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Showing posts from January, 2018

Grammy R's Eulogy

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Here's to you, Grammy. 1920-2018 You always think you have more time. Time to listen to the stories once more, time to record them. Time to relax into the moment and not yada yada yada, get on with it we've heard this one a thousand times already. Here's what I had the great privilege to say at Grammy R's funeral last week: Grammy is the stuff of legends. Every one of you is thinking of ten things or a hundred things she said to you that no one else would have ever said to you. Every day of her life she was full-on, unfiltered Grammy. But if someone's last name wasn’t the same as hers... Watch out. They'd need to go through her to get to one of us. She was our staunchest ally. There are 3 pillars of Grammy. Three overriding themes that she could weave into every statement, story or conversation. Grammy was a master at staying on message. #1 - Ample kvelling - She might get up in your business one-on-one, but out of doors, if Grammy had any

Skiing in -14 sub-freezing antarctic conditions

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I knew I wasn’t in the city anymore. Not only because it’s -14 up here in VT where we’re skiing, but because I saw a dog jogging up a snow-covered road. Just nonchalantly headed wherever he was going. WITHOUT BOOTIES.  Skiing in -14 requires some wardrobe tricks which I haven’t quite figured out yet.  I get the part where you open up 7 sets of hand-warmers and strategically line your long underwear with them.  Then there's the part where you smear of this greasy stuff on your nose that’s allegedly supposed to prevent frostbite. Last comes the real battle: how to not lose your nose to frostbite while not fogging up your glasses. If you cover your nose, your glasses fog up. If you don’t cover your nose, you can’t feel your face after about 8 minutes but at least you can see where you’re going. It’s a tough choice. You can avoid this dilemma by remembering to pack contact lenses. Pop forewent the glasses. We were standing at the bottom of a hill waiting for him and