Russ and I may be getting older and have acquired 15 grandchildren but we sincerely try not to succumb to rocking chairs and the "Lawrence Welk Show" (or whatever the equivalent for our generation) as our nightly routine. A couple of nights ago, Angela called to tell us her family was planning to go ice skating downtown in Dayton and they wanted to know if we would like to go. We had planned to just settle in and watch a movie but were flattered they had invited us and felt it would be a more healthy activity. The temperature was moderately cold and there were enough people to make us feel not alone but not crowded. The rink is in one of Dayton's many "metroparks". There is a little building which houses the rental skates and rest rooms and there are city employees that act as "lifeguards". I realize that is a strange term but I don't know what else to call them. There are always two sturdy-looking youngish people standing somewhere in the rink without skates, ready to help where needed. Russ and I got to the rink a half hour ahead of Angela's family which was a good thing. I spent the time getting re-acquainted with the feeling of push-glide and maintaining balance. Russ had to adjust the size of his skates to allow for the extra socks to keep his feet warm. Of the 3 boys in the family, Tanis (13) was the only one who had ever been on skates and that was many years ago. Scott (Angela's husband) has played hockey in the past so he had his own skates and is pretty confident on the ice. Angela learned to skate on our pond in NY when she was young and still has her own skates. She still has a fluid, graceful motion on skates. Russ likes to try some fancy maneuvers which is what he does when we go swimming, too. Me? I do the same thing I do when we go swimming, too. I just go. I skated around and around and around, trying to feel more comfortable and not look too stiff and awkward. The price to skate is $3 with an additional $2 to rent the skates. That's cheaper than a regular movie at a theater and it's a fun alternative- healthier, too. The adults spent the evening trading off with one boy or another, trying to give tips and steady wobbles and, only occasionally, help up off the ice. They did pretty well. After about an hour, Tanis started having some pain in one of his heels so he got off the ice and took his skate off to investigate. He had a blister which had popped. I hadn't brought my purse and Angela's was locked in her car so Russ went over to one of the "lifeguards" and asked if they had a band-aid. They both started looking through their little waist-packs and came up with a band-aid. Tanis was able to put it on and try skating a little longer.
We struggle sometimes with living in Dayton. There are a lot of things here that we wish were different. The metropark system (one of the best attractions of the area) is great. There are fun and educational activities going on all year round and the parks are generally well-kept and beautiful. (I wouldn't say that about all the city parks, though.) Russ has been able to take whatever Scouts show up (anywhere from 1 to 4) for campouts without going long distances or having to pay fees. The parks even supply the firewood for free! We still don't know whether our house will sell or how long we'll be here, but we can try harder to find the good things about being here. It's bound to help us feel happier.
No comments:
Post a Comment