Ice Ice Baby

Thursday I got a nice reminder that I've been living in the south for 10 years, and well....that I'm a far cry from a hip middle-schooler. Those were the days though. I was a tiny string bean strutting my stuff around the rubber floors of the Talbot County Ice Rink in Maryland. Wearing my ugly, rented, tan figure skates and decked out in what I'm sure was Abercrombie & Fitch or something of the era, I was always ready to take the ice. A large carpool system set up by all the mom's made it easy for us to have some "wild" Friday nights back in the day. I kissed TGIF programming goodbye and said hello to cheese fries, hot chocolate, and cross your fingers....the Backstreet Boys playing over the loud speakers. I killed it on those skates. So much that my mother, Carol, purchased me a pair of white figure skates for Christmas one year. I'm sure she saw that the Olympics were no where in my plans, so hitting a deal at Sam's Club one week was perfect. Skates for all 3 of us Hennessey girls. Growing up in Maryland, it would get quite cold in the winters. Our neighborhood ponds would even freeze. My father would test the ice to make sure it was safe and boom - backyard ice rink for this girl. I was a natural. 

Fast forward 15 years and you enter a conversation with Will and I about heading to Ice On Main here in Greenville. I honestly thought it'd be like riding a bike. I'd throw on the ice hockey skates (which is one hell of an upgrade from the tan rental gems I had to use), get used to the ice and watch Will's shaky legs go to work. This would only be the second time he would have been skating in his lifetime. With this vision I talked a big game. Reminding him frequently that I have been doing this for years.

Well, we got to Ice On Main last Thursday and I have never felt so unsure of the quality of my ankles. We were those people that held the side railing walls for what was probably two full laps. Children of all ages whipping by us, including one little punk that truly needed a haircut, decked out in Tom Brady garbage. We get it, you're from the north AND you can skate. Good for you. A couple laps in and we got used to the ice. Got used to it, didn't say I was comfortable. I don't know if you are just fearless as a child or maybe just weigh next to nothing so it is actually easier, but all I could envision was slamming my face or the back of my head hard to the ice. Watching from across the rink, Will almost ate face trying to correct himself. Hysterical. Swearing our ankles would be swollen the next day, we would tend to take one lap at a time. Will challenged me to time trials, in which I was the obvious loser. His :23 second lap really set the bar. My speed was that of a quick turtle, at best. No exaggeration, the below video probably shows my legit best lap of the night. Terrible.

Luckily, Thursday was a sponsored night at the ice rink and our tickets were of no charge. I think its safe to say you won't be seeing me in Sochi. #USA