Jazzpants' Annual NYC Meetup - Dec 26-28ish? 2008

[jazzpants]

I am making my annual trip to spend Christmas time with the in-laws. I will be arriving Dec 23rd and leaving Dec 30th. I was thinking over that weekend that we should do a skatingforums meetup!

Would anyone be interested? If not Aviator, at least someplace where it's easy to get to via MTA?

I'm about 45 minutes from Manhattan via LIRR...

[MissIndigo]

Aw man...I wish I could, especially since I live so close now but I decided to head south and spend the holidays at home.

I hope you guys have fun though!

[looplover]

Oh my God! I will probably be there at that time and would LOVE to meet you guys. TOO FUN!

I might leave on the 27th though, not sure - usually I go to NJ for thanksgiving but this year it's Christmas. I'll keep an eye on the thread!:D

[dbny]

Me, me me!!! This time, lets go for dim sum afterwards. The KPD has been going downhill, IMO, and there's a good dim sum place on Ave U.

There is a very remote chance that I will go away over Christmas. Older DD is going to boyfriend's family in PA. If younger DD decides to go away too, my fantasy is to chuck the whold Christmas thing and find a B & B in the mountains and ski and skate with DH, sip scotch on the rocks in a tub afterwards and have quiet dinners by a fire - yeah, definitely a fantasy.

[herniated]

Hi Jazzpants, you can hijack my thread anytime!! What about the citypavillion session for adults? I'm not sure what the sessions will be like over the holiday though.

[renatele]

Would love to get together again, but am not sure it will workout for me this time. Will keep the dates in mind, though.

[patatty]

I would love to join the meet-up but unfortunately we will be away this year. We finally took the plunge and rented a ski house in Adirondacks. Nothing says relaxing like driving 5 hours in holiday traffic to lug four pairs of skis around while trying to calm a 7-year old's tantrum and a 9-year old's pre-teen mood swings. Have fun! Maybe I can join in next year.

[TimDavidSkate]

I would like to open up my rink for you guys during the holidays :) As the skating director, of course you guys can get in free admission

I'll post the hours we're open tomorrow :halo:

My rink is by the 2 and the 3 at 110th Central Park North. When you get up the station the entrance to the Central Park/Lasker Rink is right there.

[dbny]

Thanks for the generous offer, Tim, but that kind of trip is out of the question for me. I can barely get myself to go to lower Manhattan, and Lasker would take me 2 hours.

I'm still up for Aviator or even Iceland in New Hyde Park.

[jazzpants]

Thank you for the offer, Tim, but I think at this point we're gonna aim for Aviator, just b/c it's easier for a lot of people to get to via car. I suspect that a lot of us will likely prefer NOT to go into Manhattan and just drive in or something. (I will likely hitch a ride over with someone to get to Aviator, since most of us are likely to just "drive in." I definitely won't have a car this time, since airfare essentially killed our budget!!! :giveup: )

I am currently aiming for an afternoon session (like around 12 Noon) to keep myself open for morning lessons with my NYC coach. I'm up for other foods though... Italian? :yum: (I think not everyone's as adventurous in food as we are, dbny... so dim sum might not be a good idea either. ;) )

I wish I could make it to Hackensack this time around but no go!!! And I feel bad about it b/c I wanted to go back and see Mr. Moves Guru again. Never mind say hello to flutzilla, her darlin' son, and Adam Rippon... :cry:

[dbny]

I am currently aiming for an afternoon session (like around 12 Noon) to keep myself open for morning lessons with my NYC coach. I'm up for other foods though... Italian? :yum: (I think not everyone's as adventurous in food as we are, dbny... so dim sum might not be a good idea either. ;) )


Unfortunately, our favorite Italian restaurant bitterly disappointed us when we went there last week for older DD's birthday. Don't know if it was a fluke or not, but we've been going there for over 20 years and it's the first time we've ever been unhappy with it, so that does not bode well. There is also some excellent non-dim-sum Chinese nearby, and if Park Slope is not too out of the way (I'll be a chauffeur), a great Cuban place (mmmm, mofongo!)

[jazzpants]

Unfortunately, our favorite Italian restaurant bitterly disappointed us when we went there last week for older DD's birthday. Don't know if it was a fluke or not, but we've been going there for over 20 years and it's the first time we've ever been unhappy with it, so that does not bode well. There is also some excellent non-dim-sum Chinese nearby, and if Park Slope is not too out of the way (I'll be a chauffeur), a great Cuban place (mmmm, mofongo!)Mmmmm.... mofongo (http://gopuertorico.about.com/od/food/g/Mofongo.htm)!!!

dbny: You are so gonna screw my diet there!!! :twisted: :bow: :lol: (What the heck! It's the holidays!!! :P )

[dbny]

We are definitely not going away at all over the holiday week. I can't pass up all the work and the $$$ it will bring in. I highly recommend a freestyle, which means skating before 11 AM or after 4:30 PM. The public sessions are going to be insane and already close to peak crowd levels.

