Welcome to the my Web site, v. XII. The blog is typically published Monday - Saturday. My primary topics tend to be the Nats, Penn State (esp. football), BeltwayLand, transportation, media, photos and more. The rest of the site gets updated as warranted and is noted on the blog.
Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side - William World News
Friday, August 28, 2009
Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side
NEW YORK -- I visited my friend David for six hours last Saturday. We wound up at the Lower East Side's Doughnut Plant after breakfast at a dive near his apartment in the East Village. Had I known beforehand about Doughnut Plant, I would have insisted we just go there for breakfast. The bakery, with its very small customer area, stays open until they run out of donuts.
David talked up the creme brulee donut and awful lot, so I went with that one. It met his high expectations. The standard yeast raised glazed was also quite good. I might even make a special trip the next time I'm in Manhattan.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Happy 2009 to you and yours. We got Will to celebrate a little on New Year's Eve, but an adult sized "Happy New Year" sash with flaky paint on it made for a messy little boy. Thankfully, we were about to bathe him anyway.
Penn State has several nicknames for defensive players. To help you keep them straight, I have a handy picture guide.
Strong-side Linebacker
Weak-side Linebacker
Weak-side Defensive End
Okay, for the uninitiated, that is Sam, Fritz and Will. I've been known to take credit for the last one too for obvious reasons.
The Middle Linebacker is know as the "Mike" but I don't really know any Mikes these days. Oh and sorry Matthew/Cliff, Brad and Wiley/Cory/Laman, there are no positions named after you. Perhaps we can lobby for the back-up holder to be named after one of you.
Thanks to Jeff Rice, CDT beat writer, for helping me out. No thanks to Bob Flounders or Dave Jones for ignoring my emails.
Courtesy of Brad's Heated Sprinkles comes the news that Sammy has a new sister and Sam & Nicole have a new daughter -- Alisa Nicole. Congratulations to everyone and welcome to the world Alisa!
Time to take Will down the Shore - William World News
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Time to take Will down the Shore
Will is now 8 weeks old and he has yet to experience the Jersey Shore. The time to correct that is today - we're heading up to Stone Harbor for a few days with the my 'rents. Hopefully, upwelling won't be an issue, the surf will be good, short lines at Springer's (ha!) and the weather will be cooperative.
There are several posts already scheduled for the next few days. We are scheduled to get back to BeltwayLand on Wednesday.
Music Tuesday: As Times Goes By - William World News
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Music Tuesday: As Times Goes By
"As Time Goes By" was not written for Dooley Wilson or the movie Casablanca, but it might as well has been. Three years ago today, Erica and I danced to it at our wedding reception.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Congratulations go out my brother Christoper and his wife Sarah on the birth of their first child, a girl named Alexandra Marie.
Will's new cousin (and neighbor) is going to be called Sasha, the Russian nickname for Alexandra. She is my parents' first granddaughter, an adorable one at that too. We are all so thrilled she is here!
Thank you for the good memory! Yes, it was a wonderful "Flag Day" all around, even if I no longer have an age that starts with the number "2." Thanks for the good wishes--hope the family is doing well!
# posted by The Maryland Bureau Chief :
Saturday, June 14, 2008 11:00:00 PM
Congratulations Wiley & Ashley - William World News
Friday, June 06, 2008
Congratulations Wiley & Ashley
Erica and I both congratulate Wiley and Ashley on their engagement (despite their awful taste in hockey teams) and wish them a happy life together. They plan on getting married in about a year.
WILL! What are you doing here?! - William World News
Sunday, June 01, 2008
WILL! What are you doing here?!
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Erica and I are pleased to announce that our first child was born on Saturday night. After nine months of referring to it as "Blueberry" , we now have a real name for him -- William Richard Yurasko. We are calling him Will. We didn't know it was a boy until yesterday when he was born.
The whole process began early Saturday morning and was over around 7:30 p.m., right on the due date. Baby and mom are both doing well and hope to coming home tomorrow.
Will's arrival has been quite exciting and I should have photos for family and friends up in my flickrstream tomorrow morning. We love him so much!
Congrats dude. He is quite handsome. Now the "fun" begins. ;-) Hope you got your sleep before this.
# posted by chanuck :
Sunday, June 01, 2008 10:30:00 PM
Congratulations. Having seen Will, I can attest that he is a fine looking young man. He has bluish gray eyes and looks like William except for his mom's ears and nose (which is much cuter.) Sarah and I are so happy for you and very glad to be an aunt and uncle respectively. We look forward to returning the favor soon.
