one small step for man...

Today I took my first step onto an ice rink in years. I've been on a curling rink, but not a skating rink. And I haven't been on skates in years.

Inspired by recent games of hockey and thoughts on skating I decided I wanted to at least give skating a try. All I remember about skating is my ankles giving out and falling. Today, I went to an outdoor rink (pictured above) overlooking the river in downtown toon . They offer free use of skates, so it was going to be a cheap experiment.

With the law school BFs by my side, I hit the ice. I'm afraid I may have caused some damage to their hands with the death grip I had going on them. But with their help, I worked my way around and my shuffle was corrected into a push and glide. I was skating! I suddenly felt patriotic.

After a few breaks on some conveniently located benches, and at the prompting of the BFs, I tried skating unaided and made it to the bench. Building on this success, I made it around the rink twice unaided without falling.

Having the sense to quit while I was ahead, I worked my way off the ice and out of my skates. I didn't want to risk spoiling the day's success with a fall.

It went well enough that I want to give it another try. I may never reach the point of being able to play hockey but I hope to be able to at least enjoy skating around the rink.