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09/17/2003 Archived Entry: "Wednesday Night - September 17, 2003"

Our Skate, Skate, Skate
On Wednesday Night – September 17, 2003
The Slow Group Text By Zdenka M.

(The Slow Group) Tonight, my sister skated with me! It was her first time on inline skates, but she has ice-skated before. The Wednesday Night Skate seemed to be perfect for this first time.

At the Carter Center parking lot, I gathered all the pads from "share-willing" friends, but borrowing skates for my sister wasn't the best thing to do {the skates that she used were not technically designed to exceed the speed of a walking man}.

We set off with Deb C and the Slow Group, but after a while, split apart from most of the others and created an extra recreational-touring group. We headed to the Olympic Park, and Deb not only led us safely through Atlanta's roads, but gave us an interesting guided tour of the city, that my sister and I greatly enjoyed.

After we got back to the Carter Center parking lot, my sister ranked this skating experience as Number 3 in her top ten experiences here in America - after Arches National Park {Utah} and Zion National Park {Utah}, and before San Francisco {CA}. We gladly invited everybody to taste our Czech herb liqueur, called “Becherovka,” that my sister brought with her from the Czech Republic. It has a special taste {I can not describe it, you simply have to taste it} so the skaters either loved it or didn’t.

I would like to thank Deb and the others for helping to make our skating trip fun; Stephanie, Ann, and Marc for loaning their pads; Kenny for all his physical help and support during the skate; and David {on the bike}, who was a good escort for our group. Also, I'd like to thank Ken and Greg for all the good advise about the places to take my sister, while she stays here in Atlanta.

Because of the Wednesday Night Skate, my sister has now become so caught-up in inline skating, that she has decided to buy skates, so that she can start skating back home, in the Czech Republic.

Zdenka’s sister, Jana, had come from the Czech Republic to visit.
We were overjoyed to learn that Zdenka was back in Atlanta
and with us tonight, after she and her sister had toured the
American Southwest.

(The Speed Group & The Intermediate Group)

Just how fast do you think that Mims, Uwe and Eric are traveling,
while hurtling toward Emory? Keeping up with Mims and Uwe took
everything that I had. Although I knew my camera batteries had
typically not been lasting an entire skate-night - - I was now far
more worried about myself lasting as long. Being that Mims and
Uwe were setting the pace for our small, six-man Speed Group -
and with A2A right around the next corner - the two were putting
forth some serious exertion. Heck with the pain and sweat, Lets Go!!!

I’m not exactly sure what to make of this unique image of Uwe,
skating down The By Way toward Briar Cliff Road.
Perhaps you can be the better judge.

We were totally RIPPING down the lengthy hill on Los Angles Street.
Let me rephrase the statement…
R I P P I N G - T H E - H I L L - T O - S C H R E A D S .
So here’s what Mark had to say about the matter as we were traveling
down the fast slope.

Mims in Piedmont Park

Our Speed Group.
(Left to right) Sam F, Mark R, Marc St. Pierre, Mims R, and Eric M
– with Uwe in the back.

Eric and Uwe (who is in front of him, and to the right) are seen here
rocking the IBM Tower with their earth-shaking pushes –
perhaps taught by A2A King - Eddy Matzger.
These two ultra-speed skaters are more than ready for the 87 mile race.

While our Speed Group sprinted up the CNN Center hill, we had a head-on
encounter with the more massively numbered Intermediate Group. I stopped
briefly to snap a photo, and Lisa happened to be right there in the lens,
while skating past me. “Do you want to get one of my good moments?”
she happily asked to me. I was instantly hooked. I then wanted to get
several of them.

Jenni X, who was leading the intermediate group,
covered a lot of solid ground tonight!

Jenni led the intermediate group toward the GT Student Center.
What you can’t hear in this photo are all the scraping noises
that she made with her palm-slider and knee pad, while illegally
entering the university campus.

The Intermediate Group at the Georgia Tech Student Center.
(Front row- left to right) Paula, Nancy G, Ann L
(Second row- left to right) Sarah M, Jim, Mark R, Carl C, Brian H,
Lisa M, Don R, Bill B, Mark D, Debra R
(Back row – left to right) George W, Ken O, Marc St. Pierre,
Jenni X, Ann S, Jim M, Chuck O

Debra R on her bike.

It was pretty mean of Bill to have passed our group leader, Jenni X.
But then again, Bill seems to thrive off stuff like that.

When the Intermediate Group turned right,
Marc turned left,
and straight into one of the Frat Houses at GT.
These guys had drinks and women…
The two things that Marc was craving most.

While skating in the Midtown area, I asked Don
to do something unique for the weblog.
So he did some kind of acrobatic maneuver that
not even a kamikaze pilot would dare reproduce.

Sarah M on her bike, peddling down 10th Street.

Bryan is not only dynamic as a person, but also as a skater.
Although he is very social when skating, he generally gets
right down to business. That is - the business of having fun.

“GW”

This image of Ann in the Virginia Highlands, toward the end of the
skate, illustrates very well the entire evening. Her eyes show her
content, and her smile reveals her gratitude for the splendid
weather and well guided tour.

Mark R and I are in the same boat. We’re both exhausted from an
extremely long and exhilarating night of awesomely radical skating.

Mark D is meticulous about his equipment. Everything is organized.
Everything is in its place. Once arriving back to the Carter Center,
Mark quickly takes care of problems and maintenance. And makes
sure all is ready for the next skate.

Carl & Paula

Zdenka demonstrates to Chuck the Czech custom for ensuring the
happiness of a thirsty man. She didn’t uncap the bottle out of fear
that Chuck would consume the entirety of its contents.

Lisa has totally abused Article 74, Paragraph 118 of the new,
2003 Fair Proportions Act. The Act was established to ensure
good behavior and orderly conduct, after sipping top-notch
Czech liquid delights, such as this one brought from overseas,
from Zdenka’s home land - - courtesy of her sister Jana.
Thanks Zdenka & Jana for the tasty “night cap!”
But the bottle’s now empty… and we need another!
(Zdenka, Lisa, Chuck, Debra)

Replies: 1 Comment

BOO!!! I want some of the yummy czech liquor! Fun pix, Marc!

Posted by Mims @ 09/20/2003 05:15 PM EDT