It’s been deep winter weather lately and the natives have been restless.
In an effort to stem off an imminent outbreak of cabin fever, I agreed to take Mini Me and a few of her friends roller skating today.
This place, aptly named “Skate City” has not changed a whole lot since 1982….well, at least the smell hasn’t. It hits you as soon as you breech the inner doors. Showbiz Son has described it as the scent of “rubber, broken dreams and tears” The program including the “Hokey Pokey” and the “Limbo” is strangely familiar…I wonder what happened to “shooting the duck?” There are even echoes of the music of my early teens as “Ghostbusters” earned a rousing sing along chorus.
One thing has definitely changed…the afternoon demographic. What used to be heavily populated by tweens dropped off by parents for an only lightly “supervised” afternoon, is now a veritable birthday party factory for 7-9 year olds. Even more unexpected is the inexplicably large number of non skating adult party guests…which results in my being stuck on a bench next to a garbage can dodging the errant cues of ten year old pool sharks on the adjacent table.
Good times! Good times!
Think SPRING Armitageworld!!!
Ancient Armitage 
I think I’d rather be at High Cliff. Though not in your weather.
It’s actually a beautifully sunny 20° day today, but rollerskating was on the docket 🙂
almost warm enough to snow again 🙂
Bite your tongue! 😉
Well said, Showbiz Son…and ALL skating rinks smell like that. 🙂
Ah…a late coming “Chicken Dance” Well, must be good exercise…they’re all sweaty 🙂
Adding to the surreality of the afternoon is that one of Mini Me’s beasties is the daughter of a good friend of mine from HS…we only reconnected when our daughters became friends.
that is a +10 surreality factor …
Anything to stave off cabin fever!
I haven’t been in a skating rink in a long time. Are they still open? 😉
It definitely worked…she passed out like a rock at bedtime! 🙂
sounds like a great way to beat the weather downer 🙂 we didn’t have these but they sound and still look good in your pics 🙂 Here’s crossing fingers and toes the weather warms up soon and fast! 🙂
Even our cat has cabin fever. He goes tearing around the house and really don’t like the outside litter box this time of year. Back to the freezer for tomorrow and Monday, wish the high was at least single plus numbers, come to think about it the freezer is warmer. Big ski race is over so think spring, no cold and no snow.
I have not been to a skating rink in years and only son1 has even gone as a school trip with his old school. Ours is also called “Skate City” but a hour away.
I’m definitely ready for a prolonged thaw, but I’d rather it be cold now than in April 🙂
Or May, still have nightmares of snow in May.
will never forget the time I came home from TX for a friend’s wedding, mid-May, and there were six inches that weekend. Uch.
I went to a friend’s wedding at the beginning of June and it snowed two inches that day. It hasn’t happened since (that I recall.) We’ve had some of our worst storms in April.
LOL. Blast from the past! But you’re right that the crowd has become younger. At the skating rink when I was a teen, the one song you could never escape was Eric Clapton’s “Cocaine.” That might not be the best choice for the “Frozen” crowd! And speaking of Frozen, I feel your pain.
Let’s not forget Billy Squier’s “The Stroke” …
Speaking of Frozen…I was treated to a quartet of Frozen songs on the ride to the rink…accompanied by iPod.
Just listened to Billy Squier a couple days ago on YouTube, not sure way. But a blast from the past night I was having, at midnight. Got to have those once in awhile.
Ha, ha! I will be delighted if I never hear another song from Frozen again!
It’s an afternoon well spent…a little physical activity…set to pop music and flashing lights…goes a long way in late February.
It will be torpid soon enough I think 😉