Snowing with Asude

So this is how it went down: Going to bed last night watching the snow fall and fall and fall. Just knowing I wasn't going to be teaching yoga today. Keep my laptop by my bed so I can check school closings. 5:15 am, they're going in 2 hours late. 7am, school is closed for the day. I see my phone blinking, txt from Asude, Jade is off school too. I call. "Hey, wanna take the kids skiing?" She sounds a little sleepy. She asks Jade. Jade is down with the plan. "Be ready in 1 1/2," I say. I get it together over here and we throw all our gear in the car and off we go.

We are we going? I don't know. I 'm following the nav. It seems to be taking us an odd way. Sue assures me it's fine, we are heading North. "How do you know this?" I am perplexed. I knew Sue was smart, but she knows what direction we are heading at any given time? This could somehow be useful. "My nose always points North," she tell me. I mull this over. Is that why sometimes she faces away when she is speaking to me? Then she points to my rearview mirror and lo and behold there is a little N on it. Her nose might now know, but my car sure does.

We get to the mountain. This is the first time ever I am snowboarding. I haven't stepped foot on a mountain full of snow for a few years. The main reason being, I don't particularly like snow. I think it's stupid. This year is different. My kids are snowboarding and skiing. I can't just sit around and look pretty. Well, I could, but that would get old after a while. Maybe...

I get Chase and I a lesson with a snowboard guy. He teaches us like two things, which I do not master and then he wants us to go up the mountain. Um. No. I can't turn or stop Brian. Take my kid and go. I'll practice here. And practice I do. I cart myself up to the first rung of the fence where the elevator for the baby hill starts and I practice turning. I try to go a little farther every time. But I don't. I can't stop, I find myself saying, "Hey watch out." And secretly being annoyed that others are in my way. Sue comes over. "Watch me. Watch me," I say. Really proud of myself for snowboarding 6 feet and hurling silent obscenities at small children in my way. Sue claps, dutifully, then goes on her way.

Meanwhile my nine year old is beating the instructor down the hill. Of course, he isn't great at stopping either, but he doesn't seem to care. I was proud of him.

Saige was already going up the big chairlift with Jade. Kids have no fear. That was my favorite part of the day. Seeing them rock it out.

Then my second favorite part was sitting in the lodge by the fire drinking a glass of wine and running into people I have known from all over the place. Old hairdresser, work guy with Marc, school parent (but a cool one), old college friend. Sue. It was fun, baby. Snow's not as bad as I thought.