Sunday, January 18, 2009

Grouse Mountain Skiing and Snowboarding

Daniel took the kids to Grouse Mountain yesterday, where he shockingly expresses that it was the best snow he has ever been on....the weather, 18C, snowboarders where dancing the hills shirtless! The winds were as warm as a summer's lake boat ride, he says, as you somehow manifest yourself into an ice rink full of ice skaters, then a sleigh ride. What a glorious day.

Vancouver was covered in fog, thick clouds, as shown in the photos, and only those skiiers on Grouse were lucky enough to catch some sun. The clouds almost look like snow, a continuous ski run....















Following is copied from http://www.britishcolumbia.com/Ski/resorts/?id=4 for further info about Grouse Mountain.

At Grouse Mountain, on Vancouver's North Shore, the snow hills are made for thrills. Grouse Mountain offers outdoor adventures for everyone, including helicopter rides with breathtaking views of B.C.'s incredible mountains and valleys. The ultimate challenge awaits skiers and boarders on the Peak, and the snowboard park features a challenging mix of terrain.

Just a short distance from the Peak Chalet, you'll find yourself a world away in the Munday Alpine Snowshoe Park. With four different groomed trails to choose from, you'll discover something new each time you visit, and discover why snowshoeing is the fastest growing outdoor winter activity.

The famous Grouse Mountain Skyride provides a one-mile journey like no other. As you journey up the mountainside high above towering Douglas firs, breathtaking views unfold of snowy peaks, the city of Vancouver, the sparkling Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf Islands. North America's largest aerial tramway is your gateway to the majestic nature of the Peak of Vancouver, and an experience in itself. Whether you're in search of the perfect photo, or a romantic dinner at The Observatory, your adventure begins with the Skyride. Your General Admission provides you with complimentary access to a host of activities and excitement on top of Grouse Mountain.

There's no better way to experience winter than skating in the fresh mountain air on a smooth outdoor ice skating rink high above the city. So grab your skates and go for a glide on Grouse Mountain's 8,000-square-foot Ice Skating Pond - the only one of its kind on the West Coast. Come up for a romantic evening for two or a fun-filled day with the kids. The Ice Skating Pond is just a few steps from the warmth of the Peak Chalet, surrounded by snow-topped trees.

Bring winter alive on an enchanting sleigh ride through Grouse Mountain's snowy paradise. Take friends and family on a memorable journey around the mountaintop through snow-covered forests. You can also experience unforgettable sightseeing high above the peaks of Vancouver's North Shore Mountains in a helicopter ride of a lifetime. Helijet offers breathtaking tours that begin at The Peak of Vancouver.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Leaps and Boundaries

I haven't been watching television that much lately, mostly because I'm hooked on playing Texas Hold 'Em on the internet. I've become a fairly good player, but what's fun about the game is the people you meet at the table. And I have met several people from many different countries and backgrounds and age groups....dare I say species.

Most of the players are friendly, but there are some assholes who initiate chat just to confront and argue, probably in attempt to distract the other players from the game at hand. And, interestingly enough, I find most of them are young women, sexually flirty profiles, boobs and crouch shots used to solicit chips from the male players, the ones who use "nigga" or "dawg" a lot.

I tend to avoid those conversations, unless of course, one of them "dawgs" attack me simply because I won a hand, or because I wrote "ewwwwww" at a profile picture of an unshaven, bountiful black chick, wearing see through white pants, positioned for an enema. Now, some of these people are painfully stupid as they respond to my interpretation, "you my enema, nigga".

E-n-e-m-y dumb ass, not enema. Geesh. Make friends, not war.

I talked to a guy from the States and he's coming to Vancouver to attend UBC (University of British Columbia) for a Quantum physics conference, which is a branch of science that deals with discrete, indivisible units of energy called quanta as described by the Quantum Theory. I looked it up. And as we were discussing quantum things we were interrupted by some airhead who demanded we leave and to shove our university degrees up our arce.

I was rather impressed she said "arce", but more intrigued that she would think I had a degree, which I don't. And as I sat back and continued to play cards, avoiding her and the dawg's lame intellect, it dawned on me that the only reason she attacked us was because we are here to play cards, not learn.

Dirty White Boy

I watched a new show the other night, Homeland Security USA. Part of the episode focused on the efforts of Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro, Calif. U.S.-Mexico border crossing and the Blaine, Wash. U.S.-Canada border post, which I have crossed many, many times.

Why can't I ever see officers responding to a possible case of radiation, as the cameras show officers leaping from their office desks and running out a door towards the car.

"It doesn't take much to make a dirty bomb," one officer suggests. But following a commercial break, we learn the car was merely driven by a person who had undergone medical treatment. Unless you want a bunch of pistols pointed at your head, I wouldn't recommend a dentist visit on the same day you plan shopping at Walgreens across the divide.

Later, officers discover a car carrying more than $700,000 worth of cocaine. In the process of finding the contraband however, a female officer tells cameras that the car is "hopefully" stocked with drugs, barely containing her excitement. Hopefully? Why hopefully? Because you hope you didn't mistakenly rip apart a car?

And being the naughty Canadians that we are, why wasn't the identity of said drug smuggler made known? Was it because he was one of YOUR OWN folk re-entering the homeland, and while I'm at it, why were all the bad guys dark skinned and accented?

Don't ya just love reality T.V.

The absence of Al-Cracker, well, cracks me up.