Where were we? Oh yes, my summer repeating 10th grade PE. Summer school was at Lake Braddock that year; one of the few schools at the time that went from 7th through 12th, and it had big wide halls. In what can only be described as surreal, our first week of activity was roller skating, not in the beating sun outside, but right there in those beautiful wide hallways. While kids were sitting in classrooms making up classes like English, Algebra and Geometry we were gliding through the hallways on our skates, whooping it up.
I know you’re thinking I would be a disaster on skates, but when I was a little girl my dad was determined to teach me. He fabricated a doctor’s appointment and pulled me out of school in the middle of the day. We headed straight to the roller rink, and with not another soul around to intimidate me, I learned how to skate. Yes, I fell a lot, but I was much closer to the ground back then.
It was all worth it because when I was in junior high I spent many a Saturday night at the roller rink. There I was wearing my skin-tight Calvin Klein jeans, grooving my disco skates to the sounds of the 70s; K.C. and the Sunshine Band, the Bay City Rollers, Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor and The Bee Gees.
When they dimmed the lights and slowed everything down for Couples Skate, they would play the Captain and Tennille singing Muskrat Love.
We moved on from roller skating to the vigorous sport of putt-putt golf. They set up a little course on the lawn; while it was unfortunately outside, we were only required to play 9 holes, and then we could go back inside and skate.
After putt-putt, we tackled the physical and mental rigor of bowling at a nearby Bowl America. All we had to do was show up and play two games, and then we were free to go-as in go hang out or whatever, not go back to school. It’s not pretty, but even I can throw a ball down a bowling lane; typically without harming myself or others. And remember, I was competing with other losers who failed 10th grade PE.
If I had known how awesome summer school PE would be, I would have thrown in the towel in 9th grade PE too.
I’ve never met your mom, but based on her comments, I see that humor is definitely a genetic component of this family!
Yes-double dose, humor runs on both sides of my family. Get togethers are like a sarcasm-fest. Like that’s a barrel of frackin’ laughs.
As I recall you failed PE because you wouldn’t dress out. You weren’t going to mess up your hair or spectacular outfit. It cost $49 and I made you pay it. I thought you’d be upset about that in addition to going to summer school. The joke was on me…you had so much fun! Mom
True. Learnng lessons was never my strong point. I wonder how many JC Penney maintenance contracts I had to sell to rustle up $49.