Common Mom

I went, I saw, I boarded, I lived QT and I were lucky enough to get a cheap condo at the base of the mountain Thursday night so we didn’t have to get up early Friday to drive up to the mountains. We had a great time - we went out for a WONDERFUL meal at a very nice restaurant and enjoyed every bite of food and every drink of wine and every word of conversation. All we had to do Friday was get up when we felt like it, get dressed, and wait for the shuttle to take us to the gondola.

Yummy, huh?! We were treated to a free pancake breakfast at the base of the mountain. I was pretty nervous about the whole boarding opening day thing. I’ve only had 1 lesson and had only been boarding twice - so waiting in line for 20 minutes for free pancakes was just one more way for me to stall actually getting on the lift

It had been quite warm and there wasn’t much snow at all up there, so they were making snow like crazy!

Because they were making snow like crazy, they only had enough to open one run. They had said there would be 3 runs open . . . but turns out there was only one. And it was a blue run. I’d only ever done green! And the last time I did that, I fell so hard on my tailbone that I couldn’t walk for a week! Photo op - one more opportunity to stall actually getting on the lift.

Notice the white pocket there - zipped wide open? Um ya - the car keys were in that pocket! No, I did NOT remember to zip the pocket before hurling myself down a mountain strapped to a fiberglass board. No, I did NOT lose my keys - thankfully! Cuz that would have SUCKED!

We got to the top of the veeerrryyyy long lift. I passed the first test when I didn’t fall down getting off the lift! Woo hoo! Really - no small accomplishment for a beginner like me. Things were lookin’ good! I skated to the top of the mountain, strapped in, and said a little prayer with butterflies in my stomach. Not only was it the longest run I’d ever been on, it was BLUE! I did pretty well. I certainly didn’t break any speed records, but I did only fall three times - and all three times I fell totally in control - so I was happy. And, my good buddy and much more accomplished snowboarder QT was nice enough to hang out while I slowly made my way down the mountain. We can see the end! WOO HOO!

Whew! I made it! QT asked my what I thought. My response? “It was good! I’m glad I didn’t die.”

QT and I headed to the lodge to grab some Gatorade and take a little break - you know, rest the incredibly out of shape legs. I decided to call it a day after one run - the beauty of having a season pass - you can do one run and quit for the day without feeling like you wasted $80. Besides, the snow was getting very icy and the slope was getting more crowded . . . and the more I sat, the more my backside hurt from the one fall on it, in the exact same tailbone spot I landed the last time I boarded. So, I sent QT on her way for another run and then went and bought unlimited lesson passes for me and Hubby. I also watched a storm come in over the mountain - very cool!

After calling it quits, we headed back to the condo for a soak in the hot tub . . . niiiiiiiicceee!!! A quick lunch, and QT headed home while I headed to a different condo for girls’ weekend! Yup, I got to spend the entire weekend up there with friends . . . hot tubbing, drinking, laughing, shopping, and scrapbooking a little. It was the perfect much needed girls weekend.

So, I can say that I did it! I went to my first opening day in Breckenridge. I boarded my first blue run. I was able to walk to the hot tub and the bar. Mission accomplished

Nope, I’m not here today. I’m playing hookie. Well, not really - I do have the day off. And today, I’ve traded in my khakis and cleavage shirt for these . . .

And this . . .

And this, my new jacket, which I can’t WAIT to wear!

Oh, and I’ll be wearing those things, here . . .

Yup, I’ll be wearing a brand new boarding jacket with the liner taken out because I’m a warm person and I may burst into flames with it on . . . a modern version of moon boots, which I’ll strap onto a piece of fiberglass . . . and a helmet and goggles, to protect my melon as I hurl myself down a mountain on OPENING DAY!!! No, it doesn’t look like that picture right now. It’s been warm and sunny and there has been no snow. They’ve been making show like crazy though, so there are 3 nice icy runs open. But BONUS it snowed the last couple days . . . so there will be a tiny bit of snow on top of the ice, at least for the first person down the mountain.

And I am not dillusional . . . a beginning boarder like me should NOT go to opening day. But, I had the opportunity so I took it! My only goal is to make it down the mountain at least once, maybe two or three times, and still be able to walk into the bar to get a drink and head to the outdoor hot tub at the condo where I can watch the other fools hurling themselves down the icy mountain :-)

See ya Monday!