Shortly after I posted the picture above, my high school physics teacher commented: “Be careful on ice….It has a very low coefficient of friction and the force of impacting solid H2O can ruin careers.” The warning seems obvious, and yet as humans we choose to ignore these warning signs and seek thrill in doing dangerous acts. In fact, once I had gotten comfortable on the ice, my gut was seeking about other risks that I might find trilling. Fortunately, the SA leading the program was a figure skater, and had planned to teach us some tricks, if we were up for the challenge. Since I was comfortable on two skates, I really enjoyed the challenge. I learned how to skate backwards, and even with one foot. And I enjoyed every moment of the challenge.

Why is it that human nature leads some of us to finding pleasure in taking risks and trill in challenges? For some reason I start to think of the affects of an adrenaline rush on other hormonal balances when I try to answer that question. But I’ll leave that discussion to the biologists.

I have never been to Lynah, the ice-skating place before and I never knew that Cornell has a stadium like this! I have only ice-skated once before and going on ice at the beginning was definitely scary. I was holding closely to the side bar before I slowly let go. Honestly, skating on ice is very different from doing that on the ground because there are many scratches on the ice and if you go too slow you might not keep straight because of the rigged ice. Thanks for the people for skating team to teach us how to appropriately skate. I learned a lot and had ton of fun!

Last Saturday, Rose House had an ice skating event and we went to Lynah Rink with GRF Andrew and SA Caitlan! Though I didn’t have any experience with ice skating, I do have a fair share of experience with rollerblades. That being said, my friends and I all ended up just holding onto the edge of the arena going around in circles until there was a 10 minute break for a tiny truck to resurface the ice!

That being said, I felt that skating on ice was more difficult than skating on wheels. For one, the ice is more slippery than the ground and there are grooves that are dug by the blades on the skates. But despite falling once or twice, this event has definitely piqued my interest in ice skating and I’m actually planning on taking either the ice skating or figure skating courses that Cornell offers as a PE class! And even though we still don’t have any formal training, my friends and I are still planning to go back for another round of ice skating some time in the semester!

I used to take figure skating lessons.  I remember I was probably in 6th or 7th grade when I started.  I think my parents didn’t want me to feel left out because both my younger siblings were playing hockey (ironically neither of them continued with it).  But I remember enjoying it a whole lot.  It’s kinda sad to say but I think the last time I skated was maybe freshmen year of high school.

When I saw the event listed on the poster in my dorm I immediately talked to all my friends to try and get them to come.  It took me a while to remember all those lessons and not fall on my face.  It probably also didn’t help that at first they didn’t have my size in figure skates anymore so I had to try hockey skates first.  Let me just say that if you learn on one kind of skate, trying to use the other is in no way easier than if you were a complete newbie.  Actually that may not be true for going from hockey skates to figure skates because figure skates give you more control.  Either way, I eventually got figure skates in my size after trading about three or four times and I got to enjoy gliding around the rink again.

This was probably my favorite rose scholar event that I’ve been to, mainly because it was something I got to enjoy with all my friends and create memories that will last a lifetime (although I hope they all forget watching me fall over and over again until I got my pants soaked).

I was ready to skate after years of psyching myself out of it. I knew I had the worst balance out of everybody on the rink, but I decided that I wasn’t going to let my insecurities affect me anymore. There were many people who couldn’t skate as well as me, but we had all come here to have fun. As soon as my blade touched the ice, I quickly grasped the side bar for support and didn’t let go until I was standing across the big red Cornell sign in the center. I saw some of my friends already gliding across the ice. They looked so free and happy. When I was I going to feel like that?

 

Soon the skating lesson started, and we were introduced to the history of the famous Lynah Rink. I was surprised that this 50-year-old rink still holds the record for the most packed games for every night of the hockey season. I decided that I should go to at least one hockey game during my time at Cornell just to experience the power of the crowd. Right now though, I was trying to focus on how to get up after I’d fallen on the ice. The instructor made us practice getting up on the ice a few times, and soon she was teaching us the basic skating techniques.

 

As we practiced gliding with two feet, I lagged behind most of the people who were reaching the opposite side of the ring, but I was comfortable with my speed. I knew that if I went any faster, I would lose control over myself. Later we practiced some stopping techniques, which I didn’t use at all considering my skating speed was lower than normal. As the time went on, I become more comfortable with my skating pace and began traveling farther distances. I noticed that I skated more confidently, when I was skating by myself rather than with other people. So, I just skated around the middle of the rink, until my feet started hurting and I forced my friends to leave the rink with me. I think I want to go back again. Only this time, I want the whole rink to myself.

