Albuquerque Winter

All smiles on a blue bird day

Over the past winter I got to share my hometown with my girlfriend Jena.  Getting back to the beautiful scenery and weather of the southwest is always a treat but spreading that joy to others makes it just that much better.  After opening up the frigid mountain cabin and spending a few nights huddled around the wood burning stove, we headed up to Durango for a few days of skiing.  With only two days of prior experience (and on northeastern mountains at that) Jena snapped on her skies for some lessons by certified mountain instructors and then a not so certified teacher the next day.  May I say she was a natural and enjoyed the experience with only a few tumbles.

We enjoyed the hospitality and company of friends, staying at a slop-side condo, and celebrating the coming of a new year.

Goofing around with old friends

MAI-KAI

Although life may not be as exotic as it was on the island, Miami comes in a close second.  Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do to give Miami the credit it deserves.  Here we go:

As it's already February, I'll start with Valentines day.  To celebrate the occasion, Jena and I spent the evening in Fort Lauderdale at an exotic Polynesian restaurant.  With my parents just returning from New Zealand, it would be hard to compare to their real life Polynesian experience but the Mai Tai restaurant provided us with an exciting evening of traditional dances from around the Polynesian islands. Unfortunately Jena wasn't picked to join the Maori Haka dancers on stage but we thoroughly enjoyed the disney-esk dinner show!