Fear is Not Our Friend
Dec. 30th, 2012 06:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lydamorehouseYesterday, Mason and I decided it was time, once again, to "hit the slopes," as we like to call sledding. Our favorite hill is the Town & Country Club in St. Paul. The last time we went, which was just after the massive snow fall, we were ambushed by 'ski jumps' that some of the older kids had built to launch their snowboards and whatnot off. Both of us ended up in the air and coming down hard, bruising our backs.
So it was with much trepidation that we stood at the summit of the hill and looked down at the snowy expanse. Both of us agreed that the previous experience had left us feeling really chicken[bleep]. But, we were determined, so we decided to start half-way down the hill. Shouldn't be so bad, should it? Especially since the only other family on the hill was a dad with his two boys who were actually TRYING to go over the ski jump. I went first, presumably as a role-model. Except, I was TERRIFIED and kept trying to put my hands down and feet down and it ended up being really messy (with snow flying in my face) and kind of... tense. Mason came down next with similar results. He kept getting so worked up, in fact, that he'd tip himself out of the sled. But, we soldiered on. Back up the hill. Grimly back down. Finally, I made up a song about being chiken[bleep] (yes, I sang the "bleep," though I did rhyme it with "it,") to the tune of "Baby, it's Cold Outside," which had us laughing at ourselves. I told Mason that I was going to try something. The problems seemed to come when I tried to control the sled. I was just going to tuck all my limbs in this time and go for it. If I was scared, I'd scream. I wouldn't try to put my hand down. He vowed to do the same.
Scared, I did it. I ended up going backwards (we have saucer sleds), but I just held on and screamed bloody murder.
It was awesome!
Mason did the same and he came down with a huge smile on his face.
We'd figured out the trick. Don't try to control it. Let go, let gravity!
Unfortunately, we only discovered this after a half hour into it. So we were pretty cold, but we stayed on for another half hour or so.
You'd think that would be enough braveness for a day, right? But NO! Our friend Kate invited us out ice skating so I talked EVERYONE (including Shawn, the super-introvert,) into coming along. Rice Park has free skate rental to anyone with a Wells Fargo bank card (which we have.) The rink isn't actually in the park. Instead, they flood a downtown street beside the Landmark center. According to Kate, it's usually zambonied nice and smooth, but on Saturday the zamboni was broken... so the ice was pretty cut up. I think, maybe, I might have had a better shot at getting my "sea legs" back, but with the torn up ice I was pretty hobbly.
Not as bad, however, as these two. I'm not sure Mason ever let go of the wall:
Kate, of course, skated circles around us. But, we still managed to have some fun. It reminded Shawn and I how much we used to love skating, so we're determined to find a nearby park to do it more often. We'll have to buy Mason some skates, but both she and I have some. Hers are the very first ones she'd ever bought some time in the late-1970s... still in their original box. With pink pompoms. Mine are actually boy's hocky skates, but that's just because I'm the butch. ;-)
Today Mason and I got up early to start pushing through Bleach. We're on 316. And, I'm actually glad we watched a couple of the "stand-alone" fillers. I really ended up liking the one about the 11th Division guy who lost his powers and eventually gets mustered out (but only after Ichigo revives his spirit, of course!) He seems to leave WITH his zanpakuto, which kind of makes my head hurt a little. But, damn, there seem to be a ton of Hollows running around in the Rukongai, so you'd think he could make a killing as a sword-for-hire. My head is SWIMMING with all sorts of universe questions now.
Also, I loved that episode because Renji is in it and everyone keeps having to remind him he's not in the 11th anymore. Made me happy.
The rest of today has been nice-and-easy. A lot of writing time punctuated by some cooking--I made cinnamon bread--and not a lot else, which is lovely, especially after all of yesterday's activity. Apparently, though Mason and I are going to go sledding again tomorrow morning. Stay relaxed! Be Not Afraid!!
So it was with much trepidation that we stood at the summit of the hill and looked down at the snowy expanse. Both of us agreed that the previous experience had left us feeling really chicken[bleep]. But, we were determined, so we decided to start half-way down the hill. Shouldn't be so bad, should it? Especially since the only other family on the hill was a dad with his two boys who were actually TRYING to go over the ski jump. I went first, presumably as a role-model. Except, I was TERRIFIED and kept trying to put my hands down and feet down and it ended up being really messy (with snow flying in my face) and kind of... tense. Mason came down next with similar results. He kept getting so worked up, in fact, that he'd tip himself out of the sled. But, we soldiered on. Back up the hill. Grimly back down. Finally, I made up a song about being chiken[bleep] (yes, I sang the "bleep," though I did rhyme it with "it,") to the tune of "Baby, it's Cold Outside," which had us laughing at ourselves. I told Mason that I was going to try something. The problems seemed to come when I tried to control the sled. I was just going to tuck all my limbs in this time and go for it. If I was scared, I'd scream. I wouldn't try to put my hand down. He vowed to do the same.
Scared, I did it. I ended up going backwards (we have saucer sleds), but I just held on and screamed bloody murder.
It was awesome!
Mason did the same and he came down with a huge smile on his face.
We'd figured out the trick. Don't try to control it. Let go, let gravity!
Unfortunately, we only discovered this after a half hour into it. So we were pretty cold, but we stayed on for another half hour or so.
You'd think that would be enough braveness for a day, right? But NO! Our friend Kate invited us out ice skating so I talked EVERYONE (including Shawn, the super-introvert,) into coming along. Rice Park has free skate rental to anyone with a Wells Fargo bank card (which we have.) The rink isn't actually in the park. Instead, they flood a downtown street beside the Landmark center. According to Kate, it's usually zambonied nice and smooth, but on Saturday the zamboni was broken... so the ice was pretty cut up. I think, maybe, I might have had a better shot at getting my "sea legs" back, but with the torn up ice I was pretty hobbly.
Not as bad, however, as these two. I'm not sure Mason ever let go of the wall:
Kate, of course, skated circles around us. But, we still managed to have some fun. It reminded Shawn and I how much we used to love skating, so we're determined to find a nearby park to do it more often. We'll have to buy Mason some skates, but both she and I have some. Hers are the very first ones she'd ever bought some time in the late-1970s... still in their original box. With pink pompoms. Mine are actually boy's hocky skates, but that's just because I'm the butch. ;-)
Today Mason and I got up early to start pushing through Bleach. We're on 316. And, I'm actually glad we watched a couple of the "stand-alone" fillers. I really ended up liking the one about the 11th Division guy who lost his powers and eventually gets mustered out (but only after Ichigo revives his spirit, of course!) He seems to leave WITH his zanpakuto, which kind of makes my head hurt a little. But, damn, there seem to be a ton of Hollows running around in the Rukongai, so you'd think he could make a killing as a sword-for-hire. My head is SWIMMING with all sorts of universe questions now.
Also, I loved that episode because Renji is in it and everyone keeps having to remind him he's not in the 11th anymore. Made me happy.
The rest of today has been nice-and-easy. A lot of writing time punctuated by some cooking--I made cinnamon bread--and not a lot else, which is lovely, especially after all of yesterday's activity. Apparently, though Mason and I are going to go sledding again tomorrow morning. Stay relaxed! Be Not Afraid!!
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