Each Snowflake

It Isn't Awkward.... It's Just a Little Weird

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas." I sing as I roll some sugar cookie dough out.

"It's November 1st." My friend Kelsey says.

"Everywhere you go." I sing, ignoring her comment.

"Halloween was yesterday!" She says with her arms up looking around.

"Take a look at the 5 and 10, it's glistening once again."

"Nothing is glistening! There is no snow yet!" She says pointing to the window.

"Shut up," I say. "Soon the bells will starts, and the thing that will make them ring, is the carol that you sing, right within your heart." I sing as I place my flour covered hands on my chest.

"Whatever!" She says. "I give up."

She pinches a piece of dough and places it in her mouth. I start to hum the song while cutting star shaped pieces into the dough,

"Oh I forgot to ask before." Kelsey says.

I look up at her and stop humming.

"So you are taking that one job you applied for, right?" She asks.

"Oh I never told you?" I say as I place my hands on the counter. "I start next week."

"Really? That's awesome! I wish I could have that job."

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited. Except for you know.... the work part" I say.

"What exactly is the work you do though?" she asks.

I look at her with confusion.

"What do you mean.... I'm working at the ski resort."

"No, I know that, it just sounded more like a vacation last time you explained it. So what do you actually do that's work?"

"I kind of just watch after the resort. I can one day be a check in person and then another day be a greeter or something." I say placing the cookies on the baking pan.

"And then another day be skiing the mountains of fresh powder."

"Yeah the benefits are pretty nice."

"Nice? They're amazing! You go live in a fancy resort lodge and when you're not working you get to ski for free! I would kill for that!" She says loudly.

I place the cookies in the oven.

"You should have applied." I say shrugging my shoulders.

****

Today I'm leaving to the ski lodge. I've packed all my things, including my skis. I get in the car. I'm having my dad drive me there because I won't be come back down to the city very much, if at all. The drive up is long. The road has many turns up the canyon. There isn't much snow until we get to a higher altitude, and even at the top it's only about a foot deep. We pass many resorts and empty parking lots before we reach the main lodge. My dad parks close to the entrance.

"Imaging how packed this parking lot will be once the season starts." My dad says as he lifts my bags out the car.

The building is huge. The main entrance is tall and all glass with dark wood pillars. My dad walks in-front of me rolling one of my bags while I have the other one. We enter the lobby and the smell of warm cinnamon and pine enters my lungs. There is leather couches with warm plaid blankets draped over them. There is also a fire place roaring at the other end of the room.

"Hey, I got you!" Says a guy walking backwards toward my father and I.

 He's talking to some other guy at the end of the lobby. As he's walking backwards he hits his right leg on one of the lobby couches. He takes a step left and keeps walking backwards, talking to the other guy.