Disneyland aka Vail, Colorado

Well, Colorado is a long way away. A long way away. In fact, it's the furthest I've ever driven in my life. The amusing part is that Jane didn't want to drive because she was too scared to be on the other side of the road when actually it was way more dangerous to have me driving 8 hours flat in the dark. There were some amusing parts: the best one being followed by the disco lights, aka the Colorado police. "91 mph officer? I was sure I was doing 85. What's the speed limit here?"..... Probably closely followed by having to run around a car park at 2.30am in an effort to stay awake. We made it though.

Vail is so faux European. I don't know why they've done it like that instead of celebrating their Colorado mining heritage. There are fake Austrian guesthouses, French delis, furs - and lots of rich, obnoxious guests. It's also huge, huge, huge. Just full of wide sweeping runs in the big bowls and also lots of good tree skiing in amongst aspens. Great snow. It just dumped it for two days as you can see. The schools in Eagle County were closed for the first time in 48 years today and the I70 to Denver too. It was back to back trucks for miles on the east side as we headed out west and home over the desert.

So great to see Jesse. He was such a good host. I said to him this morning that when you travel, you meet people you really like and never expect to see them again. And yet here we were, in his condo in Vail. Here we are at the bus stop. Russ, he's grown a dodgy tache. You need to have a word.

Let it snow

It's true what they say about Utah. It really does have the best snow on earth; we have had 100 inches in the last ten days. I know, incredible. We're getting blase about it. I even missed first lifts the other day after nearly 10 inches overnight. In fairness, I hadn't realised it was going to be that good, it had been howling a gale overnight. Thought I'd add one of the pics from our website. You see this sort of stuff on the brochures but you never experience it in real life - unless you're here. And we have the terrain to match - the mountain really is awesome. I must take some pics (or steal some from Jane and Spencer which is the more likely option as I am too lazy to get my camera out on the slopes.)

I just love facebook

This has nothing to do with Salt Lake, skiing, or the USA. But I feel the urge to say just how much I love facebook. I've just got lost in it yet again..... I've been looking at Shelley's pics of her sister's wedding, discovering TC has persuaded someone to marry him and stumbling across pics of me on my windsurfing holiday in Vassiliki where I met the best bunch of northerners ever.

It's so good. It's just effortless to keep in touch. I love it. I don't know how I lived without it.

That's all.

Oh, and an update on the party theme: went to an 80s night on Thursday. It was funny. It would have been Lucy 'dancing queen' Melly's dream. Of course we old bastards knew pretty much all the songs too. The venue is holding a fetish night in a couple of weeks so Salt Lake can't be that straight. I suspect if you scratch under the surface there's loads of naughtiness; there must be, it's all so squeaky on the outside.

Party capital part 3

So off we went tonight for $1 dollar margaritas. Of course the bar is so far away we have to drive, so convince Sarah to lend me her car; she agrees even after I drove it into a snow bank the other night. I agree to be the 'dd', I'm so keen to go out I'm prepared to forgo the alcohol, which is quite frankly a miracle. Jane and I put on make-up and the nicest clothes we can find.

Find the bar which turns out to be a restaurant and we have nine margaritas between six of us for just $9. Getting a good buzz on (love this term, very American!) when the boss realises our table is drinking without food. Shock, horror, anti-Utah drinking laws. So off we go on a drugs run to the State Liquor Store to make our own.

Arrive back at our new friends' place, talk bears, Alaska, rafting, rivers and tele skiing, marvel at the axe in their bathroom and drink serious amounts of tequila (well, Spencer and Jane did, I am having my reward of Baileys now).

It was so much fun. Yes, things are looking up in the party capital.

Party capital part 2

Guess what else. In Utah, you're not allowed to buy two drinks for yourself at once. You can only have one in your hand at any one time. Wow.

Went to this bar the other night with a guy from work - it was a real bar with loads of people and live music and came complete with a few white American hip hop kids; backwards baseball caps, baggy trousers, white chunky trainers. It was so good to be properly out, I can only go so long without an injection of nightlife. Of course we drove there, it was in the middle of nowhere. The locals either have 'dds' (designated drivers) or they take their chances; seems they take their chances more often than not judging by the amount of cars in the parking lot.

