Life Is Just So Daily

Monday, March 12, 2007

The Ski-School Crashers!

So, we wake up on Sunday.
Have breakfast at the hotel.

We only had Sunday for skiing/snowboarding, so we just couldn't waste it.
We had no ski clothes b/c the bag was still unaccounted for.
We had the jackets, and that was it.

So...we went to WalMart.
Found some waterproof pants.
Found no thermals or thermal socks.
Bought the pants....and a pair of suspenders for me.
Why? Because the 2 pairs of waterproof pants that WalMart had were sizes Men's Large & Men's 2XL.
I got the large pair & a pair of suspenders.
Damon wore the 2XL pair.
Went to K-mart. (can you believe they have a K-mart here? I haven't been to one of these in years!) Well, K-mart totally pulled through for us. Found thermals (men's large sizes, of course.) Found a hat & scarf set for me. Found a pair of kid gloves for me (hey--they fit & they were $7.00. black & gray, waterproof...totally worked!)

Went back to the hotel...got dressed.
Went to the front desk to get directions to Brighton for snowboarding.
Hotel clerk: "oh, no...you guys need to go to Deer Valley up in Park City."
Okay...so we get directions.
Hotel clerk: "this highway will take you right there. I mean literally--it's right there."
Our mental image: this highway just dead ends into the parking lot of Deer Valley. How wonderful.
So, we had a very scenic drive...





(Catholic Church outside of Park City, Utah)

And then we stop at a gas station, because according to the map...we're way off.
Yes, in fact we were about 45 minutes past the turn off. And no, the highway does not dead end into the parking lot. In fact, there's a turn off & then you go quite a little way before you actually get to Deer Valley.
But...whatever.
"hey, hotel clerk, thanks for the directions! you suck!"

Anyway...so we get there.
Still need to purchase: goggles for Damon & gloves for Damon. My outfit was complete.

Park...walk up to the ski lodge. Go to the little ski shop. A hundred&something dollars later we walk out of the ski shop. Go down to the rental area.
me: "Hi. We'd like to rent snowboards."
rental clerk: "There's no snowboarding at Deer Valley."
WTF?
Hey, hotel clerk...you DOUBLE SUCK!
So....we've parked. Drove all this way. We're staying.
Rented skis & boots. What about a lesson? Well, it's $370 for the both of us to attend the group teaching, and it goes from 1pm to 4pm. Only problem...they're all booked up. Okay, what about private lessons? All booked up.

So, we've got our skis & boots. We're ready to go.
Mind you: I last went skiing in 1995. That was 12 years ago. TWELVE YEARS AGO.
Damon, he's never been skiing.

Here I am, in my uncomfortable boots...ready to go out.

So, we've got our stuff...just gonna go out there & ski.
We're the blind leading the blind here.


So what do we do?
We see these instructors teaching these kids (seriously, they were ages 3 to about 7 or 8 years old). We totally crashed ski school. We're hanging out on the outskirts of kiddie-snow-college, eves-dropping on tips... "keep the toes pointed in, and the heels turned out".
"Dammit Damon, do it like little Spencer over there! He's side-stepping & he's getting where he's going!"
Oh, fun times.
So, we decide we're going to get on the lift. (the kiddie lift) & go on up the mountain...I mean, hill. We get to the top of the bunny slope...there are kids going down & I mean just flying! They're swooshing left & right...no poles...got their arms straight out. They look like little snowflakes or stars sailing down on skis. It was soooooooo cute!

And then there was us.

But, I have to say this: we did it. we loved it. and finally, here is something that is remotely athletic & finally I'm better than Damon! I only fell once, and of course, there's a story with that eliminating any fault being placed on me.
So...picture it, we're getting off the ski lift. We're good to go, except Damon FREAKS out, and slams his poles down. ON MY SKI. I couldn't move forward because it stopped my ski,and then I fall down. The ski lift operator runs over there & gets me out of the way b/c more people are coming off the lift & they're going to hit me with their skis & we'll have a multi-skiier pile up.
So...anyway. It was a good time.



A note on our clothing: we were so freaking HOT! Up there, we expected it to be cold & wet & windy. Here's what I wore (because I don't ski regularly, and because I'm from Texas & don't know any better): thermals (top & bottom), flannel pants, waterproof pants, sweatshirt, ski jacket. By the end of the day, I had to take off multi-layers & (this is gross but...) they were just WET with SWEAT. It was so hot up there, and you're moving & giving off heat...I thought I was going to freaking melt all of the snow!

So, how's my boarding?
1-800-Who Freaking Knows!

When we left, we were so tired.
I'm a little sore. Damon is waaaaaay sore from falling so much. But, he definitely gets an A for Effort, and an A for Perserverence!

We grabbed a bite at Panda Express.
Made our way back to the Hotel.
hotel clerk: "Oh, your bag just arrived!"

of course it did.
after we scrambled to buy all new make-shift stuff.

Rested in the hotel room, and then went to a "Meet & Greet" kind of social hour thing for Damon's work. I mean, that's why we're here anyway. Damon's got work stuff...some seminar.
He'll be in meetings & stuff for M/T/W day hours. So now, I'll be on my own during the days.

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1 Comments:

At 5:28 AM , Blogger hellomelissa said...

i haven't been skiing in almost 10 years either! what a funny story. hopeyou had a good time regardless of the murphy's law day it turned out to be.

 

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