January, 2010

Has it really been three weeks since my last post? Time flies when you’re having fun or working or, most days, both.

Since my last post…

• The snowboarding bruises got uglier and went away. I went out again, falling for the first time on my third run.
• I had a visit from a familiar face: MU professor Joy Mayer was in town to speak at the Wyoming Press Association convention.
• I went to the bridal expo… for free cake and people watching. Both were excellent.
• Culture! I went to the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra chamber concert.
• The ice skating story ran and looked beautiful in print thanks to our very talented designers.
• Pre-marathon training has begun. I’m running every other day, gradually upping my mileage. It seems I’m running faster and stronger than before. No injuries yet, fingers crossed.
• I got sucked into LOST. Thank you, Hulu, for making every season available online.

I’ve written mostly state stories lately, which makes me feel like I’m not pulling my weight on the city desk. The last week was frustrating because several times I could not get the information I wanted and needed. I hate not knowing things. I’m either in the right or wrong line of work then, depending how you look at it.

As good as I am about making plans, I’d like to think I’m just as good as changing with them. Plans for last week all but completely fell apart. This week can’t be worse. The only solid “plan” I have is to get as much done before I take some vacation next week.

New Orleans! It’s painfully close and it’s all I can think about when I don’t have anything else to do: family, food, friends, warm weather, food, music. I’ve been preparing by playing Cajun and Jazz in the evenings when I’m cooking dinner. And looking at pictures like this one:

11 days.

I learned to ski at age four. My family skied a lot considering we lived more than an hour away from the nearest ski hill: up to Wisconsin for day trips, the upper peninsula of Michigan for longer trips and out to Colorado. We were responsible, aware and fast. We could ski any black diamond in the Midwest, even if there were obstacles to making it to the bottom.

My brother and dad started snowboarding and Sam I gave it a try. We weren’t very good and chose skis over boards.

The last time I did either was 10 years ago. High school sports took up weekend and vacation time. I went to college 30 minutes fro a ski area but never made it there. Then I moved to Missouri and Louisiana — not exactly meccas of elevation and fresh powder.

And now I live 10 miles from Hogadon. So I bought snowboard equipment and a season pass. When I got my season pass, the woman asked if I skied or snowboarded. Both.

I ski to spend time with family, boost the ego and confidently breeze down the slopes. I know how to shift my weight, alternating in a rhythm proportionate to the incline.

I snowboard, it seems, to beat myself up. I do it for the challenge of doing something that doesn’t come easy to me, to fall down and get up a little weaker but more determined. I suck, but that’s okay because I’m going to get better. In the mean time, I’ll try not to fall on my knees so much or whack my head.

hello, bruises.

I went out for the first time in 10 years on Saturday. I didn’t do so bad, was only minimally sore on Sunday morning. So I went again. This time I made sure to bruise my knees up good and hit my head at least once. I’ll be back next weekend.