44 Comments
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June Woodard's avatar

Loved your story! Glad you had such a good time!

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Edward Low's avatar

There are so many things funny

So many questions.

And life can be so much fun.

With so many things in life to be enjoyed.

When I moved to the north country NYS

I had to skate around the oval and I did. It was probably late November, but it felt like cristmas with music playing. giggles of children floating up

As soon as I can, I walked into the 1980 arena. When no one was looking. Though I don’t think anyone would have minded me stepping onto the ice. The ice of the 1980 Miracle on Ice. On that ice for 20 seconds, but myy heart raced.

Only to conclude that ice was not the ice.. that every may for the past 10 years it had been melted, drain and put into the sewer. Then re-iced a month or so later

and thinking about that and this essay. Life was meant to be enjoyed.. An hour on the oval, 20 seconds on gold metal ice. All the moments in life

And yes there is evil.. there is pos_tfnKKK and hmpy trmPEDO sucking life and rights from everyday people.

But we need to be grateful what we have, the moments that make us human.

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Edward Low's avatar

One of my questions was/is... do you sense the rink is like most rinks, where there is an endless schedule of little girls figure skating, high school teams practising. and adult leagues that go late into the night?

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Ken Tingley's avatar

Since this is at the convention center I suspect it is only the for December and ChristmasFest.

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Edward Low's avatar

thanks..

Which might explain why few people there seemed to know how to skate

; - )

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Ken Tingley's avatar

That is what I figured.

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Ken Tingley's avatar

Bravo! So very true.

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Dan Girard's avatar

Great story, you had me smiling! 👍❤️

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Ken Tingley's avatar

I’m still smiling.

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Beatriz Roman's avatar

I couldn't stop smiling while reading your ice skating adventure in NOLA. Thank you for sharing your tentative shuffle toward a balanced skating victory, a lesson in stick-to-it-ivity and joyful achievement! Thanks for recommending the Dylan movie, it should be interesting. Sorry about the Post-Star's inability to hold on to an editor. Obviously, something is very wrong in their expectations. Hope you aren't planning to abandon the frigid North Country now that you know how well NOLA expresses it's Winter Wonderland!

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Ken Tingley's avatar

Right now, it’s just a chance to spend quality time with my son. Something we both need.

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Susan Andrews's avatar

Even with your silver hair you look 10 years younger in this jubilant pose, celebrating the Inner Child/Teenager within you! And though unplanned, the large wall painting parallel to you shows a fellow with his arms also raised within his own snow-joy scene.

Thanks for stirring memories of Crandall Pond skating in the 50’s and 60’s…and reminding us all that it’s never too late to create a Second Childhood…even if it only lasts for an hour! ⛸️⛸️

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Ken Tingley's avatar

Oh my, have I already moved on to “silver”

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Ken Tingley's avatar

I missed that in the background. How strange! It adds another dimension to the entire scene.

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David Turner's avatar

Great expression of joy on your face Ken - I’m glad you didn’t pack it in after one loop. We shoveled a rink on Lake Sunnyside on Christmas Eve and skated every day through Saturday before the 40 degree fog rolled in. It is truly something which can help one feel 12 years old again!

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Diane's avatar

Good for you!

I loved to skate!

Happy New Year, Ken!

And thanks!

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Valerie Boyle's avatar

Thank you!

I smiled.

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Mary Ellen Collins's avatar

i wonder if a local/regional group couldn't get together and buy the Post Star and perhaps make it a non-profit entity and keep going...just my musings...I signed up for the 90 days on line for #1 and it's not even worth the $1. it's a mess and needs a complete overhauling...So sad.

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Ken Tingley's avatar

There have been cases of that being done and making the newspaper into a non-profit, but you need a lot of seed money and then some great fundraising within the community to keep it going. You would need people with deep pockets.

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Charlie Bucket's avatar

I really think there are two entities at Post Star — the web site and the print edition. Maybe they should just sell off the print edition rights — they obviously are burdened by it. Sell it for some marginal sum to someone who knows what they are doing.

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Ken Tingley's avatar

I suspect they do not want to give up the subscription revenue since people are still willing to pay a high price for paper.

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Charlie Bucket's avatar

And the legals and obits. I don’t know anyone who gets it anymore though. Used to be everyone.

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Ken Tingley's avatar

That, too.

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Jeannie Snyder's avatar

Has as much fun reading as you did skating!

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Ken Tingley's avatar

Wow, then you had a really good time. Glad to hear.

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Janet Coyle's avatar

Made me happy just reading it. Thanks.

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Catherine Atherden's avatar

I'll look for you at the Crandall Park ice rink - should it ever freeze :). Happy New Year Ken.

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Ken Tingley's avatar

Happy New Year to you Catherine and the entire North Country Light Brigade.

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Don Shuler's avatar

That inner child continues to come out. Keep it up! Congratulations!

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Roseann Bischoff's avatar

No ice here in North Carolina either, but you give some of us gray hairs hope if we are ever back up north in the winter!

So glad you did this and it brought a smile to your face!!

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Kris Moss's avatar

Oh Ken, I love that you went skating! Like riding a bike… ❤️

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Ken Tingley's avatar

Riding a bike was a lot easier.

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Peg's avatar

What a great adventure! Thanks for sharing!

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