cuz I want a barbecue....

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LOL. I dunno. I'm moving, and I've paid a week's extra rent for my old room, which is now empty and perfect for, say, practicing camel spins on a spin trainer, etc. No real skating though.

The skin I chafed against the ice last week is REALLY itching right now though, it's driving me nuts.



Mmm a bbq sounds nice, but it's raining so badly!

fizzlin' - got on the ice yesterday for the social dance session - YOUCH my foot hurt! I had told dance coach I wanted to try a lesson - then wasn't so sure... so I kept skating on it and it was okay... just okay...

sizzlin' - had lesson anyway and it was fun to finally dance and get some input again! We started just with some easier dances - Foxtrot, Rocker - then somehow got up to pre-Gold again and worked on the Starlight... - it was way fun and good to get that "1st lesson" out of the way.

Next week we can really start getting to work and hopefully the foot will hold up!

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

sizzlin: nice skate yesterday and a very productive 15 min. lesson. Working out the program and hoping to get to compete with it soon.

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

Sizzlin':
-Flip! I did some HUGE flips today (they felt huge anyway). And they were controlled and I waited between the 3-turn and the pick-in. I even did two with a toe loop on the end, and I've never ever been able to do the flip in combination before because my landing was always so out-of-control. I'm so happy. I hope it sticks around for my coach to see tomorrow
-Sit-change-sit was good and fast.
-Camels weren't too bad. I did at least one with four revs, and others with three, but most of them felt good.
-Attitude spins were good. I'm not sure if I have my leg back far enough though.
-Spirals went well (I think).
-Canasta Tango was in good shape today.

Fizzlin':
-Didn't work much on Moves. Not sure if that was a good idea or not since my 3-turn pattern felt way off today. Power pulls weren't so great either. 8-step mohawk was alright though.
-Backspin wasn't as strong as it has been.
-Sit spin refused to be lowered today.

sizzlin:

beginning a sitspin which isn't so bad
got my program music!!! (coach picked phantom... sorry everyone) but made it faster. apparently it's gonna suit my spirals.
backspin; ooohhh I got like 2 rotations!!! applause please.

fizzlin out:
flip
loop (although apparently better than last week)
cross rolls. I am ashamed. they're gone...

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I was sizzlintoday --

Went to public skate and there were mostly figure skaters on the ice --it's not so bad when you outnumber everyone else.

Worked on my scratch spin entry and about half were good, half were rushed. But when I do it right, that spin is so centered, and I am on my sweet spot, I think I could be a good spinner. I even worked on doing the entry in my program. It works out that my spin was already right on the line so I could put the entry on the line - helps to try to make sure I'm back to the line before pulling up.

Tried the mohawk moves pattern and it seemed a little better. Then decided to work on back chasses. Then back chasses and swing rolls, then thought, what the heck, let's try the Swing and low and behold, I was able to do that right inside mohawk in the dance, going at speed, held the extension...I'm not saying it is pretty but the last time I tried this and was in near tears, I had to practically skid to a stop, put my foot down, do some extra steps to work up to the mohawk and this time, I just went on an inside edge and put my foot down.

That is skating for you. One day you are in tears, the next day the move is there. Then it's gone.

Then there was a power class. Yup. During public skating-that was interesting. Different coach and it was more challenging. Cross unders on the circle - which I couldn't do but I was quite pleased with myself that I was able to slide my foot under, progressive style, but then I did have to pick it up. There were some things she modified for me but when she was going to have me do swizzles and dips when the others were stroking with their knees bent as low as they could go I said I thought I could do that and didn't I do that better than the young'uns! After the class many parents told me how impressed they were that I lasted through the class!

j

Well I think the old brain is pretty much burned to a crisp!

