Steamboat, Colorado

February 2005, The Spoelstra Family took our annual (wishful word) trip out to Steamboat Colorado. I had not been sick all winter, but of course, the Thursday before we left, I came down with a horrible sinus infection. That is when I found my current doctor, who in all of 5 minutes prescribed 5 prescriptions (cough syrup with codeine, antibiotics, inhaler, etc.) which had me snowboarding by Monday. I’ve been a devoted patient ever since.
If I remember correctly, we had fresh powder several mornings, and mid-day snow at least once. Jon and Charles caught the early snow. I would join Charles about mid-morning when the conditions still seemed great to me, and I was awake enough to be athletic. It is exciting to improve each year and I follow Charles’ line (when he’s not in the trees) and push myself to have good form, even when he’s not watching.
I had some wonderful bonding time with my nephews Andy and Sammy.









Andy and I did several arts and crafts projects together, our most notable work being crowns for each member of the family. Each crown was adorned with colored noodles, string, glitter and custom-cut shapes accompanied by complimentary phrases such as “Super Chuck” or “ Hallelujah” for Mymy. (which I think Andy sang in the correct melody for the Hallelujah Chorus) I was flattered when Andy chose the color “Lello” (yellow) for my crown as well as for his, because it is of course, his favorite color.
Sammy and I hung out and played in the room and walked around during a long family dinner at a restaurant one night. We looked at all of the assorted artwork and Sammy showed off his quiet intelligence by answer my questions correctly with a simple point. I would ask him, which picture has red in it, and he would pick the picture with red; which picture has a bird, and he would point to the right one. I realized then that he was a little genius stuck inside a 2 year old body, silently understanding the world around him and not yet saying a peep. (Of course, by now, he’s showing off his intelligence audibly)