ROCK the CASBAH
So yeah. For 7 days, a large group of friends (including myself) rocked the FUCK out of this two-story cabin in South Lake Tahoe. I try to recollect the entire experience, but it never really forms a very cohesive timeline of events in my mind. Thank goodness for the wonders of modern technology and the usefulness of these things called digital cameras. Several of us at the cabin had digital cameras, namely myself, Ryan, and Jennifer. Out of the three of us, Jen probably had the best opportunities to steal goldenly candid moments throughout the week. I, not being one to be outdone, handled the business of filming some of the moments during the week with my Sony DSC-P32 digital camera. Ok, so, I think the week went like this:

-Day 01 (1/05): Ron, Anthony, and I arrive at the cabin around noon, and unload our gear along with Ryan, Orlando, and Jaime (who had arrived first). Eventually, Nolan, Jen, Robert, and Nick arrived, followed by Diana and Roberta last. We got our things unpacked, and claimed our rooms. That night, some of the group went on a 'run' to acquire the booze, which would fuel our drunkeness. We played a drinking game, I think, which caused most of us to promptly crash one by one.

-Day 02 (1/06): Ron, Anthony, Ryan, Orlando, Diana, and I rolled out to Sierra-at-Tahoe to snowboard. Alas, that was the only day I could afford to ride (which would be my only day to ride this season). It was Diana's first time, so Ron taught her some of the basics, while the rest of us tore up the bunny slope. Ron eventually went to ride the blue/black runs on the mountain, while Orlando went off on his own. Anthony, Ryan, and I stuck with the greens for the most part. While Anthony and Ryan were off, I spent the better half of my session coaching/supervising Diana in her practice of heel-side braking i.e. "falling leaf." This gave me the opportunity to work my toe and heel-side skillz, and also inadverdently forced me to ride switch on several occasions down the slope. She and I hit the rabbit hill about 3-4 times, and soon met up with the rest of the crew. Ron and I met up with Orlando and proceeded to take a lift that would bring us to the 3 mile "Sugar and Spice" run. PAIN.
When we got back to the cabin, we chilled until night came, and soon, the entire cabin was involved in a maddening drinking game called "Kings." It was probably around this time that we, as a group, dubbed Orlando, "Frank the Tank" (and oddly, we all chanted that moniker simultaneously at one point). Needless to say, I puked a sum total of 9 times that night. Fun times.

-Day 03 (1/07): I can only remember as much as my fierce hangover allowed me. When night fell, I was nearly ready to engage in more fun, but swore not to over-do it again. I do remember that Anthony and Robert went at it and had a friendly round of wrestling in lieu of a challenge issued the night before (when nearly EVERYONE was blitzed). Although I stayed completely sober, I was still unable to sleep at all that night.
=Edit: It is understood now that the "Team Arena" tournament that we had (where the cabin-mates were split into two teams and put through a gauntlet of 3 different games to determine an overall winner) had indeed taken place on this night.=

-Day 04 (1/08): Since I could not sleep the night prior, I am still unsure of the events that took place this day. The only way I am sure something happened is because I filmed our (Ron, Ryan, Anthony, Jen and I) visit to Caesar's and Harrah's casinos. After that, I'm pretty sure we all got quite drunk and/or high. I'm guessing that it was one of these nights that Orlando, Diana, Anthony, Ron, Robert, and I played poker/hold 'em and lost a lot of money to Orlando (who was SHITFACED. forrealz.)

-Day 05 (1/09): I have no idea. I think we (Ryan, Orlando, Jaime, Diana, Roberta, and I) went to see Peter Pan at the Horizon theater? Oh well, more drunkeness/smoking. Uh, from this point on, I have NO CLUE as to what really happened at night, other than that which I record here. I was extremely wasted from that day onward. Kiel and Jasmine arrived sometime that day, along with Patrick. We ate a nice filipino dinner thanks to Jasmine. Unfortunately, a certain Alex Galaviz was expected to arrive with them, but could not make it. Fucker.
Tammy, Lance, and Elissa arrived, too, as well as late additions Phillip and Nicole. Also, Maggit and his friend dropped by, followed by Ryan and Ron's co-workers from DMV. After a rather large hotbox session, the night goes quite haywire, and I eventually pass out on the couch really early. Particularly large gaps of memory are missing from that night. Hahaha.

-Day 06 (1/11): Orlando and Anthony leave early because they were both too sick to stay any longer. Maggit and his friend leave that morning as well. Roberta's brother Eli (sp?) and his girlfriend Nicole (sp?) arrive, and later that day Bryan, Cindy, and Big Jon Estrada make it up to the cabin. Jon, Bryan, Cindy, and I visited the casino strip and wandered about the area. One of the more fun nights that I can actually remember. A 14-man Soul Calibur 2 tournament went underway, in which I (who was quite faded) won it all.

-Day 07 (1/12): Bryan, Jon, Cindy, and I wake up before dawn to walk to the lake and watch the sun rise. We (excluding Cindy) smoke a nice Cohiba that morning, take some pictures, and head back to the cabin. I try to sleep, but am unable to once more. I eventually get up an hour or two before noon and proceed to get buzzed again. This course of action proved quite helpful, as I was easily able to go back to sleep an hour or two after I hit a few shots. After Bryan and Jon head back to Sacramento, I pass out for a few hours, only to wake up to restart the process once more. Jasmine, Kiel, and Patrick leave as Ron, Ryan, Elissa, Jaime, and I head out to eat dinner at a cheap (but good) chinese spot up the street and return home for our last night at the cabin. Nick, Jaime, Jen, Eli, Nicole, and I play several drinking games, determined to finish the rest of the booze left in the cabin. Suffice it to say, the task was completed.

-Day 08 (1/12): The last survivors of the cabin (Ron, Ryan, Jaime, me, Elissa, Jen, Rob, Nick, Nolan) get our last affairs in order, which meant packing and cleaning up the mess we made of the cabin. Eli and Nicole leave that morning, just as I wake up from a night of restless sleep.
And thus, with a memory riddled with holes and a slight hangover, I was finally able to escape from a week-long marathon of VICE and WICKEDNESS. It was grand.

Sadly, this account of "El Cabino 2004" is nowhere near complete or factual, thus I refer you to Jaime's blog, or Diana's site, and maybe even Ryan's site (assuming he ever updates) in hopes that more information can be gleaned on what happened while I was too hammered to notice. If I am able to gain a copy of Jen and Bryan's pictures, I'll try and find a way to post it up. Until then, PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT.