My back, that is. And no nausea today. Just thought you’d want to know.
Preparations for the big ski trip are now in full swing. (Sounds like a large pendulum... I wonder where that expression “In full swing” came from??) Carol and I are in daily contact with our daughters making plans, doing last-minute shopping, and taking care of last minute arrangements.
Heck, we don’t leave THIS weekend, we leave NEXT weekend. It’s not like we’re pressed for time here.
Nevertheless, Carol has already cooked a massive pot of black-eyed peas and ham, and another massive pot of beef stew. Each of those was then divided into individual-serving sized plastic containers and frozen. These will become our choice of entrees for lunch on the mountain each day.
Why, you ask? Good question!
Winter park has a large self-service restaurant and eating area with hot and cold selections at the base of the mountain, another one called the “Snowasis” halfway up/down the mountain (depending on which way you happen to be traveling when you get hungry), and even another one called “Sunspot” on top of the mountain.
The food in those places always smells wonderful! So why don’t we just save ourselves all this time and effort and just eat there?
Because a Coke is $3.50, a hot dog is $9.00, hot chocolate is $4.00, and... you get the idea. We figure we spend less for the entire week of self-prepared lunches that we would spend in one DAY eating at the restaurants.
Our lunch selections include the entrees described above, plus your choice of a cold soft drink or hot chocolate, your choice of an apple of a tangerine, chips or crackers, and then COOKIES!!
Carol will begin early next week baking about 15 dozen of the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. We’ll be eating those cookies until they’re all gone, which MIGHT be the last day of the trip, but it also might be a lot earlier. There are never any left over.
Whenever I read about lembas in the J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy (that’s the elves’ “waybread,” in case you’ve forgotten) I always think of Carol’s chocolate chip cookies.
So, next week Carol will be baking cookies, and I will be checking our van for proper antifreeze protection, sufficient oil, tire chains packed in the back, good tire pressure, and so on. One of the traditions of the trip is that usually something breaks or goes wrong on the road.
But with all that prepared food in the van with us, we sure don’t go hungry while we’re waiting to get repairs!
8 comments:
you guys are going to need a vacation from your vacation.. Sounds like you guys have it all planned out though and are going prepared!
Do you guys hire out as caterers? I think I'd like some of those black-eyed peas and cookies!
I thought I had come to a peaceful place with my sweater and ski trip envy. However, the fact that you all eat chocolate chip cookies and individual portions of stew and black-eyed peas and ham on the mountain just threw me over the edge! Little personal packets of food from Carol... that's too much.
Then, the thought of Lou penetrating the inner sanctuary that is the Earle Family Ski Trip just drives me crazy! It is a cruel and unjust world, Mr. Earle.
T.
Somehow the thought of you being “thrown over the edge” by black-eyed peas and ham, or beef stew, brings up an image of a young woman sailing over the rim of the Grand Canyon into the abyss while two containers of frozen food snicker in the background. Interesting.
As for Lou’s success, I guess it’s a shame I didn’t have an almost-adopted male whom you could have married and thus achieved the status you so yearn to attain. But lacking that, perhaps if you kiss up to Amy (or Carol? You know, “number one!”) sufficiently, you too might have a chance to enter the realm of your dreams.
An unjust world? Indeed.
John
Perhaps I must resort to kissing up, but I'm thinking I may have more immediate success with organizing a rival ski trip.
Perhaps some of your blogging friends could join my rival gang. We'd taunt you all on the slopes wearing our own matching sweaters and eating our own personal packets of food.
T.
I don't want to drift too far off of John's topic, as his blog is not the proper forum for this debate, but...
SOMEONE keeps insisting on dragging my name (through the mud, no less) into this.
Let me start by saying that I really do see your point.
Maybe my inclusion does stretch the limits of what a family member is, but I did not hint, ask, imply, demand, or expect to become a member of this exclusive club. Honestly, the thought had never even crossed my mind.
Deserving or not, I'm very fortunate to have been extended an invitation. It will be a fun and exciting vacation. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.
That being said, I can't stay home just because you don't think I should go.
In other words, I understand and don't entirely disagree with your position. However, just like your "new bed" selection for "furniture that begins with the letter N," I'm going to give it a BIG THUMBS DOWN!
Maybe I'll save you a cookie...
Lou, I appreciate you understanding my postion as an "outsider" and am delighted to see the gratitude you feel to have had the doors of that exclusive club opened to you.
I don't intend to drag your good name, which isn't even your real name, through the mud. I just want to drag it down the ski slopes behind me over moguls and maybe bruise it up a little...okay not really.
You just represent the mere hope of outsiders joining in, and having that hope exist for me is actually more painful than not believing it was an option at all.
I don't think you should stay home. Believe me...if ever that door opens my way, I'm running through it head first and so quickly they can't resend the offer.
How's the ACL by the way? Stay clear of Tom who may push you down again.
P.S. Save a cookie for me. I'd appreciate it.
LOL - I loved reading the debates going on in the comments section. Carol is marvelous. I like her. Very much. I want a male version of Carol. I seriously need a highly organised person to run my life for me.
And if I lived in the States, I would either hijack your trip next weekend and invite myself along to enjoy lovingly packed meals and chocolate chip cookays or I will join T and help form a rival gang wearing our own matching outfits.
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