True Story Tuesday - Orange ya glad I was there?

Time for True Story Tuesday! Join in on all the fun with Rachel and Mr. Daddy at Once Upon A Miracle.

Okay, this is a biggie. One I was saving for a rainy snowy day, and I think this never ending winter is the perfect time to tell of my near death by snow tubing.

Yes, snow tubing.

Our church's youth group had went to Winter Place to go skiing, snowboarding, tubing, etc. I went with the skiers but chickened out and didn't ski, then decided to try my hand at snow tubing. I would like to say it went better, but it didn't! LOL

I kept waiting to try to find my own actual pictures from this lovely event, scan them and use THEM to help tell my story, but I have given up and went to Winter Place's website and google images. Oh well. Come arrest me.

We went to Winter Place. We took a bunch of kids. I was supposed to be an "adult" and help supervise, keep up with kids, offer help, etc. No biggie, right? Right.

First off, I chickened out on the skiing lessons, but I was there as GREAT moral support for everyone else! I came in handy in picking up dropped ski handle thingys, etc. Moving along. Time to go snow tubing.

Surely I can handle this, right? Hop on the tube, hook up to the line, ride up the hill....


See, just like this, only when we were there I only remember one lane. Perhaps they have upgraded because my memory NEVER fails me. *ahem*

My then-boyfriend was also along on the trip, as he was a youth counselor also. He was mister big and brave (SNORT SNORT) and had no problem going down the hill at all. I had slight hesitation. Can you blame me? I'm scared of roller coasters, for Pete's sake.


Well, I opted for the "safe" way to ride, butt down as apposed to belly down, and took off, just seconds after TD.

What a rush! It was great. So glad I did it.

Until this happened: I reached the end and DID NOT STOP and seemingly became froze to my tube because I couldn't roll off either.


My back was to the end of the hill, and I could not judge how fast I was going or even where I was in regards to the DROP OFF straight ahead.


Okay, this isn't actually the drop off, but this is what it FELT like.


I saw trees. Then they cleared. I thought I was good. Nope. I go airborne, hanging on for dear life.

Did I mention there was an interstate directly below me? Yeah. I75 if I am correct.

But thankfully there was something I didn't know about. You saw that right above. Orange safety netting. I am thinking "Alright! I am saved!" Then I think, "Isn't that kind of flimsy?"

I was right in both respects. It saved me, but it was flimsy as well. Like it already had holes in it flimsy. Like my LEG went through one of those holes in it flimsy.


So here I am, hanging with one leg dangling over I75 and one crumpled up under me, screaming at the top of my lungs. By this point, by then-bf TD has noticed I am missing. (Isn't he a doll? I was only gone about FIVE MINUTES!) He asked the guy at the little shack where you are supposed to roll off if you haven't stopped yet if he saw anyone "roll" by lately, and he was like, "Yeah, but I thought YOU would go get her? Didn't you?"

Um, NO he did not. He STILL did not. He did manage in all his panic, bless his heart (snort), to walk to the edge of the drop off while the young, buff ski dude goes OVER THE HILL to PULL ME OUT of the orange mesh from which I hang, yelling for my life as traffic flies by below me.

So Mr. Ski Saviour gets me, the tube and himself up the hill in about 3 seconds flat, and that is all it takes for me to realize that TD KNEW I WAS OVER THE HILL and DID NOT COME GET ME. He claims to this day he didn't know where I was and thought I chickened out, but I don't buy that for a minute! LOL (actually I do, I was just ticked off and embarrassed to death!)

Not only did he NOT come get me, he was UPSET at me because he still was spouting something about the chickening out thing.

Dude, they just pulled me out of a net. I. DID. NOT. CHICKEN. OUT.

Not only did that relationship not last, (we are friends though, despite his lack of ability to rescue me, I just don't put my life in his hands!) I NEVER snow tubed again. Do you blame me? I didn't think so.

Happy Tuesday Everyone!