#skiing

“Christmas Tradition” by Alex

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Our Christmas traditions have changed over the years as loved ones have passed away and friends have moved. This year we will be spending Christmas in Miami (Little Cuba) with our oldest son and his family. Since our son recently moved his family to Miami from Los Angeles, I am not certain how Christmas will unfold this year; but, I do know that my sons mother-in-law and sister-in-law will also be visiting and spending the holiday with us. And… the day after Christmas my son, my daughter and I, will be playing a round of golf which is something that I enjoy because it is a common interest that brings us closer together and creates lasting memories.

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In the past, we would celebrate Christmas at our home and would invite guests who were alone and had no place to go on Christmas day. We would also invite exchange students from the "Players School of Music" located in Clearwater Florida, into our home to enjoy a home cooked Christmas dinner. And after dinner we would take out our musical instruments and play some Christmas songs with guitars, piano, bass and tenor sax.

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When we lived on Bow Lake in Strafford New Hampshire, we would sing in the Choir and then go cross country skiing around the lake on snowmobile trails. We would also visit North Conway where we would go skiing and then stop by the inn to enjoy a hot chocolate and conversations with the locals. I guess you could say that our Christmas tradition is a work in progress that continues to evolve. I must admit that I thoroughly enjoy Christmas because I never know what to expect. However, it does seem that the days where my wife and I organize and prepare the Christmas meal and festivities are slowly coming to an end. This saddens me because we enjoyed hosting the Christmas day celebration, but I also recognize that change is inevitable and it creates new opportunities to experience new food, new traditions and to meet new people.
❤️ Merry Christmas.❤️

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Jumped of a 30ft cliff after my buddy. Since he went first the Rock was wet at the point of the jump. Fell about 6 inches away from the wall thought I was going to smack into some rocks at the bottom. While I missed the rocks at the bottom I hit the water on my side. Air immediately left my lungs. It was one of those moments where I was swimming for the top of the water and wasn’t sure if I’d make it before I passed out. Obviously I made it, but I really though for a moment that was it! Jumped out of a helicopter when skiing. My skis were stuck in my parachute so I dropped them 4000 feet in the air. This was in backcountry Switzerland so I had to make my way 40 miles to the rendezvous in 3 days hiking. Not a fun trip. Almost fell 4000 feet without a parachute, was frost bitten, almost died of infection, and got sent back to Canada without my personal belongings.
Oh, quite a few times. Surfing big waves blitzed had a few wipeouts where I didn't know where up was... Warzones, for sure, several times... Trying to jump onto a trampoline from the roof to catapult into the lake... Actually trying the stuff with the wagon from Calvin and Hobbes near my parents' house as a kid... Locking us in the camper, starting a fire in the kitchen while I tried to make coffee, and getting stuck on a bunk when the table fell apart when my cousin and I were 4... Waking up on a deserted island after losing a boat after a tequila misadventure... Waking up in a body bag after mixing alcohol and heroin.

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Proper diet isn't much of an issue and I usually eat five to six small meals per day. With exercise, things have been more of a challenge and I've been forced to make adjustments, especially over the past few years. Prior to my surgeries a few years ago, I practiced T'ai Chi regularly but that was about it. After my surgeries, I had many sessions of physical therapy which included Yoga. I've returned back to T'ai Chi after my therapy was over and I started training with free weights. When I fully regained my mobility, I started skiing again and I took Aikido for a brief period. Currently, I work out with weights, I still practice T'ai Chi, meditate daily and I've moved to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I would ski every day if it were possible but I can only enjoy it in the Winter months. Maybe I should embrace my inner hermit and move to the mountains... 🤣

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I am quite certain that my incessant snoring would effectively neutralize and cancel out any sounds generated by the amphibians, reptiles, mammals and other creatures roaming around in the dark. :)

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I lived on Kooaukee Island, located in Strafford New Hampshire for 10 years (1995 - 2005), and use to listen to the loons sing as they swam on Bow lake at sunrise and sunset. I recall the melodic melodies they sang and their playful nature as they disappeared under water for long periods of time without coming to the surface to breathe.. And... I still have fond memories of those good times when I could walk out my front door and encounter a deer, a fox, an eagle, a bear or if I desired, I could go fishing for lake trout or go cross country skiing on the snow covered lake in the winter and visit with friends and neighbors ice fishing and having cookouts and parties on Bow Lake as the moons reflection illuminated the midnight air and the trees swayed back and forth while the stars flickered in the still night sky, reminding me how blessed and grateful I am to be alive.