# posted by your brother :
Sunday, June 01, 2008 10:43:00 PM
Congrats!! He's adorable. Now you need to dress him up in Nats outfits!
# posted by Kristen :
Sunday, June 01, 2008 10:46:00 PM
Congrats! I'm stunned he's not dressed up as a nittany lion though!
# posted by Chris Needham :
Sunday, June 01, 2008 10:57:00 PM
Congrats to you and Erica! I had no idea you were expecting... I'm back East now, so let's get together soon, after you all settle in! Brenda
# posted by Brenda :
Sunday, June 01, 2008 11:01:00 PM
Congrats man. Good to know that the world will have one more informed sports fan when Will grows up!
Hoagie of DCSportsPlus
# posted by Sean Hogan :
Sunday, June 01, 2008 11:49:00 PM
Congratulations!!! He's adorable! We're so happy for you both and look forward to meeting the newest little Yurasko soon. Take care & enjoy this special time :-)
That's wonderful! He's adorable. Can't wait to meet him. Best wishes to Erica- hope she's recovering well!
# posted by DC Sports Chick :
Monday, June 02, 2008 12:00:00 PM
Congrats! Jake, Vivi, and I can't wait to meet him!
# posted by Annie Muha :
Monday, June 02, 2008 1:35:00 PM
Congratulations! Welcome to the world, Will!
# posted by dl004d :
Monday, June 02, 2008 7:17:00 PM
We're looking forward to getting him in some Penn State, Nats, Caps, probably Yankees and Yale stuff, but it is hard to find for newborns. I looked all over State College for a newborn onesie without success. The Nats store wasn't helpful either.
# posted by WFY :
Wednesday, June 04, 2008 1:55:00 PM
Babies R'Us does sell infant-sized Nats caps.
Congratulations to all concerned on young Will's arrival.
# posted by Simon Oliver Lockwood :
Friday, June 06, 2008 11:40:00 AM
Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy! This is wonderful news & I can't wait to see more pictures & meet him.
Lisa Younginer
# posted by Anonymous :
Friday, June 06, 2008 11:10:00 PM
Congratulations! He's a cutie, all right. Best of luck to all of you. It gets more fun every day. Really.
# posted by Len LaCara :
Monday, June 16, 2008 4:38:00 PM
Yet another Nationals blogger has a junior! Congratulations WFY!
# posted by NatsNation :
Saturday, June 21, 2008 8:47:00 PM
Pardon the late reply, but congrats on the little one!
VIENNA, Va. -- We had the annual La Coupe Hauxer season-end trophy presentation on Sunday at the Vienna Inn. Brad, representing the NJ Devils, won La Coupe Hauxer for the third consecutive time. He has gotten so nonchalant about the whole thing that he did not wear a Devils sweater. At least he didn't put that wussy peach malted beverage in the coupe this time, electing for the more respectable choice of birch beer. This shouldn't be a problem next year, as the Devils reign is coming to an end.
The other portion of the "ceremony" was Wiley relinquishing the Stanley Screwdriver. His Flyers bounced back quite well from a 1-19 season last year to find themselves in the middle of pack. Washington with a disappointing 5-7 record, reclaimed the Stanley Screwdriver. Fritz and I will each "host" it for six months.
Over chili dogs, fries and Bud drafts, we settled the pressing matters of the league, most importantly, the playoffs. Head-to-head matchups in the playoffs between La Coupe Hauxer teams count. There was also a very disappointing final game of the Eastern Conference on in the background.
Another La Coupe Hauxer battle - William World News
Monday, January 14, 2008
Another La Coupe Hauxer battle
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Yesterday was my second trip to the Verizon Center for a Capitals game this season. Since it was the Flyers in town, Wiley and Ashley joined us for another epic La Coupe Hauxer battle. Unfortunately, the Capitals fell to Philly, 6-4. Nevertheless, I'll call it a success since it got Wiley down here.
For the first time I have seen, the Gallery Place Metro stop wasn't able to handle Verizon Center traffic. The first escalator got backed up to the point of being dangerous. We tried to find the stop button but were unsuccessful. In the crush, Erica lost the entire heel of her brand new shoe.
