Winter Sports

Someone asked me recently if I liked ice climbing. An avid rock climber, you might think I'd be into ice climbing, but I'm not. One, I know that half the time spent climbing the ice has to be spent belaying your partner. And that sounds cold, if you ask me. Besides, I already have too many winter sports that I love. Here is a list of my favorite winter activities:

8. Snowboarding
7. Snowshoeing
6. Cross-country skiing
5. Running
4. Alpine skiing
3. Telemark skiing
2. Backcountry skiing
1. Ice Hockey

Winter activities that I don't do much of that I'd like to be more involved in include fishing, snow-mobiling, and ice sculpting (the kind you do with a chain saw).

NFL: No Snow Angels Allowed

After a tough touchdown reception in Sunday's blizzard conditions in Foxboro, New England Patriots Pro-Bowl receiver Wes Welker did what anyone playing football in a snowstorm would do: he made a snow angel. 70,000 approving fans in the stands threw thousands of snowballs in a show of support.

The NFL officials at Sunday's game, however, didn't approve. They awarded the year's first snow angel penalty: 15 yards for "Demonstration." Officially, a player isn't allowed to drop to the ground in celebration as the the league deems the action excessive (unless it is to pray). Kids at home, remember: no snow angels allowed if you score a TD in a snowstorm. Forget the joy, forget the fun... and while you're at it, better cancel the snowmen and the hot cocoa too.

Sunday's snow angel wasn't the first made by a New England Patriot. Long snapper Lonnie Paxton made a snow angel in 2001 after a tight playoff victory against Oakland on the way to New England's first Super Bowl victory. Unlike Sunday's officials, Paxton approved of Welker's winter spirit. "He doesn't fill up quite as much space as I did," Paxton said of the 5-foot-8-inch Welker. "He's a little snow angel."

Bah humbug, NFL. And Happy Holidays Wes Welker!

To see a replay of Welker's TD (and ensuing celebration), click here.

Happy Holidays

I will spend this holiday season surrounded by the two friends pictured above -- and various other friends and family. Here's hoping everyone has a great holiday and that you all spend it with family or friends.

I say that because I did spend about 8 or 9 Christmases far away from my family -- either in Utah, Arizona, Germany, England or some other far-off place. I was always a little bummed out not to be with my family -- especially when my family has such a tradition of getting together at the holidays. But my holidays were always memorable no matter where I was or who I was with. In fact, some of the holidays spent with new friends or strangers were special in their own ways -- because of the way holiday "orphans" found each other -- or the way people I didn't know as well were so quick to include me in their special traditions.

I always remember the New Year's Eve between 1996 and 1997. My hockey friends in Garmisch -- Tino, Eva, Giacco -- and I went to Raimond Winter's parents' place. We spent the evening listening to Raimond's father telling WWII stories and telling us about how it was in the old days. Then we went out to Raimond's farmhouse where he fired off his own fireworks display at midnight -- one of hundreds of Garmischers shooting off pyrotechnics. It was a night to remember.

I think of it now, because this fall, Ali and I -- 12 years later -- revisited Garmisch. Despite having fallen out of touch, I located all four of them (and a couple of other hockey friends). We played hockey, drank beers, went hiking, and re-established a forever friendship.

Happy holidays and may you spend time together with your families and friends new and old.

New Recipe

I am tired of the same old food rotation. One time, Alison and I actually made a list of all the dinners we know how to cook. The list was impressive; when we really put our minds to it, we recalled many meals that we had forgotten. But now the list has been lost, and our home-dining experience lately have been a bit monotonous. (Fortunately, we've also been in the habit lately of watching Seinfeld reruns while we eat -- that's livened things up somewhat!)

Until last night, when I wandered into the produce section of the local supermarket. Butternut squash was up-front and center as being relatively in-season. Orange squash, I thought. What goes with butternut squash? I dreamed up the following recipe, and it was fabulous (all amounts are approximated, as that's how I cook):

-- Top half of a butternut squash, diced in half-inch square pieces.
-- One sweet potato, diced in half-inch square pieces.
-- One half red bell pepper, diced.
-- 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
-- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, ground.
-- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
-- 1 teaspoon black pepper
-- 1 teaspoon red pepper
-- 2 cloves fresh garlic, diced.

Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 9x11 inch glass baking dish with olive oil. Dice garlic; set aside. Spread squash and potato pieces in dish. Sprinkle soy sauce over vegetables. Spread ginger, cinnamon, black and red pepper over veggies. Spread bell pepper over everything. Spread garlic pieces over entire dish. Cover dish with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Serves 2 adults (if one of them has an above average appetite and doesn't mind stuffing oneself).

We served the dish with white rice, salad, and cheap red wine. There were so many flavors coming at us from so many directions (including the cheap wine, which I enjoyed immensely). For dessert, we microwaved some gluten-free chocolate cake that we had made a few nights earlier. On the cake we served Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

And so ended our dinner-time monotony; it was a most excellent meal, and I highly recommend it to everyone!

Nanowrimo

November is National Novel Writing Month. I have participated each of the last four Novembers and one time in April. Here's the deal:

50,000 words in 30 days. That about says it all. You write a novel in a month. And, no, the words I am writing for this blog do not count. The whole idea is rather silly, really. It means I have to find time to hit a daily word quota of 1667 words per day. Don't you think I am busy enough without writing a flipping novel this month? Apparently I'm not.

If I don't clean the bathroom, my own room (or even myself), you'll know why. I am busy writing the Great American Next Novel. Three cheers for Nanowrimo!

For info, check out Nanowrimo.org

Latest Story

Check out my latest article about our weekend in Franconia Notch in Upper Valley Image magazine's Fall issue.

Click here to visit Image

Wedding Photo Extravaganza

I'm not the type who spent his life "dreaming of my wedding day." And it's a good thing; if I were, my dreams and expectations would have never lived up to the time we had on September 12, 2008. Ali and I planned and looked forward to our wedding for 8 months and 17 days since the day I asked her to marry me on the Nordic trails at the Morse Farm. And everything was perfect.

We had so much fun, that we'd do it over again in a second. But we hear that people don't really get as excited about the second wedding. So, instead, we'll just keep re-living the day through pictures. And here they are...

First, a huge thank you to our tree-climbing photographer Dave Vuono. Also thank you to Julie Aiken and Jan Leja who snapped hundreds of pictures too.

Viewing Directions:
Choose Photos to view. At Picasa screen, click "Slideshow." Then fasten your seatbelt... it's a wild ride!

Click here to view Jan Leja's wedding photos

Click here to view Julie Aiken's wedding photos

Click here to view Dave Vuono's wedding photos

Click here to view Julie Aiken's Nite-Before Party photos

Click here to view Julie Aiken's Day-After Party photos