1. Catching stepdaughter and her fiancé hugging. A few times.
2. Skiing with awesome husband:
3. Sharing this run today with a friend:
4. Having someone actually benefit from my skiing tips.
5. Learning the phrase, “How much you packing under foot?” (Refers to width of ski under the boot.)
Arrive at 11 AM, park in furthest lot from the lifts:
Temps cold enough to allow snow to act as sign board:
First run, trees on Red Dog. Pep talk to self: It’s okay to be afraid as long as you keep your hands forward.
Second run, Siberia. Must pause for photos.
Too cold! Head to Solitude. Ahhh…
Time for lunch! Greek salad plus tasty brown ale at Fireside Pizza:
Back to Solitude for final runs.
Take transport lift over terrain park. Observe fun being had.
Mountain Run, what the crowded parking lot looks like on the slopes:
Achilles’ weak point was his heal. For me, it’s my toe after too many days pounding bumps:
But, no complaints. Don’t want to flunk retirement.
This morning, bright and early (9:45), we fought our way through morning rush hour
to get on the Funitel at Squaw Valley
and finally to work.
Of course, we have to have a lunch break. All employees are entitled to that. Excellent fish and chips, stew, and beer at The Auld Dubliner in Squaw Valley:
Alpine Meadows, California. 9:30 AM, temp around 22 F, 7 inches fresh snow.
Skiing on these (love my lady Samurais):
Just enough snow to cover icy bumps and make The Face look tasty:
The trees in the D chutes under the chair really were tasty, no shark bumps:
Followed by lower 3 Sisters:
Bumps beneath on 3 Sisters were okay.
It was a tad chilly at the top in the morning:
The highly variable weather turned to this after lunch:
It turned so dark they had to turn on the lights!
The best part of the day: seeing the Alpine Meadows Adaptive Ski school in action:
Note: My brother died of suicide a little less than two years ago. The man in these photos was one of his best friends. That makes us suicide survivors. This post is dedicated to suicide survivors everywhere and is intended to show you that you can feel good again. It takes love to get there. Let it in.
Note: All quotes in this post are things my friend said today.
Squaw Valley, USA, January 9, 2013:
Temp: cold. Windy, storm coming in from Alaska.
From top of Shirley Lake, ski across Links, cross land bridge, hike to top of Broken Arrow lift.
Love abides.
Problem: Twisting to look over shoulder while taking a step up stairs causes sudden pain in lower back that shoots down to… ahem… gluteus maximus… into back of leg.
Cure: Relaxed skiing with family.
Alpine Meadows yesterday: Temp high 40s, sunny.
main run.
How do you fix a pain in the back side?
1. Men break the stupid rules. Quote from book:
…
you’ll see lots of guys pushing themselves out to the edge of acceptable form to get an extra repetition in their final set of an exercise.
…
I’d never advocate lifting with bad form. But there’s more to strength training than coloring inside the lines.
2. Men don’t put up with baloney. Quote from book:
When women are introduced to the weight room, they’re taught
…
and that small adjustments to accommodate individual biomechanics will put her in the ER. If anybody tries to instill such fear in a man, the sound magically stops before it reaches his eardrums.
3. Men are straightforward. Quote from book:
I’ve never once walked into the gym thinking, “Today I’m going to try to not get too big.”
4. Men aren’t sweet (unless they’re trying really hard, which is so sweet). Quote from book:
As a guy, I’m constitutionally incapable of being perky.
…
What I can’t bring myself to do is find a hundred ways to say “You can do it!” You can do it if you want to do it. I know it. You know it. Do I really need to say it over and over?
5. Men rock. Quote from husband:
“Honey, I want to get huge. Would it bother you if I got huge?”
“No.”
“What about if I had really big shoulders, you know, like this.” Shapes Arnold-sized proportions in air over shoulders. “Would that bother you?”
“No.”
Update as of 1/28/14: Taking a break from weightlifting right now as I work on yoga. But this book made me feel good. I bought The New Rules of Lifting for Life witih Christmas Amazon $ and plan to start it in a few months.
Full title: The New Rules of Lifting for Women, Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess, Lou Schuler with Cassandra Forsythe, M.S. Workout programs by Alwyn Cosgrove.
Do you worry about bulking up too much?
Skiing alone is a joy. Totally unfettered by the needs or desires of others.
Hubby laid up by previous day’s parking-lot fall. Good wife would stay home giving TLC. Bad wife went skiing. Good hubby totally supportive! Wife not worthy…
Alpine Meadows 1/5/13. (38 degrees Fahrenheit, sun mixed storm front, on little girls, old Rossie Mach 2s about 50 or 60 centimeters underfoot? Old but quick.)
All info obsolete by the time you read it.
Moment skis are in.
Nicci Carrera 