June 26, 2006

5:23p	I wonder If I will ever get past the point where I wait all day to get to go skating and I sit here wanting to leave, but not letting myself because it's 2 hours early and only a 40 minute drive. I mailed the skates back to rainbo. A different person is helping me now- I think the woman might have thought I was a bit nuts. Maybe my posts on skating forums were- but for me this is a lot of money and I know nothing... I needed opinions. I am exchanging for regular width Jackson Competitors. I included tracings though, so they might suggest something else. I don't know why I decided on the competitor instead of the freestyle because it is $100 more- but if you're gonna do it- do it right. The boot is good for my level and it's a better blade. The freestyle probably would have worked though. (Comment on this)
9:16p	Skating lesson... Well this week didn't leave me with the same oomph as last week. The lesson went just as well but this coach has a way of not making me feel that good about myself. I brought the camera planning to tape my 3 turns, backwards crossovers, and spiral- but then we didn't have any extra time at the end of the lesson. I'm not going to tape it next week- unless Kevin comes to watch. (He just said he would) But I'm wearing a skirt next week to celebrate backwards crossovers- so if I look really bad in it, you won't get to see the videos or pictures. So the good- backwards crossovers, even the left side is getting better. 3 turns I praticed on my own and they are improving. The bad- 2 footed spins. I just can't do them. Knee bed- it doesn't exist. The eh- backward snowplow stops. Apparently I stop too quickly. He tried to show me how to skid, but it wasn't working. The new- Mohawks- right to left is BAD, left to right I can fake it. Waltz jump- A JUMP! I JUMPED! Okay, after that excitement, I will say I use jump in the smallest sense of the word. Maybe a centimeter. But both of my blades are off the ice at the same time and I am rotating a half turn. Maybe a fourth turn. Kathleen said I look graceful, but I feel like a fool. But still A JUMP! Instructor said I need better skates than told me it was silly to get them from Chicago instead of Cincinnati- but Cincinnati didn't have blades small enough for the boots I wanted and were going to "make these ones fit" with ones 1/8" longer than the boot I was buying. Um, I'll take my chances with Chicago. problem is, since mailed the return today, I probably won't get my skates by next Monday, so I will have to make 2 seperate trips to drop off and then pick up them after permanent mounting. But yeah- overall the lesson was good, it was great to be skating but I don't feel good about it. During crossovers I was told "but you're an old pro" because he told me I didn't have to pick my foot up but could cut it over. I only started them last week- don't dismiss me as if I've been doing it forever. The only thing useful I've been told is to bend my knees. I need to call the woman about a private lesson- but first I need to find out if I am moving in 2 weeks. (Comment on this)
9:25p	I did a waltz jump and other skating updates http://community.livejournal.com/skittles_skates/7176.html?mode=reply (Comment on this)
10:07p	waltz jumps so- I was practicing my waltz jumps in the hallway- with actual airtime and distance- rather than the 1 cm jump I do on the ice. After a beautiful one I smacked the bathroom doorframe with the back of my left heel. SO MUCH PAIN. You'd think it would be tougher to do these on the ice than in the hallway, but so far that's been more difficult.