Last night I ended up at this enormous house just at the mouth of the canyons, belonging to some guy's grandparents who are in South Utah for the winter. This picture doesn't even begin to do it justice. It was so 70s flashy but pretty cool at the same time; they have a games room in the basement with pool table and pinball machine. Grandpa owns a car dealership. In fact it really was a bit like the Gilhespie's pad; very footballer's wives. There was even a statue of a Greek God in the bathroom complete with fig leaf. We drank Grand Marnier - much nicer than slugs of Jagermeister at the back of the employee van.

And look at the view over the valley in the morning. We're in the middle of a 3 day storm; couldn't get up the canyon at all today so I had an excuse for not being the brightest of sparks this morning.

I've been invited to shoot guns. I feel this is a cultural experience I just can't turn down. Let's hope it materialises!

Party capital of Utah - Salt Lake City

So, here we are. New Year's, and we're drinking sherry after the futile expedition to find some party somewhere in this godforsaken Mormon city.

It started well. El Chanate, dollar tacos, 12 dollar jugs with a good few lifties, ticket checkers and mountain school peeps, courtesy of Jane. We watched a lovely torchlight procession down the mountain followed by some uneventful fireworks (which we didn't see because we were standing at the counter trying to sort our bill. This took over 30 mins.)

We then jumped in the employee van, having first succeeded in getting it unstuck out of the snow, and were joined by some merry campers slugging beer and Jagermeister. At this point it was still looking good.

Exit at the bars. First up, the Porcupine. Which is actually a restaurant. Ditched that and went to the Canyon Inn. Just 10 dollars entrance, including membership for 3 weeks (this is Utah). Brian (the server) advised us to go elsewhere. Half an hour walk down a dingy, dark, winding road - pee stops required - to find the Hogs Wallow. Closed. Here are the two guys who refused to let us in.









So, we then walked half an hour back. Attempted to buy bourbon. Failed, only 3.2 lager allowed as we weren't eating. Met random colleague Ben and his 2 friends from San Fran and Miami who were dressed in suit jackets whilst we were in our scussy ski clothes. Only a back shot of them I'm afraid.

Left Porcupine for the mission home. Long, dark, cold, icy footpaths. No people. Anywhere. Apart from dodgy guy and Daisy the lost dog. 45 mins later, we come across The Huddle, Sports Bar recommended by Ben. 8 TV screens, 8 different sports. Attendance = 15. Membership = 5 dollars. IDed again (Score).

Left again for another mission home, decided to ditch Maggies (another recommended bar) for another day. So over it. So in need of a sherry. Arrive home with 15mins to spare to midnight. ROCK AND ROLL.

It's true. In Utah, the snow and the mountain is amazing, the nightlife is shit. So we're getting up early tomorrow and heading up the hill.

This will be the first New Year's in 6 years that I've not completely overdone it to the extent I've felt awful for a week but had stories to dine out on for way more than that. It feels a little strange! This is what I wanted, but it's all just a bit boring. Please live it up for me in London, at least a little!

Christmas

It's been a very different Christmas for me this year. I miss family Grant. So far, there's been no stress in the kitchen, no talking over each other in an effort to make ourselves heard, no inappropriate confessions of our sins over the family dinner. Instead I'm typing this in the basement with Spencer the house husband checking on the turkey, after a full day's work and a couple of sneaky runs on the hill. I kind of knew I could count on Spence to do the dinner. He not only has the practical skills I lack, he can cook. I just texted him instructions this morning and hey presto, a full dinner appears. Score.

So, what do you think of the illuminated Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus? Jesus has a new blanket over him after the foot of snow we got last night. Here they are in context too, in front of the dome with the snowmen that blows fake snow around. Yes, I know. Scary.

I kind of think these pics are appropriate for my Christmas post. You'll have seen this message before, I'm sure, but I think it's so appropriate, particularly at this time of year. I just love the last line. It reminds me of someone many of you know.

The paradox of our age

We have bigger houses, but smaller families;
More conveniences but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense;
More knowledge, but less judgement;
More experts, but more problems;
More medicines, but less healthiness.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour.
We've built more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication.
We have become long on quantity but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods but slow digestion;
Tall man but short character;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It is a time when there is much in the window, but nothing in the room.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Mum sent me this card, as well as a Santa parcel - four presents, all individually wrapped. Totally unnecessary, but really lovely. My Mum is wonderful, I love her to bits.