Have you chosen your ski trips for this year yet?  They are filling up quickly, so I wouldn’t procrastinate if I were you!  Why can’t I have 8 weeks of vacation?  I want to go on all of them this year!  Kayleen, her DOT’s and the trip leaders are doing a fabulous job!

I also hope you are enjoying all of the terrific activities that have been arranged for your social pleasure.  Mark your calendars now for the fabulous Holiday Gala on Friday December 2, 2005.  It will be an event you won’t want to miss.   Be sure to read Jose’s article in this issue as well as the Calendar of Events for all of the fun stuff going on this fall. 

All SCSC members and guests are invited to an Olympic Bound Send Off Party for six- time National Champion Snowboarder Stacia Hookom on October 23, 2005 at The Howling Coyote at 6536 FM 1960 West. This should be a great fund raising event with fantastic music, dancing, food and fun.  It will also be a great place to find future members for SCSC and a great marketing event for our club as well.  They are looking for at least a $5.00 donation to her Olympic fund from each attendee. We will be emailing you with more information.

Keep checking our website, www.spacecityskiclub.org,  for updates on both the ski trips and activities.  Bruce Lowther, your Director of Communications, is working hard to make your website the best ski club website in the country!  Improvements are constantly being made to make it user friendly for both officers and members.

            Summer is gone and the countdown for the ski trips started!   In  preparation, we have planned a big month of fun in October. Join us for Happy Hour on October 13^th  at Red Lion Pub and a Halloween Party and Games Night is set for October 22.  Both events will be a lot of fun. 

 By the time you receive this issue, you may have already heard tales of the great time the group had in Hawaii… and wondering why you did not go.   We are working in organizing other fun trips so you will have a second chance.   And don’t miss any of the fun this ski season either, so you skiers, sign up now!  

            Remember, the General Meeting is on Monday, October 17^th at Chateau Crystale, located on the 2517 S. Gessner, just one half block north of Westheimer. 

Here’s Jessica with more news:

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our book drive in September that became a book drive/Katrina benefit.  For our October meeting, we will turn to our furry friends with donations of pet food/cash for the Houston SPCA.  Please see Diane Stotz near the Ambassador’s table to contribute.

The wine-tasting event has sold out, so it looks like we will need to plan another one soon.  The games night at Jose’s house should be a blast!  Rumor has it that someone might be planning a dive adventure!  Let us know what you want to do!  We are here to help!

Don’t forget to sign up now for the holiday gala.  We have booked Van Lang as our live entertainment.  This duo has a long-standing reputation for providing crowd-pleasing music.  They play a great variety of music to satisfy many different tastes and dancing styles.  (Perhaps the Director of Programs will get to sing a song or two with this talented group.) Our venue, Chateau Crystale, provides a spacious dance floor, and Ann is working hard to plan an extraordinary evening for all.  We are accepting donations of items and services for the Sunshine Kids silent auction that will be held during the gala.  Please contact Jose or Jessica if you would like help in soliciting items and/or services.  All proceeds go to our worthy annual charity, Sunshine Kids.

I know there are people in this club that are interested in fun activities.  Come on...I’ve seen you ski...you are not afraid to take chances and love to have fun with other SCSC members.  Take a chance, extend yourself, and let’s team together to plan some great events.  The quality of events depends upon the volunteers.

For all upcoming activities, refer to the Calendar of Events published in this issue and at www.spacecityskiclub.org . Please check your e-mails as there will be short notice activities as well.

Keep in mind that if you have any SCSC past files, memorabilia, documents or other items for storage, please send them to Jose or Jessica. Jose's e-mails are vpprograms@spacecityskiclub.org or jaraujoy@msn.com and Jessica’s e-mail is jessicahalter@yahoo.com

By this time, many of you have signed up for the ski trips you want, but I know there are plenty of you who have not yet signed up for one of our great trips.

“The Aspen trip has filled and we can expand by 6, but no more.  So if your heart is set on Aspen, get on the wait list.  The trip doesn’t leave until February and I’m sure that there will be openings right up to the last week or so.  On the other hand, there are lots of other GREAT trips

At the time I write this, all the other trips have openings.  But as final payments for each trip comes, we will be incurring penalties for unsold air and lodging.  The final payments are set so that we can make decisions on releasing this unsold air and lodging before penalties set in.  We may decide to keep a few extra spaces for those of you who still wish to get on these trips.  The best way to insure you get on any specific trip is to sign up before the final payment date.

We’ve had some great news on Keystone.  The trip price has been reduced by a total of $36 for adult packages ($32 for adult land packages) from its original price.

All our trip prices are subject to change at any time if taxes or surcharges increase.  We try to avoid these changes, if possible, but we cannot always accomplish it.

