Best February Ever

Do I look like a turkey here?

Skiing My Pants Off
So the real question is......how can I ever go back to skiing just weekends like "normal" people. Tuesday skiing is spectacular, just us and the really friendly retirees. I can count on one hand the number of lift lines we have waited in over the last few weeks. Perhaps an evening waitressing job is in my future (so I can ski days), oh yeah - and I'd have to move closer to the hill. That the 3+ hours separating the Bay Area from Tahoe is not OK.

We have skied at about 12 different resorts throughout the west over the last few weeks. Keystone has been a surprising favorite of mine for it's mellowness and terrain, as has Grand Targhee. Dave is partial to Breckenridge, especially Peak 6 on a powder-day. Our Epic Passes are worth ever cent of the $749 paid for them. We have been lucky with snow dumps in Colorado and Wyoming, especially considering California was bone-dry in February (speaking of, is anyone else freaked the eff out by the drought besides me????).

So many people.......NOT

Douche

Cousin's bubble bath gone awry

In case you are wondering what we have been doing in addition to skiing (and drinking at every brewery on both sides of the Continental Divide), we have been spending loads of time with family and friends. We seem to be lucky enough to know the most awesome people throughout the west! This is what the Radical Sabbatical is all about and what will make it an unforgettable year, all these folks who have been nice enough to let us crash on their couches. Having the time to spend with everyone is the ultimate sabbatical luxury (right after lots of sleep).

Cousins

More cousins

And uncles

And friends

And skiing with cousins and friends

And random meeting with a high school friend

Get in touch with an old friend, it is life-affirming and will make you damn happy

A special amount of love goes to this hot babe right here. I have known J.G. since I was 4 and we went to Pre-school in the Park together. I had not seen her since her wedding like 12 million years ago and then I got to see her and her beautiful family twice in Colorado in February. There is nothing better than hanging with an old friend. I am getting all misty-eyed thinking of it now. Seeing her was like seeing my sister, I even knew her Iphone security code without even thinking about it (freaky). I am hoping to sneak in another visit to see her before we leave Colorado.

Sayulita - Gringos in Golf Carts
We also exercised our passports and our god-given right to cheap tacos and Pacificos in Sayulita, Mexico. We went with Dave's awesome sister and her kids. These are some amazing well-behaved kids who will sit down for a meal and chat with adults, remarkable - I can barely do that and I had beers in front of me.

We stayed at Casa Brava in the loft, which I highly recommend for an in-shape couple - it is a tough walk up the hill to get to the house. Though, perhaps only a long-married couple should stay there (there is no door around the toilet area so nothing is left to the imagination). We got a great deal at Casa Brava and the loft is modern awesomemess, with a spectacular view and AC!

Get ready for crazy sunburns you white kids!

The waves were perfect for boogie boarding

Perhaps this is why we don't have kids

Debbie Downer's View: We have been going to Sayulita on and off for the last 10 years. Let's just say that while the place is fun, beautiful, and beachy - it has jumped the shark. I think that it has been officially declared "safe" by whatever American agency declares such things. Once the yoga studios and vegan restaurants move in (WTF I want carnitas), it is time for me to move out. And what is up with the golf carts that are there now? The town is only a few blocks long. The lengths to which Americans will go NOT to exercise astounds me.

And one last shot just because I miss these ladies so much and I love the big, generous hearts at this table.