The Toddinator

New Year's at Woodloch:  

This is a first.

 Breath-takingly beautiful snow covering everything in view:  A first. 

Blogging at Woodloch:  Another first. 

Fearing I'll become a "B.U.B" if I'm not inspired this morning:  

Maybe not a first...

(BUB is the acronym I invented,  Brutally Untalented Blogger, in case you forgot my previous ramblings, or in case you're never on the Internet, which is FILLED with BUBS)

I never blog here--there are no Europeans with fascinating backgrounds--the people I usually write about in a vacation journal.  

What there are..are enough people to fill three Times Squares.  I'm not sure if this is a good thing yet--I think it might be.  Because with a growing crowd, the enthusiasm is beyond contagious--it's an epidemic.  We are the only NYE virgins--and I think we're the only non-Italians from Long Island.  

That's not exactly true--I played "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" with a family from Florida--a Greek, fun family from Florida.  My Big Fat (self) Greek Teammates.  They weren't fat--they were hot--and  they were smarter than a fifth grader, but we didn't win a medal.  We probably won't this trip--there are way too many contenders.  It's like--it doesn't matter how gorgeous your voice is, you're not getting on "The Voice."

We played a very challenging game called "Man Vs. Mobile"--you had decide each round whether you wanted to answer a tough question on your own(with team brain power) or..using less time..get some help from Google.  Todd Manned up..and insisted we all play as "Man."  That served us well, until some other team chose "Ancient History" as their category--and we did as well as you could imagine we'd do.  

My niece Marissa  is the lucky finance of Todd, a big kid with a big heart and a big laugh and a big appetite and a big love for Long Island iced teas but man, this guy is so enthusiastic and fun that you wonder if he's capable of sleeping.  Picture the offspring of the Pied Piper and any character Seth Rogen has ever played--that's Todd.  And I'm enjoying every goofy minute of him--it's like traveling with a lovable labordor retriever.

Evan and Jim and Todd and Marissa went to the Horse Race while I had to come to the stark realization that I'm probably not as smart as a fifth grader. 

 I've never seen horse races like this..the pot was sixteen THOUSAND dollars.  And there was only one winning team.  Which meant five losing teams are going to run up quite the bar tab....It's one of Woodloch's most popular activity. And people take it so seriously that I won't be surprised if a horse's head winds up somewhere it's not supposed to wind up

We also played another trivia game in the afternoon..my not-quite-as-smart-as-a-fifth-grader brain hurts.  This was a salute to the 90's, the theme for the resort for 2019.  

I realize I know even less about 90's music than I do about Mesopotamia, but I did recognize a few themes from TV and movies..and more than a few TV and movie clips.  Todd was on fire...he must settle down every now and then if his couch potato prowess is this great..although if you meet him, you'd probably conclude this is what caffeine would look like if it came to life.  And then you'd laugh.  And then you'd hug him.  And then you knew that the niece you've loved like a daughter your whole life was going to get her laugh filled happily ever after!

Funniest NY state bumper sticker:  A photo of Ted Cruz with the caption "This guy ate my son!"

We're about to get ready for the day, enjoy the walk on these snow dusted hills as we head for breakfast and I head for a defibrillator. . I'm excited to see the schedule--I'm sure it'll be jam packed with events I'll write about in detail later.

A little bummed that Evan has to leave today..work beckons tomorrow.

Gonna miss my kid--but am glad to have the company of a niece and her hilarious fiancee--they feel like Amster offspring too.

I'm sure I'll have a lot to say later.  I'll write about the medal our team didn't win but deserved.  I'll write about Todd's antics.  And then I'll ask everyone reading this, "when are you going to believe me enough to book a trip?"

Now I'll get as cliche as a "BUB"..(those BUBS often use cliches as 'though they discovered them) 'there's no place like home..except for Woodloch.  Woodloch IS your home, only more fun and functional