Quitting A Job

I have watched several videos about people who have recently quit their jobs. Apparently, they have more savings than I do, and I have a decent amount of savings. Several years ago, when I was younger and making significantly less money than I do now, I had to quit skating in order to live. I would never quit working to skate; I'm just not wired that way. Does my job make me sad? Yes, quite often. It’s stressful. I have quotas that usually result in my working on the weekend. I have rent to pay. Figure skating is expensive. Quit my job? How? Perhaps it’s because of my expensive tastes: food, shelter, clothing, alcohol, health insurance, Broadway, life sustaining medication … stuff like that. Or maybe it’s because I know what it’s like to lose a job. I’ve been laid off at least three times; it’s always a surprise because when a company talks about layoffs, you never think you’re going to be the one picked. When your company goes out of business, you’re going to be laid-off. That was my last layoff. So much fun. Maybe it’s because I’m older than the people who have been posting that they’re quitting. None of them are over 35 and I feel that is an important factor when making a decision. You can bounce from job to job when you’re in your 20s but once you turn 35, employers are going to question why you haven’t had steady employment. If you tell them you took time off to become an influencer and your potential employer is over 40, they may give you that look. You know that look; it says “really?” without saying anything at all. Don’t get me wrong, you should definitely follow your dream. However, do you really think being an influencer is going to be long-term employment? Remember when everyone wanted to be on a reality show? While those shows still exist, people aren’t lining up to participate. I can’t remember the last time I saw a cattle call for a reality show. How are these people paying their bills? Unless you are independently wealthy, you will run through your finances in a few years, especially if you continue skating. My freestyle sessions range from $20 - $33, depending on the rink. If you skate five days per week, two sessions per day, you are spending between $200 - $330 per week. Multiple that by 50 weeks per year (everyone needs a two week vacation) and you are spending between $10,000 - $16,500 annually. Think about it. It’s New Year’s Day. You are unemployed. You have paid $2000 monthly in rent, which equates to $24,000 annually. You have cable/cell phone/ internet at $150 monthly ($1,800 annual), food at $5,200, transportation (I’ll be using the NYC subway system rates here, your rates may vary) at $1,560 yearly. I’m leaving out health insurance because without a job, you can go on Medicaid where you won’t have to pay for anything (or very little). Forget nail appointments, haircuts, new clothes or shoes. I have left out electricity and heat. Add all of this up and you have $32,560. Now add ice time ($10,000 - $16,500) and coaches. Coach fees range from $50 - $200 depending on the coach and how many times per week you work with them. Let’s say you’re working with your coach twice a week. Adding that to the living subtotal and you have an approximate sum between $37,560 to $52,560. And that’s only if you work with one coach. That can wipe out someone’s savings in under two years. Perhaps their parents are helping them. I don’t have that luxury any more. Not that I would have asked them. I’m an adult. I do adulting things. One of those things is paying my own bills. I’m not going to the Olympics, I’m not even auditioning for an ice show. I’m an adult competitive figure skater, which 99% of the population would say is a nice hobby. Quit your job. Don’t quit your job. Do what you like. I can’t wrap my head around it, but it isn’t my story to explain. My story has a lot more to do with working on weekends, working out, trying to lose weight, going to the theatre and taking an off-ice class that literally kicked my butt. Do I wish I could quit my job and skate all morning? Heck yeah! Is it realistic in my world? Hell no. And that’s okay. Everyone’s story is different. Just enjoy the ride.

The $900 Experiment

I needed new skates. The skates I purchased back in 2016 had been a problem from day one. There is a very good chance that I was not fitted correctly. One person said I was “over-booted”. Who knows what the issue was. All I know is that those skates never fit correctly. My feet cramped, throbbed and caused my arches to go numb. It was a mess. I thought that once they started to break down a bit, they would finally be comfortable, or at least tolerable. But no. They never felt good. Suddenly they were big and my foot would slide around in them. There was no happy medium. My favorite skates were my Klingbeils. Loved those skates. Actually, I still have them; I haven’t been able to toss them with the hopes that if necessary I could have them rebuilt. I have never found anyone who could rebuild my skates. I was able to purchase another pair of Klingbeils. As it happened, I know someone who has purchased some of the stock that wasn’t picked up. After going back and forth, I purchased a pair of boots, initially for someone named Melissa. Melissa and I had similar feet, sort of. Same size… almost. Hers were a bit narrower; a purchased shoe stretcher helped with that. Those stretchers are in those skates every day in an attempt to make those skates fit. I even had them stretched by a skate shop. For those who didn’t know, stretching skates longer make them narrower. Ater every session, I would take the skates off and wait approximately an hour before the pain in my feet subsided. I thought I had neuropathy or stress fractures in my feet because of the pain. Walking to the subway became an exercise in determination but I knew eventually, the skates would fit well. Five months later, they still don’t fit right. I should also mention that I purchased a new pair of blades that were a totally different brand from the Pattern 99s I have been using for over ten years. These new blades are good, very similar and yet different. It’s taken a bit but I have gotten used to them… sort of. The new skates are a half size smaller. Maybe that’s the problem. The new blades are a size 9 ¾; my old blades were 10 ¼. Perhaps that’s why I feel as though there should be more blade in the back. I like the blades, but haven’t felt 100% comfortable in them mostly because I can’t feel my feet. Well, five months later, I’ve given up. I’ve made an appointment to buy new boots, hopefully the blades I have will still work otherwise it’s new blades too. The pair I am currently in were $900 total before tax and I’m willing to pay that again to not lose the ability to use my feet. My last pair of custom Klingbeils, purchased when Mr. Klingbeil was still with us, were the last pair of comfortable skates that I owned. Although the company that took over the business is out there, but $1800 for a pair of boot is a bit too expensive. I learned my lesson. Sometimes it doesn’t pay to try to find the least expensive option. Sometimes your arches, toes, and nerve endings refuse to allow it. And I understand now.

