Schmitz On Ice

You know the popular saying,  that driver's license should be taken away from people when they turn 75?   Well I think there should be another unspoken rule about ice skating.  Those who are about to turn 40 should have their skates taken away!  Fine by me,  here's my skates, please take them.

I use to be a pretty good skater.  In fact, when I worked with the AHL in Worcester, MA there were many evenings that the front office crew would sneak into the rink at night an skate around.  Back in the day I was known to play around with a stick and puck, and I must say I had a rather good backhanded slap shot.  But that was 14 years ago.

For some reason the Schmitz decided to head to the ice rink today.  Sounded like a good idea at the time.   Good news is we were able to get Sara to over come her fear of skating.  You see, a year ago we tried to go skating.  Paul took off with Emma, leaving Sara and I to fend for ourselves.   I probably hadn't been on skates in about 8 years, so needless to say I was more then a little rusty.  So I had Sara, wobbling on my skates.  She lost her balance, I went to grab her from falling, Then BAM!   Momma's fat ass land on the ice with Sara on top of me.   Basically, I traumatized Sara and successful cracked my tail-bone!

Today she was a trooper, even though she kept telling us that she would "Never, Ever, skate with Mommy again."   Paul held her hands and took her around the rink again, and again, and again.  She loved it and didn't want to leave.  

Emma tried her independence and did pretty good getting around.  Her style is unique, pigeon toed with her inside ankle bones basically touching the ice. She had a blast.  Then there was me.  Let's just say my kids made me look really, really bad.  I have come to the conclusion that  the older I get the more and more I lose my center of gravity.  Today, I took to the ice clinging to the boards and slowly inched along.  Halfway around I tried to exit at the players box to rest, and what do you know, BOOM!  Down I went.  However,  I wasn't going to let the ice get the better of me.   Right about that time, Sara decide she didn't want her mittens.  Paul laughed at me when I stuck them in my back pockets for extra padding.   Heck, if they would have let me tie a pillow around my butt, I would have.   I  am proud to say that I made it around several times and by the end felt comfortable enough to be a 3 ft distance from the boards.   Perhaps there is still an Ice Skating Championship in my future......NOT!   Can someone please go get me some Bengay?