The Holidays, Part 2 - The Day After Christmas

Waking up the day after Christmas, I was excited.  The big kids, Kyle and I were going up to Mad River to try out the new snowboards.  We also took Tara’s daughter Lizzy with us because she had a free pass to go to the tubing park.  Only in Ohio, I swear.  Who the hell pays to go sledding?  Ohio people, that’s who.  I’d never heard of such a thing until I visited Mad River for the first time.  It makes sense though.  This place is flat as hell, so kids need somewhere to go.  Plus, they charge $25 a person, no matter how young or old you are to go tubing for 3 hours.  Yeah, they’re making some huge cash in that place….

Anyways, sorry, got a little off topic there.  Once I got up, I made everyone a YUMMY breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, oven bacon (which in my opinion is the only way to cook bacon now) and sausage.  It rocked.  I’m pretty sure I was a domestic goddess in a previous life.  Though I don’t cook much, when I do, especially here lately, it’s been some pretty fucking awesome meals.  After everyone had full bellies, we dropped Ev off with Tara and were on our way.

The drive over was boring, but what drive isn’t when all you have to look at is flat, dead grass?  Luckily it only takes about 45 minutes to get over there.  We pulled up, K rented his skis and we dropped Lizzy and Gavin off at the tubing park.  Gavin decided on the way there that he’d rather go tubing with Lizzy.  No big deal, I have to pay for his life pass and since it was a holiday weekend, it was $42 a person to go.  I’d much rather pay the $25 for tubing.

We got over to the ski slopes and I immediately froze up.  I knew I wasn’t ready for the big hills, but I didn’t even think I was ready for the bunny hills.  Kyle and Brandon were good sports and hung out with me for quite awhile.  Brandon has picked up snowboarding so quickly, I’m really impressed with him.  Let’s see, how to put this…… I SUCKED…..  Yeah, that’s put mildly.  There was a 5 year old doing better than me.  I fell no less than 4 times during each trip down the bunny hill.  Maybe I should have taken a lesson or two…..  Oh well, get up and do it again…..and again…..and again…..  I thought at one point I was getting better, but then I fell hard on my shoulder.  Real hard.  Brandon and Kyle came to my aid and got me back up.  I told him and B to go have some fun and that I’d be there when they were done.  They left and I went back to the top of the hill and sat.  My arm hurt bad.  Kyle texted me about a half an hour later asking where I was and I told him the same place you left me.  He and Brandon came back up the bunny hill.  I was going to give it one more go.  My snowboard goes too fast….  That’s what the problem is.  This time I land hard on my ass.  I can feel my spine crack all the way up into my neck and am paralyzed for a minute.  Brandon & Kyle come and retrieve me.  I am finally able to get up and decide I’m done for the day.  They go off on their own and actually have some fun.  I walked around the lodge perusing their selection behind the bar, but ultimately deciding that probably wasn’t a good idea……

The Louie Vito Rail Jam was going on that day, so there were kids running all over the place.  I made mental notes of how much older kids look these days than they really are and DID NOT troll for boys.  Those that looked at least 18, I’m sure were actually only about 14…..  I watched some of them compete, it was really freaking cool.  They make the jumps and rails and all that look soooooo easy.  I’m jealous.  I go back inside, get a Red Bull and sulk a bit more.  Finally I get summoned back to the big red truck because the boys are taking a break.  We head down to the tubing park to pick up Gavin & Lizzy.  They’re done, Brandon takes Gavin’s jacket and goes down the hill a couple of times.

We go back over to the ski park to watch some more of the Rail Jam.  L decides she wants to try snowboarding and takes my pass along with my boots and snowboard and her and B are off to hit the slopes.  K, G and I go check out some more of the competition telling them to come over and meet up with us when they get bored.  We have to leave the park around 6:30 because K and I have plans later that night.

6:45, I can’t locate Brandon or Lizzy.  WTF?  Her mom’s gonna be pissed because we’ll be late.  I text Tara and let her know I lost her kid.  She seems fairly unconcerned.  Eventually we find them coming down the bunny hill. Lizzy kicked ass and didn’t even fall.  I’m insanely jealous…..  We pack up and get back to the hood.

Plans for tonight include drinking it up at the local watering hole.  Sweet.  A Vicodin and a couple of drinks later and I should be good to go.  I get Ev to bed, get a shower, come out and Kyle is sleeping.  He’s still not adjusted to being awake normal hours.  I leave him there telling him to call me when he wakes up and I’ll come get him.

Several drinks and retarded pictures later (I NEED my damn camera) Kyle calls and I go to get him.  He comes back with me and Tara hands him a beer.   Not cool.  He doesn’t drink when we’re out for the most part.  If he does, it’s shots standing in the bathroom so he doesn’t get caught.  Sure as shit, he gets caught and kicked out.  That’s ok, I’m drunk and it’s only like 11:30.  We go back home and Tara keeps texting me over the rat bastard that told on Kyle drinking.  I tell her it’s cool, no big deal, but she’s pissed.  She’s drunk so she doesn’t see that it was HER that was in the wrong with this whole thing.  Oh well.  More drinks at home and then we pass out.