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Imua69 on the Slopes in Utah April 1-5, 2004    (Thursday) What a time. Every night and day was choice! Bryson and his daughter, Aleka (pronounced “Alika”) flew into Salt Lake City the same day as Lani and Gerry on Thursday, March 31st. Gerry played chauffer picking everyone up. They drove around all night trying to get into closed restaurants and finally ended up at “Los Betos” a Mexican fast food (but ono) place. It was 11 PM and warm … T-shirt kine weather. Staying at the downtown Howard Johnson’s Express Inn would have been the Class of ’69 price of $30 a night, except it was the Mormon Church’s Annual World Conference so every place was packed and pricey otherwise that weekend. Bryson, Aleka and Gerry headed up to Alta Ski Resort on Thursday and jumped on the skis. Lani decided to scratch and sniff her pillow overtime staying back mumbling something about finally being … but thats another story altogether. Over two years since their last snow legs outing, Bryson and Aleka began owning the beginners’ flat catwalks. Ho, but soon as they realized they weren’t in California, they headed for the real stuff – slopes with some terrain and bumps. Snow was so excellent. Weather was warm. In short time, Bryson and Aleka were skiing parallel down Alta’s steeps. Alta is the uppermost mountain resort around Salt Lake City home of the 2002 Winter Olympics. The major ski resorts, all within 20 to 60 minutes from the city (depending where you stay), from south to north are Sundance, Snowbird, Alta, Solitude, Brighton, Canyons, Park City, Deer Valley, Snow Basin and Powder Mountain. Bryson and Aleka took Alta from top to bottom and side to side (just like Kimo’s Ex did with him). Down off the hill, Bryson bought a top level set of Solomon ski boots. Pulled out both bladders and with tape, neoprene and inserts, custom fit each to his heel, arch, instep, sole lift and inside cant. Shaka, dude.

While they were having a blast skiing at Alta on Thursday, A&W Man (Kimo) and Kup Kake Fairy (Deb) were arriving at the Airport. Lani now bright and bushytailed … well, bushytailed at least…went in the hotel shuttle to fetch them. Gerry called them from the Alta on his cell doing the “wow, wish you were up here on the slopes, but we’ll be down for dinner” thing. Later, Sonya (Kintaro) Skyles met up with us and we all celebrated Deb’s birthday that night at McGrath’s Seafood Restaurant where Lani made us put on party hats, blow fart balloons, and squeal like Kam grads. Except for Kimo, we were quite shy. Get a load of the picture of Kimo robbing the cradle, who, our waitress says she is sooooo attracted to “opposites.” Yeah, the ol’ opposites attract kinda thing. Gerry had parked 187.9 yards away (a par 3) which had had Kimo whining and complaining about going the distance with his highly developed speed skating muscles, which by the way are indeed amazingly developed - all the way up to the mandibles! But he was so happy over our waitress being tall, good looking, coherent, attentive, gracious, sweet smelling, sweet tasting (from what he said). Deb didn’t look a day older than God (Kimo said). Lani enjoyed making strange noises while we ate. We didn’t ask. Aleka played “mom” keeping Kimo from bouncing off the walls. Sonya profusely apologized for excusing herself from active endeavors like skiing saying that she was under house arrest by authority of her son. Bryson and Gerry nodded acknowledgement while attending to the job of eating normally while enjoying the stage show – the last comic standing, bouncing off the walls, wearing birthday caps over his eyes and harmonizing farting sounds with Lani. (We presume Lani was as purposeful here as Kimo.)

Friday/Saturday/Sunday was even more incredible at Snowbird...