Miscellaneous ramblings of an Irish American
My family surprised me with a Richie Sachs bike for my 50th birthday. Richie is my wife cousin and he refurbished one of his personal bikes for me. It’s many years since I was on a dropped handled bar bike but the old feelings came back quick. This bike is a screamer. Go here for more info on Richie. Thanks all.
The nackers set shop between the Peasant Lane Mall and Home Depot and we felt compelled to drop a few bucks.
First the Ferris Wheel.
Then is water gun race where JMan won but GMan also won a prize.
Who could pass up this fashion moment.
Old man winter is not done yet! Good old New England weather dies it again. 70’s yesterday and 30’s this am.
Back yard view.
Weather according to my iPhone.
Jess and I had a night out in Portsmouth NH. We stayed in the Ale House Inn. Go here for more info. It’s not an inn….more like a small boutique hotel. Cool place with iPad and flat screen TV’s in all rooms.
Dinner was at the Library Resturant. Reservations are recommended so we ended up in the bar which has a fun menu. The food is great and so was the service.
Let me do a selfie!
The room was comfortable and we slept well. The bells in a near by church rang at 8:45….
Breakfast was at the Friendly Toast. We ate here before and it’s a must do if you come play in Portsmouth.
We split the above! Yum
Get here before 10 or wait in line!
Up early and packed. Breakfast and conversation were good. Loaded up the gear and headed to the mountain.
JMan took a boarding lesson and GMan and I took in a few runs. It was anything but spring boarding today. High thirties and sleeting at the top.
Conditions were not as good today with lots of ice and/thin coverage. On run three I took a good spill….according to GMan I planted the front of my board a did a complete summersault. Good job I’m dressed for battle but I feel this one in the am!
In for lunch and GMan is off at his lesson. I’m sitting out the afternoon or possible hanging with JMan on bunny hill.
JMan in the tubes.
GMan lesson went really well and he now knows how to do a trip pod. On one of his last runs he came through the 1/2 pipe. Go here for a video.
Lunch at the Salon on the way out if town. It’s the best food and value on town.
All in all we had a great time……we’ll be back. MA here we come.
Room stayed warn and breakfast was once again great.
Pineapple…..
Followed by Snow Goose style Eggs Benedict….yum
Off to the mountain we go. The boys are off at lessons, Jess is reading and I got in a few solo runs. This is a big place and it’s very quite today.
Me at the top.
Jess and me….at the bottom.
First we had skiing…
Go here for a short video.
GMan had a park lesson where he pick up lots of tips from his instructor Kevin. Kevin is twenty two years teaching boarding and he knows a thing or two. After his lesson we took a bunch of runs through Prospector.
Another view from the top.
GMan glides on by. Click here for video.
JMan walks on by! See video here.
Jess and the boys at the bottom after a great day of boarding, skiing…..and reading!
Me and the boys.
No day is complete without a silly photo in front of a silly mirror.
Here’s the squished version.
And the looooong version.
The boys in their element……again.
Boots…..just because.
Done….it’s off to bed.
Spring boarding with winter temps. I was really hoping for mid 40’s but tonight will be below freezing!
We took the back road to VT….119 all the way. It was nice to take a trip on a two lane road with frost heaves. Our home away from home is the Snow Goose Inn….my better 1/2 picked it out. Reviews were good and it’s not party condo style hearing the neighbor four doors over. However, so far it’s a bit if a bust. The driveway, steps and walks were all caked in ice, the heat was not working…inn keeper is looking into it, and its the only inn I ever visited with wall to wall carpet…..well….gray with dirt.
After we checked ourselves in and unloaded we visited Mount Snow. I was here once before….many year ago with my brother Mick. We had big plans on renting him a mountain bike but he decided to sleep off the night before in the parking lot, so I decided to cheap skate it. I pushed my bike up what is now Nitro Express….after two heart attacks and twenty five minutes of huffing and buffing I made the top of the chair lift…..I rested for a few minutes and the trip down took a little under two minutes. At the bottom my breaks were gone but I was still in-tacked. One run was enough for me.
Anyhow, back to this trip. We strolled around for a few minutes…..visited the main lodge and drove by the 1/2 pipe….nice, but not for me.
Back at the inn we helped ourselves to wine and cheese with the inn keeper and some newly weds from CT. The wine was in a carafe……which is always suspect….but I needed something to take the edge off. Cheese and crackers were…..well cheese and crackers.
It’s the North Pole! Way too late for XMass lights.
Dinner next door at The Last Chair was good.
News flash. The inn keepers husband fiddled with a valve on the heater and I think we may survive the night.
The bonus at The Last Chair is the arcade. GMan and JMan were right at home.
I was drinking and driving! Not really….but I was mobile with my beer.
The heat came on. For a while there I felt like I was on vacation in Ireland. Sur it will be grand….here’s another blanket….who needs heat!
Hmmm. Apparently the heat came on with a vengeance. At 1:30am Jess was wondering around with her iPhone flash light trying to find that same valve.
Breakfast was great. Mount Snow here we come.
View from the top.
The Saint Patricks Day $17 special brought out the crowds, but the lines move fast. Conditions are great and we managed several runs before lunch. JMan Riglets lesson went great. We’re off to the mini park in a bit.
GMan in line.
The Blue Bird lift was broken. Apparently something went on its gear box and everyone needed to be belayed off. However, there are many other ways of making it to the top.
Here’s Jess and the boys on the way to top. We’ll not really. Jess is sporting a rather cool bag. New lodge side style.
And here the whole gang.
The boys in our Saint Patrick Day attire.
Today we visited the New England Aqurinum.
We all had a blast walking around and checking all the exhibits. The petting zoo is cool! You can pet Stingrays and Sharks!
JMan pats a Stingray
GMans turn.
Jellyfish
Penguins
The boys
Myrtle
Lunch!
Lenore, JMan and JMan
GMan at his cutest
Not to be out done by his brother here’s GMan at his cutest
Funny tee shirt
All done. It’s not cheap but it’s fun!
The other evening while having dinner I was relaying a story about my grandmother. Many years ago when I was about 6 or 7 my grandmother bought a color TV. She was the first on the street to have on and we’d all pile into her living room and watch anything….as it was color!
JMan was very interested in my story and when I paused for a few seconds he asked the following question…..” What color was the TV?”
After we picked ourselves off the floor I explained that old TV’s were black and white and used a black and white photo to explain the difference.
The photo has nothing to do with the story……but it’s cute.
I just installed the new iOS 7.0 on my various Apple devices and I’m wondering where the manly settings are! If my hair were longer I’d put it in pony tail, slap on my cutest pumps and skip on down to any fab shop at the teenyboppers mall!
Really! One size (eeeer color) does not fit all. Can’t wait for 7.x. It’s a good “Job” what’s under the hoot is an improvement over the previous.
alan j quinn 