balloonacy, roller skating and Quinn

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9/10/21 | 34/52

Autumn is starting to knock on the door and that means that it's almost chili season. I mentioned that to my wife and she let out an audible groan. A gentle reminder to be patient, compromising and tolerant of the ones you love. Keep that in mind when you head out to make the most of this beautiful day.

luft baloon

this is an all skate

For some reason the algorithm kept suggesting these videos to me. Maybe it's because I would watch them all the way through or maybe it's because of the word "skate." The video would usually involve a group of identically outfitted older folks, predominantly African American, doing choreographed maneuvers on roller skates as they circled the rink. They glide and spin effortlessly in unison with a relaxed style. Who were these people? Where are they doing this? What year is this from?

A little bit of googling led me to the United Skates documentary on HBO, a film I didn't know I needed to watch. I love documentaries. They give you a condensed deep dive. You hear from the people that were there. You learn, even though you don't know you're learning. I also appreciate all the work that goes into putting one together. All of the hours of filming and interviewing and editing. The time spent shaping the story.

United Skates isn't a perfect documentary. There's a chunk of interviews with rappers that feel a little out of place. There's some bigger societal messages that feel pushed in. Those are minor gripes though. The footage of these amazing skate nights, the information about this culture and style of skating, the examples of the different regional moves, it's all wonderful. As a Chicagoan I was proud to see that my city has its own style and traditions.

I also loved the footage of the old buildings. Giant and open and from another time. Looking at them now I started calculating the rent and insurance and heating and maintenance costs vs. how much money you can make with one or two nights a week of skate rentals. It's a tough business that is trying its best to hang on.

I occasionally roller skated when I was a kid so I think I could still do it. Not well or backwards or in formation, but enough to be comfortable slowly making my way around the rink.I would do it now for fun if someone had a skating party and invited me. I kind of look at it like bowling. It's fun when you do it but it's not my passion so I don't seek it out. But that doesn't make it any less compelling to learn about. I've never sold rare books or surfed giant waves or wrestled in the Olympics but I've still loved watching documentaries about these subjects. So the next time you are re-watching an episode of The Office, try a documentary instead. It doesn't have to be United Skates. It doesn't have to be a subject you know anything about. A good documentary can make you care about something you've never considered before.

Do you have a favorite documentary to recommend? I'm always looking for great suggestions from people whose opinions I value and trust.

Friend of the Week

This weeks friend is Quinn the Quarantine Fox. I first saw Quinn in a retweet, an oddly put together image with the heartwarming message, "Good night, kind friends. Tomorrow we care for one another all over again." These simple words really stuck with me and I try to keep them at the front of my mind before I drift off to sleep. Part of me wonders if the whole thing is performance art or it's the real deal. Either way I love it and highly recommend following the USCPSC on twitter or instagram for product safety updates, recalls and the best informative oddball images out there.

If you would like your best animal associate to be featured email me 3 pictures of them and I will do my best to try and capture their essence.

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Solid,
Tim