Some recent and some not-so-recent pics!

Here I am! I've been up to quite a lot in the last little bit, but just haven't felt the urge to blog too much about it. Here are some pics. They're mostly from a day last week that both Carmella and I had off. We rarely have the same days off, so it was nice to get out and have a day full of activity.

It was a nice day, so Carmella and I decided to go snowboarding. I didn't buy a pass this year, but have used free passes that Carmella gave me instead. She gets a number of them from her work, and I am the fortunate recipient of most of them!



Carmella is ready for a fun day! She's wearing the Roxy outfit she got for free, since she was a Roxy Camp coach this year. A bunch of girls get together and snowboard, and talk about girly things like feelings and waterproof mascara. Carmella tends to get stuck with the never-ever beginners.



I am also happy to be out on the mountain, but obviously not as happy and bright at Carmella. I am wearing the snow gear I bought in June 2004 when Helly Hansen was having a 70% sale. It's ripping in a few places, but it's lasted quite well.



Here, Carmella explores the side of the run and is rewarded with a small hit. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we spent most of it looking for fun things to ride. There wasn't any fresh snow, so there was no hurry. It was a relaxing and fun day of riding.



There were three of us riding, the third being our friend Judy. I don't see Judy unless Carmella is around, so I guess she's more Carmella's friend than mine. Here, Carmella and Judy look for fun things to ride. Judy can't find any.



I had to stop to tighten up my binding, and Judy stopped close by. I bought the bindings in Victoria in 2001, and they've lasted me until now. The bolts come loose quite frequently, so I carry a tool so I can fix them. The bindings are still working, but I think after nine seasons it might be time for a new set. We'll see what comes on sale in the next few weeks.



A highlight of the day on the hill was getting waffles at the Crystal Hut, about three quarters of the way up the mountain. When Blackcomb was on fire this past summer, many people were worried that the Crystal hut would be consumed, and nobody would be able to buy waffles there ever again. Obviously, the fire was contained and the Crystal is still standing, with waffles being doled out by curiously-happy Australians with goggle tans.



Here's that picture of Carmella again. If you forgot last time, click on it to make it bigger!

We finished snowboarding then went to a new pizza place in town called Creekbread. They make organic pizza in a big brick oven, and have local ingredients, and all those sorts of things. I had received a coupon for a free pizza through work, so Carmella and I ate there. It's the best pizza there is, and the restaurant smells like a camp fire. If you're in Whistler, you must go there! It's great.

After the pizza, we quickly went on to our next activity, which was going to a new spa in town. I had been given some Christmas money, and we used it here. It's not a traditional spa where you sit and get a massage and leave; instead it's a collection of saunas, steam rooms, cold baths, hot baths, and relaxation stations.



The idea is that you follow a routine of Hot, Cold, then Relaxing activities. You're supposed to do it for about three hours. Carmella and I would only be there for two hours, since they closed an hour too soon.



Carmella and I head to the hot tub first. It has a waterfall in it!



Here, I test the waters of another tub. We got there at about 7pm, so while we were there it got progressively darker. I really like the colour of sky in this shot.



I jump into the cold plunge pool! It also has a waterfall in it. I think the key to a successful spa is an abundance of waterfalls. I would say this new spa agrees with me, since they were everywhere!



Carmella enjoys a relaxation station. There were indoor ones and outdoor ones, and all of them had those small pictures you can see behind Carmella that tell you that no talking is allowed. This place is for relaxing, not socializing!

It was a great time, and we both really enjoyed it. I could have stayed for another half hour at the most, so we were there for a good amount of time. I wasn't bored when we left, but instead I was left hankering for more.

It was a great day, and most of it was free! I got the mountain pass from Carmella, the pizza dinner from work, and the spa time from Mom and Dad at Christmas. Thanks everyone!



Here is a picture of my new shoes that I bought with some money I made during the Olympics. They're velcro! Wooo! It's hard to find the Adidas Stan Smith CF, but I was able to find them in Vancouver. The CF stands for comfort, which means that there are velcro closures on the shoe.

I'm quite happy with them. They're from a special Adidas collection that is inspired by Tokyo fashion, and my pair is in the spring 2010 line. Fancy!

Maybe some more blogs to come in the future. I'll see if I can keep you all up to date a bit better than I have been!