Road Trip - New Wheels, Cute Dogs and Pink Skates

The weather forecast of sunny and 20 degrees seemed like today would be a perfect day for a road trip.  A couple of my friends who play roller derby and I had planned a visit to the Cardinal Skate Co. in Toronto to get new roller skate wheels, etc.   The awesome Kim at Lovesick found a pair of secondhand skates for me, and while the skates themselves are in good shape, the wheels were toast, as were the toe stops.   So much for the weather forecast--it was so foggy when we left London that we couldn't see more than one car length ahead of us, and when we got to Toronto at 11:00 am, it was 7 degrees, and pretty much stayed that way until we left at 4:00 pm. Apparently it was nice here, figures...

Cardinal also sells skateboards, as you can see on the wall. The sales staff were incredibly helpful; I didn't ask if this guy owned the shop, but he spent a lot of time replacing the wheels, bearings, bushings (cushiony bits) and toe stops on my skates.

 In addition to different styles of Roller Derby skates, gear, and street skates in basic black or white, the shop also had these "Squee-worthy" leopard print skates.

There were also these very pretty ones in pastel pink suede

In addition to cool skate stuff and nice staff, they had the most adorable dog, who would come over for an ear rub while we were waiting for my skates to be overhauled.

My refurbished skates!

The surprise score of the day was this funky tapestry suitcase that Heather spotted at Value Village on Bloor Street West (I can't pass one without wanting to stop for a quick snoop) for $6.  It's got just enough room for my skates and pads, and a little zippered pocket on the side to stash your keys and lipstick.  Despite the disappointing weather, it was a successful trip.  Oh, and a Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you who spent the day here on a patio getting hammered on green beer!