Picto Diary - 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 March 2016

Above: Maui, 'Cake, The Bishop. Ruby Lift. Deer Valley, UT. 23 March 2016.

Above: Snow Park Lodge parking. Deer Valley, UT. 23 March 2016.

Can you find the F350?

DV 80

Above: From Duc parked on UT SR 224 near Guardsmans Summit, Deer Valley, UT. Magnet ski run in the background. 19 March 2016.

Ride... or ski? Its all so confusing.

Above: Hoops and Bishop families, kids, and grand kids. Park City, UT. 23 March 2016.

Above: The Bishop, Comic Mom, and Williams. Wasatch chairlift, Deer Valley, UT. 24 March 2016.

Williams, Hoops' and Bronx Girls' son-in-law visiting from NYC, had, at Williams' request, been discussing the Bishop's career path.

Riding the Carpenter chair together, I was at the point in my narrative where TIMDT and Mwah (sic) had been assigned by Citibank to the Beirut Lebanon Operations Executive Training Center in late 1971. There, I informed Williams, was one of the most important educational experiences I had ever had... The Bourse Game... invented by training school then head, Maharaja. Coincidentally, I informed Williams, the inventor of the game, Maharaja, and his wife, Comic Mom, were retired, living right here in Park City. Maharaja rose to the level of Vice Chairman in Citibank, before leaving, in the mid-90's, to become CEO of Saudi Arabia's largest commercial bank, National Commercial Bank.

Skiing down Silver Link run from the top of the Carpenter Lift, I heard my name being shouted out. I looked in the direction of the sound and there, planted in the snow on her skis, was Comic Mom, wife of Maharaja, who invented the vaunted Bourse Game.

Whaaaaa????!!!!! What a coincidence! I had just been talking about Comic Mom and Maharaja, and lo and behold here she is calling my name! I invited Comic Mom to join us on the Wasatch Lift where she and Williams (she knows Williams parents in law) were able to get acquainted. She discovered that Williams was a graduate of Williams College and noted to Williams that her grandson was a student (and football player) at Williams College.

At the top of the Wasatch lift, Comic Mom skied off on a run that Williams and Mwah (sic) weren't taking, but not before letting us know that she and Maharaja would likely be at Cushings Cabin for the mid morning break.

In fact, Williams and Mwah (sic) saw Maharaja at Cushings... he was on the phone speaking in Italian. Post call, he and Williams got acquainted. Maharaja seemed happy to make the Williams connection between Williams and his grandson. The three of us skied Hawkeye,Dakota, Orion, and Kimberly together before Williams skied off to join his wife (five months pregnant) GT, for a late lunch at the St. Regis Hotel. Mwah (sic) and Maharaja then skied down Big Stick (slick in spots) to join Comic Mom for an early lunch at Snow Park Lodge. I had the New York strip steak, horse radish sauce, mashed potatoes and broccolini.

Message for today? Bourse Game. The mystery of coincidence? Another serendipitous ski day in Park City?

DV 81

Above: Girl Scout cookie sale. Fresh Market. Park City, UT. 25 March 2016.

FeeBee and Mynduveroan and friends.

Today, all of a sudden, TIMDT and Mwah (sic) had this incredible craving for Girl Scout Cookies. Lucky there was a stand selling them!

PC 82

Above: Power Stroke logo. 2012 Ford F350 truck. 26 March 2016.

Note the green leaf on the logo, signifying the truck's environmental friendliness. It is important that people select vehicles which are compatible with environmental respect.

(DV 83)

Above: Thaynes Lift. Park City Ski Area. 27 March 2016.

Places trigger memories.

2012/2013 ski season, Dentist and Mwah (sic) positioned ourselves to get on the Thaynes chair. I was in daydreaming mode as the chair came around. The "unexpected" chair knocked Mwah (sic) and Dentist to the ground. Dentist got up and started chewing out the lift operator. "Dentist," Mwah (sic) said, "it was my fault. I was daydreaming." To this day, Dentist refuses to ride up the Thaynes chair with me, choosing to go single or with someone else.

Day before yesterday, I skied Keystone, off of Thaynes lift, twice. I know this because I remember two successive rides up the Thaynes Lift. I can remember vividly coming down Keystone the first time, but, have no recollection coming down the second time.

Speaking of long term versus short term memory... on the same day, riding up the Motherlode lift, the chair crossed a run I could only remember as being "Ford Country." I couldn't remember the current name of the run. It turns out that "Fools Gold" replaced "Ford Country" as the name for the run over ten years ago.

Today, the liftie was a fellow geezer... unusual at Thaynes lift. The lift base sound system was playing the news. He gave me a pleasant greeting and then was late in pulling back the fast moving chair to ease my mounting the chair. The chair smashed into my calf and caused some bruising. Where are the pants-on-the-ground, hip hop, bearded, tattooed, funky music playing, pot smoking lifties who always correctly ready the chair when I mount the lift? Bring them back.

Above: Duct tape to repair hole leaking down on down liner, which Mwah (sic) uses as an outer cover, at least when its not snowing or raining. Park City, UT. 27 March 2016.

The down filled jacket is not waterproof. Two female lifties have told Mwah (sic) I can send the coat back to Patagonia and they'll send another one free. Mwah (sic) is too lazy... and, since Mwah (sic) was the one who carelessly caused the rip, would it be right for Mwah (sic) to seek an exchange? A male friend at DV yesterday suggested that Mwah (sic) should be stopped by the Deer Valley fashion police and have my pass pulled for violating DV's putative fashion standards. TIMDT accuses Mwah (sic) of looking like "a homeless" each time I wear this jacket.

(PC 84)

Above: My Radar. 2:00 PM. Park City, UT. 28 March 2016.

Spring is on hold.

Powder day. 13 runs ... 7 pre break with 'Cake. Including Dynamite twice and Double Jack. Skied the Rossy '98's for the fourth time this year. Snowing through my departure at 12:30 PM. Through 11:15 no wind... peaceful gliding through the wintry scene. Wind picked up after 11:15 AM.

Feeling better about this powder skiing. Managing to stay forward and down more. Thanks for the tip Tucson.

'Cake noted that it was his best ski day of the year. It was pretty good.

(PC 85)