Life as the Pencil Sharpener and Skiing

In life there are the people who make art and the people that do not.  I do not.  I am the pencil sharpener.  I was sitting at the kitchen table today after breakfast and I asked Mason to bring the art basket to me.  I then get the pencil basket off the kitchen counter.  I proceeded to sharpen all the pencils, organize erasers, toss old or broken crayons, re balance quantities, etc.  I then went upstairs to email off the last of the tax reports for Heather and her accountant/bookkeeper.  Everything is getting done and tied up nicely.  I remember Marlene saying to me when I had first found out...."I am happy for you that you have this time to get ready and prepare.  That is good for you."  That is because I am the pencil sharpener.  Please don't misunderstand - I am perfectly fine with my role.  It started a long time ago.  I remember in my house growing up we had TONS, if not millions, of pencils and pens, but none of them worked.  I was always perplexed by this.  What I learned was my parents did stuff.  I organized stuff.  It was the same way at school.  I remember on several occasions my teachers telling me to draw a picture, not sort crayons from pencils and sharpen them all for everyone else.  I would then scribble something down and go back to organizing.  I would usually get the head tilt and, "You know Angie, you are quite talented when you apply yourself."  I remember thinking, "I am applying myself.  Do you see this mess?!?!"  I did it at Nordstrom Cafe and the Espresso Bar.  Tom called my the "Space (not outer) Engineer".  Now, I have made a work for myself organizing others.  Heather, my Mom, Shannan, my friends, etc.  Not such a bad thing to apply yourself at - life is messy!  Couple more phone calls and an oil change and I am good to go for Monday!  Now, for the Ski Trip.

Wow, what a great time.  It was so good to go and I am really impressed with my performance.  I haven't done cardio in like FOREVER and I was able to ski and move around pretty well.  There was one time an old guy got me up from a spill in the trees, but that has always happened!  The best part was seeing Mason ski.  OMG.  I had NO idea.  We have sent him to lessons for two years.  Five lesson each year on Friday night.  Grant takes him and goes to the lodge to finish up work and, of course, have his favorite beer on tap.  I couldn't go one year because of the temperature sensitivity in treatment and then this year I was home with Nolan.  The first day skiing he did his lesson in the morning and then skied with me in the afternoon.  We were by ourselves.  He was like, "Mom let's go in the trees and do jumps!"  I was thinking, "Yeah, where is the old guy to help me?!?!?!"  I stayed on the blue runs and Mason went in and out of the trees.  Here are some snipettes (sp) of me talking to him...."No Mason that is the park boundary stay closer to the run..."  "Mason, you are going to ski with your father tomorrow afternoon and, just so you know, Dad will FREAK OUT if you are in the trees that long so talk a lot or something."  "Mason great job!  I had no idea!"  "Keep your speed up so that we can make it to the lift.  Okay, well I am going to make it to the lift.  Meet you there, okay?"  (He is seven.)  "Mason, I am so proud of you."  When I was watching him, I almost started to cry.  I never have wanted to cancer to hold them back and, in this case, it didn't.  All I could think was, "Grant, we did it.  I am so proud of us."  Very close second was seeing Nolan ski.  Last time we were there, it was a nightmare.  My advice no matter what you think and how good you are have someone else teach your child to ski.  Nolan almost completed two levels in three days, so one more lesson in Eager Elephants and he can move up.  And why do you ask did he not complete Eager Elephants?  Well, that is because "he didn't turn enough and follow the line of children".  The teacher said "he needed to work on following directions and listening".  While I would normally agree (it is Nolan we are talking about), after listening to her, I was quite convinced he listened, he just didn't follow. Screw Eager Elephants - BRAVO NOLAN! And then finally, being with friends that I have known for about 20 years, seeing all there kids, pizza competitions - BRAVO Colin and Anne Marie, and just hanging out.  When I hugged them good-bye, I couldn't say much until Robin (Grant's Best Friend) told me to "have fun".  I called him a jackass which is normal and I needed a little normal.  The drive home was long (8 and a half hours).  Mason puked from being car sick.  Bought medicine in Rock Creek.  Ate is Osoyoos, crossed the boarder with Nolan grilling the board patrol on why he needs a passport.  I AM NOT KIDDING.  Stopped twice for gas, one snack, and checked the pass reports because I-90 was getting 6 -8 inches of snow and chains were required on all vehicles except all wheel drive.  We went Stevens.  I drove all the way because Grant's eye flipped out again and I was exhausted when we got home, but you know, I would do it all again - in a heartbeat.  Chemo is Monday - prayers welcome, Ang