Whistler (Part 1) - Tubing

What do you do after two fantastic days of skiing in Whistler when you want to take a break?

Step 1: Go to a bar and have some Bloody Marys and Mimosas. (Note: Bars do not open/serve booze until 11am)

Bloody Marys at Citta - Whistler Village

 

Step 2: Buy more booze and put it into a water bottle. (Note: Malibu is a great choice. It's clear and goes down smooth!)

The ladies preparing for the day.

Step 3: Go Tubing!!! You can see us in action on Liz Swary's Facebook page.

The group on the magic carpet - no need to expend energy!

The happy couple choosing our tubes

Voyeurism

I spent this weekend watching movies and watching shows. On Friday night I saw the psychological/ballet thriller Black Swan. It was pretty good, but you could rent it.

Saturday night I went to see Social Distortion at the Showbox Sodo. I've been waiting to see these guys play since high school and I have to say I was pretty disappointed. They only played a handful of their classics. Oh well, it was still a fun night.

Social Distortion - Just OK

On Sunday I sat around the house and watched whatever I could find on HBO, including Brothers (excellent) and Repo Man (terrible). Then I went to see Sanctum in IMAX 3D. It was better than I thought it would be and it was a fun movie to see in 3D since it's about people scuba diving in giant caves - some neat cinematography.

Sanctum - Better than Expected

Weather Woes

On Saturday I got up at 6am and drove up to Crystal Mountain with some friends, only to find the lifts closed due to wind and to NOT find the snow that was supposed to have fallen. Bummer.

Instead of letting it get me down, I did what any reasonable person would do: I went to the bar and had a couple of drinks, then I went to the Muckleshoot Casino on the way home and won $58 playing craps.

That's My Bloody Mary in the Front

Mud Football

On Sunday our flag football team (and a few others) got together to play our own game before the Superbowl. We played in Smith Cove Park, which is typically covered in goose poop. Sunday was no exception.

Flag Football at Smith Cove Park

There's no better way to kick off the Superbowl than to cover yourself in mud and feces. The folks at the bar really appreciate it.

Drinking from the Boot

On Friday night I went to the William Elliott Whitmore concert at El Corazon with some friends. It was great because Cory loves WEW and had no idea he was coming. I surprised him with the show. It was extra sweet because Cory is usually totally on top of the local music scene, so he was really excited when we walked in and he realized we were seeing one of his favorite artists.

William Elliott Whitmore

We prepared for the show at Feierabend, a German-style bar with beers, brats, and boots! I have heard that if you order a boot for the table and you can finish it without setting it down, everyone who drank from the boot is bonded for life.

Laura finishing the boot!

Needless to say, Nick, Brittany, Laura, Cory and I are all now bonded for life.

Boot and friends!

Pregnancy Party

I spent Saturday night with 3 pregnant ladies and one other (non-pregnant) lady at the Salish Lodge in Snoqualmie - about 25 miles east of Seattle. The lodge is quite nice and I would definitely recommend it for a spa weekend or romantic getaway.

Salish Lodge above Snoqualmie Falls

I did learn a few lessons about the Lodge:

Jamie and Kristy - Both Pregnant

1) Don't use the gym at Salish.

It's about 5 pieces of equipment in what would otherwise be another standard hotel room. I was asked to get off the treadmill by someone from the front desk because the people in the room next door were trying to nap. Maybe it's time to upgrade.

(To be fair, most people looking to be active hike in the nearby hills. Unfortunately for me, it was raining - is this already the most prevalent theme in my posts?)

2) Order your steak well done and it might come out medium...if you're lucky.

Melissa - Also Pregnant

One of my pregnant friends had to send her steak back twice because it was so raw. She had ordered it medium.

Luckily she was able to pull the, "I'm sorry for being a pain, but I can't eat this or my unborn child might die" card. Well played. We got two free desserts for the table.

Most importantly, though, I learned a more major life lesson this weekend:

Laura and Liz - Not Pregnant

3) There's a reason you don't learn about pregnancy/giving birth until you're already pregnant!

The things these three pregnant ladies were discussing were enough to make anyone consider never having sex again.

I guess everything that happens is natural, but it's also just plain gross and weird.  Hopefully I'll forget what I just learned...eventually...over the next few years, otherwise pushing an eight pound baby out of my body might be out of the picture.

Oh well, I may never have children now, but at least we all got to spend time together, enjoy our spa treatments, and drink some sparkling cider.

Pregnant Party 2011