You know you're a skater when..

[fsk8r]

- You've gone to the grocery store in full synchro competition make up and only realized when you got home and looked in the mirror why people were staring at you

I've not done the store in synchro competition make up, but I have stopped at the services on the freeway at close to midnight in synchro makeup and tracksuit. If it wasn't looking identical to the other person ordering coffee, I'm sure they'd think I was a hooker.

But I think the best conversation I had was when ordering food in Panera. I was wearing work pants over my skating dress. I hadn't thought about what I was wearing until the woman at the soda fountain asked me if my 4 year old had dressed me that morning. I was slightly taken aback.

I have however stopped driving in a skating dress, just to avoid any embarrassment in case I have an accident. I don't want to have to explain to the police why I'm wearing one.

[supra]

You do 3 turns in your dreams.

[Neverdull44]

"- you go to the store or run errands in your skating clothes after practice and think nothing of it.
- you are THAT person wearing uggs and leggings after skating practice because you were cold and people give you a crazy look (bonus points if you're in florida)"  Guilty with bonus points, Florida & Costco in my tights and dresses.

I'll add . . .

-  Your neighbor's peer out their window to watch you relgiously practicing off-ice axels for 10 minutes in your back yard every night.
-  Your neighbor catches you coming home at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning wearing a super short dress.  But, they don't bother asking where you've been.  They know by now it wasn't a late night, rather an early morning.  You're the neighborhood oddity.
- You don't buy long johns, figure skating tights, especially the old sweater ones, work better.
- Rink Eats, like pizza, popcorn, and pretzels, guiltily make up part of your diet.  You reason that you need carbs.
-  Boys names like 'Axel" and "Blade" seem like really cool baby names.  For girls, "Sonia" comes to mind.
- You plan your wedding wearing your skates and guards down the isle. (or at least a cake topper like this)
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/6019835/il_fullxfull.328434752.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.etsy.com/listing/97449020/figure-skating-couple-custom-wedding&h=1000&w=1000&sz=139&tbnid=9fZlJ_EvXZ49YM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=91&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dwedding%2Bcake%2Btopper%2Bfigure%2Bskating%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=wedding+cake+topper+figure+skating&usg=__mfrUVYTjTAQdkpG1TugoiRlR0tY=&docid=kNtpBx2OrdtIiM&sa=X&ei=DMvNUfmDB5GO9ATv1YHIDA&ved=0CEAQ9QEwAg&dur=838

[icedancer]

- You can pick out a rink anywhere by just the look of a building

When going on a road trip I can literally be asleep in the passenger's seat, wake up suddenly and we are driving by a skating rink - it's like my subconscious mind can smell it or something!

[FigureSpins]

On the way to Orlando or St. Petersburg, FL, I make a pit stop at that ice rink right off 95S when you get into Florida, lol.


... you navigate entire states' road systems based on ice rink locations.  ("Washington Township, NJ...yep, I can give you directions...Fritz Dietl's rink is in that area.  Just take the Parkway to exit ...")

[rosereedy]

-Your competition dresses are the same price as a nice house payment
-Your car smells like skates even though you don't leave them in there
-You have to explain to people why you have so many bruises on your legs
-You own more skating pants than you do other pants
-You'd rather buy ice time and lessons than that designer handbag/shoes
-"I can't, I have skating"
-Every other sentence out of your mouth starts with "My skating coach told me...."

[jjane45]

When going on a road trip I can literally be asleep in the passenger's seat, wake up suddenly and we are driving by a skating rink - it's like my subconscious mind can smell it or something!

do you smell the ice quality too?

[Skating_Jen]

- you have your hand in a brace cause it's possibly fractured but keep thinking how you can smuggle your skates in and out of the house without getting caught 

[ChristyRN]

You ask the doctor putting the cast on your wrist (the one you broke skating) if you can skate with said cast.

[CaraSkates]

You ask the doctor putting the cast on your wrist (the one you broke skating) if you can skate with said cast.

You choose the color of the cast based on the dress you plan to wear at the competition two days before said cast comes off!

[AgnesNitt]

As the doctor is putting the cast on your broken ankle you ask, "How long til I can skate?" And when you have surgery for thyroid cancer 6 months later you ask the surgeon "How long til I can skate?"

[icedancer]

As the doctor is putting the cast on your broken ankle you ask, "How long til I can skate?" And when you have surgery for thyroid cancer 6 months later you ask the surgeon "How long til I can skate?"

As you are twisting your foot or ankle and knowing that it will be sprained/broken your first thought is - "Oh no!!  I won't be able to skate!!!"

[sk8lady]

-You scare the bejesus out of the college kids at the university gym by practicing off-ice axels so many times they move out of the way when you get near the mats
-Everyone in town emails you when they want to know which rinks are open and what the times are
-You schedule all your meetings around ice time

[AgnesNitt]

I was in a shop looking at bags to see if there was one that I would like better than my present skate bag. Hey, I'm a bag junkie.

Anyway the woman asked if she could help me and I casually said I was looking for something to put my ice skates in on.

OH MY GOD.

It was like a flood. She asked me how I started. Was it hard. Where did I skate.

Well, I said, I skated at a rink a thousand miles away but then, I GAVE HER THE NAMES AND APPROXIMATE LOCATIONS OF EVERY ICE RINK IN THE TOWN I WAS IN. And I didn't even have my skates with me.

[icedancer]

Well, I said, I skated at a rink a thousand miles away but then, I GAVE HER THE NAMES AND APPROXIMATE LOCATIONS OF EVERY ICE RINK IN THE TOWN I WAS IN. And I didn't even have my skates with me.

Because you just know these things.  Oh yeah!

[AgnesNitt]

Because you just know these things.  Oh yeah!

I'd  been planning to skate, but decided to not bring my skates after all. 

[Mergen Tatara]

.. you're able to maintain balance on slippery surfaces

.. you instinctively do a Hockey Stop when the bus brakes hard while you're moving to the
   front

.. you enjoy making turns & spinning around on smooth marble surfaces

.. you dissect the mechanics of a jump in your dreams

[Kitten23]

You have to have dental surgery and wonder if you can stand the pain because you've figure out how many sessions/lessons that money would pay for.

Your boss sends you news articles about rinks opening in the same state, even if you'll never skate there.

Your ASL sign name is similar to the sign for ice skating.

Your sister asks if she can borrow one of your dresses for a Halloween costume and you have to really think about it.

[ChristyRN]

You look at the red carpet dresses on a fashion blog and try to redesign them so you can skate in them.