Bouncy and Flat: Practices mixed this week--spins good on runthrough yesterday (yay!) but jumps wonky and off-balance. Hopefully it will all come together tonight & tomorrow as I am off to a comp. Flat: Totally, stupidly jittery and nervous. Woke up at 4ish am today and didn't sleep much after that. Of course, part of it was that I was nervous for Jeff Buttle & Jeremy Abbott at 4CCs and anxious for both to do good programs. . .

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"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

Flat:
-CW forward crossovers, which have never been great, were awful this morning, all toepicks and wonky shoulders. Shocking!
-Having to leave for work when I would so much rather have stayed at the rink!

Bouncy:
-Total opposite of last Friday's lesson thankfully! Got my PMA back and got revenge on my back crossovers for deserting me and making me cry last week . They were so much better today and I'm relieved to know that I can do them when I don't allow my fear to get the better of me.
-Change of Edge, rapidly becoming this big geek's favourite thing.
-Gave the Dutch Waltz a bash with Mr Redboots and, as suspected, my timing is dreadful...the positive side? I managed not to kick him over!

Bouncy:
Went to the smaller rink in town today, because my rink only had freestyle this morning and I was bound and determined to skate pain free today after my appointment with the podiatrist, which I did.

Very few people on the afternoon freestyle too.

Flat:
Sound system was not working so great there and it being a smaller size rink, did not run through program. Will be fine for Sunday.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Not even implied! The stupid mom may think you are too old, but then, we know how stupid she is!


Rooting for you!

Bouncy:
Because my lesson rink was swamped with kids today, we went to a small outdoor rink in the same area instead. It cost us $12 each to skate for 2 hrs, because we are not county residents, but it was worth it. The weather was glorious and the rink is in a park next to an artificial pond with visiting waterfoul. Very strangely, one end of this rink is lower than the other, and the wind was blowing so as to speed one up on the downhill and slow one down on the uphill. The music was great for skating, with a mix of tempos and volume never too high. The ice was clear with tracings beautifully visible. I hit some good, centered one foot spins, and am definitely making progress on the backspin, though I still haven't managed two revs. FI threes were best ever today, and I skated the Prelim alt FI three pattern with no touchdowns until the very last turn, and with that little quarter turn before stepping forward, so as to get a good push onto the next FI edge. I just generally felt very smooth and graceful, and got some compliments from other skaters to that effect. Nearly fell off the back of the blade twice. Once on F power pulls and once on something else. This would normally have spooked me, but today it didn't. Ah, the wonders of skating outdoors!

Flat:
Darn L side of the Prelim power threes has gone south again! I'm struggling with all of it, whereas two weeks ago, it was well controlled and picking up speed. I think the tilted ice and wind factor did not help me any today. Of course, when an adult skater friend asked to see it, I skated it pretty well .

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Heh...I should skate at your rink so that the dain-bramaged mom can see what REALLY OLD and WRINKLED and TESTY looks like!

She'd be glad to see you again after I got done with her after a comment like she made. I don't suffer the mutterings of fools kindly.

Maybe it's being a male skater in a mostly female world that's toughened me to all sorts of remarks - remember the "Boy Named Sue" song?

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Bill Schneider

LOL! Good one Bill.

At 58 and crazy enough to be skating, if she had made that remark to me, her cheek would still be stinging.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I'm sorry to hear about your ankle injury, but it's cool that you can jump both ways. I can jump both ways up to a salchow because I'm a natural lefty but the majority of my learn to skates are righties, so I do it "their" way as not to confuse them. I think it's a neat talent. It didn't help me when I had knee problems because then instead of the take off leg hurting it was then the landing leg so I was hobbled no matter what.

Interesting though that it's better, maybe you're naturally ambidextrious? Don't wreck your other ankle though! Take care of yourself.

Bouncy:

On the same topic, the choreographer asked me to do a RBI spiral, it's one that I've never done, I don't think ever, even for a test, and surprisingly it's one of my best spirals. I wouldn't have known unless I tried.

Flat:

The rest of the program Spins are just spinning down the toilet @@@@@@

[Flat]
Completely sucked it up at the show I skated in tonight...fell on my flip/loop, hardly was able to do my camel, screwed up the footwork, and had a hard time getting my leg up for my spiral yuck... However...I do have a good number of excuses 1) I had already skated 1.5 hours, with a 45 minute lesson 2) when I first got on the ice before the show started, I fell and hit the left side of my butt, and it is still hurting tremendously, 3) I skated toward the end of the show, and I wasn't the best about keeping myself warm...

But, I did it, and that's all that matters!

