Ski Musings in July

For the time being, a photo of me is featured on the splash page of theSkiDiva.com, an online forum for women skiers.  I'm the skier in blue, although I'm not exactly skiing in the photo.  And, it's an awesome honor to be sharing the splash page with altagirl.  Check it out (if it's still there - photos get updated periodically), and stop by the forum, too.   While I am sure this is not the case for altagirl,
what I've discovered over the years is that a perk of being the slowest  skier who's on the cusp of greatness among a group of great skiers is that I get my photo taken a lot.  Now you all know my secret....I am really a photo whore and skiing slow is just an act.

Kim Kircher's post yesterday on her blog reminded me that I want to live in a mountain town.  I'm not sure why I needed reminding; I've been saying this with my outside voice for 6 years now.  And for the past 2 years, a friend in Bend, OR (aka, hardcore athlete capital of the world), has been lobbying for me to move there.  She and her husband have tried to entice me by inviting me to join their Pole Pedal Paddle team and with stories of skiing all 12 months of the year.  Alas, the closest I got to living in Bend was a stint in Seattle for six months last year and early this year.

She emailed me again this week, this time saying that she had a friend in my field who was teaching at the local extension of OSU and that I should try to get a job there, too.  Never mind that 1) there are no openings and 2) the only things I've ever taught are rowing, the Federal Advisory Committee Act (to hunters in Montana, of all things), and new this year, yoga.  None of these subjects are those that I'm currently making the big bucks with in my field of expertise going to pay the rent and maintain my rockstar lifestyle, and so my 2010-11 ski season ended in late April, after a whopping 22 days on planks.

So here it is, July 1, and many pals in western ski towns are skiing this weekend as la Niña was kind this year (of course after I left Seattle!).  Hope everyone who doesn't have summer wax their skis on makes a few turns for me!