Author: Dackel Princess
I Found The Mountain Magic
I am not one of those people who is comfortable doing things alone. I like company. So, yesterday when my friends decided not to ski after the first two runs, I was very close to hanging up the skis and ending my day on the slopes. However, I could hear my little Fairy Godmother chastising me for my cowardice. She also gave me quite the lecture on the positive effects of exercise for the “chubby middle aged woman“!
So I sucked it up, and got in the line heading back up to the top of the mountain. The first ride up, I sat alone. Now what on earth does one do on a ski lift when they are alone?
I thought, perhaps, I could call Hubby at home and check on him, but I couldn’t get the phone inside my helmet!
Maybe I could take a picture? Well, the wind was blowing so hard, I was worried my gloves would fly away if I removed them in order to operate the camera. I kept asking myself the question of what to do, and suddenly I found I was at the top of the mountain.
Off I skied, down, down, down. The first trail was a bit messy, but once I reached mid-mountain the conditions were fabulous! I skied like Suzy Chapstick! Shush, shush, shush! Top to bottom, without stopping once! And for those of you who are wondering, yes, I did make wonderful carved turns all the way down, unlike many teenagers who simply point their skis downhill and go, never to make a turn and are going about 90 miles an hour! Oh yes, that’s Bode Miller isn’t it?
Back on the lift, I wondered again what to do. I decided, it was better to rest up a little and catch my breath.
Once again, I went down the mountain, Shush, shush, shush!!! Wonderful! I got on the ski lift this last time up and started thinking. Maybe I need a new ski outfit? You know, something funky and bright day-glow pink?
I mean, my skiing is so hot, why not look like it? Then as I neared the top of the mountain, I was laughing out loud. I just crack myself up!
My last run was a great one. I skied down, selecting my favorite trail and not stopping once. The feeling of freedom, the wind, (50 mph gusts!) blowing across my face, and the muscles in my legs all screaming at me, but life was good.
I carried my gear to the car, called Hubby to tell him he was married to a natural born skier, and then pointed the Jeep downhill and headed home.
The House-Wife Lottery
It finally happened. I knew one day it would, but it has taken over 30 years! Today someone actually said: “What kind of fabric softener do you use? Your clothes smell so good and are so soft!”
No kidding. Really! It happened!
I stood there having a Downy fresh commercial moment, before answering, in that June Cleaver, matter of fact way, “I use Downy Clean Breeze Fabric Softener”.
I had a sudden rush go through me. Like I’d won the house-wife lottery. Like I had finally made it because my laundry was soft and smelled good!
Looking For Some Mountain Magic!
It was quite beautiful on the mountain yesterday.
The skies were bright blue, the sun was out, the snow was gleaming on the trees, but the skiing was terrible! Besides the snow we had the night before, the mountain maintenance staff, had the snow guns going full blast all night and then all day while we attempted to ski. I appreciate their efforts, but I must tell you, freshly blown snow, packed down by the wind, is like cement, lumpy cement, and that does not ski terribly well.
I was skiing with George and Carol. They are both far better skiers than me. On one run they both went down, and there I was, still standing. I skied over to George, made sure he was okay, then skied over to Carol and made sure she was okay, and then stood there and Carol said, “Imagine you being the last one standing!” And I said, “I felt it was up to me to carry on!” LOL!!!
The next run, they decided to sit it out, but I went up determined to have a good run. Needless to say, this is when I took my nose dive! I did get down the mountain, but went in to chat with them about whether or not to ski anymore.
We decided to quit for the day, but to come back today after they have a chance to groom all the snow that they have made. So off I go to try again. I’m not happy it’s so windy, but what the heck, I’m just going until 11, so I can take a couple of hours of being blown around!
Let’s hope I actually ski more than I fall this time!
Old Entries
I was killing time before I leave for the slopes, reading my old entries from June 2005. I’d checked to see who had come to Princess for a looksie and found someone had entered on the entry all about my eye surgery. So I clicked and started to read.
Isn’t it funny how you forget the little things that occur from day to day? I think that is one of the things I love about blogging. I can look back and know what I was doing or thinking on a certain day.
The surgery on my eye seems like so long ago now, and back then I wasn’t at all sure of it’s success, but here I am in January, knowing that it was successful! Yea for me!!!
To Ski Or Not To SKi?
To ski or not to ski, that is the question.
Friends of ours called and asked if I wanted to ski with them today. Part of me thinks it is unfair to ski, when Hubby is so obviously miserable with his knees, but the other part of me longs for the wide open trails and the wind blowing over my face. Hmmm.
It’s a no-brainer. I’m going skiing.
Somehow the thought of one more day on that stupid exercise bike, (also known as an instrument of torture) was really more than I could take. So off I go into the snow, for a morning of skiing.
Last night while I was fixing dinner, I put on a couple of CD’s and turned up the volume and sang my brains out. Greta loves this. She follows me around the kitchen jumping up. Hubby says it because she is trying to get me to stop, but I know she just appreciates my fine voice! (LOL)
Pass The Snow Shovel
Yes, it snowed yesterday. Not only did it snow, but it snowed a lot! I knew I was in trouble when I went out before noon to scrape a pathway for the dachshunds to use, and found we already had 4 inches of snow and it was still snowing really hard! I shoveled for about half an hour and came in to make lunch. Oh, I could feel my back muscles protesting their use.
