Riding Log: Day 3 (Hunter)

Today we headed back up to Hunter for a ski day with the kids before we head back to Queens for NYE. Today was a disaster. The day started off innocently enough... unload, get dressed, buy lift tickets.... encounter massive lift lines. So we head to the back and do some of the hardest terrain K has ever encountered. Though he did well... his little legs were DONEZO... I've been there so I didn't push him. After a break for lunch we headed back up.... and did some more runs.

At one point we were headed down a mogul steep when 2 skiers stopped and yelled at us to be quicker. Well we weren't going that slow... we weren't standing in the center of the massively wide trail, and shit... I'm with a 6 year old! Well, they didn't like my... "Just go the Eff around us" comment... so one got dangerously close to us and sprayed us. Well that sparked some fire in Paul... who raced down after them and got in their face telling them to quite being douche bags.... instead of the verbal confrontation that usually ensues, these two violent characters (a father son duo no less) decided that punching, grabbing, pushing and spitting 2 against 1 was a smarter idea. Well being that I had to children to attend to... I was still making our way down the hill when I saw a rumble in the middle of the base area. I ran over to see Paul... palms up saying that he didn't want to fight while 2 others had him in a head lock and tried to pummel him. I wasn't standing for that... I immediately unstrapped and used my board as a weapon. One swift wack to the dudes back and he was off of Paul.... Paul immediately jumped on him and landed a few swiftly placed punches ... I wish we hadn't retaliated with violence... but violence truly begets violence. When you see someone you love being hurt or injured your immediate response is to stop it by any means necessary... which is what I did.

Thankfully there were many witnesses who saw that their violence is what began the whole thing.... and though they were all too irresponsible to call ski patrol or stop the confrontation choosing instead to remain spectators.... at least yelled a few "go home", "no one wants you here", "this is a family place" there way to either get them to retreat to the lodge, go home, or who knows what else.... possibly treat their injuries. They definitely didn't go home bruise free.

I don't regret what I did... but I regret that I allowed Paul to fallow them. Not that I'd be able to stop him. He should have let it go. Though we could have gotten hurt... we didn't. We could have continued our day un-bothered by those two jerks. Instead our day was tainted with violence. But of course... like me... he saw his loved ones in danger and reacted.

In any event, we made a choice to not be scared of ski patrol, them finding us and following us, or even just getting our tickets clipped for the events... and chose instead to continue our day on the hill sans drama. At the end of the day, we were ready to go home and were packing the car. Somehow... I forgot to throw my mittens in my bag... so those are now gone forever. In addition, I apparently never put Paul's brand new boots in the car (yeah that was totally my fault). So we were out mittens & boots... and had a fight... that the kids totally witnessed.



So yeah, though I don't regret the day... it was not a good one.

But the snow was great... it was warm.... the weather was perfect and K & A did the hardest runs of their lives... and did AMAZING! I'm so proud of them.


Key line of the day:

on the lift line after the dramatic event K asks me "Lilia, why are people violent like that? Why do they get so angry"

not knowing what to say... I answered what I thought was likely true "K, I think it might be because their mommy's didn't hug them enough when they were growing up. That's why we all hug you every single day."

I got a few smiles on the lift line for that one. Because lets face it... a hug, big or smalls, makes everyone's heart smile... or at least smirk.

Riding Log: Day 2 (Hunter)

So on Christmas eve last year I headed to Hunter with Andy and Paul and had a blast. You pay weekday prices. The lift lines are short. And you get home run down and tired but early enough for some festivities.

This year we decided it had to happen again. Taking care of my Grandma took a huge toll on all of us. I was emotionally in need of my brother and sister and getting away. I was already taking care of the tater tots and Paul picked up my 2 cousins and met us up at their house the night before.

We were up at 6 and en route by 7. We had a blast riding all over the mountain… dragging one noob cousin around all the rougher terrain. The kids did great! They did a bunch of black runs all day long getting their legs back on their 1st ski day of the season.

It was a fun day with lots of things going on … but it was definitely fun!

I’m proud of those little buggers keeping up with the big boys!

A day... in the life?

People say... a day in the life...

That saying makes no sense to me. Maybe because it doesn't apply to me... nor does it apply to most. There is no typical day to describe my life. My life is a culmination of thousands of days joined together by many different events, feelings, actions, reactions.... you get the point.

Lately, my life has been more atypical than most. My life is actually quite different these days. Ever since 11/17/2010 my life and the lives of my family changed. It was the morning my phone rang and my grandma asked me to come over and take her to the hospital. She was there... shuffled between a medical cardiac floor and the cardiac ICU for 2 1/2 weeks... until they realized there wasn't much they could do and sent her home. This news.... is good and bad.

