Slippery Things

We’ve noticed there are a lot of slippery things in life.

Some of them are literal. Some are metaphorical. Some are just mildly embarrassing.

Take soap.

I’ve been making soap for a while now, and it usually turns out pretty well. Nice color. Good scent. Solid bar. The kind of result that lets you think, Yes, I am clearly a competent adult.

But the moment you try making soap as an aspiring soap business owner, things apparently change.

This week I produced what might be the worst batch of soap I’ve ever made.

Wrong color. Odd texture. Not terrible in a hazardous-materials sort of way, just… bad. Bad enough that it will not be sold, gifted, or even used in our own shower.

Apparently soap becomes much more slippery when pride is involved.

Skis, as it turns out, are also slippery.

Last weekend Bob and I went cross-country skiing with friends who are kindly helping us get better at it. They’re also the sort of people who stop often to admire the view, which works out well for us because Bear Lake has a way of distracting you anyway.

At one scenic stop, I took off my skis.

Unfortunately, I was standing at the top of a gentle downhill slope when I did this.

The first ski slipped away slowly, like it had somewhere else to be.

We all watched it glide down the hill.

Then—because I apparently learn through repetition rather than logic—I removed the second ski while standing in the exact same place.

That one slipped away too.

Different direction. Same quiet determination.

Fortunately both skis were stopped by a conveniently placed clump of trees, which may now be my favorite trees in Bear Lake County.

Time is slippery too.

Today is the Sunday after the switch to daylight saving time, a practice that remains completely ridiculous and yet continues to happen every year.

Still, I can’t complain too much.

The evenings are lighter now. The sun hangs around longer. You start to feel like winter might eventually loosen its grip (or we'll transition out of mud season).

Yeah, things were slippery this week.

Soap batches going wrong.

Skis wandering off.

Time jumping forward an hour whether you're ready or not.

Around here we’ve decided the best approach is simple: keep paying attention and try not to stand at the top of a hill while removing important equipment.

It’s a surprisingly useful rule.