I'm Back

So, how have you been? Anything new in your world? Not much happening in my world. You know, same old, same old. Still struggling with jumps. Now I have the added pleasure of breaking in new skates. They seem okay for about 30 minutes and then it's as though someone has set my feet on fire. I need to break in these skates as soon as possible because my old skates are really on their last legs. Did I mention I’m breaking in new blades too? Ah yes, good times. The North American International competition is in October; I will not be attending. As previously mentioned, I am still struggling with jumps and spins and footwork. I’m struggling with skating all together. I need to try harder and concentrate more. Plan my practices, not just show up and do whatever. Keep it simple, but not too simple. Work on the basics; the rest will follow. My goal is to take and pass my Silver Moves In The Field or Skating Skills that they are now called, by the end of the year. I’ll be able to compete at Nationals when I do pass them. Right now, my three turns have gone to visit other people. If you see them, please tell them to return home. I need them and I miss them. Quite by accident, I discovered that the back inside edge on a C step for a flip jump can easily fall over into a back outside edge and hence an edge call for the flip jump. Or it’s a Lutz. I know of other skaters who fall over to an inside edge on their Lutz, but I have never met anyone who can fall into an outside edge from an inside edge. I have MAD skills like that! 😊 Changing my music. I only competed with that program once and it was never actually finished. I like the music, but I think I should put it down for a season or two and pick it up later. The dress that I brought for that music is generic enough that I could wear it for the new music which has a slightly Spanish flare. Or I could compete in the black and red dress (typical) that I had for the program for Swan Lake. There are several competitions between November and February. I expect to compete as much as possible. I figured the more I do, the more comfortable I’ll be. Or at least I hope. I am searching for a work/life balance where I don’t work every weekend. It’s not going to happen this weekend and probably not next weekend, but it will happen. I am determined to no longer work on weekends. That’s it for now. Hope all is well with you. Stay safe out there.

Early Autumn

Well, it’s been a while. The summer has come and gone. Thoughts of warm nights walking by the shore have been replaced with cooler, wet weekends filled with rain. Gone are the days of “summer goals” and practice sessions that were relatively empty due to so many people being on vacation. In short, the brats have returned. Not all brats are kids and not all kids are brats. There are several adults at one of the rinks I frequent who are so obnoxiously bratty that they (there are two of them in particular) have caused more than one adult skater to skate elsewhere. You know who you are, and if I may be so blunt… you stink. As for me, well, please stop cutting me off. I lost my temper last week and left the ice early. I have been quietly questioning my continuance in this sport for quite some time and last week took me to the precipice and almost pushed me off. Being told that I’d be missed if I left was quite sweet, but it wasn’t really changing my mind. Another adult skater put it this way, “just knock them down.” It’s a thought. One of the things preventing me from quitting is that I don’t want to end up on My 600 Pound Life because when I get depressed, boy can I chow down. I am confident that my sisters wouldn’t allow that to happen, but as with most people, I spend a great deal of time sitting on my keester, typing on a keyboard. Most of my current exercise is skating, but I’m working on fixing that. My strange inability to step from backwards to forwards to do a waltz jump has caused me more stress than I need. I don’t know when that started, and I don’t know how to not overthink it. In truth, if I overthink anything, I am unable to do it: C steps, 3 turns, step into spins, spins in general and now inside spirals. And people wondered why I was thinking about quitting. I once mentioned that figure skating was like a boyfriend who you really loved, but he didn’t love you back. There are days like that, weeks, months even. Currently, my “boyfriend” is trying to make an effort to be a better partner, but some days it’s like I’m not even there. Too many metaphors; English major here. I had promised myself that I would compete at least once a year. Not this year. My next scheduled competition is in mid-January. By that time I expect my mental blocks to be cleared therefore allowing me to jump and spin without thinking too much. It’s been an interesting few months. From a fractured wrist to plantar fasciitis to working 50-60 hours a week to sciatica to the heat in NYC to the cooler, damp weather. Seasons change. People, not so much. Sometimes I wonder how frustrated my coaches are. Watching me struggle with the same stupid crap week after week, month after month and now year after year. You know what I mean. But you catch them sometimes, looking at their other students, wanting to correct them or tell them something, but this is your time, so they’re stuck. Maybe stuck is the wrong word. They can always drop you as a student. It has happened to me so many times I’ve lost count. I wasn’t improving fast enough, so I was handed off to another coach while my original coach kept the student who was “improving”. Yeah, she quit skating six months later. While I blame everything on my weight, I know it’s not all about my weight. Skaters heavier than I am seem to glide across the ice with ease and grace. I’m graceful, don’t get me wrong, but I’m feeling a bit “earth bound”. My jumps used to soar, now it looks as thought I’ve tripped over my toe picks. Apart from a European vacation last year, I have not taken any time off from skating. My thinking was that consistency in training is the key; maybe not. I will be practicing tomorrow, but only one session instead of two. And I may only do Moves and hold off on freestyle until Thursday during my lesson after doing off-ice jumps. Until that time, in the words of another adult skater, who is also a friend…. “Get out of my way!”

An Afterthought

The adult figure skating season has basically ended. There are some random competitions between now and August before everything starts up again with the international competition in September. However, for the most part, the competitive season is over for 2023-2024. Several things occurred this season: some good, some not so good. Personally, I could have done without fracturing my wrist (yeah, it wasn’t just a sprain, but I didn’t find out until weeks later and it was healing on its own. I did, however, find a really, really cute orthopedist, however, he’s engaged…) I could have done without plantar fasciitis, which I’m still struggling with. Or that “edge class” that wasn’t. Those are my personal items. This post is about something bigger. Did you try to watch the major adult competitions this season? Oberstdorf always does an awesome job; they are wonderful with their coverage. No, I’m talking about Sectionals. Did you see it? Could you see it? For the most part, that answer was no. Easterns, which is my neck of the woods, was available for viewing via LliveBarn, for a price. Midwesterns and Pacific Coast were not available for viewing unless you were in the arena, and you had purchased a ticket. I’m all for people making a dollar, but they couldn’t find some way to allow the folks at home to watch the competition. Not even LiveBarn? Don’t get me wrong, LiveBarn is bad, horrible, okay it stinks. Since it was made for hockey, it has a hard time following a single skater. Or that was the excuse LiveBarn gave me when I filed a complaint. It has a hard time following a single skater, but can follow a small black puck across the ice with ten skaters chasing that puck and two standing on either end of the rink? Yeah, sure. As for Nationals, well that was another joke. Again, LiveBarn, with all its problems. Skaters would disappear outside the view of the cameras. Or my favorite, the feed would just shut down in the middle of a program, only to return ten minutes later. I hope there were official videos, but since I haven’t seen any posted by the people who usually post on social media, I have my doubts. Never thought I’d say that I miss Ice Network. It’s better than last year, when there was an official videographer, but no videos. You just had to wait almost eight months to receive your video, after receiving a lot of excuses. Again, never thought I’d miss Ice Network. Would they have done this to the kids? Absolutely not. I understand the economics of running a competition. I know it’s expensive and no one ever breaks even. Making a profit is unheard of. However, if adult skaters are serious enough to put down their hard-earned money, practice for months, take off from work, fly to wherever these competitions are held and stay in a hotel, don’t we deserve recognition? Similar treatment to the kids? No, we’re not going to the Olympics (and neither are 90% of the kids), but we don’t quit until physically or financially, we just can’t do it anymore. A new boyfriend or girlfriend doesn’t cause us to toss our skates into the closet and let them rust away. We don’t need our parents’ permission to continue. And we know exactly how much it costs, and we continue. Don’t we deserve to be treated better? A recent post on social media stated that the monthly USFS Figure Skating magazine would become a quarterly publication instead of monthly. I suppose it would save money because it’s a multi-color publication on slick paper. However, by making it a quarterly publication, there will be even fewer articles about adults. There was no mention of the international competitions in Italy or Nashville in the magazine. The Gold/Senior level tests are the only ones listed in the back of the magazine. However, synchro is well represented. I was informed that someone, somewhere, is trying to make synchro an Olympic sport. Bring softball back to Olympics or add roller skating (which is really popular in Europe) before bringing in synchro in. Of course, this is just a rant about the disparity regarding the ability to watch children skating at Sectionals and Nationals and adults doing the same. It will never be even; I know that. Our dollars keep our clubs and the governing bodies afloat, our volunteering keep events for the kids from shutting down, but the end result is: we only matter to ourselves. And that’s sad. I appreciate what adult skaters have because not that long ago, we had nothing. I just wish it was a little better. Maybe I’m asking for too much. Maybe the venues for next year’s Sectionals and Nationals could start looking for videographers now so they’ll be ready for March and April. Maybe LiveBarn can improve. Seriously never expected to miss Ice Network.

