Just Today

I have decided that I don’t always need to have photos of the fun things that we do in order to blog about them.

I have decided that it’s ok to post about fun things without trying to be clever or witty.

I have decided that it’s important to write while things are still fresh in my mind, or else I will forget about what made them special.

 

Today we went skiing. It has been at least 15 years since I last put on a pair of ski boots. My kids have never gone. I wanted them to at least try it.

I loved it when I was younger. I had no fear. I used to ski fast. I don’t know what happened. I didn’t ski fast today. I was scared. I’m getting old.

For Christmas, Steve’s mom got passes for Me and Jonathon and Thomas and Hannah to go to Sundance. Thank You Mom!

There was no school today. We thought there would be new snow, but the forecast was a little off. We got there bright and early. It was 3 degrees.

I did remember to take the camera, I just didn’t remember to take it out of the car. Later, I did remember that I could take pictures with my phone, but it was out of batteries. No pictures today.

We headed off to ski school. Thomas and Hannah were together with their instructor. Jonathon and his friend with another instructor. I was all by myself with my very own instructor.

It was hard not to think about how the kids were doing, but I had to focus on making my way down the hill without getting hurt. My teacher was very patient and helped me remember what I was supposed to be doing.

I did get to see the kids in action a couple of times. I could watch them from the lift as we headed to the top of the run. They were doing so well. I wanted to yell at them and cheer them on, but I didn’t think it was such a good idea.

We met up at lunch time and ate frozen ham sandwiches that had been waiting for us in the car. We decided that we needed some hot chocolate, but it was so hot that we couldn’t drink it. It was a good thing that we could take it outside to cool it down a little. I was worried that the kids would be ready to go home. No worries. They could barely finish their lunch before they were ready to go up again.

On the way back up the mountain, I told myself that I needed to remember to go slowly as we headed down so that I could make sure the kids were doing alright. Whatever, they passed me right up and then had to wait for me to get to the bottom.

Conditions today were less than optimal. It felt at times like I was skiing on sheets of ice. After three runs down the slope I was ready to go home. The kids were not. So we played on the bunny slope for a while. Hannah was amazing. I thought she would be the first to say she wanted to stop. She was an expert at using the tow rope to take her up the bunny hill. I was impressed. She lasted longer than I did, I decided to take a break and watch for a while. My legs were tired.

The boys didn’t last long at the tow rope before they decided to head back up the big icy mountain without me. Such a long wait – up the lift, down the hill – waiting, waiting, waiting. Hey, guess what they made it down safely. I don’t even know how to convey the stress and anxiety that I experienced while waiting for them to get back.

We lasted until 4pm, but then it finally got too cold for us. I figured that I would be a little bit sore tomorrow. I didn’t have to wait to find out. It only took the 20 minute drive home for my body to start to rebel.

Luckily Steve let us get fast food for dinner so that I didn’t have to worry about it. I’m beat. I can’t wait to do it again.

August 17th 2010 – Neisha’s Birthday

 

My new resolution is to post something at least once a week. I think Sunday is a good day to dedicate to documenting family history, So it’s time to get caught up.

For my birthday this year we decided to take a trip to Disneyland. Just me and Steve. The kids were disappointed, but they got over it quickly because they got to spend time with Grammy.

The night before we left, Steve surprised me with cakes from a real bakery – something that I have been hinting about for years. They were so tasty! It’s a good thing that they were small cakes so that I didn’t have to feel guilty for eating all of the leftovers.

The next morning, we hopped on an early flight down to California, took a cab to the Hotel and then headed out to Disney. We thoroughly enjoyed wandering through the park without having to listen to kids whine about everything.

* * * Flash Back * * *

When I was a senior, Steve took me to my Prom. The Prom itself was uneventful, but the day after, he took me to Disneyland. The day was filled with adventure as we explored the park and talked about our favorite rides, and got to know each other better. We had such a good time, that we missed our flight and had to take a later one that routed us from Orange County to Las Vegas to Phoenix.

(Insert lost pictures here when you figure out where you put the box of old photos)

Since my entire existence is based on the consumption of deliciously tasty food, the day was made extra special with a lunch at the Blue Bayou. This is the restaurant that you can see as you are floating by on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Neither of us knew what to expect as we ordered - Steve chose some type of steak, and I opted for something called a Monte Cristo sandwich. I had never heard of such a thing before – a ham and turkey sandwich dipped in batter and deep fried, served with grape jelly. I had my doubts, but the menu was New Orleans Style food, and this was really the only thing that sounded edible. I am happy to tell you that I chose wisely that day.

* * * End Flash Back * * *

What a delectable combination of taste and texture. I immediately fell in love with that sandwich. For eighteen years, I have searched unsuccessfully for a sandwich as good as that one. Other sandwiches claiming to be a Monte Cristo did not even come close to the awesomeness of the Blue Bayou version. We have been back to Disneyland several times, but have never been able to get a table at that restaurant.

So, for my Birthday, we made reservations. I was worried that maybe I had only imagined the greatness of my lunch that day and that it would be a bitter disappointment when I was finally able to bite into my sandwich.

It seemed to take forever, as we ate our way through the first course of soup and salad. Steve, who rarely tries anything new, opted for a chicken gumbo soup. I sat and watched with amazement as he ate the entire cup full of soup. His palette has grown so much since we first met.

When at last my lunch finally arrived, my fears of being disappointed by the built up sandwich were laid to rest as I took my first bite. It was just as good as I remembered it to be. The only problem that I faced was when I realized in my older age how utterly fattening a deep fried sandwich must be. But hey, it was my birthday, so I tried no to think about it.

It was hard for us to get going after lunch. Too bad there is not a sleepy time land to take a nap for a while. The problem that we usually run into, is that Steve is ready to leave when we have gone through the park and hit all of the rides. I, however, feel like we must get our money’s worth and stay until the kick us out. Again, since it was my magical birthday trip, we got to stay for the fireworks.

I love Disney firework shows. They are absolutely the best. It was crazy how many people were packed in front of the castle to see the show. It was like sardines. We ended up having to sit on the road, but It was still  enjoyable. I really didn’t want to leave, but I don’t think they let you sleep over.

It was such a great Birthday. Thanks Steve for spoiling me rotten.