Hooky without the guilt!
Took the kids away from a half-day of school today to finally get in a little more skiing. It was cold and I didn’t feel like driving far, so we went to Jiminy Peak, where everyone was talking about how good the conditions were. I think that’s a sign of how bad conditions have been this year, because although there was hardly any ice, there was also hardly any snow, just some form of rough white formica that was almost skiable. Not dangerous, also not fun. And the wind at the top was brutal. But the girls took a lesson and their teacher showed them how to play in the half-pipe, so after lunch we did that together three times and then we’d had enough of freezing. I could have bombed for a while longer, but I didn’t feel like taking on the diamonds there today in case they were sketchy, and the intermediates were boring, so let’s just call it a technique day for me. The girls had fun, though, so it was definitely worth the trip. And, unlike last year’s big hooky expedition, no bones were broken!
Something of a disorganized morning, despite my having laid out all the ski clothes and made the lunch last night. At some point I took all the helmet liners (hoods, essentially) and put them in a bag together. Then I threw that bag into a laundry basket and covered it with things I did NOT plan to take with me today, which wasn’t all that great a plan. Okay, it was an accident, but it was too cold to go without them, so the girls got new Turtle Furs today, lest they froze their faces. Then I went to all the effort to make coffee and to pour coffee, but not to put the coffee in the truck. I’d like to say that it was still warm in my nuclear coffee mug when I got back, but I’d be lying. I’d like to say that I didn’t take a sip just to be sure, but I’d be lying there, too. I did remember my new winter Camelbak, however — got it after taking my summer one with me last couple of times and realizing that keeping my muscles wet is a very good thing for me. Which of course I knew, but who thinks to drink outside in the winter? So I got an insulated one, and one that’s shorter and smaller than my regular so I can ride the lift properly, without having this big pack of water pressed against my back. But I didn’t quite work out all the kinks, because at some point the bite valve started dripping (probably had a piece of ice freezing it open), and I didn’t realize it because I was skiing, and when I got to the bottom of the mountain the right side of my jacket and pants were coated in a thin, dripped-on layer of ice. Very nice, I assure you. There was no fear of it thawing and soaking me, unless we went inside . . . . which we did, after a while. No problem, thought I, we’ll just get some hot chocolates and sit by the roaring . . . ember. I guess they don’t waste fire on the Friday crowd at Jiminy.