Adventures in "Skiing"
Feb. 1st, 2009 08:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bloodyrosemccoyAs someone who grew up in the mountains, I have had my fill of skiing. I have done the obligatory After School Ski Fridays, the birthday parties on the bunny hill, the spectacular wipeouts on the moguls. I have graduated past the dreaded Snow Plow to the parallel stop that sprays everyone around me with powder.
And it was nice, but really, at this point, I am Done with skiing.
But there’s one thing I hadn’t done up at the winter ski resort. Apparently Snowbird not only has ski facilities, but also a spa. And as I have never been to a spa, I felt it was time to investigate. So I joined Mom and my sister at the spa while Dad went to some neurosurgery conference or other. I was running on two and a half hours of sleep,* and if there’s one thing my dry skin needs it’s a lot of steam and hot water. But I did it anyway, for SCIENCE!
And you know what I discovered?
Spas are weird.
I have decided that spa-ing is like clubbing: I do not understand why it is fun.** I mean, I am willing to concede that people might think it’s fun, but I do not know why they do. I have submerged myself in jacuzzis, steam rooms, and saunas, and frankly all it did was remind me of the more unpleasant aspects of Africa—running up a fever in hot, humid weather, staggering down the street thinking you’d sell your iPod for an orange as your knees swell up.
The strangest thing about them is the dichotomy of relaxation and total stress. Traditionally, you go to a spa because you are stressed the hell out. However, the people I saw at the spa, for the most part, seemed not to be any more relaxed by the spa—they looked like trying to relax was stressing them out even more. Mom, my sister, and I sat around and laughed at the weirdness of the whole thing and watched the skiers and admired the mountains and read, but there were a lot of people around who looked like relaxing is hard work.
So while the spa was fun, I’m not going to make a habit of it. What I took away was that some people like to sit around in really hot water. Also, I took away a bruise. Remember, kids: when the jacuzzi is on the roof of a ski resort, the water around it turns to ice.
That’s the saddest ski injury I’ve ever gotten.
*I actually tried to go to bed earlier, but it didn’t work, because I had a panic attack, goddammit. Fukitol withdrawal has hit a snag, and I will be calling the doctor first thing tomorrow.
**Perhaps I should simply steer clear of places that are also verbs.
And it was nice, but really, at this point, I am Done with skiing.
But there’s one thing I hadn’t done up at the winter ski resort. Apparently Snowbird not only has ski facilities, but also a spa. And as I have never been to a spa, I felt it was time to investigate. So I joined Mom and my sister at the spa while Dad went to some neurosurgery conference or other. I was running on two and a half hours of sleep,* and if there’s one thing my dry skin needs it’s a lot of steam and hot water. But I did it anyway, for SCIENCE!
And you know what I discovered?
Spas are weird.
I have decided that spa-ing is like clubbing: I do not understand why it is fun.** I mean, I am willing to concede that people might think it’s fun, but I do not know why they do. I have submerged myself in jacuzzis, steam rooms, and saunas, and frankly all it did was remind me of the more unpleasant aspects of Africa—running up a fever in hot, humid weather, staggering down the street thinking you’d sell your iPod for an orange as your knees swell up.
The strangest thing about them is the dichotomy of relaxation and total stress. Traditionally, you go to a spa because you are stressed the hell out. However, the people I saw at the spa, for the most part, seemed not to be any more relaxed by the spa—they looked like trying to relax was stressing them out even more. Mom, my sister, and I sat around and laughed at the weirdness of the whole thing and watched the skiers and admired the mountains and read, but there were a lot of people around who looked like relaxing is hard work.
So while the spa was fun, I’m not going to make a habit of it. What I took away was that some people like to sit around in really hot water. Also, I took away a bruise. Remember, kids: when the jacuzzi is on the roof of a ski resort, the water around it turns to ice.
That’s the saddest ski injury I’ve ever gotten.
*I actually tried to go to bed earlier, but it didn’t work, because I had a panic attack, goddammit. Fukitol withdrawal has hit a snag, and I will be calling the doctor first thing tomorrow.
**Perhaps I should simply steer clear of places that are also verbs.
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no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 04:03 am (UTC)I know I have problems relaxing when I think I should be working, but that's because I have somehow managed to combine workaholism and procrastination, which is a sure-fire way to attract stress.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 04:24 am (UTC)Of course, I'm also of the opinion that any spa activity that cannot be performed while reading or sleeping is not worth doing, so.......
no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 05:28 am (UTC)Basically I've been going to hot springs the same way since I was a wee 'un, i.e. hot teeny swimming pools, ooo lookit the bubbles tee hee, floating on my back and looking at the stars, etc. and the pools are always full of old people (middle-aged along with lots of grandparent-aged) ranging from happy-rejuvenated to at least content or meditation-blank. Then again, Taiwan has more of a hot-spring culture, thanks to the Japanese...
no subject
Date: 2009-02-03 01:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 11:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 11:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-14 08:38 am (UTC)