Tag Archives: Park City Utah

Skiing in Park City, Utah – Dec23

24 Sunday Dec 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Food, travels

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

If you don’t do it this year, you will be one year older when you do – Warren Miller

Hi Friends,

The busyness of the season has kept me away from here.  I am promising myself to budget my time better in 2024. The hope is to post more, to connect more.

The trip to Park City, Utah was perfect.  Michael and I had been there in March.  That was our first trip together, just a couple of weeks after we had met.  Here is the post about that trip: https://blessedwithastarontheforehead.com/2023/03/24/where-fear-and-happiness-meet/

This time we traveled directly to Park City.  We didn’t rent a car as we stayed right at the mountain.  We skied 3 days. There wasn’t a lot of snow.  They made some snow, but a lot of the trails weren’t opened. Still, for me, the green trails that were opened were enough.

We went out to eat 3 evenings.  We ate tapas at 710 Bodega Tapas, Italian food at Buona Vita and Mexican food at Don Gallo.  All three restaurants were delicious. The most memorable item for me was a dessert at 710 Bodegas,  called Broken pavlova; meringue, strawberries and whipped cream. We had it on the first trip and I wanted it again.

To summarize, the trip was a success. I always want to go skiing in new places, but I am finding joy in visiting a familiar place. I think we will be going to Park City every season.

Back home, I am swamped with end of the year work stuff. As usual, I can handle it.

We managed to go to see a Broadway show yesterday: Some Like it Hot.  Really well done and fun!  After it, we had dinner at Via Brazil – we had a lot delicious food: skirt steak, chicken fried steak, potato puree, rice, beans, yucca fries. Michael doesn’t eat meat so he had a hearts of palm stroganoff, which was equally delicious.

I think that will be a new holiday tradition for us: Broadway and dinner!

I am wishing you all a blessed holiday, celebrated in a way that brings you the most joy: with delicious food, with loving family and friends, with gratitude in your heart.  Thank you for stopping by, and being a part of my journey!  Thank you for your thoughts and great wishes!

Skiing is the next best thing to having wings.-Oprah Winfrey

Some photos of our trip to Park City:

Skis are not just pieces of wood, steel & fiberglass. They are tools for escape, a medium for personal expression, a way to challenge fears, push limits and share incredible experiences with your friends.”- Unknown

 

Where fear and happiness meet

24 Friday Mar 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Dating, Finding Me, Food

≈ 61 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

“Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.” ― Kahlil Gibran

Time is short, so here is a quick summary of my quick trip to Park City, Utah.

I had the most awesome time. M is the most thoughtful and caring guy I ever met. He was always making sure that everything was exactly how I wanted. I had to keep reminding him that it is not all about me. oh wait, it should be all about me 😉

And the mountains are just majestic!  A mixture of beauty, freedom and happiness permeates the air. And yes, a bit of fear and panic I get some times.

I arrived in Salt Lake City on Saturday, we spent the night there and drove to Park City the next day. No skiing on Sunday, just getting our equipment, getting to know the town, and getting to our charming 1-bedroom condo with a balcony and fireplace.
I had been to Park City in 2015, it was fun to remember some areas.

We skied only 2 days, Monday and Tuesday. On Monday I did okay. I still struggle with fear. The moment I pick up speed or it is a steeper hill I lose confidence. Still, I love it! I love the challenge; I love the freedom.

On Tuesday, while in line to get our skis M befriended an older man that is a ski instructor in a resort in Virginia. He offered to give me a few pointers. He spent the whole day teaching me. It is incredible to see how much I improved from one day to the next. I take lessons every time I go skiing, but this time I didn’t book any. This man was so helpful. His instructions really boosted my confidence.

We bought him lunch, and at the end of the day we gave him $100 as an appreciation.  We asked if we could buy him dinner.  He said it was not necessary, but accepted.

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” ― Marcus Tullius Cicero

I had memorable meals, and forgettable meals. The memorable ones were at:
• Aqua Terra Steak Sushi in Salt Lake. The best ever! Everything about this restaurant was awesome. He had sushi, and salmon. I had the black cod. To drink I had the Golden Goose and he had the Garden Party. Best drinks ever! We shared a chocolate tart for dessert.
• 710 Bodega in Park City. We had a bunch of tapas, including patatas bravas, almondigas for me, shrimp for him, and others. To drink he had beer, I had the Laverstoke- I asked for vodka instead of gin. The waiter said no one ever asked for that before, but it was so delicious. For dessert we shared the Broken Pavlova -Yummy!
• Baan Thai Cuisine in Park City. We had noodles, spring rolls, sticky rice, and chicken satay (not my favorite, but still good). Lychee martini for me, beer for him. Great meal!