Last Saturday, I attended the Open Skate at Lynah Rink event led by SA Caitlan and GRF Andrew. It was a great event to kick off the semester! We walked over to the rink as a group, got our skates, and headed onto the ice. I was still getting my skates on, so I did not catch the history of ice skating, but to my knowledge, it is a sport that has been around for quite a long time.

I did manage to make it onto the ice for the group lesson that Caitlan led. She taught us the proper ways of getting up after falling, stopping, going forwards, and for the more adventurous and skilled, going backwards and standing on one leg. We were a very large group, and it was fun seeing everyone make their way from one end of the rink to the other. I spent most of my time just attempting to go forwards. This was not my first time skating, but it definitely took me a while to get used to being on the ice. The next time when I go ice skating, I will have to try implementing some of these basic, but more advanced techniques.

One aspect of this event that I enjoyed most was being with fellow Rose Scholars, two of whom are my close friends. As the semester progresses, it is difficult for us to attend events together. This was an awesome way for us to catch up and relax. Although, it took a lot of concentration and tensing of muscles for me to try and not fall.

In addition to all of the laughter and smiles, I grew an even deeper appreciation for the sport. I know Caitlan outside of Rose House and to see her in her element, enjoying teaching something that she loves was really wonderful. I needed her help on the ice for a bit, too! Figure skating and speed skating are two Winter Olympic events that I have always liked watching on television. The athletes always make gliding on the ice look so simple and elegant. However, my own experience of getting on the ice every time is usually anything but graceful. Therefore, I truly value the focus and commitment that goes into the sport.

I hope that this can be a yearly event for future scholars to attend!

On Saturday I went ice skating for the first time. I definitely would not have chose the event on my own, but several of my friends wanted to go, so I agreed. I was a little apprehensive before hand, but excited to go out and give it a try.

It was an experience like none other I have ever had before, I have never skied, snowboarded, or even rollerskated before. As soon as I stepped on the ice I was horrified at my lack of control, and terrified that with every move I might land face or butt first on the ice.

However, with a LOT of coaxing, tips, and handholding from my friends (who were laughing at my newbie terror throughout) I actually built up a little confidence and made it around the rink a few times. Although I probably wouldn’t go again, at least not for a while, I did have some fun, and was awestruck by my peers’ ability to gracefully glide around the rink.

 

Sometimes I doubt that I have tachophobia. Every time I go skiing, snowboarding or roller skating, I have always been so frightened of going fast and immediately halt myself once I gain a little bit of speed. Ice skating at Lynah Rink with my fellow Rose Scholars was not an exception to my fear of speed. In the beginning, once I stepped on the rink, I felt that I lost control of everything. However, everyone gave me a hand when I was about to fall and I gained confidence about skating bit by bit. For the first time, I was able let go of the handrail and ice skated a very short distance before I screamed at the top of my lung.

Last Saturday, I was fortunate enough to attend open skate at Lynah and invited my friends also! While I don’t know how to skate, it was great to get a short lesson which enabled me to even get on the ice. I also enjoyed learning about the history of skating and its role at Cornell.

GRF Andrew was so nice, offering to take pictures or help us in any way he can. Not to mention, his little daughter was so cute and a professional on the ice! I had a really great time and I’m glad Rose gave us the opportunity to have this. I would like opportunities like this more often!

I went ice skating for the first time last Saturday with other Rose Scholars – AND I DIDN’T WIPE OUT (probably because I’ve rollerbladed before, but still)!

I really enjoyed this event despite the painful rental skates. In fact, I probably enjoyed it more than the pumpkin carving event from last semester (and not just because my pumpkin went moldy 3 days later). At the rink, we started off with a much-needed beginner’s lesson from SA Caitlin, who taught us fundamentals like how to stop and how to skate backwards. Unfortunately, I still can’t really do either. Oh well.

I hope we have another event like this in the future. Everyone really seemed to have fun, and we even had the opportunity to learn a little history about Lynah as well – the rink was built because the hockey team couldn’t play on Beebe Lake during a particularly warm season.

