I stink at titles...

Cloudy: Still struggling to get into one foot spin on one foot. I can do it when going a snail's pace, but not when I'm going faster. Backspin is a lovely BO pivot right now. Footwork for synchro program is actually coming along nicely. As a team we worked the twizzle sequence and got it pertty well last Wednesday.

Sunny: MIF class reviewed FI edges, my favorites. Also power on pushing for stroking, did well there as this coach has us push the short didtance od the rink and the other had us push the long distance. Very easy to cross the short distance in one stroke from a T position, not so easy to go the long distance in one stroke from a T position.

Did spirals, mine starts ok, but as I get to about 3/4 down the length of the rink I get wobbly and my position isn't as sharp. Need to focus more on pointing both toes for a better stretch.

Partly Sunny: Got "yelled" for doing my three turns like a wimp when I wasn't even doing them -- we were practicing forward two-foot slaloms during the MIF class and I was not only doing them correclty, but was the only student in the class with loud rips on both sides. The part where I get yelled at was "You skate with THIS much power and then I see you doing these wimpy, wobbly three turns?" A compliment, for sure, but a nice dig, too. I get along very well with this coach personally, so I don't mind being teased.

These will get better with time and as your muscles develop. Sometimes it's easy to get "lazy" when you know you are nearing the end of the spiral and relax-that's when you need to tighten up your muscles even more and push for that last bit of stretch! Try it next time.


Glad to hear you are getting "teased" in a nice way!!! See, they do notice the nice things too!

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

Sunny or Cloudy? I wish the weather was either- we have 3-5 inches of snow forcast for tonight! I'm new to "winter," having lived in Texas my whole life, so this really confuses me.

Now for practice:

Sunny: Went to an open session with friends and got a few two footed turns in. I can consitently do 3 rotations on my CW side, if I skate into it instead of pivot. After that I tend to bend at the waist and get all wobbly. I think I get confused to think I am still turning! If I pivot I can do 2 revolutions, and I think that's what's required at basic 2. I also can still do crossovers and backward 1/2 swizzles on a circle- meaning 1 day after my lesson I haven't forgotten them. The big thing though is I got to go skating again! If work goes well, and the weather cooperates I will skate again this Friday. Lessons don't start until April 5.

Cloudy- I can't do a 2 footed turn to the CCW side at all. I even tried them without the pivot on the toe pick to start (just skating into it) and couldn't get around more than a revolution. I can do a 2 footed moving change of direction to both sides, but it has to be ridiculously slow to work on the CCW side. I'm either going to have to really work to increase the strength of my left ankle (so I can be a CW skater), or figure out these CCW turns (so I can land on my right foot) if I ever want to be able to jump.

Another funny thing. During my private my instructor asked me to do something which I did, and was unable to stop, so I did a little turn around which essentially slowed me enough to stop. She gave me a wow look and asked me if I would be able to do it again- and I said probably not if I meant to. Apparently the thing I do anytime I can't stop is a mohawk. Problem is, I don't know how I do it.

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

Sunny - had a great time practicing with Rob this weekend. Music is finished, choreography finished and his costume is finished, with mine to follow shortly.

Cloudy - here later today and it may snow tomorrow.

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

Sunny:
Went to the Klingbeil shop in Jamaica, Queens, on Sat. and finally got my boots fixed! I needed new tongues, because the lambswool had deteriorated. They ended up replacing not only the tongues (they are now rubber) but the interior of both boots. Went skating in them afterward and they feel ... different. I'm hoping to readjust to them quickly. Also, got my blades sharpened and fixed (my right blade was loose due to a 2 broken screws) in a great shop in Greenwich, CT. Feels good to have proper, secure equipment again.

Cloudy:
Sprained my right wrist a while back and am now wearing an awkward and cumbersome brace that is driving me crazy (OK, crazier).

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Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

I had that done last year and I hated it! The new fancy foam inserts made the boot too tight across the instep. I couldn't skate for more than 15 minutes without getting cramps in my arches. Don later removed the inserts and put in the older version.

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Sunny
I skated today and I managed to keep going for an hour and a half without running out of energy so I must be well on the mend from that nasty flu bug. I ran through the first three bronze field moves for the first time on my new blades and all were OK. I ran through all my jumps to lutz-loop and ran through all my spins. My camel and camel-sit spins were well on form today. I did several good ones. I did some programme work as this has been a bit neglected of late. I also did the edge/power class which was very helpful.

Cloudy
No lessons for me this week as my coach is away in sunny (I hope!) Italy. Still it will give me a chance to really get my programme sorted and my confidence up with my new blades.

Nicki

Sunny Skies:
Moves are a bit better- I've finally figured out to to fix the pesky issue on my forward power perim.
Spins were fairly good.
Finally... our sound system is fixed and the CD player will finally play my program. Did run through what I have of it so far and played with the rest of it.

