Playing Catch up

I feel like there is so much to write about.  I am a little overwhelmed at all of the things that have taken place in my life since May. 
After we hiked and spread John's ashes things have been crazy.  Since that was the middle of May we were winding down with school and getting ready for summer.  Getting ready for summer here is an oxymoron.  We call it mud season so there really is no spring and this year was the epitome of that.  We had so much snow this past winter that spring never came, aka, mud season.  It was winter up until I left for MN. 
I ended up flying to MN with Jordan for 4 days.  We arrived on a Thursday and the weather was perfect.  I met up with a huge group of high school friends at a local bar and it was warm and spring.  The rest of the weekend was rainy and there were two tornadoes.  One that touched down not far from my Dad's house.  Reason number 101 why I moved.    We had a ball with my Dad, brother's, cousin's, friends, etc.  I have a great family and a great group of friends.  Minnesota has never let me down and I wish I could incorporate it into my life more.  Reason number 101 why I miss MN soooo much.   
We returned from MN May 24th and it was the home stretch for the end of 8th grade for Jordan and 6th grade for Hannah.  The 8th grade graduation was a big deal and my little, baby girl couldn't have been more excited.  I can't imagine what high school graduation will be like. 
Now, we are in the melt down season and what a huge melt down we're having.  Last night I drove to work at 3:30 pm and when I got to work I got a call on my phone from a friend saying we could stay at  her house if we needed to.  I was confused because I hadn't heard of any emergencies and she explained to me that the town of Montezuma was on voluntary evacuation because of a culvert issue that may turn into the closure of the road.  If that would have happened, everyone in Montezuma would not be able to drive out and anyone heading to Zuma would not be able to drive in.  Not good. 
Well, work went on as usual with the constant wondering if we would be able to go home or not.  At 11:30, after our shift, we hadn't heard of any road closure so the 3 of us who live in Mtz, headed up the road.  We made it safe and sound and I was glad to be home. 
More later...

Summer, Kind of

Summer is here, I guess.  There is still snow on the ground in my yard but it's melting.  Yesterday I put up our hammock and after doing some yard work I took a little snooze in it.  It was a little chilly but I did get all cozy and fell asleep for about 10 minutes.  The river is absulutely raging right now so it was pretty peaceful.  Peaceful until I opened up my eyes and looked around at all of the dog poop on the ground, the carnage from all of the parties we had in the back yard, the firework trash, and the glass from our patio table that we never put away, the broken chairs from the heaviness of the snow.  ARGH.  We were so lazy putting away stuff last year before the snow came and now I'm pissed at myself for it.  That table cost me only $40 at Walmart one year and it was a steal.  I knew it was a good buy and we used it constantly.  It was an excellent, large table that is now history.  Bummer. 
I started raking and picking up and organizing and the dry part of my yard now looks pretty good.  I never cut back my flowers last fall either so I got all of that cleaned up.  I am super excited to garden since last year I didn't plant one flower or weed one garden.  I have a lot of work to do in my yard and I am looking forward to it. 

Welcome summer.  Stay for awhile.

