Get anything fun for Xmas?

I got three pairs of really nice Smartwool ski socks and a stomach bug.

Maybe if it decides to snow in winter instead of fall, I'll get to try those socks.

Not exactly related to skiing, although I drive the minivan for ski trips in the east.  My husband bought replacement headlight sets for the 2007 minivan.  Even put the boxes under the Christmas tree.  The last time the lenses got too cloudy, he bought the polishing kit. ;-)

Had to replace a lightbulb in the fall when I was in Lake Placid.  So already knew which screws hold the lights in.

We didn’t do much in the way of gift exchanges but my daughter and I are planning a trip up to Summit to ski at Copper and Loveland ski areas.

Summit County has never really been on my radar other than spring trips to A-Basin but with three free days at each of those two areas it’s looking like a pretty cool option. I think we can pull off four days of skiing, lodging, food, beverages and gas for well under 1500.

OH man!  I said FUN!  So far nothing, some headlights and some socks.  All we need is a tie and an ugly sweater to round it out.  

We usually don't do much either.  As for our kids, I always say why wait for Christmas, if they need something, get it when they need it.  They did have more fun this Christmas though even though they only got a few play toys.

We got them season passes to the Museum of Play.  Not a bad gift when you are two.



We found out a little bit ago that our son who gets therapy can do his therapies there for free, so we wound up taking the others and getting the pass.  Worked out for everyone.

Except that bug I got.  Pretty sure I got that from the museum.

raisingarizona wrote

I think we can pull off four days of skiing, lodging, food, beverages and gas for well under 1500.

I just caught that, missed it when I read it earlier.

That's insane to me.  That's my mortgage and food for a whole month.

My wife just gave me a battery heated coat! Don't need it for when I XC ski (I am self-warming then), but for low motion outside or in the garage it will be great!    BTW- you will love those smartwool socks. I have a bunch of Sporthill stuff, but have mostly switched to smartwool (great warmth and breathability)

Haha! We are actually looking at an 8 day trip now. A sort of Colorado ski safari visiting all of the areas available on our AZ Snowbowl power Pass/ powder alliance. I think I can do it close to the same budget. That’s 8 days total with driving and we will stay with friends in Durango. That’s not much money at all really. I think most family ski trips are thousands and thousands more.

I’ve only had one kid because I know I can’t afford any more but when we do vacation I like to really do vacation!

Fancy greif!  I also have no problem heating myself while skiing.  In fact that's why I dislike lifts - I get so friggin' cold on them and if I'm skiing hard, then I get very warm on the descent.  XC/BC skiing I tend to just always be too warm.

RA - too rich for my blood bro.  I bet I used to spend that total on my whole ski season before I had kids.  That would be driving, lodging, a couple lift tickets, etc...  

It's surely cheaper than a week in Europe (ask me how I know), but I guess I don't value the tourist industry like you do.  I can always find a way to have fun for much, much less investment.

Before my daughter I was a total dirt bag ski bum. I spent way more on beer and whiskey than I ever did on skiing or food but now I want to give my daughter these experiences. It’s all about her now and imho there’s no better father and daughter bonding than a ski-road trip so it’s easy for me to justify it.

That being said, my car didn’t start this morning. Hopefully it’s just the battery cuz if it’s something more expensive our trip might be done.  

raisingarizona wrote

Before my daughter I was a total dirt bag ski bum. I spent way more on beer and whiskey than I ever did on skiing or food but now I want to give my daughter these experiences. It’s all about her now and imho there’s no better father and daughter bonding than a ski-road trip so it’s easy for me to justify it.

That being said, my car didn’t start this morning. Hopefully it’s just the battery cuz if it’s something more expensive our trip might be done.

Yeah - I get that.  But I'll also remind you that you don't need to spend a lot of money to have great experiences.

Good luck with the car - even if it's the alternator, that shouldn't be too much.

Thanks man! And we do but if I can swing a trip or two every year for her I’m going to.

She really does love going on trips.

raisingarizona wrote

Before my daughter I was a total dirt bag ski bum. I spent way more on beer and whiskey than I ever did on skiing or food but now I want to give my daughter these experiences. It’s all about her now and imho there’s no better father and daughter bonding than a ski-road trip so it’s easy for me to justify it.