Seriously??

After attending a one-day workshop that was an edge class at the rink, I decided to sign up for the group edge class at the same rink. This one was four classes, eighty minutes long and in the same vein as the workshop. I liked the workshop; I enjoyed the workshop. How much different could this class be? Apparently, quite different. It started off okay. The first week was fun with various levels of adult skaters. I was still wearing my wrist brace, so everything felt somewhat awkward. After several exercises incorporating parts of the Silve MIF, we broke off into groups. I opted for the lowest level of jumpers/spinners because of my timing issues with my jumps and spins and my wrist brace. I had already knocked myself in the face with that thing (putting on my coat) and also figured that sometimes you just need to work on the basics. The group was five of us; there was another lefty (YAY!!) and we worked on waltz jumps and Salchows. I still am not a fan of Salchows. When the instructor (whose name I still don’t know) came around, he told me that the edge going into my waltz jump wasn’t being held long enough and the distance between the take-off and the landing edges weren’t long enough either. Okay, I’ll agree on the first part; not sure about the second. He had me practice them from a T position. Okay. After about twenty of them from a T position, I went back-to-back crossovers… Nope. I had to do them from a T position. That did not do much for my timing, but the jump did get better. On to a Salchow. He had the same correction. I worked on it from back crossovers… Nope. I had to do them from a T position. There was a woman in the class who had never done a Salchow before. She could do them from back crossovers; not me. Again, the jump did get better. Fast forward to my lesson with my coach. My jumps had improved. I mentioned that the instructor said the distance between my take-off and landing wasn’t long enough and his response was, “Forget about that. Concentrate on the jump.” I pay him so I’ll listen to him. Don’t get me wrong, I pay for the class too.

The next class, we’re doing Cross Rolls, also on the Silver MIF test. I don’t have a problem with them, but they weren’t good as far as the instructor was concerned. I have actual edges on that move and you hear that ripping sound that you’re supposed to hear. Not good enough. Okay… We break off into groups and again I choose the lowest level. No longer wearing the wrist brace because it just gets in the way, I am determined to get my timing back. We’re doing scratch spins. My fellow lefty is not there, but that’s okay because I’ve been doing scratch spins for years. I do two crossovers and step into my scratch spin. I’m told that I’m stopping before I step in and I should practice Bauer Threes to prevent that. Okay. I start to do another scratch spin… no wait. I have to do it from a T position. I haven’t done a spin from a T position in so long, I don’t remember how to do it. My brain is not computing how to do it and I’m not spinning at all. While the other three women in my group are spinning from back crossovers, including one woman who has never done a one-foot spin in her life, I am spinning from a T position. I would like to point out that two of the other women stopped dead in their tracks before stepping into their spins. We tried sit spins for giggles. I had to go first, and I have a pretty decent sit spin. Nope. Not low enough (okay, I’ll take that), it wasn’t centered well, the edge going into the spin wasn’t long enough and I paused before stepping in. I was back to the T position. When we worked on waltz jumps, again my edge wasn’t long enough and the space between take-off and landing wasn’t long enough. I was back to the T position while the rest of the class was doing them from back crossovers, just as badly as I was. I’m not sure what was going on here. I would hate to think that this was some crazy form of light gaslighting. Either way, there are two more classes, and I will attend and get my money’s worth. As for any “corrections”, I’ll take them with a grain of salt. I spoke to my skater friend and her response was “That sounds like Ted.” For those of you who don’t know who Ted was in my life, he was an old coach I wrote about on June 20, 2011. She hit the nail on the head with her comment; this instructor IS just like Ted and I kicked him to the curb years ago. You can’t tell me to toss out everything I already know how to do so I’ll do it the exact way you want it. That’s not how the world works. I know how to do a scratch spin, a sit spin, a waltz jump and a Salchow. Go bother someone else. Once these classes are over, I will not be returning. And don’t call it an edge class/workshop if it’s really a Learn To Skate Class wherein an instructor will tear you down for shits and giggles.

Pain

I hurt myself today... Actually, it was yesterday. The session was going well. I skated my Swing dance and didn't mess up the C step in the corner, so my coach and I were able to re-start the dance. My jumps were going well, although slowly, with a few failed attempts before they were landed. For the record, I have never liked the Salchow and I still don't. Several attempts later and it was landed to my coach's satisfaction. Then, the toe loop. The horn for the Zamboni had been sounded. The first attempt hadn't gone as planned. But I was determined. On the second attempt, left forward inside 3 turn, left arm back and then scoop down and up... the 3 turn wasn't completed, I rocked back on my heels and my feet flew up in the air. I landed squarely on my left butt cheek and my left arm, which hadn't gotten out of the way fast enough. The amount of pain was unbelievable. The fall must have been pretty decent because my coach raced over to help me up. The look in his eyes told me that the look in my eyes wasn't good. I said, "I think that's enough for today." And he replied "Yeah, yeah definitely" as he skated me off the ice, asking if I was okay. I told him I was okay and wished him a good weekend before it all hit. Suddenly I was nauseous. And weak. I walked over to my friend, who saw the fall and asked if I was okay and I replied, "I think I'm going to faint." She offered me water, told me to sit down (I had been standing) and to take my time doing eveything. Eventually, I felt well enough to get my things and head out of the rink, but I was shaky amd my left wrist really hurt. Once home, I told my sisters (one is out of town) and after some back and forth, it was decided that I should go into the Walk-In Clinic. My left arm was throbbing, I couldn't move my fingers and changing out of my skating clothes was difficult. On the pain scale, I was at a 12. At the clinic, I had x-rays, after explaining several times that I'm a figure skater and that I had not hit my head. Turns out, I had a severe sprain and was given OTC painkillers and a brace. The next day, after very littlle sleep due to pain, the pain scale was down to 8. No jumping for a few days. Once I can make a fist and tie my skates, I'll be back on the ice. The moral of this story is: if you feel yourself falling, throw your arms in the air because your butt is tronger than your wrist. This was typed with one hand. I am amazed at how many things I do with my left hand.

