.....but this thread couldn’t be resisted.

What do you mean by roller-skating?

I vaguely remember reading about a place called the Rollercade in Cleveland. A converted K-ration planted after the war, it was the biggest roller rink between Chicago and New York. I think it said something about it being where you used those low-quarter type boot things that had the trucks on the front and back, along with the giant, screw-on, renewable, toe-stops that were bigger than your girlfriends pointy boobs (even with the Kleenex packing).

They had carefully painted, half white and half black, faces on the wheels that you had to lubricate every couple weeks whether they needed it or not. You took the recessed nut off of each axel (8) with your special “skate wrench” and watched all the little ball bearings fall everywhere no matter how careful you were. After cleaning off a light coat of special “skate grease”,... you put on a light coat of special “skate grease”, reassemble, tighten up the axel nuts (back off 1/8th turn) and you were ready.

Well….. you were ready after you combed the Brill Cream through your DA haircut one last time, turned up the cuffs on your white shirt two laps, undid the top 3 buttons (giving your chest air incase a hair wanted to grow), and turned up your collar.

I was important to cut right in front of the prettiest 3 girls on the floor during your first speed lap before the skate guard blew his whistle at you to slow down. And you always wanted to be right behind the girl that fell in her special SHORT “skating skirt” with the special “skating panties” to help her up.

The real fun came when the old guy in the glass booth, playing the organ (yes, a real person and a real organ) would crank out “Night Train” and only the flea-hoppers were allowed on the floor. Now it was the inside ring for the slower skaters and the outside for the showoffs. (opposite the standard) The high-speed, smart-ass competition often blew away the entire days coolness with one LOOONG, sliding flop.

Is that what you are talking about?


(good thing I read a lot)

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