I always find the Olympics tearfully inspiring. It's not so much the frillier events, such as the ice skating, or even half pipe, but the all-out endurance races such as cross-country relays and speed skating. The athletes' tight aerodynamic clothes reveal bodies specialized for long range propulsion and speed.

Turn off the asinine commentary and just watch them go.

Partly because of the excitement of the Olympics, but mostly because the full-time portion of that wretched job finally ended, I really wanted to go snowboarding this weekend. This is one of those activities I've wanted to try for a long time but never seem to get around to doing because of the cost and the dread of starting all over again. It's easier just to stay in the comfortable proficiency of being a downhill skier. It turns out it's exceptionally easy to get started and lessons for absolute beginners are cheap and available on short notice. Yesterday we ran around getting gear together and then headed to Snoqualmie in time for a 7pm lesson. No one wants nighttime lessons, it seems, so Andrew and I had the instructor to ourselves.

It's such a strange contradiction to be comfortable on the snow and with speed but to rediscover every few seconds that I don't have control. I felt no trepidation and fell a lot on the hard-packed surface. After two hours I was bruised, exhausted, and cold. Today my knees and palms are dark purple but I feel really strong.

I remember my first day of skiing in ski school when I was 15. Now that was a bad day! I cried from frustration and dreaded returning the next week. But I'm a much better athlete now. I have much more patience, better balance, and I'm in better shape. I learn things faster and with more success, and I recover faster than I did when I was younger. There's so much propaganda in our culture that learning is best achieved by youth that even I'm surprised that, no matter what it is, I learn better now than I did then.

Today I bought wrist and knee guards for next time.