Spring Break Ski Memories! (1)

"Hey son, next week is Spring Break.  What are your plans?"

"I dunno Grandpa, probably just chill at the beach with some friends.

"Well, that seems pretty tame.  Of course, I remember all the Spring Breaks from my college days."

"Uhhh, you went to all those rowdy places like Panama City and South Padre?  Grandpa, I can't really picture you doing that"

"Hey kid, I was young once.  And yes, most of my classmates went off to those warm weather ports for a week of drunken, baccalaurean debauchery.  However, a small, albeit hardy, minority of us cool kids would trek off in the opposite direction towards the ski slopes!"

"And you never had to wonder where to turn to get the grooviest His 'n Her coordinated ski fashions!"

"Where Grandpa?"

"Why the Big Book catalogs from Sears and JCPenney of course. Son, what are you doing on that on that smartphone?"

"I'm looking up ski fashions on the internet.  See Grandpa, no need to lug around those big catalogs anymore."

"Well, son, that may be true.  Still I miss all those Big Book catalogs.  There's something about having everything in one book that was special.  You could find everything you needed to outfit your big ski trip."

"Still, Grandpa, why go skiing on Spring Break?  I mean how did you stay warm?"

"Oh we managed, especially in groovy, goose down liners from JCPenney!

"You could even outfit the entire family for fun on the slopes."

"I don't know Grandpa.  You're telling me that you'd rather miss out on all the 'sizzlin' by the shore' bikini action at the beaches in order to go skiing?"

"Well, son, the beach scene is great, but there were plenty of cute gals on the slopes as well."

Back at the chalet, all is well.  Very, very, well.....

A sampling of the, ahem, wildlife inhabiting the upper reaches of the Mid-Rocky Mountain region of the USA (eat your hearts out beach bums!) (2)

Hey, is that Kathy on the left?!?!?!  Wow! (3)

"I see what you mean Grandpa.  But skiing is such hard work.  Wouldn't you rather just lay out in the sun?"

"Yes son, skiing involves, well how do I delicately put this, actually physical exertion.  I know that concept is almost anathema to your generation. Basically we skied our behinds off the first day.  That reduced our muscles to a quivering, lumpen mass of jello.  We'd then spend the rest of week trying to recover."

"And that is supposed to be fun?  yeah right."

"Well, we cheated sometimes.  A snowmobile ride was a great way to rest the body and have a blast, especially with that special someone."

"Grandpa, why are you smiling?  GRANDPA!"

"Oh sorry, I sorta wandered off there.  I was just reminiscing about the 'apres ski.'"

"Apricot what?"

"No, no, 'apres ski'.  That was sorta the whole point about going skiing in the first place!  The slopes were great, but it was what was waiting for you back at the lodge that mattered."

"Ohhh, I think I understand now Grandpa.  I do believe that I'll try skiing next Spring Break!" (4)


footnotes:

(1)  This post started out as a "Fashion as Couples Therapy" post, but it sort took on a life of its own.

(2)  Re-blogged from styleandthestartup.com

(3)  If anyone can confirm whether this is, indeed, Kathy or not, please let me know.  The year is right (1972) and it sure looks like her!  The pic is from a Conde Nast magazine.  Re-blogged form poppygall.com

(4)  Re-blogged from fourties-fifties-sixties-love.com