I Don't Go Anywhere without Duct Tape!

Last night was a rough evening, but Sk8terdude and OlderBrother are coping with our loss.  They both went to school today, shared their news with some friends and teachers, and returned home asking if our other cat seemed sad.  Both boys continue to say that it all seems so unreal and hard to believe because it was so sudden.  Many thanks to those of you who reached out to us with words of comfort.

In the meantime, we are looking forward...

Sk8terdude is busy packing for our first-ever-mother-son-skateboard-themed-road-trip!  We plan to spend the next two days at Greenside Skatepark, where Sk8terdude will participate in a skate clinic on Friday and the Elemental Awareness Make It Count skate competition on Saturday.  His packing involves skate gear, multiple pairs of skate shoes, and the requisite Shaun White tee shirts.  Mine involves more mundane items such as toothpaste, socks, and duct tape.

Now you might well wonder why I would pack duct tape for a trip to Rhode Island, and the only answer I can give in response is that I never leave home without it.  The evidence speaks for itself.  Below is a photo taken about 15 minutes after we arrived at the Greenwich Skatepark one day last fall.  Sk8terdude was olleying a gap into a half-pipe.  He landed it the first time.  The second, not so much.    He reports, "My trucks hit down so hard that they popped out of the sockets."  He fell.  He slid.  His pants pocket caught on a nailhead sticking up at the edge of the halfpipe.  This was the result:



Might be cute on a teenage rock star, but not so cute or convenient for a day at the skatepark!  We didn't have a change of clothes in the car (note to self:  next time, pack a change of clothes in the car) but we did have the aforementioned duct tape and I wasn't about to give up without a fight.

So I channeled a little Martha Stewart, sent up a quick prayer to Tim Gunn, and did this:

Sk8terdude and I were delighted with the sartorial results.  Unfortunately, my efforts to rescue his skateboarding day turned out to be for naught, since duct tape couldn't repair the broken trucks.  After a quick trip up the road to Capsule Boardshop (where I took this second photo), Sk8terdude was the proud new owner of his current skateboard.

Will you be skating in Rhode Island this weekend?  I'll be the mom wearing a roll of duct tape as a bracelet.  Be sure to say hello!