April 2024

I just finished another winter of working as a cashier at an on-mountain Aspen ski restaurant, and hope to do year 26 next winter. Officially I was cut back to three days per week this year, but it seemed like I was always covering an extra day or two for someone else. I tried to take the gondola down instead of skiing down at the end of the day to spare my knees, but often that didn’t happen either. I highly recommend Zilretta injections for joints; I tried to buy stock in the company, but it is private. Now a few odd gigs doing security shifts for events and Aspen’s high-end international boutiques, some X/C skiing or biking depending upon the weather and new snow, and general relaxing in the off-season, then off for another small-ship cruise in the Aegean Sea the first week of June. I may actually retire for the summer upon my return, but the phone keeps ringing for gig work at events. I’m done with heavy lifting and ladder work, to save my knees. Successful cataract surgery a few years ago is the last time I want to see a knife in a hospital!