The End Of Summer

I am 33 years old and I still get the same sad, sinking filling in the pit of my stomach I used to get every Labor Day as a child. Summer is over. It doesn't matter that I am not returning to school, that it is supposed to be in the mid 90's for the next two days or that I'll be heading back to the cabin in two weeks. There is just something ingrained in me (and everybody else I'm sure) from childhood that causes my brain to acknowledge Labor Day as one of the saddest days of the year.


On a happier note I had a lovely holiday weekend with my family at my parents lake home and managed to accomplish one of my summer goals. I can slalom ski again... sort of.

I have been water skiing since I was 5 years old. I learned to slalom when I was 8. For a long time I was a darn good skier. Not as good as my dad, but I could kick up a roster tail that would make a peacock envious. My dad and I always had a little skiing rivalry going when I was growing up. My dad is a great skier and seeing him out there ripping it up always pushed me to do better.


Around 1998 or '99 my skiing started to lag a little. The boat we had was having trouble pulling me up as I got heavier, so I slacked off on the skiing. My dad got a new boat, a fancy competition ski boat , in 2001. It made it easier for me to get up so I started skiing a little bit more. Then, I discovered wake boarding and I pretty much abandoned skiing for the next 3 or 4 years. I would take a run or two ever summer just to prove I could still do it, but each year I got a little worse as I got heavier and more out of shape.

Around 2005 I was horrified to discover I could no longer get up on one ski. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't pull myself out of the water. This was devastating to me. Water skiing used to be one of my great loves. It was something that my whole family bonded over, especially my dad and I. And my gluttony had ruined it.


Some of you may remember earlier this summer I set myself a goal of getting back up on one ski again. This weekend was my last opportunity and I am proud to report Mission Accomplished. My skiing was atrocious and my back hurts like hell, but I did get up and I did manage to take a few cuts. I may give it another go in two weeks, but my real hope is to be in good enough shape next summer to really dive back into skiing again. I miss it.




Tony
9/4: 239 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
19 lbs. to go