Plateau on Ice
Posted by Moose on January 4th, 2010. Filed under: Adventures.It isn’t until I go ice skating on a first date and find myself whizzing past monumental Christmas trees and the lights of downtown that I remember I really enjoy moving my meat suit. Don’t do that, by the way. Suggest ice skating for a first date, I mean. It sounds all carefree and adventurous and we’re far too hip (is ice skating hip?) (I suspect not) for a generic cup of coffee date until said date turns out to be uncomfortable on two skinny blades, especially when surrounded by hordes of flailing children. Then it gets awkward.
‘Tis the new year and therefore an excellent time to remember that I am indeed rather athletic, something I opt to ignore in favor of reading books under the covers, accompanied by a wedge of brie. (Brie is tough to get out of flannel.) I’m especially fond of winter sports: skiing and ice skating and anything that will soak through multiple layers to leave you all clammy and more than ready for a revitalizing cup of hot chocolate.
So 2010 is the year I actually take those tennis lessons, return to dance class, and make yoga more of a weekly thing than a monthly-if-I-remember thing. I also want to go on more adventures. See bits of San Francisco I don’t normally visit. I was driving to an appointment today and realized I was driving along one of the most beautiful expanses of coastline in the world. Just in the course of my daily life. Maybe I should get out and see more of what’s right in my immediate vicinity. Then I need to move beyond my immediate vicinity. On my list for this year are Tahoe (skiing!), New York, New Orleans, an island somewhere. I really want to put Spain on the list, but I tend to overdo things.
Looking back at 2009, not much happened in the way of momentous life events. (I mean momentous in a good way. There were a few momentous in a bad way things, but why dwell?) I didn’t fall in love, get engaged, have a child, go back to school, live bravely through polio. It was a plateau year, which felt a bit distressing until I remembered – after a bit of WHY DID I NOT GO DEEP SEA-DIVING hair-rending – that plateaus are often where you gain the skills and the confidence to jump to the next level. And yes, I think I just compared my life to a Mario Bros game.
Everything momentous that happened was internal, rather than external and demonstrable via pretty pictures. (Although there were certainly some pretty pictures.) Some of the most important things I’ve learned this past year: I have a boundless capacity to amuse myself. I’m learning to measure my words and put up boundaries. I’m learning how to love people even when most of me would prefer to spit in their general direction. I’m learning how important exercise and what I eat is to my mental state. In this particular plateau, I’m gained the wisdom and self-knowledge to handle whatever comes with serenity and maybe even grace.
So I think it’s time to boot the plateau out the door and get my 2010 party on. That does it, I’m putting Spain on the list. Perhaps I’ll go somewhere gorgeous and Mosque-y and eat tapas and walk down the streets muttering “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father…” under my breath. Until I get my ass kicked all the way back to Haight Street.
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January 4th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
I cannot believe you don’t consider The Blathering a momentous life event! I am pretty sure it changed the hammocks life FOREVER.
Hee.
January 4th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Tennis and new SF adventures will be much more easily accomplished in (hopefully) three weeks or so when you have a willing neighbor who doesn’t have to commute from Siberia to do any sort of fun endeavor.
(Still no word.)
January 4th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
I was just about to say, now come on, meeting me HAD to be a momentous life event, AM I RIGHT? Also, if you go to New Orleans, let me know. I’m looking for an excuse to go myself.
How was the date, by the way?
January 5th, 2010 at 1:02 am
Still chuckling over that last paragraph.
January 5th, 2010 at 4:22 am
Spain is an amazing country – living in England, I suppose it’s easier to get to so I’ve been about half a dozen times. I love it – wandering around Barcelona, then stopping for tapas, and then shopping for really strange items that you won’t find anywhere else. I hope you get there because it’s a stunning country
January 5th, 2010 at 7:28 am
Hmm. A plateau year. That’s a concept that hadn’t occurred to me, but I like it.
(I think I like the phrase “meat suit” more, though.)
January 5th, 2010 at 7:49 am
I’ve wanted to take tennis lessons ever since I didn’t make the tennis team Freshman year in high school. Why, yes. I did try out for a sport I had never played before. Maybe I will add tennis lessons to my list this year.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
I could not have had a more similar plateau-like year and I wholeheartedly agree that you have to remind yourself that those internal changes are momentous…and they do prepare you take the next step. 2009 was kinda meh, for me at least…but I feel like a bear who just woke up from a long winter’s nap and I’m totally ready to get all crazy on life! Also, if you need a ski buddy in tahoe, do tell — I’m dying to do it again — it’s been years!
January 5th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Elizabeth: That poor hammock. I still feel pangs of regret whenever I think of it. And The Blathering was definitely a momentous event – especially because I didn’t break my back at the same time I broke the hammock.
C & C: Tennis and SF adventures (read: getting lost) are required. Sending good apartment mojo your way. (They sell mojo at Trader Joe’s now. Only they spell it mojoe.) (I kill me.)