A while back I decided it would be good to have a skate sharpener (since the only one I trust is over an hour away). Being too cheap to go out and buy a machine, I decided to build one. The building part was easy but setting it up was a great P.I.T.A.!!! Trying to maintain 0.001" took HOURS! Now it is perfect for my blades (and anybody else's that are 0.160" thick). Would I sharpen a different thickness of blade? NOT ON YOUR LIFE!!!

http://www.geocities.com/diannebest/...sharpener.html

(Being naturally blond is DANGEROUS!)

It is a good thing I am finally back on the ice tomorrow (after 2-1/2 weeks off) - maybe this other foolishness will stop then

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

Simmerin' down: I backed out of testing my Starlight Waltz on the 11th. Just don't feel it's quite there - I've only been on it for three weeks, partnered it once (oh, the arm position changes! ), and just haven't been able to get on the ice as often as I would have liked. So, yeah...maybe next month? At least my coach wasn't mad...disappointed, maybe because she said I have no much power and great edges and all, but I don't know. Testing on the 11th would have already put me at a disadvantage because the judges are impossible to pass with, so I think I'll sit this one out and save my money, hahaha!

Sizzlin': Heading to Ohio on Friday to get my skates punched out and the rest of my screws put in. Five weeks later and I'm soooo ready!

Fizzlin' out: Unfortunately, going to get my skates punched and whatnot means missing a freestyle lesson...

Sizzlin': I had what might be the very last lesson I ever have with my freestyle skating coach. I wrote down all the things I wanted clarification and explanation of so when I have problems when I'm on my own, I can look back and fix them.

Double lutz: we worked on single lutz with the draw-together, up-and-over entry. Did some 1.5 lutzes. Fell on about 3 doubles and landed 4 others. I'm getting there. The landing's not the smoothest, but it's my goal to get all my doubles, so darnit, this is progress!

Double-double combos with the second jump being a double loop: We worked on single loop-single loop combinations and making sure my left leg/free leg was closed on the take-off for the second jump. I tried 2 single loop-double loops. Fell on 1, landed the other.

Double axel: My coach doesn't really want me working on this until the lutz is consistent, but she knows it's either teach me the correct way or I'm going to do it my own way and break every bone in my body. She said she wants to see it completely rotated off-ice first, so next time I manage to get to the rink, she said she'd work with me (I can get it off-ice, but she doesn't believe me, so we'll see!).

I also set up a lesson for my senior moves for Friday so I can start learning them!

Fizzlin': I am so beyond broke right now. I don't even know what to do with myself. I knew it would come to this when I started on this law school journey, but I can't wait to have my loans and not feel so financially unstable (we'll save that for 3 years down the road when I have to pay them all back!).

That's the worst I can come up with right now. So far, this week is going well!

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"Without Vision the People Perish"
שלום לעולם תמיד

OMG! I wouldn't even dream of sharpening my own skates, let alone build a sharpener!

