January

 So.. I have spent a lot of time in my new house, thinking about what comes next.  I decided I need to make it more of a home, and started looking for a dog.  However, it isn't easy during times of Covid.  So I put an ad on Facebook for a room mate, and got a few inquiries.  

I love adventure, but meeting new people is hard for me.  On-line a couple of people asked about it, but one person kept coming up and so we agreed to meet, for coffee. 

Well, the coffee shop was closed when we arrived.  I looked at the fellow.. a bit older than me, and a real person, not as scary as I always seem to imagine strangers to be, and invited him back to my house.  After all, that is what we were discussing.  And it wasn't so bad.. he got me looking at ski boots. 

It has been years since I have tried on ski boots.  But listening to him talking about the nearby hills, and the possibilities, I decided to give it a go and headed to Kamloops.  It was sitting in the sports store that it all came back to me.. exactly why I don't ski any more.  It isn't the cold, or the thought of falling.  It isn't the expense or the fitness level it takes to get yourself down a steep, snow covered bank.  

It is the getting dressed part of skiing.

I tried on about eight different pairs of boots yesterday.  After the first ones, I noticed bruises coming up on my hands from trying to pull the things on over my high arch.  Once they were on, well.. after wearing flip flops and Birkenstocks for the last fifteen years.. they were NOT very comfortable.  I was exhausted.  

The hills don't let you dress inside anymore.. or leave your stuff there.  Thanks Covid.  You are expected to get your boots on in the parking lot and then carry your skis and poles, while dressed in an overwhelming amount of clothing, to the lift. The whole idea of getting to the lift exhausts me and by the time I left the shops, empty handed, I felt bruised and battered.  

Canada isn't for sissys.  I am going to keep looking for gear, I am Canadian after all.  I feel lucky though- I found a room mate.  We will give it a trial basis and see how we get along, how our schedules work, and I will get up to the ski hill at some point.  Life is always a challenge, and what comes next is a constant surprise.  I sort of like that.  Wish me luck.  


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