Skii dream!

After almost a decade of musing and dreaming about skiing, I finally had my day. My fascination for skiing began after I read Jeffery Archer's 'The Perfect Murder' (not the best of stories to inspire someone), but it did. The A and B grade slopes, skii lifts, poles ,skiis, snow boots, vast barren land covered with snow were just a tinted dream until last weekend. Ok, I think I made my point that it was quite a big deal for me :) Let me get to the details.

A and I left bay area early Friday evening to Sonora, where we were treated to a sumptuous meal of desi fondue, paneer quesadia and tiramisu. An indo western fusion to satiate the well trained Indian taste buds. It was a delicious home cooked meal made with lots of love and
affection :) Thanks B & M (must give him due credit) for concocting a wonderful dinner to kick-start the weekend. After stuffing myself with two large helpings of tiramisu and playing some pictionary, the rest of the gang and I retried early (quite unusual when we catch up).  But anything for the next big skii day ahead  :D

Early on Saturday, as the sun's rays stole its way into the peaceful community of Sonora, the four of us were predisposed to hit the slopes at Dodge Ridge skii resort. Patches of clear white snow showed up as we drove closer to the resort. At the resort, there were loads of people , a motley of colors - bright sweaters, printed gloves, matching caps, luminous metal equipment, all stood crisp against the contrasting pallid backdrop ; miles and miles of overwhelming milky white snow!

We parked our car and walked up to the registration center to pick up our equipment. The moment I strapped on to the snow boots and started walking, I cherished the wonders of walking on barefoot. It was like pulling an enormous truck attached by chains to your leg. The brisk walk got slower and slower until I began to drag myself. Somehow, did manage to get to the skii lesson. The instructor started his lesson, made me walk up the slope and skii down a hill not even worth of calling a bunny hill. Then came my glorious first skii fall. I rammed into a fellow skiier, could not brake and decided to fall down instead. Only then did I realize, the harder part is yet to come. Lying down in an awkward angle with my legs transfixed, I felt my back cracking and a few feet away, saw my dear husband laughing! The instructor heard my cry for help and took me off the skii. Since, I was a disgrace to the class , he asked me to stay away from the 10 degree slant hill and try my luck at the plains and get used to the skiis.

I did'nt let that bog me down and continued to try. But fall after fall, lying helpless on the ground tied down to 100 ton metal balls, if not me, my body had to give in. Thus ended my long awaited skii experience. Skiing is a tough sport and practice maketh one perfect. But..ha! I live in California and with the kind of traveling we do, it was a surprise that I got to see some snow this year. Anyways, I can finally say, I've been skiing read falling ;) I would try my hand at it again when I am done with the remaining winter sports I've been daydreaming about. Until then, I don't have worry about falling unless I tread on a banana peel ;)

Enough of the skii ordeal, coming to the fun part of the day. It was snowing intermittently and was a great day for photographs with weather man on our side. What a wonderful sight it was, the pale white, warmth of the sun and the tender snow flakes offering a soft kiss. The freshly fallen snow got me excited and I rolled on it, had a snow fight, made a snow man and at times just lay down on the chill bed of soft vanilla! Was an exciting day, but walking with the heavy equipment and not to forget the boots, we were zapped. I had burnt more than the two helpings of tiramisu I had packed in the earlier night. We head straight back home, cancelled all other plans and retired way way early.

     

It was a well deserved 10 hours of rest, woke up to a lazy Sunday, ate a sumptuous Thai lunch at downtown Sonora. Drove back as I let VTV songs sink into me yet again and came home to the oscars. As I watched Sandra Bullock kiss her golden statuette, I kissed my long desired dream goodbye :)