To quote an old Alice Cooper song, "School's Out for Summer!" I am free!!
It's been a very difficult year. One sister had surgery, the other sister got hurt because of all the work she did for our move. We moved. I failed a class and by fail, I mean I didn't get a B or better, which is what you must achieve to not fail the class. I grew to really hate my job because no matter how hard I tried, I was always wrong. (I'm talking about something that was right on Tuesday, was now wrong on Friday. Same thing; different day.) I became incredibly depressed, thoughts of suicide flooded my head. I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to eat. And well, everything suffered. I told my manager how much I hated working there and if she wanted to fire me, she could. Then she realized that my co-worker was going into the hospital for an extended period of time and I was it. That and whatever was going on in her life may have settled down. I don't know. I do know that I'm looking for another job.
So, skating. Strangely, my deep depression didn't really hamper my skating. If anything, not eating seemed to help. I am landing jumps again and being much bolder. I still have a long way to go to return to my earlier skills (and by earlier I mean before I purchased these particular skates). However, it's slow and steady.
What has happened since our last discussion? I, the reluctant ice dancer, took my first two Preliminary Dances: The Dutch Waltz and the Canasta Tango. I passed! I took the test during a freestyle session. As my jump coach Marc, who is also partnered me through the test, guided me through the test, we got off pattern because an adult male skater thought the best place to work on his axel was the track. The judge congratulated me on avoid the skater in the track. HA!
Meanwhile, I have been choreographing my new program. I really want to skate that international competition in Lake Placid this October. How much? I'm on an eating plan, a workout plan and I practice as much as I can. I am doing spin, kettlebell, stretch and a 30 day 100 ab exercise challenge. I already have the dress; heck, I have a dozen dresses, purchased for competitions I ended up not doing. THOSE DAYS ARE GONE!
On another note, my coach is so concentrated on these stupid dances, that I haven't had a lesson on my moves in months. Oddly, they're getting better because I practice them and use them as a warm up before dancing or jumping. My spins had gone to visit other people because of my lack of core strength. But that's improving.
I will on the ice tomorrow and promise to try not to be away so long. I need to get these moves so I can test them and prove a point to myself: that I can.
Meanwhile, I have to make a salad, with oranges, because I don't get enough vitamin C.
