Tis the season of crowded skating rinks

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Nathan Phillips Square, a people magnet

Yes, folks. Tis the time when everyone puts on their elf hats, floppy dog ear hats, cute little red Sergeant Pepper-ette outfits – or in the case of yours truly – their stupid looking helmet and hits the ice! The crowded ice. The rink at Nathan Phillips Square aka city hall in Toronto to be exact. People in Hawaii and Puerto Escondido, aren’t you seething with jealousy?

I’m not going to win this fashion parade

There were masses of people of all stripes there but I was the only one over three feet tall wearing a helmet. Beside me (above) is my new acquaintance Anna who, as you can see, swings to the other side of extreme ice fashions. The fun one. But I say, bad skaters unite. Let’s bring back the helmet! Ice is hard. It can hurt your head. And if more people wore a helmet I wouldn’t be the only one out there looking like the Great Gazoo. (The Great Gazoo, if you don’t know or remember, is the martian from the Flintstones who wore his space helmet everywhere. Perhaps he was afraid of falling, too.)

Snacks and skates, what more do you need?

I don’t often go to rinks like Nathan Phillips Square because they’re generally too crowded, but I have to say it was fun. People were laughing, falling, floundering, roaring around and going the wrong way, or all of those at once.

I’m so glad to get that stupid helmet off my head!

Winter in Toronto might not be winter in Hawaii or Mexico – there’s no ocean, pounding surf or beachside yoga, but you have to give us credit, we do know how to have frozen water fun.