Skiing is good for the soul and the senses. It reeks havoc on the quads, your back, and other out of shape areas and it gives your face an unsightly raccoon look. It is all worth it.

After 4 years of a continuous summer, our wish list included a ski bum holiday. Along, with the perfect ski house, unlimited passes, a hot tub, mountainside ski storage, good friends, cute grandkids and time to soak it all in. Well that is a heck of a wish list — no wonder it took us a few years to make it all work out, but we just finished two months in the town of Frisco, and day after day of powder and blue skies at Copper Mountain.

David skied 33 days and Karen skied 21 days. Even though we had strict rules …. Must be over 20 degrees and not snowing hard, must not be crowded (weekends, ugh) the snow must “feel” right. Which provides an out for every other reason you can think of — boots are tight, oh blame it on the snow.

It was glorious. David skied in his usual style, fast and straight, conquering the entire mountain, in a single day. Always skiing favorite runs and catching the noon groomers on the day he did not get first tracks. Karen had a more studied approach, only greens for a week, then two blues and a green, then three blues and a green, then four blues followed by a cup of coffee and a place to rest. One fall and Karen was done for the day – time to get a massage.

What really matters it was fun. And that is what retirement is all about.