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"Friendship and Shared Interests" by Alex

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In my opinion, friendship is the foundation for all of my most serious and sincere relationships whether it be with my parents, siblings or with my wife and children. And for me, one of the essential building blocks for a successful friendship is shared interests. In the case of my wife we have many shared interests i.e.

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1. Education - my wife has 3 degrees and I have 2. Our areas of specialty are completely different, but we both share the love of reading, curiosity, learning and contributing to society.
2. Music - we both enjoy music and have performed in church choirs our entire marriage.
3. Food - we enjoy good food whether we cook at home or go out to eat.
4. Exercise - we both love to exercise and have run many 5k races together and participated in triathlons together.
5. Vacations - we take vacations together and enjoy the outdoors, hiking, biking, boating, cross country skiing, etc.
6. Independence - we enjoy each other’s company; but, we also spend time apart because we are both independent. I am an introvert by nature while my wife is an extrovert and she has many friends while I have few.
7. Humor - we enjoy humor and we laugh together every day over the silly, the outrageous, the mundane and the nonsensical.
8. Faith - we both believe in God and are disciples of Jesus Christ
9. Friendship - the glue that binds us is Faith, Friendship and Family. Without friendship and shared interests our marriage would cease to exist.
10. Family - everything is centered about our belief in God, our marriage and commitment to one another and our family both immediate and extended. We ALL support one another through the good times and the bad times. We spend time with our children, our grandchild, our brothers and sisters and we helped our parents financially and emotionally when they were still alive.

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For me, shared interests are critical in a relationship because without shared interests we would be like two independent vessels passing by each other as we seek different objectives, different goals and separate destinations. Instead, we work as a team and we make decisions together. We share our hopes and dreams together, support each other, encourage each other, and when one falls down (heart attack, cancer, depression) the strong pick up the fallen and holds them in their arms and carries them on their shoulders no matter the cost to self. That is marriage...that is friendship... AND..... that is Love.

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Yes I have. As a young boy and young man, I lived in the state of Massachusetts where I attended college in the city of Boston. After getting married in 79 I discovered that whenever we went on vacation, it was either to Maine or New Hampshire where the lakes, mountains, great hiking, skiing and beautiful coastlines were located. So in 94 we purchased 2 acres of land on Bow Lake in Strafford New Hampshire and built beautiful house overlooking the pristine lake where the loons laughed and lake trout played.

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While living in New Hampshire we had access to all kinds of outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, ice skating, hiking, cross country skiing, down hill skiing and water skiing. And all we had to do was walk outside our door and all of those God given blessings were right at our fingertips. However, as we were getting on in years, we found ourselves vacationing in Key West Florida each year because of the warm weather. In 2010 we decided once again to pack our bags and relocate to the great state of Florida where we plan to spend our remaining years.

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My name is Freya but you can call me Frey. I currently live in London. I’m Welsh and was brought up in Cumbria from the age of 5. 🌾 For work, I’m in design engineering, working as a technician in a machine shop.

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🌸 Slightly more random childhood facts in no particular order… I grew up camping, travelling, climbing and skiing, catching frogs and building forts in the woods with my siblings. We loved water balloons, Yu-Gi-Oh cards, and air soft guns. Cozy coupe cars, jelly shoes, blacksmithing, the stars and alternative rock/grunge bands were my jam. I dreamed of living on a canal/narrowboat. I think the closest things to dolls that I really enjoyed was the doll house itself and Polly Pockets and what I enjoyed equally as much as playing with my toys was organising them 😂 I think I’m a type-A gal.

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I want a van life or something like that, it’s actually less about travel and more about simplicity. The less cluttered I keep my external life, the easier it is for me to think clearly. I’m more able to answer cliche but important questions. Knowing myself is something I really value and it makes me a better person to those around me. I feel much more present and at peace. 🤍

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I’m probably a classic 90s kid with a love of learning by doing.

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> Sorry about your uncle man.

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Thanks. He passed away last night.

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> Was from the booster right?

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No. It was too soon for the booster. He recently received the second shot of Pfizer. That's what f*cked him up. He wasn't the same ever since and his condition deteriorated rapidly in the last few weeks. The "vaccine" caused blood clots and some of the other problems which have been reported on VAERS: https://openvaers.com/

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> They gonna call him "antivaxxer "now?

