I carpool to work on my tandem bike

Been tossing around the idea of getting rollerblades. I know people still do this, I've seen them. Or maybe ice skates, or both? Actually I haven't laced up a pair of skates since I just got back from Turin, Italy where I took Silver in the Ladies Free Skate Short Program. No wait, that was Sasha Cohen. Honestly, I end up injured with anything I try & do which doesn't involve walking, and even that's a challenge at times. Maybe I'll just stay retired from Rollerblading, Ice Skating, and ...oh, Skiing. It's been a long time since I almost killed myself, 8th grade to be exact. It was a trip to Denver, Colorado with some friends, and for the majority of that time, I spent it on the bunny hill, evading --err, I mean practicing. Eventually giving in to the peer pressure that haunts all teens, I opted to attempt some bigger slopes. Not sure if you're aware of this little nugget, but Mike Mason is afraid of heights...so the entire time UP the ski lift I had to cover my eyes & try not to soil myself. It's funny because I accidentally went down the wrong hill, the skull & crossbones on the sign should've been my first clue that it was too advanced. Believe it or not, I made it down in one piece, had fun, decided to take another run at it. Spoiler alert: this is the point in the story where I almost die. So me & a buddy are waiting for the ski lift to swoop us away, here it comes, on our way up...but wait...the ski attached to my left foot gets stuck in the snow & comes off. My initial thought? "Oh f*%k!" So what are my options here? Just ride the ski lift to the top, then be the only fool on the way down with a bunch of empty lifts? Sure, makes sense. After thinking about for a few seconds, then hesitating, then thinking some more, I decided to go a slightly different route...I bailed.

Moral(s) of the story:

a) Make sure your feet don't get caught in the snow on your way up a ski lift.
b) Don't jump off a ski lift that's already 20 feet in the air.
c) Do what's possible to avoid acting like a complete jackass.


Sincerely,
Mike Mason