Will Call was a zoo, thankfully there were not many people ordering tickets from the end of the alphabet. Also, let me recommend to people that they bring as few people into the will call lines as possible, it'll make the experience more bearable.
We sat in 409, behind the the Caps "shoot twice" goal.
Johnny Cash was played during pregame, oddly enough. I prefer that to typical hockey music.
Early scoring by the Capitals provided a short-lived lead and brief gloating.
The Flyers chased Olie Kolzig pretty early.
The Caps came back to get within one, but pulled the goalie with about 53 seconds left -- too soon I thought. Philly got an empty-netter which sealed the Capitals' fate.
The Flyers goals were followed by some excellent clips (Clark Griswald punching Marty Moose, John Belushi smashing a guitar) on the big screen, but we saw too many of them. I had not seen that previously.
Pretty lively crowd. Flyers fans were well-represented, but easily drowned out by the Caps faithful.
The next time Wiley and co. come to a game without some sort of crippling injury will be the first. He hurt his back and needed a cane to get around. This doesn't bode well for skiing this coming Saturday.
Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist.
We got the package with a hot dog, bag of chips and soda with our tickets. We also got more Caps caps.
There were Chanuck and Caps Nut sightings at the arena.
Erica found her heel on the way out.
Looks like winning La Coupe Hauxer will have to wait for another year.
Phillies fandom finally pays off for Cliff - William World News
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Phillies fandom finally pays off for Cliff
WASHINGTON D.C. -- Everybody knows that it isn't easy being a Phillies fan, especially my friend Cliff who is loyal to that team. The Phillies have more losses than any other franchise, over 10,000 in fact. They only won it all once, back in 1980. The feat was so rare that someone I knew said it was the happiest day of her life. She was 10 at the time, so draw your own conclusions about what has happened to her since.
Cliff probably doesn't remember that '80 victory too well, given how young he was at the time. What I'm trying to say is being a Phillies fan rarely pays off; just ask Joe Queenan. This year it finally did off for Cliff. Not only did his team win the division, he won our annual Half-smoke/Cheesesteak Challenge which is determined by head-to-head records between the two clubs. Last year, I won a cheesesteak.
Cliff was in town last week, so I finally got to make good on our bet. This was his first trip to Ben's, so I wondered how he would enjoy a chili half smoke.
It turns out I didn't need to wonder much, he even bought himself another. We had cheese fries too.
Next year, a cheesesteak will be won again, I assure you.
Dante Hicks calls out of our friend Tom (NSFW!) - William World News
Friday, November 09, 2007
Dante Hicks calls out of our friend Tom (NSFW!)
THIS VIDEO IS NOT SAFE FOR WORK!
Long story short -- every year, my friends Tom and Wiley head to Jersey for Kevin Smith's Vulgarthon. After day two of the 2006 Vulgarthon, Tom went back to the room to sleep instead of going to the after party. When Wiley met Brian O'Halloran, best known as Dante from Clerks, he mentioned what Tom was doing. O'Halloran was not amused and Wiley got it on video. After over 1½ years, they finally got the video up. I'm looking forward to watching this when I get home.
Cooking with William & Erica , Vol. 7 - William World News
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Cooking with William & Erica , Vol. 7
GOOSE DAY
Every year in my (Erica's) hometown, people celebrate a local holiday that is now unique to Lewistown, Penna. That holiday is Goose Day, during which it is believed that if you consume roast goose, it will bring about good luck for the coming year. It is also believed that by the next Goose Day, one will be $1,000 richer.
So, because Goose Day fell on a Saturday this year, I decided to roast a goose and bring my hometown tradition to Northern Virginia.
Geese can be purchased at any grocery chain like Giant Foods, which is where I purchased my nice 10.38 lb Young Goose. William appreciated that it was raised on Schlitz Farms, N.D.
To prepare, I went to the grocery store and purchased a box of Bell’s Traditional Stuffing and the goose. I also picked up some canned cranberry sauce, some potatoes for mashing, and some canned corn niblets for sides.
I calculated per the instructions on the goose that it would take about 5 hours to fully roast the bird. I was right, except that I didn’t take into consideration that things cook somewhat faster in a gas oven, which is what we have.
I preheated the oven to 350° and cleared & wiped down a large area on my counter to use to prepare the goose for roasting.
I unwrapped the goose and removed the neck and giblets from the cavity. The goose was then thoroughly rinsed and patted dry with paper towels. The goose can then be sprinkled inside and out with salt and pepper.