Yesterday I got to do something that I’ve been meaning to do for a very long time now: ice skate! Any of my friends can attest to the fact that I was excessively excited for this event, but I will admit that it was a lot harder than I remembered it being. The brief lesson at the beginning of the session served as a much-needed refresher, and brought back all those memories of fumbling across the ice as children who barely came up to my hip whizzed by me (Can anyone relate?). My “competition” is a little bigger nowadays, but let me tell ya, there are some talented people in Rose House! You know who you are! When all was said and done, my friends and I left thoroughly de-stressed (if not a little sore) and ready to take on another week of studying and homework! Great event. Would recommend.

Like many of the people in Cornell, I was aware of the ice skating rink located on campus (Lynah Rink). It’s a funny story actually. I had only recently found out about the rink because I was ice skating back in my home town during the winter break, and I wanted to know if Ithaca had any ice skating rinks. So I found an ice skating rink in the Commons, and I was set on going there after the break and never thinking about it again, but I think I saw a link saying Cornell students can skate in an on-campus rink called Lynah Rink!!! I’m so glad that Rose House offered an event to go there because I don’t think I would be brave enough to go skating alone! It’s always nice to have a few familiar faces to ice skate with.

I also really enjoyed the beginner lessons portion. I’m not a particularly great ice skater, but I can move around a little. I just felt that having guidance readily available was such a safety net for me (and possibly many other Rose Scholar fellows) and I could rest assured knowing that if I wasn’t sure of something, it would be okay. Overall, I had an amazing time! I eventually became tired and went to get a late lunch. The only thing that I would have changed a little was the time. I thought that we might not have had enough time to digest our food before we went skating because many people might eat at 12 or 1pm. However, it worked out in the end, so I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. I hope there are other future events like this one!

Growing up in Florida isn’t exactly the ideal environment for learning winter sports. Much to my delight and apprehension, I got the chance to try ice skating last weekend along with a lot of the members of West Campus. After a brief, but very helpful lesson from Caitlan, I was able to make it across the rink without falling. It already felt like an accomplishment to wander away from the wall within five minutes of being on the ice, but by the time the event was over I actually learned how to balance well enough to go a bit faster in more fluid movements. Of course, I did fall a few times, but fortunately the lesson also covered how to properly stand up when that happens!

I had a ton of fun catching up with other Rose Scholars and friends after a long break and it was great to interact with people in a relaxed environment, away from deadlines and obligations. Having now conquered my initial nervousness about ice skating, I can hardly wait to try again and improve!

I was very excited when I learned that Rose House had organized a skating event at Lynah Rink. Even though I can count on one hand the number of times I have gone ice skating, I’m an avid spectator of winter sports, particularly figure skating.

I hadn’t been to an ice rink since I was in high school, so I was uncertain about my ability to skate well. Nevertheless, I quickly realized that it was like riding a bike and made a few laps around the rink without falling. It was also a wonderful opportunity for Rose Scholars to catch up after the long winter break. I skated with my hall mates and chatted with other Rose Scholars; it was great to talk to them in a place other than on West Campus or in an academic setting!

As the Zamboni entered the rink, there was a 15-minute break and some skaters decided to head home. I had planned to leave as well, but I decided to wait for the Zamboni’s departure and continue to skate. This skating event reminded me of the large number of activities that our campus offers, and it has made me even more appreciative of Cornell. I have decided to take an ice skating class in the fall.

I hope that Rose has more physical events like this in the future. They are not only a valuable opportunity for Rose residents and scholars to connect with each other, but they are also a healthy outlet.

I had never skated in my life before I came to Cornell. My first time skating was at Lynah rink last year. Although it was difficult, I had a lot of fun so I was very excited to go to open skate night on January 30th . However my joys and excitement of getting on the ice quickly became overshadowed by my fear of not being able to skate. It was going to be my second time skating so I hoped I would fare better than my first time. Luckily, all the fear faded away as I began my second adventure onto the ice. In the beginning, SA Caitlan talked about the history of Lynah rink. It was named after James Lynah a director of Cornell athletics. Before building Lynah rink our hockey players would have to train on the lake. However there was one year when the lake did not freeze over so the university decided to build Lynah rink. Caitlan also taught us some very helpful tips for skating. As a beginner I found the tutorial on how to get up once you have fallen to be really helpful. Although I was not moving as fast as I had hoped, I was able to get myself away from the edges and skate on my own fairly quickly. It was a small accomplishment but I was overjoyed by this advancement. It was exciting to go on to the ice by myself without falling for one time around the rink. However that did not last very long, as I found my self falling on the ice many times. Needless to say, I was very glad to have learnt how to get up again after falling. It is an essential skill in both ice skating as well as in life.

