another summary:

2011 began with a round of Jim Beam in a dive bar in big sky. and then there were four more months of ski-bumming, a visit from my sister, a bar made out of snow, a dirtbag ball in a retro prom dress, a return to carnivorism, snowmobiling in yellowstone with mumsey and pops, beautiful new fat-skis, more snow than i have ever seen before and one little trip to the ER...

then there was my little cabin in the mountains, nine mismatched windsuits, a miraculous fort hidden in the forest, snowshoeing and snow-kayaking and costume hiking, a reunion with my very favorite texan, a trip to the Vortex, twelve incredible summits, a formal event in the forest, a visit from my uncle and a dive bar in whitefish, flag football and softball and capture the flag, a terrible goodbye...

and then there was a road trip east, tourist traps and greasy spoons and tacky souvenirs, six whole weeks in minneapolis, lots of biking and citywalking and even some dancing, dinner parties at the grandparents', kayaking at fort snelling park, some quality time with lake superior, a birthday trip to las vegas, a solo roadtrip through nebraska...

and it ends here, in my sweet new mountain home, with a few pitchers or coors and probably some debauchery.

happy new year folks!

bring it on 2012.

i found a little christmas magic.

cocktail parties plus beer pong, boys in sport coats and silly bolo ties, pond hockey and skiing in the sun, christmas stockings hung above the bar, homemade eggnog to make our christmas shifts at the restaurant a little more joyful...

these are from Longmont and Estes Park a few weeks ago.

i got to see my cousin liz after way too long. there were cats to play with. and food that did not come out of a dorm fridge. and cocoa and cookies in the park and a skydiving santa. it was such a good colorado weekend, and i'm looking forward to more of them.

and now it's christmas eve!

i'm off to play some hockey and drink some beers :)

cheers.