Next, I prepared the stuffing according to the instructions on the box. I then stuffed about half of it into the cavity of the goose, and when it was full I sewed the skin flaps shut to “seal” the opening.
The goose was then placed on a rack which was set into a 13”x9” casserole dish. A meat thermometer was stuck deep into the thigh of the bird. I then sprinkled Thyme over the outside of the Goose.
Two large pieces of foil were then tented over the baking dish. The baking dish was placed into the oven and the timer set for 5 hours.
One nice thing about roasting a goose is that it is self-basting. It is a good idea to check the temperature of the goose after 4 hours to see how close it is to 180°. When it reaches 180°, the goose can be removed from the oven and allowed to cool for 30 minutes before carving.
Grease can be skimmed off the pan drippings and gravy made from the remaining juice, if desired.
Goose is best served with stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, and cranberry sauce.
Enjoy!
To learn more about Goose Day, please visit the following sites:
Its a shame that Goose Day was held on a Saturday that PSU was away. My favorite part of Goose Day is being delayed at the traffic light just short of getting back on 322 when I try to take my shortcut from Mifflintown to State College via Lewistown. My question is this: Are the Geese allowed to race, or what do they win? And to the runners all get a Goose to cook for participating?
# posted by The Maryland Bureau Chief :
Thursday, October 04, 2007 9:22:00 PM
I should have specified that the delay is caused by the annual Goose Race in Lewistown, obviously.
# posted by TMBC :
Thursday, October 04, 2007 9:24:00 PM
Every year Mifflin Co., Penna. residents celebrate Michaelmas or St. Michael's Day in their own unique way -- Goose Day. Erica, a native of those parts, has decided that we will observe the tradition this year. Erica adds:
The belief is that if you eat roast goose on Goose Day, you will have good financial luck in the coming year, and by Goose Day Next you will be $1,000.00 richer.
I'm all for that, but I wonder when that number was decided. Has Goose Day adjusted for inflation? Is that gross or net?
"Hot damn! I never rode in a convertible before!" - William World News
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
"Hot damn! I never rode in a convertible before!"
Recently, I was surprised to learn a co-worker of mine had never been in a car with the top down. I then asked around and discovered several other co-workers had never experienced the joy of a topless car either. Another friend just took his own maiden voyage as well. Apparently, riding around in convertibles is not a universal experience. I realize they are not as common as they used to be, but still...
I have been fortunate when it comes to convertibles. My father has always owned a convertible since he was in his teens. When my brother and I were kids he would strap us into the passenger seat of his 1968 Triumph TR250 and take us for rides. He still drives it on weekends. This past weekend, I rode in two different Jeeps with the top down on consecutive days. Thanks Wiley and Frank & Liz.
In total I can recall the following convertibles I have been in:
1 Triumph TR250 (1968) 1 Ford Galaxy (1960s vintage) 1 Mercedes two-seater (1979) 1 Fiat (late 1970s) 1 Jaguar X-12 (1987) 1 Chrysler Sebring (1999 - It test drove one, was not impressed -- the windshield came to close to the head) 1 Oldsmobile Cutlass (1972 - I tried to buy it) 1 Chevy Cavilear Z (1991) 5 Jeep Wranglers (1990s, 2000s)
There may another couple that I am forgetting. I'm just glad I have had the luxury of being able to forget a few along the way. I just wish the car companies would start mass producing them again.
This afternoon, my father Bill treated Erica and me to see his alma mater play in the nation's capital for the first time ever. Yale defeated Georgetown to go 1-0 on the season. The Hoyas fell to 0-3. Recap from yalebulldogs.com | Flickr set
Yale started off well with two touchdown drives in the first quarter with the wind at their back. The offense was led by Mike McLeod, a running back who compensates for a lack of speed with excellent vision. He found holes and made the right cut with incredible accuracy. He would score all four Bulldogs touchdowns and finish with 157 yards.
Georgetown scored in the second quarter with the wind behind them and were driving for a score at the end of the half. Georgetown had the ball inside the five with under ten seconds to go. Offsetting penalties brough the clock down to six. On the next play, Georgetown threw an incompletion and the officials sounded the final gun. The Hoyas head coach was furious that the clock had not stopped sooner and the half was over. Judging by the scoreboard clock, I think the Hoyas had good reason to be upset.