[Isk8NYC]

Try Michael's on Avenue M in Flatbush. (I haven't been there in a year or so, though. You should call to check their hours first.) It's a decent Italian restaurant, not too pricey. The Chicken Fracaise is delicious. There's usually some on-street parking nearby since it's a residential neighborhood with big older houses.

[NoVa Sk8r]

I forgot to mention this, but there is a new rink, City Ice Pavilion, in Long Island City. The ice is reportedly great ("like glass," as a friend told me who skated there this past Sunday), and there purportedly is free parking. It's also accessible via subway.

http://cityice.pucksystems.com/page/show/56669-freestyle-sessions

[dbny]

Try Michael's on Avenue M in Flatbush. (I haven't been there in a year or so, though. You should call to check their hours first.) It's a decent Italian restaurant, not too pricey. The Chicken Fracaise is delicious. There's usually some on-street parking nearby since it's a residential neighborhood with big older houses.

I think we may have had Christmas dinner there many years ago when my dad was visiting and we got together for the first time with the family we have had Christmas dinner with ever since. It's on M and Nostrand, about 15 minutes from Aviator.

[flutzilla1]

Hi! Depending on what day you guys go, I may be able to drive out and meet up. What were the days you were looking at?

Hope to see you again jazzpants!

[jazzpants]

I'm looking at either Dec 26 or the 27th right now. If I was doing the 26th, it would be in the afternoon session (like around 4pm and right thru to 6pm's ice cut.) If it was the 27th, I would just do the 10-10:50am FS session and skate thru to public session.

I can't do weekday mornings... I'm trying to keep it open for my NYC coach! :bow: :bow: :bow:

Long Island City is definitely one that I want to try on my own first, but I'll do my best to go there too since it's a new rink.

I may be doing a Long Beach skate too... but acting as a "skating buddy" for my 4 year old niece!!! It's VERY tentative right now... it's really up to my 4 year old niece if she wants to do this and well, you can't really PLAN with a 4 year old... :roll: :P (Anyone skated there before? I hear it's a newer rink?)

Hope I'll see 'ya there, flutzilla!!! (I feel sad that I won't make it to the Hack and watch Adam skate though. What a wonderful young man he is too!!! :cry: )

[dbny]

If it was the 27th, I would just do the 10-10:50am FS session and skate thru to public session.
<snip>

I may be doing a Long Beach skate too... but acting as a "skating buddy" for my 4 year old niece!!! It's VERY tentative right now... it's really up to my 4 year old niece if she wants to do this and well, you can't really PLAN with a 4 year old... :roll: :P (Anyone skated there before? I hear it's a newer rink?)

There are lots of FS cancelations over the holiday. I'll check the list tonight to be sure the 27th AM isn't one of them.

I've been to Long Beach and know several coaches and the skating director there. I don't think it's new though. I would love to meet you there if your niece is going to try, and be the one to introduce her to the ice along with you. They'll let me, since they know me and I can explain that it isn't a formal lesson.

[jazzpants]

There are lots of FS cancelations over the holiday. I'll check the list tonight to be sure the 27th AM isn't one of them.Thank you for checking for me.

I've been to Long Beach and know several coaches and the skating director there. I don't think it's new though. I would love to meet you there if your niece is going to try, and be the one to introduce her to the ice along with you. They'll let me, since they know me and I can explain that it isn't a formal lesson.
We would LOVE to have you there if possible!!! Of course, we will definitely repay 'ya thru lunch and gas at least!!! ;)

[dbny]

Thank you for checking for me.


We would LOVE to have you there if possible!!! Of course, we will definitely repay 'ya thru lunch and gas at least!!! ;)

The morning FS on the 27th is safe.

Lunch maybe, if it works out to be convenient for all. Gas, no way, but thanks!

[jazzpants]

I finally got my schedule with my NYC coach and it's looking like I'm only getting one day with him this year. :cry: (But it's better than the last time I was in the NYC area. He wasn't even in the country!!! I found out he's doing some sort of "Skating With Celebrities" type of skating TV show in Sweden where he's one of the skating judge. Yes, he's definitely a celeb now in Sweden!!! 8-) )

Anyway, I am thinking now that the meetup now will be on the 27th from the 10-11am FS session and going on thru the public session if you guys want to keep it then. (Sorry, looplover if you can't make it. I still hope that you will be able to make it though.)

