Blades (079)

When Mike returned home from work today, I surprised him at the door with roller blades on. I’d attempted to get them on quickly enough to be skating around on the street when he pulled up, but I failed. He smiled and asked if that was the surprise he’d been trying out figure out all weekend. Indeed, it was. After he washed his hands and grabbed a drink from the fridge, he proceeded to walk around me and sit on the couch, completely unaware. 

“Aren’t you going to try yours on?” I asked him. He was confused. “That was the surprise! You didn’t think I just got them for me, did you!?”

He is a hockey player, and very good on ice skates, but has only been on roller blades a few times in his adult life. As a kid, he played roller hockey before attempting it on ice at age 11. He pulled them out of the packaging and tried his blades on. Upon standing, he told me how different they feel to ice skates. 

I was a bit wobbly when standing in mine as well, and I’m hoping that I get used to them quickly. There is a new subdivision by us with fresh pavement calling to be skated on. I grew up on roller blades. Though I cannot do fancy tricks, I can skate backwards and spin around fairly easily. I should probably look into buying elbow pads, and find my bike helmet as well, because I am no longer fearless on blades.