Ouch

Recently, I woke up in a great deal of discomfort. My knees have been giving me problems for days, playing a crazy round-robin game of which one was going to hurt. They've been taking turns, sometimes during one session, to decide which one was going to inflict pain and for how long. The rules of the game keep changing, with different skills causing a different part of my knees to reject the movement. Sometimes it's as simple as walking. My back has decided to remind me that sometimes wearing a backpack when you already have back issues is not the smartest thing in the world. Skates are heavy. To those who are saying "use a wheelie bag", you have never lugged one of those things up and down NYC subway steps whether during rush hour or not. Increase the weight of the bag, with your skates and all of your essentials, then add an additional 15% and you have the result of carrying a wheeled skate bag through the NYC subway system. And please don't suggest using the elevator. That would be an entirely different post. My neck and shoulder have been reminding me not to sit hunched over my work computer, looking slightly to the left to see the additional monitor, for hours at a time. Also, I believe a massage is in my immediate future. A heel spur has opted to live in my right heel, causing shooting pains whenever it wants to. Putting weight on my right foot is a challenge, with or without skates, shoes or even air. I have been icing it, however, I have just read that heat works better, so shy of putting my foot on my radiator for hours at a time, I am using the hand warmers and ordering more, just in case. My left foot aches from jump landings and life. On a positive note, the sinus headaches I've been waking up with usually disappear after a few hours and I am no worse for wear. It is replaced by postnasal drip, which I will accept over a headache any day. Meanwhile, I have capsaicin for my back, neck, and shoulder; ice for my left foot; heat for my right foot and ibuprofen, all of whom are becoming my best friends.

Cheerleaders

Everyone needs a cheerleader now and then. Sometimes, that voice telling you that "you can do it" or "I'm proud of you" is all you need to continue, to get up when you're feeling down, to go forward when you think you have nothing. Sometimes, there is no voice, other than the one in your head. The voice that tells you you're not good enough, smart enough, fast enough, young enough, thin enough or something enough. The voice that you can't always silence but wish you could. Allow me to tell you that you ARE enough. Don't wait until you've lost weight, mastered the jump, feel worthy of the praise, or feel that you're "ready". Just go and TRY. Yes, you may fall on your face. Yes, you may fail, but you tried! Don't live off your old conquests. The past cannot return and allow you to relive the glory. Make a new glory. Conquer new battles. Make new memories. You only fail if you stop trying. That thing you always wanted to do, will you fail? Probably at first. Will you be embarrassed? Yes, but no one ever died of embarrassment. At first, it may not work out. You may be so bad at it that others roll their eyes when they see you trying. Imagine their faces when you finally get it. You may never be the best. Or land that multi-revolution jump. Or get that TV or Broadway show. Or sing at Carnegie Hall. Or winthe lottery. But you tried and you continued to take steps toward your goal. Everyone has gifts in a closet. Don’t die with all those gifts in your closet unopened. Also, check on people. Everyone is dealing with something; good, bad, or indifferent. But it's the person who always says "I'm fine" with an overly happy smile, who is probably in most need of your ear, a hug or even the acknowledgement that you know they're around. Treat everyone with kindness. Try not to complain too much. Get enough sleep. Laugh whenever you can (and it’s appropriate). Reach out to those you love. Do something you want to do, even if you’re scared, even if you don’t think you’re ready. You’d be surprised how many people use the excuse that they’re “not ready” and watch time and opportunity slip through your fingers. Your family and friends will understand if this means missing a holiday or two; it’s important to you. Never give up. Not on your dreams, your hopes, your desires. Don’t quit. Every step is a victory. Showing up is a victory. And I’m proud of you.

Off-Ice Class

I signed up for an eight week, two classes per weekend, off-ice online program. Nothing tells you how out of shape you are than taking a 45 minute off-ice class. Nothing. Jumping around for 45 minutes takes a lot when you're overweight and out of shape. Several weeks later and I discovered that my body usually hurts either when I sit for too long, or the next day. After the first two classes (they are on Saturays and Sundays), I found out that parts of my body I didn't know could hurt, did indeed hurt. My eyelashes hurt. My back hurt. My knees hurt. My side hurt. My shins hurt. Now, as I approach the last class of an eight week session, I'm not in as much pain in so many different areas. Now, only my quads, knees and back hurt. Happily, my eyelashes are fine. As I mentioned, you don't realize how out of shape you are until you're the only adult in an online off-ice class and you have to stop several times during the 4-6 minute jump rope portion of the warmup. No part of my body enjoys that. And I sound like I'm 20,000 years old with a smoker's cough when jumping rope. And I don't even use a jump rope! I tried the first class, only to discover that I don't really have enough room to jump rope in my living room. You can still stumble through a jump rope warmup without an actual jump rope. Being a clockwise or lefty skater is always a lesson in reversing instructions. Teacher says "left hand", you know it's your right hand. Teacher says "land on your right foot", you know it's land on your left foot. When instructed to do jumps in both directions, that's when I get confused. Right hand? Left hand? Whatever. Just try your best. At least I know my right from my left; there are two little ones in my class who aren't so sure. Before you say I'm being mean, they're at least 8 years old. By 8, you should know your right from your left. Last week, I took a tumble during class, falling down hard in front of my camera, scraping my knees and shins and somehow breaking a toe nail. As if I were on the ice, got right back up, checked for blood and continued the class. Once class was over, it was time for ice packs, bandaids and antibotic ointment. Later that night, a nice cold glass of champagne soothed the pain. As this session of off-ice classes with this particular company draws to a close, I have noticed that my jumps have a bit more spring in them. Even my coach noticed the spring in my jumps. I was surprised to learn that I should be doing off-ice four times a week, including the class. Oops. I will add that to my list of things to do. After watching a fellow skater's YouTube video on a week in her life, it's obvious that I need to organize my life better. Granted, she doesn't work weekends and due to the amount of work I have, I do work weekends. She also lives in Manhattan, so she doesn't kill two hours a day just traveling to and from the rink. Her hours are also more flexible than mine; I absolutely have to be signed into the system no later than 9:30, although no one gives a hoot about what time I sign off. Somehow I have to find time for a lunch break so I can do my new obsession: Medicine Ball workouts. Add that obsession to my spin class and kickboxing. Doing this and meal preps and I won't feel so out of shape. I also need to organize my work space so I don't constantly mutter swear words while thinking "where is my PEN?!?!" I will be trying a new off-ice class in a few weeks. This one is for adult skaters, so we'll be muted on Zoom so you don't hear the sound of popping and cracking body parts. We'll all smell like mentholatum, but since we're home, no one will notice. I'll update you on that class once it starts. Meanwhile, I'm off to run errands. Happy skating.

