AWOL or AOL

Where have I been?? I wish I could say on vacation in Europe or Australia, but no. I've been right here, deep in school, work and the limited amount of skating available to those of us NOT in the summer school programs at the local rinks. To be honest, I have never experienced so little ice time in the summer in at least five years. Hello, rink managers, don't be so cheap with the ice time. When I skate the early morning sessions at Chelsea Piers, there has to be 28 skaters, 12 coaches and an assortment of small animals on the ice. Okay maybe not the animals, but the numbers are correct. All those skaters, of different skill levels... what can I say? Scary doesn't begin to cut it. And on the other rink, 4 skaters because they are part of the summer school. It's like trying to cross the BQE (Brooklyn Queens Expressway) on a tricycle. Once summer school is over, we have the Middle Atlantic competition for another week. Things don't really get back to normal until late September/early October. By then, I will be in my second semester and hoping for the best. Side bar: My first class wasn't so bad. No one pointed at the door and told me to "get out!" Did I understand everything? Oh heck no. But I'm taking the 4 weeks off that I have to attend more Deaf events, study my ASL more and pray, a lot. Back to skating. I should have my bunions punched out on my skates because they become so inflamed when I take my skates off that it's almost funny. If my life was an old Warner Brothers cartoon, my feet would actually be red and throbbing. Come to think of it, my feet ARE red and throbbing; no cartoon needed. At the continued insistence of my coach, I am once again, learning my Preliminary Dances. I'm sure she has grown weary of my Silver Moves (on another note: my GOLD moves are improving. Go figure) and has been teaching me the three Preliminary Dances. Two lessons in and my Dutch Waltz is passable (when I remember the steps correctly). The Canasta Tango... well let's just say I'm not catching on to that one as quickly. Due to my final, I was unable to meet with my jump coach last week, but I'll be contacting him this week. I have, without much thought, mastered my waltz jump and salchow again. And I think I've figured out what's wrong with my toe loop. I just need some more practice. Also, I need to find out whether or not I can get out of jury duty for a few months. Thinking about contacting one of my old coaches to see if she can straighten out my moves. She was able to get a woman who hits the strangest positions to her Novice moves, so it's my hope she can help my back threes and mohawks. As soon as I find out about jury duty, the sessions return to normal and the competition is over. I got a schedule to keep. No longer absent without leave or absolutely off line.