May 22nd, 2012
The double paned glass door swung open as my hand pushed against the chilled glass. As the gap between the door and wall widened, I was bitten by the familiar scent and flood of brisk, chilled air. A scent unique, one of stagnant humid air; dusty aluminum and a faint smell of bleach coated rubber floors. The initial dark outlines became more clear seconds after entering the dark lobby. Some light trickled in from the overcast sky, accented by the 6 glass doors directly behind me. Two florescent lights flickered half on to my left directly above the front desk. It wasn't the most appealing and inviting front desk I have seen, but that's the way it looked every day I arrived. The gray face of the counter with a single blue stripe that expanded the width from the wall all the way to the door to the office. A countertop the same color gray looked battered and a little cluttered with a couple binders, tools, and leftovers from lunch that was made earlier in the day.
Looking straight ahead I could make out the lightly faded blue tables that made up the center of the lobby. To the left of the tables appeared a small cave, accented by bulky machines, glass reflections, and that music that eerily never turned off - the arcade was darkest part of the lobby. In the background straight ahead creating the top two corners of the concession stand were a Bud Light neon sign circa 1999 and a more recently added Bud Select neon. Both flickering dimly, but still vibrant given the dark desolate atmosphere. To the right was a dark split corridor. The left fork led to four red weathered metal doors with small window panes. All four neatly placed side by side with a single light above them. The right fork faded off into blackness as your eyes ventured deeper until you're able to see the faint red glow of the exit sign in the darkness two-hundred feet down.
Immediately to the right, eyes wander to the red and white painted cinderblock wall that extends forty-five degrees' out from the farthest end of the front doors. Breaking up the scuffed wall was a rectangular opening. A window that was about four feet by 6 feet. It was complete with a rubber topped counter, two chairs tucked neatly under and a small Rubbermaid container of lost and found gloves.
To this day, any glance down the right side of the building will give me chills. Are we alone in this building? Is that wing haunted? Who is the unlucky soul who will have to go down that hallway at the end of the night and return to the front desk with nothing illuminated?
The whole essence given off by the building at this point of the day is enough to make you think some pretty weird things regarding the afterlife. To most seeing it for the first time would consider it very unwelcoming. I, however, have recently made this place my second home. It also has to do with time of day and business of the facility. Showing up at three in the afternoon, there isn't much going on. Around four I venture over to the electric box and flip some breakers. The halogen lights slowly begin to glow a blueish color as the emit a loud static buzz. They begin to illuminate the lobby, the graveyard to the left brightens up as the games turn on in the arcade. The lights brighten up the lobby tables. Down the dark hallway, fluorescent lights immediately flash on, scaring away any notion that the hallway is haunted. The dark window to the right is now backlit from inside the room. Neatly organized shelves with nearly one-foot by one-foot cubby holes make up the backdrop.
What remains is the intoxicating musty scent and the bitter cold air you feel everywhere in the building. Welcome to The IceBox. One of the largest Ice Skating Facilities in the Mid-West. Known for being a very quickly built and cheaply finished building, it acquired multiple reputations - coldest rink, smells funny, creaky roof and stands, haunted, etc. The list goes on. I knew it as work and as a stepping stone to where I want to be.
I had been working there a year and a half at this point. I was the only employee hired in the buildings history to skip over two rungs of the "corporate ladder". Skipping over Desk and Ice Attendant positions, I started as a Building Manager. Having worked the preceding 3 years at a smaller Ice Rink definitely put me in a better position here and I'm glad I pushed myself.
Being self-motivated most of my life allowed me to learn the sport of hockey at a young age and fell in love with it and the atmosphere. I had taught myself a lot in high school, spent time in honors classes and learned quite a bit from a few short-term jobs here and there while preparing for college. I was always a personable guy. About 5'11", athletic built but more on the thin side. I was outgoing and talked with people I recognized as regulars. More importantly I got along well with employees and upper-management. I was always the one who would step forward and train employees no matter what section of the building they worked in: concession, rink guards, attendants, janitorial, pro-shop. I've had to work them before and it's good to train people right.