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~~~~~
Blog: http://chowskates.blogspot.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/chowskates
~~~~~

I live in fear of my law school loans coming due in November...

(but somehow I still feel I have enough money to skate )

Rusty Blades strikes again with her GREAT INVENTIONS!!! WOO HOO!!!

Peanutskates: Mmmmm... BBQ!!! The friend I was visiting this weekend had BBQ tri-tips and veggies too!!! YUM YUM YUM!!!

Tonight I skated as if someone might be watching me skate thru the window... and if it were true and that part did peek thru, I hope that person liked my skating!

Sizzlin'

• My flips at the beginning of the session
• My loops later on after a rough start
• My forward attitude. My fellow Bronze III Lady skater said that it looked nice!!! Bless her!!!
• My camel... it's not perfect but at one point I started to get some speed and a bit of a better position and somehow I managed to attempt to get down to sit and try for a camel-sit combo! (I only got maybe ONE rev out of the sit and the position sucked considering what I can do on the sit spin...)
• My scratch spin is CENTERED today! WOO HOO!!!
• My sit spin was nice, low and FAST!!! WOW!!!
• My footwork (when I wasn't blocked by other skaters) looked pretty good. I think primary coach should be happy with what he saw...
• Was playing around with this FO-BI bracket exercise again near the wall towards the end of the session and I'm starting to make some progress. (Well, what little progress I had anyway... basically, I am able to get some of the FO-BI bracket exercise away from the wall, even though it's pretty much "not moving.")

Fizzlin'

• My loops at the beginning of the session. I figured out now that I should not curve too much into the entry 'til the very LAST moment to land this sucka!!!
• My flips at the end of the session. Then again, I wasn't really trying for it.
• My FO mohawks are still non-existent!!!
• My back sit (and backspin) edge is still bad... though I am spinning on it.

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Ooh, I'm in the phase right before law school starts. I just passed my junior moves, and I *know* the coach I have is fantastic and I should get lessons with him at least to start on senior moves. . .but I have no money. So what do I do? I schedule lessons with him up until my relocation date. Who needs to eat? Not me!

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"Without Vision the People Perish"
שלום לעולם תמיד

Fizzling: No lesson today as coach at a competition elsewhere.
Had upper-body and weight-change issues in the exercises we did.
Can't do a couples' spin yet.

Sizzling: Good chassés in Kilian hold. Beginning to be able to do, once more, the forward spin we used to do, so that we can turn it into a changefoot.

Even the "proper" couples spin felt more as though it was our technique was just off, not that we can't do it at all.

Husband isn't going to skate tonight - this is good, as it means he probably (but not definitely) won't be exhausted on Friday so we can skate then.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Wow! Nice job. Thanks for all the detail and great pix. Maybe I will encourage DH to follow your lead. We've toyed with buying a sharpener for a while, but, like you said, always too $$$, even on ebay.

Sizzlin':
I had a great skate today. The threes in Prelim power threes were suddenly much easier and I was actually able to move faster than a snail, at last! FI threes still feeling pretty good, including doing a LBO three after the LFI. Spins were almost the best ever. The first two, I did from a F pivot, and both were centered and felt like they could go on forever. Then I tried from a T push, with arms pre-rotated, and did several, also centered. Finally, I went into one from T push with arms in wind up position and spun so fast it scared me! I've been working on allowing myself to do the snap into the spin, and it's coming along, hence more speed than I'm used to.

Fizzlin':
Haven't practiced BXO to BO edges in a while, and they felt uncertain enough that I had to slow down to below passing speed. Still having trouble checking FO threes properly. LFO is better, but can't hold the edge long enough. I'm now 80% sure this has something to do with my boots. As Don said when I got fitted for my new boots, I would never want to wear the old ones again. If only my blades arrive in time, I'll be in the new ones by Saturday!

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Wow, sounds like you have really made progress! It wasn't long ago when you considered a loop or flip a pretty rare occurrence! Way to go! The trick on the transition from the camel spin to the sitspin is to first bring your torso upright, then--keeping your back arched and rigid, swing that nice straight free leg and free arm into the sitspin.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

In three weeks off the ice I reevaluated my priorities in skating. Though I have a competitive streak and really get into competing, skating a beautiful and pleasing program is much more important to me.

Sizzlin WAHOO! Back on the ice today after my 3 week break!

Fizzlin The first few minutes were really SAD! I was shaky, unsteady, wobbly, and felt like I was starting over. The old muscles were protesting and I felt stiff.

Sizzlin WAHOO! Thankfully, within 20 minutes things were coming back. Surprisingly the backward glides and edges came back first, then the forward edges and XOs, and finally the RFO3s!

