I've described it to people as summer camp for adults. Because when you get in on Monday/Tuesday, it's so exciting to see all your friends, many of whom you haven't seen in a year (or only get to see at competitions a few times a year), you act like a kid all week, and by the time it's over you're sick of everyone and ready to go home.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Since he has attended the last few ANs, as a coach, I think he has a good idea of what goes on.

I think he wanted to skate, because he is a true competitor. I'm guessing he saw Sargent/Joeright competing in Masters Pairs, thought he could give them a run for the money.

The only reason he didn't skate last year was that he blew out his shoulder.

I haven't heard if he and Colleen are back skating again.

Rob

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Geriatric Figure Skating Crew - President for Life!
Georgia Figure Skating Club - President (again)
Facebook
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"I'm too old to die young, and too smart to be happy" - Kinky Friedman, The Mile High Club

2010 Adult Nationals - earning a gold - "Priceless"
2009 Adult Nationals - competing with a cold is not much fun.
2008 Adult Nationals - Too little sleep, too much vodka!

does anyone remember generic products, black and white labels with the item stencilled on the package? If it is SLC, we can create labels that say "this is not booze". We'll totally fool 'em!

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Champagne in 2005, 2008, 2009 - who's next out of the pre-bronze club...?

Wang chung!

You guys need to get out more. I'm a non-drinker and even I know about THIS and This and THIS. Plus the all important Instructional Video

__________________
Great forum quotes:
On Falling: '...it doesn't matter, it's what you do AFTER you fall that's more important' ISK8NYC

Actually, I'd love to be home more often - to drink my BEER

__________________
Champagne in 2005, 2008, 2009 - who's next out of the pre-bronze club...?

Wang chung!

This one may be the best: http://gadizmo.com/the-winerack.php

Rob

__________________
Geriatric Figure Skating Crew - President for Life!
Georgia Figure Skating Club - President (again)
Facebook
____________________________________________
"I'm too old to die young, and too smart to be happy" - Kinky Friedman, The Mile High Club

2010 Adult Nationals - earning a gold - "Priceless"
2009 Adult Nationals - competing with a cold is not much fun.
2008 Adult Nationals - Too little sleep, too much vodka!

Considering my boobs (and the rest of me) have shrunk over the past 2 months, this would probably fit in my dresses...we were actually joking about something like this when we had a fitting for our bridesmaid dresses for my friend's wedding last week since mine is way too big up top. Didn't know they actually existed. Yet another silly thing I should have invented myself and made millions. (Like really, if I had woke up one day and thought "gee what people really need in life are animal shaped rubber bands" I'd be so rich right now and I would not be at work, I'd just skate all day.)

Leslie could make a killing off of a line of skating clothes with built in alcohol smuggling pockets.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Could you fit one in your skating dress and sneak a sip midprogram?

Yeah but lord knows the last thing I need is something to make me look even more clumsy and awkward on the ice! But it would be nice to get started on the party before I even get off the ice.

Ha ha this coming from the girl who has been to 4 ANs and if you add up all the drinks I've had while at ANs over those 4 years, I can count them on one hand...I swear one of these years I'll go nuts when I'm done rather than hide somewhere with school crap and my laptop.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Looks like I've been handed my first challenge for the upcoming season - making sure Rachel enjoys AN! Hopefully we can do more that try to get thrown out by "hanging on the boards".

Rob

__________________
Geriatric Figure Skating Crew - President for Life!
Georgia Figure Skating Club - President (again)
Facebook
____________________________________________
"I'm too old to die young, and too smart to be happy" - Kinky Friedman, The Mile High Club

2010 Adult Nationals - earning a gold - "Priceless"
2009 Adult Nationals - competing with a cold is not much fun.
2008 Adult Nationals - Too little sleep, too much vodka!

My coach tried to convince me to take a shot before my bronze mitf test. And she's not even aware of the "adult nationals" culture of liquor on ice.

She thought it would calm my nerves. As a non-drinker, I thought it was a bad idea.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

And the wait continues....

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Oh god...I'm scared now, I haven't been drunk in over 3 yrs. I don't know how I'll act!!! Guess you can all find out though. From what I've heard, it's pretty entertaining. As if sober Rachel isn't entertaining enough...