Clockwise

I am still jetlagged, one week later. It's coming along, but I keep waking up at 3:30EST when it's 8:30AM in London. Anyway... Am I the only person who notices that 99% of all clockwise skaters now do loop jumps from a left forward inside three turn? I looked up Ashley Wagner, Johnny Weir and Carolina Kostner. All three do loop jumps from inside three turns. If you don't do loop jumps from inside three turns, allow me to tell you that if you don't turn the three correctly and hit a solid back outside edge, you aren't going anywhere. It's one of those jumps you just have to trust that you won't screw up the turn and go for it. Don't wait too long because the longer you wait, the easier it seems to fall out of the three turn. Do counter-clockwise skaters do a loop from an inside three turn? Judging from my own skating experiences, you guys are riding that right back outside edge after a crossover, while we lefties are trying not to fall out of a three turn. And yes, I've tried back crossovers into the jump, as well as a C turn. It didn't work. However, when the turn is good and not too slow (a habit I have developed), the jump is fine. Damn my lack of core strength! It has come to my attention (again!) that the core is the core. It is the center of everything, from jumps and spins to turns. My weak core has prevented the "fix" of my Salchow and loop jump to remain consistent. And don't get me started on the strange problem that has popped up when stepping from backward to forward. It has created such a problem that I have reworked two jumps in my program so I don't have to step forward after being backward. You can step into a waltz jump from a left forward outside edge to a right forward outside edge. As long as we're discussing clockwise skaters, quick question: what is the fascination with the lefty Lutz corner? There's a coach at one of the rinks who plants himself and his student in one of those corners and wouldn't leave if Ulrich Salchow came back to skate. It's not just me complaining (although there is only one other lefty on the session) but anyone who tries to do their program. There he is, in his jacket and baseball cap, telling you to "go around" when you have the right of way. I actually have a jump in the corner he has made a home in, and I've almost taken him and his student down at least twice. Go figure. My body thinks it's about 11:00pm, so it must be after 6:00pm. Either way, I'm out. Keep skating!

VACATION!!!!

For those of you who wondered where I was, I went on vacation. My first vacation since 2018. No one is counting 2020 as a vacation, plus I was still working. Anyway, I was off to London and Paris with my two sisters, who are also my roommates. I am happy to report that we did NOT kill one another, although we did turn our backs and eyeroll one another, but that's a regular occurrence, so it doesn't count. The trip started off rocky. Our UBER driver drove over an obvious curb and banked turns so severely, we thought we'd get tossed out of the car. But we arrived at the airport safely. The three of us had a row to ourselves, with my eldest sister sitting in the middle. She took both armrests, elbowed my other sister and I almost nonstop for seven hours and is so left-hand dominate that she does absolutely nothing with her right hand. And I mean nothing. I know this because on the way home, she had the window seat, with her right arm free and refused to use her right arm to scroll the tv screen. More elbowing for seven hours. The first hotel was so horrible, it's almost laughable. The "suite" was a room the size of my bedroom at home, with a pullout bed. The door didn't lock so we didn't sleep. The next morning, we were out of there. A new hotel, a little shopping and the vacation was on! London was in the middle of a heatwave. 90 degrees at night. Did I have a good time? Absolutely. Am I exhausted? Absolutely. Am I jetlagged? Three days later and ABSOLUTELY!!! My body still thinks it's 6 hours in the future, or whatever the time difference is. What have I learned? 1. Hotels in London do not have air conditioning. Or at least the one we were in didn't. Eldest sister purchased two fans and gave them to the hotel as a gift. I wanted to take them home but couldn't figure out how. 2. London Fish and Chips are a little bland and disappointing. Again at least where we ate. Need spices, any spices. Salt and pepper would have helped. Keep in mind, I put hot sauce on almost everything. 3. Beans at breakfast? I don't get it. 4. Every morning, the same breakfast at London hotel. I'll discuss the Paris hotel later. 5. Look both ways before crossing the street. Seriously. In London, they drive on the other side of the road and you naturally look the way you're used to. Don't do that. 6. Beer, lots of it. Mixed drinks? Not so much. 7. London is huge. Saw a lot of things via the On and Off Bus. Buy your tickets when you get there; there is no discount buying ahead of time and the website is incredibly misleading. 8. If the rink says "Skate, Bowl and Bar", it will be a small, hot ice rink. And dark. 9. Apparently, airlines charge for wifi? 10. Cars are a luxury with many, many people on bicycles and motorcycles in London and Vespas in Paris 11. Speed limits and traffic rules are just a suggestion. So are traffic lights. 12. The air is filled with sirens: police, fire and ambulances. Sounded like NYC. 13. I was told that Paris would smell like urine. Nope. Smells like poop. They use real manure in the parks. 14. The Louvre Museum requires a separate vacation; it's huge. 15. The train from London to Paris is really cool; about 2 1/2 - 3 hours. It's also a very long train - 15 cars long. I highly recommend it. 16. Breakfast at the Paris hotel left a lot to be desired. No, it was horrible. Powdered eggs with powdered cheese that was grossly undercooked. Sausages that tasted like hotdogs and bad coffee. 100% do not recommend. 17. Was told women don't wear sneakers (or trainers). That's not true, but I now own a nice pair of walking shoes. 18. People in Paris smoke a lot. Near kids, with kids, while eating, while waiting to get into restaurants, right after leaving restaurants. And if you're eating at an outdoor cafe, right there at the table. 19. A lot of Italian food in Paris. I'm confused. 20. My sister's knowledge of Spanish saved the day when my eldest sister's French was not strong at all. Okay, she forgot all of her French and the class she was doing online did nothing for her memory. 21. You will walk a lot. All in all, I had an awesome sauce time. We went to Harrods for afternoon tea, which was amazing!!! You don't expect to feel full eating small sandwiches, but you do. Liked the tea so much, I may cut down on my coffee consumption. I cannot leave out the tour of the Royal Opera House, a theatre so magnificent, it defies description. We were unable to take any pictures inside because they were working out the kinks in the set for the opera Das Rheingold, and that would be a copyright violation. However, it is gorgeous, breathtakingly so. I am trying to plan a trip for next October. My hope is to see the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House. I don't care where I'm sitting, as long as it's in that theatre. And of course, another trip to Harrods for afternoon tea. It's back to work for all three of us. I have over 300 photos to sort through, some of them just blurs thanks to the bus. But regardless of the bad pictures, the lack of knowledge of French, the smoking, the heat, the bad food, 8000+ steps per day, I had a wonderful time. Can't wait to go back.

