winter - - a poem by Jason

(Remember, this is the same Jason who supposedly dislikes poetry but unknowingly writes it all the time. This was uttered through bitter lips upon his looking out the window this morning and seeing the following scene.)

winter

why
oh why
oh why
oh why
oh winter
won't you release your grip
and give way to another season,
one with more light
and hope?

road trip, part 5: ski races

Okay, I promise that this is the last post about our road trip. I've really drug it out; we've been home almost two weeks by now! But as you could see, I had too many pictures to put into one entry, and several days seem to pass between bloggings. Same with floggings. It's nice that they rhyme so I can easily remember I'm due for both.

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From Portland we and Rachel drove to Sandpoint, Idaho for Cameron's ski race. We had a wonderful drive and plenty of time for Rachel and Jason to discuss/argue politics up in the front seat. I do emphasize plenty of time, because Jason drives precisely the speed limit (which my family likes to pick at him for as they find it a curiosity). We were also happy to be trapped by a tourist trap since it was a chocolate factory, salsa factory, and icecreamery all under one roof. Here's Zoralee in fact, eyeballing the chocolate.

potty-in-the-Tupperware break

When we got in to Sandpoint, we had dinner with Cam and his ski buddies. We met a famous, local hot shot skier (whose name I forget. Sorry, dude.) and got a little better grasp on the ski racer scene. Really, they're just like any other guys but with advertising labels all over their clothes. See, because they get free gear from companies, event hosts, etc. Back at the motel, Zoralee practiced her screaming skills with Rachel (video posted earlier), and then we settled down for the night.

footprint on the mirror

The next day we went to Schweitzer Mountain Resort. It has been awhile since I've been around the ski subculture. I forgot how slick and cool everybody looks in their slicky pants and coats and sunglasses...except us, the Clampett family with our random assortment of clothing and handbags.

Zoralee is taken aback by Auntie Rachel's

description of the ski jumps.

Knowing what a tough course it'll be,

Zoralee is showing Uncle Cam how to chill before the race.
watching the races

So, in this Skier X thing, from what I can tell, there's not a lot of trick-doing. They just speed down a course as fast as their legs can carry them, over jumps and around bends, occasionally crashing into one another and very rarely into the spectators that are littered about the mountainside. Except, they don't ever hit the lady spectator who rings a cowbell, as evidenced by the fact that she rung it all the day. Cameron was easy to spot, as you might note from his outfit. We got to see him ski four times or so. He did great the times he made it to the end! Unfortunately, he was twice taken out by fellow skiiers and wound up not placing high. But it was so great to watch him and his friends race, and to spend a day in a new little world.

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Our day ended on the incredibly traumatic note of Brian (Cam's best skiing buddy) wrecking in the semi-finals, immediately going unconscious and not regaining it. I wrote some about that when we first got home, so you can read past entries if you're interested. The short of it is that we didn't know for a couple of days whether or not Brian would survive. By now he has had successful brain surgery, been brought slowly out of sedation, and is recovering.

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So, that was it then! Our road trip was complete. We knew sunshine, rain, and blizzards, felt the wind in our faces, reconnected with family, sang old songs, sat Zoralee in the laps of two old great-great aunts as well as two women who are themselves with child, tasted exotic blends of spice, stepped through the soggy woods, and slept in six different beds.

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We noticed so much change in Zoralee, somewhat because of this age where it seems she has grown each time I pick her up from a nap, and somewhat because of the elapsed time being framed in by a trip. She started grasping, screaming, and talking more consistently while we were away. Thanks to all of you we got to see; we hope to be around again soon! Or, come see us! Summer is around the corner, I'm told.

road trip, part 4: Portland

Rach and Cam had been unable to come up to Sequim when we were there, so we decided to hit up Portland. We intended to stay only one night and sadly thought we better not visit friends in such a short time. Mostly because Jason had scads of paperwork to get done and a limited amount of time for it. BUT, one thing led to another. Jason accomplished a bunch via the olde world wide web, Rach happened to get "sick" while we were there and thus had extra time to stay home with us, and we learned that Cam had a race at the end of the week in Idaho. Well, we would be driving right through there to get home - why not wait a couple days and see him ski?? So that's precisely what we did, which enabled us to see two of my great-aunts who are best friends, one being my grandma's sister and the other my grandpa's sister, as well as a few friends our last evening in town.

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I will say that this trip to Portland was rather baby-centered. And not many trips to Portland are. Portlanders just don't have loads of children. It's neither strong Amish nor Mormon country. But two friends happen to be spregnant and one family had just come home from Ethiopia with their adopted daughter. Plus, Rachel and I watched the movie, "The Business of Being Born," which I recommend for any American or Canadian, regardless of their interest in childbirth. Click these words that you're currently reading for my sister's review of that movie.

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There are so many pictures that I will let them tell the stories. If I try to type more, I'll never get this stuff posted. And I want to be done telling of our trip, because other life things are happening! Like tap dancing children. Just kidding. I've got to get...them...out...of...my...head.

Cam, Zor, and Rach

Zor and Aunt Nadine
Zor and Aunt Virginia

Steve and Darla (24 weeks along with child!)
Jeff and Kezia (35 weeks along with child!)

Dan, Autumn, big brother Rhett, and new baby Mezmur
poor people, they'd only been back from Ethiopia for 2 days Cam and Zor at Powell's Books
going for Lebanese food, which you don't get often in nw MT

I love this pic because we're all wearing the most energetic color available, yet we are sloppy and slouchy, as are our surroundings (the main office of the apartment complex)