... and then taking it out for a spin on the Great Eastern Trail. The Burger King commercial where the guy eats the woman's Whopper with extra mayo... she notices his cheek, licks it, and says, "Mayo"... then the geek sitting nearby looks at the guy and brays at him. "Baahhhhhhhh!" (We laughed our collective asses off at that one.)
Wandering off while Tim was buying new ski boots and finding Ppeppers Bar & Grill, intending to have a drink ... until we ran into their "Perfect Screwdrivers," which are made with orange juice so freshly squeezed that you actually watch them squeezing the juice for your drink as you order it. (We kind of stuck around Ppeppers for a couple of hours, watching the oranges roll through the presser and then tasting them in the screwdrivers.) Watching Silence of the Lambs in front of the fire, and everyone's half-drunken attempts at Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter impressions. ("No! That is in-ci-DENT-lllllllll." "Was she big through the hips? Rrrrrrrrrooomy?")
We left first thing Monday morning for home - everyone tired and sort of ready to go back, but at the same time wishing it wasn't over. I think it's safe to say that Tim had an okay birthday. I think it's even safer to say that Donna has set the bar incredibly high when it comes to planning birthday bashes... and that Tim has his work cut out for him when planning Donna's 35th when it comes. It was a great weekend, with great friends, and was a much needed break from the tension of being here in NY. Thanks, Donna!
(Pictures are forthcoming... as soon as I get 'em developed and posted.)
