Hello Canada and its new Conservative Minority Governmnet. Most of us saw it coming, and I won't say I wasn't surprised. However, I will say that my first experience voting was very anticlimactic and the entire process of walking to the poll, voting, folding my slip back the proper way, dropping it in the box, and walking home probably took about 10 minutes. Oh democracy, how you are disappointing.

On the other hand, I did return from an extremely marvelous ski trip to Sun Valley on a 9000+ foot tall mountain whose runs are marked with colored dots where the green "easier" marker is on par with a black diamond hill at Blue Mountain up in Collingwood. But I digress. I didn't die, I didn't break anything, and my newly purchased bucket (aka ski helmet) prevented me from damaging anything on my one fall. But to set up my excitement of finally arriving in Idaho, I have to tell you about my trip up.

It all started last wednesday after my pop culture class- where my partner and I gave a presentation on fan culture and got a 90 (Boo-yah Gramma!!). I went back to my room, got my bags, and E drove me to the airport. On this trip I was supposed to renew my American Visa so, papers in hand, I went into the customs hall and, upon looking to my left and seeing immigration forms, decided that that was where I needed to be. Then one of the guys mentioned he had been waiting for over two hours. I thought "Shit, my flight is in 2 hours, I don't have time". An employee asked me what I was doing, I told her, she nodded and walked away so I continued to sit, ignorant of my position. Then some of the guys I was sitting with started to talk about their times in Mexican jails, and how much time they served. By this time I began to get a little weirded out, wondering why they would be talking about jail time if they were trying to get into the states. Then one of the attending officers came out, gave me a weird look, and asked me if I was there for some sort of criminal form. I said no. He looked at my papers. And then he told me that I was in the wrong area and had to go up to the counter.

I had been sitting with criminals for half an hour. I continue to be weirded out, to this day.

So I finally get to my gate and get a call from dad saying that they are in Salt Lake City and their flight is v. delayed. I get worried that I will miss my flights. Have a miserable flight to Cinncinnatti. My Cinn to Salt Lake flight is delayed by 40 mins, meaning I will have 15 mins to make my next flight. Well, the pilot must have been having a slow day as we landed 10 mins before my next flight was supposed to leave. I run off the plane. Man tells me it has already left and sends me to the place where I can get my new ticket and a hotel voucher. I spend the night at a Best Western in Utah. I order mediocre room service as I hadn't eaten in 9 hours. I am up the next morning at 5:20, at airport by 6:15, and have a while to kill before my plane leaves.

Let me tell you the tale of the people I saw. There was a 13 year old looking guy who I think was actually 20 or so who kept staring at me. A family came into the terminal pushing 3 wheelchairs- 2 with grandparents and one full of suitcases with duct tape and grocery bags full of toys. The father of the troope was about 6'3", 240 lbs, a curl mullet, gaged piercings, a heavy chain around his neck, leather jacket, a tight white t-shirt accentuating his beer belly, and elastic at his waist and ankles. Undoubtedly, the faded skull and crossbones patterned leggings needed incentive to stay in place. A grandparent not in a wheelchair was wearing a fishing vest.

Since when did outdoorsman couture become a fashion statement?

So I finally get to Sun Valley, really tired, wired, cranky, and smelly. I am out on the mountain by one, scared to death of this 9000ft+ peak, and trying not to die. I have a good day. That night we go out for dinner at the Pioneer Saloon and my mom and I laugh at a woman who has had so much plastic surgery and botox done that her face is so tight it looks like it would crack and her lips look like she had just eaten a lemon or some sour candy. Oh, how we are mean.

Second day of skiing and several freezing fingers and toes later, it begins to snow very heavily and visibility at the top of the mtn is about 20 feet or less. Now, I had no desire to go over a crevice so I followed a friend of ours clad in neon yellow. Out again we went for dinner, but no really interesting people. I was just really tired and somewhat punchy. And my quads were quivering from the strain. I think Chris and I went to bed at about 9:30 every night- so tired!

Third day of skiing, excellent snow, had one horrible run that I cursed the entire way down, and enjoyed myself greatly. I was so tired that I stopped around 1 and didn't go back after lunch. I had a shower and finished a book, exhausted yet again. We stayed in and had pizza. I hear Chris had a fall on one of the bowl runs (read: very hard) but other than that he did excellent. As did Dad.

Next day we were up at 4:30 to get to the airport, we all got on the first flight out to Salt Lake City (as opposed to the 2nd where I would have only had 20 mins to make my next flight). I hang out with the rents and bro until my plane leaves (20mins before theirs) and fly to Cleveland. A three and half hour layover later I am on the 35 minute flight to Toronto. I land. I go through customs, and E takes me home. I am very sleepy.

I feel as though in the last few days I have lost my work ethic. All I want to do is sleep and I am having trouble buckling down. But tonight was the sundae bar, so I feel somewhat happier.

Will post pics when I receive them via Arkansas