It took six years, but Gianina and i have finally gotten around to enjoying the Michigan winter. I guess what it really took was to have an irrepressible toddler running around and insisting that we play in the snow - despite his parents' protests.
This past weekend saw me construct my first snowman ever... or maybe i should say snowBOY because of the size. In my defense, there was a lack of good "packing" snow, so i was relegated to packing the powdery white stuff and wetting it with melted water from a nearby drain (from the roof - not standing water) in order to maintain structural integrity.
"Is this snowball big enough, papa?"
Showing off my carefully constructed snowball, which will eventually serve as the snowman's body.
Adrian carefully packing the snowball while i collect some water.
Pouring water on the snowball to help solidify the outside layer.
At last we can put the head on. Careful, it might explode.
A successful capitation!
The finished product! Don't knock it - it's harder than it looks.
This weekend also had us "tubing" down the slopes of a big empty piece of land in front of a local church. A short, steep drop only good for a few seconds thrill - an a minute's walk uphill to do it again - but hey, nothing beats near and free.
On top of the world!
Zooming down the hill at breakneck speed. And the two spectators can hardly contain their excitement.
Pulling the tube back for another go. Not fun, but someone's gotta do it.
Another run down the hill while the proud father looks on.
We'll probably go skiing again in a week or so. Hopefully muscle memory kicks in and we won't fall as much...
Snow is nice and all, but it can get old fast. Especially when it starts to melt, it just makes everything - especially driving - sloppy. At least that's how we've thought about it for the past six years.
This year we decided to embrace our Michigan-ness and take up skiing as a family. Aside from tubing (Gianina and Adrian) and a fairly disastrous attempt at snowboarding (myself) last year, we have zero snowsport experience... so we thought it'd be fun.
We went to a place a little over two hours north of GR called Crystal Mountain. It came well recommended, so we thought than even if we completely hated the skiing experience, we'd at least get a nice mini-vacation.
The place itself was great. I have no complaints except for the price tag, which was partly my fault because i booked a package that included lift tickets (which only i got to use once because we almost exclusively spent our ski time on the learning slope) and a bunch of "inclusions" that all houseguests get anyway. All-in-all however, the service was impeccable and the accommodations were nice and cozy. Still, next time i'm just booking the room itself.
Adrian showing off the fireplace.
We attempted to toast some marshmallows... not feasible when the fireplace is covered.
Enjoying a hearty dinner with our friends Randell and Manuel.
Anyway, i honestly had a blast doing the assorted winter activities available. Downhill skiing was of course the centerpiece, but we also got to try cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
The happy couple.
I don't care much for my bruised hips or sore legs, and even less for the unpleasant sensation of having my foot go in one direction and knee go in the other (thankfully, the ski came off), but i must admit that going downhill - albeit at a snail's pace - is exhilarating. I can see why people fall in love with this (i didn't really get it last year, maybe because i spent 90% of the time lying horizontal on the ground).
Here's a few pics of me... umm, enjoying myself, punctuated by a video of me finally able to ski and turn downhill. I looked like a complete idiot, but at least i could maneuver.
Getting ready to hit the slopes.
Going up the "magic carpet."
What's green outside and black and blue inside?
We signed Adrian up for a few lessons. He had a grand time in the first few hours falling down and skiing into snowbanks.
Wipeout (well, not quite).
After another wipeout.
Ultimately, he did get the hang of it and could ski downhill without incident. Yes, you and i know that zombies put their hands out in front. Not so for three-year-old boys.
Gianina also enjoyed herself thoroughly, although she did come home with a fair amount of bruising as well.
At least one of us was happy!
Maybe we'll get to like the snow yet. We have five more months to find out. We'll probably go out again in the next few weeks (perhaps someplace closer) and try to "conquer" some green slopes.