So... the official NYC Meetup time and date will be 27th on the 10-11am FS session, with us continuing on to public if you wish... (meaning if it's not too crowded we can continue on... :twisted: )

I'll leave it to dbny's good taste in food to choose a place. And yes, we will try this time NOT to go to KPD. After that last visit (and charging $3 for changing from regular fries to sweet potatoes fries??? :evil: I just slightly miffed at them enough that I will look at other places and only go to KPD if we HAVE to.

Let me know if you can make this time!!!

[dbny]

Can't wait! I just thought of another restaurant. This one is Turkish, and they make a fabulous dish that is very like pizza, but extremely thin crust, no cheese. It has ground lamb on it and is served with various veggies that you add as you like. It's a relatively light dish, which would make it good for lunch. I don't remember the spelling, but it's pronounced "la-muh-zhun" with the accent on the last syllable. All the food we've had there has been good.

[looplover]

I wish I could! I'm meeting a friend for breakfast and then driving back. I haven't totally ruled out nationals though now that I have a teeny flip back (um I better decide this soon) so maybe I'll meet up with you guys then!

I'm going to try and do my annual Wollman Rink skate this trip but it is going to be cooooolllllldddd8O

[herniated]

I maaayyyy be able to make this time? Have to check with my other half since he will be watching the offspring. Maybe we will all go.. I'll skate with you guys and then go off with my family. Hmmm.

[dbny]

I maaayyyy be able to make this time? Have to check with my other half since he will be watching the offspring. Maybe we will all go.. I'll skate with you guys and then go off with my family. Hmmm.

Skate with us and bring your family to lunch too! The more the merrier!

LIZ? LIZ ON ICE? Are you coming?

[jazzpants]

Skate with us and bring your family to lunch too! The more the merrier!

LIZ? LIZ ON ICE? Are you coming?
Yeah, herniated!!! Bring the family!!!

Liz_on_ice!?!?! Where are you??? Will you be able to join us this year? Flutzilla and renatele, you two too??? It'll be on a Saturday -- traffic should be lighter, right? Flutzilla, bring your cute son along too!!!

[dbny]

I just sent a PM to renatele, flutzilla1, and Liz on Ice.

[renatele]

I just sent a PM to renatele, flutzilla1, and Liz on Ice.

And I just replied to dbny by PM:

I'm keeping a keen eye on this thread, but cannot say whether I'll be able to make it, as we are leaving to India on 29th, and there are still things to do/family to visit before that date. Will definitely come if it will work out for me!

[herniated]

Not sure if I can make it. It will be last minute if I do. My son is now sick with a bad cough and fever and Saturday morning my husband works. So, I'd have to leave my son with him at the office while I meet you all. I don't think that would be the most appropriate thing to do.

I'll let you all know.

[HelenC]

Hi everybody,

DBNY sent me a PM on your get together. It happens that I am at Aviator every Saturday for my 8 year old's basketball class at 10 am. So I could skate then. Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Jazzpants, when will you be at Chelsea? (I'll be there on Fri). Our synchro team practiced at Wollman Central park this morning at 6 am. It was so hard to hold on with frozen fingers. We meet again tomorrow at 6 am.

[jazzpants]

Hi everybody,

DBNY sent me a PM on your get together. It happens that I am at Aviator every Saturday for my 8 year old's basketball class at 10 am. So I could skate then. Looking forward to seeing everyone!YAAAAAY!!! It'll be good to see you again, HelenC!!!

Jazzpants, when will you be at Chelsea? (I'll be there on Fri). Our synchro team practiced at Wollman Central park this morning at 6 am. It was so hard to hold on with frozen fingers. We meet again tomorrow at 6 am.
I will be there Friday morning as well for my lesson with the NYC coach. :bow: I don't know if I'll stay for the 10-10:50am session though. I doubt hubby would want to stay passed the one hour mark. But yes, we will definitely see you during the ice cut!!! :mrgreen:

[HelenC]

jazzpants, I'll be on the Fri 9 and 10 am session at Chelsea, so I'll see you on the ice for the 9am? That would be great!

[herniated]

Sorry guys, not going to be able to make this one either. My son is sick with bronchitis AND I fell down my steep stairs yesterday getting wrapping paper. Nothings broken, bruised or swollen just really sore.

