That’s How I Used To Roll

skatecounter NukeBoy2 had a birthday party to go to today. It was at the local skating rink. It’s about what you would imagine a family run skating rink in a small North Carolina town to look like; 1978. I’ve been here many times for various birthday parties that the kids have attended, and one that we hosted, but the nostalgia never hit me as hard as it did today. I don’t know what it was; could it have been the carpeted walls? The carpet covered seat boxes for putting on and taking off your skates? The carpeted toilet seats? No, I think it was the song that was playing. I was getting ready to walk out the door when something made me stop and take in the Styx guitar solo; cuz rumour has it it’s the end of Paradise.

In past trips to the skating rink, I know I’ve heard some more modern music, but most of it has been “dance” or “skate” music, not pop music. I can’t give you a good example right now because I don’t know the names of any of them, but by and large, the music they play is the same music that was popular when I was a kid going to the skating rink. Yes, it happened once or twice, but I’ll deny it if pressured. They play almost all late 70′s and early 80′s music; Styx, AC/DC, Chicago, Kansas, Boston; basically any band named after a geographical area is in heavy rotation. I heard Benny Mardones screaming that he would take you into the night when I went back to pick up NukeBoy2. While we were taking his skates off Cliff Richard was thinking how funny it was that we don’t talk anymore. But he ain’t losin’ sleep, and he ain’t countin’ sheep, no no no.

As we headed out the door I could hear Meatloaf extolling the virtue of being correct two out of three times. It’s good to have the odds in your favor, I guess. Ah, to be a kid again. Well, one that looks like a kid, anyway.

Launch It:

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 8th, 2009 at 9:02 pm and is filed under Dad-isms. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Melisa

I love skating rinks like that!

Funny side story about me (because I always make it about me): When I was in 4th grade I went to my first skating party. The dad of the birthday girl skated around with me because I had ZERO experience on skates. I was thrilled to learn how to skate that day; he told me how to make the turns at each end of the rink.

Problem? At that birthday party, everyone only went in one direction. (Typically someone would announce–I guess at OTHER rinks–every now and then that everyone should skate in the other direction)

From then on at other rinks, I always left the rink during the “reverse skate” because I had such a hard time making the curves in the other direction.

Dork, I know.

(NukeDad) Nothing wrong with that; you just like to go with the flow, I understand.

Melisas last blog post..She Earned Each and Every Rhinestone, The Hard Way!

Mar 09, 2009 @ 6:20 am

Weaselmomma

I wonder if we can get you to admit to being a star in the Disco Skate Dancing circuit or maybe go one step better and coerce your siblings to post such family photos?

(NukeDad) They might be able to come up with a picture of me in a silk shirt unbuttoned to the sternum with hair to my shoulders, but there will be NONE with skates. Sorry. Now, a skateboard, maybe!

Weaselmommas last blog post..In The Kingdom Of Weaselville………

Mar 09, 2009 @ 6:58 am

Leta

Hi Weaselmom…This is NukeSister1. I’m proud to say that NukeDad never succumbed to the the Disco Fever. He has been and probably always will be a rock and roller. That doesn’t mean that between me and NukeSis2 & 3 that we can’t come up with some “fun” pictures. We might even be able to coerce NukeBro or NukeGrandma to pitch in….Let me see what I can do!!

(NukeDad) Uh, Oh; this can’t be good….

Mar 09, 2009 @ 8:58 am

@ Leta ~ That rocks! This could be great!

(NukeDad) I smell a conspiracy brewin’

Mar 09, 2009 @ 10:40 am

tom

I think the best music for skating was the seventies stuff. Once the disco music hit the rink, it was all downhill from there. My friends and I quit going. Never liked leg warmers anyway.

(NukeDad) I hear you, Tom; they used to make my legs itch something fierce!

toms last blog post..The Problem with the DVD culture

Mar 09, 2009 @ 10:53 am

Momo Fali

I could totally get into that music at our local skating rink, if I could just get past the smell of feet.

(NukeDad) Just rub menthol under your nostrils like they did in Silence of the Lambs. “Are the skates still smelly, Clarice?”
Momo Falis last blog post..Cheese Puffs

Mar 09, 2009 @ 10:55 am

James

Funny to see the music we grew up with as the classics isn’t it? It is still played because it was great. I still remember my first Boston concert like it was yesterday.

(NukeDad) Switching around on the radio yesterday the songs from back then out-numbered the new stuff 3 to 1.

Jamess last blog post..Once in a Lifetime Experiences

Mar 09, 2009 @ 11:42 am