A big thanks to Rose House for opening the ice rink to us yesterday afternoon! Ever since I found out we had a skating rink here on campus, I’ve wanted to go, but until now it seemed that class/homework/the walk to Lynah/my inability to ice skate prevented me from actually doing so. I am so glad I went! Caitlyn’s skating lesson was really helpful and I’m pleased to say that I did not spend the whole time clinging to the wall. That said, I can only skate forwards and very slowly (although slow is actually just fine, considering that I don’t know how to stop…). I also owe a thank you to my friends who held my hand so that I could get away from the wall in the first place. Hopefully I can manage another trip to the rink soon, and maybe next time I’ll learn to stop or skate backwards or something! Until then, I think I’ll just enjoy walking on solid ground.

hello again, fellow scholars!

over winter break my girlfriend julia and i really wanted to go ice skating together, but, when we finally made time to go the rink in syracuse, it was already closed for the night. as luck would have it though, within a week of getting back to cornell, there was a rose house ice skating event. julia had gone ice skating as a child several times but this was my first time. i snowboard, so i hoped maybe that would translate somehow (it doesn’t). after careening erratically around the ice for a while, with julia skating placidly backwards(?!) next to me our sa, caitlan, gave an invaluable lesson on how to stand up once you inevitably fall over and how to properly move your feet. she taught us other things, like the squiggle swizzle, but my ability to learn new moves quickly hit its ceiling. regardless, julia and i had a blast racing and propelling each other around the rink. we talked about the movie ice princess (she’s good at physics so naturally she’s a good ice skater) for a little while while we watched the zamboni redo the ice (which was much cooler than i assumed it was going to be). once we finished we got udon in college town. (i know this isn’t relevant really, but i love udon so i don’t care.)

overall julia and i had a great date ice skating for the first time. i’d give the experience a 10/10 and would happily recommend it to a top ten friend.

(julia and me irl)

Saturday I went to the open skate event offered by Rose House. I was very excited to go to this event as I hadn’t been skating in ages. Before this event I had really only been skating once before and I remembered it being fun after I had gotten the hang of it, so I brought a friend along so we could have fun together.

Once we got our skates on and laced up we headed out onto the ice… and it was awful at first. I felt like I couldn’t move and was slipping all over the place! Caitlin then showed us how to get up if we fall and how regular walking wouldn’t work on ice and soon after I got the hang of moving forward, but not quite skating yet! More like sliding around. She also showed us some other skills such as stopping and skating backward – neither of which I managed to accomplish.

After a little while I began to gain confidence in my skating abilities. What really helped was when I let go of my fears of falling and realized that even if I fell the worst that would probably happen is getting a bruise or two! I did end up falling a few times but it wasn’t so bad! I ended up having a lot fun, and I am looking forward to going ice skating again.

I also somehow made it onto Cornell’s Instagram!

West Campus residents headed up to Lynah Rink for open ice skating this afternoon. #cornell

A photo posted by Cornell University (@cornelluniversity) on Jan 30, 2016 at 1:49pm PST

Today many of the rose house residents and their friends started their first weekend of 2016 spring semester with a blast at the Lynah Rink. This was my first time skating at Cornell and I was very excited to go skating again. I lived in Canada for a couple of years when I was younger and took some skating lessons and I’ve always enjoyed skating since then.
I remember whenever I had night marching band practice in the Alumni field, we passed by the Lynah Rink and often saw the hockey team practicing hard. Cornell has an awesome hockey team and I am honored to have skated in the same place as where all the championships and countless training happened.

Putting skates on took some time but when I got on the ice, time flew by! I made new friends with my hall mates and had a great time skating with them. Overall, I felt that the skating was a successful event where many of the Rose residents got to meet and got to know each other. Events such as these will help build a stronger and friendlier community.
Going ice skating at Lynah Rink is in the list of ‘161 Things Every Cornellian Should Do’ and I am happy to have crossed this off the list. I will try to do at least 100 things on this list before I graduate in 2 years and I hope in the future Rose House continues to have some of the listed activities. I am thankful that Cornell offers so much opportunities and fun activities like this for students and the public.

