Icecapades

I am a creature of habit. So it can be easy to fall into a rut. My husband and I have fallen into a bit of a rut as far as the things we get out and do together. So last week I decided to take us on a different date than any of our usuals.

I decided, being that it is so hot, to take us ice skating at the Galleria. The last time we went skating was during the '98 Winter Olympics, after watching figure skating and thinking we needed to get out there and work on our triple lutzes. The Olympians made it look easy. Mostly what I remember about that particular skating session was falling and slamming the back of my head on the ice which caused a headache that lasted for hours. Possibly days.

Well, the Olympics just started, so it seemed like the right time to go back for more. Although, it's the Summer Olympics this time. And none of them are skating. But I thought skating sounded more fun than gymnastics. This time, I wasn't under any false impressions that skating would be easy. I just wanted to skate. Forward. And upright. It's been about decade since either Fermin or I got out on the ice.

I didn't tell him what I had planned. I started to feel a little nervous on the drive over, worried he might think my idea was stupid. He kept guessing what I had planned. Eventually, as we neared the mall, he guessed...Ice skating. He seemed not all that excited, but not too miffed either. He did, however say, "But I don't have socks." And I said, "Oh, yes. You do. I handled it."

We were on our way! When we went up to rent our skates, Fermin asked when the Zamboni was going to clean the ice. We decided to eat at Mi Cocina first, while we watched our competition skate for a while before the ice got wiped fresh and clean.

About 90% of our competition consisted of kids under the age of ten. This made me nervous.

But since we didn't start skating until about 9pm, at least some of the youngest skaters had cleared off and gone home to bed.

We were sort of vulnerable together as we started out. Altho I was, at first, "on the rail", Fermin encouraged me to turn loose. And I did! The longer I skated, the more steady I felt. I even got bold enough to grab Fermin's hand when I heard the Beatles singing "I Want to Hold Your Hand." Had there been a couple skate like in the good ol' days, who knows what might've happened.

No falls, no headaches- and no triple lutzes either. Just a really fun, non-rut date on a hot summer night!