November 30, 2006

The cold snap has broken. It feels good to have temperatures back above 20. We have had some clouds and even a little bit of snow. That stretch was a long one of repetitive weather, sunny and cold. We frequently reached about 8 below. A few days had highs barely reaching positive numbers. Sunday was one of those days with a high of two. It was also the only day we skied this past weekend, but we survived without much discomfort. The wind has been pretty minimal.

We both used old skis on Sunday. I don’t think I used this pair at all last year and only a couple of times the year before. I decided to try them again since the conditions were going to be relatively boring. It was actually fun comparing the different feel of these skis with my newest skis. These old skis make much longer radius turns which allowed me to ski at faster speeds. The skis are also quite a bit longer which also provides some stability at higher speeds. The conditions were a little icy and my edges could probably stand a little sharpening, but overall it was a good experience. I might not ever ski them again since I can’t see using them once we start getting some real snow. My other 3 pairs of skis are probably more fun in better conditions.

The advantage of having a season pass was really apparent this weekend. We didn’t like the temperatures on Saturday and the forecast was for improvement so we delayed. When the temperatures were actually worse on Sunday, we decided to at least go down and make a few runs. If we had to pay for a ticket that day, we would have concluded that we weren’t going to get our money’s worth. We would have skipped the whole weekend.

Work has been a little crazy. My boss had to leave town for a family emergency and I have been appointed acting supervisor. It is amusing to be in a formal leadership role again, but it has been quite disruptive. I am unsure if I want to return to management responsibilities again, but the temporary assignment is providing a little change of pace.

On Friday, we went to see the Nutcracker. It was the first time we have been to a ballet. I was not too excited. Ballet is probably quite difficult, but it is not that visually impressive. The style does not lend itself well to large numbers of people dancing in synchronized steps that provide a level of movement much larger than one person. The movements are slow and bizarre. The incredible balance required isn’t really all that obvious. I had a few moments of being wowed. I enjoyed the orchestra. I was glad to learn how a story can be told through dance, but ballet won’t likely be a routine for me.

Last night we went out for dinner. We returned to one of the nicer restaurants in town after they gave us a secret coupon during our last visit. It was worth anywhere from $15 to $100. The rules required you to break the seal at the restaurant. So we took a chance and of course ours was worth only $15. It was a good promotion. They got us back in and we had a nice meal at a moderate price. We were hoping for free.

Kris has been stepping up her activity level. Monday evening was her cross country ski class. She went to yoga on Tuesday. Tonight she made me go for a walk in the cold. I better keep up or else I won’t be able to keep up.