Skatin' Legs

Ahh the siren's call of spring. It took its time this year, but finally, we got a nearly 70 degree day. Most people might hear chirping birds or trees swaying in the breeze. I hear a little voice saying, "Skating...go skating."

Remember the scene from On the Fly when Jacey rollerblades around her neighborhood? I've got a public park pathway just like that, and when it's warm enough, you'll find me there. I don't just talk the talk. I can skate the skate. The problem is, the need is so ingrained in me that I always go when it's still not quite warm enough. It really needs to be 72 before I can skate and not get a raw throat and a cough that lasts the rest of the day. I know this. I re-discover it every year. And yet...I'm powerless against the call. You know how some people have dancin' feet? I've got skatin' legs.

They don't give me any choice. They're addicted to the power of gracefully dodging pedestrians. It's kind of like flying without leaving the ground.

You'll notice I wear hockey skates :) This isn't just for the coolness factor. The harder boots provide more ankle support so I can skate my 9 to 12 miles at a time. Today? I was lucky to do 6. It takes some warming up. And sure enough, I got the cough. Every spring I tell myself I'll know better next time, but once I hear the little voice, I'm a lost cause. The legs want what the legs want.