Skiing

I'm going skiing this weekend.

We (me, my brothers, and our Dad) go once a year around this time to Shawnee mountain. The three of us pay for my Dad's whole trip as a Christmas gift every year. If you knew my Dad you'd realize it's getting increasingly hard to buy gifts for him since all we can think of is usually ties, and golf balls. So every year for the past three years, we've all chipped in for a ski & stay package. It's like a Christmas gift for all of us, to be honest.

We'll plan to leave around six or seven o'clock, but we probably won't until eight or nine o'clock. There might be a few beverages shared amongst the passengers, but not too much to interrupt our collective decision-making. We'll check in incredibly late, put our suitcases on the floor, argue briefly about sleeping arrangements, and walk to a nearby bar. We'll play pool and carry on until very late. The next morning, we'll get breakfast (hungover?), and get ready to go skiing.

Skiing with my brothers and Dad is an experience in and of itself. Everyone will try their hardest to top the other one in displays of skill and it typically ends in brutal crashes, and run-away skis. Our Dad is reaching the age where he might not be in perfect physical condition to do what he used to do, but he still manages to get through it with minimal injury. It will start out slow. Maybe one trip down the bunny hill to get used to it again. Then if anybody mentions anything harder, we HAVE to do it or else we look cowardly, and the rest will make this known with crybaby gestures and whimper noises. This year will be different, because the last one has turned 21 so we can all drink in the lodge. I always said the only thing more fun than skiing is drunk skiing. This should be exciting.

That night we'll sleep before we go out again, and carry on as usual, telling stories about the day's earlier outing. The next morning we'll wake up with ten minutes until check out and we'll stop somewhere for breakfast before going home and bringing an end to our yearly tradition.