Home-building pains

Most folk that build a home must be torn all the time about the good wisdom of their decision versus not having done anything. This always comes in view of the immense amount of work involved and the inherent complexity of the entire process.

Yet, as doubts come and go, it's essential to maintain a keen eye on the prize, which is a new home with all the improvements we want in it over an existing residence with significant more drawbacks.

Is it at time overwhelming? Absolutely. Is it also fun? You bet! Is it worth it? Of course, but we'll only admit to that well after everything is completed and all the dust has settled!

Moving inexorably away from the point of origin...

As time goes by, our memories fade progressively. I'm not talking about the stark difference in performance that can be observed between long and short term memory as we age, but most to the undeniable fact that what was a limpid remembrance of some event yesterday is guaranteed to get blurred some more tomorrow. 

There is nothing that can be done about it, except take notes, pictures and shoot movies if we are to preserve a clearer and unbiased account of past events.

When I think about it I can only understand the perils of writing accounts of “historic facts” decade later (like the Gospels or the Koran) and I'm so glad that still I take lots of pictures, shoot some videos and write at least a blog a day...

The conflict between Talisker-Vail and Park City Mountain Resort

The long, lingering feud between our two local resorts might be close to some conclusion. Today, our local newspaper announced that Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) had just received an eviction notice from Vail, its new landlord. So, now, what is likely to happen?

My prediction is that it could go several ways.

First the parties involved make up, PCMR agrees to pay an exorbitant rent amount to Vail, plus perhaps some extra concessions for future lift connections and life goes on. A wonderful, but unlikely scenario.

Alternatively, PCMR throws in the towel, sells or leases its interests at the base of the resort to Vail and the later can connect the two, creating the largest ski area in North America.

Finally, PCMR lets its landlord shut down its operation, there's no skiing for at least one full season - or more - in what used to be known as Park City Mountain Resort and the entire community pays a huge economic price to satisfy the ego of the Cummings family that owns PCMR.

Let's hope we won't see that third alternative...

The advantage of looking old early

We all see pictures of folks we haven't seen for ages and we are shocked at how much they've aged. If we're mature adults, we all know this is a fact of life and there's nothing we can do about it, except perhaps age early.

That's right, if we accomplish that dreadful task of growing older earlier in life, it then becomes far less noticeable as we move into some high numbers. What makes me say this is that my hair left me prematurely and that I aged 20 years in the process. I guess this was already 20 years ago!
Now, I'm really nervous in finding out what my next stage of decrepitude is likely to be...

Starting year # 29 in Park City!

Hard to believe, but we're getting close to our 3rd decade of Park City living as we embark today onto year Nr. 29... A year that is going to be special in many, many ways.

First, it will be Park City's 50th birthday as a ski resort, then it will usher Vail Resort's presence into our community as they take over the operations at Canyons. On a more personal note, it's also the time our grandson is starting Kindergarten, the moment we'll get a brand new home in town and that I will start collecting retirement.

What a program and how lucky are we to have picked Park City as our home!

Parade of Homes in Park City

Want to know what's cool and hip in terms for house design? Pick up a ticket and hop on a tour of some 17 homes located all around our mountain town. You'll discover some true beauty, even though most of us will never be able to afford them during this lifetime.

There's a little bit of everything, but mostly big homes in the 6 to 7,000 square feet category. As my wife was saying about some of these stunning pieces of architectural design: “Being a millionnaire doesn't cut it anymore, you need to be a bona-fide billionaire to afford one of these babies...” She's probably right.

A real Jewel?

Last night we got tickets to see the female singer, Jewel, in concert at Deer Valley. I wasn't too familiar with her and didn't know her repertoire that much, if at all.

The weather was cold, and she began by making excuses for her guitar being cold too and after starting 30 minute late, she managed to “fill-in” time by telling anecdotes, some good and some very trite.

I don't go to music concerts to hear story-telling, so I was not really impressed except perhaps for the encore performance of her trademark yodel that she executed as we were packing up and heading back towards the car...