[sexyskates]

Hey Everybody!
I live on Long Island and am free on Saturday to come to the meet up! I have never been to Aviator before, but it would be fun to check it out. Hopefully, there will not be an excessive holiday crowd. I usually skate at Long Beach on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and at Dix Hills, Parkwood, and Iceland on the other days. How much are sessions at Aviator and what is the temperature like (how should I dress?).

[jazzpants]

Awww man, herniated!!! Sorry to hear about your son and your fall on the stairs! VERY tough break. :(

Hey Everybody!
I live on Long Island and am free on Saturday to come to the meet up! I have never been to Aviator before, but it would be fun to check it out. Hopefully, there will not be an excessive holiday crowd. I usually skate at Long Beach on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and at Dix Hills, Parkwood, and Iceland on the other days. How much are sessions at Aviator and what is the temperature like (how should I dress?).It's $18 for each 50 minute session. And I would have an extra layer on. It's smooth and fast ice, but a bit harder than I'm used to back home. (I'm spoiled with ice that is fast and "smooth like butter" w/o it being too bad on my lower back.) :P

Come on by! The more, the merrier!!! :D I'm the one in purple skates. :P

[dbny]

Sorry guys, not going to be able to make this one either. My son is sick with bronchitis AND I fell down my steep stairs yesterday getting wrapping paper. Nothings broken, bruised or swollen just really sore.

Oh no! Glad nothing is broken, and sorry we still don't get to meet! Have you gotten your son to the doctor yet? Nothing is more worrisome than a sick child.

Hey Everybody!
I live on Long Island and am free on Saturday to come to the meet up! I have never been to Aviator before, but it would be fun to check it out. Hopefully, there will not be an excessive holiday crowd. I usually skate at Long Beach on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and at Dix Hills, Parkwood, and Iceland on the other days. How much are sessions at Aviator and what is the temperature like (how should I dress?).

The freestyle should be OK. The public session will be a nightmare. If you really skate, you'll be shedding layers.

When do you skate at Iceland? I go there for my lessons on the Friday 12:45 public session.

[sexyskates]

I take my lessons at Iceland on Wednesdays on a special club Dance session that goes from 10:30-12:30. It's all adults and I can do my freestyle too.

[herniated]

Hi Jazz and dbny sorry we can't meet too! And yes, dbny I took my son to the doctor on Tuesday and he is on antibiotics now. At least he is sleeping through the night now and now 'I' can sleep through the night. :D

I skated today (at least I tried) and I still feel like I fell off the truck. Both my ankles feel 'strained'. Lovely.

Anyway, hope you all have a good time at Aviator and I'll be thinking of you. If you want to see my pics from last Sunday's holiday show PM me and I'll give you the site.

[sexyskates]

OK, I've got my directions to Aviator, so I'm planning to get there for the 10 - 10:50 am freestyle. This is a hike for me, so please let me know if you have decided NOT to do the meet up tomorrow morning.

[jazzpants]

No change... expect me there, sexyskates and anyone else who's planning to show up... (Yeah, I know, sexyskates... I have a jaunt in from Long Island myself. Darn LIRR don't come that often in MY neck of the woods.) :frus:

Hope you guys in the NYC area can come... (Yes, NoVa... c'mon down if your back would let 'ya... or that badly bruised hand... YEEEECH!!!)

[NoVa Sk8r]

Hope you guys in the NYC area can come... (Yes, NoVa... c'mon down if your back would let 'ya... or that badly bruised hand... YEEEECH!!!)I have to go to my parents' house for a belated Xmas!

[dbny]

I'll be there, and Helen C, and maybe a friend of mine who isn't on SF yet.

[sexyskates]

Great! I'll meet up with everyone then, it will be fun! If it's not an abnormally cold rink, I'll be wearing a fleece dress that has a fuzzy skirt and sweater (sort of maroon-plum colored).

[Mrs Redboots]

Hope you all have a wonderful meet-up! Will be thinking of you.

[herniated]

Have fun guys. :cry:

[jazzpants]

Awwww!!! We missed you there at Aviator, herniated!!! :cry:

Let's see... this year's meetup was dbny, sexyskates, liz_on_ice, and me! Sadly, HelenC DID show up... but had a last minute thing with her son and had to skate with him on the (starting to get crowded) public session and couldn't join us on the freestyle session or the dim sum afterwards. And speaking of dim sum...

sexyskates looks great on the ice!!! And she was definitely making progress on her Gold Moves. She also has a pretty decent layback which I'm envious of since I don't have that much flexiblity to arc the back that way. (And I pray and hope as I'm typing this that she found her way home safe and sound!!! Thank you for the ride back again!!!) :bow:

I never knew that liz_on_ice had such great forward cross-strokes!!! 8O I mean, it was GROWLING!!! She can easily pass that move element on the Silver Moves test. (Me, OTOH... maybe on one side??? :roll: ) We're sorry that you're not a Chinese food fan. I will push for something Italian or just not Chinese or Japanese next year. I obviously thought of KPD, but unless they change their ways and the economy gets better, we're not going back there again. (The good part though is, with tips. it was $10 per person!!! What a bargain!!! http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/64.gif )

dbny has the beginnings of some good power pulls there too and was there to dispense some valuable tips about real backspins (or in my case lack of one. LOL!!!)

