Australia Day in the Snow

This year we didn't go down to Vancouver for the amazing spectacle that is Moose's Down Under. As we'd just got home from being in Texas, and it was a Sunday it just wasn't worth the drive over the Coq. Instead we celebrated as only Australians know how. Up the hill.

Now, unfortunately this year the snow has been nothing short of hopeless. Fortunately for us however, the weather was particularly warm this weekend. Therefore it was spring conditions in January, so the little snow that was left was at least soft. This was particularly useful this weekend as O'Hara and I decided it was necessary to do a run in our bathers. Or in O'Hara's case, his undies and the Australian flag. Does this count as desecration? It's probably lucky we have more lenient rules about the flag in Australia.

As it's pretty standard for Australians to want to take their clothes off, there was a huge group of transplants that were stripping off for a run. Because we didn't know anyone there, we decided to do it ourselves. This was a good and bad idea. Good because there was sun on our run, bad because it meant we had to explain ourselves. It was awkward on more than one occasion.

The worst part of my time was when I managed to loose my snowboard down the hill, while I was wearing nothing but a string bikini. Anyone who snowboards knows it's a huge rookie error to leave your board flat side down... well I did that on the worst possible of days. Luckily for me I was spared the agony of having to trek down the hill to get it as a very kind snow patrol guy was bringing it up just as I realised it was gone.

Unfortunately the bikini I wore, was bought back in about 2006. The southern cross on my butt looks more like a square than a diamond, but hey. You win some, you loose some.

A Christmas Preparation Weekend

Christmas preparation has began at the O'Hara household! Last year we were out on the east side for the few weeks before Christmas so we didn't get too involved with decorations. We didn't even have a tree, it was depressing.

This year is different. We have no holidays planned until next year *sob*, so we had to get a tree. And put up some decorations. And drink eggnog. And make a Christmas wreath. It's been a fun weekend.

Crazy wreath ladies!

On Saturday we got up semi early to get our second day up the hill in. One of my favourite things about Sun Peaks is we get some random inversions happening. It means it will be freezing cold and raining in town, but then sunny and wonderful up the hill. There has been record snow for this time of year, which means our boards haven't suffered the rock death that they normally would for his early.

Saturday snow day!

Saturday night I had a girly night, with some Canadian friends attempting to teach me how to be crafty. I needed a lot of assistance. A lot. Luckily Alexis is super nice and stopped my wreath from becoming a Jersey Shore disaster. There was still bulk glitter, even with assistance.

The process!

On Sunday we went out to Woodward Christmas Trees. It's a Christmas tree farm just outside of Kamloops. They also have a wine tasting room. Amazing. We went out there on Sunday morning with Alexis and Hal. There is already snow, and it was a winter wonderland.

Tractor ride! Clearly I can't pull of the half shaved head look. 

We mastered the Canadian experiences this weekend. The weekend was perhaps only topped by O'Hara's last weekend. That weekend involved snow boarding, ice skating and hunting deer.

What's better than a Winter Wine Festival?

Nothing, it's a fact. Winter Wine Festivals are a win.

Last weekend we went with a bunch of friends to the Sun Peaks Winter Festival of Wine. This was a 2 week course of events held at a Sun Peaks, a local mountain resort. We went to the Progressive Wine Tasting event, which basically consisted of us wandering through the village tasting a bunch of local wines.

Cool wine glass pens and party of the crew

We had the most incredible weather all weekend, which meant wandering the village drinking wine was possibly one of the best nights we've had. Some highlights from the weekend, names omitted to protect the guilty!