My last synchro team did shots of pucker before we competed. A shot of that is nothing though, that stuff is like a liquid jolly rancher with a drop of alcohol. We weren't the only team with that sort of tradition, a few others def did (one team did jello shots, another actually did tequila).

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

This discussion is the best incentive to pass Bronze that I've ever heard.

Why yes my pretty..... how very insightful of you!

I see there has been a lot of questions and concerns posted here and will try to clear some of those up now.

The competition is indeed at the University of Michigan Dearborn Fieldhouse and not The DISC. As for the concerns of overflowed toilets and cleanliness of the facility, all I can say to that is every time I've been there either for a skating competition or volleyball tournament, it has been very clean. I believe that at any given time any large group can make any facility look undesirable fairly quickly. I was at a figure skating competition earlier this year at a fairly well kept rink and the restrooms were a mess so it can happen anywhere. I can assure you that I will mention it to the management and find out how the housekeeping will be handled that weekend.

Skate Company Skating Club is a small club based in Lincoln Park, Michigan. I recently became the Skating Director there and it is now my home club. The club is very excited to be hosting the competition and looks forward to a very successful weekend. The reason that it is not being held at our home rink is that it is a privately run rink that caters primarily to hockey. We have our annual ice show there in April and have LTS lessons. To get an entire weekend for a figure skating competition would have been almost impossible.

We are already hard at work to bring a successful and fun competition to adult skaters!

My seventh and passing try for the Bronze free entailed a beer (or more specifically, lambic)bet with my coaches.
I had three bottles of raspberry lambic. If I were to have to retried, I would have had one bottle,with my 2 coaches getting the other 2. Since I passed, I got to keep all three!
Is that idea enough to pass Bronze??!!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

If you're involved, I know it will be good. Now, can you just move it back a week so I can participate?

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

Well, I *did* get a little TOO happy in Grand Rapids, but I had a lot to celebrate. My buddy Amy kicked butt, her coach was there to share it, and I got to share the podium with some awesome friends (you know who you are!) The Atlanta skating mafia introduced me to Windex martinis and it went downhill from there. Rob got me safely back to my hotel (such a southern gentleman!) It took me a couple of days to recover but it was worth it!
Although I haven't had a Windex martini since ... and I never will

__________________
"Gravity is a harsh mistress." -- The Tick

If w.w.west is in charge, we have nothing to worry about.

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Listen to my Figure Skating Podcast!

Rogue Element, Inc

I can introduce you to something just as exciting. I think I will be checking my really awesome hardside bag to ANs with some very tasty beverages.

To quote my husband after I got home from that trip: "I can understand if you're flying home hungover. But flying home still drunk is a TOTALLY different matter!"

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"Gravity is a harsh mistress." -- The Tick

You and Ro (from LP in 2008). She was still trashed on the drive back to Albany and almost missed her flight back to AR because she was sleeping it off at the gate.

I shuttled quite a few "light weights" home that night. I think it had something to do with Banana-phones.

But, why would you diss a Windex martini. Not only potent, but pretty. And, asking for one will make most bartenders scratch their heads. And, it's not g*d awful like a cosmo or appletini.

For those of you not ever experiencing one yourselves, here's the recipe:
1/2 oz Blue Curacao
1/2 oz Cointreau
1 1/2 oz vodka (or more)

Put in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and pour into a martini glass. If made correctly, will mimic the color of your favorite window cleaning solution.

Rob

__________________
Geriatric Figure Skating Crew - President for Life!
Georgia Figure Skating Club - President (again)
Facebook
____________________________________________
"I'm too old to die young, and too smart to be happy" - Kinky Friedman, The Mile High Club

2010 Adult Nationals - earning a gold - "Priceless"
2009 Adult Nationals - competing with a cold is not much fun.
2008 Adult Nationals - Too little sleep, too much vodka!

So you have to be Bronze to skate at AN?

I am so going to work harder on my skating, just to go to the skatingforums party.

__________________
Great forum quotes:
On Falling: '...it doesn't matter, it's what you do AFTER you fall that's more important' ISK8NYC

Yes, for free skating. Pre-Bronze dancers can go, but Pre-Bronze isn't the lowest test level for dance; Preliminary is. There are events for all levels at Adult Sectionals.