Our Last Day with John

Yesterday was an incredibly, amazing day.  It was a day to get together with friends, make new friends, and spread some of John Flanagan's ashes.  Jack and Tanner had been in contact after John's death and decided to have a day hiking and skiing and it seemed only appropriate to do just that in honor of John.  After all, that is what he lived for and we were going to bring him back to the tops of the peaks he so dearly loved with the biggest passion I have ever seen. 
Jack drove to the basin at around 6 in the morning to get a beach spot.  He was the first car in line so when they opened up the parking lot not only did Jack get prime pickin's, the honchos at The Basin set up some cones to save us more spots.  We got 5 spots in a row and by 8 the lot was filled and we were all getting on our sunscreen and getting our gear together.  People kept on showing up and we all loaded the lift and made our way to the top of the mountain.  We got off the lift on the top of Lenewee and started our hike up.  There must have been 40 or 50 people that came out to honor John.  We crested the first peak and now the pack was spreading out a bit.  It was a sight to see with every one's skis or boards strapped to their packs, everyone in their own thoughts.  People resting, people singing and talking, people taking pictures, people taking baby steps one careful step at a time.  I was breathing so hard but I wasn't holding anyone up so that made me feel good.  There were no ego's, nobody was aggro, it was just serene, happy, sad, beautiful.  We got to the top of Chihuahua and Tanner, John's son, had John's ashes in a box and he was taking handfuls and throwing them into the wind over the mountain.  Then, Tanner let anyone who wanted to, take a handful and spread some ashes.  No one was talking really.   It was quiet and there were some hoots and hollers, and words of inspiration and, of course, the bottles of Jameson were going around.  The wind was blowing in just the right direction so his ashes were whisked away over the mountain, in front of us so we could watch them disappear in the thin air.  It was pretty special. 
Now, it was time to ski.  The skiing was steep and vast and there were people ripping it up.  It was exhilarating to say the least.  The adrenaline in that valley was felt throughout everyone of us as well as the good energy.  It was a feeling I have never experienced.  We all got to the bottom of Chihuahua and the bottles of Jameson came out and plenty of pictures were taken.  After a bit it was time to hike up to the top of Marjorie Bowl for one more ski. 
Eddie, Jack, Whoosie and I decided to bust a move and get in front of the conga line.  The steps up the steep mountain were perfect and looking back at everyone below us, back in our own thoughts, songs, conversations, was amazing to look at.  I took it all in and kept snapping pictures of our conga line.  We were all slowly hiking up and up and up and I'm glad I remembered to look around a lot.  Sometimes I get so concentrated on my hike that I don't even lift my head and I miss out on the views.  Not this day. 
We all congregated on the top and once again, Jameson came around and Tanner brought out John's ashes and this time I got to take my handful and throw some of them into the wind and watch them disappear.  Some people were skiing back down for another hike up, some just hanging out on top taking it all in.  But we were all so happy and peaceful and thankful to have the one person who brought us all together to experience this moment.  After hanging out in the wind on the top we were getting cold and it was time to ski.  Marjorie Bowl is humongous and there were plenty of lines to be had.  Everyone waited at the bottom and when another skier would come down the hoots and hollers were abundant.  Again, the adrenaline was high and the energy was good.  That was it.  It was time to go back to our cars and relish in the previous moments.  We had a keg and 6 cases of beer donated to us, thanks to Greg and Pugs.  Cindy, John's ex-wife and best friend, showed up after a long drive from Telluride.  We told her about the hike and what a great kid her and John have.  Tanner has more itegrity and is the most humble person I have ever met.  What an incredible demeanor he has and he seemed so at peace with the entire day.  He was happy and surrounded by a slew of people who dearly love him and his family. 
I haven't seen Jack let loose like that ever.  He is not much of a partier but with the mood on the beach at The Basin it was pretty hard not to join in on the festivities.  John would have wanted nothing less.  The booze was plentiful.  I decided that I needed to be responsible and start delegating the driving situation.  I spoke with the honchos at The Basin and asked them if we could leave some cars up there overnight, seeing as there was no way some were driving.  They totally accommodated us and showed me where to start lining up vehicles so I made my rounds and took keys and parked trucks and cars and piled as many people into my car as I could.  The party was now going to relocate.  To, where else?  The Snake. 
It was a night to remember, and we ended up in our back yard with a roaring bonfire in the snow. 
RIP John.  What an amazing day you gave us yesterday. 

                                             Me, letting a handful of ashes go with the wind.

                                             One of the conga lines.

                                            Tanner with John's ashes.

                                             Eddie skiing down. 

                                             Tanner and others standing at the top, center. 

                                            Looking down at the crowd. 

                                            Eddie and Jack above me.

                                            Conga line heading up to the top of Marjorie.

John's Obituary

 http://www.summitdaily.com/article/2011110529880


John Flanagan, 1957-2011

Copyright 2011 Summit Daily News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. May, 25 2011 11:46 am

John Flanagan, 1957-2011

Summit Daily News

 

John Paul Flanagan

John Paul Flanagan, 54, courageously succumbed to a fierce, beastly illness in Nathrop, Colo. May 18, with his former wife, Cindy, and beloved son Tanner by his side. He was born on January 2, 1957 in Bridgeport, Conn., the fifth child and second son of Bernard J. and Mary E. (Bette) Hermes Flanagan. He grew up in the Lordship section of Stratford, Conn. and graduated from Stratford High School. Following high school he traveled the US, finally settling in Colorado more than 30 years ago. He worked a myriad of jobs, most recently being a professional truck driver in the mountains. Being an expert skier, kayaker, and outdoorsman he was always looking for the freshest powder, most challenging runs, and secluded waters in Colorado, California, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, and Alaska.

He leaves a son Tanner Flanagan of Jackson Hole, Wyo., daughter Kaitlin Bowers of Dillon, former wife/best friend Cindy Bemer Flanagan of Salida; six siblings: Diana Flanagan (Tom Harris) of Los Angeles, Carol (Roger) Salthouse of Stratford, Michael J. Flanagan of Milford, Conn., Sheila Flanagan of Milford, Lisa (Jaime) Garcia of Glenside, Penn., and Brian P. Flanagan of Bridgeport. He was predeceased by his parents and brother Patrick J. Flanagan. Memorial services will be held later this summer in Stratford and at Arapahoe Basin in Summit County.

We love you, John; you will be sadly missed. If anyone would like to make a donation one may do so @ Bank of the West, PO Box 648, Frisco, CO 80443, (970) 409-3018, c/o John Flanagan. The funds will be disbursed between Summit County Search and Rescue, and Angel of Shavano Hospice. Any questions, please contact ChristopherCrisler@ bankofthewest.com.

Rest in Peace, John Flanagan

This morning our dear friend, John Flanagan, died with his son by his side.  He will be greatly missed and our lives will definitely not be the same without him in ours. 
I will post pictures of him and tell another story or two about our times with him but tonight I am sad and I am sipping on a Jameson in honor of him. 
RIP my friend.  Thank you for all of the laughs.  We love you. 

May Day

Happy May 1st.  May Day, as some remember it.  I remember May Day.  When we lived on Estate Drive in MN, I used to make May Baskets with my friend and we'd leave them on the front door of our neighbors and ring the doorbell and run.  It was fun and it brings back good memories.  Especially remembering the weather.  I remember the weather used to be spring and spring in MN means warm, green, flowers, etc. 
Good Times.
 
Today, 3" new (that would be snow), 104" base (at Arapahoe Basin), 408" snowfall (for the season so far),  17 degree's, snowing. 
My facebook post read:  "May Day! May Day!  We have a problem.  It's still winter!"  And it is.  Big time.  There is absolutely no sign of spring in the air.  None what-so-ever. 

We went to the movies today.  We usually see one or, at the very most , two movies a year.  Today we saw, Soul Surfer.  Jack and I cried pretty much through the entire movie.  It was good.  I thought Jack was going to book a trip to Costa Rica the minute we got home.  He is so wanting the ocean right now.  We all are. 

After the movie Hannah and I went to get some groceries.  The store was crowded and we got out of there pretty painlessly.  We got home and didn't turn on the computer or TV and put on Bob Marley and did our own thinng.  I cooked, Hannah drew a picture and colored it, Jordan grabbed a board game and as she does a lot, she played the game alone.  She loves doing that.  Jack went to his man cave and worked on his custom skis.  It was peaceful and happy in our house.  It was snowing so hard when we sat down for dinner.  It felt like December. 

Life is good right now.  I'm not working and I'm getting exercise, Jack is happy skiing everyday, Jordan is in a good place and so is Hannah.  The pets are content. 
Thanks life. 

