cric_au_loin cr0wl i was going on an hour break from coaching children's ski school at seven springs mountain resort, when i opened the door of the private lounge for snowsports instructors and pleasantly encountered the steely gaze of a female snowboard instructor. she was by herself watching the film, "red road" on amc and reading alpine magazine. she immediately engaged me in conversation the seconds our eyes met. it wasn't like i even wanted to look her in the eye, it as if i was yanked by a magnetic cable buzzing with solar energy. she said "hello" as if she knew me. instantly i caught a hint of an accent, which seemed british at first but the more she spoke, i could sense more of the kiwi. she actually told me later, flatout she was from new zealand. i suppose we've encountered each one's presence before in the unisex locker room, but just never talked. i know i've seen her at her locker getting dressed. she's off to my left about twelve feet away. next to krash, the man with a small chin tattoo, shaved head and piercings. i once interviewed him for a snowboarding film that my daughter greta made when she was fifteen. she went on to become the school's best female instructor, winning the red hat award for most lessons taught. anyway, this girl in the lounge told me the film was mafia related. i told her i had been in the lounge on tuesday to watch the inaugaration and was surprised i was all alone. i remember the blunder when barack was doing the oath and fell asleep during the middle of his speech...i get exhausted out there in the frigid cold. but i did wake up for the last part and it made me cry when he talked about "possessing the willingness to find meaning in something more than ourselves." especially when they flashed to an image of a young african-american boy in the crowd shedding real tears. obama! anyway, she told me she had seen the parade and then asked if i was busy. i told her how crazy busy we are. she watched me bring out the graphic novel from my lime green patagonia bag that i am working on and she spontaneously asked if i was studying. i tried to explain what i was working on, but stumbled miserably like i had pebbles in my mouth or all my teeth were falling out. she told me her father, who she was recently reunited with, wrote a book similar to mine, that is a semi/quaisi-autobiographical transfer of one life into another in a parallel fantasy world. 090121 ... cr0wl she smiled a lot and seemed to blush when she talked about her dad and my book. i told her how greta and i are collaborating on a story which she is going to turn in as her senior film thesis which will show on the big screen in nyc sometime in may 2010. 090121 ... cr0wl in a bizrre twinge of synchronicity, she said she had attended film school in auckland and that it was her intention as well to make a film of her dad's book...we exchanged a glance where words were unecessary as if we just had to swallow our exchange, permit the tastes and textures of nuance to stimulate our characters and simply go on to what would come after. she had a lesson to teach and told me it was good talking with me. i put pen to paper and began drawing rillian. 090122 ... cr0wl we also chatted amicably about roku. she didn't know about it but easily understood the concept and admired me for having it. streaming dvds and watching them on demand. today we basically ran into each other while our lessons were going on. she smiled and shook my hand even though i was asking her for five. we didn't have time to talk. 090122 ... cr0wl i remember she told me how important it is to make something that you can leave behind. something that contains your passion for the life you were freely bestowed. it makes me weep when i think that life is a gift. we were given and now we give it. 090123 ... cr0wl she was at her locker when i was preparing to leave. it was an exhausting day...five lessons, no lunch. she shared a similar story of being wiped out and told me she would bring her son to our school on tuesday. would i teach him, she asked. i would love to teach your son. then she pulled from our initial meeting and tried to explain her father's book to me. i said i'd bring my story in for her to look at. i'm not a very good reader she said. 090123 ... cr0wl she also told me her son's birthday was last saturday which turns out to be the same day as my middle daughter. i couldn't help but point out another way our lives were paralleled. she smiled and agreed. 090123 what's it to you? who go blather from