Day 3 Snowboarding for the 2011 season
I woke up at 4:15am and I didn’t roll out of bed until 5:35am. I was awake but I resisted getting up. It wasn’t me who was unhappy. I had been foggy headed. I didn’t get on the highway until 6:45am. "Oh well, so it goes" I told myself.
Driving conditions was foggy in the valley, cloudy in Sacramento area, and then Placerville was sunny. My first stop was in North of Sacramento to pee and snack. Sacramento is very hypnotic sleepy place. I had to slap myself for drifting on the road. Then I pulled over in Placerville to pump gas, five gallons for 170 miles. Then I did my usual pull out into McDonald’s in South Tahoe to use the restroom and just get off the highway. It was 11am and I took a 35 minute break. At heavenly parking lot I took my time to dress for the slope and lace up. I usually loose another 30 minutes just to get ready. It feels really good to be at Tahoe.
Slopes today was slushy ice at 60 degree temperature. I had a lot of speed. I was better at navigating on my board today with the zig-zag. I am finding myself to be goofy foot. It really fells good to be up in the mountain. I really love the air. Not busy today on the slopes which I like and this gave me more space to work on my skills. I want to work on my “S”. I have trouble with the sensation of turning right, I wonder if it is an ear drum thing. I have the same trouble on the moped. I had trouble with putting pressure on my toes and staying on my board. I found myself super thirsty today. The hydropack came in handy.
I am glad I made the trip out here today. It really is nice to take a break and take a step back from my life and look at things differently and feel different. I didn’t mind the slushy slope runs. It was still lots of fun. The drive here wasn’t too bad.
I stayed in an Inn tonight, it’s really a motel called an Inn. This one has TV that works. The room I had was no smoking room but it smelled like one though. I couldn’t breathe in the room. I need to pack food for the slopes, I was super hungry today.
Success for the day, I finally was able to stand when unloading off the lift chair. One of the staff said I should work at Heavenly since I am like there a lot. I like the kind and gentle spirit of the staff at Heavenly. They were kind and encouraging, super supportive with their hearts on my bunny slope endeavors. I feel like a baby learning how to walk for the first time and taking my first steps with people around me cheering me on with smiles in full support and encouragement for success.
My study and practice of Dharma needs to be more like learning to snowboard; fun, curious, focused. I think I got lost somewhere in the past two years somehow. My practice became a place to feel bad and beat myself up without encouragement or support. It had become a place of punishment, an electric chair. I don’t know how this happened? It doesn’t matter. Stop and change is what matters. I do recall when I first started, it was like snowboarding and being on the mountain. I remember now. Thank you, snowy mountain for helping me remember.
