coming down the mountain

So I finally went skiing in spite of the fact that my all time favorite ski buddy jumped town years ago and I have been in mourning ever since. I'll never forget the time we were on the way back from Ski Liberty and we stopped at the Sheetz - which was selling a bunch of teddybears that you could record your own personal message on by holding thier paw, then squeeze the other paw and it will repeat your message. So on a whim, one after another, I recorded, 'for a good time call [my friend's name and phone number]' on like, 100 bears! It was hilarious, she couldn't figure out how to erase them, and everyone she tested repeated the same horrifying mantra!*

Anyway, no one else I know is into skiing. So finally, after TEN YEARS, I gave up and took the kids to Ski Liberty, meeting some of the teens Cody befriended (and a little more then friended!) at the Outer Banks last year. At first it was a total nightmare of struggling to get equipment on, paying $35 for a pizza we had to consume indoors while wearing blizzard-ready gear from head to foot, taking Jake's boots on and off three freaking times and adjusting the number of socks underneath until they were comfortable. WOW what a mistake it was to do this, what was I THINKING!

Phew. Then, we all took a lesson that was included free with our package, during which time we mostly just stood around and were boiling hot with our sucky instructor who said that in order to turn on skiis, go downhill and look to the left, and you will turn. Oh gee, really? Because I thought the skiis were attatched to my feet, not my head. I already knew how to ski so everyone in the class thought I was just an amazing learner and they just sucked. I played it up too when the instructor gave me compliments, like,

Teacher: 'great job, you're doing it perfectly!'
Me: 'Thanks!' looking smugly at rest of class, and throwing my arms in the air, 'i-am-the-champion' style :P

Anwyay

after all of that mess, we finally escaped from the class and started going. And then it was so much fun! Sooo fun. Cody was holding his own on the snowboard, Jake was a natural, refusing to even use the poles, and even at 8:30 when we were done, begged to stay and keep going! Was totally fun even though for like 3 days afterwards I was hobbling around like a cripple. Guess I need to get back to the gym!

*Of course we deleted them all before we left, I'm not evil!