Skiing Corkscrew

Today I hiked with my husband.  We hardly ever ski together anymore and as he left the house at 6:40am, to get the kids to the bus, he yelled up to me to "get your ski gear on and be ready to hike something!" 
I sat on the couch, drinking my coffee and made my mind up that I was too tired.  Then, a minute later, I decided that I was lame and needed to get some exercise.  No excuses. 
He got home a half hour later and I was eating eggs, all dressed in my ski clothes, ready to go.  I think he was a little blown away that I got my act together at 7 in the morning.  Never happens. 
We left and drove down to our mailbox in Montezuma, parked the car on main street and started hiking.  The temp was 18 degrees and it was partly cloudy.  After 30 minutes, I shed my jacket, hat, and put on my spring gloves.  We got up to treeline and I felt great.  Jack kept on hiking and hiking, as usual.  Every time I thought we were there, he would crank out another 10 minutes.  FINALLY!!!  THE TOP!!!  It took us 2 hours.  Time to take off our skins and look at the situation and pick our lines and ski.  But first, we had to wait for a sunspot.  So, now, we waited.  The sun finally did come through the clouds and I went first.  The one thing about skiing Corkscrew is that once you get in there you are completely committed.  If it slides you are going with it and as I made my first turn I was just praying that the snow was stable and it wasn't going to crack on me.  I knew if it did sluff, it would be a surface sluff and I could go straight, as we talked about, and I would hopefully not fall.  I made 3 or 4 turns and the skiing was incredible.  I mean INCREDIBLE!!!
I was getting face shots every turn and the snow was perfect.  I felt safe and sound and happy.   I came around the corner and waited for Jack and he came down skiing getting face shots and hooting and hollering.  It was crazy good. 
When we got to the bottom we were blown away and both of us were looking up at what we had just skied.  We skied aprox. 3200 feet of fresh, deep, untracked powder.  Just the two of us.  What a day.  And, we were home by 11:30am.  I had to meet some friends for lunch in Frisco and called to let them know I was running a little late.  I got showered and dressed in 20 minutes and started driving to Frisco.  It was snowing so hard by the time I crossed the damn road.  It was surreal. 

I still can't believe we have these mountains literally out our front, back and side doors.   We are so lucky to get to enjoy them all year round.  Can't wait for mountain bike season.  I kept thinking of it as we were hiking today.  It's hard to see that summer ever comes.  We are still buried in snow. 

Skiing Cadillac

On Friday a friend and I went for a hike/ski.  She called me the night before and asked if I wanted to ski Cadillac.  Cadillac is this big, huge blue run in the sky.  The only way to ski it is to hike up to it.  Off we went.  I got ready the night before since we were going to get started at 8am.  It was 8:45 when we started hiking but it was cold so we weren't worried that by the time we got up to the top it would be too warm which would make the skiing more difficult. 
It's a steep hike, in many areas and a great workout.  We stopped for lunch after about an hour and a half and drank some water and ate some food.  I did manage to snap a few pictures. 
We got to the top around 2 hours later and took off our skins and put on our goggles and skied the most creamy, soft, fresh snow and the smile on my face lasted all day. 
What a great ski and the hike is well worth the ski. 

I love Montezuma.

Las Vegas, Day-3

It was our last full day and night in Vegas and we were looking forward to seeing something new.  Jack called the Mandalay Bay to ask if we could use the pool even though we couldn't check in until 3.  They said sure so we nixed the idea of driving to see the Hoover Dam.  We drove to the Mandalay Bay and decided to try to check in and it was 11:30.  We did and we couldn't believe how nice the hotel was.  The girls were extremely excited to be there.  We found our room and it was gorgeous.  We literally could have spent the day in the room it was so nice.  But, we didn't.  We went to the pool and it was sunny and hot and the girls and Jack played in the water for hours.  We lounged in the lazy river, caught the waves in the wave pool and, of course, people watched. 
After hours in the sun and water we went back to the room and enjoyed the room with a view.  I took a nap and the girls watched some TV and then we all got ready to walk the strip.  We hadn't yet done anything on the strip so we were looking forward to it.  Since the Mandalay Bay is at the very South end we knew we were going to walk and walk.  And we did.  There is always something to see in Vegas and we sure did get our fill.  We made it to the Bellagio and saw two fountain shows which were beautiful.  We were all tired and our feet were killing us because our flip flops were rubbing our feet raw.  Jordan, Hannah and I had to keep rotating flip flops because we were all in such pain.  Time for the walk back and it was a fun night. 
We all slept like babies and the next morning I woke up before the sun came up over the horizon.  I had left the drapes open so I could see the view and just then the sun came up and Jack woke up too and we watched the sunrise from the 19th floor laying in bed.  It was beautiful.
We packed up and drove away from Vegas with not even one penny gambled away. 
The drive was uneventful and we arrived back home having to put the car in 4WD to make it up the driveway in 2 feet of snow.  We ended up getting stuck at  the top of the driveway and had to walk up to the house in knee deep snow in our flip flops. 
Welcome home and we are back in winter.  80 degrees never felt so nice. 

