The Roundhouse

Look...it's the Roundhouse! Site for the movie "Sun Valley Serenade."

And, site for our lunch yesterday. We skied down the mountain, over the valley and through the woods to get to the Roundhouse, about half-way up the mountain (at the top of the gondola).

We had to climb about 50 steps to get to the restaurant, which is not an easy feat after you've skied for 3 hours.

Then, to our meal -- I got to eat Wiener Schnitzel, Rotkohl and Spaetzle...and listen to a man play polkas on the accordion...while we looked out over Seattle Ridge and watched skiers coming down the mountain.

It just doesn't get better than that!!

Today We Skied The Bowls!

Yep, that's me...on top of the mountain, at 9,200 feet, right off the chairlift, getting ready to ski the "bowls."

Thought I'd share the beauty of the backdrop with you. It was awesome.

PS. On the way to the bowls, I looked to my left and saw a virgin patch of snow. So, off went my skis so that I could scamper up to make a snow angel. Now, that was fun!

Leslie's New Helmet

Hey, how do you like my new baby-blue helmet...the one that Phebe and I bought to bring out the color of my eyes?!

Here I am sitting in front of the fireplace in the Main Lodge, after a splendid day skiing.

:o)

Sun Valley, Idaho

My husband and I are out in Sun Valley, visiting his cousin, and doing some skiing. Here's a picture taken from the top of the mountain. It was an awesome day!!!!

PS. I ran into a guy who I knew at college -- I used to help him with his papers...he was a geology major and wrote lots of papers about being on the ski patrol and bombing canyons to help avert avalanches!

World's Biggest Brothers (WBB)

Yesterday I was on a flight from Chicago to Charlotte, NC.

I was sitting comfortably in my assigned seat, when I looked up and then I saw them...my seatmates. Two guys in their twenties. One of them looked at me and said: "Congratulations. Today is your lucky day. You have the chance to sit next to The World's Biggest Brothers."

Normally, I might be pretty bummed to be sitting next to two guys who were larger than the regular fellow, you know, sides slipping over into my seat, elbows out over the armrests. Fortunately, that didn't happen here. These guys were hilarious!

At one point, a woman came over to our row and started to take one of their bags out of the overhead compartment. "I'll just move your bag over here so that I can fit my bag on the plane," she said to them.

The Brothers: "Well, it's kind of heavy."
The Woman: "No, it's really not."
Big Brother #1 turns to me: "She just moved my dad."
Me: "WHAT?!?!"
Apparently, they were escorting an urn with their dad's ashes back to the East Coast.

We spent the rest of our time on the plane together going through the Sky Mall catalog, you know, with products like the Cat Potty Training program, or the Fake Security Camera that you can mount in your garage to fool criminals into thinking you have a real surveillance system, and the sunglasses with a video camera inside.

These guys are hilarious. I've encouraged them to start their own YouTube channel -- with snippets of their life. Tune into The World's Biggest Brothers. Remember, you saw it here first...:o)

Up in Charleston

My husband and I just returned from spending two days in Charleston, South Carolina. It was to be a "couples off-site," a time where we could reconnect with one another, reaffirm our marriage, and make conscious decisions about how we want to plan and conduct our year together.

If you want to learn more about our "process," you can read more at my blog posting at http://www.beyondthestuff.com/. Check it out!

We stayed at The Meeting House Inn, right in middle of Charleston, at the intersection of Meeting and Market Streets, a perfect location. The staff there was extremely friendly and we loved the accommodations. It's kind of a funky place, with 56 rooms, many with balconies, and each room decorated differently. There is a little garden off the side of the Inn, creating an oasis in the middle of the city. It has a decidedly Southern coastal feel, reminding me even of places I visited in the Caribbean.

If you are around Charleston, give them a try. It's slow and they need the business. Oh yeah, and if you do decide to try it out, tell them that Landon and Leslie sent you.

It was a really important thing to do, to go away together, to just be together, away from the cares of the world before the intensity of the New Year begins. I feel much more connected to my husband and centered and clear about priorities and looking forward to the New Year.

You know, you don't have to go very far to have your own retreat. Just take a full day and night for yourself -- or yourselves -- and turn the phones and email off and walk and talk and connect and plan. It's an important part of self-care that will be even more important in a challenging economy. Do yourself a favor. Start the year off right.

Happy New Year to you!!