The Skating Spreadsheet
Nov. 28th, 2007 10:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamsharkSince I finally realized that relying on Minnesota weather to freeze the ice is So Last Century, I spent a few hours online last week looking for indoor skating rinks. Good news: there are a ton of them. Bad news: most of the "Open Skating" hours are between noon and 1:30pm. I'm not sure what audience that plays to, but clearly not to working adults.
So, while the exorbitantly expensive Depot Rink is not the only game in town, it continues to be the only choice except for Sunday afternoons and the occasional Friday evening. And the Depot hours are extremely unpredictable. In general, it's open Friday-Sat-Sun (except when it isn't). At least it's open on school holidays (including the entire Festivus Winter Break. Weirdly, the suburban rinks that presumably cater to families make a point of being closed on holidays.
Anyway, it was all so hard to track that I did what I do best - made a spreadsheet. This past Sunday I consulted my spreadsheet and from the bounteous offerings therupon I chose the Bloomington Ice Gardens. This turns out to be a great venue! The rink is huge, the ice was nice, and it was considerably less crowded than the Depot. I will most likely go back next Sunday, unless I decide to sample the St. Louis Park Rink instead.
My first skating attempt of the season, at the Depot the day before Thanksgiving, was difficult. I felt shaky, my legs hurt, and I couldn't even think about trying to skate backwards. Still, I was in much better shape than my first foray onto the ice last winter. Last year I couldn't skate for more than 20 minutes even stopping to rest frequently. This year I'm staying out for about 45 minutes (at least 35 actually skating). Sunday at the Ice Garden went much better than Wednesday. I skated longer and felt like I was starting to get my balance back. Towards the end I even took a few timid backward strokes.
I'm thinking of signing up for adult skating lessons, which are available at the Bloomington rink starting Dec 8.
So, while the exorbitantly expensive Depot Rink is not the only game in town, it continues to be the only choice except for Sunday afternoons and the occasional Friday evening. And the Depot hours are extremely unpredictable. In general, it's open Friday-Sat-Sun (except when it isn't). At least it's open on school holidays (including the entire Festivus Winter Break. Weirdly, the suburban rinks that presumably cater to families make a point of being closed on holidays.
Anyway, it was all so hard to track that I did what I do best - made a spreadsheet. This past Sunday I consulted my spreadsheet and from the bounteous offerings therupon I chose the Bloomington Ice Gardens. This turns out to be a great venue! The rink is huge, the ice was nice, and it was considerably less crowded than the Depot. I will most likely go back next Sunday, unless I decide to sample the St. Louis Park Rink instead.
My first skating attempt of the season, at the Depot the day before Thanksgiving, was difficult. I felt shaky, my legs hurt, and I couldn't even think about trying to skate backwards. Still, I was in much better shape than my first foray onto the ice last winter. Last year I couldn't skate for more than 20 minutes even stopping to rest frequently. This year I'm staying out for about 45 minutes (at least 35 actually skating). Sunday at the Ice Garden went much better than Wednesday. I skated longer and felt like I was starting to get my balance back. Towards the end I even took a few timid backward strokes.
I'm thinking of signing up for adult skating lessons, which are available at the Bloomington rink starting Dec 8.
