Morning Edition - 3/7/06

Hold Tight To Your Pole
Last weekend’s ski trip to the Eisenhower All Star Resort in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania proved you don’t have to be Bode Miller to have a good time by the slopes. Admittedly, the majority of us never made it anywhere near the snow-covered mountains, but I suspect this ski weekend had little to do with skiing and more to do with a great time. While the temperatures hovered just over 18 degrees, we boarded a 50 plus passenger bus – not one seat left available on the coach – and met some of the coolest party animals on the east coast. Thanks to Evelyn M.’s meticulous planning, there was food – and when we say food, we don’t mean chips and dip, we’re talking about rice, rotisserie chicken and a virtual complete open bar – this was just on the ride to the resort. Some of our ski family members were also avid herbalists, so whether you liked to drink or take a more scented approach to releasing your stress, our bus ride had it. Twin divas Dava and Didi B. held it down with a double-dose of class and thanks to Didi’s God-fearing prayers, we arrived to the resort safe and full. A quick shower and change and most of us were gracing the dance floor with our nightclothes draping our sweet smelling and relaxed bodies. This ski weekend may not have offered free ski rental, but it did provide a fully-stocked open bar for 10 continuous hours of each day. Following the pajama party, those that still had some gas in their tanks rushed to their rooms for the final change of the evening. With bikinis, flashy trunks and a non-stop DJ pumping out hit-after-hit, we settled in for our evening wrap-up pool party – well, if you’re considering 5:30 a.m. an evening. Worn, but none the worse for wear, the ski family retired to their rooms for a quick recharge before meeting for an 8:30 a.m. breakfast call. Tubing, skiing, shopping, roller skating or bowling, there was something for all to do. Hey, if you were just trying to lay low for the wear-what-you-dare party, you could even relax at the hotel’s pool – sun shining through the atrium above. Freaking Rican, Krissy, Celpin and Mariah-look-alike Maury-Maur took a dip and tried to squeeze in a couple of laps – hey, we were trying to keep some exercise on the agenda. A quick nap and the BIG Apple ball-busters were ready to rumble. We ate an early dinner and started-in on the 4 p.m. open bar. Shortly after, we showered, jumped into some party outfits and sat for 30-minutes of a comedian before breaking the dance floor down. Oldies, R&B, hip-hop and even backyard dominated the turntables. A group of over 300 partiers sweated and grooved until past 3 a.m. before taking the party out to the pool again. A few pool push-ins and the mood continued as light and crazed as ever. It was high school fun meets adult sensibility. Our own bus riders were inseparable – of course, some more than others – but heck, that’s another blog story all together. So where’s the big chill or the story about us bobbing and weaving through deep snow-covered peaks? Well, I guess this trip proved that whether you call it a ski weekend or a Caribbean cruise, a bus load of strangers embarked on a ride to Familyville and we all reached our destination.

It’s 1972 All Over Again In South Dakota
South Dakota legislators passed a law that makes abortion illegal in the state – even in cases of rape or incest – unless the unborn child poses a life-threatening risk to the mom. The officers at the Planned Parenthood in Sioux Falls plan to challenge the new law, but supporters of the new law have even pledged money to help fight the legal battles that will keep the law on the books. With a more conservative Supreme Court presiding on the bench, this may heat up to a boil before the final word is permanent on the books. Until all challenges are heard the legislation will stand – No Abortions. Doctors in South Dakota found to be performing illegal abortions could serve up to five years in prison.

On Blast
Ex Sex. A discussion ensued between myself and a ski weekend participant that revolved around the notion that exes have an almost unwritten “booty guarantee.” Long story short, the person mentioned that exes pose the greatest potential cheating threat to a new relationship. The basic idea was that exes are always a temptation and provide a comfortable and almost morally acceptable avenue for cheating. What’s your take on this issue? Do exes provide your greatest source of temptation? Would you sleep with any of your exes if you thought there would be no repercussions? Can you share a completely platonic friendship with folks you’ve been intimate with and not continually feel the pressure to “hit-it” one more time?

Keep passin’ the open windows…