Knocking My Head Against the Wall

I believe it's in the movie "Rush Hour" when Chris Tucker asks "Do you understand the words that are coming from my mouth?" I understand his frustration on many levels. My dear readers, in my last blog, I posed the question as to whether or not you'd be interested in an adult skating competition in the NYC area in February/March. I asked that you please post your responses. I've received no responses, but only ten people have read the blog at this point, so I'm still hopeful. However, if you're reading this PLEASE tell my your thoughts on a competition in the NYC area in February/March (of 2016) before I try to convince a skating club to sponsor such a competition. Today, I skated part of a public session that began at 9:00am. It was relatively empty, with one speed skater (how DO they skate on those things? The blades look like my kitchen knives!), two hockey skaters; one who could skate and was semi-obnoxious about it, and another who couldn't skate well and lived in his own little world, singing at the top of his lungs to the music from satellite radio. Also joining me was a woman I know, doing figures and a young girl working on jumps and spins. Pretty empty. I worked on three turns until my back and legs ached. I must find a better warm-up for my creaky back because after ten minutes, I was in pain. Forty minutes later and I was in a lot of pain. My back doesn't really like the cold, or the heat, or humidity, or standing, or sitting or lying down. I'm not sure what my back does like, but as soon as I find it... The three turns were not my best, the left back inside was better than the right back inside and that has never happened before. I did a few outside mohawks, but that involved twisting too and well, twisting was not really on the menu this morning. Back spins. The bain of my existence. I managed to eek out several of them, but they were probably the ugliest, slowest back spins you'll ever see. After doing what I considered my best, another skater popped one out like she was taking in air. Oh well... That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger. I limped home, my knees and feet throbbing. My head achy from a lack of coffee and my back reminding me who the boss is. I sit at my desktop, typing this, wondering how many OTC medications I can take before it gets dangerous. Hopefully I'll be on the ice again on Wednesday. Until that time, I'm off to locate my heating pad...