I bought my ticket to Salt Lake City, and he paid for everything else, lodging, lift tickets, meals, etc as my birthday present. The big 57 is on Tuesday. He even wanted to pay for the souvenirs I bought for my family. I didn’t let him do it, though. I felt it would be taking advantage of his kindness.

On Wednesday morning we left Park City and drove to Salt Lake City Airport. My flight was leaving first, his would take another 5 hours. He made a point of making sure to be there when I arrived and also when I left, even if it meant staying at the airport several more hours.

“Pursue what catches your heart, not what catches your eyes.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

I got home Wednesday at 9:30pm. I worked Thursday, and part of today. At 5pm my sister and I are flying to his house in New Smyrna Beach, Florida for the weekend.

It is a quick trip, just as a trial to see how would this long distance relationship work.  He will be showing us around and also talking us to dinner for our birthdays (sis and I). He had offered to fly to NY to take us out to dinner on Tuesday, but I decided to go there this weekend instead.  

I remain very happy and excited about this blossoming relationship. I am afraid to talk too much about and jinx it.  I will be mentioning some additional details about Park City as time permits.

Stay tuned for the Florida report.

“It’s amazing how a little tomorrow can make up for a whole lot of yesterday.” ― John Guare

Weekend date: Part II – Saturday

01 Wednesday Mar 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Dating, Finding Me

≈ 45 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

“If I want a long boring story with no point to it, I have my life.” ― Jerry Seinfeld

Here is the rest of my weekend date with M – I need to think of a nickname for him.

On Saturday morning I went to the mosaic studio.  I had missed the prior Saturday because my date from Boston was here. I didn’t want to miss it again.

The plan was for me to decide on something fun for us to do afterwards. He had made some suggestions, but I was undecided.

When I left the studio at around 12:30 I called him and said I would stop by the hotel and pick him up.  He said not to worry that he would drive over.  I assured him that the hotel was on my way home. That way he didn’t need to deal with parking.

“Let’s face it: a date is a job-interview, that lasts all night. The only difference between a date and a job interview is: not many job-interviews is there a chance you’ll end up naked at the end of it. ”― Jerry Seinfeld

My sister joined us for a late breakfast (or early lunch) of Brazilian cheese bread, bagels, papaya, yogurt, pound cakes (marble and chocolate), etc, peppered with a lot laughs. His sense of humor matched my sister’s and I. We played Wordle, quoted Seinfeld, taught him a few words in Portuguese, etc.

After the meal, we went to my sister’s apartment and helped her change some light bulbs.  We came back to my apartment and I was still thinking of where to go in the afternoon.  I thought of some parks, museums or even a ski store, as I have skiing in my mind.  In the end I decided against all of those.

It was just the perfect day to stay at home.  I asked if he would mind if we just watched a movie and then later go out to dinner.  He said that it was a great idea. I proposed we watch Shawshank Redemption, one of my favorite movies that he hadn’t seen it yet.

“Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason” ― Jerry Seinfeld

After the movie, it was already after 6pm, and I was starving.  I chose to go to a place near my home that I had never been to before, Krave, a Caribbean style restaurant.

We shared cod fish fritters, salmon with green beans and mashed potato and fried rice. We took macaroni and cheese home for my sister. We both had wine, him red, I chose white. I almost had the coconut rum cake for dessert, but decided it would be too much. I should have taken to go… oh well.

After dinner, we stopped by my sister’s apartment to drop off the macaroni and cheese.  We chatted for a little while, then came back to my place and watched a couple of episodes of Schitt’s Creek while snuggling on the couch.

I drove him back to the hotel around 10:30.  We said good bye, as he was leaving for the airport early the next morning.

“I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin” ― Shawshank Redemption

Next time he comes to New Rochelle, I will make better plans.  Still this was perfect, easy, comfortable and fun. There are sparks, but it is not the crazy, exploding fireworks I have been looking for.  It was more like a slow burn, comfortable, familiar, attentive and romantic. One word to describe it, that it is pretty much unexpected for me is: mature. It feels adult, grown up.

We will be seeing each other next at the Salt Lake City Airport.  We will meet up there and drive to Park City to spend a few days skiing. I can’t wait!  He booked the place to stay and bought the lift tickets yesterday. I just booked my flights. I wanted to pay for my lift tickets, but he said it is my early birthday gift.  I am turning 57 on March 28 – arghhh… where has all of those years gone?

This, whatever this is, feels promising, feels good.

“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things.
And no good thing ever dies!” ― Shawshank Redemption