The second half opened with Yale threatening, but not scoring. Georgetown again drove deep into Yale territory, but turned the ball over on downs after being stopped inside the 1 yard line.
Yale went up 21-7 before yielding another Georgetown touchdown. Mcleod would score for the fourth and final time to put Yale up for good at 28-14, but Georgetown stormed back with less than 2 minutes to play. An interception deep into Yale territory put the game away.
We had a good time seeing the Elis play the Hoyas. It was the second time I had been on the campus to see a sporting event; the first being the Lady Lions triumph in December 2006...Multi-Sport Field is a half finished venue with bigger bleachers on the visiting side than the home side...Yale had more fans in to the crowd than Georgetown...We sat near the family of WR Chris Denny-Brian and the Abare twins, Larry and Bobby...Sophomore TE John Sheffield was dominant with 8 catches for 115 yards...Hoya QB Matt Bassuener is probably as blue as his Georgetown jersey after all the hits he took yesterday...yesterday's game occurred exactly six years after a Yale at Towson game we had tickets to was cancelled due to the 9/11 attacks...Yale won for the first time in front of me since 1993. The last time I saw them play, in 2001, they lost The Game...Yale's overall record in games I have been at rises to 2-4. They Elis lost to William & Mary (in Norfolk's Oyster Bowl) in 1983, lost to Navy in Annapolis in the mid 80s, lost to Harvard for the Ivy League title at The Bowl in 1987 (so cold), beat Harvard in 1993 at the Bowl, lost to Harvard 2001 at The Bowl...Yale begins its Ivy League title defense next weekend against Cornell at The Bowl.
STATE COLLEGE, Penna. -- One of the great things about Christopher and Sarah's wedding earlier this month was it brought a lot of great people together. The only problem is with so many good people around, you don't get enough time with any of them. It is was an embarrassment of riches.
Since I had to take care of some best man duties at the end of the reception, I didn't get to say good-bye to all the people I would have liked. Case in point, Mark (a fellow groomsman) and his wife Jen, a great couple Christopher knows for his Penn State days. We went our separate ways without saying farewell.
Sure enough, a couple of days later I was walking down the elm-lined mall towards downtown State College so I could go back to the Atherton Hotel where we were staying. I had stopped to wait for the light to change at the intersection of College and Allen and I catch a glimpse of a familiar looking face on the other side, just before a CATA bus drives passed. As soon the sight line is clear, I confirm that is Jen. I went over said, hello and was quickly joined by Mark. I wasn't surprised to see them because they had told me they were going to stop by Happy Valley on their way back to Ohio. I'm annoyed with myself though, because I missed an excellent photograph since we were standing right at The Corner restaurant. Wouldn't it have been a great to get a shot of them with the "Meet me at The Corner" sign in the background? I even had my camera strap around me neck! I just didn't have my head in the game or something. Anyway, it was great to see Mark and Jen and get to say farewell.
Captain 20: Live long and prosper, Christopher & Sarah - William World News
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Captain 20: Live long and prosper, Christopher & Sarah
Yesterday, my brother Christopher married the woman of his dreams, Sarah. It was a beautiful wedding and a fantastic reception. We are all so happy for them and wish them nothing but the best in their life together.
One of my favorite people in my company is excited to be a mother for the second time. Jayna gave birth to a healthy 10½ lbs son, Liam the other day. Congratulations!
Tomorrow morning, Erica and I, along with some helpful family and friends will be making the big move out of Pentagon City to Alexandria. It looks like we'll have good weather for the occasion.
In light of the move, blogging may be a little light until Monday.
Also, has anybody had experience with Comcast telephone service? The very personable rep, Rhonda, advised me of it and it sounded like a good deal.
This afternoon Erica and I closed on our new condo in Alexandria, ending a five week process. We didn't plan on doing this right now, but it all came together...quickly. In short, it was like Homer Simpson telling Frank Grimes, "don't ask me how the economy works." I did not imagine it would be so easy or we could buy inside the Beltway. Thanks to Christopher and Sarah for sharing with us so much vital information and helping get us in the game, so to speak.
I'll have more to say over the next several days about how we did (and you can too) as well as final thoughts on Pentagon City.
By the way, we've already painted one of the bedrooms.
My cousin Frank is celebrating a birthday today. Enjoy the day!
I have a great YouTube clip for him, but given that today is Good Friday I'll hold off until tomorrow. It really isn't something that is necessarily safe for work without headphones either.
