The Day During Which One Boxes?

Yeah... still not having much luck with the interesting title thing ;).

Things have quieted here a bit. Kelly and Caitlin (my cousin) are in the Village doing their Boxing Day shopping. I dare not leave this hill, not that I really want to buy anything, but it's just better if I avoid the temptation. I have to pay for tuition first ;). My dad is skiing, my mom is watching Harry Potter... Uncle Ross is watching the game, and the others are probably reading. Oh! Uncle Brent had to take the girls. Poor guy.

My second night here I was on the pull out couch in the living room... I fell asleep to the warmth and the crackle of the fireplace. It was so nice... I've never done that before. This place is amazing. You can sit at the windowseat, or out on the deck, or in the living room (or anywhere) and just watch the snow falling softly. Actually I don't think it's snowing anymore, but it did all day yesterday.

I wish I could capture with my camera what I'm seeing, but I can't seem to do it justice. I'll stick some pictures up later anyway. From the deck you can spot some of the gondolas, which are PACKED today. I've heard that Boxing Day is the busiest ski day of the year here at Whistler/Blackcomb. We're right on the men's olympic downhill, so you can watch people zipping by, just up the street. After the runs close at four, the toboggans come out and you can hear kids laughing and shrieking as they fly down the hill. Last night my mom heard one boy yelling, "OWWW MY NOSE! I THINK I BROKE MY NOSE!" Hahaha.

My dad has had an amazing time skiing, and I'm thrilled. Obviously, since he's owned a sports company since he was seventeen, he's always loved sports and being active. I know that it bothers him a lot to not be able to run or play basketball, etc., but ever since his accident it's just not been possible. Because of the stiffness of the boot, however, he can ski, and in three days he's made it up to black diamond runs. Awesome stuff. Seeing his face - he just beams. He loves it! He's like a little kid. This is the first time in probably my entire life that he's taken a full two weeks off work. I could be wrong, but something tells me I'm not. I think it's a combination of the athletic activity and being physically removed from work that has had an effect on him. He seems way more relaxed. Oh... that makes me really, really happy.

Tomorrow this side of the family is leaving, and my mom's aunt, uncle, and two cousins are arriving for the rest of the week. This will be the third group of people. Busy busy busy. There are ten of us right now, plus the dog, who, according to my mom, would make it eleven. We're like the Hotel Macdonald. I've been on the top bunk in the kids room for the last few nights, over my Uncle Ross, and I've been delusionally drifting in and out of sleep, plotting his demise. He snores. A lot. At this point, at least, I still find it funny, and the desire to kill is only half-serious and meant in the most loving of ways. Clearly.

I've done about 70 pages of biology so far, and my Uncle Brent has some photos of me working on it... on Christmas. So there's proof ;). I need to pass that stupid class. Oh I don't mean that. At least the stupid part. I really like it, I'm just dumb! I mean, obviously there's something wrong if it takes me three emails to get the date right. What I need to do is just buckle down, and not put it off because it's hard.

But for noooooowwwwww.... I think I'm going to use the equipment at the lodge and then get the hot tub going. The one that's on our front deck (unreal!). There has been talk of keeping this place. That would be... well, it's one thing to come here a few times and think of it as a really amazing vacation. But to actually think of it as belonging to my family? It seems a bit of a stretch. Not that I couldn't adjust ;).