**Tahoe - I am in love**

I have never been to Reno. But that was my route to Tahoe. In fact I have never been to Nevada, or Atlantic City. So imagine my surprise at what I saw as I walked off the concourse at the airport:

If I was a luckier person....










Nothing prepared me for the beauty of Tahoe. I spend five wonderful days with wonderful people - quickly becoming my favorite travel companions:















They got me on the black diamonds and remained infinitely patient when I needed to catch my breath. Ah, to be in my 20's again.












Who would have suspected such a beautiful place could straddle the borders of Nevada and California. The most beautiful place I have seen since southwest Colorado, British Columbia and Alberta.











This is a view of the bowl we skied at Alpine Meadows.















We finished one day with a stop at Lake Tahoe. It reminded me of Detroit Lake in Oregon, but on a grander scale.

Over half my life is over. How do I spend the remaining part in a place like this.

What are the possibilities I could meet a guy who lives in Tahoe?









Thanks for a wonderful trip, everyone!

**Magic Moguls**

Better than magic mushrooms.

And legal.

**Thank god for recorders**

Cause I don't know what I just listened to for the last 90 minutes on the phone. It wasn't a court order, that is for sure. It started like one, then discussion ensued and now the judge will be thinking things over some more and issuing a written decision. My attorney is talking a likely appeal. I can't afford it. He thinks the ex's attorney will do it pro bono so she can get the high profile published opinion on a murky area of law.

I remember the judge chastising the ex for never making a single decision that put his children first. And saying it was his choice to limit his work options and thus imputed him income. And she agreed that all the expenses I have paid for the kids college are legitimate. But it is the nasty unclarity of whether there has been a substantial and continuing change that opens up the settlement agreement to modification.

And there are the legal fees. They are SO HIGH and I am getting nothing back. As my attorney said. What is at issue here is by how much you will lose financially.

I will open a bottle of wine in a couple days and listen to it again.

**Stomach in knots**

I am sitting here unable to do anything while I wait for the Court conference call to come through in about 2 minutes. Then I will learn how the Court will rule on college expenses for my kids. Strict, narrow interpretation of the law, or will the magistrate use the discretion and abiguities in the most recent court decision affecting this matter and act with equitable discretion? This decision has been rescheduled two times already. It is unnerving.

Hmm, courts of equity don't have the death penalty at their disposal. Too bad. It might have made me rethink my stance on that issue.

Phone is ringing....

**No time to teach**

Yep, it is official. I no longer have time to teach. There are too many other things to do. Plan the new television building, advise the radio station, watch old episodes of Star Trek, and plan trips to other places.

This week, I join the "fun group" in Tahoe for skiing, snowboard, snowshoeing, eating, drinking hot tubbing, and other wholesome, possibly slightly inebriated fun. I thought that would be the last hurrah for the semester and then I could really focus in on teaching. But now I am presented with an opportunity to attend the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas. Not having ever been to the conference, or to Las Vegas, the reasons for going are self-evident, even without bringing up the fact that it will mean two less lectures to give.

But the real fun of this trip is that I might be able to help my dear friend spend an ENORMOUS amount of money outfitting his new Nigerian film company. Yes, he goes back and forth to Nigeria several times a year, which brings up another enticement: He is convinced that NW Airlines will be out of business in the not-to-distant future, so he is trying to use up a ton of frequent flyer miles. Translated, that means a free ticket for yours truly. It would be an absolute blast to hang out with him as we always have fun together. Are there any possible reasons, short of being fired, that I shouldn't go?

Add to this a couple of planned camping trips this spring and I am running out of weekends, which is when I do household chores and take care of the lawn. Unlike a certain niece of mine, I actually like the yard covered in something from the grass family and generally not higher than my knees. Plus, there are other essential weekend chores like playing with the dog, hiking with the dog, sleeping in, making espresso and relaxing, that must be done on a regular and frequent basis. So all these trips would push those essential domestic chores into the work week. I already have to sacrifice Fridays to extra sleep and the occasional horseback ride, so all that is left is to start canceling classes.

**Bears and me**

It is not mystery to people who know me, that I love the outdoors. I am a wilderness adventurer wannabe. High on my list is to watch Grizzly Man or any other film prominently featuring the wilderness. I always have wanted to wander around Alaska.

But those who know me also know that, in addition to my intense fear of plumbing (for which there is no other explanation than my older brother threatening to flush me down the toilet during my formative years), is my fear of bears. Come on! These mammals have no natural predator unless you count a sentient being with an automatic rifle (pistols only make bears cranky).

So this joke is particulary dear to me.

Two brothers are sleeping in a tent and they hear rustling outside. Shortly, the rustling turns to grunts and clanging of cookware and the such. They realize a bear is in the camp. The younger brother immediately gets out of his sleeping bag and starts putting on his running shoes. The older brother, say's with a voice riddled with fear, "Are you insane?! You can't out run a bear!" As his younger brother ties up his last shoe, he stands, looks at his camping partner and says calmly.... "I don't have to out run the bear.... I only have to outrun you."

**Lessons. Brought to you by your friendly snowboard**

Lesson 1: I gotta work out more.
Lesson 2: Megadose Advil as a preventive measure
Lesson 3: Accept that a 7 hours night ski window does not mean you are CAPABLE of boarding for 7 hours.
Lesson 4: Beginner boarders are not graceful. Rather they mimic the look and actions of a beached whale.
Lesson 5: It follows from lesson 4 that beginner snowboarders should avoid boarding locations frequented by one's students.
Lesson 6: Because it follows from Lesson 5 that such a beginner snowboarder might become the subject of amusement and annonymous ridicule on various student discussion lists, or worse, on Facebook.
Lesson 7: Don't cave into the tempting conclusion that snowboarding is for the young. Instead refer to Lessons 1 & 2.

** Who am I?**

My niece has this personality mapping thing going. So I thought I would try. If you want to offer input into what I am like, go for it. Really, I can take it.....

http://kevan.org/johari?name=SheWhoMust


You can see how the results develop from time to time.