Friday, January 22, 2010

Riding Log: Day 12 Thunder Ridge

So I start this on a very sad note. As the world has heard, Haiti has just suffered a terrible earthquake followed by many smaller quakes which lead to devastation that is hard to wrap our minds around. The poorest nation in this area is now suffering 1000x more than they already were. Well now... I tell you my step-father lives there. I hate him. He's the father of my siblings and he is a horrid father and a devil of a husband... but he's human. And I'm glad... he survived. For the sake of my siblings, they won't be burying their father. Unfortunately, we will have to be burying our friends. RIP for Luis Carlos Da Costa - Principal Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and second in command of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). In addition he was a friend to our family. RIP for Jerome Yap, executive assistant to the deputy head of the UN mission in Haiti and friend. He called me Julia. He gave me "work" to do when I was bored. He was a nice person.

These 2 great men and many other's are at peace now with the Lord. I pray for their souls and I pray for their families. I ask you to do the same.

Now onto happier times:

My mother, wanting to pay her respects, asked if I could watch the 2 kids so that she could go without them. I agreed and met them at the hill where they were taking ski lessons. I didn't get on the hill till about 7:45 and only had an hour and 15 but figured I'd make the best of it. I took a few laps while I waited till the lessons would be done at 8PM and once they were it was go time. I saw my brother who begged me to take him back up. He had taken a few jumps from a few rollers on the side of the hill and had to show me. When he did I was so stoked. He was getting some decent air for someone all of 3 feet all. He sometimes took a spill because he leans back way too much but after a few reminders we tuned it in. He was showing me the park and I decided he could handle the medium sized box (which would be a small box anywhere else). He did great on it. He landed it almost every time... again with reminders to lean forward. A few times he needed help with setting up but for the most part he was great. After 30 minutes of that we saw Amanda (done from her break) and headed back up the hill. It was last call so we only got a few more runs in and had to head home but it was definitely a good night.

I was sick and wouldn't have been riding if they weren't already there. They've progressed so much and I love to watch them smile. I love to watch them happy. I love to watch them learn. They are growing and I'm not always going to be this available to them. Maybe I'm making it only harder for later but I want to get as much of them as I can in now... before the possible move out west.

I love my siblings more than anything in the world... and loving snow is something we all have in common (especially now that Lauren is getting her snow-legs). There is no better place to bond than on the hill.

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