Well hand me a joint and call me a boarder

Yesterday I had my first crack ever trying out snowboarding. 'Crack' does seem to be a good word for it. I'd always been told that it's very hard to learn, but what I hadn't realized was that they meant it's hard to get back on your feet again after hitting the ground - hard. But I did - and I did - only to add fresh bruises to the existing internal bleeding in my backside a half hour later. I can say that I have some seriously rumpled tail feathers today but I can also say that I managed to learn the basics before calling it a wrap for 2007. Now I understand when boarders get labeled as potheads - the judicious use of marijuana would help give the perseverance to keep going when your body wishes it were dead.
It's particularly daunting to start from zero when three days prior I was doing any run and every run on skis. On Boxing Day, I was standing at the top of the aptly named Elevator Shaft looking straight down (at the eagles soaring amongst the clouds below) with no choice but to go down or to climb back up the hill to the last fork with my skis on my shoulder (the walk of shame). After many minutes of deliberation, I chose to go downwards. When I conquered that fear (we would have needed a crowbar to pry the poles out of my hands during that white-knuckler), I felt like I could do anything this province has to offer. But yesterday, looking down just the little Bunny Hill with my feet shackled to one plank, I once again knew the fear of God.
I can really see the appeal - once I got the basics down, I really started to enjoy it. But I think this dog is too old to learn new tricks and to take the many bangs involved on the learning curve. Once I can stand upright again maybe I'll consider revisiting snowboarding. I just hope that I don't crack my skull open before even getting to Whistler in a couple months!

All I want for Christmas

That time of the year has managed to sneak up on me once again. I managed to escape the fateful question until last week when Hannah asked me, "so what do you want for Christmas?" I hadn't yet thought about what this year's answer to that question would be but as I was on stage at the time and couldn't afford to stand there looking stumped, I came up with, "I want one show where I don't mess up." She told me that I would get my wish that very day. She was spectacularly wrong.
Why is it that I should have to make up some silly wish list every year just because nobody believes the truth when I tell them? Seriously, there isn't anything in particular I want to get. All I want is to spend some time with people I care about and maybe eat lots of food. When I tell people that's what I want, the reply is always, "OK, but what do you want to get? What do you want to unwrap?" Nothing. Some people go shopping and everything they see they want to have. When I go shopping, I find it difficult to find anything that resonates.
So I usually make up some absurd wish list. One year, that got me into a spot of trouble though. Someone wouldn't stop bothering me about it, so I turned to her and told her I wanted a wife for Christmas. Unfortunately, a third party overheard this and volunteered for the job. Somewhere in the back of my mind a voice stated the obvious - well Rue, once more you've created the makings of some good old-fashioned trouble. If anyone knows how girls are when left among their own little clubs, it can be understood how within a few days there was suddenly a whole fleet of girls planning a ceremony. Oh yes, that seed of concern that had been planted when she burst out, "I'll marry you!" was now in full bloom. They were going to get the chaplain to perform a ceremony in the chapel right after the end of exams. Yes, I believe he would have done it too - after all, he did perform a wedding for two dogs... Fortunately as I recall it was weather, and revised schedules that rendered the appointment untenable.
Unfortunately, this gave the girlies more time to get even more creative and elaborate with a revised date. Now, I'm not one to habitually cower from embarrassingly silly situations, but I had a problem. Marriage was and is a pretty serious thing to me, moreover giving vows. I didn't want to get into a situation where I was gang-pressed into giving and receiving vows that neither of us intended to keep. I tried to explain in a sensitive manner that it really wasn't personal when I called it off, and she said she completely agreed. Turns out she was pretty hurt by that and didn't understand at all.
Somehow we still became pretty good friends a good while later, but still today she says she can't understand my unease with the direction her friends had taken it.
Moral of the story: don't say you want something absurd if any attempts to grant it can lead to compromising situations.
So this year I will not be flippant; I'll just tell it as it is, take it or leave it. I don't want anything that comes in a box. Just give me a smile or a friendly word. Of course, if anyone could explain my life to me, that would be alright by me too. That would be alright...

Jus' Fohgeh Abow Ih Maaan

Some days it seems like nothing is going right. The traffic conspires against you, work is daunting, your department snubs you for their Christmas lunch...
Such days call be a tub of the fattiest Liberte yogurt poured over fresh blueberries. Then you can just forget about it all and everything is alright once more.

Got Snow?

It looks like the concert season is going to go into overtime now. My last concert of the season has been postponed until next Sunday due to some very nice weather.
In light of that, I think the only reasonable thing to do with all the free time now would be to build a snowman!

It's complicated...

"Hey Rue..."
"What's up?"
"Y&R just called and they want their plot back."

I'd say life is complicated but that would be a little too trite to do it justice.
I think it's time to simplify life down to the lowest common denominator. Ski, skate, drink, repeat. Last night I had my first skate of the season. I had an entire rink to myself for a while and then shared it with a few kids. It's nice to have all that space, but it's also nice to have someone with whom you can share it.

This is Christmas - Aftermath

Another year has gone and another flurry of Christmas shows is over. It's still sinking in and I'm afraid when it finally does fully sink in, I won't be able to stop crying.
From the time the lights came up on Friday when a cast and a room full of hundreds held its breath in anticipation of an expectant Christmas. From the end of the show Friday walking the back hall among applauding crew members. In the few moments I caught a glance of the stage and saw the amazing lighting and dancers having a great time. In all the moments even a self-conscious guy could lose himself in the moment - to forget worrying about looking dumb, to forget the thousands of onlookers, to share a moment with God alone. In all the laughs and fears over a 50 hour interval. To the time when the house lights came up on Sunday and realization crashed into place that there wouldn't be another. In all those moments almost believing this is where I belong.
My coworker told me today that his daughter wanted to know if I had a girlfriend. She may be pleased to know that it was only on stage that I had one, but she may be disappointed to hear that eight years is little too young for me. Isn't that just the way of it...
Now that it's all done it seems like I have to find a new hobby. But the Christmas festivities are not quite done yet. Next weekend will be the final concert of the season for the chorale I just joined. I realized after the last one that I joined so late that I've been to more of their concerts than rehearsals. But since the first one, they've been pretty fun experiences. From the voice of Dave who has proven himself a natural communicator in music to young teen aged violinist who can play the instrument better than I ever will with less than half the experience. The director of that chorale came to the show last night and he didn't say I was off the team, so it looks like I'll have my fifth straight concert weekend.

Show week

This is the last week before the annual huzzah where I have started a tradition of appearing on stage and making a fool of myself.
Day one of show week has come and gone in style. It's after 2am and I'm thinking about skipping my meeting first thing in the morning. I went last week after all.

I have decided that my three best friends this week shall be (in no particular order):
-Vitamin C
-Vitamin B
-Caffeine

I just realized that I just had my one year anniversary on this blog. I know, this a pretty poor showing for it. Next year, I'll come up with something really good.