Finally, a decent snowstorm (for a while at least) - William World News
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Finally, a decent snowstorm (for a while at least)
The "light snow & sleet, turning to rain" forecasted today has turned out to be a 3½ of snow instead, our highest total of the season. I am not complaining though, if it is going to be cold out, it might as well be snowy. Erica, Fritz and I took advantage of it by building a snowman in Grace Murray Hooper Park, also known as the front yard of our building.
Pocono Skiing II: Big Boulder - William World News
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Pocono Skiing II: Big Boulder
LAKE HARMONY, Pa. -- After spending the afternoon on Jack Frost Mountain, Wiley and I headed for Big Boulder. We drove the private toll road (25¢) connecting the two ski areas, winding through Split Rock, a pleasant resort community on Lake Harmony, over to Big Boulder. We arrived just after opening and bypassed the lodge and headed straight to the slopes.
It was parka weather at Big Boulder
My ski classes in college were at Big Boulder, so I am more familiar with it than any other ski resort. I have been there at least fifteen times, mostly at night, so this is my "home" for skiing. However, as I had mentioned in my Pocono Skiing I, Big Boulder had transformed itself into a very snowboard friendly resort, so I should say that I was familiar with it rather than I am. In total, there are four snowboard parks on the mountain, one of which replaced my second favorite slope ever, Merry Widow. So, with this in mind, my attitude towards Big Boulder was not as positive as it otherwise would have been. However, since it was our second resort of the day, Wiley and I were still pretty upbeat.
Wiley on Upper Sitzmark, I think.
Our first ride up the lift quickly reminded us that Big Boulder is a bigger, colder mountain. I threw my royal blue parka on over my hockey sweater for the rest of the afternoon. Wiley remained in his stylish Channel 69 (Family Zone TV) parka. The winds were also stronger. We started off on Upper Sitzmark which fed into Lower Sitzmark. This proved to be a bad idea since we quickly got stuck in the area. After two trips up short lifts, we drifted back over to the middle of the mountain. I cannot recall the exact order, but we took a ride down Mittl-Weg and a few rides down Bunny's Elbow. Mittl-Weg's conditions were typical of Big Boulder, overgroomed to the point of being crunchy in spots. It had forgotten how Big Boulder tended to be icy, though that is likely in part to the fact that I skied it during the day no more than twice and had not seen the sun during either of those visits.
Skiing down Bunny Schuss
Thankfully, Bunny's Elbow still had pretty good conditions. In what is likely the only improvement of the move to greater snowboard friendliness, the top of the run is fashioned as a border-cross. The three or four additional dips make the run a lot of fun, despite its rating. I spent the rest of the evening on this slope, since my legs were just too tired for trails. I took a run or two along Bunny Schuss, essentially a shortcut off of Bunny's Elbow, but found it a little less enjoyable since it was slightly shorter. For one thing, Bunny's Elbow had a view of the Pocono Speedway and Delaware Water Gap.
So much for the Golden Hour. Wiley with Pocono Raceway in the background.
As the sun set, we started getting cold again and finished off the second part of our snow day. We returned my skis, stopped at the Pocono Interchange McDonald's, and headed back to York.
I'll give Big Boulder a rating of , a demotion due to the increase of snowboard parks.
BLAKESLEE, Pa. -- While the drive up I-81 was an interesting trip up memory lane, Friday's main event was a day of skiing in the Pocono Mountains. I first became acquainted with the region during my first two years of college at Penn State Hazleton. One of campus' biggest pluses was being less than 40 miles away from most Pocono ski resorts, and I took advantage of that by taking skiing classes both winters I was there. It was a pretty good way to fulfill my ESACT requirement. Big Boulder Ski Resort was the site of the 7-week class, so I got to know it quite well.
Since we were driving from York and wanted to maximize our time on the slopes, Wiley and I choose Big Boulder over Camelback, which was farther away. We were quite pleased to see a little bit of natural snow on the drive up, starting near Tower City. By the time we passed Hazleton, snow covered the entire ground. This held true along I-80, even though the elevation is significantly lower than I-81.
Before we arrived at the resort, we stopped at County Line Ski Rentals on PA 903. It was there that we learned Big Boulder did not open until 4 p.m. on weekdays, d'oh! Thankfully, Jack Frost Mountain, Big Boulder's brother, was open during the day and not too far away. I was not too disappointed in this development because I got to try out a new resort. Also, I had seen that Big Boulder had become a more snowboard-friendly resort at the cost of some excellent runs, like Merry Widow.
