Author Archives: Jill Adler

Stop the Bleeding! Save Money Before the Ski Season Starts

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Locals’ ticket packs, Powder Cards, season passes. All too soon you’ll have missed the boat on any savings. BYU is currently running a “Two-Day Pass for One” Person deal for $85. There are a few black-out dates but they don’t have to be used consecutively. These have to be purchased in person on game days but you can buy as many as you want. Park City Mountain Resort has their Benefit Day tickets on sale now for $25. Those are good through December 16. One of my favorite deals is the annual Philip66 2for1 stamp card. You fill up four times and you can redeem your card for a two-for-one price at Snowbird’s ticket window.

Ski movies are another great way to get deals on lift tickets for the upcoming ski season. Go see Warren Miller and get a free weekday ticket to the Canyons. See the new Matchstick or TRG flicks and get 2 for 1 Bird passes. Once you’ve got your ticket situation resolved it’s time to talk gear. It’s easy to drop a grand in one outing when you’re outfitting for the season. Take advantage of the biggest and best deals at a Utah Ski Swap. It’s like shopping at any retailer in any other city. Ski shops need to clear the floor for new inventory; athletes need to make money by hawking their sponsored gear and families need to unload what their kids have outgrown. It’s veritable buffet of prime merchandise well worth a plane ticket if you’re in the market for more than one ski jacket.


10/20/12 First comes the Black Diamond Swap (2092 East 3900 South, East Millcreek). This is the pearl to your shopping oyster. People from all over Utah swing into the BD Store’s parking lot, throw open their trunks at 7 a.m. and sell sell sell. Get there early if you expect to get the best deals on the best gear. It runs until 2 p.m. There is no charge to buy or sell.

10/26-27/12 Hands down the best place to nab kids gear is at the Rowmark Ski Swap (Lincoln Gymnasium, MS Commons, 970 East 800 South, Salt Lake City). Get there on Friday night ($5pp, kids under 12 free) for the best selection.

10/26-27/12 The Snowbasin Ski Swap (Legacy Events Center, 151 South 1100 W, Farmington) is a relative newcomer but because they ask that no gear be more than five seasons old you stand a good chance at avoiding digging through tons of junk. A portion of the sales goes to The Ogden Valley Winter Sports Foundation (OVWSF). Admission is $5 on Friday, $2 Saturday and free on Sunday.


11/2-4/12 The 40th Annual Park City Ski Swap (Basin Recreation Field House at New Park, 1388 New Main St., Kimball Junction)
is only as good as the person you get to wait in line for you on the first night. The smoking deals are gone by midnight. You can still get serious discounts on everything from base layers to boots but nothing beats what you’ll find the first hour the doors open. Admission is $10 on Friday, $5 on Saturday and $2 on Sunday. Children under 12 are free.

Friday, November 2, 8 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Saturday, November 3, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday, November 4, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

If you’re selling, check in your gear on Oct 29 – Nov 1 at Jans Mt. Outfitters & Cole Sport on Park Ave. FYI- the ski team keeps 30 percent of your sales.

11/2-3/12 That same weekend, cruise into Midway for St. Lawrence Thrift Store’s Annual Ski and Snowboard Sale (Zermatt Resort, 784 West Resort Drive). This isn’t a place where you can sell your gear. Everything is considered a ‘donation’ with sales benefitting St. Lawrence. But you never know. You might find that killer ski suit for One Piece Wednesdays.

 

Ski Porn Coming to Utah

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Time to get your panties in a bunch, you Utah riders. Here is the list of Utah Ski and Snowboard movie premieres found at a theatre near you:

Warren Miller’s Flow State 10/19-20/12 Abravanel Hall Salt Lake City

10/23-25/12 Grand at SCERA Center, Orem

                 10/23-25/12 Peery’s Egyptian Theatre Ogden

                 10/26-27/12 Eccles Center Park City

                 11/1-2/12 Kent Concert Hall, Logan

Match Stick Prods Superheros of Stoke 11/01/12    Fine Arts Auditorium University of Utah SLC

11/17/12 Sundance Screening Room Sundance

12/07/12 TSC Auditorium Utah State University

TGR    The Dream Factory 11/1/12 Ragan Theatre Utah Valley University Orem

11/2/12 Fine Arts Auditorium University of Utah SLC

11/3/12     Jupiter Bowl Park City

11/6/12     Wildcat Theater Ogden

11/19/12     Our Lady of the Snows Alta

TGR     Further         10/20/12 Dansante Theatre Logan

12/27/12 Our Lady of the Snows Alta    

No Purses Here

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I finally gave up on my Osprey Messenger Bag. I loved that thing. I even carried it around after a mouse chewed through the side mesh pocket. It held everything but, as others teased, it wasn’t very womanly.