Summer

I have decided not to do the Hershey competition after last year's... experience. Just thinking about last year's competition makes me think of bad water and spinning rooms. Nope, not this year. That being said, what have I been up to? Well, elements come and go. A good Swing Dance on Monday results in a bad Swing Dance on Tuesday. I have begun to ride my toepick on the left back outside edge before stepping into a jump, a habit I have not done since I first learned to jump. Not sure where or why that popped up again. Personally, I think it sucks. My waltz jump is tiny, super tiny, like an ant jumps higher. I'm not a big fan of loop jumps from an inside three turn, mostly because, as you know, if the three turn is bad, the jump is not forthcoming. I do loop jumps from an inside three turn, make your own decision on that. And don't get me started on my Salchow, which will visit for several days, only to suddenly go away. My flip jump is so grounded that I usually wonder if I've left the ice. And it's not fully rotated. What? It was always fully rotated, just not always landed cleanly. Every day small steps towards improvement. If you recall my one time skating the 6:00am session, well I've decided to revisit that. I really need to get to bed much, much earlier. Lately, I've been watching the Instagram stories of other adult skaters. Most are in their twenties, which... ummmm.... I am not. They seem to improve so quickly. Elements are learned today and successfully executed the next day. There appears to be no struggle at all; of course there probably is, it's just not posted online. However, it can be frustrating, especially when someone IS my age, began skating yesterday and is already popping off double jumps. Yes, that is an exaggeration, but that's how it feels. And don't get me started on people who can't hold a back outside edge after landing a jump, but are working on double loops. All I see with that is an accident waiting to happen. As long as it doesn't happen on a session I'm on, go right ahead. I sometimes feel as though I've held back. Some of this is my own fault. Let's not discuss weight and injuries right now. I was never actually taught a backspin until much, much later in the process, like I had already learned a camel-sit-scratch and suddenly someone said, "let's see your backspin". My reaction was "what's that?" Now I am struggling to catch up. I had a backspin, went to a summer adult week and returned without it. It hasn't returned. To be honest, I don't practice it as much as I should. Can anyone tell me how to obtain more than one revolution on one of those spinner things? If I get around once, I consider that an accomplishment. Watching people spin like tops on those things always make me scratch my head. Maybe it's core strength. I had a coach that told me everything was core strength and then she told me I didn't have any. Thanks. No need to point out the obvious. With that being said, I am trying. I work hard on every session, usually end up sweaty and then have to go to work. I asked one of the male coaches how much would I have to weigh to be put into the harness for jumps. Bless his heart, he said he could lift me now. The heaviest person he ever lifted was 250 pounds and thank heavens, I am nowhere near that. I still plan on losing some weight before I ask again. I've always wanted to try the harness. First I was told I was too tall, then too fat, then too tall and fat. I can't do anything about my height, but my weight I can control. Recently, one of my rinks closed for a week. No real reason; they do it every year. They're back up this week, only to cancel my sessions the week after for hockey. If I ever have enough money, I will purchase a rink and then cancel hockey for figure skating. And have all adult sessions, but with different levels. One rink had this wonderful summer adult camp-like program that was every Saturday. You had 45 minutes of ballet/stretch/yoga, followed by off-ice exercises for jumps and spins. On ice, we had a group session where we did ice theatre moves. Afterwards we were divided into two groups: axel and above, or no axel. We then had (sit down for this) 100 minutes of freestyle. It was wonderful. Then some of the lower level skaters joined the camp and complained that it was too hard. They didn't like the ice theatre moves. They didn't like working on different types of spins. They didn't like being divided into two levels. They complained, demanded their money back and destroyed the program for the rest of us. The program still exists, but it's become more of a Bridge program. No jumps higher than a loop. No change foot spins or combination spins. Ballet/stretching/yoga has been eliminated. No ice theatre. No division of levels. Also, the freestyle session is gone, but the cost has increased 35%. I am a proud snob. If a program isn't for you, find one that is but don't ruin it for everyone else. The two years I participated in this program, there were approximately 30 skaters. The last time I inquired about it, there were approximately 12 signed up. It's too bad; it was really good, felt like camp and was a lot of fun. There's a rink that I haven't skated since I moved almost five years ago. I discovered that they have an early morning session that I will skate on Fridays. I'll have to take a cab to get there, but that's okay. If it's a good session, not too crowded, one person not hogging the music and no parents screaming instructions at their kids from the stands, then it's worth it. I'll tell you all about it next time. Meanwhile, off to do kickboxing. I have a harness to fit into.

Move

Once again, Sectionals have come and gone; and I was home. Another major competiton happened and there I was, at home, far from the competing crowd. Ugh! It's my own fault. I don't work hard enough. I don't try and fail and try again. I kinda try and fail and kinda give up. I'm tired of that. I have struggled with several things: my weight, money, depression, feelings of inadequacies, chronic pain and various health issues. Maybe I'm stubborn, but I won't really give up. But also, I haven't totally committed to anything. I want to be at next year's Sectionals and Nationals. I want to become a Sign Language Interpreter. I want to lose weight and no longer have these health issues. I want to be published. I need to get going. It'll be spring before you know it. Then summer, then fall and winter. Suddenly a year has gone by and you don't even realize it. Some things are getting better; I do acknowledge that. Some things are the same; I'm not happy with that. I'm trying to figure out how to get everything done in time I have when I'm not working. And there's school. I need to work harder and smarter. A lot of both. On another note, I recently found out another adult skater has banned me on Instagram. When you consider all I ever do on that platform is say "great job!" Or "awesome". And occasionally ask a question of clarification, I am shocked that I was banned. I have met this adult skater once and I loved her jumping technique. She always went all out and didn't hold back. That was terrific. But now, I can no longer see her videos and I have no idea what I've done. Maybe it's for the best. Two dance tests, one Silver MIF test and one Silver freestyle test, all before the end of the year. It's March; there's time. But I have to get moving.

