Bought a Kindle 2

It's small, it's thin, it's sexy. Rather than an experience, my latest "new thing" really is a thing.

It's my Kindle 2, the latest version of Amazon.com's electronic book reader. It arrived two days ago, and I'm in love. Though I was somewhat skeptical of how much reading I would do on a little computer screen, the Kindle's electronic-ink technology is easy on the eyes. I'm well into Malcom Gladwell's "Outliers" and can't say the reading experience is any different than it would be if I'd be holding a stack of pages. I have the satisfaction of feeling like I'm being eco-friendly, plus, to be honest, I feel quite cool.

Books downloaded in the Kindle (an astonishingly easy process) cost much less than the physical versions, although I wonder if that will change if e-readers take off. You can subscribe to newspapers and download them into the Kindle, but at this point, I prefer to read newspapers' Web editions because of the videos, slide shows and comments sections.

So far I haven't taken my Kindle any father than my bed. But since it's small enough to tuck into my purse, that will change soon. I can't wait to take it on an airplane or to the gym. It's my new favorite toy.

I'm several chapters into Malcom Gladwell's book "Outliers," an investigation into why some people, the outliers of our society, are able to accomplish great things. What I've read so far lends credence to something I've always believed but could never prove: That luck plays an extraordinary role in our lives, that when and where you were born and the kind of people your parents are determines, to a large degree, your path in life.

Here's a quote from "Outliers":

"People don't rise from nothing. We do owe something to parentage and patronage. The people who stand before kings may look like they did it all by themselves. But in fact they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot. It makes a difference where and when we grew up. The culture we belong to and the legacies passed down by our forebears shape the patterns of our achievement in ways we cannot begin to imagine. it's not enough to ask what successful people are like, in other words. It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn't."

Skied in Montana

Blue skies, crisp air with the scent of pine trees, sparkling snow and a well-groomed cross-country ski trail. That's what MacDonald Pass just outside Helena, Montana, offered on the morning of Feb. 16, my 50th birthday. I had a good friend with me as we skied the 4.5-kilometer Old Cabin Loop at a leisurely pace, enjoying the sunshine and mountain views.

I flew to Helena to be with two old college friends and their three children so that I could get a break from all the horrible financial news and to make sure I'd hit the 50-year milestone in warm, loving company. A morning of cross-country skiing was a healthy, positive, fun way to start what I hope will be a healthy, positive, fun year, no matter what I read in the newspapers.

Chinese proverb

If you do not change the way you are going, you will end up in the direction you are going.

Tried Wii

I know what Wii is, but only from observing teenagers using it.

A visit to an old friend in Montana gave me an opportunity to go hands-on. She and her husband have three children under the age of 13 and an enormous Wii-ready entertainment system. One son taught me Mario Karts, a car-racing game I really stunk at. Another son let me try Wii snowboarding. ... and I actually did pretty well. And her daughter tuned me in to Guitar Hero. Again, not so bad.

I've heard that some senior citizen centers are introducing Wii-based activities to keep older people in shape mentally and physically. So since I just turned 50, maybe it's appropriate that I just learned a few Wii games.

Judge a speech-debate contest

Eons ago, the humor columnist Dave Barry wrote about his dismay at boarding an airplane and discovering the pilot was his own age. "I am my own age," he wrote (as best I can remember), "and I would never put a person such as myself in a position of responsibility."

That's how I felt when I served as a judge in a preliminary round of the poetry competition at the Jackson Hole High School Speech and Debate Team's annual tournament. About 200 teenagers from around the state came to the tournament, and there were some 250 judging slots that needed to be filled, so the organizers took all comers, including me.

I wish I could have told the six girls (no boys!) in my poetry round how nervous I was. If the rules hadn't prohibited oral comments by judges, I also would have told them how impressed I was with them and how much I admired their courage. They probably just saw a middle-age woman with a pen in her hand and scorecards on the desk. Their presentations ranged from excellent to average, but the girls themselves all seemed very poised an dedicated to what they're doing. I tried to be very detailed in my comments on the back side of the score cards so that the girls would know what they did well and where they could make improvements.

All in all, it took only two hours of my time. It was a fun "new thing" for me that I hope in some way will benefit the girls.

Knit a hat

Since my first knitting class (one of my earlier "new things,") I've made several new scarves and have started dreaming of bigger things. Like hats, for instance. But hats require scary equipment, like several double-pointed needles, and complex steps, like decreasing stitches.

Enter Jessica, one of the instructors at Knit on Pearl in downtown Jackson, Wyo. In just under three hours last night, four of us knit our first hats under her tutelage. I feel very accomplished.

Next up: a more elaborate hat, maybe a bag.

Sled-Dog Race

I've never seen a dog-sled team race in real life, but because I live in Jackson Hole, the opportunity to do so rolls around once a year. The International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race starts from the Town Square in the heart of downtown Jackson and winds through 11 Wyoming towns before finishing in Park City, Utah. The 2009 race drew 20 racers, most from the U.S. but some from Scotland and Canada as well.

As I watched the start of this year's race, I paid little attention to the human competitors. It's the dogs that are the stars. I expected huskies and malamutes, but these were relatively little guys (and girls), mostly mixed breed and all lean and short-haired. What's most fun to see is how excited they are to run. They seem to really want to race.

All in all, a fun thing to watch.