Fizzlin No sign of the rudimentary spins though. I’ll look for them tomorrow.

Sizzlin After last week’s sever withdrawal, the ol’ broad is back in a chipper mood again

Sizzlin Oh, and my home-sharpened skates were just FINE! As good as the best sharpenings I have had from the best sharpeners

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

Fizzlin' Out:
-Rant: After all the really good flips I did yesterday, I was excited to show my coach...probably a little too excited and I botched all of them. The first one, I had way too much enthusiasm and tore a nice big hole out the ice with my toepick. The second - I tilted and fell on the landing. I did a few more, alone and in my program, and none were as good as yesterday's flips. Then we moved on to loops and I couldn't land any of them. I was SO mad at myself. I've been landing loops consistently for months and tonight I couldn't get any of them?! Blah.

Sizzlin':
(Thinking about these things makes me feel much better).
-I did land two loops in my program run-throughs. They weren't great, but I landed them and felt much better about the earlier bad ones.
-Did really good entries to my flips, even if the rest of the jump was crappy.
-Did very nice spirals with straight legs.
-Did good camel spins (deemed passable by my coach )
-Nearly landed two lutzes. I'm putting my free foot down right after I land in front of my right foot. That's what I did on both the loop and flip right before I started really landing them.
-Worked on artistry for my program. Never my strong point, but I had lots of fun working on it tonight.
-Did some strong power pulls and cross-rolls.
-Fell on a LFI 3, but learned that it was because I didn't have my shoulders turned enough. Also got my free foot position fixed on the BI 3s.
-Did a great sit spin at the end of my last program run-through.

Fizzlin' Out: Rehearsal was BAD!!!!!! It was the worse one we had! I messed up a little bit...if everyone messes up a little bit, then as a whole it's ALL messed up BIG! Had to leave my skates for a sharpening-hope they make it to the show (stranger things have happened, like skates getting left at sharpener's home). So, I won't get to clean and polish them for the show (I'm weird that way).

No gym this week-was out sick on Monday with some sort of stomach bug (gut cramps and fatigue), Wednesday is the holiday and show, Friday is my busiest day so we will see-might just do cardio. Will pick it back up next week though-don't want to lose the gains I've made with the sit-spin training!

Sizzlin': Did a backspin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woo-hoo!!!!! My blade was moved the other day and today I braved one and it was good! Only did 1.5 revs around but on this plastic stuff, that's good! Jump landings are SOUND and did a nice scratch spin! After tomorrow's show, I will start working on some other jumps and some footwork.

I also have my additional on-real-ice training mapped out for August. I am hoping to have a nice sit-spin in the works as a surprise for my coach come September!!!!! And maybe some other things!

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

Sizzle: Finally, finally the one-foot spin is solidifying.

Fizzle: I cratered onto my knees right after a jump that I still can't remember the name of (I mix the names up!!). One toepick went in, then somehow I managed to get the other toepick in the ice in just the right way to slam me down on my front, knees first.

sizzling:

double toe, double loop had alot of suspects! Can't wait for lesson to show them to coach.
double flip had one good attempt where i felt the height and still rotated!!
hit yet another centered nice layback.... and again... only one!!! after that I managed to get the nice arch feeling but i kept travelling ....

fizzling:
double salchow had its worst night ever in the longest time. it was totally crazy, it mutated like some wierd alien thing but I got it under control in the end.

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~
Tidesong

Sizzling: Really good lesson today, helped us identify several problem areas to work on.

Fizzling: Why is it that as soon as you correct one fault, something else comes crawling out of the woodwork???

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Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Sizzling: I had my first practice session with my trial dance partner after our first team lesson. I was pleeased that things were starting to fall together on the basic drills we'd been left with. This is going to be fun, and I'm looking forward to the next team lesson next week. Most of my moves are starting to shape up to my coach's satisfaction for that much-delayed APBM test. Next week, we'll have two lessons to work on things.

Fizzling: Coach is on vacation for most of this week; only one lesson -- need more.

Sizzlin';
- Two awesome lessons today, the most fun I've had in ages.
- Introduced to jumping. Just how much fun is that little tiny 3 jump/waltz jump? and how can I be less afraid of something that involves my feet actually leaving the ice than I am of damn back crossovers?!
- Inside to Outside change of edge finally happened without what my coach calls my "Saturday Night Fever" arms - yay!

Fizzlin' out;
- Not skating related but...all the electrics in our office following yesterday's storm and partial roof collapse.

Clare