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Never understood the idiotic "pro-vaxx" / "anti-vaxx" memes or the morons that regurgitate them. These creatures have no understanding of nuance or why all treatments / protocols should be scrutinized and thoroughly understood. Blindly choosing one extreme position or another is the height of ignorance and it is insane / cult-like behavior.

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> You should sue the company

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Not possible with any experimental drug or therapy under emergency approval. Pfizer have been very crafty with the FDA's wording. If you read it carefully, you will understand what has been granted "full approval" and what is still under "emergency authorization." Legally speaking, they have covered their a55es extremely well and an army of lawyers wouldn't be able to get very far. Pfizer has a long history of pulling these stunts but to be fair, all pharmaceuticals get away with m*rder and the FDA is a joke. Just recently, NBC reported that almost 1/3 of approved medications cause side effects or death, even years after being granted full approval.

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> and anyone who talks sh.it tbh

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You can sue for libel or slander but in order to win, you would have to demonstrate that losses were incurred. You can't sue imbeciles for talking out of their a55es - if that were possible, I would be skiing down on a mountain of cash. Thanks again.

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I’m sorry I quit climbing- I know you loved it. And cross country and skiing and the guitar. I’m so, so sorry- you’re depressed. But you don’t regret it as much as you thought you would.

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I’m sorry I didn’t use more of that cream on your scars or maybe I’m sorry I used as much as I did- because now, 8 years later, you’re still not comfortable with them.

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I’m sorry you’ve been mistreated by someone who you looked up to when you were five. And I’m sorry for what they’re about to do to you. I’m sorry you were too young to understand, I’m sorry I make you go through it alone and I’m sorry it still hurts.

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I’m sorry you break up with that man you cared about so much once you got him. You’ll know who I’m talking about in seven years. That is something I didn’t mean, that was a mistake. But now you’re closer than ever and he feels like home.

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On the topic of boys, I’m sorry you’ve talked and done more with a guy you would never have even wanted me to talk to. But you’ll understand what it’s like to not use your brain. It’ll take a few years though because you use yours now. But one day in 2019 you’ll understand what it’s like to fall so deeply for someone you shouldn’t.

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I’m sorry that I didn’t live up to everything you and everyone else knew I could be. I’m sorry that I haven’t got my driving licence yet and I leave uni and I don’t have a secret modeling career on the side. I’m sorry that you can’t do anything in the world and be amazing at it because sometimes that’s just not possible and it has nothing to do with you or how amazing you are.

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I’m sorry you don’t sleep and forget a lot of your memories and stop trying to remember them but you pick up a a few new ones and you eventually make it out of the Cumbria for the long run. And sorry, but sometimes you kinda hate it.

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Lastly, I’m sorry your current love breaks your heart and I’m sorry the next one does too. And I’m sorry you lose your closest friend in the World but it’s okay, really. You get him back I promise but it’s not the same. And I’m sorry, but no, the guy in leathers won’t ever give you the attention you for some reason want but he looks tired now and you’re somehow more pretty.

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And I know it might not sound like it, but you are so happy right now. You have that sister-like best friend you never knew you wanted, you stay up until 5am laughing your ass off with friends and strangers more times than you can count, you still climb, you have a job that you love and let’s you afford a life of your own, you have friends that show up at your door with doughnuts (yes, seriously), you learn so many new faces and expressions that you love, Patrick makes it to 87, you still have the coolest mum around, and it takes 8 more years but you are happier.

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Oh and most of all, you haven’t lost sight of who you are. And you never, ever can. Shine bright, you crazy girl. I love you and everything you become.

