Cellar Scribblings

[serious crayons]

I wish I'd known about your trip sooner. I would have at least suggested that if you have the time--and the budget--to get yourself a new "base layer" from some place like Under Armour. They're warm, they don't take up much space, and they dry quickly, so you would only have to pack some lighter layers to be worn without the base layer in NOLA and over top of it in Breckenridge. Check out Rick Steves' advice for women travelers on his web site.

That's a great idea!    And I think I actually already own some of those base layers -- I live in Minnesota, after all -- that I could dig out and throw in the suitcase. Glad you mentioned this, Jeff!

Here's another complication that arose yesterday. Cy wants to go snowboarding when we are in Breckenridge, but his snowboard is here. So I figured I'd UPS it to my brother's house beforehand. I went to UPS yesterday and they said it would cost about $370 (!!!) to ship. About $100 of that would be because they'd have to build a special box for it, but $270 is for the shipping alone. Forget that. So I looked up snowboard rentals and it looks like I could get a package covering our whole time there, including boots and helmet, for about $260.

Or ... I could lug the snowboard myself on the plane to NOLA and from there to Denver for free, or close to it. I'd have to buy a bag for it, so that's $60-$100. Plus there's the boots, so they might require yet another bag. The fellowship covers the cost of up to two bags, so I'd probably have to pay $25 or so if I had a third bag (which I would, because there's no way the boots would fit in my suitcase along with everything else). But I'd be hauling the snowboard and boots from my house to the airport from the airport to the hotel, from the hotel to my friends Kathy and Doug's house, where I'm staying an extra night, and from there back to the airport and then from DEN to my brother's house.

So the huge hassle option would be cheap. But I'm tempted to just pay the $260 or whatever and be done with it. It might even be less than that, if Cy chooses to snowboard only a couple of times and can rent by the day. I also fear that I'd reach the airport with the snowboard and there'd be some SNAFU that would prevent me from checking it and then I'd miss my plane.

OK, even looking at it in print now firms my resolve. Rentals it is.

[Jeff Wrangler]

That's a great idea!    And I think I actually already own some of those base layers -- I live in Minnesota, after all -- that I could dig out and throw in the suitcase. Glad you mentioned this, Jeff!

Now, why would I not think that somebody from Minnesota would already own base layers?    Probably because I had it in my head that I bought myself a new shirt from Under Armour before i went to Colorado last month. I didn't need it while I was in Colorado, but it's certainly more "tech" than the old-fashioned long underwear tops I still have hanging in my closet. 

OK, even looking at it in print now firms my resolve. Rentals it is.

That's what I'd do. You don't need the expense and the hassle of transporting that thing. And then would he have expected you to transport it back to Minnesota?

[CellarDweller]

Hiya BetterMost friends!

Oh well, back to work today.

How is everyone doing?

Work went  smoothly today, and I'm thankful for that. 

Used the gym room and showers today at work for the first time, establishing a new routine. 

[Front-Ranger]

Or he could borrow my son's snowboard! And if you want you could borrow my ski suit again! I'm foggy on when you want to get together so if you could please repeat that? Thanks, look forward to seeing you soon!

[Sason]

Hiya BetterMost friends!

Oh well, back to work today.

How is everyone doing?

Work went  smoothly today, and I'm thankful for that. 

Used the gym room and showers today at work for the first time, establishing a new routine. 

I'm dying to know: how was the back scratcher?

[CellarDweller]

Hiya BetterMost friends!

Ya know, I think I know some people who would do the same as the one above!   

Thanksgiving has been determined to be at my brother & sister-in-law's place.  I will be bringing some Buffalo Chicken dip, and assorted breads/rolls for the meal.  I'll do the shopping one point this weekend.  Don't want to wait until last minute.

[CellarDweller]

I'm dying to know: how was the back scratcher?

it's just a loofah, nothing special.  gets the job done.

[CellarDweller]

Hiya BetterMost friends!

Ah yes, the time of year we come together and deal with family members we're not quite fond of.

 

I've been asked to bring bread stuff and Buffalo chicken dip for Thanksgiving.  I made the dip for the first time last and it tasted pretty good.

I also got an assortment of the Pillsbury rolls.  We'll have french bread, cressent rolls, and southen style biscuits.

[serious crayons]

That's what I'd do. You don't need the expense and the hassle of transporting that thing. And then would he have expected you to transport it back to Minnesota?

My plan was to leave it at my brother's in Colorado, because my son doesn't snowboard that much these days anyway so might not bother to go in Minnesota. Or if he did, my brother could always ship it at that point.

And thanks for your offer, Lee!

I found out at the last minute that it would have been much cheaper to transport it via FedEx ground shipping. Who knew?? They would have done it for about $80, they said when I went to the FedEx office in the New Orleans hotel to ship some stuff that was making my suitcase too heavy. I thought of having my ex-husband dash over to the FedEx office with it but at that point the timing was too close. Something to keep in mind for the future, though -- at least for some things, FedEx is actually much cheaper than UPS.

In any case, the happy ending was that the snowboarding in Breckenridge was terrible -- too warm (mid-40s), too crowded, not enough runs open. So I was glad I didn't bother with any of it. Cy went up the mountain on the gondola with me and my brother, did a little shopping and dining and Netflix-watching like the rest of us,  and otherwise happily stayed in the house reading up on the life of Fidel Castro, not like the rest of us. (I'd have been more likely to read up on Florence Henderson.)

It snowed 5" on the day we left, so as far as I'm concerned, between the cost of renting and the cost of a day pass (I figured together they'd be ~$200/day), we got out of there in the nick of time. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

My plan was to leave it at my brother's in Colorado, because my son doesn't snowboard that much these days anyway so might not bother to go in Minnesota. Or if he did, my brother could always ship it at that point.

And thanks for your offer, Lee!

I found out at the last minute that it would have been much cheaper to transport it via FedEx ground shipping. Who knew?? They would have done it for about $80, they said when I went to the FedEx office in the New Orleans hotel to ship some stuff that was making my suitcase too heavy. I thought of having my ex-husband dash over to the FedEx office with it but at that point the timing was too close. Something to keep in mind for the future, though -- at least for some things, FedEx is actually much cheaper than UPS.

In any case, the happy ending was that the snowboarding in Breckenridge was terrible -- too warm (mid-40s), too crowded, not enough runs open. So I was glad I didn't bother with any of it. Cy went up the mountain on the gondola with me and my brother, did a little shopping and dining and Netflix-watching like the rest of us,  and otherwise happily stayed in the house reading up on the life of Fidel Castro, not like the rest of us. (I'd have been more likely to read up on Florence Henderson.)

It snowed 5" on the day we left, so as far as I'm concerned, between the cost of renting and the cost of a day pass (I figured together they'd be ~$200/day), we got out of there in the nick of time. 

Interesting. 

How'd it go in NOLA? How was the fellowship?