I'm tall
After a circuitous journey from Big Boulder to Jack Frost (note, the signing is poor on PA 115, make sure you turn onto PA 940 WEST) we arrived. Jack Frost is the first resort that I have been to that has the lodge/parking at the top of the mountain. That turned out to be rather convenient, since after buying lift tickets, all we had to do was put our skis on and go downhill. We took a run or two down Snowflake and made our way Over to the intermediate slopes. First we skied Lehigh, followed by Exhibition and then Dematte's Demise. I enjoyed all three runs, but probably preferred Dematte's Demise the most. Wiley, a more experienced skier, was ready for something more demanding, so we took The Challenge. After The Challenge, we attacked attempted Thunderbolt, an ungroomed run with moguls. If I recall correctly, Wiley took it first and had a little trouble. I got farther down the mountain before doing a face plant coming off a mogul. Wiley was quite amused and remarked that it looked like a skier exploded. Having lost the following: ski hat, both poles, a ski, and my sunglasses, he may have been on to something. I think I also bounced at least one ski on my kneecap. Eventually, I got myself back together again and finished the run without further incident.
Before I knew better
Having been reminded of our limitations, we moved back over to Dematte's Demise and attacked it with gusto. Those runs make the 's seem quite easy.
Wiley handled it better
We enjoyed several more trips down the mountain before heading into the lodge to warm up and get a snack. Inside, we found the exact same fare we had seen at every ski slope we had been to in our lives. Since it was a school day, the lines were non-existent and tables were plentiful. It was a nice change of pace from what we were used to on the weekends. The prices were also not particularly unreasonable; my order of fries and hot chocolate came in at $5.
After warming up inside, we went back outside to the best conditions of the day. The partly cloudy skies of the early afternoon had switched to mostly sunny with a temperature of about 25° which was just about ideal with the sun out -- cold enough to keep the snow from melting, but sunny enough to keep us from getting really cold. The wind was occasionally gusting, particularly on Sno-Chute, a run that feeds The Challenge. I was quite comfortable wearing five layers on my upper body (and looking sharp in my Penn State hockey sweater) and three layers on my legs (including sweat pants and wool Army pants on the top). The snow was packed powder for the most part with little ice and not too much grooming. I don't think you could hope for much better conditions on man-made snow.
After a couple of quick rides, we attempted Thunderbolt again. Having learned from our previous errors, we stayed to the left side of the slope. Wiley (who it must be said has a much lower center of gravity) was able to make it down unscathed, while I had some unspectacular falls on my trips down. I did make it down without incident once.
Wiley's St. Bernard
Having had our fill of moguls, we went over to the far side of the mountain and tried out 's over there. Telstar, Lightning and Solitude all fed Floyd's Folly to the bottom. I preferred Telstar, a longer run that overlooked the Lehigh River. It had the best view from the resort (is it just me or is the scenery in the Poconos generally underwhelming?) and a good descent before leveling off a little too much. It is an impressive ride nonetheless. We enjoyed it several times, but as the afternoon grew late, we headed back to the center of the mountain, riding down Sno-Chute (the windiest part of the mountain) before taking a final ride down The Challenge and Dematte's Demise. We rode the lift back to the top, took our skis off and walked to Wiley's Jeep. It was time to head over to Big Boulder and take advantage for the transferable lift tickets for some more skiing.
Hi Mom!
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with Jack Frost. Though it was small and apparently has less of a snow base than other Pocono resorts, I was quite pleased with what it had to offer. For an intermediate level skier like me (with no aspirations of being an expert) it was a solid ski area. I would not recommend it above Camelback, which is my favorite resort, but it is a good choice if Camelback is not an option. Using the ski conditions scale, I give it a . Tomorrow: Pocono Skiing II: Big Boulder
Yesterday, I went skiing the Poconos with my friend Wiley. I'll write about the skiing after I get photos from my disposable camera (I'm not taking a digital one on the slopes) developed.
On the ride up from Wiley's in York, we drove up I-81 past the campus that we both started our college careers, Penn State Hazelton Hazleton, aka "the old school."
The ride was the closest I had been to Hazleton (the homeland of Run Up The Score!) in nearly ten years. My time there was interesting, but ultimately a culture shock for the locals as much as it was for me. The professors were pretty good, but the overall academic climate was lacking and the dominant ideology of the region was bad, a fact I may have pointed out once or twice. Still, I had some pretty good memories and am still friends with people (like Wiley) I met there.
