Archive for the 'Skiing' Category

Snow!

Published
by
mckirsch
on March 8, 2008
in Skiing
. 0 Comments

Foot of FreshI woke up this morning to over a foot of fresh snow in my yard. Most people outside look sort of annoyed, shoveling, scraping, and generally trudging around in the snow.

Not me. I watched it snow last night and all I could think of was a foot of fresh on the slopes. Sailing through the powder, taking small snow drifts in the face as I carve through the deep stuff. I am actually smiling broadly as I even think about this.

Except that two weeks ago I cracked my ribs pretty good doing the same thing. They are still very tender, and I am a bit apprehensive about skiing today.

I must persevere though. Life’s simple pleasures aren’t waiting around for the perfect day, the perfect healthy ribs, or even the perfect moment. The opportunity to enjoy this late season gift of beautiful new snow is rare, and I am going to take advantage of it. I am going to tough it out, and take a few “flights” today. Skiing is as close to flying as I can get without buying a ticket. It’s a glorious chance to escape the earth for a moment, and truly defy gravity. Passing that opportunity up is not easy, and is in fact not advised for those addicted to skiing.

These flights of fancy are good for my soul, and are worth the pain.  I therefore declare my motto for today to be Carpe Diem, “seize the day”.

Crashing

Published
by
mckirsch
on February 26, 2008
in Humor and Skiing
. 0 Comments

Skier CrashAs my wife pointed out, I am 40 43 years old, and I still ski, a lot. Saturday, while skiing like a 16 year old, I took a spill. Not just a quick fall, but a nasty one. I went from 30 miles an hour to 0 in no seconds flat after catching my ski on a tree root buried under the snow. Being under the chair lift didn’t help, as I was serenaded by catcalls from above.

As I scampered to put my skis back on and limit my immediate embarrassment, I couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking that I owed the mountain something for all that joy I had recently cashed in on. For I had just completed several circuits of the same secret stash – all the while screaming like a kid, and smiling like a fool.

I woke up Sunday morning, feeling as if I had been hit by a car. My ribs are achy, my head hurts, and my knee is gimpy. All around, I wish I was dead. Now it’s Tuesday, and while my knee is better, my ribs hurt even more. I feel crummy.

Ski Crash RocksSo today, while I gobble Ibuprofen (thank you modern chemistry for that miracle), karma has reminded me that joy must sometimes come with sacrifice. There is a yin to every yang and everyone must pay. I remember the unadulterated joy of flying through the snow Saturday as vividly as I remember stopping so quickly on my head.

The crash, while painful, is the natural result of taking chances, having some fun, and throwing caution to the wind – every once in a while. I intend to temper my childish skiing activities in the future. I am getting old you know. I will have to be a bit more selective in my adventures.

I think I’ll sneak up that hill over the summer though, and dig out that stupid tree root… so the next guy will hopefully get all the smiles without the cracked ribs to show for them.

That’s gotta be worth a few karma points.