Headaches

The weather in NYC is so ridicioulsy warm that I've had several headaches due to the barometric system. Add to that the constant construction, using jackhammers outside my window and you understand my headache situation. Have you ever watched people's videos in which they tell you that they do A,B,C,D,E,F,and G in a given day and you ask yourself "Don't they work??" I'm doing that right now. Actually, I'm at work and every so often, I look something up on the internet. You workout for three hours then make a nutritious breakfast, clean your closet and write in your journal for an hour? When do you work?? You skate for three hours every day in the middle of the afternoon, then go to the gym for two hours? When do you work?? I'm struggling to get in 4.3 hours per week, and I keep telling myself that I'm going to get up twice a week for the 6:00am session. I've only done it once and it was hell!!!! Seriously, when do these people work?? Read some of my older posts. I've been putzing around with my skating for years. Taking two steps forward and nine steps back. I'm sick of it. I'm tired of watching people who began SIX MONTHS AGO pass me by in a puff of smoke.I'm sick of the Silver MIF and regularly have dreams where I've passed the stupid test (virtually, I'm not doing this one live). I just want to get to Nationals next year and skate with confidence. So I've returned to off-ice workouts, regular workouts and a better eating plan. I have competitions that I want to do in the future (like in April and June) so I have those to strive for. And of course, there is the question about those mid-afternoon skaters. If you know how they do it, please tell me. I've been trying to figure that out for at least three years. Jackhammers have finished. The weather is a bit cooler, but humid. Who knows what the future will bring.

2023

Back in October, I received my US Figure Skating magazine and was very disappointed. Look, I understand that the adult skating community is not as "important" as the kiddos, but I thought we counted for something. The magazine devoted 1 3/4 of a page to adult skating. Not even 2 pages. There were more pages devoted to advertisements than adult skating. Normally, it wouldn't be such a big deal, but at the time, the competition in Ottawa had completed and everyone is getting into the swing of things for Easterns and Nationals. 1 3/4 pages? You have to do better. Many skating clubs have a healthy number of adults now and we deserve to be noticed. As mentioned previously, the videos from Adult Nationals were never received or posted. For almost a year, they were "lost media". Although I didn't attend Nationals, I was annoyed that the footage was seemingly lost and the powers that be could not care less. After several emails back and forth, the footage was found. However, it came with a caveat: you couldn't post it. It's your property, but you can't post it anywhere for others to see. Something's wrong there. I'm trying to figure out what's happening with this, but it sounds like the USFS is afraid of being sued by a musician and would rather avoid litegation. For the record, when Nathan Chan skated to Elton John, Elton send Nathan a congratulary note. Smaller, lesser known bands like "Boo-Boo and the Ants" threaten legal action. Go figure. This would explain the inability to see rebroadcasts of competitions or the silence of a recorded competition. Seriously, when did we become so law suit crazy? Since the start of holidays, which for my family is October, I have been having difficulty jumping. Apparently, I think too much. I also have an annoying habit of riding my toepicks on the back outside edge, setting up for the jump. I hear it and I immediately stop myself. It's a mind and confidence thing and I'm working on it. It's the beginning of January. A fresh start. So many opportunities. Don't let any of them slip away. Happy New Year everyone!

What Was I Thinking???

I woke up today and decided to do two sessions back to back starting at 6:00am. WHAT WAS I THINKING?? Twelve hours later and my body is still mad at me. At no point did the pain stop. My feet even hurt. I will do it again on Friday. The best part about double sessions is that one session is just for Moves In The Field and the other for freestyle and dance. With more sleep, I expect to be able to do this without my body getting so angry. Wish me luck. For now, at 8:47pm, I am going to bed. Good night.

Observations

First, allow me to apologize to Lexi, who asked a question on my last post. I have been trying to respond, but something keeps going wrong. So, to answer your question: I competed at the Neal Wood Open in Hershey, PA. Now that the "standard" competition season is starting, I realized something important: no matter how good you are, as an adult skater, unless you are Master Junior/Senior level, you're not as important as the kids. Sometimes even when you are Master level, you're not as important as the kids. Lessons are re-arranged, understandably because of competitions. Or preparing for competitions. Or just because. I'm not bitter; it's just a simple truth. We matter, just not enough. Here's an excellent example: The 2022 Adult National Championships took place in April. As of this writing, it is mid-September. The videos of that competition have not been sent to the competitors, nor uploaded onto USFS Fan Zone. If this was a standard competition, those videos would have been available in late April. Five months of waiting? Doesn't that sound odd? The general consensus is that the company erased the footage, but haven't figured out how to tell anyone. I didn't participate at Nationals, but several of my friends did and I really wanted to see them. Some of them medaled. To whomever the videographer was for Adult Nationals 2022, admit your error and go on. If people paid for these videos, give them a refund, issue an apology and take steps to prevent this from happening again. I actually asked a different videographer what could be the reason for the delay. He asked if other events had been uploaded, which they had. He thought that basically, the data was lost. A few years ago, at Easterns, a friend's program was accidentally deleted, along with three or so other skaters. To my knowledge, my friend never received acknowledgement of the mistake or an apology. This brings me back to adult skaters during the standard competition season. We are not forgotten, but our lives are turned on their heads due to scheduling changes. Constant schedule changes. Beginning in September until the end of the season, there are dozens of competitions that will capture your coach's focus. That's not a bad thing. An inconvenient thing? Definitely. A bad thing? No. The adult skating season isn't really a season, but the high points are Sectionals (March), Nationals (April) and international competitions, such as Ottawa and Germany. I'm not exactly sure when they happen, but I think it's September and May respectively. And that's about it. There are smaller competitions all over the place, but those are the big ones to the adult competitiors anyway. It's sad to be treated like an after-thought in the sport. We adult skaters really only quit when our bodies or our bank accounts tell us to do so. We rearrange our work lives and our family lives. No one is driving us to the rink in the morning; we do everything ourselves. While adjustments are made to our schedules to accomodate standard track competitiors, it becomes more of the "norm" than the exception. Adult competitive skaters, has your coach ever gone with you to a competition? Here's a funny story that happened to me a while back. The rink had a local competition and there were adult levels. I signed up, my coach at the time said she had other skaters who would be there and so she'd be there to. She had everyone's competition time and knew she'd be there all day. The youngest skaters were earlier in the morning; I arrived at about 11:00 with my event being at about 12:30ish. I saw my coach. Waved to her and we agreed that she'd be there at 12:20. 12:20 comes; no coach. 12:30, we are standing, waiting to go on for the warmup. I'm looking around for my coach. She is no where to be found. I skate the event, come in third, get my medal and start looking around for my coach. I'm thinking she had a family emergency or she was ill... something. I ask one of the skating mothers who knows my coach, if she knows where she is. She tells me that my coach went to lunch at 11:30 and wouldn't be back until the Juvenile event at 2:00. I volunteered the rest of the competition, but when I saw my coach, I asked her what happened. She looked at me with a blank expression. She had forgotten that I was competiting at all and although she apologized, it told me I wasn't as important as the Pre-Preliminary Girls or anyone who came after. At least, not to her. By the way, she dropped me as a student. She said I wasn't progressing fast enough. Kept another adult skater who quit the sport six months later. I'm not really complaining, just making observations. Lessons are changed or eliminated to accomodate the standard competitiors. Now that school is in session, it has become harder and harder to schedule lessons. Some lesson time is better than none. We all appreciate coaches who are willing to accept adult skaters. We want to be treated like the true athletes that we are. There are coaches out there who only want the money and are successful in talking us out of various competitions and do not think we will ever be good enough. There are coaches who will spend most of your lesson time working on crossovers, even though there's nothing wrong with your crossovers or stroking and the skater really wants to go on to other skills. That's not to say that stroking and crossovers aren't important, quite the contrary. However, if one has a thirty minute lession, twenty of those minutes shouldn't be taken up by crossovers and stroking. School is back in session. Early morning sessions will be crowded until outdoor rinks open. Coaches will be away and back and reschedule and cancel. It's the life of an adult figure skater.

