They keep building up, don't they?
I don't think I'll ever run out of things to rant about. Let me set the scene for you...It snowed last night, as most of you will have realized by the time you read this. Ray and I head to the ski hill. It's promising to be a glorious day. The temperature is about -7 at the top of the hill, and it's noticibly warmer at the bottom. The sun is shining and the new snow is beautifully covering the hill. What could possibly ruin such a wonderful day?
Update! 10 Feb 03 12:04 Check inside
Update! 12 Feb 03 14:55 I was called just now by the sales guy from SportChek and he has found me replacement skis! (more inside)
Update! 15 Feb 03 17:25 I got new skis!
Some of you know that I bought a pair of skis a few weeks back at the huge SportChek sale. I got a fantastic deal on a set of Nordica W65s (only mine were yellow) just because they were last year's model. I had skied on them about 4 times previous to this day and I was loving them. They were my first pair of shape skis and I was getting very comfortable with them.
Well, one fateful run down the hill, I turned rather hard (well, I guess, in retrospect it was hard), and I found that the rear binding on my left ski (which was up until this point found directly behind where my heel is) had lost interest in following me down the mountain and had started to make its own way. The departure of this rather necessary piece of equipment, thus allowed my left foot to move about the slope unfettered.
For the non-skiers reading this, what I have just described is not at all condusive to staying upright. My ski, the rear binding, and I all decided that we'd had enough of each other and continued in our seperate directions. Since the "emergency brakes" of a ski are on the rear binding, the ski without one doesn't exactly stop on its own. Since I am sliding down the hill headfirst on my back, I am in no condition to stop it either. I finally managed to compose myself, dig my ski out of the woods, pick up my now unattached half-binding and continue feebly down the hill on one ski.
This was all before lunch.
Being determined to finish out the day, I went to rent some skis. Rental skis suck. I went from feeling elated at being on the slopes on such a wonderful day, to being distraught and downtrodden. I swore a lot. Ray laughed at me. I swore at Ray.
Meahwhile, back in Halifax...
Remember how I said I got a great deal on those skis? Well here's the problem I have now:
I have a few choices
- Wait to see if SportCheck can come up with another pair of these skis, which may not be possible because they were last year's model.
- Get store credit. But since I got such a great deal, I'd have to chip in some more cash to get a ski of equivalent performance.
- Take the money and run. I'm back where I started and no worse for wear. But I have no skis. I could, of course, use this money to buy skis at another establishment.
Update! 10 Feb 03 12:04 I also feel like ranting about how Cleve's Sporting Goods does not seem to have a website. I mean, come on. Who the hell doesn't have a website in this day and age? All I'm trying to do is look at potential replacement skis and they are one of only two chain stores in Metro that sell downhill skis. There's always Aerobics First, but I haven't yet been able to get there while they're open. I can't even email somebody to complain because they don't appear to have email addresses either. Stupid Cleve's. Does somebody want to bring them into the 21st century?
Update! 12 Feb 03 14:55 I was called just now by the sales guy from SportChek and he has found me replacement skis! They are being couriered from somewhere on the west coast. Unfortunately they probably won't get here in time for the weekend. That sucks, but I suppose it's unavoidable. I will have to take my old skis when I go (hopefully) on Saturday.
Update! 15 Feb 03 17:25 I got new skis! The album of photos of my broken ski has been updated with pics of my new ones.
Originally posted on Saturday, 2003-02-08 at 23:43:11.