Little Elf

Another year has almost come to a close and Christmas is upon us once again. For a lot of people, the holidays are a time when there are traditions that they like to follow. I, interestingly enough, am one of those people. While I haven’t been carrying this tradition for very long, it’s one that I make sure not to miss. This time of the season I enjoy listening to an excerpt of a reading from a collection of holiday stories that is played on the radio.

Each year, that ultra liberal hippie radio station NPR plays a reading of David Sedaris’ Santaland Diaries. I have read the actual short story but nothing is quite like having the author himself retell the tale of his former employment as a department store elf during the Christmas season. The emphasis and inflection is where it should be and really makes the story come alive.

As I’ve gotten older, the traditions I grew up with have started to fade away. This isn’t anyone’s fault and I’m not complaining, it’s just that times have changed, schedules have gotten busier, and my nieces and nephews are now the center of attention for the holidays, which is where it should be. I think it’s time for me to start establishing my own traditions, and so far the adventures of Crumpet are definitely a funny way to kick off the season.

Fresh Tracks

And so it begins. Enough snow has finally been created for the latest installment of what will hopefully be another banner year on the slopes. Last year we had one of the best seasons in recent memory so it will be difficult to top, but it’s been wicked cold the last few weeks which, if it continues, should ensure a proper base stays around. This weekend marked my first turns of the season but I was woefully unprepared.

While I knew the season was starting, somehow it snuck up on me. On Sunday morning I scurried around my house in what appeared to be an explosion of gear. I was running from room to room locating stuff that I had methodically stored away at the end of last year. The hard part was not only remembering where everything was, but trying to remember what I needed.

When I finally left my house I had two bags loaded with just about every piece of cold weather clothing I could get my hands on. Fortunately I loaded my snowboard in the car the night before so I wouldn’t forget that critical implement of the day. I also made sure to leave my boots by the back door so they would make the journey as well.

Overall, the conditions were decent for man-made pow. I got in a goodly number of turns but didn’t over do it because let’s face it, there’s a lot more season to go. I’m already planning some big trips out west so that will help extend my season. Finally, I figured I should give some love to my skiing friends so enjoy the picture while you can.

Plumbing for Dollars

Since buying my house I’ve been compiling a long list of projects and other tasks that I want to accomplish. This includes demolishing things, building things, and changing things to meet my needs. One of the recent projects I decided to take on was installing a wash tub in my basement where a janky little (mostly dysfunctional) sink currently exists. Sure it’s a nice sink and was probably fancy in its day, but now, I need something that is more utilitarian. Oh yeah, and the existing sink leaks too.

In order to properly install a new wash tub, I have to do some minor plumbing. See, there are no shut-off valves or any type of modern plumbing in place now. While I’m not a card carrying plumber by any stretch, I decided that I would assume that role too. Plus, it gave me an excuse to buy a torch and other neat tools that everyone should have.

I think it’s important to note that I haven’t actually started in on this project yet aside from buying the necessary equipment. My plan, at this point, is to get the old sink out of the way and install the shut-off valves. In order to get that far, I’ll need to shut off the water to the entire house so if something happens to go wrong (and how would that be possible?) I won’t have any water. I’m a little hesitant to start, but I’m fairly confident that I’ll be able to pull this off. Of course I might also end up flooding my basement and then I’ll have something really interesting to write about next week.

Red & Black Plaid

Well, it has finally started to get cold in the SC. I think this time the cold is finally going to stay around for a little while. We’ve had a few days of flurries but nothing to get too excited about, at least not yet. It’s been more of some playful eye batting then a full-on date, but hopefully that will soon change and the slopes will be covered with a deep blanket of white stuff, even if it is man-made.

Since the cold has decided to stay around, I thought this weekend would be a good opportunity to get the house in “winter mode.” That means putting in the storm windows, putting plastic on windows, cleaning the garage to make room for the car, and stacking as much firewood as possible in the hopes that I will actually have enough wood to use the stove this winter and keep my house at a cozy 62 (instead of the standard double nickels).

See, I have this crazy notion that each winter I’m going slog off into the woods and fell a bunch of trees; then cut, split, and stack all this lumber to use as fuel to heat my house all winter long. Sure, it can be fun to run a chainsaw and swing an axe but let’s face it, I’m no lumberjack. With any luck I’ve got enough wood to last me through the hardest part of the winter but next year I might just have to break down and buy a few cords of wood like most normal people do.