12:00pm January 17, 2015

Sleeping in was much needed yesterday morning. After a quick breakfast, we made q quick trip out to Markquart Motors in Chippewa to drop off the GMC. We figured after a few thousand miles it might be a good idea to get it checked out and tuned up. On the way home, I took Kileigh and Dan on a brief tour around EC making sure to hit highlights such as Memorial High School, Kmart, the old house on Lexington, and the site of my concussion in 3^rd grade.  

Adios Kmart! 

We headed back to the house, where my dad had gotten together my ski equipment and some winter clothes for Dan. After a bit of research (mostly done by my dad), we found out that our best bet for skiing was out at Beaver Creek Reserve which is about 20 minutes from my house. It turned out to be a great deal. It was only $3 to ski and $3 to rent equipment. It was a very casual environment and the ladies at the front just sent us downstairs to fend for ourselves and follow the posted signs regarding equipment selection. After gearing up we drove across the road to the trail head and I gave Kileigh and Dan a brief lesson before we headed out on the trails.

How to ski (By: Beaver Creek)

Choosing ski boots

Gearing up!

Pre winter adventuring

As expected, there were a few wipeouts throughout the afternoon. Dan was definitely the first, but I will admit I took a spill or two myself.  My skiing skills have gotten a little rusty living down in Austin. It was my first time out at the Beaver Creek trails, but I definitely approve.  There were some fun hills and great scenery. Dan and Kileigh both were close to professional skiers by the end of the session which I credit mostly to my stellar teaching abilities.

Bridge Action Shot

What we pretend to look like (again...)

Our true selves

Selfie number 100 of the trip..give or take a few

Highly skilled photography (photo credit:me)

After skiing, we were still not done playing in the snow. We drove down the road a short ways to a county park called Big Falls. I’ve been there multiple times and really love the area. We trekked along the path to the falls that the park is named after. I would say we were about 90 percent convinced that the ice we walked out on was frozen enough to be safe. Luckily, there were no casualties and we all made it safely back to the car after making some snow angels, taking some selfies and generally bumming around in the snow.

Possibly Dan's first snow angel

Reliving childhood

And one more of these

Scenery shot. I think its pretty. 

Wipe out??

We may be a little cold in this one. 

Wait for it....

Snow explosion!!!

And another one of the snow angels and a bunch of foot prints. 

We picked up the GMC on the way back to my place. Everything was in order except for a minor coolant leak that we would need to monitor as we travel. We got home a little later than expected and were ravenous. Luckily, Joel was back home and had started heating up the meal my parents had pre prepared for the evening. (They would have eaten with us also, but they had to attend my mom’s work Christmas party). My mom made us a comfort food staple, chicken enchilada casserole with cornbread and rice. And for dessert she made hot fudge pudding cake. This is possibly one of the top 3 desserts known to mankind and it was as good as always. After dinner we relaxed with some margaritas and played a board game that Joel had recently purchased, Munchkins. It’s a little difficult to explain, but we had a great time and Dan ended up winning in the end. We also went over to Joel’s place to hang out for a bit and see his 6 month old puppy, Bowser. Once again, we were responsible and headed home at a decent hour.

Munchkins and Margaritas

Bowser!!!

He is sooooo big!

This morning my parents made us French toast for breakfast. We continue to be spoiled with great food on this trip. After breakfast, we took our time getting ready to go. I had originally planned on bringing a few boxes of things back to Austin with me, but that was before I had fully comprehended the amount of things three people need for a three week road trip. So instead of multiple boxes, I squeezed a few small items in the remaining gaps between our luggage in the GMC. We said goodbye to my parents and set out for Milwaukee after a solid few days in Eau Claire. It was definitely sad to say goodbye to family knowing I may not see them until this summer, but I’m slowly coming to terms with this being a new fact of life. Also, I got zero pictures with my parents so y'all will just have to believe that they were there. 

We are now on our way to Milwaukee to see the one, the only, Sarah Girls. She was one of my college roommates senior year, fellow engineer, and partner in crime. Our Milwaukee plans include Lakefront Brewery, Roller Derby, and the Packer v. Seahawks game.