How to Not Ski in Japan

I am unable to ski this year due to my knee incident in Vietnam (can you hear the sadness in my voice -- not). So I decided to be a good mom and wife and go along to "watch". As usual, things in Japan aren't always how we thought they would be. 

So how do you go and just watch?

1. Get up at 4 am, pack, and load car.
2. Depart at 4:45 am.
3. Drive 2 hours without any issues.
4. Hit toll booth where the ETC lane needs shoveled clear so it takes 15 minutes to pay ¥300 in the one lane open.
5. Drive 1/2 way up a snowy mountain while it snows the biggest flakes Alexis has ever seen.
6. Stop and put on tire chains.
7. Drive 1/4 way up mountain until you reach a car that is stopped in the middle of the one lane mountain road.
8. Spin around and slide back down 1/4 way of mountain.
9. Try again to make it up the mountain.
10. Finally reach the top where there are several huts with ski rentals. NO lodge in sight.
11. Everyone puts on their ski gear, except for Alexis who has none as she was NOT skiing due to her knee injury.
12. Load Alexis, in jeans, crappy gloves, Uggs and no hat, onto a ski lift along with a 10 pound backpack and camera case.
13. Son calms Alexis down, who is deathly afraid of heights, on the 20 minute ski lift ride.
14. Ski lift drops everyone off in the middle of a mountain, with no lodge in sight.
15. Alexis walks through 8 foot snow to a series of buildings carrying 10 pound backpack and camera bag, while wearing jeans, crappy gloves, Uggs and no hat.
16. Said buildings contain tables, approximately 500 Japanese children and someone’s kitchen.
17. While sitting in building Alexis cannot see nor have any idea where her husband, 11 year old and 7 year old are. Camera will remain in bag.
18. Alexis may return home after the spring thaw, as she is not going back down that ski lift.

Highlight of the trip:  The building has free Internet.
Moral of the story:  Be a crappy mom and wife and JUST STAY HOME.