Snow Day

[anarfea]

So today was another day of ski instructing. My day got off to a rocky start. My assigned student didn't show, so I was assigned to another group I then lost. So I joined an adaptive instructor teaching a private lesson solo. He asked me what grade I was in? Like seriously, do I look that fucking young? But he let me tether, which was awesome. Except this kid wanted to go straight down the hill and not turn, and also went into Adventure land, which is basically a fairly easy obstacle course. So we went through the tunnel and between some trees while I was tethering. Which was kind of freaky, but I did okay.

My afternoon lesson didn't show, so I free skied with some other instructors. It was amazing. It was snowing, which I love. There's nothing better than skiing through falling snow while the fresh powder is accumulating. We skied Easter Bowl, which I have previously avoided as it's marked as a double black on the map, and I tend to avoid experts only trails. However, once we got there, I think it's just a single black. It is steep and has trees on it, but it was not that bad. I did get tangled in a tree at one point, but overall, I think I skied well. Jean, our group's fearless leader, gave me a lesson on how to better use my poles. I tend to hold my hands in front of me, which is fine, certainly better than letting them drop behind me, but she was saying I need to focus on "punching" the pole when I turn to help me get more rotation. I've been told this before. It's good to be reminded.

Anyway, we came down and went to the bar and had drinks. I had an "almond ball," hot cocoa with amaretto and Jameson (and whipped cream!). Anyway, here's me with my apres ski drinkee.

Comments

[tei]

He asked me what grade I was in? Like seriously, do I look that fucking young? ahahaha oh god a cheerleader at the gymnastics club asked me this the other day, and it's not the first time. I think it's just context, like, people don't mistake me for a teenager in situations where it's assumed everyone is an adult unless proven otherwise, but i never know what to say. I feel like a bit of a dick being like "none because I'm a GROWN-UP, kid!" And also, the adjacent question "what school do you go to" technically has an answer, in that I am taking one course at the university, but that's not really the question they were trying to get answered by asking the question that amounts to "who are you and what are you doing here?" Which I would really rather answer with the full and complete answer of "I am a grown-up here because I want to be, and that's a thing you can do when you're a grown-up too!"

[anarfea]

Yeah, I agree the age thing is based on context. I was just surprised because I was in my instructor's vest, so usually I think that would mark me as someone in a position of authority and therefore an adult. That's why I was so shocked to be asked what grade I was in. Anyway I said, "I'm 34," and he said, "you certainly don't look it. You must get carded all the time." Which is funny because I actually was not carded the last two times I bought alcohol. They were admittedly both at restaurants, where people tend to be more lax about carding than they are at bars and grocery stores. But still, I was not carded so I guess I must look like an adult to at least some people.

[saraht]

That's a great picture!

[anarfea]

Thank you!