Freestyle

Back in the dark ages when I first started skating, I finished all of the levels of group lessons and wanted more. I had private lessons during public sessions and then my coach suggested that I skate the early morning patch and freestyle sessions. I was a young adult and thrilled that this extremely strict coach thought I was good enough to skate those sessions. I couldn't wait to sign up. The Skating School Director had reservations. In order to skate the freestyle sessions, I had to prove my worth. Basically, I had to audition for the privilege to give a rink my hard (very hard) earned money. So, there I was, on the ice, demonstrating that I could do all the necessary basic moves of crossovers, turns, stops and freestyle moves of jumps and spins. Although they had their doubts because I was and still am a lefty, they reluctantly gave me permission to skate with the good skaters on freestyle sessions. The young skaters who skated with me on the ice, spent the first month or so, landing jumps as close to me as they could to see if I would flinch. I stopped flinching and skating near the boards when I received my first program about three months later. I bring this up only because yesterday, I skated a session where there were ten skaters who could not skate at all. Not just freestyle, I mean not at all. Zero. Zip. Nada. I'm talking marching, walking and tripping across the ice. And generally just being in the way. What happened to having to know how to actually SKATE before being on a freestyle session? Sessions like that are just expensive public sessions with programs being played. UGH! My fellow adult skaters and I took down several of these skaters, not on purpose (kinda) because we'd be doing something and suddenly BANG! There they were. I had lined up a jump, stepped forward and totally didn't see that little boy OR his sister. Amazing how easily they go down and pop back up. So, what happened to having to know how to skate prior to being allowed to skate a freestyle session? Is it now all about money and safety be damned? Years ago, a kid kept spinning in the corner, her early trials of a camel spin. A male skater, probably a senior in high school, tried three times to do a jump in that corner. Finally, he got angry, caught her free leg and said, "Don't spin in the corner." She never did again. Where is that guy now?

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Computer

Back in December, of LAST year, I started a post about where the time had disappeared to. Well, now it's April and I'm just getting back to that post. Seriously, where DID the time go? So here's what's been going on... 1. School is kicking my butt. You must get a B in a class in order to go on to the next level. I got C in one of my classes, so I have to repeat that class. (I can continue with the other classes, just not that one until next autumn) As a result of getting a C in my Interpreting class (I also have theory classes), the confidence in my signing skills is not what it used be. I hesitate before I sign now, something I never did before. My interpreting teacher (who is hearing) said flat out that I wasn't very good. This is the same woman who evaluated me for the program and accepted me. WHATEVER!!!! Ironically, in my theory, taught by a Deaf professor, she thought I was a CODA (Child Of Deaf Adult) and had been signing my whole life. Seriously whatever... 2. Work: Since my classes are after work, I have arrive to work early and I leave early. My manager actually said, "I don't care if you never make it to school. It has nothing to do with your job so I don't care." Well thank you. So I don't mention school at all. I did mention the comment to Human Resources though. And I'm trying to transfer to another department. 3. And now finally skating. Let me just say that EVERYTHING is easier when you weigh less. I've lost a few pounds; nothing to write home about, but I can feel it in my bones (which still kinda hurt from the extra weight). My jumps are returning; I need to make them bigger. Marc, my jump coach, said I was too tall and too long legged to have little hoppy jumps. He's right. So I'm working on making them bigger. My salchow has never been my favorite jump; still isn't. But it has returned, along with my toe loop and loop jump. My flip jump, which used to send me into extreme pain, if I can just stay in, is a really high jump. I haven't tried a lutz yet, but I feel it coming. Spins were something that were natural to me. I guess being slightly dizzy naturally made them easy. I need my core strength to get my spins back because they have gone to visit other people and have not returned. I am, however, getting not one but TWO revolutions on my back spin about 22% of the time. Two of the three Preliminary dances are ready to test. Poor Marc, my jump coach, gets to take me through those dances. Now, all I have to do is remember the re-start, not look down and remember to breathe. So easy and yet so hard. 4. My sisters and I have moved. It was HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Probably one of the worse moving experiences I have ever had. Mostly because I am a slob. And according to one of my sisters, I have too much stuff. I work in an office, have to dress daily (well I do work from home on 2 of those days) so I cant wear jeans to work everyday. I have to dress in business clothes, not suits, but acceptable business attire. During the move, I kinda stretched that a bit and it was noticed that some of my outfits weren't exactly work appropriate. But I'm settling into my new, much smaller bedroom. I can make it work. 5. Exercise. I have returned to working out. I can get some core strength back; I'm determined. I didn't go to Adult Nationals again this year. Amy has basically abandoned my MIF test for ice dancing. She has no confidence that I will ever pass a Silver MIF or freestyle test, hence Marc. I have reached out to my old teacher who can fix anyone's moves to make them pass. She's a bit cranky, but she gets the job done. I need to practice more. Not this weekend; it's Easter. Next weekend, I can skate on Saturday and Sunday and I will. Gotta cut my music for a program so I have something to aim for. It is not ice dancing, which I do for stamina and flow, but it's not very interesting and I'm not really a fan. That's about it for now. Sorry I've been MIA for so long. Need to set up my desktop because my laptop is only for school. I have a video to do for school and about 4 hour of work for work to do. Yes, I bring work home and do it over the weekend. It's the only way I can keep up. Also, if I don't my manager will send me a nasty email on a Sunday morning at 6:30 asking why something wasn't done. Yes, you read that correctly. Sunday morning. 6:30. Until next time...