Six Packets of Sugar, Please!

Well, I thought I'd have a lot to write about after our week in New Mexico, but it was really pretty low-key and uneventful. Don't get me wrong, we had a great time... there's just nothing really crazy to report. Greg, Izzy and I had a great flight to El Paso and a great drive to Ruidoso... Izzy cooperated and actually enjoyed travelling. On the mountain we all did a great job skiing... it took a couple of days for Shelby and I to get the hang of it, but Greg and Jimmy were pro skiers. Jimmy did a great job helping me and Shelby. And even Paw-Paw had a blast skiing... and he didn't break a bone! (I think that's cause he skied at 2 mph!)

Our evenings were spent playing games... we started off with Guesstures, and I found out that Greg would make a great mime. I would have never pictured him as a mime, but he's dang good at charades! He could act out the hardest ones perfectly! It was a close game, but Shelby and I pulled off the win! Next we played a mean hand of Texas Hold-em. Greg was the first one out and I had almost everyone's chips until they realized I was peeking at Bee-Bee's cards! Oops!

Then came the best game of all... Scattergories. There are many things I love about this game:

1. You get to write your answers on little slips of paper.

2. It's like exercise for your brain.

3. You have an opportunity to argue your answer and make the other players see your point of view.

4. It's fun to see what answers other people come up with.

It was especially fun playing with Jimmy, my 14-year-old brother-in-law. Jimmy's answers were so creative and they often sparked challenges. I just loved his answers. We rolled 'M' and the question was 'things in a suit case'. Jimmy's answer: mouth sore medicine. We rolled 'F' with the question 'things you do for leisure'. Jimmy's answer: food sculpting! Some of his other answers included ear medicine, Marriott Park and oval glasses. All very creative!

While Greg had to play the big brother role and give Jimmy a hard time for any and everything he did throughout the trip, I found that I am more like Jimmy than I thought. It was Jimmy and I that constantly pestered everyone to play games each night. And while we played those games Jimmy munched on Dr. Pepper Jelly Belly's and sipped Yoo-Hoo. (I believe I would have traded my glass of Ruidoso Red for that Yoo-Hoo!) We are both dedicated and determined, Jimmy and I. It was Jimmy that encouraged me to keep skiing and to not give up. He even skied in front of me showing me what to do! And Jimmy wasn't the only one that had "creative" answers during Scattergories... I was constantly told to cross out my answers. The real kicker was at breakfast before we left to go back to El Paso. Jimmy and I fixed our coffee at Denny's the same way... 3 or 4 creamers and about 6 packets of sugar! There's nothing wrong with me enjoying that much sugar in my coffee, right? Yeah... whatever!