My 4Runner has been acting up recently. It’s reluctance to go when I pushed down on the gas pedal was my trucks version of a strike. I’m not much of a maintenance guy… except of course when my only mode of transportation starts to complain. I called up a local mechanic to take a look at it last Friday, but he was backed up and couldn’t get to it until Monday. Well I’m too impatient, so I took my dad’s advice and got me some new spark plugs.

I’m always apprehensive about attempting any form automotive surgery for the first time. I began by thinking it was an easy fix… I pop the hood thinking I know roughly where spark plugs should be, but soon realize it’s a jungle of hoses and metal and I haven’t a clue what I’m looking at. Fear starts to set in. So I do what I normally do in situations like this. I google it. Low and behold I found a website that walked me though it like a pro. A trip to the local auto store and $15 later I had all I needed to appease my 4Runner’s whining. Long story short, she’s back to running like a champ… I’m sure she’s grateful just for the quality time we shared.

Brian Roggenbaum, a good friend from York days, came to visit this past weekend. He’s a pilot now with Cessna in Independence, Kansas. He’s also joining us for the churches annual Glenwoodsprings ski trip next month. Shhhh, he doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into.

Sunday marked a first for me… my first baby shower. A little odd, but then again, we don’t need much of an excuse for the gang to get together, eat and chatter… oh, and watch the demise of Pittsburg at the hands of the Patriots.

This past weekend, being a 3-day holiday, offered the chance to chill with the Sweigarts. There was a large amount of ice over the last month, but my sister’s place got hit hard. I’d say about 80% of the trees dropped a good portion of their limbs, resulting in power outages across the region. Brent worked overtime with the rest of Kansas Electric to replace broken electrical panels and other damage caused by the rain of wood. It’s hard to get a picture to convey the amount of damage, but here’s a shot of the Sweigart’s back yard (and Brent trying in vain to start a bonfire).

And like any trip to visit my sis, there’s always time for a photo shoot with Maddox.

You wouldn’t know it by his face, but he really doesn’t like hats.

Playing in the wagon that his uncle got him for Christmas.

Just so you know, it’s not the mountain that makes a good day of skiing… it’s the snow. That fact was reinforced last Sunday when we hit Ski Cooper, a small mountain with a couple black runs that would have been considered difficult greens anywhere else. It had been snowing on and off all weekend, the result being about 8 inches of the most heavenly soft powder blanketing Cooper and giving me some of the best runs I’ve had in my entire life.

View from our cabin in Leadville

The girls at Copper

The gang snowshoeing at Copper while the rest skiied

Atop Cooper

Now don’t get the wrong idea, this picture only makes me look like I know what I’m doing. And here’s everyone else doing the same jump:

Aaron

Abby

Adam

Dan

Rob

Sarah

Packing 10 friends and all our gear into the church’s fifteen passenger van, a group of us are headed to Leadville, Colorado tonight to ski our hearts out. The plan calls for an all night trek west, arriving at A-basin in time to catch the opening lifts tomorrow morning. Saturday, the devote few will ski Copper, while the rest of the gang snowshoes at Breckenridge. Then we’ll finish out the weekend with a relazing day at the small but less crowded (just as I like ‘em) Cooper.

Last night I went sledding with the girls down the notorious Corporate Woods hill. Sure, there’s not much snow out there, but the ice made up for it. Besides, it was a good “warm up” for the weekend.