Sunday, January 20, 2008

Chillin

A nice relaxing weekend and I still managed to get a few things done around the house - the glamorous C had suggested doing a to-do list and it seems to be working! It's hard for me to be organised!

Met up with her on Saturday for a session in the gym - going to the classes during the week and also working out at the weekend has led to me losing some of the 'Christmas' inches from round my waist. Or maybe it's cos I'm not eating so much and not drinking alcohol during the week? Whatever it is, it seems to be working! Maybe got another inch to come off and I'll be happy.

We had lunch at the David Lloyd (bumping into one of the project guys from work who said he had roles for us...interesting!) and then we went to check out the new Chill Factor place, the UK's longest indoor ski-slope with real snow. Why was I not prepared for how cold it would be - brrrr!

But it was all very impressive, the slope was much bigger than I thought, loads of people skiing, snowboarding and tobagganing - finances aside, I'd be interested in learning to ski - no scratch that, I'd be interested in snowboarding I reckon. Not really high on my priorities but it all looked like fun!

Very nice surroundings, with an alpine sort of feel, great for people-watching and it got pretty busy.


Afterwards, went home to catch up on some reading and gin-drinking whilst the glamorous C went out to meet her new colleagues for a night out - yeah, she's got herself a contract - wahey! As it's in Blackpool, might mean I won't see her during the week any more but after that, there could be a contract where I work for her - we'll see anyway.


Had a lazy Sunday, did a bit of doodling, called my mum (not spoken to her in a while due to her active social life) and also had a long telephone conversation with the ex-bf; sounds like he's doing well for himself, he sound fairly happy and you know what, I felt happy for him.

Got a slog of a week coming up - really need to knuckle down and shift the stuff in my inbox. Roll on next weekend!

9 comments:

  1. Get thy Weenie arse over here if you want to try boarding. I live 2 mins walk from the best school in the area and I *think* I can wangle discounts. Depends who I speak to!

    And it's only a short/cheap flight out. Good snow this year... LIkely cheaper than lessons at an indoor snowdome as well!

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  2. Anonymous4:58 pm

    Yes, I think Mosher is right and that learning in the Snow Domes is expensive. But they probably do Taster Sessions where you can give it a try.

    I have not been to one of them because several people from our Race Team went to the one at MK and were told off for going too fast!!! Crazy!

    But yes you must learn to ski (or board) - it's a lot of fun. My son races but he also does freestyle skiing and boarding for fun. I just pootle about mostly but it is very relaxing.

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  3. I can believe the MK comment. At least they've changed their policy slightly. When the Exscape places first opened you *had* to prove you could do the basics to be allowed on the slopes without a tutor. This involved taking a lesson for which you had to pay to get a certificate for future visits...

    At least now they assume you know what you're doing but reserve the right to drag you off if you're a danger. Mind, going fast and being a danger don't necessarily go hand in hand. Unless you're a skiier because they're all idiots.

    *welcomes the flack, but check out the recent post on the tour blog...*

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  4. Cheers guys and gals - I've checked out the prices and they are steep but as learning to ski or board is something I've always wanted to do, I may just have to go for it at some point. Just read your recent tour post Mosher - guess there's loads of 'etiquette' I'll have to learn about too!

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  5. Nah, not if you're a boarder. It comes natural. Just those bloody skiers that seem to have a problem. Grr.

    As I said, though, check out Geneva flight prices and consider learning on real snow! Ski school here is good and they do 4-day beginner courses.

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  6. If you're on course for boarding lessons, invest in a pair of knee pads. Trust me.

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  7. Thanks for the advice, I saw lots of people fall over and I know that will be me, slapstick like!

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  8. Most common injuries amongst snowboarders: wrist, knee and ankle. Wrist's very common in beginners and this can be minimised with splints - skateboarding ones are fine. Beware , though... although they can stop a wrist being damaged, they *can* increase the likelihood of a broken forearm. However, these breaks are usually cleaner and quicker to heal than wrist injuries to still "preferable".

    Ankle/knee depends on the books you wear. If you use very stiff boots, your ankles are better supported so you're more likely to damage the knee if you fall and twist. More supple boots, less ankle support and that's more likely to take the brunt.

    The tailbone/spine can also take a whack if you land on your bottom. Protective padded shorts can be purchased which greatly reduce the shock transferred to the body if you land badly. Even body armour of sorts is available, but only really necessary if you're going at silly speeds.

    The final one, is head injuries. Again, more likely at speed - but I have cracked my head on packed snow when I've fallen over backwards before! Helmets are not expensive.

    I am *not* trying to scaremonger! I've never used any protective gear at all - not even a helmet - and I've never suffered an injury. Maybe I'm lucky or just overcautious but it is not a dangerous sport compared to many others.

    Having said that... first person I went boarding with sprained her wrist on the first day. End of the boarding for her on that holiday. My ex damaged her knee... on her first day. That wasn't her fault - some damn skier lost control and went into her then shot off without an apology. One of the guys in the hotel here cracked a rib recently - very bad luck as he took a tumble and the camera in his pocket jammed into his ribs! No camera, no injury.

    The worst boarding injury I've seen is a girl in my office who fell over, got up, felt fine and continued on for a couple of hours with no discomfort at all. By the time she got back into town, her knee had swollen like a watermelon. They've had to drain it and put a splint on her leg. She's out for up to 6 weeks :(

    Again, these are 4 incidences over about 8 *years*. Be careful, learn gradually, don't push too hard and be a little lucky and you should be fine!

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  9. Wow, thanks for that Mosher. My sis has suffered from cracked ribs and sprained wrist in the past.

    I think some sports are more dangerous - I've had a go at women's rugby before and emerged unscathed! :-)

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