Pictures from Snowbird with the Sarmientos and the Livingstons...

Ski comp time...


Back at the Hungry Moose, with 2 happy dads with their kids, barbecue time sans moms

Cross country in Yellowstone...

Hiking with the rabbi at Ousel Falls

Micah free falling at Targhee

Before I report about the last 10 days I would like to begin with the phone conversation I had with my Dad today on the telephone. I called him on my way back from a grocery delivery, which is always the best time for me to call him. Found him at home in his apartment, he had been out a couple of times, but it was raining in New York, so he was staying close to home. And the conversation covered the usual, "it's the end game Mark, and I'm on the front lines." That's his favorite line these days. Today he told me that his stomach was bothering him again and that he was going to see Dr. Good, his gastroenterologist on Wednesday. He was going to take car service to get there. I told him I would call Dr. Good after his appointment so I could get the doctor's low down. Dad says it's something new, he feels like he has to go all the time, he's afraid to get to far away from home, it feels like something new over the last week or so. He told me that Uncle Sidney had to postpone his 79th birthday party because he had a really bad bout of vertigo. 79 years old and he still works full time at a bakery in the village. Dad asked me about his condo in Big Sky and I told him that I was hoping to get in and take pictures this week. Then he told me about grandma robin. She wanted out, didn't want to live anymore - too much pain, she went in for some kind of stomach surgery and went into a coma, she didn't want to die in the spring, and she didn't want to live anymore. I was 11 years old, said goodbye to her on the way to the hospital. Dad said, "I was working at the racetrack. She was in a coma. I would visit the hospital during the day and then I would stop on my way home from the track. She just didn't want to live anymore." This is what he talks about. I am getting anxious to get him out to Big Sky. He shouldn't be alone, he needs to be kept busy, and surrounded by family. He agreed that he needs to be distracted otherwise he just lives with anxiety and all he thinks about is his stomach. Sigh.

Friday, I worked, but Jackie and Howie skied in Big Sky, Andrew was skiing in Breckinridge and Micah was skiing in Targhee. If you asked me 20 years ago the chances that I would have 3 sons skiing on the same day at 3 different ski resorts I would laughed my head off, there was no way! Yet here I am and here they are. Andrew was with friends in Colorado for Spring Break checking out colleges, visiting Uncle Andy in Boulder and just having fun. Micah was in Targhee with his Freeride coach Kelli and another competitor, Joey from West Yellowstone, and they were competing in the Targhee Tee Off, a freeride comp, Micah's second weekend in a row competing and he is definitely getting into it. He made the cut both weekends, which is an accomplishment in itself. Jackie and Howie skied with Brian and Donna, and their kids Avery, Olivia, and Sammy. Apres ski they came over for dinner and a sleepover and it was really nice to have them over. We did a shabbat dinner, lit the candles, broke bread and enjoyed being with one another, a very relaxing evening and morning. They left around 11 or so and Jackie and I did the grocery deliveries for the store and track skied into Beehive Basin which was beautiful, but the skiing was hard, icy and difficult. Afterwards we skate skied up the Cascade lift cat track just for the fun of it, it was groomed, and no one had been on it so it was fun.

Saturday night we had the Wades over which is always fun. Just hung out ate dinner and talked, a very nice evening, and in the morning at 7:30 am Denise picked us up and we drove to Big Horn Pass in Yellowstone and skied into Big Horn along the river. We had wanted to skate ski, but the snow was sinking on us so we switched to our track skis and skied way back to some of the same spots Dan, Denise and I hiked to last October when we saw the wolf and the big bull elk...

And then we were back home at 11:30 or so just in time for a quick shower and our afternoon with Rabbi Ed. We took him to the venues of Micah's Bar Mitzvah, the 320 ranch were the big party is going to be, the Half Moon Saloon, the friday night spot, the Hungry Moose for lunch, the Big Sky Chapel, and a hike up Ousel Falls. Lots of talking, about bar mitzvah logistics, and just stuff. The hike up Ousel Falls was a little crazy, muddy in some spots and very icy in others.

The big news of the last 10 days is Micah seems to have become a competitive free ride skier. Next competition is April 3rd at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky....