Oyomesan powertrip.

My old self came back today.
I did it all - and then some.


Got up at 7 am (well actually 3 am at first because I thought it was dawn already)....anyway...Yujiro was off before 7 am to ski teach, I was up and out the door by 8 am with my skis, walked to the subway station, took the subway to Makomonai and then the bus to the Moiwa Ski Area - this is Sapporo's real backyard ski area.
Full of grandparents in decades old brightly-colored ski wear and kids, all shouting instructions and screaming, various ski lessons for kids and ancient people skiing ever-so-slowly-and-carefully. I like Moiwa actually. The lifts are old and cranky, the views over the city great and it all feels local. There are animal tracks in the snow and it's where generations of Sapporo people have learned to ski.
I did 90 minutes of runs, getting more and more confident in my knee power and ability. Three years really of not skiing at the level I used to, so much to get back to. :-)


I finished about 10.30 and as I couldn't find a taxi and the bus driver told me he was returning to the bus parking area and couldn't take a passenger...I walked and dragged my ski bag and finally found a taxi down the hill and home.
Showered and changed for work, put together Okaasan's lunch and served it to her, then went to work for my last class of the year. Tidied up the classroom, took down all the Christmas decorations, put up a bit of Japanese stuff - it is dragon year and someone gave me dragon ornaments - and then...went to the gym!!!
Talk about Power! Only did 30 mins. But still. I feel SO GOOD that my body power is coming back to something like normal. So much of my early stress with Okaasan was because I was injured too and I couldn't get OUT of the house and get away to let off stream...she arrived...and 4 months later I injured my knee and couldn't even walk to the local supermarket.


Now? Ski/work/gym - all on the same day.


And then I took the subway home...and cleared 10 cm of snow from the parking area.


Maybe enough!


Bit of an incoming missile in the evening though: Yujiro got a call from the ski school making a probable booking for December 31, January 1, 2 and 3 at Kiroro...the big ski resort up in the mountains above Otaru. He COULD drive back and forth every day, but it would add a 3 hour drive onto the working day...so he usually stays at the ski school lodge.


My heart sank. New Year's Eve alone with Okaasan. Three nights alone with Okaasan.


;-(


I don't mind HIM going, that's just the downside of sharing life with someone who needs to work when everyone else is on holiday...policemen/firemen/medical staff/shop staff...everyone does it...but...3 nights with Okaasan...and December 31 in Japan is a big deal....special food, symbolic stuff.


Not happy. We've chewed it over. Latest thought is that I'll go and get him after the New Year's Eve ski work and bring him home for all the special food etc with Okaasan - and then January 1st drive with him back to the ski area and ski myself that day. A few years ago he and I used to  escape the whole Japanese New Year Thing by going skiing...so maybe I can do that.


And only have 2 nights with Okaasan.
Compromise maybe.
I've ordered up a box of special New Year food and it really needs three of us to eat the stuff.


Okaasan didn't go out again today so she didn't buy anything....the  fridge and its contents are still controllable.