Elyse's Laces

     I'd done my homework, I'd tried on a few pairs of skates, and I was sold on a pair of lilac size 8 Jackson Finesse quads.  It's a big decision!!  So I gave myself a week to mull it over.     The next Monday, I rented as usual, and a few laps after the lesson, I went to the skate shop.  I tried my pair again.  I was happy they had the same pair, but the toe box felt surprisingly roomy, given my bunion on each foot and difficulty buying shoes in general.  I asked to try a size down, just in case.  The shop manager only had size 7 in pink, so I tried that.        I did the carpet-version of skating (and was told, "maybe don't use your arms so much," which made me joke about that Seinfeld episode where the woman doesn't swing her arms when she walks, but seriously, I need momentum to move on the carpet!) but immediately felt the discomfort around the middle of both feet.  The skates were too tight....

     In my excitement for my newfound hobby, my boyfriend Wayne suggested I connect with friends of his who he knew skated as well.  He remembered one friend used her inline skates during run club, so we messaged back and forth about going skating!  I mentioned that Wayne had told me she did figure skating, and she told me she had an extra pair of skates for me to try before I bought my own pair (I had bought my own by the time we saw each other--I couldn't wait)!        She was on vacation when we started talking, so our plans were a long time coming.  I was curious when she suggested a rink that was pretty out of the way from both of us.  As the day got closer, I looked it up to see how far it would be, and realized it was an ICE SKATING rink.  I scrolled back through our texts and realized I’d never typed “roller” before the word “skates.” It was totally my blunder, and actually a pretty funny misunderstanding.   ...

 I was busy between my first Newbie Night and my next!  Busy  recovering from various aches and pains (sore hip flexors and a blister under my right big toe), and  ordering padding for all my joints so I would be less afraid of falling in the rink.  Turns out knee pads usually come in a set that includes elbow pads and wrist guards.  (The rink provides wrist guards, in fact they're required if you're renting their skates!)        Each different company I found on Amazon had different measurements that yielded different sizes.  What I mean to say is, there was no universal sizing among these different companies.  I was annoyed because I usually wear a small or medium in clothing, however I seemed to be abnormally large in my thigh measurements (I really don't think I am) and had to go with the largest of every size offered in 3 different companies before I could find a set that fit me comfortably!  Maybe they're SUPPOS...