Thursday morning, two weeks ago, marked the start of my incredible journey with the Nutters. The Nutters were going on vacation to central Oregon to meet old friends of theirs and to go on a ski trip to Mt. Bachelor and I was going along with them. I was so excited but I didn’t even know all that was going to unfold on our trip and stay at Eagle Crest.
The morning before I left I knew I had to get a lot of things together and ready to go and I only had until about 11:30 to do it. I had loaned my snowboard out to a friend with my old bindings on it and I wanted to put the new bindings back on it before I left. I started my laundry and got right to attaching my bindings to my board. When I had finished with my board I set it against one of the chairs in the living room. I check my watch; it reads 10:30. I only had an hour until I’d like to head out the door to the Nutter’s house and I still had a lot to get ready. I head upstairs to get my snowboarding gear together before I pack my bag. The duffel I was going to use was in the attic so I went out to the garage and climbed the ladder into the storage. When I got there I remembered that the light was out and needed a new bulb but I didn’t want to replace it right then, I just wanted to get my bag and get back to packing. I feel my way around on my hands and knees until I came in contact with the object of my search. I turn around and head back down the ladder. Back in Mom’s room, where I store all my gear, I start to pack all my gear into the duffel. I keep my snowboard boots, helmet, goggles and sleeping bag all in the same place so those all get packed quickly. My hat, gloves, jacket, pants, and thermals are all very accessible so it doesn’t take long for my gear bag to completely packed. All I have left to do is pack my clothes and my camera. Laura helps me by being my gopher and running for things that I need from downstairs. By now my laundry is finished and I finish packing my bag. I finally get dressed after wearing my pajamas all morning. I carry my bags downstairs and put my stuff in the entry, ready to go. A minute later I put everything in the back of Evan’s car. Moments later Mom is driving me to the Nutter’s.
The night before I had received a Starbucks gift card and we stopped by the new Starbucks on the way to the Nutter’s. I went inside and was about to order when I remembered that I had left a few snack items I was planning on taking with me at home. I ran outside and asked Mom if she would quickly drive home and get them. When she had gone I went back inside and got in line to order. I grabbed and Odwalla Superfood from the cooler and stepped up to the register. I ordered and placed the Superfood on the counter. The lady working the counter was new so I helped her remember my order while she called it out to the barista. I pulled out my card and hand it to her with an extra dollar in hand thinking that the total would come to more than the $5 that was on the card. The cashier scans my item and rings up my total: $5:65. She swipes the card and hands it back to me. The receipt prints and she hands it back to me pointing out that their system was down and that the balance on the card wasn’t shown. Another side effect of their system being down was that it didn’t know that my card didn’t have enough on it to pay for the total so I got 65 cents worth of free drink. I was cool with that. While I waited for my drink I noticed two businessmen trying to find a place to sit down; there were no tables available. I suggest that we bring one in from outside. We step out the door and I help one of the men carry the table in and set it in a blank spot on the floor. The table had water all over it from the recent rain showers so I grabbed a few napkins and wiped it off. The men thanked me; I assured them it was no problem. By that time my drink was finished, I grabbed it and headed out the door to wait for Mom. I checked to parking lot to make sure she hadn’t made it back already. She parked there so I walked out to the street to wait on the sidewalk. While I waited I witnessed a car turn a corner and hit a car that was not moving. A few minutes later I hear a horn honk and turned to see Mom waiting at the light headed my direction. I signal for her to pick me up on the curb and get ready for a “tactical boarding procedure.” Mom pulled up to the curb and I jump. We’re off again to the Nutter’s with all my stuff this time with just enough time left to get to the Nutter’s house by noon.
