Gregarious Greg

Five more days until blog2print goes out of business.  I promise that this blogging spree won't go on forever, but if you're in for the short term, buckle up!

Gregarious (adj.):  fond of company; sociable.  Perfect description of our cousin Greg.

In March we were so lucky to have Greg come and visit from Long Island.  He arrived with skis, a snowboard, and an all-wheel drive rental that was fully equipped to handle Cottonwood Canyon snow.

Greg flew in on Friday afternoon.  By Saturday morning we were up on the slopes at Brighton, enjoying a bluebird day.  There may not have been tons of fresh powder, but the snow was excellent!

For lunch we dined on Hruska's kolaches and hot chocolate, courtesy of Greg.

Some après-ski relaxation chez les Wilhoits.

Pickles was the star once again.

Also, many thanks for the yummy nachos!  We enjoyed some great meals with the Wilhoits while Greg was here to bring us together.  I don't know if I have any pictures, but Greg made homemade dumplings as well.  Delectable!

When it comes to post-ski fare, I lean towards laziness.  Thank you J-Dawgs for coming to the rescue!

So Saturday was great.  Sunday not so much.  Greg headed up to Deer Valley and had a fantastic time until he hit some unexpected bumps after lunch and this happened.  Ouch!  Plus, this pic doesn't even include the broken clavicle.

Needless to say, this turn of events was painful, both figuratively and literally.  Greg had so many dreams for his Ikon pass, plus a ski touring adventure.  Our hearts hurt as it became clear that shredding the slopes would not be a wise option. 

Always a good sport, Greg took this tough news in stride and joined us for calmer adventures.   He was able to join us at the West High Art Show where Eli won first place and a $75 Amazon gift card for his brilliant photography.

Congratulations, Eli!  Maybe you can make a ceramic Kraken next.

Greg celebrated Pi day with us too.  Chicken pot pie a la Costco, coupled with an apple pie that I cobbled together.  Yum!

Greg got to know all the cute coffee shops and ice cream shops near the Wilhoits at 9th and 9th.  So here's a question: why did we wait so long to discover Spilled Milk?  The combination of ice cream, waffle cones, and sugar cereal is a match made in heaven. 

Greg came to cheer Talia at her track meet at Highland High.  Racing primarily in the 1600 and 3200, this girl flies!

Back to the Wilhoits for some more fine dining.  Kind sister that I am, I brought the bean boozled game, featuring Jelly Belly flavors like dead fish, booger, dirty dishwater, and rotten egg.  Callie seems a bit unsure about which to pick.

Guess she didn't like it.  My bad.  (Also, check out Adam's smile.)

Eila takes a moment to view her life choices from a new perspective.

Anxious to redeem myself, I fed everyone again on St. Patrick's day.  This time we made Grandpa Wells's bowtie pasta.  Not only was it tasty, but it was fun to recall him cooking this for us in Vermont.  

On a different afternoon Greg and I enjoyed the pelicans at the Tracy Aviary.  Such funny birds.

We even went walking along the Pipeline Trail in Millcreek Canyon.  This deer startled us so badly!  Maybe it's because I'd just been talking about how even though the canyons don't have grizzly bears, we have plenty of moose and mountain lions and rattlesnakes.

 

I guess Bambi's pretty harmless.

Last but not least, a burger and fries from Cali Burger.  Cali Burger fries are a hometown classic, beloved by all West High students.

Greg, I know this wasn't quite the trip you imagined, but thank you so much for coming and sharing your upbeat attitude and smiles anyway.  I'm praying for great snow next season so that both you and Jason can enjoy the powder together!