Genetics of Skating

I bet you thought I would be writing about the Super Bowl. Nope. Not this entry anyway. We will be watching the game tonight...we'll see if there is anything newsworthy to write about tomorrow.

Recently I read this post which apparently caused many of her readers to reminisce and smile. I admit I chuckled at the memory but it wasn't because I was remembering my skating skills. I wasn't the worst skater but I was very close to that end of the scale. I maybe went to the roller rink 5 times during my teenage years. A good night meant that I didn't fall on my rear (except maybe once or twice when my spastic arm movements weren't able to bring rebalance) and was able to stay on the outside so that I could use the wall to stop myself. NEVER did I master the toe break!

You can imagine my horror when I learned that my classmates at Messiah College participated in midnight skating. Ugh!!! Now, consider the joy I felt when I learned that Simms didn't skate either. We were definitely meant for each other - and I believed that I would not have to deal with this (skating) ever again.

Until now.

Jeter went to a roller skating birthday party today. Guess who went with him? No...not I. This was the perfect opportunity for Simms to go and meet Jeter's friends from school (and that was an excellent excuse for me to not have to go). I hoped with all my might that somehow Jeter would inherit the right genes for this skill - if there is anything genetic about it.

The result? Jeter told me how he pleaded with his skates "let me know which direction you are going and I promise I will move that way!" Simms confirmed that he heard Jeter say this but to no avail; his feet were moving in all kinds of directions and his poor body couldn't figure out how to follow them. I feel his pain. Really, I do. He also referred to the skates as his "enemy". The best part is that he said all of this with a smile on his face!

Here's the kicker. One of his other friends is having a skating party in April!?! Somehow Jeter's unskilled skateless parents have to help him be prepared in approximately 2 months! The task seems hopeless...unless somehow we can get lil' bro to help. If I recall lil' sis told me he skates. Maybe he would even accompany Jeter to the party??? We'll see. Now I have to try to find inexpensive in-line skates for him to learn on because he shouldn't have to deal with those heavy-clunky-toe breaking-antique skates that both his Mom and Dad never conquered!

Can anyone tell me where I can find this kind of equipment without having to spend too much $$?