Making a Statement

  During my morning commute I followed a car with a multitude of stickers on the rear bumper, rear window and hatchback.  This triggered a muse of what kind of statements the driver and owner of the vehicle was trying to make.  Who and what were they wanting to influence?  This thought stayed with me for the day and the thoughts about venues for making a statement expanded beyond the bumper sticker.
   Tattoos are probably an increasingly common way of making a statement in our current environment.   Obviously people want to make a visible sign on their bodies about something that they think is entertaining as art or maybe as a message about who and what they are.  I was somewhat amused as I walked back to my office from lunch when I followed a young student in shorts who had an image of a bear tattooed on the back of each calf of his leg.  Both bears facing out  to the side in profile.   Bear legs and bare legs!  I would like to think he was making the statement he has a wry sense of humor.
  Upon further thought it seems that we all are making a statement of who and what we are through many subtle and not so subtle ways.   The statement may come from the type of car we drive, the fashion of our clothes, our hair style, the home we live in, the people we associate with and the way we worship.    The outward often has something to say about the inward person.   Typically we think of teenagers making statements about themselves by unusual clothing styles and bizarre  social encounters.   Likely this is testing out the acceptable norms for relating to the adult world.   Optimistically this is a learning process that moderates as they become satisfied within themselves that things are okay with them.
   As I relate this muse to the geezer skier community it occurs to me that those of us who wear a geezer skier badge or a 70+ , 80+, or 90+ sticker on our helmet are making a statement that we are cool with being in our senior years.   We are probably saying look at us.  We are happy old guys, pleased to still be on skis!   In conclusion maybe we all have the need to be noticed in some unique way even if we are content with who we have become.

Farewell -2012-13 Season

  Saturday couldn't have been a better day to say farewell to the 2012-13 ski season.   The temperature stayed in the 20's and 30's and the sky was blue and clear.  There was ample snow on almost every slope at Greek Peak.  At least all that were open.   Early morning the surface was firm granular that morphed into great corn snow by the afternoon.  Ladies from the Tri-Cities Ski Club  in their Hawaiian hula skirts and colorful leis graced the slopes in a celebratory manner.
  Only a few geezers were present for the closing day.  Most had made their farewells in the past week and were off to their summer pursuits.   In anticipation of rain the area was not open on Sunday and with the likely rain for this week there is little expectation for a weekend opening.  I heard that there were 108 days of skiing this year.  Any time we get over 100 days is a bonus.
   As I wrapped up my day on Saturday I took a few pictures of the remaining snow on a few slopes and expressed my silent thanks to God, Mother Nature, and my hugely supportive wife, Nancy for the good fortune to be able to ski to my heart's content.  I am indeed grateful in many ways for good health, a great spouse and enjoyable friends.
  With farewell to the slopes, I say hello to the tennis courts.   I am looking forward to another great season of tennis with wife and friends as partners and opponents.   On to the Empire State Senior Games in June!

First Annual Hawaiian Shirt Day

  Geezer Pat Ryan is always coming up with some interesting and outrageous ideas for the geezers.  It must be the Irish in him that makes him so creative.   Yesterday he suggested to us that we should have a Hawaiian Shirt Day today.   The day was to commemorate the arrival of sunshine and Spring skiing.  Pat and I complied with our Hawaiian themed outfits.   And Roger at least came up with a plaid shirt.   That plaid shirt must have come from his Maine roots when he was doing some logging.  I was able to get a Hawaiian shirt from the Salvation Army store since I didn't have one.  The other geezers have an assignment for next year to get their own shirts.

Gerry and Pat 

Pat and Gerry - Great Legs Pat!

Roger and Pat

   Pat and I brought smiles to the faces of almost all of the skiers on the slopes.    The lift attendants and the Greek Peak staff also enjoyed our little escapade.   We only regret that many of the geezers have hung up their skis for the season and are missing these last few days at the hill.   There were semi sad farewells today, since almost all of the geezers are done for the season.   We will be off to our off season pursuits of golf, travel, fishing and tennis.   However, most of us have bought our season passes for next year and we are looking forward to another great season and the Second Annual Hawaiian Shirt Day in the Spring of 2014.
 

April Fool?

