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Valley Spur Cross Country Ski Trails

Last weekend we spent the day in Munising at Valley Spur. It was cold out (2 degrees) but so sunny! We skied on the sharpest (?) groomed trails that I've ever been on. They were amazing. The views were spectacular and the sun was too. The log cabin lodge was a perfect place to warm up in between adventures.

Things we don't have:

• Microwave
• Crockpot
• 2 cars
• Kids
• Pets
• Cable TV
• Internet (because we have generous neighbors who don't password protect their wireless)

Things we have but don't need:

• Kitchen Aid mixer
• Kitchen cabinets that go to the ceiling
• A random toilet in the basement
• A Burley

We have had 4 sunny days in a row. Even though it means the temperatures have been near zero, the sun makes us think of summer. Bill keeps saying "60 more days" --until it'll feel like this winter weather is over. The days are definitely getting longer. It is staying lightish until after 6pm. Strange to think that in the summer it is light until nearly 11.

Noquemanon in Marquette = Ski at Valley Spur

http://www.valleyspur.org/index.html
We are hoping to get out of town on Saturday and enjoy some skiing in Munising. We are getting about 8 inches of snow in the next day or so. The Noque is this weekend so the Marquette trails and restaurants will probably be packed with skinny men in tight pants. I'm outta here!

Starbucks Face This morning I met Bill at the campus Starbucks. I brought along my special homemade sleeve (above and pattern here: http://houseonhillroad.typepad.com/) and ordered a tall skinny 2 pump hazelnut latte. Normally it runs$3.10 today it was $2.80 and I think it had two shots of espresso. Double bonus.

No Rules Scrabble
Originally uploaded by hailyroads

More Colorado Christmas pictures here: http://flickr.com/photos/91482037@N00/

SNOW F**ing SNOW
We have a lot of snow. A lot of snow. We shoveled before work, at lunch, after work, and again and again. Yesterday I pulled out my snow shoes and trampled down the snow piles with the intent of making it easier to throw the snow up on the piles. On Saturday I had a shoveling extravaganza--making the edges of the snowbanks nice and square--just like the people who have snow blowers. Sunday and Monday = nonstop fluffy, huge flake snow that accumulates like crazy. SNOW. I don't think we've had a day over 30 to melt the snow in a L O N G time.
I read a blog earlier today http://minismith.com/home/grace-in-the-small-things-part-2. She lives in Greenville, South Carolina and has crocuses blooming in her back yard. I have 5 foot high snow piles all over the yard. Can barely picture or even think about flowers or gardens for 5 more months. Greenville, SC sounds pretty nice right now.

But in June, July, August, and September, when there usually isn't snow in Marquette (hard to think about right now when we are buried), it is hard to beat Marquette.

We've been skiing, snow shoeing, and driving slowly in the snow. SNOW. In August we'll wish it was snowy and cold. I'm sure the snow will melt again this year.

Inclement Weather Days!

Having one inclement weather day is nice. Having two is amazing. Yesterday Bill and I got up as usual, got ready for work, and raced out the door a little behind schedule. We pulled into a nearly empty Hedgcock parking lot. Gerri's Subaru was there, Jim's car was there, and there were a few cars at the entrance of the parking lot--probably Health Center employees.

I thought we were running late and then thought, seems like lots of people are running late. I grabbed my tea and shoes and headed towards the door. As we got to the door the red light for the card swiper was lit--normally it is green. Sure enough, Bob was doing laps around the circle hallway and opened the door for us. We jokingly asked if classes were cancelled--he said "yeah, didn't you call the BRRR line?" --nope.

I went into my office, grabbed my computer, then called the BRRR line. Sure enough, the university was closed on Thursday.

We chatted with Dan Dermier for a few minutes then decided to go to The Buck for some coffee. The nice baristas gave us a full-size sample of the Roobis Latte, which we brought to our dear friend Jeremy, who was working hard at the funeral home.

Errands were run, lunch was eaten. I planned to do some sewing and cleaning, neither of which happened. Instead I surfed the internet for 4 hours. Found a cool blog about a guy re-doing his house--http://petchhouse.blogspot.com/ which I read from the beginning--2005.

I called Carolyn to wish her a happy birthday. She and Bill got to have weather-induced days off on their 30th birthdays. Here was Bill's http://alittlerandrrr.blogspot.com/2008/04/this-is-no-april-fools-day-joke-april-1.html.

We made pizza for supper and were in bed by 9:30. At 1:30am the city workers were finally taking away the huge snow piles in front of our house. We were beginning to run out of places to pile the snow. Annoyed with the constant beeping from a huge truck in reverse, but happy that the piles were disappearing, I tried to fall back to sleep.

At 5:30am Bill got up and checked the computer--ANOTHER INCLEMENT WEATHER DAY! I was so excited I could hardly fall back to sleep. But I did. Until 8:00. It was wonderful.

Today we went and got coffee at The 'Buck. Had breakfast, then I sewed and sewed. Bill is working on bikes. What an AMAZING day. What a way to start the weekend! Even though we both have signed on to work a bit this weekend--Bill tomorrow morning and me Sunday night.

Colorado Beer

Bill had never seen or heard of Northern Exposure before we rented it from the library on Monday. We're watching it from the very beginning and laughing along the way. One dollar for a week-long rental with 2 dics of season one.

Learning how to use Photoshop and still trying to figure out how to print these pictures at Target.

Happy New Year!