It's the first real snow and usually at this time I would be putting on my gloves and head down to the Oak Park hill to go sledding. Our pants would turn to pure ice and noses so cold they were numb. The Oak Park Hill was the place to be when school was called off or it was the weekend. One time Debbie Kamber and I didn't have a sled. We went to Hardee's, stole a tray and slid down the hill countless times. It really didn't matter if you had a sled or not. Once you got to the hill there were so many people you were friends with - you could use theirs.
We would slide down the hill and if the conditions were right you could coast to damn near the putt-putt course. Climbing up the hill wasn't fun. If you didn't have the right grip on your boots it would take forever to get back up.
The middle of the hill would always have an ice slick. Not many people went down this part of the hill because there was usually a hole in the middle. If you went down you would surely fly out of your sled and bust your head coming down. I know...I've seen it happen.
Walking home from the hill was no fun. After being in the cold for 6 hours, wet, nose running, tired, hungry and frozen we would have to take our clothes off at the door. My skin would be red. I couldn't feel my legs. My hair wet. I would get in the shower and defrost. It would take 3 days for my boots to dry.
I miss that hill and sledding. When I drive by the hill it isn't so big anymore. I would love to sled down it now for old times sake. I doubt my ass would fit on a Hardee's tray.
2 comments:
You didn't have to steal a tray form Arby's. You could have asked Alisa's tall, dreamy friend to give you one. I hear he went there a lot.
I went to the public golf course on Huron Parkway in Ann Arbor to sled when I was a kid. The hill there is about as long as two footbal fields.
Sledding down the Oak Park Hill was the bomb!
And yes, I'm sure my ex-"dreamboat" has a bunch of Arby's trays stashed somewhere. Why don't you give him a call?
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