Jennie: New Orleans, yes! I think a blogger trip to New Orleans is just what 2010 needs.
Lizzie: You are fueling the Must Get To Spain flame over here.
Sarah: Oh how I wish I could claim credit for the meat suit phrase. I’m certain I read it somewhere and it stuck.
Rhi: I love that you tried out for a sport you’d never played before. That takes big fuzzy balls. Awesome.
Holly: I like the bear analogy. 2010 will feed the cranky grizzly, methinks. And a bloggers’ ski weekend in Tahoe! Yes.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Plateau year…I had a “falling off the plateau” year I suppose…but I am very much looking forward to Mario jumping myself back up and onwards. ;o)
Huzzah for Spain!
xox
January 5th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
If you want to add “Visit LA and let Holly teach you how to ice skate” to the list, we could arrange that. Might make any skating dates you have next Xmas less awkward
January 5th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Holly: I’m actually a pretty decent ice skater – can’t do fancy jumps or anything without gravely endangering my femurs, but I can get around the ice pretty well. Someone should take everything between SF and LA and move it to Wyoming, so we can easily go skating together.
January 5th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Oh the plateau years. I’ve been there, Mooseykins. But you are long overdue for a mountain-top year so I can’t wait to see what you will accomplish in 2010.
Also “live bravely through polio” is my favorite thing you’ve said all year. I give you a week before you top yourself.
January 5th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Sounds like a lovely list. If you’ve bottled that thing that helped you realize the power of exercise, do send some DC way, ok?
January 5th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
I asked Emily. She said that ice skating is, in fact, hip.
January 6th, 2010 at 6:58 am
…..& drink pitchers of Sangria!!! Tell me when you’re going and I’ll meet you!
Am looking forward to following your bumpy (ala un-plateau) year. I think I’ll order one of those too!
http://youmusttakeyourchance.blogspot.com/
January 6th, 2010 at 8:13 am
HNy and keep on that elegant, witty writing, it helps us out there in the webo’sphere. Plateau year was good, better than sloppy year though with these you’ll might hope to go up and not down.
Found you on twitter from some other’s following (can’t racal who; sure from something about books)
about 11000km away salute.
January 6th, 2010 at 8:16 am
Just in case: twas [recall], and I should not trumpet it too much… lazy recall of the good in writing it on word first. Bloody foreigner thing.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
This post made me smile (as did the visual of you jumping to the next level ala Mario Bros.)
New York? Will you be there in August when I’m there too? *Crosses fingers*
January 6th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Ha! I kind of love that the ice skating date was not everything the romantic comedies would have us believe. Although I am sorry it went all awkward on you.
And just think of all the awesome momentous life things yet to come!
January 6th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Honey-Dipped Locusts: I need to go find me a mountain top and sing a little “Hills are Alive” a la Sound of Music sans Nazis. Yes.
Kris: What helped me realize the power of exercise was, I believe, FEAR OF DEATH. (Not for me so much, but for the small children who darted in front of me.)
Ali: Will Emily do my wardrobe next?
Laurie: Ooh, sangria. Hadn’t even thought of that yet.
Jc: Wouldn’t it be nice if blog comments had the same edit function as flickr? It’s saved my behind on any number of typoed occasions.
Jennifer: It’s not, is it? Goddamn Serendipity. I never got John Cusack either. That’s just false advertising.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:50 am
Thank you for summing up in a word what had been bugging me about my 2009. “Plateau” That’s what it was, and I am fully on board with your assessment of how crucial such a year is. I’ve had so many ‘time rushing by, one goal leaping onto the back of another’ years that this year of self-reflection and internal growth felt lacking. But it wasn’t. It wasn’t the most wowey, exciting, shaking up my whole life year, but that’s ok.
I’m ready for 2010 to be full of adventure, too. Can’t wait to read about all of yours
January 17th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
I live in Portland, OR and my group of friends started a group called “Adventure Dates” here and we do one outing a month. The goal is to do things in Portland that we wouldn’t normally do. The events are a surprise, we are just told where to meet and what time and the cost. The first one was to watch an aerial acrobatics show- everyone (boys included) had a great time. My hope is to plan an outing to a Burlesque Show. There’s an idea for you!
January 25th, 2010 at 3:30 am
I’m glad Spain is back on the list. Give me 9 weeks (!!!) to have this baby, get him a passport and we’re good…or, uh, you probably don’t want that.
Give me 9 weeks to have this baby, express a week’s worth of milk and leave him with Barry….
Ha ha ha. Just kidding, baby! He kicked. He doesn’t like it either when I tell him if he comes on his due date I am leaving him the car with his daddy or granny for a couple hours the next day so I can see Peter Gabriel in London. Don’t worry, baby, you’re number 1. I’m not going to be a bad mom, I’m not.