There was one winter when I was in high school when we were not supposed to have a February vacation. They cancelled it in favor of letting us out for the summer a week earlier. Sounded like a good plan. So, come the Monday when February vacation normally came, we got hit with a serious ice storm. Everything looked like it was covered in glass. Needless to say, we did not have school that day – or the next, or on Wednesday, or Thursday. The freezing rain just continued until Thursday night and by then the powers that be decided that we should have February vacation and they gave us Friday off as well. I remember this time really well because my buddy Christian and I were really into ninjutsu (this was before I actually started training in the Bujinkan). I had been waiting a couple of weeks for a particular book about ninjutsu (Andy Adams’ book, for those who care!)and I spent all week reading it. I remember slipping and sliding up the road from Christian’s house and seeing the UPS truck in front of my house.

As the week went on and the crust of ice grew thicker and thicker on top of the snow, Christian and I would go out in my back yard and do hundred of rolls in the snow. We actually did this until our backs were bleeding from the ice pricking through our coats and shirts. These are the kinds of sick memories I cherish….

Here’s a fond memory though. Every year, my sisters and I would walk down into the woods behind our house to collect “Princess Pine”. I am not sure what the name of this plant is – but we called it “Princess Pine.” It was like a little pine tree kind of plant that grew really close to the ground and was usually ready in early winter. We would pick this so that my sisters could make holiday wreaths. We would collect garbage bags full of this stuff and then they would wire it to a coat-hanger frame bent into a circle, add some pine cones, maybe some Christmas balls and a ribbon and voil