| This Ain't Just
Meat and Potatoes
13 February 2005
I don't know how anybody could ever be bored on Sunday.
Today is the first day I've had free since New Year's. We've had
a lot going on.
The second week of January I was in Switzerland for the Lithuanian
Ski Championships. I had planned to write an email, and even an
article, about the week, but honestly, it was kinda boring. Crans-Montana
is a sleepy town with not much going on. Our group was spread out
all over town (instead of being all together in one or two hotels)
and there was very little snow so much of the mountain was closed
and the runs that were open were absolutely polluted with rocks.
The one thing Switzerland did have though (besides the rocks), was
a LOT of sun. It was like being in Colorado in March. And for us,
at least for me, coming from damp, dreary Lithuania, that sun was
a God-send. In the end, I would rather a week of no snow and a lot
of sun than lots of snow and cold, cloudy and blustery every day.
I won the GS, but straddled in the first run of SL, at the bottom,
just a couple gates from the finish. I was bummed, but it's cool
in the end. The medals got spread around a little bit, and there
was no overall trophy anyway like we usually have, which is what
I really wanted. Instead, all the winners got giant cowbells.
The best thing to come out of Switzerland are the Lithuanian Eagles.
That is to say, we finally have a little team going, and ever since
we've been back in Lithuania I've been skiing with my kids 2-4 times
per week. I have 5 cool kids between the ages of 5-13. They are
all really good little skiers and very strong, they like racing,
and they want to do more of it. We ski at Liepkalnis, the little
hill in Vilnius. On any given night, me and my little kids are the
best skiers on the mountain. Last wednesday I skied with two little
girls, it's amazing how much fun we had, skiing under the lights
at Liepkalnis. We weren't there 'cause it's a great place to ski,
we were there simply because we love skiing and any place that will
let us slide down the hill with sticks on our feet is good enough
for us.
Which brings me to what I was supposed to be doing today, which
is ski with them, but it was really windy and the lifts (yes, lifts,
they actually have three!) were unfortunately closed at Liepkalnis
so I got a day to sit on the couch and work on the website, and
watch the Germans win the final event of the World Alpine Ski Championships,
which was a new event called the Nations' Team Competition. It was
a great race to watch! The United States ended up one point out
of 3rd place, despite having three skiers not finish.
In the afternoon, as the wind blew outside, I once again out did
myself in the kitchen preparing Beef Bourgogne and herbed mashed
Potatoes With my glass of wine, I sat down on the couch and ate
the best comfort food I could ever imagine, while I listened to
Garrison Kielor relate the news from Lake Wobegone over the internet.
He said through one of his characters, "The death of an old
man is not a tragedy." And how true. I can't imagine a better
way to spend a Sunday evening.
So life carries on in Lithuania. Winter is holding out for a few
more weeks we hope. I want to get the kids to Latvia for a race,
and then with any luck to the Czech Republic. In April, the World
Children's Games will be in Italy and it's possible I could take
one or two of the older kids. I hope everyone is having a great
winter, and remember to relax and enjoy your Sunday. Tomorrow starts
another week!
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