Mar 28 2009
Saturday Morning
During the regular ski season, not much really gets done on Saturday morning. My son takes classes with the local ski club so we spend our morning rushing around gathering up all the gear, making lunches and charging. First it was charging the ipod, then there came the back up ipod, the game boy, the ds, the portable dvd player and the cell phones. I thought my cell was nearly dead yesterday so I asked Trav to bring the charger for it with him when he came to town. He arrived opened his back and brought out a charger that neither of us could identify! The cell, as it turns out, wasn’t dead it was just really cold. Considering that it was 15 degrees at the base, I’d say that it was understandable. Now I don’t want to give you the impression that all of that junk comes to the hill! Only the phones and ipods. It does amaze me though being a child in the 60’s how many things we own that we can plug in and take with us. The ds is incredible…after growing up with pong, I’d say the industry has come a long way!
Once the spring arrives, there is a lot more time in the morning to accomplish tasks. In the spring, the locals hang back for a bit and let the tourists break up the frozen hill. In the early morning on any of our mountains, you’ll be hard pressed to see anyone with a pass skiing, only the paper ticket crowd. It’s understandable, they are paying $92 a ticket so they want to get in all the turns that they can and god bless them for that attitude. The locals wait until at least 10:30 or 11:00 before wandering out to the slopes. By then, the sun has warmed it up a bit and the tourists have done their job and the trails are in decent shape to ski. I get alot more done on Saturday mornings in the spring. I bit of laundry, dishes, tidying the house and preparing to get my taxes done.
This morning is different though. It’s why the locals pay close attention to the temperatures. This morning the snow should be wonderful. Last night and the night before the temps dropped down to 6. When that happens the snow stays soft and light because the moisture content is reduced. This morning I need to be on the hill by 9 to get in some lovely corderoy turns before meeting up to interview to become an Ambassador.
I managed to tuck away enough money, mostly the city’s wellness bounus, to buy a full pass. This next year, I won’t be so lucky. I worked for 3 months with no pay and then had my hours cut in half and lost all my benefits…so a ski pass? Not going to happen. Fortunately there are two ways to earn a free pass out here. One is to work the races and the other is to become an Ambassador and meet and greet the tourists and take them skiing. For me there is no question, I have to be and Ambassador. I’ve worked the world cup as a slipper and a gate judge and while it is fun and exciting, I’d rather work the 12 hours and take the jacket then have to stand out on a cold hill not moving all day for 18 weekends! I’d rather ski with the tourists then stand on the side of the hill. So if I’m going to get in some turns before the interview, which naturally involves skiing, (how cool is that) I have to get outta here!
I was trying to think of a good one for today and in light of the Denver blizzard, I think this one is appropriate.
I apologize in advance if you are blond. A young blond woman was driving in a blizzard and was terribly frightened. Then she remembered the advice that her father gave her, follow the snow plow. Just then a snow plow happened to go by her so she got behind it and began to follow. She felt so much better and safer. After a while though the plow stopped, and so did she. Then there was a knock on her window, she rolled it down and there was the snowplow driver. He said to her, “I’m done with Target, I’m going over to Walmart next.”
Have an awesome day!
