tahoe jan 2009

cast shadow, originally uploaded by ashleyv.

I think this is my favorite photo from the trip, and I think JR took it. We're not sure.

ski weekend tahoe, march '08

, originally uploaded by ashleyv.

I finally made it through all the photos I took when Alex and Jasmin, and Lindsey and Angela, and JR and I all went to ski Tahoe for the weekend to celebrate Angela's birthday.

ski weekend tahoe, march 2008 photoset

The first night we went to dinner at The Bridgetender, had plenty of beer, bought a couple of sleds, grabbed a few headlamps (that JR is always so handy!), and trekked out into the hard-packed snow near our condos to recklessly sled down steep hills in almost total darkness to almost certain death.

The next day we hit Squaw Valley - everybody suited up and headed for the slopes. I took the tram up to High Camp to take some pictures, and promptly hit my trigger altitude. Bam!!! Massive headache and nausea. I toughed it out as long as I could, but I was down and out for the rest of the day. I felt well enough later to get up and have a great dinner of raviolis from Lucca, prepared by Lindsey. And later that night I got to go hot tubbing in the snow, though, so the day wasn't a total loss. :)

We took a long, leisurely route home the next day, and we got to see some scenic views over the lake and through the mountain pass, and take more fun pictures. Unfortunately, I was so busy taking pictures that I only ended up in one of them.

goin' back to TA-HO, to TA-HO, to TA-HO

Tahoe, here we come! JR and I are renting a condo in Tahoe this weekend with Lindsey & Angela, and Alex & Jasmin. Oh the drinking to be done! We got a condo for 6 at Granlibakken, which looks really cool.

We've got a lot to do today before we head out - get the oil changed, finish laundry and packing, pick up a prescription, pick up a package from the post office, drop off Winston at a new PetHotel, go to JR's boss's party for a while, and buy liquor and wine and snacks and alcohol. Did I mention the alcohol? For there will be hot tubs.

Awww yeahhh.

our drive to TX: an excerpt

I thought I'd give you a little glimpse into the first leg of our drive to Texas, from SF to Phoenix:

meow. meow. meow. meeeow. meooow. meow. meow. meowwwwww. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meeeow. meooow. meow. meow. meowwwwww. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meeeow. meooow. meow. meow. meowwwwww. meow. meow. meow. meow. meooooooooow. meow. meow. meeeow. meooow. meow. meow. meowwwwww. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meooooooooow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow. meow.

and also, a dialogue:

mercury: meow.
me: be quiet.
mercury: meow.
me: be quiet.
mercury: meow.
me: be quiet.
mercury: meow.
me: be quiet.
mercury: meow.
me: OH MY GOD!!!
mercury: meow.
me: be QUIET.
mercury: meow.
me: be QUIET.
mercury: meow.
me: BE QUIET.
mercury: meow.
me: BE QUIET.
mercury: meow.
me: stop it.
mercury: meow.
me: stop it.
mercury: meow.
me: STOP IT.
mercury: meow.
me: STOP IT.
mercury: meow.
me: NO.
mercury: meow.
me: NO.
mercury: meow.
me: NO.
mercury: meow.
me: NO.
mercury: meow.
me: NO.
mercury: meow.
me: keep it up, merc. i can do this all night motherfu...
jr: for the love of christ! put your headphones on! i can't take it from both of you!
winston: (open eyes. blink.) yawn! (close eyes. fall back asleep.)

Finally, I wrapped Mercury in a soft, furry blanket and smothered cuddled him until he was quiet. Sweet relief.


Addendum (1/2/08):

I forgot to tell you about the look in his eyes as he looked up at me with just his ears, eyes, and mouth sticking out of the blanket. It was just... murderous ... no, murderous is the right word. It's amazing how a simple look can say so much:

"I will never forget this. Be ever vigilant, stifler of my cries. If you so much as nod off tonight I will kill you in your sleep. If I could free a paw I would do it right now. Breathe, Mercury. This too shall pass, and vengeance will be mine."

It was either that, or

"Thanks. Man, was I cold! ... Still murdering you in your sleep, though."