I have lived no more than 10 minutes from a Ski Resort my entire life. Yet I have never gone skiing. Seeing its been a while since I have spent some time alone with my father I figured that would be a good way to spend some time with him. He was in the Air Force about 30 years ago and was stationed in Colorado and back in his day used to ski quite often, from what he tells me. I have had a snowboard for years but never gone to any place with a lift to use it. I have always climbed the hill and skied down which the effort is more than the reward.

We found a package deal where we can pay $20 for lift tickets and rentals and ski the entire day. So it made it even easier to get away and spend some time with my father. Today my father took the day off and we went skiing for our second time. We went on more of the advanced slopes compared to last time except with the weather today everything is powder today anyway. The lines were non-existent in most cases which made it a perfect day to go skiing. We went and had lunch and decided to go up this one lift to the top of the mountain. In order to make the lift we had to go up the bunny slope lift in order to get to the other lift though. Except half way up the mountain, the storm took out the power. We were stranded on the lift for about 45 minutes before we got rescued.

A group of three guys showed up on a snowmobile and instructed us that they were our saviors. One took a rope and threw it over the cable that was supporting the chair and pulled up another rope. This rope had a T bracket at the end of it which we had to place between our legs while one guy lowered us down. My father went first and seemed fine. I went next. My father is rather stocky compared my my skinny weightless ass. I think the guy forgot to adjust that into consideration or I was just wearing too much clothing for him to get a proper assessment. He told me on the count of three to push off the chair and sit on the bracket. He counted 1-2- and no 3. he started lowering me on 2 and I didn’t get off the seat until 3. So I was basically holding my own weight rather than sitting down and enjoying the ride. Not to mention that he went rather fast and if I landed on the hard packed ice that the slopes normally consist of I may of gotten hurt. However it was pretty bad weather, and everything was covered with powder. Half startled that I basically felt like I fell off the lift I was able to grab my board and ski half of the bunny slope. Which for a bunny slope the last drop before the bottom of the lift isn’t that bad, except its like 20 feet long.

The make the announcement that those stuck on the lift get free coffee, and everyone gets refunded for the day of skiing. Seeing it is valentines day we weren’t planning on spending that much longer anyway, but we weren’t going to tell them that.

After the longest flight of my life (a full 24 hours of layovers and flying) I am finally back home in NY. My family surprised me when I got off the plane they had gotten passes to go by security and meet me when I got off the plane. When I expected to go get my luggage and then find my family I just exit the plane and see a flash from a camera…, there they were waiting.

I wasn’t aware that they could get past security like that but I think it had something to do with the size of the airport. It was a nice break while I waited to find my luggage. Now I am finally home and couldn’t be more tired.

My time here has finally come to an end. Its been 3 and a half years since I first arrived and two years since I last left. Now I am officially moving for at least the remainder of my sentence in the army, a year and a half, to the states.

I get to show my family my new daughter, even though we are going to celebrate her first birthday in a couple weeks. But most of all I finally get to show my wife what its like to live in my country. Hopefully the major differences between us will play part and open her mind a little in how I work. She has visited once before but it was a short visit, just long enough for the family to meet her and get their approval prior to us getting married.

My wife is devastated and its hard for me to be compassionate because in truth it is my turn to be home. I wish there was something I could do to make her happy, but there is nothing. She only wants to stay with her family. I have done twice as much as I am capable of doing, from buying them an internet phone to a DVD player so we can keep in touch and mail DVD’s of my daughter to them. I just hope her devastation doesn’t last for very long. I expect her to be depressed over the next day or two, but once I find something to occupy her with as well as make her happy then things should move smoothly after that. At least thats my plan. But now, I am off to get ready to get on the plane that leaves in almost exactly 6 hours. I think its a little early but its the in-laws request.