Clouds:
Getting picked apart on moves is not fun, Trying to do moves on pattern with other skaters and coaches in the way is nothing short of a pain in the a#$!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Yup-same with doing dance patterns on the same ice with synchro!!! Every week we make up a "code name" for the little ones on practice ice....last week they were "gummi bears" because they were all in different colored sweaters. This week they are "traffic cones" (not sure why I came up with that one except for the highway work that has started again).

Sunny skies: I was in a better skating mood today, did some salchows and did not tap down my toe. Yay! Even managed some spins that were ok. Mind you, this was on "ice dance practice ice" - yeah, whatever. And it's time to get my blades sharpened...mentioned it to the dance instructor how sharp I like my edges. She said I have nice deep edges. Nice complement from her.

Clouds: Because my skates are getting dull, my edges are starting to skid...time to order the pro-filer! Mentioned it to hubby and he didn't say yay or nay.

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

Sunny skies: At least I could skate this morning, which is more than I could do on Sunday! In our lesson, we worked on the Swing Dance to the USFSA music (how on earth do you manage, it's soooooooooooooo slow, about half the speed we do it in the UK!), and then ran through parts of our free dance. Then in our practice we ran through the Cha-cha and the Dutch Waltz, as we are going to Figure Club again tonight so decided to leave our free dance until then (we reckon we can get away with practising our free dance then, but not our compulsories!). And after Husband had gone I did one run-through of my Interp and one of my Dance Moves.

Cloudy: Coach couldn't make the camcorder work, so I've nothing to post and show you just how badly we skate! Hopefully later - I found out what we'd done wrong.
That Swing Dance music, it's like skating through treacle! I actually find it easier to get more oomph in the dance, and we can just about fill the rink which we find it hard to do on the faster music (here in the UK, it's danced - and tested - to the Rocker Foxtrot music).
Everything else went fairly well. I still am quite sure I look like a sack of potatoes in the lift, and the coach, quite rightly, insists I let go - help!
When I did my Dance Moves, I accidentally did 2 laps of the cross-cuts, which, because I thought I was doing cross-rolls, were better than usual! When I did the cross-rolls, I had a relatively good edge, but not nearly as much flow as I want. But I think they're coming.....

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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!

Sunny Skies: Ok, rather than go into deep depression over my lack of skills for the ice show and my routine, I've decided (great being an adult skater and getting to make these calls without being bullied by someone else) to forego the sitspin, mohawks, drunken whatevers.... I'll do what I can, but I'm not stressing over it anymore. As someone else said this morning about the competition---who else am I skating against? Good question! I'm going to do a "mock sit-spin" in my routine. Whatever.

Salchow: did 10 very clean (coach will be very proud). Also did about 5 recognizable salchow-toeloop combos.

Scratch Spin: Very off-balanced today....impending migraine with this front moving in (hmmmm, sick day tomorrow???)

Spent about 45 minutes "playing" with some kids...having FUN!

Didn't work on my routine AT ALL!

Loop: did about 5 that are soooooo close!!! These are from back crossovers, and I tap down my other foot on the landing. I'm just a bit scared to one-foot it.....

Cloudy: Yeah, major attitude again today.

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

Sunny Skies
After such a great skate yesterday I couldn't resist going back for another hour of patch today. I'm feeling pretty confident on my new blades now so did a few double three turns and choctaws, then worked on my free. My camel was good still and I'm finding it's getting more consistent from an inside three turn now, so now I have two options of how to enter it. My jumps were OK and my friend offered to play my music. Given I've hardly skated my programme since new year - and hardly in the latter half of last year due to my broken wrist, summer holidays etc, I am really pleased with how I skated it. I got right through to the end and skated it totally clean. Even managed one of my better camel-sits and lutz-loops in it.

Cloudy
Nothing apart from catching my blade and falling hard on my knee. Have a bruised knee-cap now to show for it, but I'll be back for more tomorrow!

Sunny Skies
It was our club's annual freestyle competition for the kids tonight and my daughter skated really nicely and came third in her group of 11 level 1 and under girls. So another medal to add to her collection!

Nicki

Husband was on Figure-Club duty, and we were meeting a skater from abroad who's on placement here in the UK for a few months, to introduce her to the coaches and arrange for her to use the teaching ice.

Cloudy: Still can't make the [expletive] camcorder work properly - no idea whether it's broken, or what. It was working a few days ago, I could make it record and then play back what it had recorded, but this time, although it looks as though it's recording, it didn't play back. Sigh! Husband may have to take it back.

Figure Club used to be such a lovely quiet session, but not any more! It's not really much fun, these days. Husband was too busy chasing people for their money to be able to skate much, and we got no time to practice together.

I am very tired.

And the Kerrs are only 12th after the Compulsory Dance, oh bother!

Sunny: We both managed clean run-throughs of our respective programmes.

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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!

Sunny skies:

• I had a minor breakthru on my power 3's practicing what my secondary coach suggested last Wed. Unfortunately, the only time it seems to work is when I'm warmed up enough on ice.
• Landed a couple of flips cleanly!!!
• Perimeter Forward crossovers are okay.
• Backspins are okay.
• Sit spins are okay.
• Watching my holiday coach skating on Skating's Next Star! So happy for him!!!