That being said, my car didn’t start this morning. Hopefully it’s just the battery cuz if it’s something more expensive our trip might be done.

It's great your total focus is on your daughter and from what you have written not only are you trying to provide her with a nice life, but you are also trying to be a great roll model. This is so important to kids and what is missing in so many families. Just today I was driving with my grand daughter and she was talking about some of her HS and college friends, how they have seen what their parents did (and do) and that becomes their standard for acceptable; drinking, drugs, cheating, lying - it's all good if that's your standard.            

My advice as a father who has raised daughters - create as strong a bond as you can before they are 13 because you will have little opportunity after that. I want to hear you tell that story of you and your daughter jumping that cornice into a steep powder chute when she is about 8 or 10 and then high five-ing at the end.

PeeTex wrote

Just today I was driving with my grand daughter and she was talking about some of her HS and college friends, how they have seen what their parents did (and do) and that becomes their standard for acceptable; drinking, drugs, cheating, lying - it's all good if that's your standard.            

I've never been a liar or a cheater, but I"m glad the days of drugs and drinking are behind me.  I consider myself fortunate to have those kind of experiences with very little collateral damage - in other words, I didn't turn into a raging addict.

Some may disagree but I feel like knowing that kind of stuff first hand makes you better prepared for what your kids may experience.  You may know what's troublesome, and what isn't.  When to intervene and when to let it go.  Or at least when your kids are old enough and these things come up, you can perhaps relate.

I don't condone any of those things, but we all need to live our own path.  WTBS I couldn't imagine trying to be a parent and deal with some kind of addiction or drug abuse.  It's a hard enough job to focus on without being all fucked up.

I'm Santa round here, but I did get one of those Akaso cameras and a shitload of underwear,  socks, and clothes.
   Under the tree I left a GT bike, a good airsoft gun, a puppy, Giants tickets to yesterdays game, pajamas, Nintendo switch, a two way bike ramp, R/C car parts, about 7 pairs of footwear, lots of Yamaha Blaster atv parts, numerous xbox video games, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Happy New Year!

Johnnyonthespot wrote

I'm Santa round here, but I did got one of those Akaso cameras and a shitload of underwear,  socks, and clothes.
   Under the tree I left a GT bike, a good airsoft gun, a puppy, Giants tickets to yesterdays game, pajamas, Nintendo switch, a two way bike ramp, R/C car parts, about 7 pairs of footwear, lots of Yamaha Blaster atv parts, numerous xbox video games, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Happy New Year!

If your going to get a shit load of something - underwear is probably the right thing.

I like that idea - rather than what did you get, what did you give?

PeeTex wrote

Johnnyonthespot wrote

I'm Santa round here, but I did got one of those Akaso cameras and a shitload of underwear,  socks, and clothes.
   Under the tree I left a GT bike, a good airsoft gun, a puppy, Giants tickets to yesterdays game, pajamas, Nintendo switch, a two way bike ramp, R/C car parts, about 7 pairs of footwear, lots of Yamaha Blaster atv parts, numerous xbox video games, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Happy New Year!

If your going to get a shit load of something - underwear is probably the right thing.

I like that idea - rather than what did you get, what did you give?

You know what's  F'd up? I can't find the damn underwear!

My wife got me this
It’s cool in a 80s way
1

Best gift I can give my kids is time.  We both gave that up in the beginning, but eventually you need to get back on track.  Just so happened putting years on a pension is (more of) a sure bet than a savings account, so things went the way they did.  In the workforce, I'm worth a lot more dollars than I'm saving in child care, but I'm one of those weird people that can't understand why people have kids so they can work two jobs and pay someone else to raise them.

raisingarizona wrote

We didn’t do much in the way of gift exchanges but my daughter and I are planning a trip up to Summit to ski at Copper and Loveland ski areas..

My kind of present. I got a hotel room for the Jackson Hole portion of my trip (my parents used some Marriott points they had). That's a good gift for me! Already booked rental, now I just need to book a suite in SLC - hoping to make breakfast, lunch & a couple of dinners in the room to save cash on that part of the trip.

MC2 5678F589 wrote

Jackson Hole

When is your trip?