  I think Mother Nature must have a sense of humor.   My ski adventure today included rain, snow, wind, ice, and slow going.   All in the course of a few hours.   After a night of rain I didn't expect very good conditions on the slope.   However, the fool that I am I arrived by 9:00 AM in anticipation of the 9:30 AM start up.   Three of us were ready to go as soon as the Ski Patrol started up the lift.  There was one geezer (me) and father with a young daughter.   Bare spots and roughness abounded.  I normally ski my fat board S3's on almost all conditions.   Today this was not the case.   Early morning there was an icy glaze on the surface and the S3's were as squirrelly  a ride you could get.   At the end of one survival run I returned to the locker to get my skinny skis.   The skinny skis worked fine and it was a relief to have a stable ride.  Albeit a rough ride on the ungroomed surface.
   With the completion of the usual six or so runs it was coffee break time.  In the interval of time for my coffee break a great snow shower started.   Within an hour or so we had a significant cover of new snow.  However, the skis did not slide too well on the fresh snow on top of a wet surface.   The morning was rounded out with several runs on the slow but comfortable surface.  I don't think I am
too much of an April fool!   Someone had to represent the geezers for today and I am glad I was up to the task.   Spring skiing?  Yes, by the calendar but perhaps not by Mother Nature's schedule.

A Spring Snow Shower - April 1, 2013

Slope Signs of Spring

    The waning days of the 2012-2013 ski season are upon us.   The sure signs of Spring and the end of the season are popping up.   Sunshine and corn snow were a delight for today's skiing.  However there were signs of the end days as well.   As shown below the warning signs for thin and bare spots  were in greater abundance than usual.   However, the still is an abundance of snow and very few of the trails are closed.  
   Other signs of spring include running streams and shirtsleeve apparel and buds forming on the trees.   A ski patrol fund raiser brought out the barbecue at the top of the hill too.  Another sign of Spring at the slope is the emptying of lockers and departure of seasonal residents from their condos. Many of the geezers are also hanging up the skis for the season too.   Fishing and golf calls for many of them.  
  I am one of the die-hards.  It looks like I will be suffering the lonely lift rides for a week as we finish the season.   Tennis beckons me.   My wish would be that when the ski area closes, we immediately have warm enough weather for outside tennis.  Another sign of spring - the nets going up!

Warning!

John - Ski Patrol Barbecue - Great Hotdogs!

Are those buds coming out?

A Belated Birthday Wish

 The dean of our Geezer Skier group Pret Goslee celebrated his 93rd birthday last Sunday.  I regret that I wasn't on the slope to celebrate with him, his grandson and wife Nita.   I did hear from all my geezer associates that were on the slope that he was treated like a rock star for the day.  Wherever he went he was surrounded by well wishers and admirers.   Everyone on  the hill was greeted with a sign at the lift attendants shack announcing Pret's birthday celebration.   The sign was up even on Monday so I was able to get a photo as seen below.
   So, Pret here's wishing you a belated happy birthday and good karma for many more to come.   A search of my photo archives brought forth my photo of your 91st birthday on the slopes in 2011.   See below.   As I saw you today I am convinced you haven't changed a bit over these last two years!   You continue to be a hero for all of us youngsters in our 70's and 80's.   If I get to match your record to date, I have 15 more seasons to go!   All the best to you and your family not only for your skiing prowess, but also for your continued contributions to our community.

Pret - Third from the Left - 2011 Birthday

Public Announcement - Pret - 93

Junior High Geezers

 When a group of geezer skiers gather for a coffee break the conversation can veer off into all kinds of unusual directions.   Recently one of our members mentioned an encounter with one of his old junior high schoolmates.  In the course of that encounter they apparently reverted back to their junior high years and behaved that way to the extent that his wife stated that to him!
   For whatever reason that comment triggered a spate of jokes and trickery among the group.   I suspect that the people around us really thought we had gone off the deep end.  I will not relate any of the jokes here since this is a G rated blog.   However, I will mention that Pat R. had a magic finger with a lighted end that was an entertaining gadget.   You would be amazed how the alternately flashing light at the tip could enter and leave various facial cavities, as well as coffee cups and other containers.   Perhaps this behavior is simply one more way of capturing our long past youth.    Laughter is good for our health, just as much as a dozen runs on the ski slope.   Thankfully we have both our physical and mental health therapy on a daily basis.

Pat cutting it up with Frank.  The light must be too bright since their eyes are closed.