Working Wives & Bachelorettes: Goofy or Regular?

Believe it or not, tomorrow is December 1. I for one have continuously expressed my concern with how quickly this year has flown by.

However, December means winter is here! And winter means snow, and snow means fun activities! Over the last two winters I have decided to take up the fine art of snowboarding… and it is a fine art. For me, it has not been easy, but I have grown to love it as a winter sport. So much so that I went out and ordered myself a snowboard after only my third time on a mountain. Most were skeptical of my purchase seeing that my first time down a mountain resulted in a minor concussion and a few smashed 8 year olds.

But, last season I successfully made it down the hills. I’m not good. I’m pretty bad. In fact, I can’t walk for almost a week after we spend time at 7 Springs or Hidden Valley and my knees are usually bruised beyond recognition.

It is one of those things Nick and I enjoy doing together (though, he usually leaves me in the dust to fend for myself, because I hold him up), and we love getting a group of friends together and heading to the mountains for the weekend.

This year I am teaching my friend Jackie to board. In her failed attempt this summer to teach me how to wakeboard, I feel as though this could be a task (Love you JMO). Nick says we both need to purchase helmets. This is probably a true statement.

But for those of you who have never attempted to board or ski, I must tell you that the hardest part about it all is getting off the damn lift. For me, it is no longer making it down the mountain that is my Achilles' heel – it is conquering the ski lift! Getting on – OK. Getting off – Challenge. This is where I fall, bruise my knees, smash into people, knock others over. It’s dangerous, hard and hilarious all at the same time. I’ve seen more injuries occur from people trying to get off the lifts than from falls down the mountain.

This winter season, I have two goals:
1. Learn to use the front edge of my board. Right now, I have two speeds – fast and stop. I don’t carve across the mountain (you need to use your front edge to do this), I just go as fast as I can, and then stop.
2. Master the lift.

Here in Pittsburgh we’ve been having unseasonably warm weather, but by Christmas (26 days) I’m going to be itching to get on my board. Stop this rain, gimme snow!

Happy winter, everyone!