Elyse's Laces

    It was Monday, and my first Newbie Night!  After meeting my friends for a quick bite, we headed to the rink.  I pulled up my waiver from my email to show at the front desk, then paid my $15 (for the lesson, skate rental, and rink time), and received a wrist band.  We gave the man behind the skate counter our sizes, and I learned that all rentals are in men's sizes.  The general rule for women is to pick one size down from your normal shoe size.   My skates for the night.      There are no half sizes, so you have to go with your gut, or try on different pairs.  For example, I'm a shoe size 7.5 and chose a skate size 6, which would be the equivalent of 7 (there will be a test on this later).  I didn't notice until I had already laced up that there is a mat on the floor with outlines of shoes and the number of their size, which you just step on to make your decision easier.  We rented one locker for our belongings, a...

    I wasn't always afraid of roller skating.  I remember enjoying birthday parties at the rink where they'd give us glow necklaces and pizza, and later, in high school, going on weekends with my best friend when we didn't have anything else to do.  I'd always choose the quads (a term I only recently learned) over the inline skates because I liked the look.        The last time I'd gone skating was a few years ago at a friend's 40th birthday party.  I remember having to sign a waiver before I was allowed in.  This was new.  This was off-putting.  They recommended NOT skating if you didn't have health insurance (I was starting a new job and my health insurance hadn't kicked in yet).  I wondered if I should even rent skates.      Well of course I did, but I was terrified, and suddenly quite proud of my younger self for being so adventurous.  I cautiously made it around the rink within arm's reach of ...