The games started at 10:00 AM. We decided to go to the half-pipe that morning and try to catch a sneak peek at the best snowboarding athletes in the world. The half-pipe was literally lined with thousands of people screaming at the top of their lungs. Jump after jump and twist after twist, the crowd roared. Shawn White was the only professional that I specifically knew, but he was a crowd favorite and a standout that morning. Some even stayed after the competition to sign autographs, hats, t-shirts and the likes. It was a close race; but in the end, White was victorious. And while it was not an Olympic event, seeing the U.S. take the winner's circle is always a welcome event.

We decided to ski ourselves for the afternoon as check-in was not until 3:00 PM. We took a few runs from 1:00 - 3:00 PM and promptly met at the bottom of the hill at 2:45 PM. Lee and Julie were tired, and Samantha and I nodded in agreeance with that notion. We were all tired after the long nite before, the drive, the excitement at the half-pipe and of course a few runs ourselves. We would nap until 5:30 PM we decided and then scope out a place for dinner.

I decided to keep our first dinner in Stowe affordable, as the money that my father had loaned me had to last for the next four days. Once returning to school, I would have that debt to pay within thirty days as promised, and then I would be free and clear of all encumbrances. That afternoon, I dreamed of going to Boston to see Samantha. We had come so far in a short amount of time and I wondered how fast and how smoothly it would continue. My dreams were wholesome that day, as I thought about us walking in downtown Boston, visiting her school; classmates and friends, the local hangouts and just spending time with her.

I awoke before Samantha and decided to get a hot shower. My body was tired from the day before and my throat was a bit sore from the yelling that morning, The competition had been amazing at the half-pipe and I wanted dinner to be affordable, but also an appropriate end to the evening. I decided on the Matterhorn restaurant, bar and grille.

Once arriving, we were greeted by the staff and seated in a booth. It was both rustic and homey. Since 1950, they had been seating guests in a barn-like atmosphere with fireplaces, a nice bar area, pool tables, a few games and finally your typical seating. They had advertised burgers, pizza, and Sushi; of which I just happened to want all three. Maybe not such a good combination for wine; as I had had quite a few bottles on this trip, but at any rate, a craft beer would have to do. They had exactly forty-two brews on tap and I opted for just two of the local ones with dinner. Samantha, Lee and Julie also opted for beer which made things easy for our server, Alexis.

She had been in Stowe since the beginning of her college days and was studying engineering. Like Lee, she wanted to do something in the ski/snowboarding/winter recreation industry, let's say. She was "on the ball" and never let us get thirsty. We shared a pizza and a mountain of Sushi, and I additionally had a burger; just as I had wanted. My stomach would later thank me in a negative-type of way, but I was happy at the dinner table nonetheless.

Samantha challenged Julie and Lee to a game of pool. I was still eating Sushi as if I would never have another meal, so they played "Cut-throat" initially. After I had stuffed myself to the gills, I came into the picture and proceeded not only to be on Julie's team, but to whip Lee and Julie. Julie was not a "game" sportsman; however, she was a force to be reckoned with on the slopes. After pool, we played darts for a while, which Lee was nearly a pro, and Julie was much better at. While coming close, close was no cigar and Samantha and me remained victorious for the evening. It was time to settle in at the cabin.