Day 25

Good:

Today we had Lewis' company party up in Park City at the Olympic Park. Now, you might think of me as less of a Utahan with what I'm going to admit to you. From time to time, I forget that SLC actually hosted the winter Olympics. In 2002, I was in a stage of my life where I had two young kids, a husband in school, and not even a second to breathe, let alone relish in our little states "moment of glory." I participated in the Olympic festivities exactly ONE time by heading up to SLC to go and see the Bare Naked Ladies in concert and what I remember more about that night was after I came home and Zach and I got the stomach flu and we laid in my bed and took turns throwing up all night. I guess you could say I really didn't get into the Olympic "spirit." Well......that being said, you can automatically assume that I have never been to the Olympic Park in Park City. Why? I'm not quite sure.....we just haven't. So naturally we were all excited to go up there and spend the day and see what the park had to offer. Plus.....the park was being reserved and so only employees and their families would be there and also......his company paid for everyone to have unlimited rides on the zip line, bob-sleds, alpine slides, bounce houses and so forth. We had a fun day doing a couple of those things. (We wished we could have done more, but the lines were waaaaayyyyy long and plus the age of some of our children limited us.) The very highlight of the night came after the terribly mediocre dinner we had (during which Lewis and I critiqued the catering company and listed the ways in which Burgers Supreme catering could have done a better job. Sorry. But it's true.) when we got to watch the Ariel ski jumpers put on their show. It really was quite amazing and impressive and a good time was had by all especially Braden who cried hysterically when the show was over because he didn't want it to end.....Then he promptly added "Ariel ski jumper" to his list of current career aspirations.....and hung the poster on his wall where he can look at it every day and talk about the day that he gets to become a ski jumper.


Bad:

Only one teensy, tiny little blemish on an otherwise great day occurred when my family was waiting up at the top of the mountain for the chairlift to take us back down. The kids and I rode to up there to see if we could convince Z-man to go down the zip line with Kylie and Dad, but after seeing the height and speed he promptly backed out. (And I don't blame him. His dear old Mother has a fear of heights and only just recently has become better at stepping out of my comfort level.) Well......for some reason they had this wacky rule that would only allow one chair full of people going down at a time. So we had to stand there and wait for the chair to get all the way to the bottom before someone was allowed to load again. Pain in the butt, but oh well. What can I do about it? So I'm standing there trying to be patient and this lady and her child, and what I assume to be the child's grandma get in line behind me. And then the complaints start. "Why do we have to wait in line? Why do we have to only let one chair go at a time." You know.....those sorts of things that really don't matter, yet some people can't help complain about. Pretty soon it's Zach's turn to get on the lift. (I was having him and Braden ride together so that I could ride with Savy, and plus.....I trust Zach implicitly. I had no doubts for Braden's safety.) So I am standing across the way from them and the lift operator (who I'll admit was a total tool) is standing by them and I say, "Could you just help him lift the little guy on there? (referring to Braden)" and he looks at me and says, "Am I allowed to do that? Lift him on there, I mean?"


Well at that moment the chair swings around for them to get on and Zach is trying to lift Braden up and get him on the chair and the chair lift operator (punk) is still humming and hawing over the fact that I asked him to DO HIS JOB and debating whether or not he is "allowed" to help kids on the chairlift because of liability reasons. (Like a said: a total tool.) But that is beside the point, because now the lady that was in line behind me goes into full blown PANIC-MODE and she rushes over to Zach and Braden and plops Braden on the chairlift and tries to get the bar down for them but is too late and the chair just takes off down the mountain. And she screams, at the very top of her lungs behind them...."Hold on to him.....hold on to him. (referring to Braden)" And down the mountain they go. And I am left at the tops to deal with the likes of her.

So she looks over at me and says, "Those weren't your children?" (emphasis on the question, but she knows darn well they were my kids.) "No, they're mine, " I respond. "Well.....you're awfully calm, "she says back to me. "Um yeah. The situation was under control. And you, quite frankly, are stressing ME out.....and I NEVER get stressed." I respond back. Well if that didn't shut her up quickly. But then I overhear this little nugget that the Grandma says to her Grandson...."Don't be scared.....your Mama's going to put you on the lift because she's a good Mom......she won't anything happen to you because she loves you."

Shut.The.Front.Door.
Can you believe the nerve of some people? Here's what I should have said back to her, but hey, I'm non-confrontational:


{Talking to the one and a half year old} "Sure, your Mom's a good Mom, but watch out. She'll probably wipe your butt until your 8. Also, good luck the first time you fall off your bike. And I hope you really love her, because I'm pretty sure she's going to be escorting you to your Senior Prom."

Geesh. Some people.

08.29.09