Vacation Time

Over President's week, we went to Vermont to ski. We stayed at a picturesque bed and breakfast inn with one tv and virtually no cell phone or internet access. We survived just fine, thank you. Since none of the rooms had television, everybody gathered in the big living room in the evening to play board games -- Scrabble, chess, Boggle, etc. -- or to work on a puzzle, read, chat, enjoy a glass of wine or just lay back and eavesdrop on other conversations.

When our boys were young, we often stayed at the Waitsfield Inn for this very reason. Our kids never forgot it. They enjoyed the skiing but, more than that, they remembered the other personalities they met during their short stay. "Remember the guy who rode his bike every day of the year? The guy who did magic tricks? The chess genius?" Ah yes, how could we ever forget?

We skied Sugarbush Mountain and wonderful Mad River Glenn, a cooperatively owned ski area and home of the country's remaining one man chairlift. Mad River Glenn is a special place run by special people who care about the environment. They do little to next to no grooming and haven't clear-cut the mountain like so many other ski areas. The ski trails are the original ones -- narrow, winding and incredibly hard! I love their names -- Fox, Bunny, Cricket,Birdland, Antelope,Paradise, Waterfall, Grasshopper. As innocuous as they sound, they're all difficult and filled with narrow winding twists and moguls. Just like the old days. A few years ago, I thought I'd try Bunny. It sounded harmless. As it turned out, the trail was difficult -- narrow, winding and full of moguls -- and any other ski area probably would have given it a black diamond.

The day we skiied Sugarbush, the Today Show did a broadcast from the mountain so we caught a peek of Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Meredith. Mostly they talked about how cold it was (-5 degrees at the summit) and how to stay warm.

Thursday, as I'm sure everybody knows, it was Valentine's Day. Everybody wore red and pink to school. It was also my son's 24th birthday. Gotta say, he was the best Valentine's Day present I ever got. No box of chocolates or bunch of roses can ever quite compare to the feeling of holding your first baby in your arms. Never mind that he had colic and cried nearly nonstop for the first three months.

I'd almost forgotten about how tired I was until I ran into David, a special ed teacher I work with. His new little girl, Ava, has been keeping him awake night after night. The other day, his wife asked him why he'd put the ice cream away in the cupboard. I remember turning off the shower because I thought the baby was crying only to hear nothing. I was so exhausted, I was imagining things. My husband, who teaches math, often wrote the wrong problems on the board, walked into walls, etc.. Being a new parent is a joy but not without its trials. Even when they're grown and on their own, somehow you never forget your first experiences as a parent.

February Blahs

It's February third and I've been feeling twitchy. Had a minor foot operation about a month ago that threw me off my running routine. I never realize how much I need to run until I can't. Running is hard, yeah, but like nearly everything that's a challenge, it's satisfying. Running helps me burn off my anxieties, to sleep soundly and keep my weight down. Today I took a brisk walk for the first time in a month and, even though it wasn't running, it felt good to work up something near a sweat.

The way I see it, people weren't made to sit in front of a box and veg out. Most of the teachers I work with watch tv at night for entertainment. I don't get it. In fact, one of the major topics of conversation in the faculty room is American Idol and who's going or not going to get cut. With the writers' strike going into who knows how many weeks now, some of them seem lost without a new show to tune into. Maybe we need a book club but right now, I just don't want to be the person running it.

After work, I write, read, browse the internet and usually try to work in some exercise at the gym or by walking or running through the neighborhood. On the weekends, I also paint. I rarely watch tv. The endless commercials bore me and for me, reality tv is cheap tv. Personally, I find the written word more intriguing than most of the crap and insipid trivia that dominates the airwaves. Unfortunately, a lot of that drivel is migrating over to print. How many stories does the average person need to read about Britney Spears and her nervous breakdown?

I love a good movie but last weekend my husband and I tried to go see Atonement. Unfortunately, it was sold out. Aaargh!

Anyhow, what do you do for relaxation after a day at work? I'd love to hear it.

And oh, yeah, GO GIANTS!