Rollerblading

Not as easy as it looks!

I've always wanted a pair of roller blades, but didn't want to invest in them until I had a decent place to practice. I surely didn't want to embarrass Maya at Sparkles by trying to learn there. So when Swift Cantrell Park opened up in Kennesaw, I knew this was my chance.

On a side note . . . this new park is awesome!!! It's half a mile from my house and has two HUGE playgrounds (one for older kids and one for little ones). According to the master plan, it will have eventually have an aquatic center with an outdoor pool, tennis courts, sanded volleyball courts, a skate park, dog run, amphitheater, softball fields, bike trails, etc. It's like our own little Piedmont Park in Cobb County. I've got a 44 second video clip and some pictures of my kid, if you'd like to see more.

But back to the skating . . . I really thought roller blading would be easier. I already know how to ice skate and being a child of the 70s, I was pretty good on regular roller skates. Heck, I used to think I was Tootie. But roller blades are no joke. I've got the bruises to prove it. Tony had gotten me all the gear I needed to learn, but after putting on the knee pads, wrist guards and helmet, I felt like I had things pretty covered. I'm not too bad at skating around, but the foot brake is going to take some practice. Currently, I just spin or use stationary objects to help me slow down. But after skating around for a bit, I started getting a little too confident for my own good, and before I knew it, I took a pretty bad fall. I understand now how helpful those elbow pads would have been. And I'll definitely be wearing them next time.