[Bouncy]
Had a good lesson with coach. However, sometimes things just tend to not happen when she is around...at least today they showed up in my program when they didn't show up... We also reworked the footwork in my program...hopefully this third time around it works better...

But, [Flat]
The things that didn't show up, coach made me do, and do, and do again until they happened...

[Bouncy]
Coach is running my test papers by one of the judges for an upcoming test...so we will see...I am really at a point where I am soooooo DONE with the intermediate moves...I'm getting bored...but, I think we are going to try to test both my moves and freestyle on March 16th....

Coach had the BEST quote tonight...one of those things you could only say to an adult and never a kid...I won't repeat it here because you never know who the audience is, but believe me, it had me laughing....

Because we have a huge hockey tournament starting ice was very limited. This was the first time I have skated with more than 5 people on the ice, there were about 15 and I was doing moves from preliminary - through senior, so I felt bad for anyone trying to figure out what I was doing.

Luckily no one died, my camel spins look horrible, I can't straighten my right leg quick enough so that needs work, sit and layback are much better, oddly enough back camel is better than front since left leg straightens better.

Several very cute little girls 6-8 y/o going 1 mph doing bunny hops and practicing programs almost collided at super slow mo speed. We all watched...it was cute. Amazingly everyone made it through the fs session.

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

I'd forget what to yell....when I was running through my programs way back at the beginning...I used to yell 'MOVE' but it was my daughter and her friends in my way. It became my "signature yell" at the rink...I typically yell out an "excuse me" and I do mean YELL (I got lungs).
I'd would have told her "you got jokes" and laughed in her face and mentioned something about not sitting on my big butt!!!! don't let her get you down. There are those that do and those that don't-never confuse the two!!!!

Congrats on the mazurka!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Bouncy: Complimented by coach on my vastly improved twizzles and yay! my LBI spiral's looking good, so gives me a bit more variety in my program.

Flat: I've been off the ice and on my back essentially (back injury) for 2 weeks and yikes I cannot believe how much endurance and toning I've lost!!! I could barely make it through a 1:35 program today - was exhausted and my legs felt like spaghetti, and my jumps are stinko. I vowed to build back up and be back to speed next week. Now I'm lying on the sofa in a pained stupor. I feel very bummed out, and I guess I just have to keep reminding myself that everyone has bad days.

totally skating related, although I'm not on ice today....
Flat: I went online to get tickets for disney on ice-Princess tour...they are in the local area. ALL the good seats are sold out and have been since day 1 (I suspect tour groups/youth groups grabbed them up). So I called, about the ADA/wheelchair seating...since you can't buy them online and I will be recuperating from surgery and will be limited in walking (will more than likely be wheelchair bound at this time).

those seats SUCK! they are way in the back. None are rinkside! Why do they do this?????

so, screw them, I'm not going. It was just a thought to pass the time.

Might go to a flyers game instead....I can sit almost on the rink there!!!!

I did not skate Wednesday night, as I was sick with bronchitis/sinusitis. No lesson. Which also meant I did not put in my time sheet for last week (I always wait until Wednesday to do it).

Bouncy: I had a message on my phone from the new program director-she wants to touch base with all the instructors/coaches and see what they'd like to incorporated next year. How they'd like to see the programs headed, etc. I have never been asked for my input. Which is really cool. Cause I found out the rink has not paid for my membership into PSA, or as a professional member of ISI or USFSA (um, they were supposed to-so I'm on the books as nothing more than "helper" which means nothing professionally).

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I hope you don't have what I had. I've been off the ice for three weeks because of a MEAN case of bronchitis/sinusitis.

I was at the rink today for the first time in almost 3 weeks. I was there from 8 am to 2 pm, but in my capacity as the photographer for our competition. Not exactly the best way to return to ice for a recovering sick person.

BTW, anyone here ever use a Neti Pot to clear their sinuses? It sounded rather bizarre to me when a co-worker suggested that I try one after week-2 of my illness. It IS strange, but WHOA, does it ever clean out sinuses!

Also, are there any Charleston, WVa skaters or coaches on this board? I was REALLY impressed by the skaters representing that rink in our competition today. Perhaps I'll try skating there sometime to try it out.

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Bill Schneider

I've tried it but can't get past that feeling of drowning. BUT my husband LOVES his Neti pot. I use an Aloe/Saline nasal spray and that also does wonders for me. I used to suffer with sinus headaches and relied on "Advil Sinus" and other drug-related remedies - now I find the aforementioned nasal spray does the trick and no more drug-related side-effects! Yea!

I will probably try the Neti Pot again someday, though - so glad the "conventional" medical world has caught up with this simple and natural treatment.

