jet lag and the packers

When I'm not busy trying to stay awake, I'm rejoicing in the fact that the Packers won, and are still in the play-offs. Next Sunday they face off with the Eagles. Hehehe... I have friends from Philly. I'll be there to console them when the Eagles lose. :P

Ohhhhh, it was a good game today!!!! I was biting my knuckles though. It had gone into overtime *groan*, and the other team had the ball. But da boys in green came through. Yes!!!

And enough of sports. Nick is talking of coming in time to be here for the 4th of July. As in coming here permanantly. :) That makes me happier than the thought of the Pack winning the Superbowl. And yes, that better happen.

I realize how WARM it is in England compared to here now. Everywhere it is freezing cold. I'm sitting in the office, wearing my Carhart jacket, and I'm still cold. In the office!!!! This is because the computers need to have a constant temp to keep them running at optimum performance. Yes, I can tell you, the ice box theory works; I'm always having to re-boot. *sigh*

But you can't wrap up in a big warm quilt at work; they frown on that. So I sit huddled up to the comptuter, typing like mad to keep warm. I look not unlike those crazy ice fishers you see that sit out on the lake all day, pretending they are not cold at all, and bragging about the fish they have (or will have) caught. I like being WARM. The only sport I even will consider, aside from snowmobiling, is skiing/snowboarding, and even that is a cold and (sometimes painful) endeavor.

But now that I think about it, the last time I went skiing, I ended up on my back and they wanted to take me down on a sled. I went down the slope marked "DIFFICULT", because I didn't want the guys to show me up, and THEY were going down. At the end of which was a jump. A really big jump. And I didn't slow down at all *sigh* Let's just say, I didn't impress anyone when I flew off the jump and went about 20 feet into the air, fleet flying straight out in front of me. There was absolutely NO chance of landing on my feet, and my skies were gone . They were so gone. Basically, I had 3 seconds to decide which part of my body would be the least painful to land on and so I picked the fattest part (which wasn't much, then) -- and turned a little sideways so as not to smash my tailbone and the Concord herself landed. Okay, so I didn't break anything, but I had a bruise the size of Texas on my posterior. I lay there like a ragdoll, not moving, it hurt to even think. And I can hear my friends talking in low, concerned voices.

"Is she okay?"
"I don't know"
"Nora, are you okay?"

(I don't know, either). I can't answer, because I'm afraid if I open my mouth to tell them I'm fine that I'll either scream or cry, neither of which is acceptable with guys around.

Now they are really worried. "She's not answering!"

Echoe starts laughing -- they must not be too concerned. "You guys, she's probably playing a joke, she loves practical jokes," she says.

Kevin is not amused. "It's NOT funny," he thunders (which is completely uncharacteristic of him to yell at all), and Echoe stops laughing. Then, he runs, UP the hill, to check on me. If you have ever seen someone try to run up hill with skis, its good for comic relief.

I moan, and try to say something rude to Echoe about having the last laugh, but I just moan like a drunk cow.

Then the emergency ski patrol comes up on their snowmobiles, with the great medic sled flying on the snow behind them. They want to take me down for a little ride. Um, NOOOOO, people are staring at me already!!! I try and convince them that I am fine; and then move all my extremities and try to sit up to prove it and they wince in alarm. Then they conlclude that since I'm moving, I must not have a broken back/neck. No, but my butt made a crater when I landed, I'm sure of it. Now they have a new kiddie ski area.

So, I limp downhill, and decide that skiing isn't my thing. So the next year, everyone gets the bright idea to go again. Do you think I was smart and stayed home? No -- I lost all sense of reason and rationality and tried snowboarding. *sigh* Those fiberglass babies aren't like the cheap little plastic inch thick boards you get for Christmas when you're still in grade school -- those are easy. The fiberglass ones make staying on your feet and balancing about as easy as hiking in platform shoes (don't ask... please don't ask). But I swear, my jeans and the snow on the ground had a magnetic attraction; I could NOT stay on my feet, I would fall over and slide downhill on my butt, but by golly, my feet were still securely strapped to that confounded board in front of me. I left the ski hill that day very, wet, and very humbled.

I might attempt it again some day, if I'm feeling really indulgent and have had loads of caffine to hamper my judgement. I'm sure if I do, I'll have loads to write about in my blog. It just so happens that our church is having a skiing outting for the young adults (and those that are young at heart) next weekend. Do I dare go? I guess the real question is:

Have I completely lost my mind?!!! :P Hey... I'll go if my friends go. :P