Accidents usually happen at the occurrence of seemingly unrelated things. In my case, it was a dangerous cocktail of inclement weather, poor navigation, an injured knee, and pure laziness! This is how the story went down. I woke up to snow and poor visibility but nonetheless headed straight out. My warm-up run (Copper to Lazy Boy) led me (and my kids) to the slowest lift on the mountain, Gent’s Ridge. On this lift, we had plenty of time to explore our next run. I thought it would be a good idea to check out this area as we weren’t coming back due to a slow lift. My son vehemently objected to the terrain due to the existence of a pretty long catwalk, clearly marked in Purple.

As I took the lead and approached the Catwalk, I yelled to the kids to pick up some speed. I took my own advice, and next thing I knew, I was laying on my back, down the embankment past the catwalk, and out of bounds. I clearly had hit my head as I was a bit dazed and confused. I yelled to the kids that I was all right, and they should meet me at the chairlift (poor choice). Meanwhile, I couldn’t get up to the ridge as it was too steep, the snow was deep, and I was in an unprecedented and excruciating amount of pain. Luckily, after a few minutes of being alone, I flagged down a lone skier who heard me and called ski patrol. Soon after that, I was immobilized, brought up the embankment, driven down the mountain in a sled by snowmobile, loaded into a waiting ambulance, and whisked off to the local hospital for x-rays. Turns out I am fine, or at least I have no visible permanent damage. However, three weeks later, I am still in a significant amount of pain. I guess the combination of being old and the severity of my fall did me in.

This week’s Loupe is dedicated to acting your age. While you don't have to let the old man in, you may have to acknowledge he’s knocking at the door!

RocketBook

Everyone seems to have a different method for keeping notes. It typically is determined by your age. The options include but are not limited to laptop (Gen Z), iPad (Millenials and hip Gen X), iPhone, or even the classic notebook (ok Boomers). Recently I discovered the magic of the RocketBook (thanks to fellow Louper Brett V). This ingenious notebook is a hybrid of all the above. It allows you to take notes with an (erasable) pen. Then you quickly scan the page with an app that not only makes a picture but also converts it to text; unfortunately (or fortunately), I am the son of a doctor and have terrible penmanship! You can easily route the notes to your favorite app, including Evernote, Slack, email, message, or really anywhere. Even better (for you environmentalists like me), this is a sustainable notebook. You can erase the notes quickly on a whim, and you're onto your next meeting! RocketBook allows you to perform at your age while fully utilizing your new technology.

The Living Urn

My ski accident was no joke. Since I began telling my family and friends (really anyone who would listen) what happened, I have heard more and more scary stories (even more terrifying than my own). While I didn't think I was left for dead, I have to admit I was unnerved by the tremendous pain and inability to extricate myself. It was a feeling of helplessness that I wouldn't wish upon anyone, and crazily enough, it got me thinking about my own mortality. This is a dangerous and scary road to go down. For while we know that eventually we are all going to die, the mere thought of it will send us shaking to the therapist's office. This find is for all of you realists out there who know death is inevitable. Not meaning to be overly maudlin, but now I introduce The Living Urn, which is a simple system for dealing with yours (or others) remains ... yes, we're talking cremation (sorry Rabbi). The Living Urn is a bio urn & planting system designed to grow a beautiful, enduring memory tree, plant, or flowers with your loved ones remains. Now for the silver lining, with this system your loved ones (and also your beloved pets) can live forever.

Future File

Ok, now I'm going to be super dramatic. In case of unforeseen death, you need your loved ones to have very important practical information. Thank god for fellow Louper and old friend Carol R. who created Future File. It is a step by step manual to prepare your loved ones when you are no longer here. When the founder, Carol, suddenly and tragically lost her father, the demand seemed obvious for Future File. It is an offline repository for all information loved ones will need to deal with the passing, from medical wishes, to funeral planning, to managing personal affairs and finances. Future File compels you to write down passwords, bank accounts, and a ton of information that you would never think of, like your Facebook account password! This task takes the typical user 4-6 hours, depending upon how much "stuff" you have. Remember, plan for the worst and hope for the best! It's the least you can do for the ones you love.

I apologize for being a drama king (Queen?) or buzz kill, but my ski accident spiraled me to a dark place where my invincibility has been shattered and my true age discovered. So, if Coronavirus or Covid-19 hasn't already sent you down this dark path, consider RocketBook, The Living Urn, and Future File Found.

Thrown for a Loupe!