December 1, 2006 Snow! Take that El Nino! We got 1/2 a metre of snow, went backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, had power outages, a tree fell in our backyard... it's winter! Yup, we had a fantastic few days of snowstorms and all the fun that goes along with them. From sketchy Vancouver drivers, to trees falling over roads, power lines, nearly on top of us while we were snowshoeing, I somehow enjoyed it all. I think the best was going outside and taking advantage of the fluffy white stuff while it lasts, since it's a surprise around here if the snow actually sticks around for more than a day. However, it's still here and slowly melting because temperatures have climbed above '0'. The local mountains and Whistler got dumped on and I can't wait for the chance to throw on my new downhill skis and check them out. Our house in the snow. Last Saturday, Jeanine, Jane and Janet had a very swanky cocktail party in honour of Jenny S. (yeah, way too many "J" names!), who is moving to Ottawa soon for a new job. The party included women in fancy frocks and men in dapper dress shirts, but the best part was the food: bruschetta, sushi, olives, cheeses, roasted vegetables, salami, pancetta and brownies. We were kept hydrated by some delicious sangria. The spread was lovingly prepared by the four "J's" and me. Jenny S. compiled a 7-disc soundtrack for the evening. What fun! Sunday, the day of the first big storm, Jeanine, Jenny T., Chris and I donned snowshoes and hiked up Seymour in the winter wonderland. We wanted to snowshoe higher up, but cars were being stopped and turned back if they didn't have chains. We were content to park at the bottom and discover some new trails. It was kind of scary, however, when we heard the loud cracking of heavy, snow laden tree branches as they snapped off and plummeted to the forest floor. I kept glancing up nervously, to make sure I wouldn't get hit. The sun came out on Tuesday, so Mom, Dad and I headed into the mountains to do some backcountry skiing. It was beautiful up there. The trees were cloaked in snow, we could see endless white peaks in the distance and the snow was so light, it just hung in the air and glittered in the sunlight. It was freakin' cold though! We had to keep moving so we wouldn't freeze. (L) Me making tracks in the fluffy powder; (R) My beautiful Mom in front of a beautiful backdrop. Dad excited to be on the first peak of Seymour. Wednesday my Dad and I went up with the backcountry skis again. I'm getting more proficient at it, but it's quite difficult to manoeuver uphill, around corners and in deep snow. I felt like such a klutz. It was great to be outside, however, and if I do this enough, I'll get the hang of it for sure. So that's just a summary of the last week. I haven't even mentioned Cyclocross Nationals in Nanaimo. That was a fun time. Read my report here. The following day, Jeanine, Jenny T., Chris and I raced in the final event of the Vancouver Island 'Cross Series. It was wet, muddy and cold. Jeanine and Chris won! Read that report here. Films In the last little while, I've seen a few decent films. I really enjoyed Warrior, which is set in ancient India, and follows the story of a Khan warrior who deserts and has to escape from warriors trying to hunt him down to punish him. It contains some beautiful scenery and really makes me want to travel to India! The film has elements of magic, but counters that with harsh realism. The Cuckoo is a Russian film set during WWII. Its three main characters are a Finnish sniper, who is labelled a coward by his compatriots and left chained to a rock, a Russian Captain who escapes while being driven to his court marshall, and a Lappish war widow, who takes them in when they find their ways to her. It's at times comic and tragic and is all about misunderstandings, as they all speak different languages and can't understand one another. Despite the constant miscommunication, they develop powerful relationships. I really enjoyed the dialogue. California: T-11 days You bet, only 11 more days until we leave for California. Nothing's packed, our plans are very loose and who knows if it'll be sunny and warm? But we're going anyway, oh yes we are! Marcel is here -- well, he's in Vernon right now, but he will be here -- and we're going to leave after work on December 12. The plan is to fit the three of us, plus luggage, plus camping gear, plus three bikes in or on Ronnie, Jeanine's Toyota Yaris. Go Ronnie go!