No one wants to be in the hospital... but no one wants to hear that there is no cure. Let's face it though - none of us live forever and... there is no cure for old and dying. I volunteered to stay... I stay here with her every night. I get a break... maybe 1 day a week when someone offers or I beg. But otherwise I'm here... to listen to her cough, to hear her wheeze, to see her sink into depression. There are some days where I think I am listening to her die. My heart hurts. She's my mom in many definitions of the word. And I'm trying to give her what she deserves... but she's losing her way. She's lost her will to live and has become her sickness. Her personality is gone... she's someone else. She's bitter, angry, rude, mean spirited... hurtful. She's angry... and there is no stopping her when she's like this.

Today... has been the worst day and I'm sitting here... keeping my distance because she can't even look at me, doesn't want to talk to me, has threatened me, and wants me to leave. But I wont... because she still needs me ... and I love her. So I stay... but I don't know what to do. I don't want to vent... it just makes my eyes well and lose composure. I don't want to get into detail... it's tiring, and I'm already tired. I don't want hugs... it might make me cry. I don't want to hear reason... because it doesn't work. I don't want to chat... because nothing will come of it. I sit here and stir my thoughts inside willing myself to keep it together... because that's all I really have. I have my strength and my resolve... and I can't let that go.

I'm planning my wedding. It's only 2 1/2 weeks away ... and I'm trying to turn 1 part of me off so that I can turn the other part of me on. Sometimes it works but then you hear things like... I'm gonna stop taking my medicine so I can die or I want to die before your wedding... and all you can think about is how you'll be wearing black instead of white.

Rome Blue

Back in November I trecked it up to Boston to go to a Ski and Snowboard expo. 2 stores were there with some discounted stock for sale.

I was finally able to snag my rome blue... and for only $230!

I'm in love... in every sense of the word
You - are - MINE!

Victim of Circumstance

We are all victims of circumstance. As independent individuals, it is our duty to God and to ourselves to manipulate our own environment for good. Excuses without effort begets nothing. Words without actions are only sounds. Thoughts are only dreams. Plans are only hopes. But with action we have our only shot at success.

If you are unhappy then why wallow? Why not change? In fact you have little to lose if you are already unhappy. Risk all that is wrong and maybe even some that is good to find your happiness. No one else will find it for you. You not finding it own your own is no one else's fault.

Find your God, whether it be Allah, Christ, Yahweh or The Higher Being. Find your god and lean on Him. Rely on that support. He will give you courage to bring your thoughts and words into action.

Riding Log: Day 1 (Killy)

So here begins the 2010-2011 snowboard season. With wedding planning, family drama handling, sick grandma stressing... snowboarding was pushed way... way back in the priority list.

But this weekend I was asked by Paul to make an exception. Stress levels were high. He was done with school and moving home. And needed a ride home from Boston... so why not hit the slopes on the way home? After contacting a few buddies, the trip was set. Meeting at Killington bright and early for a full day of shred and then a long drive back to NY so I can see my grandma on Sunday.

So we made it happen... I drove to Boston and then I drove from there to Killington the next morning after packing the car bright and early. We managed to get to the gondola at a decently early time considering all the moving, packing, and ... um... me putting my bindings on backwards. Woops.

I rode my Roxy Eminence BTX.... it felt stiff, but it felt good. My legs were weak and my confidence had a bit of growing to do, but I kept up my speed, held my edge and rode with my friends. But soon enough, we were hungry and needed a lunch stop. After filling ourselves with food and some beer we headed back out. It didn't take long for my legs to turn to jello and I called it a day by around 3PM. Paul and K8 took 1 more run while Dlaw and I had a ollie lesson from Stan. I learned that learning forward 1st to gain some momentum makes a huge difference, that I twist my knee in instead of out (evidence by my pictures in the past) and that my Roxy is very stiff and hard to hold a press.

The drive home was luckily done by Paul... we found that carrying that much stuff after a long drive and lots of snowboarding is not fun. But we made it happen... and it was worth it to finally get my 1st day under my belt.

Having friends out west to start making turns in October makes an Ice Coaster jealous sometimes. It was nice to finally be on the snow... and it worked... for that 1 day... I was more or less stress free.

Share your Photos!

Last night, I ran to staples and bought some business cards in Ivory. I also grabbed 2 cheapo business card holders and made a bunch of these!

I plan on leaving one at the bar and one at the favors table at the end of the night, so people can slip them in their pocket, purse, or camera bag and share their pictures to us when they get home.

I hoe people actually do them. I know in the past, we've had to pester people for pictures... and I'll shamelessly pester!

Guest Book

Whats the point? I don't really get it either. It's a book that you look at once and then store somewhere to collect dust.

I wanted one of those tree thumb print thingys... thinking we can hang it in our house.

source

But I wanted it to be a little more personal - so I asked me sister to draw our tree. Well she took it 1 step further and sculpted one from clay. Then made little leaves to hang. Each guest can write a small best wish, and hang it on our wedding tree!

Thanks Lauren!