The rest of the drive to the Nutter’s was uneventful. Upon reaching their house, I didn’t grab my gear right away. I didn’t if I should put it straight into the truck or bring it in the house first so I left it in the car. Mom accompanied me inside to talk to Mrs. Nutter before she left. The Nutters weren’t ready to leave right away so I stood around for a little while visiting with them. When Mom had finished talking with Mrs. Nutter and had to go pick Evan up from school. After a while I was about to go move my bags and board from the car to Mr. Nutter’s truck. When I went out to the driveway I encountered one small problem, my bags had left with Mom in the car! I went back inside and called home and left a message for Mom to call me when she got back. I remembered that she had to go pick up Evan from PCC and I hoped she would notice that all my stuff was still in the back of the car between the Nutter’s and PCC and that she would bring it back on her way home. I had left a message at home, so I decided all I had to do was wait. Much to my relief, Mom drove up a few minutes later and redeemed our little predicament. Now, with all my gear packed either in the back seat of the truck or in a black plastic bag in the bed, we were ready to go.
Not much later we were on the road, traveling to Central Oregon. In my head I pictured that it was going to be sunny and warm, for I had only ever been there in the summer time. Once on the road for a while I came to a new conclusion. As we traveled on in the area of Detroit Lake not only was there snow on the ground but also it began snowing. It continued snow on and off all the way to Sisters. My mind was held captive the whole way through the mountain passes at the stack beauty of burned out forest covered in a blanket of pure white snow. I saw there in the forest and on the lakes a beauty like I had never seen in that area before.
I had a great time on the rest of the trip and it was fully relaxing. We spent the afternoon in Sisters and had dinner with Nutter’s friend, Mr. and Mrs. Gaffney, in a cozy booth at the Mexican restaurant in Sisters. The following day we got up early and prepared to go snowboarding at Bachelor. We spent the majority of the day on the slopes and then headed back to the condo at Eagle crest. That evening, Luke and I played video games, air hockey, pool, and ping-pong at the resort clubhouse. We finished the day off by playing games and talking until late. The trip back was equally enjoyable with snow flurries and huge groups of snowflakes clustered together. When we got back to Portland the sun was shining and the air was warm. To end it all off, Mr. Nutter dropped me off at my house and helped me unload my baggage. My trip was so amazing and I’m so glad the Nutters took me along.
John
The morning before I left I knew I had to get a lot of things together and ready to go and I only had until about 11:30 to do it. I had loaned my snowboard out to a friend with my old bindings on it and I wanted to put the new bindings back on it before I left. I started my laundry and got right to attaching my bindings to my board. When I had finished with my board I set it against one of the chairs in the living room. I check my watch; it reads 10:30. I only had an hour until I’d like to head out the door to the Nutter’s house and I still had a lot to get ready. I head upstairs to get my snowboarding gear together before I pack my bag. The duffel I was going to use was in the attic so I went out to the garage and climbed the ladder into the storage. When I got there I remembered that the light was out and needed a new bulb but I didn’t want to replace it right then, I just wanted to get my bag and get back to packing. I feel my way around on my hands and knees until I came in contact with the object of my search. I turn around and head back down the ladder. Back in Mom’s room, where I store all my gear, I start to pack all my gear into the duffel. I keep my snowboard boots, helmet, goggles and sleeping bag all in the same place so those all get packed quickly. My hat, gloves, jacket, pants, and thermals are all very accessible so it doesn’t take long for my gear bag to completely packed. All I have left to do is pack my clothes and my camera. Laura helps me by being my gopher and running for things that I need from downstairs. By now my laundry is finished and I finish packing my bag. I finally get dressed after wearing my pajamas all morning. I carry my bags downstairs and put my stuff in the entry, ready to go. A minute later I put everything in the back of Evan’s car. Moments later Mom is driving me to the Nutter’s.
