A Date with the Dentist

Third dates are always a make it or break it kind of thing. My theory is most "relationships" either end after three dates, three months, or three years. So I figured why not have a third date with a guy I am dating in Chicago out here in Vail?! In honor of this guy's pride and anonymity in case we continue dating, I will impart a Sex and the City guise and hereby refer to him as, Mr. Dentist.

Mr. Dentist had plans to be out in Summit County long before I told him I would be out here, so there's no strange stalker behavior on either of our parts that lead to this third date. On our second date back in Chicago, he asked if I'd like to meet up with him for a day of skiing after we realized that we'd both be out here at the same time. Considering I have a whole lot of nothing planned for my three weeks out here, meeting up to ski with a cute boy I'm dating sounded just what the doctor, er dentist, ordered. Ahh, bad puns never get old!

Anyway, Mr. Dentist and I met up at Mid Vail this morning, and I'll admit to some trepidation on meeting a guy for a third date to ski. For one, I had no idea how good of a skier Mr. Dentist was. Most skiers from the Midwest say they are good skiers, but then in person I've been underwhelmed at best. And on the other hand, I didn't want him to be ridiculously good where I felt intimidated by his skills (read into this statement all you'd like). Next, it was about 5 degrees and snowing like mad which meant lots of layers of clothing, serious snot runnage and a nose as bright as Rudolph. In other words, prime conditions for a flattering third impression. Oh, and to top that off, you get to look forward to meeting his family later in the day if the date goes well.

But we have good news on all fronts: Mr. Dentist is a great skier for Midwest standards, but not too good for me. We skied a full day of runs both in the back bowls as well as the front side of the mountain. The snow didn't let up all day and left us both with some nasty wind burn when we met up with his Mom, Dad and brother. And might I add, that his 60+ year old parents were damn good skiers for any age standards. Good genes are definitely part of the equation here!

Around 4pm after last chair, we went to a bar in Lionshead (one of two base villages in Vail) and I inadvertently ordered a giant 24-oz can of PBR. I'm quite sure his family thought I was a lush because Mommma Dentist, Daddy Dentist and Big Brother Dentist all ordered soda. But I drank it down anyway and think I managed to make a good impression on the whole Dentist family in spite of my PBR oil can.

The only bad news is that at the end of day two my calves are literally so sore that I can't walk without looking like a cripple. It's more like hobbling and I'm not sure if skiing is in my future tomorrow even though we got a good twelve or so new inches of snow today. Good news is, more snow is on the way so it might be time for a yoga/spa day after all!