Las Vegas- Day 2

Jack, naturally, got out of bed super early and left for some coffee.  The girls and I slept in and with the wooden blinds closed tightly it was dark and we could have slept until noon.  Jack came back with coffee for me too and we all slowly woke up looking out at the clear, warm skies.  We talked about what to do and see and I had so many of the free things planned out.  Jack really wanted to walk down to the Stratosphere.  Since no one brought any shoes except flip flops I knew the walk was at least 2 miles one way and even though that doesn't seem like far, for our tender, non-broken in for flip flop feet, it was.  We got in the car and drove and had breakfast at Denny's.  It was fine and the waiter was funny and I picked his brain on all sorts of stuff.  We had that waiter bond.
We walked from Denny's to the Stratosphere and like I thought, we had to pay to get to the top.  It wasn't cheap and we are so we weren't about to splurge nearly $20/person for a view of the city.  The girls were upset but they got over it quickly because they know that we just aren't the family that can pay for that and whining will definitely not fix that problem.  Back to the car and we drove to Walmart instead because we were on a budget and needed food for the hotel room so we wouldn't spend any more money on food.  Except for dinner.  But, with 2 for one's who cares? 
The Bussy's obviously don't get much in the culture scene because Walmart, in Las Vegas, was sure entertaining for us. 
We got back to the hotel after awhile and got on our suits and went to the pool.  Books in hand, it was relaxing and warm.  I slept and Jack read.  The girls got into a humungous fight and thank God they left the pool area.  We had our peace at last.  They ended up in the room.  After a couple of hours of getting sun we went back to the room and I took a nap.  It was great!!
Time for dinner and another good time on the street.  With all of the street shows, homeless people, and just everyday people watching we sure did enjoy ourselves.  We had dinner at a place called Hennessey's and the food was good.  We loved it.  We all got a good nights sleep and I was excited to get to the next destination the next day.  It was sure going to be a treat and I saved the best for last.  I didn't tell them where we were going but I did tell them we were moving for our last night. 
I love surprises.

Las Vegas

For a city I once could only take for a day and a half I sure have a different attitude about Las Vegas. 

Our kids have been on spring break since last Friday and we had no plans to do anything.  Looking out at all of the snow I was becoming more and more antsy to get them some sun and warmth.  A good dose of vitamin D was just the answer.  Jack had unburied the camper and hauled the bikes out of our shed.  Except, Hannah still doesn't have a bike.  We gave it away last year before we left for Costa Rica because she had outgrown it.  I kept thinking of where we were going to go camping and even though it sounded great I knew it would be cold in the morning and night and I really didn't want to put on my down jacket, not even once.  Plus, Jack mentioned, casually, that the heater wasn't working in the camper.  I don't think so. 
I got on the computer and started looking for cheap hotel rooms in Las Vegas.  There were many.  Now, I had to convince Jack and the girls that the Bussys needed a good road trip.  I had stashed most of my cash tip money from the winter so I could justify the cost.  Which was not much considering I booked a hotel for 2 nights at $34.00/night for the 4 of us.  I sold my trip to the family, not easily mind you, but it sold.  We loaded the car at 8p.m. Monday night and drove.  Jack didn't want to drive the whole way on Tuesday so we drove to Grand Junction and got a good nights sleep. 
The next day we made it to Las Vegas and it was 77 degrees when we arrived. 
After spending a few hours on the computer at home looking for a place to stay I booked a room at a hotel downtown.  I figured we had never explored the downtown area.  Plus, I splurged and booked us a room on the strip for our last night.  I knew we could only handle the strip for so long. 
We found our hotel, The California, which was in a great location a block off of Fremont street.  We checked into our clean, non-smoking room and I was pleasantly surprised. It didn't smell like rank smoke, the hotel was clean, the room was big and bright and nice and the beds were wonderful.  So far so good. After getting off on the 13th floor I had my doubts.  I'm not kidding.  We were on the 13th floor.  Superstitious??  Not really. 
We decided to find the pool and get on our suits and lounge.  After all, we came here for the sun and warmth.  It was now 80 degrees after all.  The pool was a disappointment though.  It was ice cold and small but we enjoyed the pool  anyway and of course, the girls went swimming regardless of the temp.  It was nice. 
We went back to the room and got ready to explore.  I had done some research on the downtown area and I liked the thought of the Fremont Street Experience.  Not knowing exactly what that was we would soon find out. We walked the block to the pedestrian mall and it was all action.  Not many people but for us coming straight from Montezuma, the lights, shops, casino's, it was action.  We walked up and down and found a restaurant that was serving 2 for one dinners and decided on that for dinner.  We were still a couple of hours from dinner time so back to the room for a bit.  We all chilled and explored our hotel and found shops and the arcade and the 9 different restaurants and we were getting the lay of the land.   We were now ready for dinner and walked back to Fremont Street and things had changed.  It was happening.  There were people everywhere and street shows anywhere you looked and it was going on.  We were the rubber neck family and loving it.  We ate dinner and as we were walking back it was 3 minutes to 8 and Jack got a feeling something was going to happen.  Hundreds of people were standing, no one was walking anymore and all of a sudden  all of the casinos turned off their lights and the music started playing.  Coming out of the speakers throughout the mall was Don McLeans, American Pie.  It was in sync to the video that ran the entire distance of Fremont Street and the video was showing above our heads.  It was incredible.  If you have never seen this, go downtown and experience that.  It was so cool and I couldn't get over the fact that we were watching this amazing show.  We were just in awe over this.  Everyone was.
The Bussys were warm and happy. 

