The clock clicked over to 12:00am, the start of a new year and for me, the start a new decade. I just turned 30. For whatever reason, I was handling my birthday much better this year than last, which was surprising for me, as I was turning the big 3-0; or as Ben likes to put it, 29ing Out.
So, I was thirty. So what? All my parts and pieces still seemed to work as I deliberately wiggled each of my toes. I don’t feel 30. Maybe 30 is the new 20, maybe staying healthy and active and smiling on a regular basis keeps you young. Maybe having your younger sister call you at 2 hour increments asking you “How do you feel about turning 30 in 7 hours” and responding “Pretty damn good, you had better hope you look this good when you turn 30” helps to lift the spirit. No matter the reason, turning thirty was a blast.
On New Year’s Day (aka my birthday) I woke up to Ben delivering coffee and a muffin to my bedside from my favorite bakery. He had gotten up extra early just to make sure I woke up smiling. He had to work up at Mt. Bachelor and I wanted to do some skate skiing, you we enjoying our hot drinks and make our way up to the hill, in the rain. As we gaining elevation, the rain didn’t seem to be turning to snow, freezing rain, perhaps, but definitely not snow. I dropped Ben at the Sunrise lodge and arrived at the Nordic lodge, only to learn that all my skate-skiing friends had bailed on me for various reasons, mostly due to the weather.
Yes, it was raining, but it was my day and I wanted to skate, so I ventured out alone, not seeing another soul once I got 3km from the lodge. It was wonderful, no one around, finally figuring out how to move along with 5 foot sticks attached to my feet, fresh air, only a little bit of rain. I skated for almost 2 hours and only headed in because of the need for food and water. I headed home and to my surprise, Ben wasn’t too far behind, as the mountain closed early due to high winds. Mom and Mark were expected to arrive in Bend by 3 or 4, so in the mean while, Ben and I took a long walk around town, talking about nothing but life and love and living.
About 4:30 we headed back to the house and Mom and Mark met us there. The visit started fairly normal, but then the surprises began. First, the bike……
