I Dred the Sled

It is snowing today which means that I will be nagged immediately upon walking through my door:

Pleeeaaasssee takkeee meeeee sledddddding!!!!

Which in Oak Park means one of two major sledding hills: Barrie Sledding Hill of Ice and Death or the Gently Misled Hills near Ridgeland Common.

I used to be a freak for the sledding, could stay out forever in subzero temps, didn't care if ice made it down my boots and up my legs. The longer and steeper the hill, the better. Now, however, I'm old. Not too old to got to work, not too old to watch Chowder on Cartoon Network, but too old to sled. I want to enjoy sledding, I really do, but last year I'm convinced I cracked a rib on my first run (in 20 years) down the Barrie Park Sled Hill. The boy loved it, wanted to go back up again and again. I somehow made it up and down 10 times or so. At least it was so cold it wore him down enough to be receptive to my bribes of hot chocolate and potato chips INSIDE.

The Barrie Park Sledding Hill is really high, gets really icy, and you can get going extremely fast, especially with one of those fancy Radio Flyer sleds with the rails. When I get home, at least tonight, I'm hoping the snow isn't sticking.