[Previous entry: "Shears"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Wednesday Night - September 3, 2003"]

09/02/2003 Archived Entry: "Monday Night - September 1, 2003"

Our Skate, Skate, Skate
On Monday Night – September 1, 2003 (Labor Day)

Tonight was a night earmarked with raw talent. “Tonight, we have a very special guest with us…,” Mims R announced to the gathered gaggle of anxious skaters. “…We have the world famous Eddy Matzger!… And we also have with us tonight… The famous Miguel P.” Everybody started clapping, and clapping, and clapping. And then it was almost time to go home. But eventually, we got down to business. Being a fair and well-balanced group of happy, happy skaters, it was asked… “Who wants to go on a fast skate?” (normally the problem lies in determining who wishes to become a group leader). But this time, everyone looked at each other. And then kept looking at each other. Then Mims asked, “Then who wants to go on a slower skate?” Now, all of those who had been looking at each other (which was everybody) - - looked at each other again. “Ok, then lets all go as one big intermediate, slow & advanced group!” Then everybody looked upon Mims… and smiled.

But talent was still on the plate for the evening, as so many of us had dished it out for Breakfast during the US 10-K Classic skating race. An entire Waffle House full of APRR jerseys had eaten up the multiple hills along US 41 - - As if the hills were served to us as being piles of hotcakes, with fruity rewards at the top of each stack. (I would’ve said grits – but some of us today are from either California or New York, and wouldn’t have easily skated that route.) And then for Tea Time, a spoon full of us had slurped-down the tasty Silver Hill. Were we tired? No. Were we lazy? No. Did we want dessert? Yes!!! So Paul K headed the herd away from the Carter Center parking lot for a taste of even greener pastures, more pristine ponds, and a savory night-cap to wrap-up a most wonderful Labor Day holiday.

Caroline B skating in Atlanta.
(This is by far my favorite weblog photo to date.)

APRR had to hastily erect an impromptu M.A.S.H. Unit in order to operate on Chuck O’s injured skate frame assembly. “Tool, I need a tool,” Surgeon Don R blurted out. The situation was grim as Eddy Matzger was known to be in the immediate vicinity and skating relentlessly on one leg around our established perimeter. You could even feel the intensity in the air as we were all sweating from having been under the gun. Even I was being rushed to capture the loose bolt on my mobile x-ray camera. “I need to tighten it some more,” medical expert Chuck barked to Surgeon Don. Everyone was nervous. The photo would have normally turned out better, but the conditions were absolutely horrid.

Sam shocked absolutely ALL of us. “Where’s your skates?” Eddy M asked to him, while in the midst of everyone else. I never got the clear answer as to why Sam ran, and ran, and ran the entire, total way of our normally long distance skate. But I knew that he was hanging with us like a champ. We never went slow for him either. But every time we reached a corner or stopping point, and after every long, high-speed stretch - - yep, you guessed it, Sam was there too!!! None of any of us had ever experienced anything like this before.

All of us normally feel proud when a bicycle rider is astonished when we as skaters keep up with their spinning legs. But this time, the tide was different. We were all aghast that Sam would even conjure the idea, let alone overtake many of us throughout the evening (always staying with us or even passing us while on his feet). If Sam had only been wearing pink (which I’d think that he probably does), he would have been the epitome of the Energizer Battery Bunny! (Someone, please get some pink bunny ears for him!)

Navigating sharp turns and dark corridors through the parking
deck at the Atlanta Medical Center.
(Stephanie, Jennifer, and Dewey)

Sam, you’re cheating!!! You know that we skaters can’t cut across landscaping peninsulas like that. You should go around the long way – like we have to do! But we’re proud of you anyway. I’ll try to have a trophy bottle of Gatorade waiting for you next time. You deserve at least that! (Do you want masculine green, masculine orange, or feminine pink???)

I’d have done absolutely anything for this photo to have turned-out sharply. The problem seems to be that the tiny camera’s small, automatic lens protective-shield (the one that opens and closes when you turn on and off the camera) sometimes gets stuck in a less than all the way open position. I have now come to learn that the result is more often than not a blurry image. Anyway, this is Skating Monger Miguel and his Sweet Caroline. Miguel, like Caroline, had once lived in Atlanta and is now living in the New York area. Caroline would like to move back to Atlanta. But it would be to APRR’s fullest advantage if both were residing here. We'd like to see them here with us - all the time.

Enjoying the perfect weather,
a perfect skate,
a wonderful group of people,
and a wonderful downhill
to wrap it all into place!

(??? Please help me with his name)

Paul H, where have you been??? If Eddy M can skate the entire evening on one leg – left or right – up hill or down; then, Paul can just as easily ride the entire evening on one wheel – front or back – up hill or down. (Well, maybe not up hill on his front wheel.) And if Eddy’s feet are permanently adhered to his skate boots, then Paul’s feet have never known anything other than his peddles. If you don’t know Biker Paul, this is what he looks like - - absolutely ALL the time!!!
“You know, I have the exclusive rights to do this,” Paul advised us. “This isn’t easy.”

Robert B is leaving Piedmont Park and is heading back toward the Carter Center. It had been a long, but extremely enjoyable skate. Especially with the various skating groups all combined together. It was now time to head home. Thanks Eddy M & Miguel P for visiting tonight and helping us to create an even more enjoyable Labor Day holiday!!! APRR loves you!