New Hobby, New Friends

Okay, so one benefit to the snow is the chance to take up new hobbies. Like fishtailing. No wait, snowboarding. I've gone three times this season now, and it keeps getting more fun. Last Saturday, the powder was just awesome. It kept snowing all day and I learned how to link turns, do 360's, and tumble (of course) in the softest powder I've ever experienced. But let us not forget how much time I spend on my butt/shoulder/head/face... sliding/tumbling/skidding down the slope. It's pretty amusing for everyone involved. Oh, and I'm pretty sure I beat Jenn in Slinky status bragging rights.

Here's one picture of the aftermath on our first trip (thanks for the pic, Nick):

No, I do not have prematurely graying hair. Yes, I have since invested in a helmet.

Snowboarding has been fun, and it's largely thanks to the friends with whom I've been learning. Since some of you have asked (great idea, Lara), I might as well take the opportunity to introduce them. Meet James and Nick, two guys I've come to know through work, church, playing cards, and boarding.

That's James on the left and Nick on the right.

I met Nick first through work. He hails from Omaha, Nebraska, so I respect him as a fellow Midwesterner who probably faces more persecution than this Illinoisan. During one of my first weekends here, he took me and a couple coworkers sailing in Puget Sound on his boat, the Midnight Sojourn. Immediate impression: A nice, generous guy with a very cool sailboat.

My next impression of Nick came on his birthday, which he did not spend celebrating, but instead helping multiple friends who were having car trouble that day. He tugged one out of the ditch and provided another with rides to and from the repair shop. Selfless and considerate? Very much so.

Unfortunately, first impressions are often wrong. As I've surely proven to most of you, a nice, refined exterior oftentimes masks an evil bastard within. And yes, such is the case with Nick. He has a wicked sense of humor. And I don't mean wicked as in awesome. I mean wicked...like how you'd describe me. Case in point: A few weekends ago, while snowboarding, I performed a total face-plant on the slopes. I sat up, brushed the snow off my goggles, and saw Nick slowing down to check up on me. Or so I thought. He proceeded to peg me with a snowball as he rode past. I'm pretty sure I heard cackling. The pelting happens on the lift, too, if I should have the misfortune of sitting vulnerable in the lift chair in front of him. I tell you, he's mean.

But I guess that's why I get along with Nebraska Man.

Now, meet James:


Don't let the perspective fool you: James is a giant. This towering Texan was the third enginerd from my company to join our church community group in three weeks (our poor group...). James lives close by, so we've spent more than a few Saturday nights eating dinner, playing cards, and discussing matters of faith, life, and more. He's a man of principle and character, and I hold him in great respect. But, I must confess, that respect comes crashing down whenever I find myself on the receiving end of yet another one of his humiliating pranks or insults. There are just too many to recount. So, yes, he too has a messed up sense of humor and keeps me on my toes in more ways than one.

There he is in the back, suppressing his gag reflex after swallowing the nasty Luna breakfast bar that Nick and I left him (we grabbed the last two non-feminine-nutrition bars). I do not regret our actions that morning. Not one bit.

And there you have it...a quick toast to two of my new friends. Demented and mean as they may be, I am grateful to call them my brothers.

Cheers.

I do, in fact, have more than two friends in Seattle, so you can anticipate (or skip) more introductions in the near future. :)