Google Tahoe Trip - David is Back Skiing Again -

Google Tahoe Trip 2012.  David is back skiing again (twice in one month).  He is going to think he can go skiing any time (of course he already thinks that).

Last Wednesday (in the middle of the week), he says "can we go skiing right now?"

What a sense or reality this kid has.   I can't say I remember living in this kind of bubble as a kid but I guess we all lived in our own version of the bubble.  I was happy.  I think we used cardboard for sleds but I didn't know any better. We had a blast.

(We just happened to go a few weeks ago to get ready for this trip, since he had never skied before and we were a bit rusty too.)

As you can see from the helmet, the goggles, and the expression on his face, this man is ready.

In no time, this man was going down the slopes (on mid-mountain - our level).  He didn't hit the cones (which is more than I can say).

 

No worries, mom and dad had fun too, while David was in skiing class all day.  Its ok - we watched him from the gondella while we were going up the mountain.  He was fine.  

They are actually great at Northstar.  They take the kids for the entire day - teach them, feed them, and watch over them until it is time for us to pick him up at the end of the day.  Not a bad deal while you are enjoying the scenery and the fresh air (and focusing on how to ski again).

The view was spectacular from the top.  (Lunch was good too.)

Check these moves out - Big David is getting there.

 I am coming at you.

Now it was time for dinner and we took some time to see some old friends that I have not seen in over a decade or two.  Harvey, Leslie, and Charlie.  

Charlie is married now with a little one already - unbelievable. Last time I saw him he was a student at Stanford.  It was nice meeting his wife and son too.   Of course, they are all learning what real sleep deprivation is all about with a new born.

It was really great seeing Harvey and Leslie again and catching up.  (Oh yes. thanks for a great dinner and what a dessert - those brownies were fantastic.)

David had a ball playing chess with Charlie and tending to the fire.

2nd Dinner (a bit later in the evening)

Summer and I had a second dinner back with the Google team when we got back to the group house.   Duck confit.  It was great with a pomegranate sauce.

The conversation was fantastic too.  We kept talking late into the night - intermittent reinforcement, Milgram's study (I was in it), qualitative research, and a host of things we had in common.  We had fun.

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Day 2

Day 2 was back down to earth with flying saucers.  That does sound funny doesn't it - down to earth/flying saucers?

David (as you can see) has no fear.

But the little man bit the dust (or the snow in this case) and found out just how cold snow really is. He got snow up his sleeve.  "Dad.  Ow.  This really hurts.  Ow."  No problem.  We took the mittens off and pulled the snow out and all was good again, but it provided an opportunity for an important lesson about why we bundle him up.  

He had no idea just how cold snow could be when it creeps into your life.  Now maybe he has some insight into why I don't really see ever moving back into that climate again - not full time anyway.  

Connecticut was nice growing up, but I think I have done enough snow shoveling in that bitter cold for a life time.  I remember doing all that shoveling just to have the road snow plow pile it right back up, blocking the driveway again.  You would just look at that pile, shake your head, and pick up the shovel again.  You had to get out right?

 Well enough down memory lane. Back to the slopes - ok the hill.

Summer, Ryan (a friend from Google), and Michele (his girl friend) follow David's path - with a bit more fear in comparison.  I think Michele just lost the snow ball fight, but what a good sport.

I survived the saucer and the snow ball fight.  David has a great arm - luckily the snow was still powder so he couldn't get me too badly, but that did not stop him from trying.  He is a crazy man in the snow.  

But eventually it was time to start hiking back. I for one was getting hungry. Luckily he wanted some hot chocolate too.  So off we went hiking back in the snow.

We decided to have lunch at Gar Wood's on Carnelian Bay.  It was beautiful, sunny, and yes still a bit cold.  I had the crab cake sliders, with mango salsa on the side.  Summer got the chicken sandwich, which I almost got.  

You guessed it.  David ordered the macaroni and cheese, by the lake.  What a view.  The lake was nice too - but the real view was of the two of them as we sat down to lunch.  The lake just made a nice backdrop to something a bit more picturesque.

It was a nice way to end a Google family vacation.