I am thankful this year we ended up on Rink A instead of Rink B. The ice on that one is much better for FS skate, according to dbny. She's right. It was softer ice with a bit more give... much better than the hard hockey ice that is in Rink B. :bow: I somehow managed to get a few growls on certain elements where you need a growl in the steps. (Forward Cross stroker, forward power pulls and even forward crossovers!!!) I was also thankful that there's this one teenager skater that was getting a lesson and she was learning forward crossover... and I can easily keep up with her, if not, beat her in speed and power. That's the first time I've ever had that type of result!!!

Funny observation: I have never seen so many Russian coaches in one FS session giving lessons and at least one lesson given in RUSSIAN. I had to make sure that I'm skating in Brooklyn, NY and NOT in some city in Russia!! LOL!!! :lol:

One last thing: if you don't mind skating on a public session and you don't mind my being preoccupied with a 5 year old kid and helping her skate (my niece!), I may be at the 1pm public session at Long Beach on Monday... Stay tuned here on this thread!!!

Gonna go take a shower, then a short nap!!! http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/muede/d035.gif

[liz_on_ice]

I admired jazz's loop and sexyskate's footwork. A great time was had by all. :D

[herniated]

Glad you all had a good time!! Maybe the next one I can meet you all.

[sexyskates]

Great Meet Up! I saw nice edges from dbny and liz_on_ice, and jazzpants does indeed have a mean loop jump. Aviator is a beautiful facility, and it was toasty warm on Rink A with nice soft ice. The Dim Sum was incredible! I haven't had such great dim sum since I was in San Fransisco! It was really fun to hang out with these wonderful skaters!

[jazzpants]

One last thing: if you don't mind skating on a public session and you don't mind my being preoccupied with a 5 year old kid and helping her skate (my niece!), I may be at the 1pm public session at Long Beach on Monday... Stay tuned here on this thread!!!

Looks like it's confirmed!!! If you guys have the time and can make it to Long Beach Ice Arena (http://www.thearenaoflongbeachny.com/) tomorrow, the session is from 12:30 to 2:30pm. That said, since this trip is for my niece and not really a skating practice thing for me, I don't know if I will be there past 1:30pm. (It's also b/c I need to keep a sane schedule for later tonight. I'm going to a Rangers vs. Islanders hockey game at Madison Square Garden later that night.)

Here's the schedule for the public session:
http://www.thearenaoflongbeachny.com/1677083.html

Hope you can make it! :)

[dbny]

I just spoke with the skating director at Long Beach and we worked out how to do things so as not to upset any other coaches who may be there. BUT, I am so exhausted after the past two days of work, that I'm not sure I can make it. I'll see what time I wake up tomorrow. If I'm up by 11 and feeling like I can move, then I'll be there. I also have work available later in the day, if I can get moving, so that's an additional motivation. I just know from experience that Monday is often a day I need to stay in and rest. I'll give you a call tomorrow.

[sexyskates]

Have fun Jazzpants! I have the day off, so I'm planning to go into the City today and visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'm also going to cruise the garment district and check out the stretch fabric stores - working on my next Interp costume.

[jazzpants]

Have fun Jazzpants! I have the day off, so I'm planning to go into the City today and visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'm also going to cruise the garment district and check out the stretch fabric stores - working on my next Interp costume.
In that case, I hope you had a chance to go to Chelsea Piers today, unless of course, Boitano is going to another rink this morning... I hear he's in town now and is doing the Today show tomorrow morning. (Sadly I have to miss it b/c I will be en route to the airport to go home to San Francisco.)

Had a great time with my niece at Long Beach. Thankfully we rented a "walker" but even with that Auntie Jazzpants had to help her out with the walker so the walker doesn't slip out of her reach. She did fine. She went 4 times around the rink! Didn't fall once!!! She also had a GREAT time too!!! And when she took a few minutes to rest from the go around the rink, I went and did a few things. Too bad the ice is a bit hard (as in hockey rink hard) for me so I could stay on an edge even if I tried.) :giveup: