timmyjimi

Before I left Seattle, we saw Josh Ritter in concert. Ritter, originally from Moscow, opened his set with “Mind’s Eye,” the catchiest track off his latest album, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. I recently included that song on a mix I burned for Koia, so that skiers now hear the music of Moscow played daily across the slopes of Kvitfjell.

I quit one of my two jobs before leaving for Christmas. I had nothing against the hotel, worked with some cool people, and though few others would have enjoyed it, I didn’t mind working as a dishwasher. When combined with Koia, however, my schedule was becoming all work and no play, with little opportunity for reading, blogging, emailing, socializing or snowboarding. Work at Koia is more diverse, more flexible, more social, and just plain more fun, so the choice was easy.

A very blessed Christmastime was spent with the Frestad family, distant relatives but very close friends in Feda, near the southern city of Kristiansand. The distance from Fåvang to Feda is, according to Google, a portentious 666 kilometers, but me and my trusty ‘87 Honda Civic (aka “Snow White”) managed the way there and back, making stops to visit other friends and family in Lillehammer, Oslo, and Skien. I was overwhelmed by the Frestads’ generosity and hospitality, reinforcing my impression of Feda as a little piece of heaven.

Since the New Year, I’ve been following through on my one and only resolution of bringing my online self back to life – facebook, emailing, and now finally blogging. I’ve also had a chance to refocus on why exactly I’m here, evaluate my expectations for the rest of the season, and contemplate what I’d like to make out of 2008.

Apart from that, it seems like the snow has barely stopped falling since January rolled around. We did have a couple of crystal clear days with pristine snow conditions last week, which are the only days I now manage to get out of bed before 10am. But the clouds moved in again this weekend, bringing more snow and warmer weather. Prior to moving here, I wouldn’t have called thirty-two degrees warm, but after acclimatizing myself to an average temperature of ten to fifteen, this week has been mild. As a result, the feet of snow we’re getting are occasionally rain at the bottom, heavy at mid-station, but still to die for up top. Lars and I will be riding tomorrow, bright and early.