Circles of Love

The snowstorm that forced me to spend an extra night at my girlfriend's parents' house wasn't bad enough to keep my girlfriend home from work. Result: I had a whole day to spend with . . . her mother.

At breakfast, her mother spoke in rapturous tones about the joys of cross-country skiing. When I confessed that I'd never tried it, she was incredulous. "I can't believe that! You've gotta try it!"

I said, "I'm sure I'll get around to it one of these days."

"That's right! Today! I've got a pair in the garage. What size shoe are you?"

I really wanted to go back to bed, but a girlfriend's mother is someone you do not disappoint. So before long, my girlfriend was at work and I was outside, skiing in circles around the house. And around. And around. Every so often I'd start to ski back toward the house. Then I'd look to the window and see "Mom" grinning and waving at me between the curtains. I'd respond with a mock-enthusiastic smile, raise my snow-dusted glove in salute, and slog back to the well-worn path I'd created.

Finally, after a few hours of this mind- (and finger-) numbing repetition, I figured my dues had been paid. I headed in, thanking "Mom" for awakening me to the joys of skiing in circles. Soon my girlfriend got home from work.

"I hope my mom wasn't too annoying."

"No, of course not! We had a lot of fun."

And later, when my girlfriend found out how accommodating I'd actually been, we had a lot of fun too.

| Where Did Our Love Gogh?| Under Where?| Thank Heaven for Little Girls| Doing the Right Wrong Thing| Aw, Shoot| Submitted for Approval| Liar, Liar| All Night Long| Hello, Sailor| Sign of the Times| Queasy Rider| Tripping the Lights| Bar Fright| Circles of Love|