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

I have no room to talk about the 'big butt' thing-when you have a baby, the last 10 pounds are the hardest to lose. After 4 kids, it's really added up.

Bouncy: Claire passed her ISI Pre-Alpha and I passed my ISI Freestyle 1 this morning!

Flat: Hubby's still not talking to me. Not really flat, since I don't really care to talk to him right now anyways. Still a good day!

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deannathegeek
"It's like trying to do a toe loop in hockey skates-you have to have the right tools for the job."

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bouncy: omg I actually have a legit back scratch spin, wow! Psyched about that. Did a decent front scratch to back scratch today. It even got pretty speedy toward the end and I'm able to exit it now without putting my foot down. Did some ok loops today, and almost had a good flip but it fell short for reasons to be discussed in the flat section. Can do a fast twizzle on RFI, a really bad one LFI.

Flat: My sunday practice public session no longer exists at this rink so I went to their Saturday one, which was packed with kids (birthday party, kids from LTS). So I had to look down all the time to avoid the small herd (some of whom where doing back spirals without looking). To avoid sticking that right back into muscle memory I left early. Looking down messed up my flip jump which would have been a decent one otherwise, had a good pop. Oh well, it was better than nothing and since my downstairs neighbor is out I practiced loops, flips and lutzes on my carpet.

Attempted camel spin again and I don't know if it should go in bouncy or flat. Two very slow revs again and then went off the toe.

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Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

Well, when I first started skating, I had about 90+ pounds of baby fat to lose...from my first baby and she was about 16 years old by then!!!! Skating helped get rid of it.

Congrats on passing those tests!!!

Don't worry about the hubby thing. Sometimes mine goes for DAYS without talking to me and I don't even miss it; but we've been married over 19 years....so it's almost refreshing!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Bouncy:
2loops
Axels
Flying sits

Flat:
laybacks! ugh they're SO bad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFm2FwlrGjg from today

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If you are not at least a paid instructor in a USFS Basic Skills program, then you are not insured. It only costs $7.50 to register as a Basic Skills member (student or instructor). Tell the skating director that you will pay it yourself because you need that insurance. I'm surprised that they let anyone even "help" without coaching insurance of any kind. I've never heard of a rink or school paying for PSA membership, but more power to you, if they will do that. You would still have to pay for your coaching insurance.

I've been using one for about the past 3 weeks. I used to just snurfle warm salt water up my nose to do the same thing, but with ears blocked, that can't be done, so I bought a neti pot. I really think it's what finally unblocked one ear. Still have one to go .

Congratulations to you both!

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Flat: Today was a total bust. I got all the way to Moscone center to the convention only to find out I had the wrong weekend!! So I skated over at Yerba Buena and it was so crowded I had to get off the ice to change my mind (rim shot). There wasn't room to do anything, but I tried squeezing a couple fast waltz jumps in and I scared the beejeebers out of this little kid.

Bouncy: One of the coaches I've never met came up to me after the session and complimented my on my spinning. So did this little girl. At least I got an ego boost out of the session.

My kids just started using it and I swear are addicted. One has been plagued by allergies for years. She was amazed she could finally breath after using it. I asked how long it has been since she has been able to breath like that and she said 11 3/4 years! (no coincedence that that is her age!). The other one has had a bad head cold and LOVED it. I will definitely try it with my next cold!

Spamama

BOUNCY:

Sit spin, camel spin, 1 foot spin, scratch spin are working. At least, when I get angry. But not too angry, cuz then I fall off the right back inside edge on the xo'vers extrance.
Now if I could only practice the change-foot... Well, fysiotherapy on thursday we'll see what he says.

Also, the cw waltz jump that I'll be putting in my programme (cuz I still can't jump but need a jump in it if I wanna compete with it) is apparently starting to look "great!". It doesn't feel great though, I mean sure it goes high and I kick through but I feel like a michelin man in the air and I land all scratchy but hey it's cw.

How do you do that?

Bouncy:
I got third in my Artistic event today at a local competition. I was also calmer when I did my program than I was when I tested Bronze free in December.

Flat:
Watched the video that one of the skating parents was nice enough to film for me when I skated on my digital camera and ay,yi. yi- I have some major work to do here. On to Easterns....and JumpinJack Flashing my way through JWe's rink!!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Bouncy: I passed my Cha Cha and Preliminary Figures today! Whee for me! I'm pretty sure I'm the first person from my club ever to even attempt a figures test.

Flat: Well, the edges on said figures. I have a long way to go before I'll be able to pass the First Test. (The judge said my figures were very neat for my level, though!)