I don’t do purses and I’m not sorry. My car is my purse and my shoulder bag is like the wallet in my purse. I’m a function over fashion girl. It became apparent, however, that I had outgrown my Flap Jack Courier.

Yes, my friends, it wasn’t big enough! I found myself often carrying TWO bags whenever I left the house. Granted, even in winter I have two bags- one for boots and the other for my laptop, money, magazines, mail, etc. But this coming winter I was facing THREE bags now if I didn’t do something quick. Enter the Ashley Tote from High Sierra. It holds my laptop in a padded sleeve, all of my paper junk and a set of gym clothes to boot.

The main compartment zips closed and there’s a little removable zippered pouch inside that I still haven’t used- too organized for me. Same goes for the zippered front utility pocket because there are four corner pockets that slide from top to bottom for things like my phone, pens, lip gloss, or water bottle. It has shoulder straps rather than a messenger chest strap but I rarely wore my Osprey that way so it’s not a huge deal. The handles are long enough that if I wanted to drape them over my head and across my chest I could. The bottom and back panel are also padded for extra protection. I would have liked the straps to be a little wider and thicker for those days when I’m really packing but otherwise I’ve found my match.

Not to mention, the pretty pattern addresses the femininity issue and now I’m back to two bags for the winter. Whew.

The Ashley comes in a variety of patterns for an economical $40. 1-800-323-9590

Takoda Takes Third

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Oh Wow. I think I just had my first, and last, conformation dog show. What was I thinking? The experience was beyond humiliating. In fact, I was borderline tears more than once. It wasn’t the people there; or the judges. It was the scene. I was so out of my league and clueless; and, of course, it showed. Maybe if I was 8 like a few of the girls handling their Aussies, it would have been a different day altogether.


Two days ago I got wind of an ASCA dog show in Murray Park. I figured what the hell? For 10 bucks I could have a judge look over Takoda and tell me what kind of aesthetic shape he was in. I didn’t know that it would be as much about me as the dog. I had to borrow a collar and leash (I’ve never ever used what they had); someone trimmed up his ears and rear for me; another nice woman gave him a quick brush; I happened to have a Lickety Stick in the car so at least I wasn’t begging for cheese bits as well.


All of the ladies there were super and I got a crash course in conformation handling. I’m betting this is something you and the dog can’t learn in an hour?

We quickly taught him to stand instead of sit in front of me (which is what he does for obedience) but I neglected to learn what I was supposed to do in the ring. Apparently you always stay behind the other dogs even if one stops or goes off course. I trotted past and was ordered to get back in line.


You don’t run, you walk fast to get your dog to trot alongside of you. I looked like I was running.


When the time came to go up against two other male pups, Takoda did decently for his first time and I sucked bigger than a teenager getting a helium hit. I struggled to keep him standing. At the end, he placed third- out of three.

I did ask the judge for feedback which was the whole reason I chose to do this in the first place. He said, “An experienced handler can make a new dog look like a champ. An inexperienced handler can make a champ look like a [loser].” I was that inexperienced handler. L Did I mention that I was in jeans and everyone else was dressed for a corporate job interview?


To his credit, the only thing the judge saw as a negative was that my dog’s chest wasn’t as “full” as it could be; but he said it wasn’t a dealbreaker. So I guess Takoda could be a contender if I wanted him to be. I don’t. We’re going to work on obedience, rally and agility instead. Perhaps I won’t feel like such a complete loser.

50 Days and Counting. Ski Season’s Close!

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Fifty days to opening day at Park City Mountain Resort and even less time to get in shape if you’re planning to ski Solitude, Brighton. Are you ready?? I mean physically ready? You know you’re saying it. Sure, we were all supposed to be training and working out all summer. But like any good procrastinator, we’ve left it for the last minute.

PCMR’s taking away one more excuse to put things off. They’ve just posted a “7 Weeks to Opening Day” training schedule. A structured plan! Just what I need. Simple exercises and movements you can do without a gym membership.

It hits the basics- aerobic fitness, balance, leg and core strength, and flexibility- for pre-ski conditioning.

Be diligent and you just may rock the November 17 opening day without the notorious backseat thigh burn.

PCMR TRAINING DAYS

I learned last season not to ignore my inner thighs if I want to correct that ‘Q’ angle. Stretch, stretch and more stretch.

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