Skate America Odds and Ends

Before I get to the really exciting entry (go on, ask me why I'm typing this entry IN THE NUDE), I want to post some odds and ends about Skate America I'd forgotten to mention earlier.

1. Silliest thing I saw all week -- during warm-ups, one pair of pair skaters refused to skate with each other for most of the warm-up. They just practiced separately. Picture a guy skating across the ice practicing a lift without there actually being a woman skater (or substitute) in his hands. He was holding his arms in the air like he was holding her up, but SHE WASN'T THERE.

2. Silliest thing I heard all week -- the Skate America announcer's attempts to pronouce a French skater's first name -- Olivier. A few times he was "Oliver" and once or twice "Oliv-i-er."

3. Silliest thing I ate all week -- The Sovereign Center (arena in Reading) serves the WEIRDEST stadium food. I was expecting the hot dogs and such. And, all things considered, the pretzels weren't totally out of the ordinary. But the two biggest sellers there were "The Pig Pit" -- serving pulled pork sandwiches, and "The Cabana" -- fresh made tacos, quesadillas, wraps, and, um, "Cuban Sandwiches" -- which are apparently pulled pork again. Go figure.