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YEs. Volleyball but only played in school. Team? only in a class. I liked volleyball as a team sport only because it was the one sport that I could actually play with some skill. No, playing sports was not my thing and it wasn’t encouraged by parents. They were old school Asian strict parenting. Music was my thing. I did try tennis and squash. Didn’t like running and could never find a body that could play at my level. I was surrounded by physical education teachers who were very good at any sport. They were very patient and kind but I was the one that benefitted playing with them. Know a lot about sports and appreciate good games when played and excellent athletes. Love watching the olympics especially down hill skiing which I got to the intermediate stage until my knee said no more! Now I am just starting Golf and rather enjoy being outside and competing with myself and the challenges of the game. The whole point would be to say that I started too late in my 30’s and 40’s and now over 65 to start learning to play a sport. I was not co ordinated enough to excel in it so wasn’t all that interested in it. Where I did excel in Music. many co-relations there to sports, deeper breathing, hand eye co-ordination, fine motor co-ordination over gross motor co-ordination. The biggest attribute from all this experience is that it makes you appreciate the hard discipline and work for anyone to be able to play a sport and do it well to the professional level. The benefits for your brain to work in a different manner and to get the brain food of Oxygen! Enjoy whatever sport you do whether you excel or play poorly, it does not matter. As long as it gives you some kind of pleasure, be outside, play with friends and be an appreciator of sport. IT goes the same for the ARTS be it Music, Drama or visual Art! I enjoy many sports. I have played tennis, table tennis, golf, basketball, volleyball, softball, football and soccer. I love playing sports. However I do not care much for watching them. From the sports above it is obvious I played on teams. The reason I started playing tennis was the fact that as a singles player the only person to blame for a loss was myself. I was often frustrated with team sports when fellow team members would not put put the effort at times and would cause is to lose. What even frustrated me worse was when I sucked and cost the team a win.

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There's a few people I wish I could hate (not saying my reasons) but no, I don't wholeheartedly hate them. There have been moments, though. I remember when my brothers and I were kids and we were on one of our skiing holidays with dad. We had lost dad so we navigated ourselves around the Bulgarian mountains for a few hours before coming across him. It was getting late and he said the weather was getting bad and that we'd have to hurry. But by this point I was tired, we had skied every day for a week already and my hands were in so much pain that I sat down in the snow and refused to go. I was looking at him when I cried out, he remained expressionless and continued to tell me to shut up and get up. We skied for a while and finally got to a familiar area and he told me there was one more steep bit. As he spoke, he reached out and caught hold of my waist, tugging me gently towards him. He was careful, almost tender, in the way he spun me round so that I was facing out from the slope when I came to a stop beside him. He directed my legs to footholds that he had hacked, unbuckled my boots, pulled my socks up high and tightened the buckles, took my hands in his and rubbed them together. I realised then that he had been fully aware of the pain he had been putting me through, and this concern was a quiet way of saying, it's all right. I wasn't being a bastard. It just had to be done.

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Ohhh, the burning question. Except it isn’t, because I’m sure that you’re the only one who’s interested. I see you - only one anon calls my ungrateful for the way that I talk about my father 😉

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I hero worshipped my Dad. I wanted to be just like him, and I was so absolutely desperate to make him proud. It took me years to connect with my Mum properly - which I now know is due to both her and my little brother being aspergic, but how the hell does anyone explain that to a toddler? “Sorry kid, your Mum doesn’t want to hug you because she genuinely can’t stand to touch you right now.” I’m 21 and that shit still stings. I can’t think of the last time I hugged my Mum. Her only physical way of showing any affection is to occasionally push my hair out of my face every couple of months.

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So Dad was my source of hugs. He was the one who tickled me, who gave me piggybacks. And he’s been a pilot his entire working life, be it RAF or private jets. So he only had to be a daddy for a couple of days a month. He’d come home with flowers and with presents, and he’d be gone again the next day. He was a bit like smoke - you’d reach out and try and grab him, but there was no one there. When work called, he left. End of story.

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And what I’m not saying is that he was a brilliant guy, or a good guy. I’m just trying to paint a picture of how I saw him. It started to change when I was eleven - I was sent to boarding school, he and Mum were fighting over the fact that he wanted to relocate to China and to leave us behind. Anyway, in the midst of all of this, my childhood best friend died in a skiing accident. I found out from a fucking newspaper - it made the front page of The Times. I wasn’t allowed to swear, but when the headline sunk in, I did. First time. I remember it so clearly.

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The front row of pews were reserved for family at the funeral. Dad didn’t know Ben - he’d never been around enough - but he swanned into that funeral just as it was getting underway and sat right there in that front pew. I couldn’t believe it. My world had fallen apart and now this. For the first time, I didn’t want to be associated with my Dad at all.

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They split up not long after. And you know how every parent promises that nothing will change, and that they’ll love you no matter what? Yeah. To prove it, he moved 5,000 miles away to the Emirates. I get a Facebook message three or four times a year - and I miss my Dad. But it’s so much easier to be angry than it is to be hurt, especially when he doesn’t care anyway. So when I say that I haven’t got a Dad, I mean it. I can’t think where he got to.

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