Alisa Johnson

I just came back from a week of Spring Skiing in Vermont. And what an incredible week it was! One of my best vacations in quite some time. The weather could not have been better. 50-60 Degrees everyday. Sunny, bright, hot sunshine, 3 out out of the 5 days. Absolutely GORGEOUS!! And I have to say the moguls were the best I've skiied in the East - EVER! They were the perfect size, with snow covering, and soft. Usually when skiing the moguls, I find they get incredibly icey on the bottom side; no make that everywhere but the center top. I love doing bumps, but hate doing ice! Of course, being a primarily East skier, one has to learn to master the Ice, at least at some level. Still, there is a difference between being able to ski it, and liking it! Unfortunately, I am not expert enough to enjoy skiing on ice.

With my 5 day pass at Stowe, also came a number of choices. I could rent skis,or a board, take a lesson everyday, or get my skis tuned up. I opted for the rental. I chose the rental, because i have a set of outdated skis. I have the long straight boards, that went out some time ago. But since I usually only ski one week a year, and my skis are still in great shape, I figured there is no real reason for me to update to the shaped skis. But I have been hearing for years from everyone, that these skis turn themselves; so I decided to give them a shot. I foolishly waited until tues to rent them, and it just about took me until Friday to really get the hang of them. But once I did, I was Schussin' like I've never Schussed moguls before! I even managed to impress my husband and kids!

Maybe next year, I will buy the shaped skis, and take the lesson each day, so that I can learn exactly how I am supposed to use these skis! :-)

IN today's realtor magazine there were multiple articles stating that the housing market has probably reached bottom, that the trend is on an upward swing, and that the jobs are starting to come back. One local economist from WEllesley COllege was quoted as saying, "I would bet even odds that we're at a bottom and that we're going to see improvement in the coming months," says Karl Case co-creator of the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index.

THe building segment is also on an upswing. Building again in Florida, California, Texas, NC, and Virginia. They found that many builders reported increasing interest among move-up buyers. Builders also said that traffic was not only busy on the weekends, but was also increasing mid-week. "While the market is benefiting from the tax credit, it is also showing distinct signs of normalizing,"says Ticonderoga Securities Analyst Stephen East.

I can't help but wonder how much of this is due to the tax credit that is coming close to it's end. Will we really see a market that is normalizing, or just one that was temporarily supported by a tax credit. OF course, I hope that it is a market that is normalizing, as I am sure does most of the world, now that we have this global economy.

Did you see the telegraph last week? THey highlighted a local family as their many paving businesses have been known to scam people into paying for an unwanted paving job. I guess it is a little bit like a bait and switch scam. They would approach a neighbor or business in proximity to the person who hired them to pave, and ask the neighbor if they would like to have potholes filled in for two hundred dollars. THen they would fill in the pot holes, but also proceed to repave the entire the driveway. $3000.-- and something dollars later, they give the client a greatly enhanced bill. Instead of a Two hundred dollar bill, they end up with a $3200 bill.

Apparently, they have been caught and arrested for this scam in various states, i believe it said - California, Florida, NH, Mass, Conn, and RI. It seems making money was more important than having a conscience.

Buyer Beware - if anyone solicits you for a very small paving job, because they have some left over asphalt, Make sure you get it in writing , before agreeing to their services!

Don't you just love the olympics?! I love, love, love the winter olympics! Maybe it is because I am from the North, and have an affinity for anything that makes winter more tolerable! :-) They just seem so much more exciting and dangerous than the summer olympics.

It seems to me that more American Olympians than usual have a New England tie as well! The brakeman on the two man bob sled is from Melrose Ma. Don't you just wonder how someone from Melrose, Ma, gets involved with bobsledding? Skating- I get, after all it is just a stone's throw from the Boston Skating Club, but bobsledding? Of course, there's NH's own Bode Miller, and Vt has a few men and women representing it, as well.

Watching JR Celski come back (in short track speed skating) from a nearly death defying injury - almost cutting his femoral atery and bleeding to death, by his own skate blade. What determination, and attitude. I am so glad he at least won one medal. I was very sad to see him knocked out in last nights semi-finals, especially since it was the first time his older brother, an active army lieutenant, was able to see him compete in person. It would have been so nice to see JR on the podium receiving a medal, in his brother's presence.

And I LOVE watching Apolo Ohno overtaking his opponents! It always amazes me how he is just able to find the perfect moment to squeeze inside or out, and pass one or two of the leaders. If only, he had not slipped last night - would he finally have gotten the gold medal that has alluded him his entire career, in this particular event??

Watching these men & women fly down the mountain on skis, going 92 miles an hour. I do not even do that in my car on the highway. I can't imagine doing that with just a helmet on for protection! THe luge, the bob sled - everything seems to be going 92 miles an hour.

How about the height they get in the ski jump, or the snow board park. Watching Shaun White do a 1260, or is it 1280? _ Upside down, twisted around, How many feet in the air? Oh, and did you see when he hit the lip of the half pipe, last year with his cheek? How do those competitors ever get back on the horse again, after wipe outs like that? These olympics are NOT for the faint of heart. Heck, it even takes a strong heart just to cheer them on! LOL

Watching the ski and snow board motorcrosses - doesn't that just make you want to get out there and try it? I tell you, I have been stuck in my "Long Ski's" and this has moved me to convert to those shaped ski's - and I'll make darn sure i get the ones w/ the tips on the back too, so I can start hitting the snow parks. All this time, I thought the parks were still just for snow boarders - little did I know, how much fun you can have in the parks w/ these skis. WEll . . . maybe I should be more realistic - after all, I am not eighteen anymore. Oh well, I can dream anyway!

Enjoy the rest of the Olympics! They are half way through :-(

I heard last night that in a small town in Finland, they have a yearly competition to see who can sit the longest in a sauna. Cute I thought. But then I heard this - THe temperature of the sauna is 234 Farenheit degrees. Last year the winner sat in the sauna for over 3 minutes. Two Hundred and THirty Four Degrees! Doesn't water boil at 212 degrees? Aren't we at least 70 percent water? Wouldn't this put participants at risk for boiling internally, getting the benz or something of that sort? I cannot believe they actually have this competition at these temperatures! I would say this is one competition that is NOT for the faint of heart!

I can't help but wonder, what type of permanent damage these people may be doing to their bodies. ALso, do you think they train for this competition? Or do you think they just go into it w/ a hope and a prayer of stamina? I can't imagine practicing sitting in a sauna heated to 234 degrees on a daily basis.

I guess there is one other scenario - Maybe the commentator had mis-information. I do know however, this is one thing that will NEVER make it onto my bucket list! I have NO need to sit in a 234 degree sauna for any length of time! I don't think I would even want to see this competition, for fear of the safety of the competitors. I would be sitting outside the sauna, praying for their safety, instead of cheering them on to stay longer and win!

As they say, TO EACH HIS OWN!