A Continuance of the Temporary Break

Ski Apparel



Exhibt A: Evelyn

Exhibit B: Jennell

Black is my color on the slopes. Although I have dabbled with some other colors on jackets and headgear over the years, I’ve settled on black. I like black; I am comfortable wearing black; I enjoy the ease of replacing black ski pants with black ski pants, a black coat with a black coat, black gloves with black gloves. My ski hat actually includes gray and white snowflake designs on the band, but I had to upgrade to a helmet when I began skiing with Mishel. (See Appendix below.) Of course, I invested in a black one! However, I did purchase the sea green neck warmer last winter because Mishel was so totally convinced I’d buy the gray one!

Through the years my ski buddies have grumbled about my black attire, which makes me virtually indistinguishable from a myriad of other skiers on the slopes. And, I’ll confess, I’m grateful that my ski buddies prefer color in their ski apparel; their flamboyance eases my search to locate them at the best of times, and especially at the worst of times! Both Mishel and Jennell do the black ski pants thing, but to their credit, Mishel wears a jacket the color of an apple flavored Jolly Rancher and Jennell wears pink! (Exhibit B) When she wanted to find me, Mishel said she looked for a figure in black with red ski boots (the boots I rent from Outdoor Rec. on base have always been red) because the green neck warmer disappeared inside all my black. Jennell has informed me, though, that the red boots don’t really show up that much, and she would like to adorn the top of my helmet with hot pink ribbon streamers.

Appendix:

I began skiing with Mishel my first winter in Japan. Always a thrill seeker, Mishel adores skiing in powder, in trees, and off-piste. Mishel wears a helmet. Two years ago, the first time I skied with her on the island of Hokkaido at Niseko—a resort with this amazing snow that lures all these Australians to come for three-week ski vacations—we rode up on the gondola with two Australians who offered to take us on this way cool track into the powder and the trees and totally off-piste. Mishel was ecstatic and I was nervous. Sure enough, we skied right through a gate on top of a groomed run and into the powder. As the trees loomed into position requiring me to maneuver between them, in addition to managing powder and slope, it dawned on me that I was the only one of the four of us without a helmet. I ordered one from REI immediately upon returning home!

[Mishel transferred to Naples last summer, so this winter I have not engaged in the same types of dare-devil skiing that Mishel had the inclination to initiate!]