The action zone
The harsh winter (54 inches of snow, and counting) hasn't kept us inside.
Quite the opposite, in fact, over the last week. And therein lies the painful point.
We had our son's 7th birthday party this past Sunday at Super Skate, our starkly retro (read: decor hasn't changed in decades) roller-skating rink on Cedar Rapids' northeast side. And because of yet another snowstorm, we had the place virtually to ourselves.
And I, revisiting my teen years, strapped on the rental skates and glided around the joint for nearly three full hours. Felt like a kid, I did, and we all had a great time.
Then when we got home, it was time to crank up the snowblower, for the second time that day, and tackle another round of heavy, wet snow. Except the snowblower couldn't handle the slushy mess at the driveway's mouth. So out came the shovel for snow removal the old-fashioned way.
Then, of course, school was cancelled Monday, for the fifth time this winter, so the kids and I needed something to do.
Hello, Pump It Up, an "inflatable party zone" with an obstacle course, slide and the like. So we rolled, rocked, tumbled and tore around the place for about an hour and a half that day.
Since then, I've been feeling every day of my nearly 43 years. But the aches and pains are good. They mean I exerted myself.
Actually, I think they mean I need to do it more. The kids wouldn't mind, that's for sure. They had a blast, both days.
And they went to bed early, both nights. Bonus.