I strapped on my hockey skates, trekked to the opening that led to the ice skating rink. I thought to myself, “I got this!” But when I stepped onto the ice, I felt so unstable! I saw some experienced skaters gracefully circling the rink, and I saw some first-timers practicing near the wall. I joined in with the first-timers, holding on to the ledge for dear life as I slowly scooted along the side of the rink.

I was very cold, and quite nervous during the skating session but I was so glad to see friends sticking with each other to help each other out. Students that have never met each other before helped fallen students get up after a slip or fall. Experienced skaters were so patiently and kindly teaching first-timers how to skate more efficiently. Overall, skating was an amazing and fun experience that could really bring a large community together!

Band-aids? Check. Cellphone?  Check.  Extra pair of socks?  Check.  Today, I was ready to step into the Lynah ice rink for the third time with the goal of not falling down, but then realized I completely forgot how to skate.

Fortunately, there was a brief ice skating lesson teaching the basics of form and movement.  I was really grateful that one of the instructors came over to critique my movements. I believe ice skating brings out your most vulnerable self if you are newbie for fear of falling and making a fool out of yourself.  However, everyone purposely fell down during the ice skating lesson so that made me feel less self-conscious of myself.  After this experience, I think ice skating is best when you’re practicing with friends.  Whenever I was worried about falling, they would always be there to support me…until they were tired of how slowly I moved (haha).

Overall, I would love it if Rose Scholars could repeat this event to bring everyone closer together.  I think everyone had a good time.  Next time though, I plan to bring thicker socks.

Today I attended Open Skate, which was a blast. Overall, I really enjoyed the event, despite even fall flat on my back on camera!

I enjoyed the brief history lesson about Lynah rink, and how it came to be after a warm winter season. I also really enjoyed and appreciated the chance to learn how to skate, instead of just trying to figure it out on my own.

The event itself I thought was a great way to relax, have fun, and meets others in the Rose house System. I had the chance to skate with people in the house, as well as watch some very impressive skaters that currently live there. I don’t think the event was the most educational (I learned a little bit), but overall I think it was one of the best events we’ve had. The chance to do something fun and stress free made this event definitely worth going to. I recommend skating at Lynah on open skate night for anyone that is interested in learning or having fun!

 

Also, After taking of my skates the nicest thing was slipping into my loafers. Make sure to bring socks and comfy shoes!

When I was little, my dad actually used to build us a skating rink in our backyard – we would screw together a frame and lay giant sheets of plastic down in it, and then we would fill it with water and wait for it to freeze over. And if you poked a hole in the plastic with a toe pick, boy were you in trouble! Its cool to know that our awesome hockey team used to do the same thing, waiting for the water to freeze over, before Lynah was built. The rink is a great place that I frequent often, as an avid Cornell Hockey fan. Today Caitlan was an awesome teacher, especially for teaching us how to skate backwards and how to get up after falling! I thankfully didn’t have to use the second skill today, but my friends did! We all laughed when one friend fell flat on his back on camera (but was okay!).

The best part about the event for me though was pulling a friend who didn’t know how to skate around and around the rink until she somewhat got the hang of gliding, instead of walking, on her skates. It was a really great time and I am so glad we had this event.

I used to love ice skating as a kid, but I had not gone in about 8 years. So when I saw Rose House was having an open skate at Lynah Rink, I got excited to try ice skating again. And it was a lot of fun! I did not remember how to ice skate, but SA Caitlan was extremely helpful in teaching everyone at the event to skate. She also taught us some cool tricks, like skating backwards. While I wasn’t able to master the backwards skating, everyone that could looked great doing it! There were also a lot of people there who were very good, and it was a lot of fun watching them on the ice.

I also found the history of Lynah Rink very interesting. Before the rink was built, the team played on Beebe Lake. So when the winters weren’t cold and the lake didn’t freeze over, the hockey team had to completely skip the season. Since we have a good hockey program, I can’t imagine our team having to miss out on a season, like they would have had to this year. With the very mild winter we’re having this year, it was great to spend time on the indoor ice!

I have always loved ice skating.  I taught myself how to ice skate over summer camp in elementary school, and have enjoyed teaching my friends since then.  Ice skating is great for first dates, gathering with friends, etc.  So I was really happy to get to go ice skating for free at the rink here on campus today.

