POWDER DAY!!!

Well, I didn't explain that the coolness of my last post was that President Hinckley can be with his wife again - what a joy that must be!

Now, about the powder day!

I am such a responsible student. No seriously, I really do try, but I am a ski bum at heart. If Mormons weren't sort of expected to support large families, I would probably go be a ski bum for the next ten years or so and delay my college education. Alas, I must keep learning so I can start earning...

BUT, it snowed on Tuesday and Thursday, and I have been tormented for the last few weeks with amazing ski stories from friends and family, and none of my own. I did not skip class, but as soon as I got out of class I headed up to Sundance (I hadn't tried that resort yet, so I was almost obligated to go!). They had a special on their two-hour twilight skiing, so the tickets were only $13 each instead of $15. Full-day passes there are a bit overpriced for such a small resort - $50 or something.

I took my girlfriend, even though she's a snowboarder. I'd never gone with her before so I was a bit hesitant - I thought she would be toast after the first black diamond, or that she would chicken out at the top. We rode up the first lift, found a steep concave bowl, and I asked her if she was up to it. "Sure!" was here reply, so I jumped off the edge and landed in the waist deep powder. My first two turns were a bit awkward, but by the third or fourth turn I was in a state of absolute euphoria. Really, who needs drugs when you can get thrills like this naturally?

I was pleased to find out that Patrice could competently ski (I mean snowboard) in powder, and even on moguls. She didn't even have to go sideways on the moguls! That is a rare talent for a snowboarder, I get so upset when boarders go sideways and polish the perfectly good bumps into icy lumps. I generally go to Alta and avoid the boarders all together, but Patrice has managed to soften me up a little in that regard.

So we skied hard for two hours, and I actually managed to get pretty sore. The powder was amazing, and all of the moguls were new and still soft, the overall conditions were the best I've seen since before my mission. My only complaint was that with the low light around 4:00 or 4:15 it got very difficult to ski on varying terrain - I sometimes couldn't tell when powder turned to ice, or vice versa.

I have just two more brief powder stories, then I'm heading to bed. At one point, I got a little greedy and skied out past the edge of the run to find untouched snow. Actually, that happened several times, but this time I didn't have enough momentum and the hill flattened out for a few yards... I sank in up to my chest (no joke, it must have been a drift or something) and had a pretty good struggle before I could get out. Another time, I was skiing fast and hard on a steep section with a similar amount of powder. When I went over a little ledge, I made a few turns that threw a cloud of snow several feet above my head, and heard several people start cheering. Weird, I thought, until I looked up and realized that when I went over the ledge I ended up directly under one of the lifts - I guess whatever I did must have looked pretty cool, I wish I could have seen a picture of it. This is one of the many reasons I feel so spoiled to live in the Rocky Mountains - most skiers only dream of this kind of snow!

Well, I think I'm going to get a good night's sleep tonight. That's all.

Beloved Prophet, Friend

I thought it appropriate to write a memoriam for the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led the LDS church for 12 years and who has been a church leader for most of his life, died last evening at 7:00 PM Mountain Standard Time. President Hinckley died at the age of 97. If anyone in our day could say as Paul did, "I have finished the course," or "I have fought the good fight," it was the Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley.

For those not familiar with the LDS Church, the organization is led by prophets, who are believed to be chosen by and inspired by God. Prophets or not, these men dedicate their lives to teaching and humanitarian service. Gordon B. Hinckley was truly a great humanitarian and even in his late 90s he continued to travel the world tirelessly. He brought food and hope, both physically and spiritually, to God's starving children.

President Hinckley had been the Prophet for so long that many of the newer members of the church have not known any other prophet. For the millions who have heard him speak and teach the gospel, I believe he was truly seen as a friend. To quote a hymn,

Each life that touches ours for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;
Thou sendest blessings from above
Thru words and deeds of those who love.

What greater gift dost thou bestow,
What greater goodness can we know
Than Christ-like friends, whose gentle ways
Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

When such a friend from us departs,
We hold forever in our hearts
A sweet and hallowed memory,
Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee.

For worthy friends whose lives proclaim
Devotion to the Savior's name,
Who bless our days with peace and love,
We praise thy goodness, Lord above.

One memory I will hold forever in my heart is the time I shook his hand as a child. I must have been about twelve years old at the time, and I was at a concert at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. President Hinckley decided to attend, and as he walked down the aisle to his seat, he shook people's hands and greeted them warmly. I remember his bluish eyes twinkling as he asked me if I was going to serve a mission, and as I told him I would. Perhaps he knew so many years in advance the difficult circumstances I would encounter before my mission, but my promise to him was a great motivator to go despite the opportunities I gave up. I will never regret that I kept my word and obeyed the prophet of God.

Others surely have more touching encounters with the Prophet than I did, but I feel so blessed to have had that man as an icon of righteousness and perseverance all through my adolescence and early adult years.

The Church will formally announce the successor within the next few weeks. While the new prophed will be just as inspired and inspiring as President Hinckley was, I think that all who knew and loved the Prophet will hold his memory dear for decades to come. I am excited to see the work of God continue to roll forward under new leadership, but I will miss the familiar voice of one I saw as my friend.

More Coolness

OK, I think my title deserves a little more explanation. I need things to write about, and if I can focus on what I like - what I think is 'cool', I should be able to do just that. Perhaps I will change the title some day, but for now it fits.

Speaking of coolness, I just discovered a little gadget that's pretty cool. It's called the Eee PC, and it is just about the smallest laptop I have ever seen. I am not a CS major or an EE, but I am pretty tech savvy and things like that can get my attention. The laptop is 6" x 9" when it is closed, and it comes with Linux pre-installed. Now I am not a Linux user (yet) but I do have an adequate antipathy for all things Micro$oft. For that very reason (and the fact that I have more fun on a Mac) I have used Macs my entire life. I won't go into a detailed comparison of Mac/Windows, I don't want that to be the focus of my 'blog. Just let it suffice for me to say that Mac users have more fun. Despite my preference for Macs, I would be willing to try Linux, because this little two-pound gadget only costs $350! As a side note, I now am going to list my upgraded 12" iBook for sale at $350. Even if my iBook doesn't interest you, you should still check out the Eee PC on Wikipedia.

I'm also planning to put together a "Top ten list of Coolness", if any of you have nominations (places or things, not people, please) you should let me know. Don't be offended if I do or don't use your suggestions, I made this 'bolg so I get the final say!

Thanks, all!

Really, I'm not that caught up in myself. I named my blog the way I did because it is about me, or at least the people, things, and experiences I encounter. Why would I write about things if they weren't cool?

Speaking of cool, I've got to observe that the word "cool" is probably the most enduring slang term in the English language. I can tell my grandpa who is in his nineties that something is "cool", and he understands me perfectly. I really won't focus on that too much for now.

I'm doing this 'blog primarily because it was designed in my college English class, but I think it will be nice to record a few thoughts and display them to the world (or the portion of the world that is bored enough to actually find an obscure student's 'blog. To those reading, enjoy!