Yes ladies and gentlemen, it took me nearly two full months but I have finally gotten myself a new car in the form of a red 2008 Saturn Astra 5-door.
You may be saying to yourself right now...You bought a Saturn? Honestly, I never pictured myself owning a Saturn but this car is very "me". With the elimination of the Malibu Maxx Hatchback from the GM family of vehicles, came the introduction of the Astra hatchback.
To be honest with you, I didn't even know the Astra existed until a month or so ago when I saw a tv commercial that perked my interest. The sporty compact hatchback is very much like my old Malibu hatchback, just sportier, a bit smaller, more features, and better fuel efficiency (key!!).
I ended up going with the manual transmission in this vehicle which I suppose, was odd for me. Ever since I first drove Lesley's parents manual Hyundi Accent I have been enjoying the fun factor of going without automatic. The automatic version of the Astra also was a bit harder on gas which made the decision an easy one. I suppose the ultimate deciding factor was that I didn't want to spend any more money than I had to and that I would rather spend the extra $1300 on a big sunroof rather than on boring old automatic transmission!
This car is cool. It handles awesomely and it has some sexy lines. It's comfortable for a little car and has some great features such as: OnStar, rain sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, rear wiper, and a massive sunroof, all of which the Malibu didn't have. The greatest part is the way this car drives. It is smooth and takes the corners very well. No wonder it is one of the most popular cars in Europe.
Thanks to GM for bringing this baby across the Atlantic so we can enjoy it too.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Poley extends its season. Crabbe to stay open til' May 4th
Season passholders rejoice! Poley is going to be open for the first weekend in April (Friday thru Sunday) to help make up for all the days they were closed! hahaha
I am excited anyways. There's so much snow on the mountain it would be retarded not to be open for at least one more weekend.
Even bigger news coming from Crabbe Mountain this week as they're extending their season to May 4th! (weather and skiier dependant) They'll be open Wednesday thru Sunday for skiing and riding and I must say, I am looking forward to doing some turns in May here in New Brunswick.
Crabbe Mountain Spring Skiing & Riding Hours of Operation* (Open Wednesday-Sunday):
April 9-13 9am to 5:30pm
April 16-20 9am to 5:30pm
April 23-27 9am-5:30pm
April 30 - May 4 9am-5:30pm
Visit http://www.crabbemountain.com/skiandrideatcrabbeuntilmay4.asp for more details.
I am excited anyways. There's so much snow on the mountain it would be retarded not to be open for at least one more weekend.
Even bigger news coming from Crabbe Mountain this week as they're extending their season to May 4th! (weather and skiier dependant) They'll be open Wednesday thru Sunday for skiing and riding and I must say, I am looking forward to doing some turns in May here in New Brunswick.
Crabbe Mountain Spring Skiing & Riding Hours of Operation* (Open Wednesday-Sunday):
April 9-13 9am to 5:30pm
April 16-20 9am to 5:30pm
April 23-27 9am-5:30pm
April 30 - May 4 9am-5:30pm
Visit http://www.crabbemountain.com/skiandrideatcrabbeuntilmay4.asp for more details.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
April is fly across the country 4 times month!
So I bought an Air Canada spring flight pass which gives me unlimited travel on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays for the entire month of April. It was too good of a deal to pass up at $799.00.
Here is where I am going:
Fredericton (NB) to Ottawa (ON)
Sat. 5-Apr 2008
Just thought I would go check out Ottawa for a day trip. I'll be back on the same day. I just thought it would be cool to check out our nation's capital.
Fredericton (NB) to Castlegar (BC)
Sat. 12-Apr 2008
This is the beginning of the biggest leg of my spring trip. I know what you're thinking. Where the hell is Castlegar? Well it's in the interior of BC and from there I will be driving to Revelstoke, BC which is less than four hours to the north. Revelstoke of course, is home to North America's newest super ski resort. Can't wait to check it out.
Castlegar (BC) to Vancouver (BC)
Tue. 15-Apr 2008
I will drive back to Castlegar from Revelstoke on the morning of the 15th and fly out to Vancouver early in the afternoon. From Van city, I will take the bus to Whistler where I will be skiing four days at my favourite resort on earth!
Vancouver (BC) to Whitehorse (YT)
Sun. 20-Apr 2008
On the morning of the 20th I will be flying to the Yukon. I have never been to Canada's North so I am pretty excited about this. I will be renting a car so I may venture into Alaska as well. I can't wait!!
Whitehorse (YT) to Fredericton (NB)
Tue. 22-Apr 2008
After a couple of days in Whitehorse and area, I will be heading back home to Fredericton for a few days. I won't actually get home to Fredericton until the morning of the 23rd as I will be flying all night from the west coast back out east. I guess I just thought I should come home for a couple days!
Moncton (NB) to Winnipeg (MB)
Sat. 26-Apr 2008
Off to the praries to visit Mark for a day. I have never been to Manitoba so again, I am visiting somewhere new which is cool. I won't be in Manitoba for long though!
