MMVIII

Over the past couple of years, my take on the holiday season has changed drastically. This year is certainly no exception. For Thanksgiving, instead of having dinner at my aunt's house, I opted to walk 5 blocks and have dinner at my friend's sister's apartment. On Christmas Eve, I went to the Ethiopian bar around the corner with my mom and her boyfriend. And last night, New Year's Eve, I went snowboarding. For the first time. Ever.

I don't own any equipment. I borrowed my roommate's old board, a friend's old boots, and some snow attire (although I left the pants at home - something I sorely regretted as my ass became completely soaked after the snow melted). I'll tell you, I felt completely out of my element. Aside from the fact that I had a plank of kevlar and plastic and whatever else strapped to my feet, I felt like an alien on the slope. Everyone's clothes seemed so bright and shiny, a stark contrast to everything I know from mountain biking.

I'll tell you though, falling on ice (and it was ice - albeit large granules of soft ice - not snow), well, it hurts. I kept falling on the right side of my ass, directly on the bone. My knees and elbows feel raw, and my neck is sore. I'm not sure I'm completely sold on this whole snowboarding thing. However, going snowboarding was far better than anything else I would have done last night. Except maybe for going to Mighty House.

The Single Speed World Championship in 2008 is in Napa, CA. I've never been to Napa, but should I be 'accepted' to go, I'll be there in August!