Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Family Ski Weekend

I love the ski times we have with PD2 and her family and we are just back from another one!! I changed my Facebook profile photo today to a photo of me this weekend where you can just see the glee in my face anticipating all the fun we were gonna have. :-)

Friday night we left (as usual) at 6pm from my office. It usually takes us about 5ish hours to get to the town where we stay before hitting Ski Town (no need to spend big Ski Town money to stay overnight when all you do is crash at 11pm+ and get up at 7 so we usually get a motel about 1/2 hour away). Friday night it took us SIX AND A HALF HOURS and it was raining and snowing the whole way. DB was totally cranky at the beginning, but was a wonder in driving the whole way himself. Big ups to my sweetie!

We got into Motel Town about 12:30 and were asleep by 1:30...with no promises of when to get up the next day. We got up late, grabbed breakfast (fast food, but the best option on the menu -- I have an app that shows all nutrition information) and were at the mountain by about 11:30. It was snowing and messy -- when the slopes aren't groomed, it's a lot harder to ski -- you have to fight your way through bumps created by your fellow skiers. I don't love this. It was also President's Day Saturday so the lift lines were a lot more crowded than we (spoiled) are used to. I think we managed maybe 6 runs by 2:45 and quit.

By that time, PD2 and her family (Hubby, Cutie Pie and Bon Bon) were at our motel in Tiny Ski Town (another resort where we can ski on our pass -- 12 miles from Ski Town -- we have this great motel that has kitchenettes in every room and is CHEAP -- and has a hot tub overlooking the GORGEOUS Sierra mountains). We had some errands to run so got to them about 5 pm. When we parked, Bon Bon (3) came running across the parking lot yelling "Papa and Helen!!" right into our arms. Oh yeah, that made us smile...and will always. :-)

They had been playing in the snow so we all hit the hot tub before showering and dinner. We went to my fave place in Tiny Ski Town for dinner...they scored big points by bringing the granddaughters kiddie cocktails right when we sat down. Cutie Pie kept saying "I like this place.". :-) I had some great conversations with Cutie Pie over dinner...showing her the map for where we'd be skiing in Tiny Ski Town the next day, etc. She was so shy as a tot...I love how we chat now that she's almost 8. We all went to bed early in anticipation of the next big day.

Got up early on Sunday with the plan to head up the mountain for breakfast at the lodge (you have to take a lift up quite a ways just to get to the lodge at this resort). Once we got up there, we had to get rental equipment for PD2 and Cutie Pie so it took us about 2 1/2 hours from parking to getting on the slopes. But we had FUN.

The first run, Cutie Pie got hysterical. It has been a year since she skied and she was scared. PD2 was awesome with her: firm, but caring. She got her down the hill and the next run and all subsequent ones were so fun with Cutie Pie (Hubby took Bon Bon back down the hill since he doesn't really ski and she's a bit too young). DB, PD2, Cutie Pie and I had a great day. I took both girls for souvenir shopping, of course! They love their Helen. :-)

DB got some time at the end of the day to do some difficult runs with PD2 and I am soo happy they did...they are both really good skiers.

Sunday night, after hot tub, we went to a casual place for dinner and, again, had a great time. After that, we had a slumber party with the granddaughters -- they stayed with us to give their parents a night off. We played Pictionary which was totally hilarious...and then they crashed...it had been a big day.

Bon Bon woke up around 2 crying for her mommy, but we put her in bed with us and all was well. The next morning I learned about Umizoomi (fun!) while we got ready and then took the girls to breakfast while their parents slept in. Best. Slumber. Party. Ever.

After breakfast, we went back to the motel where we got ready to go ski in Ski Town again and they sledded and got ready to go home. We watched them sled for a while (so fun), then after goodbyes hit our slopes. WHAT A GREAT SKI DAY YESTERDAY. I did a new run and it was so great...my new fave. It was very cold and the snow was perfect. Wonderful.

We left about 1 pm and were home by 6:30. No real traffic was great post-holiday weekend. And we're going back for another 3-day weekend in 2 weeks. :-)

Best news: I didn't take my scale this time but was totally careful. Gained only 2 pounds (from my pre-birthday weight) and I'm sure it's because I ate biscuits and gravy yesterday for breakfast (oops). No gym tonight protecting my knees, but will be there tomorrow. I'm busy, but I have to make this a priority.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

It's the exercise, stupid!