Lynah rink was built over 50 years ago, allowing Cornell’s varsity hockey team to continue practicing, even if the winter was too mild for thick ice on Beebe lake.  It has been renovated a few times since, and looks to be in excellent shape.  When we arrived at the rink, we all got our skates and began with a skating lesson.  I was near the end of the line and had some trouble getting skates I wanted — I had to settle for hockey skates rather than figure skates.  During the skating lesson we learned how to go forwards, how to stop, and a bit of how to go backwards.  I already knew how to skate but I enjoyed helping my friends figure it out.  Then we got to free skate for a while.

I really enjoy skating, even though the skates I was wearing today weren’t as fitted as the ones I have at home.  It was a lot of fun helping Fiona and Lauren skate around the rink, and they both improved a lot as the time went on.

And then after an hour or so of skating, the Zamboni came onto the rink to smooth out the ice.  I love the Zamboni.  It always looks so fun.

It was a really great event to start off the semester, being able to skate with my friends and learn a bit about the rink and skating.  I appreciated the lesson even though I already knew how to skate, because it reminded me of the proper ways to stop skating.  Although I’m still not very good at stopping properly.  It has always been easier to just skate into the wall to stop!

I had a fantastic time at the Rose Ice Skating event. I think that organizing this event was a great idea for a fun activity that allows people to be active during the winter. Caitlin, the SA leading the event, was extremely enthusiastic during the mini-lesson and did a really good job emphasizing the importance of ice hockey to Cornell’s history.

However, this is the second time I have attended a pre-planned event at Lynah Rink and noted that the logistics of getting skates needs to be improved. At both the event I attended last semester and today’s Rose event, as soon as the event began, the line for skates was extremely long and people had to wait as much as 30 minutes to get skates from the single booth. My suggestion is that when Lynah knows in advance that a big group will be arriving, they should lay out the skates on the bleachers, with the biggest sizes at the top and the smallest sizes on the lowest bleachers. Then people can distribute themselves and easily pick out the skates that fit them. A Lynah employee can stand at the entrance to the rink and collect the money (or student ID as in today’s event) as each person steps onto the ice.

I think that because Cornell is such a large school with so many students, it is really important to put forethought into processes such as these. Ice skating is really fun and I believe that by streamlining the method of getting skates, the process of going to the rink could be made even more enjoyable!

I’m a huge fan of winter activities: sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, and of course, ice skating.  So while many people are are happy that we haven’t had to walk through the snow to class this year, I have my fingers crossed that we will get a blanket of snow on the ground soon.

Ice skating at Lynah was the perfect way to spend a snowless winter afternoon. SA Caitlan gave us a brief history of Lynah rink and then taught us the basics about skating. I have been skating since I was young, but I have never had a lesson, so it was helpful to learn how to skate backwards and stop in a way that doesn’t involve crashing into the wall.

Caitlin told us an interesting story about why Lynah was built.  The hockey team used to always play on Beebe lake, but one year it was too warm to skate on so they had to miss the entire season!  Thanks to Lynah, they have been able to win many championships since then, even in years when the weather doesn’t cooperate like this year!

First of all, I think it needs to be said that I am a huge hockey fan.  I have been to every home game since freshman year and have gone to the Frozen Apple at Madison Square Garden every year.  I know a lot of the players names (not to be creepy) and own hockey jerseys and a hockey sweatshirt.  I have even pushed my family to come to the games when they are here and buy hockey apparel.  So for a hockey fan, to get to skate on the ice at Lynah Rink was beyond cool. That being said, I have only ever skated twice before in my life because I played basketball all throughout middle school and high school.  I was not allowed to skate for fear of injuring myself while in season so the times I did go, I either clung to the wall for dear life or I was pulled around my other, better skaters (like my sister).  The open skate started off with a mini history lesson about the rink and then a basic skating lesson, however for someone who has never skated before, I was not able to keep up and so I clung to the wall during it.  Eventually my friends taught me the basics and I was able to move around the rink more freely.  I was only able to move one leg though (I’m not the most coordinated) so I felt like a bull or a flamingo instead of a graceful ice skater like many other people looked like.  It was really cool to be on the ice instead of in the stands like I usually am.  My friends and I had a blast skating around and taking pictures.  When the zamboni came out however and we stepped off the ice we realized just how much pain our feet were in and decided to call it a day.  I was really happy though, because this was the first time I was able to go around the rink by myself without the fear of injury.