Ice Ice Baby
It's time to talk about something other than law school for a change.
I've finally gotten back on the ice again, and none too soon. It's been over a month since I've skated, and I was really starting to miss it. Skating's a part of me, and helps to round out my life... it acts as a destressor, if you will. I'm hoping that being able to skate regularly will help to preserve my sanity over the next three years.
That said, the skating scene here in South Bend is less than ideal. There are essentially three rinks in the area, and only one of them is a year-round facility. Howard Park is an outdoor rink in South Bend which only holds public skates (though if the winters are as bad here as everyone says they are, I don't know who would be crazy to think this is a good idea). Then there's the ND ice rink, which is a wonderful sheet of ice but only up during hockey season. Finally there's the Ice Box, the year round facility that has two sheets of ice and appears to be poorly managed. I still haven't gotten a schedule for that rink, despite several visits, a few emails, and numerous phone calls. Part of the problem, as I understand it, is that South Bend is poorly situated between three large skating communities: Indianapolis, Chicago, and pretty much the entire state of Michigan (boo, hiss). Demand just isn't high enough here.
That said, there appear to be (at first glance) three different ice skating clubs in the area. The first I'll mention is the Ice Box Skating Club (IBSC) which suffers from worse management than the rink. They're incredibly low level (Basic Skills only) and are on probationary status at best with the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA). Then there's what's called the Notre Dame Figure Skating Club (NDFSC), but they're pretty much only a synchronized skating team. Finally there's the Michiana FSC which I joined as an associate member tonight.
MFSC is also a fairly low level club, but they at least have a discernible schedule and very reasonable rates. As a ND student who won't be taking lessons from the club, I could join for free, and just pay for ice time as I use it. It's only $10 for two hours and there's next to no one on the ice. The club is comprised mostly of young (6 or 7 year olds?) girls who seem to have a penchant for disco and Vanilla Ice (appropriate music for a rink, or just ironic? you be the judge). But there are also a few older folks (around my age, give or take a few years), so I have some people to talk with when taking a break from working on my mad skillz. Everyone seems really nice, and the atmosphere is low key and laid back.
Anyway, it felt really good to be back on the ice. I could tell that it's been a month, but it won't take long to work through the few minor kinks. And the opportunity to glide along the ice for two hours and not have to think about the law will be invaluable.
2 comments:
You should start your own figure skating club - or better yet, start the Ho School for Skating. To help start your school, you will need some money, so I suggest going through the city of South Bend, telling parents how perfect their child would be for figure skating. You can talk about how their long, lean legs would look graceful gliding across the ice and score well on artistic impression (or whatever else they have decided to call it). Or how their strong upperbody would be great for some of the holds required in doubles. Or if you catch a kid listening to music and tapping his/her toe in time, you can suggest the child begin taking ice dancing lessons to "harness the natural talent and internal rhythm." And of course you have to have a nice uniform, and fall in love with the law librarian - but those are mere technicalities really. The best part of the play though is that you can start dancing to "Gary, Indiana" and they will actually know what you are talking about, maybe having even been there on occasion.
In exchange for this idea, I only ask that you name the building/ice skating facily after me. And no, you may not accept some outside money and add "Genuine Draft" after my name on the outside of the building...
I'm happy for you Al. You have to be able to do something from time to time which lets you take your mind off of law school. Glad you're skating again.
But, boy do we all know how you love to ice-dance with 13 year old girls. You're such a dirty old man.
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