Flow in Chicago
I was planning to travel to Chicago with friends in order to go skating. I ended up going by myself. And it was a blast!
Friday night: Went skating in Glenwood, a southern suburb. The crowd was as it was the only other time I've skated in Chicago. Fast, skilled, fun. The music was heavy beat. I met several people who were very friendly to me. I was one of two white people in the place. I blew some away with my Big Wheel. I've seen people Big Wheel there, but they don't sway the way I do, or get their feet way apart the way we would in San Diego. I had a total blast. One woman gave me an invitation to a skate party the next day.... supposedly the crowd that night was light because of the party. She said it was going to be packed, but I would be OK because I was good on my skates. She also has a boyfriend here in MN, and wants to be in email contact to find out where to skate here, so perhaps I'll see her at my local roller rink one day! Small world.....
Saturday: Had a few hours to kill between hotel checkout and the skate party, so I saw Transporter 3. Hubba hubba! Jason Statham takes his shirt off several times during the movie, and he really has an amazing back. Yeah, and chest too, but the back, oh my! Quite a bit of fun there.
Went to the skate party in Richton and there were between 150 and 200 people there. Amazingly fast crowd. Again, I met many people and received many compliments on my style. I loved the music. They just don't play that kind of stuff at home here. My legs were tired when I left. I had an hour drive to get to my hotel for the night.
Went to the Midnight Ramble at the Orbit in Palatine and it was dead. Only ten of us there. But it was a beautiful rink! Huge and amazing floor. It was nice to not have to pay attention to anyone else, to just do what I wanted wherever. But I did miss the crowd I was hoping to see. There was Midnight Ramble at another rink, but it was 45 minutes away, in the 'hood, and my friend had warned me to be careful what I said there. Not to let people know I was out of state and alone. In fact, best not to go alone. That's the rink Terry and I visited in August, so I understood what he meant. We didn't have any problem, but do I really want to drive in there at midnight, alone, with a nice car and out of state plates? I decided to let him show me that Ramble the next time I go to Chicago. That's where all the seriously crazy hardcore skaters go.
All in all, I spent 8 hours in three rinks in a 28 hour span. I usually spend 4 hours a week. I expected to not be able to walk Sunday. And yet, turns out I wasn't sore at all, just tired.
Sunday: Met up with a friend for excellent conversation and a trip to a gem and crystal sale. Bought malachite, chalcedony quartz, and amethyst, as well as something else pretty. She had a collection of Young Living Oils that is larger than mine, so I had fun smelling several and making a list of "the next to buy." Then met up with another friend who put me up for the night. He had an amazing place, filled with plants and stones and art and statues. Lots to look at. The kind of place where you're sitting on the toilet and something catches your eye, and you're like "well, look at that!" I slept long there, which was good as I was lacking on sleep at that point and fighting off a cold.
Monday: Drove home through rain and sleet and snow. Made it home without any scary moments, and proceeded to babble at Terry about my weekend. As usual, he didn't get to say much, so it's only now, after he's sleeping, that I catch up online and see that he did go see Bruce Campbell this weekend. Sweet! I shall have to ask him about that. :) But I wasn't home for long. My friend who was supposed to go to Chicago with me needed a favor. I was lined up to help already, we just didn't know it would have to be today. He had left a car in Bloomington that needed to be moved before a heavy snow. And it barely runs. So I spent over three hours picking him up, driving him *slowly* on not plowed highways to his car, making it drivable, and then following him at about 18 mph from 90th in Bloomington all the way to Broadway in North Minneapolis. Whoo! You know, I don't think I've ever followed Lyndale Ave for that far. The tortured path it follows around downtown, I'm amazed they call it the same road. After seeing him home, we then got my car stuck in his alley and had to try to shovel it out. We got a laugh out of that. I eventually just reversed it out.
It's been a long day of snow. It's been a fun weekend all around.
Friday night: Went skating in Glenwood, a southern suburb. The crowd was as it was the only other time I've skated in Chicago. Fast, skilled, fun. The music was heavy beat. I met several people who were very friendly to me. I was one of two white people in the place. I blew some away with my Big Wheel. I've seen people Big Wheel there, but they don't sway the way I do, or get their feet way apart the way we would in San Diego. I had a total blast. One woman gave me an invitation to a skate party the next day.... supposedly the crowd that night was light because of the party. She said it was going to be packed, but I would be OK because I was good on my skates. She also has a boyfriend here in MN, and wants to be in email contact to find out where to skate here, so perhaps I'll see her at my local roller rink one day! Small world.....
Saturday: Had a few hours to kill between hotel checkout and the skate party, so I saw Transporter 3. Hubba hubba! Jason Statham takes his shirt off several times during the movie, and he really has an amazing back. Yeah, and chest too, but the back, oh my! Quite a bit of fun there.
Went to the skate party in Richton and there were between 150 and 200 people there. Amazingly fast crowd. Again, I met many people and received many compliments on my style. I loved the music. They just don't play that kind of stuff at home here. My legs were tired when I left. I had an hour drive to get to my hotel for the night.
Went to the Midnight Ramble at the Orbit in Palatine and it was dead. Only ten of us there. But it was a beautiful rink! Huge and amazing floor. It was nice to not have to pay attention to anyone else, to just do what I wanted wherever. But I did miss the crowd I was hoping to see. There was Midnight Ramble at another rink, but it was 45 minutes away, in the 'hood, and my friend had warned me to be careful what I said there. Not to let people know I was out of state and alone. In fact, best not to go alone. That's the rink Terry and I visited in August, so I understood what he meant. We didn't have any problem, but do I really want to drive in there at midnight, alone, with a nice car and out of state plates? I decided to let him show me that Ramble the next time I go to Chicago. That's where all the seriously crazy hardcore skaters go.
All in all, I spent 8 hours in three rinks in a 28 hour span. I usually spend 4 hours a week. I expected to not be able to walk Sunday. And yet, turns out I wasn't sore at all, just tired.
Sunday: Met up with a friend for excellent conversation and a trip to a gem and crystal sale. Bought malachite, chalcedony quartz, and amethyst, as well as something else pretty. She had a collection of Young Living Oils that is larger than mine, so I had fun smelling several and making a list of "the next to buy." Then met up with another friend who put me up for the night. He had an amazing place, filled with plants and stones and art and statues. Lots to look at. The kind of place where you're sitting on the toilet and something catches your eye, and you're like "well, look at that!" I slept long there, which was good as I was lacking on sleep at that point and fighting off a cold.
Monday: Drove home through rain and sleet and snow. Made it home without any scary moments, and proceeded to babble at Terry about my weekend. As usual, he didn't get to say much, so it's only now, after he's sleeping, that I catch up online and see that he did go see Bruce Campbell this weekend. Sweet! I shall have to ask him about that. :) But I wasn't home for long. My friend who was supposed to go to Chicago with me needed a favor. I was lined up to help already, we just didn't know it would have to be today. He had left a car in Bloomington that needed to be moved before a heavy snow. And it barely runs. So I spent over three hours picking him up, driving him *slowly* on not plowed highways to his car, making it drivable, and then following him at about 18 mph from 90th in Bloomington all the way to Broadway in North Minneapolis. Whoo! You know, I don't think I've ever followed Lyndale Ave for that far. The tortured path it follows around downtown, I'm amazed they call it the same road. After seeing him home, we then got my car stuck in his alley and had to try to shovel it out. We got a laugh out of that. I eventually just reversed it out.
It's been a long day of snow. It's been a fun weekend all around.