Phew!

[mandragora]

Spent a couple of hours this morning searching for my ski gear for my forthcoming skiing holiday. The skis and boots no problem. Ski jacket - check. Well, one of them, Hmm, where did the other go? Thermals - check. Although I thought I had rather more thermal underwear than I could find. Ski socks - yes. But, again, I thought I had more pairs than these. Ski gloves... Hmm, the pair here have a rip in them and didn't I get some new ones last time I went skiing? Ski pants (2 pairs). Er no. I searched. And searched. And then the horrible truth dawned. I have somehow managed to misplace half of my ski-gear. I don't know where it is, but crawling around the loft and emptying out all three wardrobes didn't enable me to find the damn stuff.

So, with a heavy heart I set off to buy some more ski-wear, gritting my teeth against the knowledge that I have perfectly serviceable and still fashionable ski-wear...somewhere. Tried Lillywhites first, on the basis that they're not-too-expensive. But, ugh. It's all crappy. With an even heavier heart I trudge to Covent Garden to the Snow & Rock flagship store. I'd checked their website first and therefore know how horrendously expensive their stuff is. But needs must. I mean, yeah, I could have bought some horrible ski-pants from Lillywhites but anyone who knows me would realise in an instant how big a no-no that is. I know exactly what I want - black, stretch ski pants (just like the 2 pairs I can't find, dammit!). There's only one pair in the shop. One! What are they thinking - I mean it's not exactly post-season. It's only bleeding January.

They're a size larger than I normally wear, but, well, I'm desperate so I think it's worth trying them on. So I do, and they fit. And, oh God, they're a size larger than normal and they fit okay and Christ, how much weight did I put on over Christmas anyway, and I'm so fat!

So I buy them and a new pair of ski-gloves and a rather sweet hat, because the only one I could find from my ski-wear collection is stained and frankly rather manky. And then I go off to buy a birthday present for a friend (battling daleks - hee) but I'm all depressed, depressed, depressed.

Get home, fling ski stuff onto one of the beds and go off to collapse. Hey, Oxford Street on a Saturday afternoon is hell, okay. Ate miniscule dinner. Because I'm so fat. Watch latest SG1 ep download (thoroughly enjoyed it). Then thought I'd better sort the ski-wear out a bit. Pick up the ski-pants, examine them a bit, look at the label inside. And realise that the outside tag (and hanger) had mislabelled the size as being a size bigger than they actually are!

And, God the relief! Because, yes, I am a size larger than I was ten years ago, and yes, I need to lose about a stone in weight (which is just not going to happen without intensive exercise). But I can still fit into the same size ski-pants as those I bought 5 years ago!

Comments

[akaspeedo.livejournal.com]

How big a stone, anyway? (Gets weird mental image.)

Not to be personal, but I didn't think you were fat. I love it when the mislabeling works for me and not against me, though ;)

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

A stone is 14 pounds. Archaic British measurement, but quite convenient when talking about weight.

As for being fat, I think it's all a matter of perspective. I mean, when I was 18, I weighed 98 pounds and I'm painfully aware that I'll never be that weight again, or even close to it. Sigh.

[cyberducks.livejournal.com]

A happy surprise! Now if you could just find the original ski pants too...

The American sizes are driving me bonkers - they are so inconsistent. I am either a size 6, 8, or 10 - depending on the designer, and what state I happen to be located in. And the "Small", "Medium" and "Large" labels are even more stupid - often the "small" pants will be too large, but a "medium" blouse will be a tad to tight in the bust, and the "large" blouse is like a tent. Grrr, I hate clothes shopping.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

you could just find the original ski pants too...

I've since discovered that I lent them to my mother (I'd completely forgotten that, and that I gave her my other skiing jacket). She swears she gave them back, though...

It's not just US sizes that are inconsistent, the same applies to UK sizes, as well. Most annoying.

[saffronra.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday! Hope you had a lovely day :)

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

Thank you kindly. And, I did! :)

[suilven.livejournal.com]

I came across your entry through someone else's journal. Your description of getting ready for your ski holiday amused me no end. Could have written it myself! Wish I was going skiing... :( Have fun though!

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much and I'm sure I will. I'm also glad that I'm not the only one. *g*

[suilven.livejournal.com]

Oh, trust me. You really are not the only one. Only difference is that you seem to be discovering you can't find your kit, in time to go and get some more! I scuba dive as well as ski and I never actuallly know where my kit is. Could be at one end of the country or at the other, or somewhere in between, literally. I never seem to learn that attempting to establish where it is should really occur a month or so before I depart. I usually have some mad dash t the dive shop to get some piece of kit made legal or safe...and so it goes.