Hurricane Sandy

As many of you know, I live in NYC. Many of you also know that the East Coast of the US has been hit by a major storm. Parts of the outer boroughs (Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens and the Bronx) have been devastated by the storm. The Coney Island Boardwalk is all but gone. Neighborhoods everywhere have almost vanished under the water and down trees. Downtown Manhattan is dark, very dark. Sky Rink is temporarily closed due to the damage of being on the water and compressors being flooded. According to the website, it should be up and operational in a few days. I can think of only two other times that Sky Rink has been forced to close. Once was in August 2005 when the entire East Coast had a blackout. The other time was 9/11. For the record, NO BODIES WERE ON THE ICE AFTER 9/11!!! That urban myth is just that. Long Island is also damaged. My job has no electricity and so I've been home (eating and drinking) since Friday. I'll be back at work on Monday. On another note, those idiots (yes idiots) who are making fun of the facial expressions of the Sign Language Interpreters standing next to the Mayor of NYC (Bloomberg) need to stop. You are apparently ignorant of ASL and the fact that it's not just a "bunch of hand waving" (I've forgotten who called it that) but a language that involves the entire body. I would go into detail, but I don't think the audience of this particular blog are among those who made fun of the Interpreters. Until everything dries out... See you soon.

Wobbly, Wobbly, Can't Do Squat

My new nickname should be Wobbly, Wobbly, Can't Do Squat. The hemorrhaging of my skating skills continues. Wednesday night was a continuation of Saturday. I felt so bad for Amy, I kept apologizing. I felt awful. It got so bad that we ended up doing spirals, as that was the only skill I could do without making a total mess of it. It was incredibly disappointing. It has been the kind of skating that would leave me in tears, if I were still able to cry. Instead, I solder on, believing that my skills will return to me once they have finished their vacation. Seriously, come back Shane! On Friday, I finally made it back to the rink in Bethpage. I thought, "okay, my skills are lacking because I haven't been practicing." Off to practice I go. Unfortunately, my skating skills are still on vacation. The practice was a disaster. How bad? A man asked me if I had just learned to skate because I was struggling so much. When I replied that I usually skate better than this, he obviously didn't believe me. Another session I would usually cry over. No longer being able to try (it's psychological, not physical) has its advantages. No matter how upset I am, no one will see me cry. Works for me. This morning's lesson with Amy resulted in a lot of apologizing on my part. Things I could do last month are gone like a plastic bag in the wind. We spent most of the session doing edges and crossovers, which I hate doing but understand the reasoning behind it. It doesn't make it any easier to spend a freestyle session working on skill I learned years ago. But since they appear to have gone, I'm almost okay with it. After all, what is your coach supposed to do when you are unable to perform the simplest of skills? Sometimes, if I don't think too hard, I am surprised by a jump or a spin that actually works. Sadly, it's not often. I am confident that things will improve, that they'll change. I need to lose weight, to get healthy, to get back the confidence I once had. It's a long road ahead and I know it'll happen. In the meantime, have you seen my lovely spirals?