Winnipeg (MB) to Vancouver (BC)
Sun. 27-Apr 2008
Back to beautiful British Columbia and from Vancouver I will be heading to... you guessed it, Whistler! I should be able to ski for the afternoon of the 27th and then all day the 28th and most of the day on the 29th too.
Vancouver (BC) to Moncton (NB)
Tue. 29-Apr 2008
This is the last leg of my journey. On the evening of the 29th I will take the bus back to Vancouver and hop on an all night flight back to the east coast and land in Moncton early in the morning on the 30th.
Here is where I am going:
Fredericton (NB) to Ottawa (ON)
Sat. 5-Apr 2008
Just thought I would go check out Ottawa for a day trip. I'll be back on the same day. I just thought it would be cool to check out our nation's capital.
Fredericton (NB) to Castlegar (BC)
Sat. 12-Apr 2008
This is the beginning of the biggest leg of my spring trip. I know what you're thinking. Where the hell is Castlegar? Well it's in the interior of BC and from there I will be driving to Revelstoke, BC which is less than four hours to the north. Revelstoke of course, is home to North America's newest super ski resort. Can't wait to check it out.
Castlegar (BC) to Vancouver (BC)
Tue. 15-Apr 2008
I will drive back to Castlegar from Revelstoke on the morning of the 15th and fly out to Vancouver early in the afternoon. From Van city, I will take the bus to Whistler where I will be skiing four days at my favourite resort on earth!
Vancouver (BC) to Whitehorse (YT)
Sun. 20-Apr 2008
On the morning of the 20th I will be flying to the Yukon. I have never been to Canada's North so I am pretty excited about this. I will be renting a car so I may venture into Alaska as well. I can't wait!!
Whitehorse (YT) to Fredericton (NB)
Tue. 22-Apr 2008
After a couple of days in Whitehorse and area, I will be heading back home to Fredericton for a few days. I won't actually get home to Fredericton until the morning of the 23rd as I will be flying all night from the west coast back out east. I guess I just thought I should come home for a couple days!
Moncton (NB) to Winnipeg (MB)
Sat. 26-Apr 2008
Off to the praries to visit Mark for a day. I have never been to Manitoba so again, I am visiting somewhere new which is cool. I won't be in Manitoba for long though!
Winnipeg (MB) to Vancouver (BC)
Sun. 27-Apr 2008
Back to beautiful British Columbia and from Vancouver I will be heading to... you guessed it, Whistler! I should be able to ski for the afternoon of the 27th and then all day the 28th and most of the day on the 29th too.
Vancouver (BC) to Moncton (NB)
Tue. 29-Apr 2008
This is the last leg of my journey. On the evening of the 29th I will take the bus back to Vancouver and hop on an all night flight back to the east coast and land in Moncton early in the morning on the 30th.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Now that was a ski trip! (Sunday + Monday)
Sunday was a tough morning. We didn't make it up in time to catch the first chair (I wonder why) but we were on mountain shortly after 9 am. Conditions weren't too bad, the snow was soft and the sun was shining. Good spring skiing all in all. The run of the day had to be the "puke run" aka right under the Flying Bear high speed quad where a line of barf could be seen.
Attitash was alright. We had fun once the day started to go on and we got our legs under us. My favourite run was...well it actually wasn't a marked run. It involved following a chairline to a huge cliff none of us were willing to huck, and then scrambling through the forest beside the cliff in order to get to something skiable again.
Monday we departed for Wildcat in the morning after checking out of our hotel and were faced with a windy and cold day. Wildcat was awesome. There was no crowd, the trails were long, had some steeps, and winded down the mountain in a crazy fashion. You would come around a corner and the ground would drop out from beneath you and if you weren't careful you could end up dismembering yourself pretty easily at high speeds.
There were a couple of killer bump runs there too. Notably lift lion and the chairline of the high speed quad. We found some fun little drops around and enjoyed a few runs through the trees and even made a couple of our own runs. Wildcat is a skiiers ski hill. The feeling we got as soon as we walked in the door was kind of like, yeah.....this is the place for us.
After a hard day on the slopes we headed for North Conway where I bought chocolate and socks and the guys went into children's stores and such. It made me realize how much I value the fact that I am single and have no children!!
The final verdict...Wildcat is sweet as hell. Locals say it has a reputation of being cold and windy but it looks as though they get a tonne of snow.
Attitash is a good resort for families but it's pretty mellow if you're looking for something more challenging.
Tuckerman's ravine is next.....
Attitash was alright. We had fun once the day started to go on and we got our legs under us. My favourite run was...well it actually wasn't a marked run. It involved following a chairline to a huge cliff none of us were willing to huck, and then scrambling through the forest beside the cliff in order to get to something skiable again.
