Let Me Introduce You To My New Best Friend....

No, I'm not talking about our painter, Mr. Molasses (who is still painting outside). I'm talking about my Mother's Day/Anniversary/Birthday gift from Mr. Snoots this year. I kind of had to beg for it while simultaneously promising to ease up about getting the house on the market, if he'd only get this for me. I've seriously wanted one of these since the company began making them, 26 years ago.

I'm sure that you're just dying to know what it is, right? Well, it's a Skier's Edge (skiing simulator) Machine Toy!!! I call it a toy because you get to have fun while working out on it as well as improving your level of snow skiing skills. It finally arrived today and I'm just beside myself with joy! Lord knows my skiing has suffered in the past 10 years or so due to lack of exercise, especially during winter.

Of course, I've been trying to figure out how to get some exercise without leaving the house, just like I do every year. Forget the fact that Mr. Snoots got me a WiiFit Plus for Christmas. It was far too complicated for me to figure out and I detested having to be reminded of how badly I was out of shape every single time I turned it on. Besides that, I don't like having to do basic exercises standing on a little board (I have terrible balance issues) while listening to weird munchkin voices telling me I'm not doing it right. Also, you can't proceed to the next (fun?) level until you get through the first (boring) one. It's ridiculous and I'll skip a level if I bloody well want to. Well, um, no. The system won't allow that, so of course it ended up in the closet after I totally lost interest.

However, I tried one of these machines once before in Taos, New Mexico at a ski shop. I was instantly smitten with it... Until I saw the price tag. They were actually much more expensive back then. Now, almost every Olympic ski team in the world has these machines for off season training. The PSIA (professional ski instructors of America) is even using them to assist in teaching beginners to ski. The results are tested, tried and true. They also offer a monthly payment plan now, if you can't afford to make entire payment at once.

My favorite part about this Canadian company is that none of their models have ever, nor will they ever, become obsolete. I've never heard of such absurdity. Instead of making their older models obsolete with the presentation of new ones, they opted to offer upgrade kits for all their models, as well as replacement parts. What genius!

Furthermore, the new skis of the 2000's are not like the skis I started on and they are shaped like an hourglass, meaning that in order to carve a turn, you need to know how to use your ski's edges. This is your machine for that. Edging has always been the most difficult part about teaching people to ski... Until now. This great toy teaches you through workouts on the machine. It's almost like osmosis. And, it's FUN! They also offer a 30-day money back guarantee, which only demonstrates how much faith they have in their products.


So, I'm a *Happy Camper* for the time being. Sometimes you just have to figure out alternative ways for doing certain things. I'm willing to be happy and silent (about moving, anyway) while working on our house, as long as I have my lovely new toy. Now, I'm off to have a quick couple of runs down the mountain in my bedroom....


I'd love to say they're paying me for this stellar recommendation, but they have far more important endorsements than I can offer. Check them out if you'd prefer to have fun while losing weight or getting in shape. Even if you don't ski, you'll love it!