For the Longest Time....

Great song by Billy Joel. I dedicate it to skiing. Man it's been too long! I don't know why I dread winter after my active summers. Because now that snow is coming I am stinking excited! Of course this is what happens every year when I watch the latest Warren Miller film but this year I'm determined to go skiing. How long has it been? 7 years? WAY too long.

This is a picture from the Warren Miller film - it featured Crystal Mountain! I have many good memories at Crystal Mountain. But after skiing at Whistler I just couldn't appreciate Crystal anymore. Crystal was no longer big enough. Good enough. And now after all these years I've come to realize that my snobbery got in the way of my appreciation for Crystal. Ok, that and the lift tickets are stinking expensive!
When I went skiing with Big Bro years back he taught me skiing meant NO breaks. No lunch. No snacks. Just ski ski ski. And that's how we got our money's worth.




This weekend I'll be frolicing in the snow with good friends and drinking my cocoa with peppermint schnapps. I'm optimistic that I'll go skiing this season and because I'm a huge fan of pleasure delay I know that it won't disappoint.

Kate told me today "I'm not an advanced skier but I'm an advanced beginner." Such a great description! In my past I've ran into not one but two trees. I have a great picture of me in the 2nd one that REALLY looks similar to the one above. Just picture that dude with brown curly hair and that's me.

The first time I blame on a boarder - yes, after all these years I blame him. Whoever he was he didn't give me any room as I was coasting down the cat track and the next thing I know I fly over the edge and land in a tree. I think that was the moment that I truly found the art of cussing and came to love it. As I looked above at the crowd watching me the ski patrol man said "You're out of ski patrol boundary, can you get up yourself?" Cheese. And. Rice. It took me forever. I've had an extremely low appreciation for boarders ever since.

The 2nd time was my own fault. Going too fast in slush, not catching an edge and I flew straight into the trees. I think my kidneys are still recovering from that blow of me slamming against the trunk of the tree. But it was a great moment.

Pleasure delay hasn't failed me yet. I'll see you soon Crystal! You and I have a lot of time to make up for!