(no subject)

‘Retarded’ has the basic meaning of “slowed down”. It was, of course, then applied to individuals with developmental (or similar) disorders, and by a near-inevitable process the word got the derived meanings of Stupid, Insane and, finally, “Awesome, especially in an insane or stupid way.” (“This party’s gonna be retarded!”)

So “retarded” is either the most, or the least, appropriate description of the sled run I encountered on Sunday.

It had been built, clearly over some hours, on the slope behind the little park at the top of Munjoy Hill from which it’s possible to see Mt. Washington on a clear day. That, indeed, is what *I* was doing up there in the first place. Anyway, said slope is insanely steep and ends in an embankment. The two guys who built it took advantage of this to start the sled run with a near-vertical bit, which then went SLIGHTLY less precipitous before ending in a massive jump, after which you and your sled landed in a large pile of soft snow so as to avoid breaking your tailbone.

Then it rained on Monday, and yesterday I found out that I’d busted both alternator coils in the car (repair cost: $497), but it was a fun hour…