Monday we departed for Wildcat in the morning after checking out of our hotel and were faced with a windy and cold day. Wildcat was awesome. There was no crowd, the trails were long, had some steeps, and winded down the mountain in a crazy fashion. You would come around a corner and the ground would drop out from beneath you and if you weren't careful you could end up dismembering yourself pretty easily at high speeds.
There were a couple of killer bump runs there too. Notably lift lion and the chairline of the high speed quad. We found some fun little drops around and enjoyed a few runs through the trees and even made a couple of our own runs. Wildcat is a skiiers ski hill. The feeling we got as soon as we walked in the door was kind of like, yeah.....this is the place for us.
After a hard day on the slopes we headed for North Conway where I bought chocolate and socks and the guys went into children's stores and such. It made me realize how much I value the fact that I am single and have no children!!
The final verdict...Wildcat is sweet as hell. Locals say it has a reputation of being cold and windy but it looks as though they get a tonne of snow.
Attitash is a good resort for families but it's pretty mellow if you're looking for something more challenging.
Tuckerman's ravine is next.....
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Now that was a ski trip! (Saturday)
As I sit here in class this morning I can't help but smile as I look back on the weekend that was had down in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
After 8 hours of driving, Saturday evening we arrived at Attitash and checked into our hotel room and decided that we would go do a bit of exploring and try to find some locals to tell us where to ski the next morning.
We ended up going out to the Red Parka for supper and extra curricular activities and not more than 15 minutes into the pub/restaurant I was asked to move my vehicle because it was parked "bad", as the waitress informed me. Now, finding this non-legit parking spot in the first place was a challenge. Now I had to drive around this cramped parking lot, which was packed beyond belifef, in order to get a legitimate spot. After 5 minutes of driving around the spot closest to the door became vacant and I snapped it up.
Supper was a gong show. The guys were festive to say the least and I couldn't wait to get back to the room to enjoy a few beverages as well. Supper was decent but the view from our table was less than stellar. I was tired as heck and giddy from the lack of sleep.
After supper we returned to the hotel, which was about 10 km's away and chilled in the hotel room wondering what to do next. We decided that the Red Parka was the place to go back to after consulting with some of the locals.
Back we went, and after a short ride we arrived back at the parka and ended up at the back of a line (although a short one) but got in eventually. Once in, we began our reign of terror. Let's just say one of us rode the bar for the bulk of the evening, one danced up a storm, and another was berated by his boss after some questionable behaviour! Watch out for the guy in the black hat...
I don't think we made any friends inside the facility, in fact I know we didn't but we sure did outside afterwards! After enjoying the view from atop the Red Parka...yes, atop the Red Parka, we found Nick.
Now this is where I get a bit foggy...but this is how we got back to the hotel and he was a crazy guy. I have no idea what was up with this guy or why he picked us up but he did, and it saved us some problems since we had no American dollars!
Now finding ourselves at the base of Bear Peak, we enjoyed some time around the bottom of the lifts. I don't know where we found that keg, but it ended up on one of the chairs. I am sure the lifties were wondering what was up the next morning.
After 8 hours of driving, Saturday evening we arrived at Attitash and checked into our hotel room and decided that we would go do a bit of exploring and try to find some locals to tell us where to ski the next morning.
We ended up going out to the Red Parka for supper and extra curricular activities and not more than 15 minutes into the pub/restaurant I was asked to move my vehicle because it was parked "bad", as the waitress informed me. Now, finding this non-legit parking spot in the first place was a challenge. Now I had to drive around this cramped parking lot, which was packed beyond belifef, in order to get a legitimate spot. After 5 minutes of driving around the spot closest to the door became vacant and I snapped it up.
Supper was a gong show. The guys were festive to say the least and I couldn't wait to get back to the room to enjoy a few beverages as well. Supper was decent but the view from our table was less than stellar. I was tired as heck and giddy from the lack of sleep.
After supper we returned to the hotel, which was about 10 km's away and chilled in the hotel room wondering what to do next. We decided that the Red Parka was the place to go back to after consulting with some of the locals.
Back we went, and after a short ride we arrived back at the parka and ended up at the back of a line (although a short one) but got in eventually. Once in, we began our reign of terror. Let's just say one of us rode the bar for the bulk of the evening, one danced up a storm, and another was berated by his boss after some questionable behaviour! Watch out for the guy in the black hat...
I don't think we made any friends inside the facility, in fact I know we didn't but we sure did outside afterwards! After enjoying the view from atop the Red Parka...yes, atop the Red Parka, we found Nick.
Now this is where I get a bit foggy...but this is how we got back to the hotel and he was a crazy guy. I have no idea what was up with this guy or why he picked us up but he did, and it saved us some problems since we had no American dollars!
Now finding ourselves at the base of Bear Peak, we enjoyed some time around the bottom of the lifts. I don't know where we found that keg, but it ended up on one of the chairs. I am sure the lifties were wondering what was up the next morning.
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