Cloudy:

• 5 step mohawks sucked. Then again, it's kinda hard to work on moves on a crowded public session.
• Camels have gone back to the Sahara desert...
• Well, close but no cigar.... I landed my loop, but instead of a nice glide, I was hopping the landing. Primary coach saw it happened, and made this face. (Like "Why couldn't you just push out and glide out???")
• Could not do a scratch spin to save my life, though one foot spins are pretty decent.
• Couldn't do any of the back crossovers moves w/o playing "roller derby" on other people. (And since these are big hockey guys with incredible speed, guess who will end up sprawled out on the ice?)

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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!!!

Yeah, but if you go really, really low and clip them across the knees, you can take even them down and be half-way down the other side before they even think to look for you!!!

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

Seriously! They're nice guys and they are pretty good about staying away from me...they just want to chase and spray each other, that's all!

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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!!!

I LIKE your style!

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

Congrats, and what was that suggestion?

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Yes, spill some beans!

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

Sunny: Had a good lesson and another good skate which I needed after 2 weeks ago. Actually 1-footed some flips, although they were really toepick hops but at least my free leg is starting to see where the right position should be. Sit spin is getting faster still, now must get it lower. Back spin is good, can actually do it with hands over my head. Back sit is coming along as well.

Cloudy: my camel spin has also left me for the desert. And the toe-loop -- coach is teaching me proper toe loop and it's way harder than the cheated jump I've been doing for some 20+ years. Ouch. And don't even thing of asking how much plus is on the 20. Now I will be off ice for a few weeks due to work and business trips. Sigh.

Sunny A full two months since I started skating and my 4 forward edges are getting pretty good - LONG glides, good deep edges. Left cross-overs work slicker than . . . . well, you know . . . any speed, any depth - working just fine!

Cloudy Two more hours on the ice tonight and the #$@&% right cross-overs just WONT come! Just can't comfortably get that left foot far enough ahead. One more session Sunday and then two weeks off before spring skate school and my next session with my coach. I WANT MY RIGHT CROSS-OVERS! And I want them NOW!

(Am I too old to be a petulant "ice princess"?)

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

"ice princess" is far too common these days.. how about "ice empress"??? Sounds so much more COMMANDING!

I definitely like "Ice Empress!"

Oh, I had such a good skate day! In total contrast to Sunday, when I couldn't do a thing right, today I could barely put a foot wrong! Of course, it wasn't perfect....

Cloudy: Husband and I had our usual wrangles over our swing rolls, especially when he's going backwards. And in my back cross-rolls, on the second half of the exercise, I didn't lift my heel enough and ground to a halt. But that was relatively minor! And my Swing Dance mohawk, done as an exercise, was still a bit rushed.

Sunny: With Husband, did a great runthrough of the Swing Dance to the desperately slow USFSA music. We also ran through our Free Dance, not bad, although we weren't quite in the right place for the lift, and almost missed the start of our step sequence. But we made up for it by forgetting the end of the step sequence, so we ended up back in time!

In my lesson, the coach for the first time made encouraging noises about testing my Dance Moves, which are definitely coming. The cross-rolls are very nearly testable; the cross-strokes still need steeper edges, but I managed a whole lap without stopping or grinding to a halt, and they are beginning to happen now.

I had a terrific run-through of my Interp, best I've ever done it. Coach, of course, says the middle still needs work (well, he would say that, wouldn't he!). But there are nearly two months, still.

In other exercises, Coach gave me a super correction for the Swing Dance Mohawk when done with a partner, which might even help! Slightly depends on the Husband being in the right place, so I'm not desperately trying to get round him..... we shall see! Then I did some great end patterns of the Fiesta Tango, focussing on flow rather than tempo, and even managed to be on an edge a couple of times, though not enough to please the coach! And a wonderful lap of variable-speed cross-rolls (my favourite!), and finished with some speed/flow work.

There now, and I quite forgot - I actually did a RBO3 that flowed in front of the coach (the LBO3 didn't), and then he showed me how to do a BI3 properly (what to do with my free leg, basically - I'm to practice holding the BI edge with my free leg crossed in front) - and after my lesson, I even managed one! Dire, but there! Who-hooo! One of these days I might even have all 8 3-turns, but don't hold your breath!

I'm tired!

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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!

I am the Ice Queen.....but there is Ice Diva if you do enough bling.

One of the women I skate with tripped over her toepick yesterday (she was fine-got up laughing). Before she got up I asked her if she was praying to the Ice Gods!! Everyone thought that was funny. (she did too-she said she was praying for smaller toepicks).

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

Oh yea? I have prayed to those gods to Damned toe picks! Every time I have gone down there has been a toe pick involved! My coach even commented on the size of the first pick on my MK Pros. ***Dianne eyes the MK Pros and the bench grinder***

"Ice Diva"? I like the sound of that - I'll take one in size Large!

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