Sunriver snowiness and Sankaran love

Hello everyone!

I had a wonderful long weekend in Sunriver to celebrate Erin's 30th birthday. I worked a half day and piled in the car with Dave and Elaine to leave for Central Oregon. We made it over the Santiam Pass just as it was really starting to snow heavily. Coming down the eastern side into Bend it was sunny and beautiful. We stopped at Dave's former brother in law's house and he took us in to Bend to pick up a keg a beer. This was Elaine's birthday gift for Erin! The four of us then drove to Central Oregon Community College where we met up with another old friend of Dave's, Pat, for a quick and short game of frisbee golf. The course starts out dramatically with a steep drop off and a view to Mt Bachelor to the west. The course is dry and dusty, typical high desert terrain, quite different from the greengreengreen we're used to on our side of the Cascades. My whole day was made when I got in a crazy long putt, it was so far I wasn't even using my putter. We all whooped and cheered and I was satisfied.

The course has just nine holes and we finished just as the light was fading away. We said goodbye to Charlie and Pat and drove the short way to Sunriver. Already at the house were Erin & Terry, Melissa & Jay and Gabe. The house we had rented had 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a huge dining room table perfect for big dinners and games, a pool table, a fireplace, giant wrap around decks and a hot tub. We all ate dinner of caesar salad & lasagna. Some of us jumped in the hot tub where we relished the warm, warm water as the snow fell down upon our heads. Amazing stuff!

I woke up Saturday morning to the smell of bacon cooking, truly a lovely way to wake up. Elaine was downstairs preparing her stupendous egg bake for breakfast. I had some coffee and grabbed my camera to take some pictures of the new snow. Overnight at least six inches of wet, sticky snow had fallen and it would continue to snow for most of the morning. After breakfast I took a dip in the hot tub, so nice with my morning coffee! I then showered and spent the rest of the day just hanging out. We played lots of card games and made up games such as Chimney & Green Box (both involving throwing snowballs at said objects) and Cork and Cup which involved throwing a cork to a cup sitting on the 2nd floor banister. We're easily amused. Elaine made sandwiches for lunch and the keg was seeing plenty of attention. There was some afternoon napping followed by the lighting of the birthday candles on Erin's cake and some singing. Elaine made her a tin foil tiara to wear for the rest of the night.

Us ladies got in the hot tub again. We got out to eat some barbecued chicken legs that Jay had grilled up as an appetizer and we all felt much better for the sustenance. The girls then piled back into the hot tub. I lasted for about an hour than felt much too warm. I got out and took pictures of the guys playing pool and then we played a game of President. Elaine, Erin & Melissa stayed in the hot tub this whole time with Dave periodically checking up on them. They finally emerged and we ate the burgers that Jay had grilled up for dinner.

Sunday morning we woke up to blue skies and sun with the snow melting fast. We all had some coffee and muffins and began packing up our stuff. Erin & Melissa were going to the Sunriver resort spa for some treatments (massage, facial, wrap) but we were heading back to Portland. We loaded up the Dave's car, this time with Gabe riding back with us. The roads over the pass were clear. We continued our game of "Name that Artist" from the Ipod on shuffle. Bonus points for naming the album and song title. Dave guesses Modest Mouse each time since Elaine has probably 7 Modest Mouse albums on her Ipod. We pulled over along the Santiam River to get out of the car for just a bit. The sun was shining and the river is amazingly clear. Elaine and Dave played Rocks, the goal of which was to throw your rock onto a big rock in the river and have the rock not be knocked off by the current. We can make a game out of anything. We piled back in the car and kept driving until hunger forced us to stop in Salem where we ate at Pietro's Pizza. From there it was just a short shot north to Portland. We dropped off Gabe at his car at Erin & Terry's house & went to Elaine & Dave's house. I loaded my stuff into my car and went inside to get my pictures off my camera.

I checked my email and found out some very sad news. Nandita's father, Narayan passed away early Saturday morning. He had been quite ill recently with several medical problems, congestive heart failure being the main factor. He had been moved to hospice care in the last few weeks and Nandita & the rest of her family had been staying with him day and night. They were all with him when he died. I checked plane tickets and found nothing that could even get me to Madison in time for today's service. I went home and called Nandita. We talked for a while and I told her how much I loved her, how I loved her dad. Mostly I just listened. I wish so badly I could be home to see her, to give her a big hug, to see my own parents, to celebrate Narayan with the entire Sankaran family. He loved his family exuberantly. He loved his daughters passionately. He had a great smile and gave wonderful hugs.

so that was my weekend. The good and the bad...I suppose that's how life goes.

Please let me know how you are and what you've been doing.

xoxoxo,
carolyn