I created a Flickr set of photos of the ride through the region. Enjoy.
Touchdown, Washington Capitals! - William World News
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Touchdown, Washington Capitals!
Last night Erica and watched the Capitals take revenge on the Hurricanes in splendid fashion, 7-3 (The Post). I was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to win again. Has Alex Ovechkin been held scoreless yet this year?
Some notes from the evening:
Verizon Center was as full as I have seen it in a long time. Apparently the attendance was over 16,000 and that did not seem an inflated number to me. I cannot remember the last time 7th Street was that crowded for a Caps game either.
The college night promotion seemed to have worked. The team picked a good night to win big.
We were seated in the last row of 413, but the seats were decent. I was kind of surprised they were not Eagles Nest tickets at that location.
Apparently, we just missed seeing Rod Langway and some other old-time Caps in the box just behind us. Perhaps another time.
Hearing Kerkraft 420 is a lot more fun than Rock and Roll Part II.I liked hearing it as much as we did :).
I don't know why some Orioles were introduced on the 'tron. Naturally, they were booed.
Ben Olson of DC United got a much warmer reception.
I don't think I have ever seen the Caps score that much. Still, I was hoping Alexander Semin could have gotten another for the hat trick.
There were about as many Whalers jerseys and Hurricanes jerseys.
One annoyance from the evening was Will Call. They are really uptight about giving the tickets to the person whose name is on the credit card. I had to wait an extra 15 minutes in line to get a "supervisor" to break the rule and give me the tickets I ordered with my wife's credit card. Given the rarity of the Yurasko last name, I think the woman at the window could have taken a shot at letting me have the tickets and saving me the grief.
The variable message sign at Will Call window #10 had customer misspelled.
One big bonus -- the season ticket holder next to us won tickets to an upcoming game. Since he did not need them, he handed them to us. Thanks man!
Ah ,New Year's Day, full of football and food. Kickoff is not even 90 minutes away and Erica is already getting the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch pork and sauerkraut dinner started. Life is good.
PHILADELPHIA -- I finally cashed in my winnings from the Nats victory in the 2006 season series with the Fleas today. The Ombudsman was quite gracious in defeat. The cheesesteak was delicious of course.
I have a bad feeling that there will be no repeat next year. I fully expect that it'll be me giving a concession speech in Ben's Chili Bowl over chili halfsmokes.
If I am not mistaken, Tortcaesar's birthday is right around now. I allow myself a plus/minus of two days. Happy Birthday! I promise to give you a call and come through on that concession speech that I owe you for the Penn State vs. Wisconsin game. Good luck with finals.
Congratulations Christopher and Sarah - William World News
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Congratulations Christopher and Sarah
My brother Christopher has decided to take the plunge! Last week he proposed to his lovely girlfriend Sarah and she said yes. We look forward to their wedding next summer and welcome Sarah to the family. Good job, Christopher!
Second best day after Thanksgiving Friday outside - William World News
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Second best day after Thanksgiving Friday outside
Yesterday, the unseasonable temperatures allowed me to take a bike ride up to Rock Creek Park. This was the second best activity I have ever done on the day after Thanksgiving. The first was going in the Atlantic Ocean with my brother Christopher and cousin Frank somewhere in Palm Beach County, Fla. in 1994 (I think). Of course, we had to drive 2,000 miles roundtrip for that privilege, so there was a downside too.
Another great outdoor activity on post-Thanksgiving: playing football in the snow with my cousins Tom and Jeff in Little Silver, N.J. It was the only white Thanksgiving I can remember, though I do not recall the year.
Company was over, so I had to wear pants this year. Grrrr!
Happy Black Friday! Or Buy Nothing Day if that's your thing. How was Thanksgiving for you? For me, it was great, I indulged in all the usual traditions; listening to Alice's Restaurant Massacree*, making extra $ at work, building a fire at my parents (I used the fireplace this year though), watching Detroit lose, eating fresh, roasted turkey (splendid job Mom!) and of course eating a turkey leg during the
Doughnut Plant, donuts, Lower East Side, nyc, New York
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, a demotion due to the increase of snowboard parks.
# posted by
Jim Jeffcoat :
Friday, August 28, 2009 10:46:00 AM