Huckleberry Pancakes, Omlettes in Ignalina and Sausage Tasting

21 June 2005

Sunday morning I woke up and so badly wanted a big plate of Huckleberry pancakes. Warm and hot and sticky, covered in huckleberry syrup... For a short second I thought, "I'll just go down to the Huckleberry Inn and get some." Then I remembered that I was at ski camp in Ignalina, Lithuania, and not in Government Camp, Oregon. So I got dressed and went downstairs to order the next best thing: an Ignalina Omlette.

The Omlettes at the Lithuanian Winter Sports Center in Ignalina are the best in the world, even my brother, Jason, will tell you that. It might be the grease, it might be the smoked ham, or it might just be the inevitable stray hair dropped by one of the ladies in the kitchen, but no matter what, somehow, they really are the best. Served with fresh tomatoes and cucumber slices, and whatever salad available that weekend, the omlettes are so good they don't even require salt or pepper. Sitting under the umbrella on the patio, gazing across the lake at the sun rolling down the grassy ski hill and spilling out on to the water creating a sea of glimmering diamonds on it's surface, the view on a quiet Sunday in June isn't bad either.

I was there for the first summer dryland camp for the Lietuvos Ereliai, my little ski team. We were a small group this weekend, even smaller than the 10 member team, but that was all for the best since it was the first time I have planned a dryland camp by myself! It went pretty good, and I learned something more about the ages I'm working with and the kids themselves. And, I successfully achieved one of my goals for the weekend which was to create stronger relationships between the kids - my 6 year-old girls had a great time together (and looked awfully cute running around in their over sized camp t-shirts) and the two older boys told me they were having a great time together.

Next Monday is my birthday and I'm flying to Greece for a week. Which means that this week I have a LOT of work since FHM will go to press two days after I leave. We had to work late tonight: at 6pm we left the office to go drink beer and grill 10 different kinds of sausages for our FHM taste test. Sometimes working for FHM can be really hard work. We sat in a courtyard in the Old Town and went on with our work. Suffice it to say, we have all eaten enough fat to last us till next spring! But what really struck me about this afternoon, was not only the great company (I work with REALLY cool guys at FHM) but the sun peering out from behind the church across the street where a choir was practicing, and the trees blowing in the breeze under a clear blue summer sky. Even though the temperature called for pants and a light sweater, it kind of make you think, "Lithuania is a damn good place to live." And so it is.

So I'll leave you now with that thought, before the weather turns cold and rainy again.

Take care, write often, and you can expect another email all about my friend's big, probably fat, very Greek wedding when I return to Lithuania on the 4th of July!

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