Monday, May 16, 2011

I'm Free!!!!

It is finally over!! The biggest mistake I have ever made in my skating career (except picking Ted as a coach) has finally ended.

My self-emposed sentence as Ice Monitor has reached its end and I am blessedly free from the chore!!

My final session was so much like previous sessions; I skated for 10 minutes. During those 10 minutes, I got absolutely nothing done. Why? There were 30 skaters on the ice. Everyone had approximately one foot of skating room. I didn't even bother to try to do my moves in the field, I did try to work on spins, but that proved to be a waste of time. I really didn't care; all I wanted was for the session to end so I could hand in my paperwork and never, ever do this chore again.

Songs about freedom have been running through my mind: "Me and Bobby McGee", "Freedom" (from the musical Shenendoah), "Free" (from the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum)... The list goes on.

One bright note is that my co-monitor relaxed a great deal as the year went on. Plus, said the sweetest thing. She said she wished I had had the chance to really skate because she knew I could skate and wanted to actually see me do something. I had to agree with her on that one.

So, I have plans (again) and some upcoming time off. (I don't call them vacations because something usually goes horribly wrong.) I have a few things to do during that time which includes cleaning my apartment, going to the gym, skating, studying and attending a theatre opening. I already have the shoes, now to figure out what I'm wearing...

It'll be so good to sleep in on a Sunday. Or go to church.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

One Day More...

I can see freedom in the horizon and I am heading toward it.

There is only one, I repeat, one session left on Sunday mornings for me to monitor. I am almost free! And as I've said before, I will NEVER, EVER monitor again. Being an ice monitor, at least for these sessions, is better suited for a parent and NOT a skater.

Today, I spent 10 minutes on an ice surface that had, including coaches 35 people. The skaters, both lower level and high level, seem to be oblivious to one another, thus explaining the girl who almost took my head off while I was doing a Silver Move in the Field, backwards in the track, and she decided that that was the best place to do a flying camel.

Don't remember where I had my skates sharpened, but thank you, whomever you are.

Normally, I'd be in panic mode because of the ISIA competition on the first Sunday of June, but I'm not doing it this year. It's sort of bittersweet. I'm not prepared and my music hasn't been cut. Unfortunately, this was the only competition I did for 2 years and since I thought I sucked so badly last year, I was hoping for vindication. Oh well.

I'd like to do the ISIA Adult Competition in Florida in late September, but I promised my sister we'd attend a fashion show at the mall and I think it's the same weekend. Being the person that I am, I'll go to the fashion show and not compete again. Doesn't really matter to anyone but me.

I remember when I returned to competiting after several dormat years. It was the first Sunday in June and I was excited because my sisters were attending. Unfortunately, it was also "Tony Award Sunday" and while they attended, it ended up being rather anti-climatic for me. No drinks or dinner afterwards because they wanted to get home to watch the Tony Awards. I understand; it was the year Bret Michaels got conked on the head with a piece of screnary.

It's Mother's Day, so Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. Please stop saying it to childless women; it could upset them more than you know. I'd like to wish a happy Mother's Day to my mommy; I miss you.