Ski/Snowboad Trip 2008: Photo of the Day

Sunny day at Vail.

Ski/Snowboad Trip 2008: Photo of the Day

We went to Arapahoe Basin today. Despite one tragedy (Nicole injured her knee and couldn't ski the rest of the trip), this resort became my favorite in Colorado. It was the first sunny day after two days of snow and the place was filled with powder, powder, powder. Ski patrol was blasting avalanches nearby. Add to that the fact that A-Basin could not get crowded enough to make any moguls, riding the bowls there was a dream. I was literally whooping and hollering for joy after my first run.

Arapahoe Basin, located between 10,000 and 14,000 feet was mostly open bowl skiing. From any of the lifts, you could easily see the run you just did. As for the runs themselves, we'd simply fan out at the top going any direction we wanted, and then we met at the lifts.

Ski/Snowboad Trip 2008: Photo of the Day

For those of you who don't know, we went to Breckenridge, Colorado. Today, was a decent powder day, lots of snowfall. We were very impressed with the resort. It didn't boast the acreage of a place like Vail or Whistler, but it had lots of variety: steeps, woods, groomers, bowls... you name it. The place rode big.

Ski/Snowboad Trip 2008: Photo of the Day

Anyone who's been on a snowboard trip with Bill will recognize this familiar site.

Even Better Than the Pixies Reunion

I first saw the band Caterpillar when I was in high school (1991 or 1992.) They played Radiothon, a benefit show for the University of Delaware's radio station. I later found out that this was their first show with the current four members. I was struck by their energy. Over the next several years, I attended U of D and continued to catch local Caterpillar shows. They refined their sound and released some of my favorite recordings of the 1990s. I'd easily call their 7" singles for "Velvet Ears" and "Bus 6/ Whiskey Priest" masterpieces. Their live shows were among the most energetic of the local scene. It seemed that their time slot was always cut short or was extremely limited, and that only added a sense of urgency to their performances, making them play harder and faster. The band's chemistry helped too. Watching them, it was always visually obvious that the four band members loved playing with each other.

I caught their final Newark, DE show in the late 1990s. Mike, the singer/guitarist, was off to some out-of-state institution to obtain an archeology degree. It concert was a poignant affair, with the band playing several on-demand encores until the drummer John, declaring enough-was-enough, threw the set list out to the audience. I remember wanting to buy another copy of the "Velvet Ears" single (I lost my first one) and them just giving it to me. Their career sadly seemed over.

Then ten years later, Derek sent me the following flyer.Needless to say, my jaw dropped. I scrambled to find a babysitter for Paige and on Saturday night, Derek and I re-entered the local Delaware music scene. The clubs have changed, but everything else felt the same. When Caterpillar hit the stage, it felt like 15 years ago all over again. This was no bulls#*% nostalgia show. John made it clear that Caterpillar was back and their set contained nearly all new songs. Also, back was the joyful rapport the four of them had with each other. Suddenly, the intervening ten years seemed just like a long hiatus.

They've moved into the new millennium, too. I guess the question is, will my interest in local music re-emerge? It helps that the new local music dive Mojo 13 is very cool. It has a circus freak-show theme and plenty of space. Certainly, the return of Caterpillar has provided a seed from which my interest could grow.

Photo Set From Our Vermont Trip Is Finally Up

The group included Pepe, Meme, Mary, Long, Alexander, Kaitlyn, Sarah, Megan, Paige and me. There was plenty of snow, which made for a pleasurable ski/snowboard experience. Alexander and Kaitlyn spent their days at ski school. Paige and Sarah mostly spent their days with Meme and Pepe. Having a ski in/ski out condo helped everyone keep in touch. Smuggler's Notch was family friendly resort that included a "Fun Zone" (toys and moonbounces) and nighttime snow-tubing and fireworks.

For the kids' sake, we spent a night on the trip up and a night on the trip back at a hotel in Albany. We also stopped by the Vermont Teddy Bear Company where we took a tour of the factory. On the last day we even did some outlet shopping in PA.

View the slideshow or the set.