Last week I went north to snow for two days. I alternated skiing fast by myself, and not-so-fast with my sisters. It was a good trip. I was able to skate ski on proper equipment for the first time. It will take a while to get used to the new style. It is easy to go fast, but I use too much energy in the process. After a couple hours, I was much more efficient—and tired—than when I started. My inline- and ice-skating experience probably helped. Until I hit the uphills. I could take the hills faster on classic skis than skating. I bought a pair of Atomic skate skis. They aren't race skis, but they should be good to learn technique. I also bought a clearance pair of classic skis. They also aren't race skis, but are much faster than my old skis. Now I need to build a waxing bench. It is snowing now, so I hope to get some more practice soon.

Oh yeah, the mandatory “Happy New Year!”