Well, I didn’t skate much this past week because of jury duty, but I made up for it with a marathon session today from 9:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at our club’s ice dance weekend. There were breaks in there for resurfacing and lunch, with an extra break for me after I took a fall and hit my head on the ice (doing a Swing Dance, no less!) I did a stint with an ice pack and have been monitoring myself for any signs of concussion. That is a challenge, because my feelings of cognitive impairment (wah?) and sleepiness (yawn!) right now could well be signs of TMS (Too Much Skating). Hopefully, a bump on the head is the only real consequence, and no pity is needed here (though if folks want to volunteer to bring over dinner for me every night this week, I’m sure I’ll feel really really ever so much better!)

Aside from the occasional whack upside the head, this event was really fun. I saw a lot of people that I haven’t seen in a while, not just from out of town but also from my own club. It was also a kind of wake-up call, skating-wise. I have not been going to social dance sessions, so I was really rusty on some of the compulsory steps. I also am not used to doing multiple patterns of anything!

But more than anything else, I have not been thinking about ice dancing. What, you mean I have to do these skating moves to music? And skate with a partner? Luckily, the sessions were quite crowded, so I didn’t push myself (or anyone else) to the point of lethal exhaustion.

I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed just hanging out watching people skate around having a good time. And the music (even the corny stuff) is infectious. At one point, my friend Harriet and I just stood at the boards singing “Bicycle Built for Two.” Here’s the lyrics in case you want to practice.

Here’s a some pictures from today.

Maybe some of Sonia’s energy will rub off on me. . .

Sonia and her lovely daughter Samantha

Author: Joskates

Don't see me on the ice? I may be in the classroom or at the theater, or hanging out with my family and friends.