Pudding

In the play "The Matchmaker", which subsequently became the musical "Hello Dolly", written by Thorton Wilder, there is a scene in which two workers (a clerk and the assistant to that clerk) at a Hay and Feed store named Conelius Hackle and Barnaby Tucker, respectively, decide to have an adventure in New York City. They leave Yonkers and have a catchphase for when they are having an "adventure". They will say "Pudding!" when it hapens. After watching the movie "The Matchmaker" (it's a lovely, sweet old movie with Shirley Booth - look her up), my sister Becca and I decided that "pudding" would be our catchphase whenever we had an advenure. Got lost? Pudding! Stuck in a freak snow storm without proper clothing? Pudding! My competition last weekend? Well... It started off well. We took the train to the location because I no longer own a car. Upon arriving at a rather old hotel, one key card didn't work. Becca went upstairs (yes, the lobby or the foyer was on the 3rd floor; our room was on the 2nd floor) to get new key cards. And they worked, once each time. Afraid of bedbugs? Do what we do, which is bring bedbug spray and spray down your beds. Don't place your suitcase on the bed either. Don't forget to wipe down the remote, door handles, phone and light switches. We did this pre-pandemic so it's not our paranoia about germs that caused this. These things aren't usually cleaned and I don't want someone else's sickness. Some things didn't go as planned and one major one was my fault. I didn't do my due dilligence regarding the actual location of the rink for the official practice. As a result, there were two locations and the UBER went to the wrong one. Since we were not in NYC, the wait for another UBER took the entire length of the offical practice. So, no practice for me. Competition time!!! Let's just say, I was there. My nerves got the better of me and I missed three of the four jumps planned. I duplicated a spin because I fell out of the planned camel spin and received zero points for that. I did receive a nice amount of points for my footwork and attitude (which was supposed to be a layback) spin and skating skills. All in all, this being my first IJS competition and being away from it for several years, I was there. I am back! First IJS competition down, more to come. As far as "Pudding" is concerned, both my sister and I had a small bout of food poisoning after the competion was done. We both ended up with extreme dizziness and nausea, which lasted a few hours, but having the world spinning around you is quite disturbing. Maybe it was the water. Eight UBERs in one short weekend makes me think about renting a car for my next competition. The drivers were great, but the wait time was not. Onward to the next competiton... next year.

Tick... Tick... Boom!

Back in January, I mentioned that a skating friend said I would improve faster if I competed. Well, I signed up for a competition, much to the surprise of everyone. Am I ready? No, not really. Will I do it anyway? Yes, because they're only giving refunds if you have COVID. Broken bones, illness, death? Was it COVID related? No? Then you are out of luck. Weird, eh? Granted, the program is coming along nicely. Two minutes and nine seconds is a lifetime when you can't catch your breath. I'll keep plugging away. The competition is in August. Don't think I'll be attending the one in Ottawa, even though I'd really like to go. It's one thing to only be slightly ready for a competition in your region; it's another thing to leave the country when you are ill prepared. Recently, I looked high and low for a skating movie named The Petrichor. It's a Canadian film about a thirty year old woman who wants to return to competition (not in adult categories). I hunted for it and finally located where I could see the movie. I was all set to enjoy myself. Forty minutes into the movie and no one is skating yet. I'm confused. And disappointed. I'll finish watching the movie and keep hoping for the best. Right now, it's on the back burner of things I want to watch while at work. Fast forward a week and there is some "skating". It's really just the actress moving her arms while the camera circles her. When there are shots of skates, it's in the dark and for all we know, those are MY feet they're filming. The movie isn't very good. It's not Hallmark holiday movie bad, but it's bad. Also, I can't figure out if only one man plays almost ALL of the male parts or if everyone looks that much alike. The summer sessions have begun at my main rink. The number of people on the ice hasn't gotten crazy yet. I'm curious as to whether it WILL get crazy. I'm sure it will. Darn those learn-to-skate and hockey camps that take up the entire morning. At my other rink, it is already crazy. The Coffee Club is gone and anyone who has ever strapped on a pair of skates is at the morning freestyle session. Several have just graduated from Learn-to-Skate. Okay, that's fine. I had to jump through hoops to skate a freestyle session. Now all you have to do is show up. With in mind, look where you're going and be mindful of the others on the session. If you see someone taking off to jump, maybe move your crossovers away from the hockey circle that you have been practing on for the last 45 minutes. Your conversation about how crowded the session is, shouldn't take place in the middle of the rink while someone is trying to do a camel spin. If someone's program is playing, just notice where they are and where you are. And get out of their way. I'm sure I sound like a witch, but we all pay the same amount of money and the sessions are getting more crowded. Know where you are. Know what you need to do. Be mindful of the others on the ice. And do not skate crossovers in lutz corners (all 4) for the entire session. You have no idea how annoying that is.