Snowboarding in Vermont

I have to say - this New Year's was quite awesome. I like getting out of New York on New Year's because everything is expensive and swanky and overrated. So when my friends decided that a snowboarding weekend was in order - even though I'm not a snowboarder - I decided that their company, a condo in Vermont, hot chocolate, a fireplace and a jacuzzi sounded pretty good to me. Off we went.

I promised to try snowboarding at least one day, but when we rented our stuff said 'to hell with it" and got a two day lift ticket. And at first, snowboarding was as difficult as I remembered. I'd tried once before in Stratton, and hadn't had much success. I spent the first morning falling and sliding and not being able to stand up without someone pulling me up.

But then a funny thing happened. In the afternoon - somehow I started to get control of the board. (Sometimes). I figured out a way to stand up - rolling over and getting up on my knees. Not sexy, but hey, desperate times, right? By the end of day one I could stand up and go a tiny bit. Day two was much better. I could stand, balance, and actually started doing runs halfway down the bunny slope alone and without falling - until I reached the end anyway and couldn't stop. The last run I did - I did manage to make it down and stop. And I felt really good - on the first day of the year, I felt like I had accomplished something I hadn't thought I could.

Snowboarding wasn't the only thing that made the weekend awesome. Here are some quotes and bits from the weekend that remind me of it's funnier moments:

-The kid's table is right over there. Right over there!

-That was the gayest fight I've ever seen in my life.

-And I'm back!

-Just give me a little push!

-What else can you guys give me to burn?

-Do you think that anyone's ever gone down a hill with one foot in one snowboard, and one in another? -Yeah, it's called skiing!

-Did you see the bowling strike at the bottom of the mountain this morning?

-We went so far off course I had to take the bus back!

-78 yard touchdown! Why is no one else watching this???

-Shut up you lactating bitch.

Thanks to Matt, Roy, Pat, Michelle, Drapo, Brian and Christy for such a fun weekend. And special thanks to Matt, Pat, Michelle, Roy and Brian for the snowboarding instruction!