So, I did get some other gifts too…
First thing I love: Christmas decorations at 60% off.
(Doesn’t this look like something out of a magazine?
And it’s just a wreath for MY fireplace! And it was SEVEN DOLLARS).
Second: A Dadd who spent forever finding me some vintage skis to hang and make some art out of for the house!
And third: Super sweet (and taxing) treasure hunt around the house (inside and out!) for the perfect gift from hubby:
Ski Utah better watch out now! 
We don’t really DO Christmas. I get sad about it sometime, staying here to ski instead of going home. I get sad that I’m not better at organizing something or planning a party or buying everyone their dream gifts.
This year on Christmas Eve I received a gorgeous sign from my friends K+TP. A candle from MIL. Some stocking stuffers from Momm and Dadd.
I knew it was the one real gift under my tree to save for last from my Meme – Dadd’s mommy. I wasn’t sure what it was until I opened it. And paged through it. And cried and cried and cried.
I think this gift is very special, one that you should immediately go and buy for your loved ones.
I bought this book for Meme and she filled it out and returned it to me. It’s questions about her past, present, life observations and family stories.
She left nothing blank, word for word the questions fill out her whole being and are there now for my children and theirs to someday read. It’s pretty exceptional. The perfect gift!
Both sides of the story.
#181+2
Five Things That Are Tough Around Christmas:
From our snowy neck of the woods to yours, may all your holiday wishes come true!
Camera phone pic of the guys skiing Daly Chutes last week, and the cool circle-rainbow that was out most of the afternoon following us around.
It’s rather easy to take a look at any picture from this mountain and see why it’s called the most aptly named resort! They opened up just for us, well, it felt that way…Tuesday.
We skied from first chair to last – with just a quick stop in between for pizza and beer. Fantastic.
Learning.
#180
Five Things I Want To Say But Won’t:
I’m so burnt out on talking about skiing! I’m never going to be the best, although I do have some amazing days, like today was, at the opening of Canyons.
But really, everyone I know talks about skiing. It’s like buying a house, ha. Or having a baby (I imagine). But you’re happy to talk about that one thing, all the time. It’s YOUR thing.
Skiing, I love it so so SO much, but the way I talk about it AS my thing is so different from many skiers and turns me off to the whole deal. I care about learning and growing and making others learn and grow. I see people here having bad times, having trouble, not getting answers. It’s frustrating!
Complaining about the Santa event, mostly the problem is MK is SO SMART (it gets old). So I tell him something I’m thinking about skiing and he points out something to me that apparently no one in the entire industry has ever considered and it hurts my brain. A solution. A point. A consideration.
Or they spell something wrong…
there are bright shiny moments, though.
Check this video out. I want to be 16 again when I grow up:
http://www.powdermag.com/av/flash/dubsatch-collective-chapter-one/
Blackflips and good taste in music. Love it.
One of the things MK and I thought would be So! Super! Fun! when we moved here was when we heard that Santas Ski Free. It’s a certain day at a certain resort – we heard it over and over “Santas Ski Free!”. So, let’s do it! Awesome!
Thankfully I have a smart husband. And he looked it up. And it’s not “Santas Ski Free”. It’s “A determined few will ski free”.
I guess that’s fair. Lift tickets are $ most likely because ski resorts are big and expensive. Right?
But if the truth is that THE FIRST FIFTY SANTAS TO SHOW UP ski free, tell us that. And tell everyone that is doing the telling to make sure. It’s pretty bad advertising to advertise something that isn’t.
That was three years ago. This resort is being VIOLENTLY ATTACKED in social media and almost every other which way possible for pushing back their opening date this season. I mean, it’s NASTY. I thought that working for PR/social media would be a fun job, but not so much when something goes wrong. Yikes.
So there’s that already. You should be extra careful. When MK and I heard it the first time, we were all excited. A million Santa suits would be too cool. But 50? Bah. Hardly worth a photo when you consider how big a resort is and how few people that is.
But to make the same mistake three years running? Or to be a site, or Twitter account, or even PERSON that thinks they are a big deal in social media in this town, and to send the WRONG message? It’s not going to get ME this time, or ever, but man, even in 140 characters, get the details right. Add a link.
Say “Dress like Santa. Show up early, you might ski free!” That was easy.
Tell me yours.
#179
My Five Essentials To A Good Playlist:
