"Just Relax."
If I had a nickel for every time my husband said that to me, I would be a rich woman. "Just relax," he says as I hyperventilate about what "people are going to think" about this or that. "Just relax," he says as a crazy driver whizzes past us, endangering our lives. "Just relax," he says to me while I'm in peril of crashing into a VERY large tree on my first ski slope. And he says it while skiing backwards. Showoff.
Yes, I have joined the ranks of those who ski. Not very well, very long or very fast, but I CAN do it! :) The whole family (read: the Hurds) took a ski trip to New Mexico this past weekend and it was such fun. It was slightly odd, though, going back to the same place where we honeymooned, bringing 10 other people with us. ;)
Thankfully, Wesley said that he thought I should take the beginners' ski class, rather than just taking me up to the top of the mountain and wishing me luck. :) So I joined a class of 9 other beginners and we took all day to learn how to put our skis on, get on and off of the lift and not fall on our faces very often.
And I did fine! For the first half of the day. In our class, we just went on little slopes and our instructor told us to take it easy. During our lunch break, I met up with Wes and he wanted to take me on another easy slope to help me practice. Little did I know that this particular slope had several different sides, and I ended up on the steep one. On my rear, to be exact. Yes, my first fall was in front of my husband. How horrid. :)
But I kept going. The next day I went on the easy slopes again and then Wes took me down a green run. Wow. Okay, it was only green, but I can't imagine what the blues and blacks must be like! I managed that run and did it again. The third time my legs simply gave out and I ended up feeling very chummy with a bright orange fence that divided the green run from the bunny slopes. So chummy, in fact, that I wanted Wes to leave me there. Silly boy, he didn't. He patiently waited until I had disentangled my legs from the skis and each other and manage to achieve an upright position once more.
My ski outfit was a conglomeration of left-overs and unused pieces in the Hurds' collection, mostly belonging to Monica. I had on flaming red ski pants, a bright orange Gap jacket (quite the spiffiest item in the collection, I assure you, Mons!) and I finished it off with a cashmere red-and-white snowflake scarf (thank you, Sears out-of-season) and a bright red knitted hat. Now, I am quite sure that they dressed me that way so that they wouldn't lose me. Wes said he could spot me anywhere. Especially when I fell.
So, you ask, was it worth it? Most definitely! I had the time of my life. Besides learning to participate in my husband's favorite activity (albeit not very flexibly), we had a splendid time of fellowship and fun. Midnight walks, sleeping in really late one morning, a trip to the various shops in town, TCBY and the long ride home, accompanied by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (read by the incomparable Stephen Fry) and a whole slew of cheeseburgers from Burger King. (There were, after all, 10 of us traveling home...) It was the ski trip of a lifetime, only I hope that my next one find me vertical a little more often. ;)
Yes, I have joined the ranks of those who ski. Not very well, very long or very fast, but I CAN do it! :) The whole family (read: the Hurds) took a ski trip to New Mexico this past weekend and it was such fun. It was slightly odd, though, going back to the same place where we honeymooned, bringing 10 other people with us. ;)
Thankfully, Wesley said that he thought I should take the beginners' ski class, rather than just taking me up to the top of the mountain and wishing me luck. :) So I joined a class of 9 other beginners and we took all day to learn how to put our skis on, get on and off of the lift and not fall on our faces very often.
And I did fine! For the first half of the day. In our class, we just went on little slopes and our instructor told us to take it easy. During our lunch break, I met up with Wes and he wanted to take me on another easy slope to help me practice. Little did I know that this particular slope had several different sides, and I ended up on the steep one. On my rear, to be exact. Yes, my first fall was in front of my husband. How horrid. :)
But I kept going. The next day I went on the easy slopes again and then Wes took me down a green run. Wow. Okay, it was only green, but I can't imagine what the blues and blacks must be like! I managed that run and did it again. The third time my legs simply gave out and I ended up feeling very chummy with a bright orange fence that divided the green run from the bunny slopes. So chummy, in fact, that I wanted Wes to leave me there. Silly boy, he didn't. He patiently waited until I had disentangled my legs from the skis and each other and manage to achieve an upright position once more.
My ski outfit was a conglomeration of left-overs and unused pieces in the Hurds' collection, mostly belonging to Monica. I had on flaming red ski pants, a bright orange Gap jacket (quite the spiffiest item in the collection, I assure you, Mons!) and I finished it off with a cashmere red-and-white snowflake scarf (thank you, Sears out-of-season) and a bright red knitted hat. Now, I am quite sure that they dressed me that way so that they wouldn't lose me. Wes said he could spot me anywhere. Especially when I fell.
So, you ask, was it worth it? Most definitely! I had the time of my life. Besides learning to participate in my husband's favorite activity (albeit not very flexibly), we had a splendid time of fellowship and fun. Midnight walks, sleeping in really late one morning, a trip to the various shops in town, TCBY and the long ride home, accompanied by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (read by the incomparable Stephen Fry) and a whole slew of cheeseburgers from Burger King. (There were, after all, 10 of us traveling home...) It was the ski trip of a lifetime, only I hope that my next one find me vertical a little more often. ;)