So I went a week without formal exercise due to the funeral trip and slam-jam-packed work/social life. This has got to stop. When I exercise, I lose. When I don't, I stay the same or gain. And I have not gotten rid of the 7 birthday pounds for good in the past two weeks. And that was in addition to 10 pounds up from end of last ski season. Only one pair of my ski pants fit...I've ordered more on ebay and they're all too small even though I measured me and got measurements for them. It's bumming me out.

I went to the gym on Tuesday and am going tonight. We are skiing this (long) weekend (hopefully, if the blizzard that is predicted up there is not too bad). I have started putting my gym days on out calendar as appointments just like I did back when I was losing The Big Weight and I have told DB that these appointments are UNBREAKABLE.

I NEED TO LOSE 15 POUNDS. I'D LIKE TO LOSE 20 OR 25.

Valentine's Day was the best ever...DB cooked (healthy) for me, had a fire in the chiminea when I got home with two glasses of red wine, cheese and avocado ready when I got home. The lights were dim, our massage table was all set up (we never made it to that), the music was sweet and the air was scented with frankincense. It was awesome. I have the best Valentine. :-)

Work is slammed -- we have a new superstar client and I barely have time to breathe. I am working at home in the evenings a little just to keep up. I am afraid I may not be able to take my every-other-Mondays for the rest of ski season because of this. :-(

But I have skiing this weekend... :-)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Vacation update and more

Vacation was really great...I felt totally relaxed after two days! DB bought me amazing new skis for my b-day (used on ebay) and I call them my "magic skis". They are beautiful and make me feel much more solid while still being really "slippery" and forgiving. I totally adore them. Pretty much every day's schedule was wake-up, coffee and breakfast, ski for 3 or so hours, hot tub, dinner, bed. We went to sleep mostly before 10 every night so we got really rested. :-)

Our apartment is over the great liquor store in town and we've made friends with the guy who owns it and his fiancee (who also happen to live in the other apartment on the property). They had us over for birthday dinner on Wednesday and she even baked us a cake from scratch! They have an awesome dog and are just the sweetest couple. Who needs our L.A. friends to come with us (most never do) anyway? We have Mammoth friends now! :-)

DB baked me a b-day cake on Thursday night, can you believe it? Sweeeeet!

Friday my knees were really hurting and I debated whether to ski or not but I really wanted to. On our second run down, I ended up crying in the middle of the hill because I knew I was going to have to stop for the day...no control when one knee doesn't work! I was frustrated. :-( But we went home and went shopping at the outlet mall instead which was fun. DB bought me a gorgeous Coach purse (marked down to $70 from $400) and we both bought clothes.

For dinner on Friday, he had made reservations at the cross-country lodge which we had visited earlier in the week. GORGEOUS place -- very rustic, built in 1924. I can't believe we have never been there before! The restaurant there was amazing...French chef and adorable atmosphere. We really feel like we discovered something new and great!!

Saturday we had planned to try cross-country skiing and it seemed like the perfect time to rest my knee...it was really really fun and a huge workout...we were sore for a couple of days (until my trainer helped me stretch it out last night). It sure made me appreciate how "good" I am at downhill skiing though!! ;-) And "learning" along with DB was a bit of a challenge...he knew it all even though it was his first time too. ;-) Ahem...he was the only one who fell down out there.... ;-)

Sunday, I was so happy to get back on my magic skis. I skied great (if I do say so myself). On the lift on our way up for our last run, DB got an e-mail from one of his sisters: the estranged husband of one of our nieces was found dead (not sure if drugs or alcohol or both). She has two little kids (3 and 6). We drove home pretty much in silence...so damn sad. We are leaving tomorrow for the funeral -- about an 8-hour drive and we are renting a van so we can take PD1 and her four kids. This is a horrible time to have to miss work after being out for a week but it's important to do.

I took my scale on vacation, yes, I did! :-) Everyone laughed at me, but it is important for me to look at that number every day. And it was good until my birthday. Since then it's gone up A LOT. And I really don't know why. I have been exercising like a maniac (including trainer butt-kicking last night). I did eat b-day cake. I had some ice cream on Sunday. And I had some chips last night. These should not equal SEVEN POUNDS since Friday. :-( Literally other than those three things, I have been eating PERFECTLY and exercising. Grrrrrrrrrr.