Lake Powell Prep and Braid Nostalgia

One of our family sports is water skiing. When our busy entrepreneur father had a moment we would head for a nearby lake: Ririe Reservoir, Island Park, or Palisades.

Next week my family is going to Lake Powell. I remember my mother slalom skiing like a pro when she was my age and older. I hope to be as awesome as she. I hope that often.

When you weigh 80 pounds, it takes little arm strength to pop up from the water on a ski. Now that I weigh more than 80 pounds, I will have to drag the lake with me before emerging triumphantly from the water.

In order to prepare for this difficulty, I bought a pull up bar to work on my grip. I can do a 3/4 a real pull up now, 'sigh', but I am improving on my flexed arm hangs (think Presidential Physical Fitness program sponsored by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the eighties-the flexed arm hang was my nemesis).

Since it it is outside my bedroom, I use it every time I walk throught the door. As I tried to show above with me as the photographer, you can swing the bar down and hold it out from the door...like you are water skiing. I imagine myself being pulled in our boat with my family cheering my prowess (okay they probably will not cheer, but that would help me-a lot). Adulation somehow works with me.
Speaking of childhood nostalgia, one of our favorite childhood activities was fixing each other's hair (I have three sisters). We would braid our initials into our hair, and my talented Mom would sew ribbons into our braids-good times.

I braided my own hair this morning (I could only do another's hair until my thirties). I had not done full braids in years either. I was proud of myself for doing a french braid on my own hair. It is backwards from doing it on someone else, and takes arm strength.
Luckily, I have been lifting weights. Who would have known that it would improve my braiding endurance?