Snowboarding

Kev and I took advantage of a program on base that gives parents a break once a month with babysitting at a on-base child development center. This weekend was to give parents 4 hours to do their Christmas shopping. So Kev and I signed up the boys and instead of shopping, we decided this would be a great time for Kev to teach me to snowboard. I was initially going to learn to ski with the 2 skis and 2 poles, however when I saw my hubby on his snowboard for the first time, he just looked so cool. So, in my head I am thinking I want to be cool like my hubby. So off we go to the slopes. Everything is going great. Got my board, lift ticket, hubby, we are on the lift and I get the worst case of butterflies EVER! I see how steep the mountain is and I am freaking out! I get myself under control by telling Kev that I think I am gonna tumble down this mountain and how this is terrifying me. Bless him for dealing with me the entire time on the lift. So I am gonna try really hard no to be one of those people who fall as they get off the lift and make the lift stop. Kev has told me so many times how annoying that is to seasoned skiers. I begin bracing myself to make this leap, first time on a snowboard or any skiing apparatus to be honest, and I am intently listening to what Kev is telling me to do. Here it comes, my big exit.......Oh yes I am one of those annoying people who fall as they get off the lift. My only saving grace is that my reaction time was quick cause I managed to slide myself out of the way and avoided stopping the lift. Whew. Ok, now lets get to the fun part. I see all these other snowboarders finishing up strapping on their boards, I join in. I so looked like I knew what I was doing. Kev is ready to go. I am ready to go. Kev says now just stand up, swing your right foot behind you, keep your board straight and try not to fall. Ok, ok, I can do this. Thank goodness we forgot the camera. I hope no one else had one that day either. I have been too terrified to check "you tube" for a video of myself as I try to balance on a snowboard and as I take tumble after tumble after tumble after tumble after tumble. After about 1 hour and 15 minutes of tumbling end over end, sideways, and every other way possible to tumble, I am only halfway down this run. I felt like someone had sufficiently beaten me and my ankle was killing me from trying to "just swing your right foot behind you". NOt to mention the falls I force myself to take to avoid going into a tree or the bushes that are FROZEN SOLID! I walk the rest of the way down. And am I ever glad that I did. Because I was only about 4 more tumbles away from a mammoth of a hill that did not have a spot to stop my tumble. I have more bruises than I can count. I have not been this sore since, well I don't remember a time of soreness like this.
I feel horrible cause Kev has had to deal with me and had not been able to get in any fun boarding of his own. And he has been given the "Best Hubby Ever" award for taking off his board and walking down the rest of the way with me. As I lick my wounds Kev jumps back on the lift to get in a good run down the mountain free of a tumbling wife. He calls me at the top so I can time his run. Ladies and gentlemen it took my snowboarding hubby 2 min. let me repeat 2 MIN to get down this run! Can I just say that I struggled BIG TIME! Well, I am not giving up. I saw all these 5,6,7, and 8 year olds out there tearin' it up on their little boards. I will board another day! I just gotta heal up and get some lessons. Oh yes, I am gonna be in the backyard and on the sledding hills practicing until I get this. Don't count me out just yet!!!!