The night before I had received a Starbucks gift card and we stopped by the new Starbucks on the way to the Nutter’s. I went inside and was about to order when I remembered that I had left a few snack items I was planning on taking with me at home. I ran outside and asked Mom if she would quickly drive home and get them. When she had gone I went back inside and got in line to order. I grabbed and Odwalla Superfood from the cooler and stepped up to the register. I ordered and placed the Superfood on the counter. The lady working the counter was new so I helped her remember my order while she called it out to the barista. I pulled out my card and hand it to her with an extra dollar in hand thinking that the total would come to more than the $5 that was on the card. The cashier scans my item and rings up my total: $5:65. She swipes the card and hands it back to me. The receipt prints and she hands it back to me pointing out that their system was down and that the balance on the card wasn’t shown. Another side effect of their system being down was that it didn’t know that my card didn’t have enough on it to pay for the total so I got 65 cents worth of free drink. I was cool with that. While I waited for my drink I noticed two businessmen trying to find a place to sit down; there were no tables available. I suggest that we bring one in from outside. We step out the door and I help one of the men carry the table in and set it in a blank spot on the floor. The table had water all over it from the recent rain showers so I grabbed a few napkins and wiped it off. The men thanked me; I assured them it was no problem. By that time my drink was finished, I grabbed it and headed out the door to wait for Mom. I checked to parking lot to make sure she hadn’t made it back already. She parked there so I walked out to the street to wait on the sidewalk. While I waited I witnessed a car turn a corner and hit a car that was not moving. A few minutes later I hear a horn honk and turned to see Mom waiting at the light headed my direction. I signal for her to pick me up on the curb and get ready for a “tactical boarding procedure.” Mom pulled up to the curb and I jump. We’re off again to the Nutter’s with all my stuff this time with just enough time left to get to the Nutter’s house by noon.
The rest of the drive to the Nutter’s was uneventful. Upon reaching their house, I didn’t grab my gear right away. I didn’t if I should put it straight into the truck or bring it in the house first so I left it in the car. Mom accompanied me inside to talk to Mrs. Nutter before she left. The Nutters weren’t ready to leave right away so I stood around for a little while visiting with them. When Mom had finished talking with Mrs. Nutter and had to go pick Evan up from school. After a while I was about to go move my bags and board from the car to Mr. Nutter’s truck. When I went out to the driveway I encountered one small problem, my bags had left with Mom in the car! I went back inside and called home and left a message for Mom to call me when she got back. I remembered that she had to go pick up Evan from PCC and I hoped she would notice that all my stuff was still in the back of the car between the Nutter’s and PCC and that she would bring it back on her way home. I had left a message at home, so I decided all I had to do was wait. Much to my relief, Mom drove up a few minutes later and redeemed our little predicament. Now, with all my gear packed either in the back seat of the truck or in a black plastic bag in the bed, we were ready to go.
Not much later we were on the road, traveling to Central Oregon. In my head I pictured that it was going to be sunny and warm, for I had only ever been there in the summer time. Once on the road for a while I came to a new conclusion. As we traveled on in the area of Detroit Lake not only was there snow on the ground but also it began snowing. It continued snow on and off all the way to Sisters. My mind was held captive the whole way through the mountain passes at the stack beauty of burned out forest covered in a blanket of pure white snow. I saw there in the forest and on the lakes a beauty like I had never seen in that area before.
I had a great time on the rest of the trip and it was fully relaxing. We spent the afternoon in Sisters and had dinner with Nutter’s friend, Mr. and Mrs. Gaffney, in a cozy booth at the Mexican restaurant in Sisters. The following day we got up early and prepared to go snowboarding at Bachelor. We spent the majority of the day on the slopes and then headed back to the condo at Eagle crest. That evening, Luke and I played video games, air hockey, pool, and ping-pong at the resort clubhouse. We finished the day off by playing games and talking until late. The trip back was equally enjoyable with snow flurries and huge groups of snowflakes clustered together. When we got back to Portland the sun was shining and the air was warm. To end it all off, Mr. Nutter dropped me off at my house and helped me unload my baggage. My trip was so amazing and I’m so glad the Nutters took me along.
John
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