Remember 'Owensboro on the Rock' at United Skates of America?

This was the Saturday routine...it started with a big bowl of cereal and Superfriends, kickstarting an entire morning of cartoons which ended with American Bandstand.

Next, we'd go out and play, sometimes til dark. Then it was time for dinner.

But for two years, the routine was altered a bit, because my sister and I never missed an episode of "Owensboro on the Rock," hosted by local legend Kirk Kirkpatrick.

It was a local version of American Bandstand and for two hours--from 4PM to 6PM--Kirk would play the top 20 songs and a bunch of local teenagers would dance to them. It aired in 1975 and 1976 and Kirk told me that the live cable broadcast actually began at the TV studio. But then more and more people began to show up and so it was moved to United Skates of America, since the studio became too small to accommodate everyone. Oh, and we'd even watch the taped replay on Sundays.

If you don't remember or are not familiar, United Skates of America was on Park Plaza drive right behind Wesleyan Park Plaza. And the building is still there--now the home of Legends Owensboro and Weir's Photo.

United Skates of America was the hot, happenin' spot in Owensboro back in the day. I can't tell you how many church and school functions we had there. And I would always go, despite the fact that I couldn't roller skate if my life depended on it. And Lord knows I tried, but to no avail.

I'd still go. I'd still put on those skates. But one excursion out onto the rink was all it took for me to know that THAT was not for me. And so I sort of "grounded" myself by staying on the carpet. It still wasn't easy, but I had some traction.

Good old memories of fun times. I seem to remember my sister being on "Owensboro on the Rock" but I'm not sure. I've sent her a message. And, yeah, I have fun memories of FAILING miserably at something everyone around me was enjoying to their hearts' content.

See? I'm easily entertained.