Hau`oli Lâ Ho`omaika`i! (Happy Thanksgiving)

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

After stuffing myself with a fabulous home-cooked meal until I'm way past the point of delirium, I am loading up my turkey-bloated body on a plane bound for some tropical fun in the sun and a good dose of Vitamin D which I've been seriously lacking in the Pac NW. I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday. And, for those Can-Am households, enjoy T-Day, round 2.

Aloha!

Seattle Women's Hockey Blog

I just wanted to give you a 'heads up' on a new blog that I started for the Seattle Women's Hockey Club. Here you will find updates on our tournaments, scrimmages, local games, and other happenings related to the club. While I designed it (and, I have to say that I am humbly proud of it....makes me want to redesign my own blog), the blog will have many contributers including posts from the coaches, team managers, team captains/alternate captains, and the SWHC board members.

We have a tournament coming up this weekend in Wenatchee, WA - the annual Hot Autumn Women's Ice Hockey Tournament and all three teams (Sting, Black Ice, and We Want Fries) will be attending. We'll be playing in the brand new Toyota Town Center...woot! So, time to get packing up the car with my hockey gear, and the pug. Skis? Not likely (grrr..). But, golf clubs - yes! Hopefully, it won't be too cold for some of us to tee up. Anyway, I will be updating the blog with pics and post-game stories for 'We Want Fries' which I am the Team Captain and one of the Team Managers (though, I claim the 'C' stands for 'Clueless but Competitive'). Stay tuned....it's going to be a great season with, I'm sure, some great stories to go along with it. The blog URL is seattlewomenshockey.blogspot.com.

'Tis the Season...

The holiday season is upon us. Holiday jingles are starting to fill the air and the decorations and trees are going up. But, to me, what marks the beginning of the holiday season is the return of Gu's Chocolate Mint flavor! I brought back a few boxes from my favorite discount sporting goods outlet in San Francisco - Sportsbasement.com. Mmm - so yummy. It's easier to carry than a thermos of hot cocoa, but trying to mix in the peppermint schnapps is a bit of a challenge ;-) Anyway, the sun *finally* came out this weekend. I dragged my ass out of bed early this morning to meet up with others for a little tour around Lopez Island. It was perfect for me after 6 periods of hockey on Saturday. A bunch of Seattle teams are getting ready for a women's hockey tournament in Wenatchee so we're all scrimmaging and grabbing as much ice time as possible.

Anyway, dumbass forgot her camera and left her phone in the car (guess I was more tired than I thought), so there are no pictures to post at this time, but, hopefully, my riding partners will share some pics and I can post them later. But, this is a map of the island and the route for the annual Tour de Lopez which we sort of followed. Perfect little, easy ride for today because it was flat and we ended up doing ~35 miles which is just enough to loosen up the legs from all the anaerobic work the night before. But, the weather was perfect and the company and ride was nice and mellow and I really enjoyed my Gu Chocolate Mint. It's been a while since I've been on my road bike and it felt great to be outside instead of inside in some silly spin class. Fabulous day! It's about to get better because I am baking some banana bread (chock full of walnuts and choc chips...I can't get enough chocolate today!) and it'll be done just in time for a little snacky-poo before bedtime. Anyway, riding around Lopez Island is an easy route and very doable for everyone.

Mushing in the Yukon

I think this would be the ultimate experience for any dog lover out there so you know it's on my list of things "to-do." My hockey teammate, Otterpop (ok, her real name is Sheila...oh, BTW, congrats on your first goal this weekend...woot!) went on this dog-sledding trip which is based up in the Yukon in the month of January (what?!). The outfitter they went with is Uncommon Journeys, LTD. Check out their site and you can see pictures of their 'team' (the dogs). Otterpop did the Aurora Classic - a 7-Day Cabin based trip. During the day, you actually learn to drive your own dog team, and at night, return to the comforts of a log cabin or yurt with a gourmet-prepared meal and plenty of wine. Now, that has my name all over it. Unfortunately, Otterpop didn't get to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) but said the experience was absolutely amazing and "would go again in a heartbeat." She was in dog heaven and the service was top notch. Hmmm, I sure hope so after seeing the price of the week-long trip. But, this would certainly be worth every penny. OK, off to the cold hockey rink with warm thoughts of mushing through the snow in the Yukon with those incredible four-legged athletes.

(Click on the image to see a larger version.)

Great Online Deals on Outdoor Products

OMG....I'm obsessed and I have Jill to thank for this. I am constantly checking out Steepandcheap.com. This has got to be one of the best marketing gimmicks I've seen out there. It's powered by Backcountry.com (another awesome site for outdoor gear and active wear at great prices). So, Steepandcheap.com offers items one at a time at prices that are usually 50% or more off of the original price for the product. Now, here's the marketing hook - you see how many people are online, how many products are left for each size/color, and the rate at which they're selling. The item is also available for a limited time (about 1/2 hour) or until the product sells out. Brilliant marketing because it creates a sense of urgency and before you know it, you're clicking on that left mouse button, and digging out your credit card. Jill recently purchased some alpine touring skis at more than 1/2 off of the original price. I got an altimeter watch for 60% off of the original price. OK, back to the site to see what killer deal they've got going now.

Oh, and they're hiring! If Park City wasn't so far from the ocean, I would certainly consider applying for their Business Analyst position. Hey fellow Researchers...want to move to Park City (so I can come out and stay at your place while I enjoy the outdoor bounty that is out there :-)). Love that Utah snow...woot!

Winter FUN Just Around the Corner

The other day, I was driving home from the airport feeling a little wistful and sad after so many fun-filled days with various friends in the Bay Area. On my drive home, as I headed back to Issaquah on I-90, there was a brief break in the clouds and I could see the dusting of fresh snow in the mountains. That brought a smile back to my face and optimism for the upcoming winter season. So, to get everyone in the mood and to remind you why rainstorms are a good thing during the fall and winter months, I've put together a collection of webcams for live views of some places I've been at along the west coast. Click on the logo to view and may I suggest that you bookmark this page. Whee!

British Columbia:




Washington:





Oregon:







California:




Colorado:




Utah:






So, I am keeping tabs on all of you who said that they are coming to (fill in appropriate outdoor activity) in the near future. As for ski instructing, I still haven't made a commitment but I may have found another company that will allow me to teach during the week (and maybe a 1/2 day session on a Saturday) which will free up my time to play in the snow with pretty much everyone else who has the M-F grind. So, think SNOW!! And, regularly do some cardio, lunges, squats, wall sits, double-leg jump overs, more cardio, some core work so we can get the most out of each play day without any injuries :-) Woot!