First off, 

 

I hope you enjoyed your New Year celebration. 

 

I went skiing in Vermont and I go each year it's fun but 

one of the hardest things I ever learned how to do. 

Put it this way: My first skiing experience was horrible and I wore jeans, 

an army jacket, and I borrowed skis from my workout partner Big John. 

Big John was from Utah and his skis looked like something the storm 

troopers wore in Star Wars. I had no clue what I was doing and didn't 

want to take a lesson or go down the bunny slope so I took the lift all 

the way to the top of the mountain and fell all the way down. 

 

I usually don't swear but I was screaming every bad word you can 

think of all the way down - and I didn't just go up once I tried it a few times. 

 

I have to say if I had to do it again I would: #1 get better equipment, 

and #2 try to learn from someone who is good at teaching people how to do it. 

 

Thing is I wasted a lot of time and was very frustrated trying to 

learn on my own. If only I could do it again my experience would 

have been so much better and I would have been further along.   

 

Now years later I'm pretty good with skiing and can make it down 

the mountain from the top, even doing a few black diamonds - 

but I have all the right equipment now. I have the right size skis 

and boots plus the rights pants and coat. It's so worth the investment 

to do things the right way then to just try things and not go full out. 

 

Whenever somebody tells you to just try something first and you go 

and borrow stuff and just give something a shot - I wouldn't say it 

is the best advise - if you are going to do something take this advice - 

GO FULL OUT! 

 

Do things as much the right way as possible and do them once - 

don't go half-hearted into something. Sure I tried to save a few 

bucks on skis, the outfit, and the lesson - and I paid for it in 

pains and bruises. And man did I pay for it. (ouch) 

 

And this year after a long day of skiing I was relaxing with a cigar 

near the fire pit with a glass I red wine I texted a few friends 

"Happy New Year!" and one of them was my buddy Vince Del Monte 

who wrote back "Hope your not bringing in the new year at 8:30pm". 

But no, me and my girl were about to go hang out in the hot tub and 

watch the fireworks they have go off on the mountain. (fun times) 

 

Last year right around this time I was involved in a project with 

Vince and Lee Hayward. We worked on a awesome program. 

 

And if you are interested in starting 2012 with the fastest & easiest route