[SkateDC] Eastern Shore Skate Report 2009

[George Marinkovich]

Thanks to everyone who showed up for this year's "So Long to Summer" Eastern Shore Skate despite the less than promising weather forecast.

There were sixteen of us that I saw and perhaps two or three additional people I didn't see,  Among the participants:  Keri, Renee, Carl, Denise, Susan, Andrew, Lisa, Jonathon, Fabio, Greg, Jim, and several others my truly awful memory precludes me from naming at the moment (my apologies to those I didn't mention!).

Keri has already released an excellent video of the event:   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=468KS8aJVmI.  


I'm especially impressed  by her ability to photoshop out all the raindrops; that couldn't have been easy.  And, of course, the display of her awesome strength in bicycle lifting.

Given the weather forecast I knew if I went there would be trouble, but if stayed home it would be double.  I'm happy I made the decision to go rather than stay, thereby reducing my trouble by a factor of two.  Thanks to Keri for the video and to the Clash for the sage advice.

Best dramatic performance in a skating video goes to -- envelope please -- Fabio.  I didn't know Fabio was capable of looking that innocent.  Now, that's acting for you!

If I ever need to get the attention of a busy waitress, I've learned I only need to phone Jim, put the call on speakerphone, and get him to whistle.  Works every time.

Thanks to Greg for demonstrating the proper technique for opening
plastic packages of crackers.  I think the company that packaged those crackers must be the same company that puts the plastic wrap on CDs.  His timely intervention saved several of us from imminent
starvation.



I also learned there are outlet malls on the Eastern Shore (who knew?), and even more amazing it's possible to purchase a very chic Coach handbag in less than 10 minutes, that here's a winery in St. Michaels (again, who knew?), and that if the waitress take too long to bring the food out Carl is likely to start singing in Old Church Slavonic (seriously).

Thanks to Susan for co-sweeping the skate and the interesting conversation.  By the way, before I forget, the book is "Through a fiery trial : building Washington, 1790-1800," 
		 
          by Bob Arnebeck.



Finally, thanks to Ed Irmler, the original instigator of this skate.  Andrew, who knows his WAR history, thinks this was the 12th anniversary of that first skate.

Hope to see you all out skating/biking again soon.

Cheers,
George