After lunch, my neighbor arrived with his plow to do our driveway. He made a few passes, (our driveway is 500 feet long, all downhill!) and then came back with his snow blower to help me get things cleared up. While Hubby, on crutches, supervised. I worked for an hour and a half with our neighbor clearing the drive the rest of the way. He had the snow blower, I had a shovel. Guess which one of us is sore today?
Snow total was 6 inches.
Once I came in, I started feeling chilled so I filled the jacuzzi, dropped in a Lush butterball ballistic bath ball and just soaked and soaked. I’d still be in there, but I found I was getting pretty hungry after all that work. I debated my decision, but after half an hour I got out and made dinner. First for the dogs and then for us.
I felt pleasantly tired. I also felt like I had done enough exercise that by this morning I would have magically reached my goal weight! (yeah, right!) At least I feel quite virtuous for all the work I did and all that I got accomplished.
I’ve never really appreciated all that Hubby did, until yesterday!
Hubby Knee Update
We were scheduled to see the Orthopedic Surgeon today. Despite the fact that we were in the middle of a terrible snow storm, we were determined to make the appointment. So when the phone rang at a little after 10 this morning we were delighted to hear the doctor’s voice.
He didn’t want us driving over to see him in the storm. He had gotten the results of Hubby’s CAT Scan and found two cysts. One on the femur the other on the tibia. He is in the process of finding replacement parts for Hubby’s artificial knee. Once those have been procured they’ll schedule him for surgery. Meanwhile, he is not to be walking on the left leg. He is supposed to be using crutches to get around, but mostly, he should be quiet. Now if I can keep him quiet then that will really be something!
Of course we are having a snow storm! The weatherman said we would get only 2-4 inches from this storm. Guess what? We have 6 inches now and it is still snowing hard! Our neighbor came down and plowed us out and then helped me do a bunch of shoveling. Right now, my back is aching, but at least the driveway is clear and I have shoveled a path for the pooches!
I need a hot bath. I think I’ll get the nice bath ball my cousin left for me and jump in the jacuzzi.
Bad Wife!!!
I’ve been feeling so bad for Hubby since this whole knee thing started. Oh poor Hubby, he can’t ski for the rest of the year. Oh poor Hubby, he needs an operation. Oh poor Hubby, he is in constant pain…
But today I found I was feeling a lot sorrier for myself!
I’ve been having to run up and down the stairs to get the newspaper, to bring down the garbage, to clean out the Jeep, to go and get the dogs, bring wood in to burn in the fireplace and by golly, if we have snow today I’ll be the one stuck shoveling off the driveway! Not to mention the fact that for the next few months I’ll be doing the trash run to the recycling center.
I know, I know, you are all thinking that I am a terrible wife. Complaining about these “little” things when poor dear Hubby is in constant pain!
And perhaps I am, but….
In the last few days he has been bossing me around! (sob, sob!!) You know, “Honey do this, Honey do that”! I’m not in the military, (which is probably a good thing). I’ve learned that I don’t take orders well.
It’s not that I really mind doing all this stuff, (well maybe I do!) I just like the fact that we’ve always shared household duties since he retired.
Before he retired, I did it all. He just wasn’t home enough to get involved. I didn’t mind then, so what’s the big deal now?
I have decided it’s sheer laziness! Yes, that’s it. I’m getting lazy in my old age. So what will I do to get me through the coming months?
Hmmmm. I’ll have to think about that.
Maybe the promise of another cruise in the future?
Hmmmm!
A Little Protein Anyone?
Every day I either climb on my exercise bike or I go skiing. I’ve been faithfully doing this since January 1st, part of my New Years Resolution for a healthier me. As those of you, who read me daily know, I have been back on South Beach to regain control of my eating, and to lose the weight I put on this fall.
I felt quite humbled when I could barely zip my jeans, and I have not gone out to buy jeans that fit better. There were days I spent a lot of time in sweat pants with a wonderful elastic waist band!
The first week I lost 4 pounds, the second week 3 pounds and this week another 4 pounds!
Needless to say, moral is high right now. I feel like the Super Woman of Dieting! Able to leap stationary bikes, carrying a carrot stick, in a single bound!
It has not always been like this for me. Weight loss and I are not old and dear friends. Usually it dribbles off. 1/4 pound here, a 1/10 of a pound there. I’m usually in the deepest of depressions when I am dieting.
So what’s different this time? I think two things. First I have learned that nothing puts weight on me faster than carbs. I should just take those cookies, breads and potatoes and rub them on my hips! So I know that cutting all of that out and eating a lot of protein and vegetables is the way to go. When I do that, the weight melts off.
Second, I am learning that “exercise” that dreaded four letter word, really does get the weight to move off a little faster. I also read something in a book, (don’t ask me which one!), that it’s better to exercise in the morning because it gets your metabolism cranking and you burn calories more efficiently for the rest of the day. Thus, after breakfast I do my thing, be it on the slopes or on the bike.
I’ve still got a long way to go, and I know there will be weeks when I don’t lose anything and I come crying to you all, but today, I’m feeling good about myself and about my change in eating habits.