Crushin it

A couple months ago, the peacock and I took a long weekend to Crested Butte to rest and relax and enjoy the large amounts of snow. The peacock loves to snowboard and I...well, don't. I honestly, have a bit of fear when I downhill ski. I prefer scenic skiing, with snow shoes on.

So for this trip, I decided this was my year to ski!
I rented ski equipment from the local shop & got ready to head up with the family to a T-bar lift in town called Cranor Hill. For those who don't know the area, Cranor Hill is NOT Crested Butte. It is a hill, one hill, with one Tbar lift. I figured that this was a cheap and fairly easy hill to learn to ski. Oh, and I planned to just teach myself by watching some YouTube videos. I've seen my son teach himself all kinds of cool things building Minecraft, so I'm sure my Youtube ski lessons will be similar. Plus, I did ski when I was 7, so it's like riding a bike....

except that it's not. It's not at all.

We got to hill and that's when I decided, there was no way I would get on the lift and make it down intact without acquiring some kind of "trick hip" or any other long term orthopedic consequence.  So, I'll just do some hike ups and plow downs. So up I hiked about 5 feet, put my skis on and down I went...slowly, slowly, slowly. Hike up, plow down, hike up, plow down...crushin the slopes.

Not long after I began tearin it up on the slope, wouldn't you know it, but one of my old high school crushes arrived with his family. Why I never run into any of my old crushes when I'm doing awesome shit, is beyond me. At this point, the peacock was no where to be found, leaving me alone on the hill. Crush.

Crested Butte Spring Break 2016
Oil on canvas board 6x8

I soon found my forever crush inside, feeding our offspring lunch. Doing awesome shit. 

And ya, I'm crushing on it. 

-Cheree

This is an older painting, from last year's Crested Butte trip. Just didn't have the words till now. 

The Survivalist

Many days I come home to our downtown urban abode to find the peacock intensely watching wilderness survival shows. These consist of Dual Survivor, Dude, you're screwed, Survivorman, Expedition Unknown & America Unearthed (the last 2 being a bit of treasure hunting/conspiracy theory...but still elements of survivaling during the conspiracy treasure hunt). 

We live no where near the wilderness, unless you consider the urban jungle a wilderness (and actually, my Dad finds city survival much more dangerous than the wilderness). I know after all these hours put in watching these shows, that if we are ever stranded in Downtown Denver, he could start us a fire, kill a wild boar with a handmade spear, and build a shelter. I have very little to worry about when I go out on date nights these days.

I have had many of lectures from the urban survivalist in regards to having yourself a solid "routine" that allows for calculated smart decisions based in logic. Always leaving the house with "wallet, keys, phone. Every single time." Seventeen mile bike ride commutes every day from work,  passing all the cars on I-25. Living to help the environment survive and thus a survival of the species. Working hard to better the survival of the family. Surviving those days when your children push you over the edge or your wife plans another musical theater date night.

The Survivalist (2017)

Oil on canvas board

6x6

Because it's those who survive that will go and retrieve all the treasure left behind...which could just be the children's Halloween candy while they sleep.

-Cheree