• Quick snack of roast chicken sandwiches before wine tasting, and pounding cheese without crackers at the event
• Four snowboards were dropped off to get waxed Friday night, only one made it to the mountain on Saturday
• Someone got their nipples rubbed by a colleague during wine tasting
• Everyone always asking to try the Ice Wine
• Someone took "good wine" notes that significantly increased in quantity over the course of the night
• "Did you get that snow from outside?"
• "Can I tip it out?"
• One girl wasn't bashed by teens because they "heard she's a tough c*^t"
• One couple lost the group, then met us on the way to the condo carrying delicious bread
• Someone taught the Australians the value of a good rum snow cone
• One couple went all "European" and got nude in the hot tub
• The male nudie thought it was ok to try and wrestle people in the hot tub
• Someone's stress ended in swilling rum from the bottle in the hot tub
• Someone got drunk and went all SK
• Someone having no idea how they managed to get into to the top bunk
• Someone bled in the hot tub after being gouged by the nudist wrestler's nail
• Two girls sat up in bed watching Clueless and eating roast chicken at 1am
• 3 boys had 3 different yelling conversations until 3:30am in the hot tub
• One couple had to listen to this conversation through the window on the pull out sofa
• 4 of 8 people didn't step foot outside the condo Saturday
• Mimosas Saturday morning
• One dog having only child syndrome and never letting anyone pat the other dog
• Someone woke up Saturday, got dressed to hit the slopes only to stagger back to bed
• Pancakes and bacon one morning, and bacon and egg muffins the next
• One couple made a late comeback at Crib
• Cheese fondue for dinner
• Two "Blue Bird" days on the hill, with positive temps keeping the snow soft
• One couple graciously offered the master bedroom on night two, after spending a drunken, puking, full day sweating it out in bed
• 3 people started watching the Canucks game, until halfway though the 2nd period. We changed to Zoolander
• No domestics between the 8 people sharing a 2 bedroom condo

Class

Rum Snow Cone! The toads loved the wine

I'm pretty sure both O'Hara and I lost some brain cells over the weekend. On Monday O'Hara went to Ottawa for the week (around -20 deg C) and forgot to take a jacket. That afternoon I left the petrol cap off when driving home. Fails!

Do you ski or snowboard?

We experienced our first attitude on the lift last weekend. Old skiers from AUSTRALIA! I was dirty, they're not even from here! I watched Mean Girls yesterday, best. This is how it went down;

O'Hara: Sorry, I just need to lift my feet a bit. Snowboards are a bit annoying on chair lifts.
Old Aussie Bitch: Uuuggghhhhhh, you should have seen my face when I realised we had to share a lift with snooowwwwboarders
O'Hara: Umm sorry, it's just a bit awkward.
Old Aussie Bitch: You take up soooo much room
Old Aussie Arsehole: THAT is why you're the most hated people on the mountain!

Maybe I should have offered them some Cherry Ripe? Or not sat down so much!

I never grew up with any preference for either. Generally the only people who grow up skiing in Australia are super rich. It makes sense since we don't exactly have a lot of mountains, and we also have the most expensive lift tickets in the world (in 2008 we did at least). I don't like the Winter Olympics for the same reason I don't like professional equestrian. If there is a direct correlation between ability and income, I'm not interested (yes I'm jealous, and yes you don't have to be rich to be good at skiing in Canada).

O'Hara and I decided to snowboard because 3 out of 4 siblings in his family have had at least one knee reconstruction. Dr. Google says snowboarding is easier on your knees because your feet are strapped facing one way. Where as with skiing, they're twisting all over the shop.

My boss has just started giving me attitude about snowboarding. It didn't come out of nowhere, I think within the first week he mentioned he hated snowboarders! As he's Australian and only started skiing 3 years ago, I can't take him too seriously. Apparently he doesn't like how they always sit down (jealous he can't), they are always high (not limited to snowboarders) and they have attitude (teenage boys? They're all jerks).

I think everyone's enemy on the mountain should be ski school/kid racers. Those guys always seem to be there when I stack it. Then zoom past and cover my path. O'Hara had a close call last week, apparently he rode over one of their skis. They have really, really short skis!

I wish we could all get along like we used to in middle school... I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy...

What is your winter sport? Why?

BTW who could hate these snowboarding fools?

And if you don't want to watch the whole thing, a highlight GIF!