I finally got myself a pair of Rollerblades after so many years of wanting one. I know, I'm way behind the times and I'm just not....with it. Bite me. But I did have a pair of rollerskates way back when during my elementary/jr. high years and would frequent the local skating rink when the occasion arose. I would have been a much better skater if it weren't for the fact that my parents didn't let me go to the skating rink more often. Plus, I wasn't driving at the time and couldn't take myself to the rink. And where I live, skating in the hills, is not exactly a smart choice. And then before we new it, roller skating was "out" and we said good bye to the disco balls, the flashing colored lights, the smooth wood surfaces of indoor rinks and skate-groovin to the sounds of Earth, Wind and Fire.

So now, 20 years later, I am owning my second pair of skates.

But things are a lil different.

I have a few dislocated joints since then. I have more padding on my butt and in all the other areas. The wheels are all inlined instead of on either side of those Adidas-like sneaker skates. There's a slew of protective gear to buy and well, it's much more expensive. But skating is skating right? Regardless of the times and how much the gear themselves have changed - you still have to get them on your feet and get your butt out there to do it.

So with the goading of K (who used to referee in skating rinks *rolling eyes*) I got my ass out there and started moving. Now, K thinks I can do all these "moves" because it comes so easily to him but when you haven't been on skates in 20 years and you weren't that great to begin with, you tend to move around like a Chinese granny with osteoporosis and arthritis. I had no problem with grass and carpet and decided to take it out on the pavement to get used to the brakes. Because I don't have a problem moving forward, but if i can't stop, it's gonna get kind of ugly. So I decided to take it slow and before long, I could move quite easily although there were a few iffy moments. It wasn't so embarrassing if it wasn't for the fact that a lady walking her shih tzu strolled by faster than I was skating. :P And let's not forget to mention the two 10 year old kids who rollerbladed by me with their roller hockey sticks at 100 mph. But hey, it's been 20 years, so give me a break.

After a few loops around the big park and thinking that I was doing pretty well, nightfall came and I couldn't see a manhole-like lid very well, so I tried to avoid it and in doing so, fell down. I tell you, falling down at 31 and falling down at 11 ain't the same thing. Sure I got up quite easily and continued skating but when you're no longer as pliable as a slinky, you tend to be more cautious of how you fall if you do indeed fall. I can imagine if I wasn't working out as much as I have been and if I have not been as flexible as I am in recent days, I would not have enjoyed that fall at all.

As an adult now, I'm afraid of falling - probably due to watching that bad commercial from many years back of a senior citizen calling out "i've fallen and can't get up." Perhaps I think that will happen to me in public and that makes it doubly worse. And how does one fall gracefully? I know that not only did I fall but I also yelped out an "ahhhhhhh" somewhere in the midst of the fall -- as if sounding out would naturally help me break the fall or something. But I suppose that's why I bought all that protective gear. So that I would fall like a marshmallow and not hear anything crack.

So why begin now when I'm feeble and weak? Well it's probably because I loved rollerskating as a kid but never got a chance to get good at it. Also, working out at the gym gets boring at times and I need fresh air and a chance to reduce all that cellulite around my legs in order to show the actual muscles underneath. But probably the main thing is because I should do something fun for myself while I can. Right?

Anyway, I ought to be a pro *hah* by the time summer comes and let's hope I don't reinjure any old problematic joints. If you have any rollerblading tips, feel free to send them my way.

Roll on man!

I'm out.