Steamboat Pilot & Today

Bye Autumn, hello spring

Thursday was the official goodbye to Autumn Phillips and the return of Ladies Night at Mambo Italiano.

What started as three people grew to a dozen, and we reminisced about good times while the crowd transitioned from dining couples and families to twenty- and thirty-somethings ready to celebrate the promise of weekend sunshine. The forecast didn't disappoint.

Although most locals have nothing but great things to say about the skiing and riding conditions this winter, it was nice to have a couple of sunny days with temperatures in the 30s. Nothing beats a powder day, but it was a pleasant change to see Storm Peak face from somewhere other than Storm Peak face.

Have a great rest of the winter, and good luck to Autumn.

How much does this cost?

There was nothing extra large about Super Bowl XL.

The game was a disappointment, unless you are a Steelers fan, and even then, Pittsburgh played better games this season (see: Pittsburgh 34, Denver 17). Even the commercials weren't that good. The FedEx commercial with dinosaurs and cavemen was funny, and the Disney commercial featuring athletes practicing for the token "I'm going to Disney World" ad evoked a few laughs.

A 30-second spot cost $2.5 million, which leads me to the question: Just how much money does Anheuser-Busch have?

Hunting for orange

This spot typically is reserved for non-sports-related happenings during the past week, but because I'm writing it and Autumn isn't here to edit it, I'm going to continue writing about whatever I want. That said, the Olympics begin with tonight's opening ceremonies and will continue through the end of the month. Tune in and look for the local athletes. You might even catch a glimpse of Steamboat Pilot & Today sports editor John F. Russell (orange coat), who had never left the country until earlier this week. Traveling abroad for the first time, alone, with a 10-pound camera, a laptop and a new mobile phone should be a sport in itself --specially if you know Russell.

-- Melinda Mawdsley