A very long time ago, I went on a skiing field trip with my junior high honor society. I had never been skiing but my friends encouraged me to come and they would teach me and we'd all have a grand time. Now, some of you already know where I'm going with this. I already made mistake number one--never let your friends teach you how to ski. I don't know if I ever really told them how traumatized I was after this event. It may not have been as bad as I recall it, but I just remember thinking that I NEVER wanted to go skiing again.
From what I remember, I was excited to ski. Everyone kept telling me how easy it was. If anyone EVER tells you this, DO NOT believe them. :) I put my skis on and the next thing I knew, we were on a ski lift. (That's right, no bunny hills or anything). That kept going up. And up. And up. Then I was up at the top of a REALLY steep hill (which I later got to learn what "black diamond" meant). I remember tumbling down this hill, sometimes head over heels and other times just falling flat on my face or back. By the time I got to the bottom, I was done. I never wanted to ski again. I literally felt like Goofy in the old Mickey Mouse cartoons turning into a snowball rolling down the mountain. I'm not even joking. I honestly don't know how I made it down the mountain without breaking something.
Fast forward to when Brady and I were first married. He wanted me to ski with him (he had learned when he was in the 5th grade) and I gave him a solid "NO." I told him my story and he promised that I could get lessons. I didn't even want to do that. Every year, he'd go skiing with his brother or with friends and ask if I wanted to take a lesson. Every year, I continued to say "NO." Whenever I was traveling and people from out of state would assume I must ski if I'm from Utah, I would have to tell them that I didn't. My patients would find out I've lived in Utah my whole life and be astonished that I didn't ski. I had had a bad experience and I just didn't want that experience again.
Well, I don't really know why I changed my mind. I guess I thought that I better give skiing a fair chance and if I still didn't like it after lessons then I could be satisfied that I tried it. I've also been doing things lately that take me out of my comfort zone so I figured why not.
Yes, I went skiing. And I think I actually liked it. Long story short, I had a lesson yesterday at Alta from a really great ski instructor. She knew my story and was eager to make sure that I didn't have another bad experience. We started with the basics, which I never learned my first time on skis. I progressed to the tow ropes, one mild and one steeper. I even progressed to turns. (Apparently most first lessons don't). Then I went up the Sunnyside lift and though I took the easiest way down, I think I did a pretty good job. My cute Brady surprised me and showed up to ski with me on my next two runs. Each time I got more comfortable and confident. I even thought, "Hey, I think I could do this again."
That's me in the blue with my instructor. I learned without poles so I could really trust my skis.
Don't look too close at my form. I'm a beginner, remember?
By the end, I was exhausted, but I had a good time. I wasn't scared or anxious anymore like I had been leading up to yesterday. I got back on the horse that had bucked me off fourteen some years ago.
And, I have another lesson next Friday.
A few weeks ago, I started a de-clutter and de-junk project at my house. I had a few boxes still in our office from when we moved in that I wanted to deal with. (Yeah, we moved in over two years ago, but hadn't ever finished unpacking...I've been busy, give me a break!)
I bought a filing cabinet and planned on getting super organized. I like organization and think I'm pretty good at it, but I had gotten lazy, or uh, busy, and had multiple "organized" piles of stuff to go through. I knew this project would be time-consuming, but I had no idea what I would find and how I would feel about getting rid of so much! Plus, I have never thought of myself as a pack-rat, but I think I might feel otherwise now. Is it possible to be an organized pack-rat?
Let me explain. I found a box of my undergrad college notes. From every class I ever took. They were all neatly organized in color-coded files that indicated which semester I had taken the class. It brought back fond and not-so-fond memories. I haven't looked at them in at least seven years, so I shouldn't need to hold on to them, right? I pulled them out and stacked them in my "to recycle" pile and then I thought, "Wait, if I get rid of these, it's like throwing away part of my life." You know, all the time, money, and effort that went into every class. Then I thought I should keep them. But then that seemed silly. But then... Nonetheless, they are gone now. Well, I did save a few things that I just couldn't part with. Brady reassured me that I had my diploma to prove "I was there" and that should be good enough. I still have all my PT school notes...I'm not sure what to do with those yet.
There were other things I got rid of. Old pay stubs from my jobs in high school and college (does anyone else save this kind of stuff?)...those were well beyond the "hold-onto-for-seven-years-in case-you-get-audited" rule. Miscellaneous bills that I thought I needed to keep (like my cell phone bill from 8 years ago!?! Maybe I just "forgot" that I kept it?). Random magazine clippings that I was going to do something with someday and well as magazines that I was going to read someday that I never really got around to doing.
Then, there was the "re-organization" part. My file cabinet is sufficiently full and mostly organized. I still have a small pile of stuff to deal with, but I'll work on that. And, there are some things I just don't know what to do with yet. I'll have to figure something out for those things.
Brady was gone yesterday, so I spent the majority of the day finishing up this huge task. By the end of the day, I had:
- filled the back of my Subaru with boxes of recycling (trust me, it was packed) and took it to a recycling bin
- dropped off a load of clothes and other miscellaneous items to the DI
- shredded a big stack of papers that had identifying information on them...enough to overheat my shredder only three times and fill (more like stuff) a garbage bag full
- vacuumed my office and enjoyed the fact that I can now walk into it without stepping over piles of my recycling stuff!
And now, I feel good. I should have taken before and after pictures. :)