Complaining

It's Sunday and my kids are on spring break.  I'm feeling sorry for ourselves that we aren't in Disneyland or at the beach or camping or in Costa Rica.  It's snowing out right now and it's not even 30 degrees.  Wah!!
I got home from work at around midnight last night and today I slept in.  Unfortunately, I had to wake up to a snowmobile reving up its engine and it sounded sick.  For hours this guy was out there and after listening to the sick pig I got my coat on and boots and walked down the driveway to see what the deal was.  Here is this guy stuck in my yard with his fancy schmancy sled and there are 5 or so guys down there digging and shoveling.  I climbed up on the snowbank and threw up my hands clearly pissed off at these bozo's.  I told them I was sick of the noise and to get out of my yard.  What a bitch, is what they were thinking.  Well, after a huge winter and not wanting winter anymore I AM a bitch and would like not to hear anymore machines stuck in my yard.  So, I'm sure they all took a pee in my driveway and left.  I didn't stick around to see.  But I did leave my ginormous dog outside to intimidate them.  I love big dogs.  Except, my big dog barfed 3 times on our carpet at 7am this morning so that was actually the first thing I heard when I woke up this morning. 
I got on facebook to catch up on some reading, pathetic, I know, and it's depressing reading that so and so's family is flying South, such and such is in San Diego, blah blah blah is at the beach.  Woe is me.
Time to get over it and go out and shovel off some snow from the deck. 
Keystone closes today so the season is definitely ending.  After today we should see things really slow down.  This seems to have been the season that never ended.  Work is still busy and that's a good thing. 
Happy snowy day and for those of you who are at the beach, get over yourselves. 

April 1st. No Kidding

This is the bottom of our driveway

Leaving the driveway.   This is the garage on the right. 

View from the front door.

Hannah's turn to blog!

Now I bet that a lot of you people are bored of this blog thing but tell your freinds that there is a whole different blog on because this is hannah's blog time. WOW! We got so much snow today! I thought we would have snow day...in my dreams. So as you know from the title this is Hannah Bussy, Heathers dauter. You know the one who was in all of the funny videos from Costa Rica, MAN that was so much fun, sorry I'm getting off of track where was I? oh ya,so today in language Arts we got to write our own  peoms mine was about freinds, but I will not tell you the peom because I forgot the peom so don't keep your hopes up. In speaking of school I am so proud of my self and I bet my parents are very proud of me too. I have two silver honor rolls and I think I am going to get a third too. Yesterday I went to see a movie called Rango. That was a very funny movie if any of you have not seen the movie well you have got to see it! Now yes I know its kind of werd that  I spent my weekend watching a movie and I spent a lot of money just watching a movie but guss what? I think that is a perfict way to see a movie with a couple of freinds and just sit back and enjoy the ride. The next movie that I am going for is Red Ridinghood. I WILL NEVER GIVE UP UNTILE I WATCH THE MOVIE!!! Hey, I'm joking put a smile on that face!!!!!!!