In order to write a blog entry 3 or 4 times a week, I will have to come up with ideas. This might be a short one and simply a recap of my great day on Sunday, two days ago. Better to write about it late than never write about it. At my work I’m scheduled several Saturdays a month. This makes Sundays more precious, it is the only set day of the week that I always have off.
Saturday night I set my alarm for 10:30 am, and on Sunday I naturally woke up a little bit before ten. I had an apple, took a quick shower, grabbed my skateboard, and went out the door. I quickly picked up a coffee from Dunkin. Then I waited for the bus for about ten minutes, and after the five minute bus ride I was at the skate park. I have done this several times were I’m at the park wanting to skate but wanting to sip on my coffee too. So I warmed up with taking a break every five minutes to sip on my coffee.
This was my first time skating in two weeks. That Sunday I skated my new complete at bandshell in Central Park. That is a good flatland space and I ended up breaking my new Toy Machine deck (the wooden part of the skateboard.) That day I got another deck but I got a severe cold shortly after. Another important tidbit is that at the central park spot I simply skated flatland and not on any obstacles, ledges, or ramps.
So on the Sunday that was two days ago at Forest Park I tested out my new deck for the first time, and I also tested out my new wheels and trucks at a skate park. New wheels feel very smooth on mini ramps, was the first thing I noticed. I think it’s important to replace them kind of regularly. I got the complete at KCDC in Brooklyn, and the worker there really recommended this new truck company called ‘Ace Trucks.’ I have to say my grinds on the coping felt a lot smoother than on my three year old venture trucks. Forest park has a long quarter pipe that curves inward slightly. This is a standard easy trick, but on my 50-50’s (grinds) I felt did them much farther on it, like grinding ten or more feet on the coping instead of five feet or less. Also that worker at that shop was right that the bushings (plastic things on trucks that make turning possible) on these trucks are good, and buying extra ones is not necessary. I have them loose, and they feel smooth. On the bank there I can do kickflips to fakie on command, I’m more consistent on my frontside bigspins, and I got an acceptable nollie frontside bigspin on it as well. My new deck from the Almost that I got from Blades felt good too, so all around I’m happy with my current setup.
I recognized some of the skaters there, and at one point played a game of S.K.A.T.E with these college age skaters who I met for the first time. Awhile back my friend I skated with moved to California, and recently my other friend I skated with injured himself. So I do not have a crew to skate with or many people to call up. But every time I skate forest park I have some conversations and sometimes I see the same skaters. New York City has a lot of options for skating, but I made the decision I’m going to skate forest park on most of my skate days. It is the most convenient for me, is good for intermediate skill level, I think I can progress there, and I usually have fun there. That said I will need to get back in the routine of skating early, it gets really crowded 2 and after.
On Sunday by 1 I was done, the weather was hot, and my shirt was soaked. So I took my 5 minute bus ride back. My roommate was watching basketball. I had a lunch of fruit and microwaveable chicken wings, and just talked to my roommate for awhile. I’m glad I have a roommate that is a good friend of mine, I think I would get bored and lonely if I lived by myself. So for quite a bit of the day I half watched the basketball games and continued to read in The Golden Notebook. Around 4:30 I left my apartment, and on Queens Blvd I got a fitted Mets baseball cap, and headed to Manhattan on the subway.
I was early to meet my sister, so I went into a café and had a large decaf latte. There was a space on a comfortable sofa, so for about an hour I sat there and continued to read the Lessing book.
At 7 I met my sister and brother in law and we ate in a Chinese restaurant that is good. I also feel fortunate that my sister lives in New York. I really look forward to our Sunday dinners. Most weeks we are able to meet. She is doing well. After dinner my connecting subway to Queens took a long time, but I did not mind because I was immersed in that book. When I got home I wrote a blog about the first 100 pages of The Golden Notebook.
I think that is a great way to spend a day off.
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