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10/27/2003 Archived Entry: "Monday Night - October 20, 2003"

Our Skate, Skate, Skate
On Monday Night – October 20, 2003

Tonight was simply quite fun.
Fetch a seat for everyone.
Sit down in it real slow.
Hang On real tight!
And Lets GO !!!

Jeff R is deciding which sleeping bag to bring to the November
14-16th camping trip, up at Amicalola Falls, which is just west
of Dalonaga, GA. He’s having to decide whether he should use
the really warm one, or let Dana use that one. As they’re now
married, the really warm one will of course go to Dana. New-
comer, Bob D, stands to the left and listens to Mark D’s group
announcements (standing at right).

Mark announced that he would like us to join him during our
Holloween Costume Skate – at 8:00, on Friday night, at the
Carter Center. If you’re a guy, bring lots of beer $$$. If you’re
a woman – you can be Mark’s cowgirl ! If you become Mark’s
cowgirl - - don’t expect to inherit lots of $$$. If you inherit lots
of $$$, Mark will be needing another beer!

Beth D and Don R heading down North Highland Ave.
These two were goofy with each other all night long.

Our gaggle of APRR skaters at Little Five Points.

Uwe demonstrates that green means “GO” in his new
Pinnacle boots and fast-green 84mm wheels. While at
the intersection of Hurt Street & Edgewood Ave, Uwe
scoped out every nick and cranny of the intersection,
and investigated each and every side street – while the
rest of us were catching our breath and recuperating
at the intersection’s red stop sign.

No Butts about it - - Sergeant Fuentes, of the MARTA Police,
wants to skate too. He’s been actively trying to get a skating
unit together at MARTA. “They have something like this down
in Miami,” he mentioned to us. “And it would be a whole lot
better than leaving a $1,600 bicycle against some fence while
chasing after a perpetrator. Besides, you can’t jump over a
fence on a bike like you can on skates. Skates are great !!!
They’re very stable. You can fight while on skates, and you
can carry a gun & fire one while on skates. It’d work nicely.”

But Sergeant Fuentes was fairly observant too. He quickly
noticed that I had gotten low and behind him to fire my camera.
He became verbally concerned about saving his butt. Sorry
Sergeant Fuentes, I’ll shoot this next shot at a more strategic
angle.

Sergeant Fuentes chatting with APRR. Had I not eventually
blurted out “Lets Skate, Skate, Skate !!!,” we’d probably
have been there all night long chatting in return with the
affable Sergeant.

JenniX had introduced us to her roommate, Sara M. And ever
since, Sara has been a real trooper in providing a good pace
for us. Try to sprint against her … and she’ll beat you every
time. But let her do her own thing, and she’ll keep us going
… all the time. And do we want her along side us … yes! …
every time!!!

Dana (on North Highland Ave.) has a smile bigger than all of
Kansas.

Jennifer had just gotten back from Long Beach. Her smile
is very much like the size of California.

Kim’s smile is as big as Texas.

Thomas’s smile is long and intricate, much like Cape Hatters.

Picking up massive speed as we head toward downtown Atlanta.
(Thomas P at extreme lower left, Jeff S in white, Mark D, and Don R).

Elizabeth conquers the long and arduous hill on North Highland Ave.

Mark R had just gotten back from all over. During the two weeks
previous to this, he had been to: Rochester, NY; Portland, OR;
San Francisco, CA; and, Detroit, MI. “I also went to the Occoee
River area, in Tennessee, over the weekend,” he continued. “Lots
of traveling.”

But being back now, and being with us once again on his skates,
everything is ALL–OK !!!

Dana R & Debra R

Bob D surprised all of us. For being with us for the first time, he
had no problems hanging with us on our “intermediate” skate.
“This is much faster than an intermediate pace,” balked Mark D.
“We’ll go slower for ya’ if you want,” he said.

“Na’, I’m alright,” politely replied Bob. “I’m doin’ fine and I can
keep up.”

NOW THAT’s The SPIRIT !!!
Way To Go BOB !!!

I’m still working on getting a super-fantastic image of Paul H
riding his bike. I’ll make a poster out of it. So far, this is the
best I have of him while on his handlebars, while covering his
eyes.

Paul H.

I made this image of Brenda and I skating along 10th Street,
while crossing I-75/85. As typical, her smile is as huge as all
the states combined. I’ll call her - - Mrs. America.

Mark & Marc traveling down one of the many steep hills at
Georgia Tech.

Elizabeth D maintaining perpetual orbit at GT. We tried beaming radio signals at her to break orbit and proceed to bigger and better entities, like the moon, but the ordeal was reminiscent to us of a late 1950’s broken record. She kept turning and turning, like a needle pinned in the same grove. None of us were accustomed to this. To us, the situation was very much black and white. You either put wheels on her feet to accentuate her motors, or you simply took the wheels away from her. Like the late 1950’s, life in this situation seemed to us to be so simple. Unfortunately, our team of technicians could never get her to slow down enough that we could successfully remove the skates. So much like her twin sister, Sputnik, we grumbled to our selves in disbelief as she continued to steadily “ping” in the same circle.

Sam F practicing his own version of a tight turn. Uwe had
long since given up. “I’m too big and I’m getting dizzy,”
Uwe had earlier stated to me. He went on to explain
centrifugal forces and the consequences they have on his
larger than normal physiology. Since I'm not a woman,
I didn't understand.

Corbet hadn’t been seen around APRR for a long time.
“Oh, I’ve been slackin’-off and working for myself, doin’ odd
types of jobs,” he told to me in order to justify his absence.
His roommate, John, smiled in agreement. I’m thinking the
two of them have become millionaires.

SKATE SOCCER !!!! (Paul K has mastered the game at GT –
it’s always a good idea to be on his team ! )

George W directing skater traffic - - through the intricate
maze of the Georgia Tech campus.

Russell B “scooting-up” the North Ave. pedestrian overpass at
GT. Russell can “scoot-up” the steepest of hills more quickly
than anyone I know. (George & Jim in pursuit)

Paul H ascending the same inclined ramp – though Paul style.
One handed & single wheeled – of course!

Kim & Jennifer in the 3rd Street Tunnel, crossing under I-75/85,
and heading back toward the Carter Center.

Jeff S has made it back to the Carter Center. Being a new father
takes a lot of work, but skating has been a big part of his life. It
has also been a connecting point for the birth of his family, where
Jeff met his wife, Heather, at one of the Eddy Matzger workshops,
here in Atlanta. His daughter, Madalin, will no doubt become a
skater (it’s entrenched deep in the family blood).