I want to take the time to highlight two trips.  I skied Mammoth about 10 years ago and it was an incredible trip.  They call it Mammoth for a reason!  There is something there for everyone.  The town is a real town, so there is a lot to do there.  And I know that Mammoth has done a lot of development since I was there.  I also remember skiing for a day at June Mountain, which is a great place on its own.

Although I have not skied in Finland, I have been to Scandinavia twice.  I have to say that Scandinavia is my favorite place to go to in Europe.  I have been to Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen.  Stockholm, in particular, is such a wonderful place.  You never want to leave.

As you may know, the Texas Ski Council trips are selected by clubs at the April BidFest where each of the resorts who are on the final list make presentations and then the trips are chosen.  Before I read the bid on Finland, I thought, “No way.  Finland is not famous for its downhill skiing.  Italy will win.”  Then I read the bid.  My husband can testify, as I read, I got more and more excited about the trip.  This trip offer options that you won’t find anywhere else:  snowmobile safaris to a country manor and a husky farm, reindeer feast, vodka tasting, etc.  Two days in one of my favorite cities, Stockholm.  Plus the possible extensions are to some of the most beautiful areas I’ve seen.  But I still thought, “No way.  We were in Norway just a few years ago.  Italy will win.”  Well, much to my surprise, Finland won the bid!  I guess others that read the bid got as excited as I did.

If you love to travel, this is the trip for you.  You won’t find these kinds of unique experiences on another international trip for some time (unless we go to Japan).  Don’t miss out.  Sign up now.

August 5 – 7 was a great time for On the Water Spectacular Weekend.  The third annual event was co-sponsored by SCSC and Texas Association of Single Sailors (TASS). 

We could not have asked for a more pleasant evening Friday at Moon Water Grill.  An afternoon rain shower in Clear Lake paved the way for a cool, clear evening on the patio by the pool.  John “Easy” Thayer, Shirley Lang, Kim Olinger and Bonnie Lloyd arrived early in order to assist with decorations and check-in.  As the guests signed in, they received individual puzzle pieces for Linda Licarione’s “mingling” game with the object to get TASS and SCSC members acquainted with one another.  The game was a hit as participants kept returning to the table for new pieces to match with others. 

Jay Marks, the DJ, played a wide range of music as people ate, mingled and danced.  Participants also competed for prizes by taking a short quiz on various SCSC and TASS trivia.  Sean O’Brien had the honor of “grading” the papers and got a kick out of people’s answers.  After more prizes were awarded, winners of blow-up guitars participated in playing the air guitar to an Elvis favorite, Hound Dog. 

Saturday’s events commenced at Seabrook Beach Club.  While a group of people started playing water volleyball, some were enjoying the breakfast buffet and others started to take refreshing boat rides with powerboat owners Andy and Leslie Cashio, Bob Gottlieb and Bill Lodato.  Don Macken was coordinating the power boaters while wearing his bikini inspector hat (very chic for SBC).  In the meantime, Mark Monroe and Bob Arnette were taking others on a sailboat right out of Seabrook Beach Club. 

Later in the afternoon, a group of people headed over to Waterford Harbor Marina where Hope Flynn organized the Snack and Sails on larger vessels.  Numerous TASS members graciously skippered their own sailboats so that the participants could enjoy a wonderful afternoon on Galveston Bay.  Linda Licarione, Bonnie Lloyd, Tor Lileng and John Bemis enjoyed a charter sail with TASS Skipper George Golden. 

Meanwhile, another group including Kathy Luhrs (SBC liaison), Alan Bitzer, Cheryl Esposito, Suzan and Van Miles, Maureen Irwin and friends stayed at Seabrook Beach Club while enjoying the swim-up bar, more water volleyball and the live reggae band.  Later, many of the sailors including Ellen Eastham and Chip Stokes returned to Seabrook Beach Club for dinner.  Since Kim Olinger and Barbara Della Longa never left the Seabrook Beach Club vicinity during the festivities that day, they figured they broke the SCSC record (is there really a record?) for hanging out at a bar (just about 10 hours).

Sunday morning, SCSC and TASS headed for Sundance Grill in order to enjoy a delicious 3-course champagne brunch.  Afterwards, some went outside to take a dip in the pool while others watched the Blessing of the Fleet proceed down the channel.  Many of the boats were decorated with bright colors and flags.  As a bonus, Gary Pollock docked his sailboat Ocean Spirits right in front of Sundance Grill so that we could board and enjoy the boat parade.

The weekend could be summed up as a great opportunity for new friendships among members of both clubs, a chance to get of taste of sailing and power boating plus a lot of fun for member of SCSC and TASS.