"yeah, we call that a yard sale."

~dude sharing the lift with matt and me at snowshoe

skiing was fun!
new years was fun!
traveling was, um, well, fun, considering...

as I do not yet have the pictures downloaded, and as I want to write a post about new years resolutions, I will only share one story from our trip.

it's the second day, and Matt, Brenda, Nic and I are going down a slope--I'm pretty sure it was called the "Gandy Dancer" and it had a big huge steep incline at the top. It was a blue, and it was icy. And I was slowly making my way down it, turning often but not too often and trying to keep my cool, since I'm down with steep or down with icy, but not down with the combo.

and then...I'm making it down. I've gone maybe a whole 60 feet down this slope, and there's still plenty to go before it gets less steep and more Carrie Friendly. I've just passed Matt, who has stopped to help someone. I'm gliding on by, trying not to pick up too much speed on this ice-o-doom, and I catch a funny patch with one of my skis while I'm turning.

I begin to ski directly downhill.
with my skis in a backwards snow plow.
and my ass almost on the ground.
and I am rapidly picking up speed.

this is when I had my "yard sale." urban dictionary has a great definition, and I'd link to it, but there's another vulgar meaning to the term, and that's soooo not the type of yard sale I'm talking about.

what's a yard sale, you ask? well, let's just say that I was the epitome of it--once I finally stopped moving after biting it, tumbling down the slope, flipping over and hitting my head, I had lost both of my poles, my hat, my goggles (on top of my head), my sunglasses and a ski, and I was face first in the snow facing down the mountain with my remaining ski in the air behind me. It was not pretty. And I almost wish Brenda had thought to take a picture. almost. and thus, it fits--"When a skier or snowboarder eats it on the slopes and loses all of their gear. If a skier loses his skies, poles, hat, goggles, and anything else, shout "YARD SALE" from the ski lift above him."

We all laughed SO HARD. I could not stop laughing (with a little crying, but mostly laughing), nor could Brenda and Nic (once they'd heard I was okay), and even both of the random dudes who stopped to help me were chuckling because I BIT it. Matt almost skied by me since someone was already helping me and he wanted to catch up to Brenda and Nic, but then realized it was me! I had snow EVERYWHERE. yikes.

after I got my confidence up again and made it down, on another lift we told a guy about my fall after seeing someone else go down--and he let us know of the phrase. :)

okay, so. new years.

2007 resolution status:

some resolutions:
1. learn how to play the guitar--attempted but not successful.
2. keep my space cleaner--this happens in fits and starts, but it HAS improved.
3. blog often--done. hit my numerical mark as well.
4. sell my photography in real life--no, but I did add, what, five more states (kansas, missouri, arkansas, texas and maryland. and dc) AND I took engagement pictures for the first time, so 4 isn't a total bust either.
5. get my tattoo redone--check. also, got another tattoo.
6. be true to my heart--yes, yes! thank goodness.
7. travel more--done and done.

so now, there need to be eight for 2008. I reserve the right to amend these in the next week or so, as I maybe haven't put quite enough thought into them. also, I am totally fine to "continue to" blah blah blah. just because I did it last year doesn't mean I don't need to resolve to keep doing it. explanations follow.

1. figure out my career/engineering path, and get a move on.
2. make a point to take care of myself.
3. learn how to play the guitar. or at least make a valid attempt.
4. read. a lot. I've never set a number before, but let's start tame--say, 20 books? I'm secretly hoping for more than 26, but I don't want to make it toooo hard.
5. find three ways to be more environmentally friendly in my day-to-day life.
6. do more photography--a)get at least seven more states this year, b)continue to branch out more (engagement photos, perhaps pregnancy/infant photos), c)save up for a super nice camera.
7. get. rid. of. clutter.
8. do what makes me happy. really, really happy.

elaborations, brief-ish, but necessary.
1. so, I've realized that my job right now? it's pretty much exactly the kind of thing I want to do--well, in essence. I do environmental-of-sorts research for alternative energy (fuel) sources, if you boil it down. I just want to do this in an atmosphere where I'm not treated like an undergraduate researcher, and in a place where I can feel like more than just a pair of hands. yes, I may need to go to grad school. no, I don't have to go in august unless that is right for me. I am okay with this indecision as I KNOW that this job is a good step on the building-my-resume ladder, and it is applicable to the types of jobs I hope to hold in the future.

2. floss more. continue to eat healthy and drink plenty of water. exercise regularly even when softball isn't happening. also, eliminate sources of stress--people, places, things, whatever. also included as an appendix in this resolution--volunteer for less stuff. I *think* I'm going to keep working with the youth and cut out girl scouts (just for now, it'll be easier to do if I someday have a girl in the troop) and I won't be running for Panhell Pres again, and I have no intention of running for an office with the KayDee alums either. laugh more, frown less, cuddle with the kitties (and with Matt!) etc.

3. yes, again. it's hard to find the time. but even if I go for twenty minutes twice a week, it'll be SOMETHING. it's silly to have bought the guitar and not play it much.

4. I read in swells---looooots then only a tiny bit. I want to get back to reading every weeknight, even if it's just for ten minutes.

5. I want to be GREEN. sure, I use less water, I recycle and I installed CFLs in pretty much every part of my house--but there is SO MUCH more I could do. suggestions are welcome.

6. this is cheating slightly--I already have one state (west virginia) and have hopes/plans to visit ohio, kentucky, michigan, indiana, and likely/maybe plans to visit massachusetts, florida, colorado and hawaii, PLUS I'm definitely going to alabama. I'm not sure all these will happen (well, except the first four and alabama have like a 90% likelihood) but hopefully they all will. c'mon, coffee table book!

7. I can be clean if I have a place to put things--but that requires having fewer things. I'm working on this. let me know if you have suggestions.

8. of course. we should all do this. but a reminder never hurts.

:)

I'm a fan of odd numbers, but I gotta say that already, Eight is Great. I'm looking forward to the rest of this year, and all the adventures yet to come!