The explanation

Check out this article about Warren Miller. It explains everything! Apparently Warren Miller sold his business to his son in 1989. Then in 2000 his son turned around and screwed him and sold Warren Miller's company, name, voice and archives to Time Warner for a hefty profit. Needless to say the family sitautaion is not looking so good (see page 4 of the article).

http://outside.away.com/outside/features/200411/warren_miller_1.html

Drips of time

Tomorrow I leave
Today I cry
Tomorrow will be today
another day gone by
a prick of pain
a gushing hope
fluid, pretending
I melt in time

A lost key, snow conditions and Warren Miller

     Can you say winter wonderland? Wet, sticky, gigantic snowflakes are falling out of the darkening sky. Beautiful? Absolutely! Helping my plight to find my key that I dropped somewhere between my house and the car? Not in the least! Given the situation I think I will be forced to rent a metal detector from Baily’s Rental. It’s better than having to change all the locks, I’ll tell you that much. Does anyone else note the irony? I’ve wanted nothing more than for it to snow for the last two months. And then the one night I lose my key the white stuff starts falling. Well, hopefully the skiing will at least be good. The snow that’s falling now might actually glue itself to the measly layer of snow we had previously in the mountains because the storm started off so warm. This particular weather phenomenon is excellent because it means the conditions will be much more stable. But I suppose I will find out exactly how calm or furious the avalanche dragon is tomorrow when I go out to Turnagain Pass with my snow science class and two professional avalanche forecasters. What can I say, some classes are rough!
     Speaking of snow I don’t actually recommend paying to see the Warren Miller film this year. I know blasphemy! But I’ve come to the conclusion that Warren Miller died and they didn’t want to tell anyone because I don’t know why else Warren Miller would a) stop narrating and b) allow such a sub-standard film to hit the theaters. You heard me right, he’s not narrating this year. Yay, he says the typical introduction and goodbye – “see you next year, same time, same place” – but the rest of the film all you hear is Jeremy Bloom. Warren Miller probably didn’t even say the introduction and good-bye – since he’s dead and all – I’m sure they just took sound bites from previous movies. So the one part I did like was a spoof they did about ski clothing styles through the decades. The guy decked out in 70’s garb was so my dad “back in the day.” It was pretty funny! Anyway, I’ll stop rambling. Hope you all are feeling as beautiful as the snow outside.

Love,
Amy

Life is full of beautiful moments

     Life is full of beautiful moments. Let me tell you about a couple of the beautiful moments in my day today. I took an adorable kindergartner named Kiya to her classroom to retrieve something she needed. The class bunny was out tromping, bouncing and hopping around. We went over to pet Velvet who just stood still and soaked in the attention. As we were sitting there on the floor with the bunny I was struck by how perfect the moment was. I mean really, what could be better than a cute girl and a cute bunny?!?
     The second was a serendipitous encounter I had this evening. I went to the climbing wall to play for a little while. As I was working out a climb (that wasn’t actually really working out) this guy came over and offered me an alternative suggestion on how to approach the route. I started talking to him and his friends a little bit while we were climbing. When we were finished they invited me to go to the Burrito King with them (first good sign- anyone who likes the Burrito King). So went to dinner and I ended up having a great time. It’s an amazing feeling to just click with people. I felt so comfortable around them, like we’ve been friends for years. Talk about blessings! What’s really interesting is that I had this distinct thought before I went down to the climbing wall to just be open to how the night would unfold. Life is full of beautiful moments!  

Icy eyes

Thought I would share this poem that I wrote a few of weeks ago:

A strange reality begun at the library
Alive, awake, impassioned
A gut of spewing emotion
Pounding like ash on my heart
Rosy cheeks, breathless
Strangled by the wind of my own desires
A wound still bleeding
Slowly, clotted, dark
Icy eyes pricking the life
that swells through my veins

It's not that I'm scared to go, I'm scared of what I'll leave behind

     Here I am sitting at my desk in Anchorage, Alaska with the cold winter air pressing through the windows. This week I am planning to go to the new Warren Miller film with a bunch of friends, a tradition that has always marked the coming of winter. Thus it is strange to realize that in a little less than two months I will be stepping on a plane that will take me south... take me off to new adventures, places and people...take me to Guatemala.
     I stopped today and asked myself why exactly I am leaving this place that is my home. This place that has wide open bowls for backcountry skiing, full moons over the Chugach mountains and the dazzling northern lights.
     The answer is simple. To learn and grow.
     When I think of the challenges ahead I feel both scared and excited. It's like this breathless emotion that makes my lips smile and my heart sink simultaneously.
     So far I have done a fairly good job of keeping the fear at bay. It helps that I have been to Central America before and that I spent three months as an exchange student in Argentina in high school. This time I know what I'm getting into. This time I know that I am going to place where I will know no one and not feel completely at ease communicating even the basics.
     And yet I am still choosing to go.
     At this juncture in my ramblings I am struck by this idea: it's not that I'm scared to go, I'm scared of what I'll leave behind. In addition to my beloved Alaskan winters, I will also be leaving so many amazing people- people that make my days wonderful. That's hard to reconcile!
     I can't help but wonder how this experience will change my thinking? I highly doubt that it will change the core of who I am but I am almost certain that it will change some of the ways I think about and approach the world. But how? I guess that is why I'm going... to find out how.


To life's beauty and goodness,
Amy