The Sparkly Ones, Please

I always love the things you learn about yourself on chair lifts. I spent the last weekend skiing at Winter Park. I typically go with my friends Tori and Mikaela - both women from my hockey team. They both have condos up near the ski area, so it makes it easier to ski all weekend because we can stay overnight at one of the condos and avoid the long "commute" back to town.

Over Thanksgiving Tori was out of town and she agreed to let me use her condo. Mikaela was also out of town so I was skiing solo. On one of my lift rides up during that stay, the guy next to me asks "Who are you skiing with?" I tell him basically that I'm solo because my friend Tori is out of town but she was still kind enough to let me stay at her place. "Where is she?" I say she's gone to the Caribbean with her family for the holiday. "How rude! Your girlfriend goes on a tropical vacation and leaves you behind!"

I date women?
I would prefer to be laying on a beach instead of skiing?

This past weekend, Tori and I are up skiing - Mikaela is again busy. On my first lift ride, I rode up with a man, a woman, and a young girl. I politely ask how their ski day is going. The little girl is a riot. She apparently took lessons the day before and wants to show her mom how to "catch air" and "go off jumps". "Hey look - there's a good jump!" she says as pointing to a mound of snow that is easily 2 feet taller than she is. I ask what grade she's in. "Kindergarten!" Her mom mentions that Friday was a teacher in-service day. I say it seems like kids these days have more non-school days than I did. The mom says "Where do you go to school?"

At 38, I look young enough in my ski gear to be in school? (fantastic news!)

Twice as Tori and I are getting off the lift together, I'm approached by random people who ask me to take their picture "and make sure you get the mountain in the background." Tori wonders why they never ask her. I assume it's because I look young enough to be in school (and she doesn't) - and tell her that. Tori jokingly calls me a lesbian high school photographer.

Later that night Tori and I run by the grocery store. I have long hair, so while I have somewhere near a billion hair bands, I never have one with me. I've forgotten mine (again) on this trip. The only blemish on our day is that my hair is driving me nuts. We're looking for hair bands and discussing the relative merits of the many choices. I say "Ooooh - I want the sparkly ones!" Tori thinks this might have something to do with why I might be mistaken for someone younger.

So, I say, "bring on the sparkly ones!"