Friday, May 31, 2013

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Test Training

This morning I had my private skating lesson and I'm still trying to perfect my skills for the adult pre-bronze test coming up in about 3 weeks. Here are the required elements (from USFSA):

Adult Pre-Bronze Moves in the Field Test

1. Forward perimeter stroking
The skater will perform four to eight straight strokes depending on the length of the ice and the strength of the skater, with crossovers around the ends, using the full ice surface and for one full lap the rink (in both directions). Introductory steps are optional. Focus: Continuous flow, strength and extension
 2. Basic consecutive edges

   Forward Outside Edges
   Forward Inside Edges
   Backward Outside Edges
   Backward Inside Edges
Starting from a standing position, the skater will perform four to six half circles alternating feet, using an axis line such as a hockey line. The skater may start each set on either foot, but they must be skated in the order listed. Focus: Edge quality
3. Forward and backward crossovers 
The skater will perform forward crossovers in a figure eight pattern. It is expected that the skater will perform the transition between circles on one foot. Four to six crossovers per circle are recommended. Upon completing the forward figure eight, the skater will perform a swing roll and change of edge to an open Mohawk in order to turn around and continue the figure eight pattern with four to six backward crossovers per circle. This move may start in either direction. Introductory steps are optional. Focus: Continuous flow and strength
4. Waltz eight
The skater will perform the waltz eight, using large circumference circles completing two patterns on each foot, and performed with control. This move may start on either foot. Introductory steps are optional or may begin from a standing start. The skater may mark the center. Focus: Edge quality
5.  Forward right and left spirals
The skater will perform right and left foot spirals down the length of the rink maintaining a spiral position on each for approximately four seconds with extended leg held at the hip level or higher. The skater may be on flats and may start on either foot. Introduction steps are options. Focus: Extension 
 
These descriptions and terms may not mean much to those unfamiliar with figure skating but you get the general idea of what I'm dealing with. I've got #1 and #5 pretty much nailed down. #3 is pretty good but still needs practice. I'm usually running into other people when I practice them so it's hard to get into a rhythm sometimes. #2 and #4 need the most work. Those back insides are a bitch! 
 
Here is a video that shows a sample of this test (minus the Waltz 8 - it got cutoff) along with the pre-bronze free skate test:
 
 

Here is the Waltz 8:



 
I really need to get to the rink more between now and test time. I would also like to record myself skating so I can see what I look like (flying hyena comes to mind) but I'm too shy to do that right now. I may put off testing until July (I say "I" like it's my decision but my coach might make me anyway) if my edges don't improve. Testing is a bit nerve wracking because it's just you on the ice, 1 to 3 judges watching, and it is DEAD silent. You hear every little scratch and scrape and you pray to baby Jesus that you won't clip your blades because the judges will hear it loud and clear. I do feel confident I'll pass though (granted I don't let nerves get to me) given I have three more weeks to practice. The judging is usually more lenient for adults, I think, and plus it's the first test level so they are more forgiving.
 
That doesn't mean I won't say a little prayer before I get on that ice come test time.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Meat and Three Legged Races

Memorial Day weekend kicks off the unofficial start of summer but it felt more like winter this time! It was windy and cold Friday and Saturday but thankfully it was sunny and warmer on Sunday and Monday (but not by much). It's supposed to get up to the 90's after this Wednesday so I guess I'll try to embrace this cold spell for now.

On Friday, the class of '96 E-town High School crew came into town. That would be Roy's high school buddies, one from Ohio and one from New York, plus another from E-town. We went to Duke's and had some drinks. My new drink is a wine spritzer with seltzer water. It's not bad and so diet friendly. The reunion continued Saturday and Sunday evenings as well.

On Saturday morning I hit the ice to work on my consecutive edges (alternating half circles on one foot inside and outside edges, forwards and backwards) while Roy installed a tank-less water heater for someone. After skating I went and bought 10 pounds of pork butt and spent the following two hours cutting it up and marinating it. I finished just in time for my haircut appointment at 1 o'clock and decided to ride my bike over to the city since parking was going to be a mess due to Arts Fest on the riverfront. I'm glad I did that because it was so easy to get in and out. I only live a mile away. I decided to get 3 inches chopped off so I can cut down on blow dry time. It's been difficult to find someone as good as my stylist in Maryland but I've found someone nearby who has cut my hair three times now and has done a decent job. I made a highlighting appointment in June with her so if all goes well, she just may be "the (new) one."

Later that night Roy and I rode our bikes back over to Arts Fest to grab some grub. Arts Fest was pretty much the same - you see the same stuff every year. First we hit up the ice cream stand (root beer float for him, kid's cone for me) and we walked around. We weren't walking long and we realized vendors were starting to wrap up for the night. It was only about 6:30 but I guess they are done by 7. We hurried up and got our chicken on a stick before the stand closed, ate, and then headed back across the bridge.

On Sunday, we loaded the boat up with life vests, ropes, water shoes, towels and all the other boat stuff that's been stored in the basement. We weren't boating that day though because we had a date with Roy's work husband and his wife to go to Baltimore for an early dinner. We left around 1:30 and headed for Inner Harbor. It was a beautiful day and it was bustling.





We ate at Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian BBQ place. If you've never been there before, it's basically a carnivorous smorgasbord. So. Much. Meat. Ugh. It's good, but your body does not feel good after eating all that meat. Scurvy!

On Memorial Day, Roy and I went to our favorite breakfast diner and then we got ready to meet my cousins at a Korean church picnic. It was actually the Central PA Korean Association Picnic or something. All the Korean churches in the Central PA area met up to compete in a field day. We ate, played games, and watched some Korean old heads play kickball. It was pretty amusing. I couldn't help being amazed at all the OOTD's some people had chosen.

Angela and David in the three legged race. Not quite in sync but still on their feet!


Jess and Yuna trying not to laugh - they were most likely to get the giggles and fall down!
A shot of the pavilion - stripes are so in right now.


Roy trying help our church get a win on the volleyball court. The competition was fierce.

Kickball - one lady is rocking an apron and wide brim visors are all the rage among the hal-muh-nees

The girls acting silly - they are a riot





 
Our church won the three legged race but overall we got third in the field day. I haven't been to one of these things in many years but it's always a good time. We went to Red Lobster for dinner and by the end of the night we were beat. What a weekend! 


Thursday, May 23, 2013

In Memoriam

The long weekend is almost here! The pontoon boat has been brought out of hibernation and it's waiting to be prepped for its 8th season on the river. I'm sure most of you are excited for this weekend's festivities but let's take a moment and reflect on what this coming holiday is truly about.

Our friend and neighbor, Lt. Col. John Holtzman, posted this on his Facebook page and I think it deserves a share:


Thank you John, and the countless others who have served our country and sacrificed so much to preserve our freedom here and throughout the world.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Tour de Chocolate Town

Yesterday Roy and I volunteered at the Bainbridge Rest Stop on the Tour de Chocolate Town bicycle route. The tour is a  65- or 100-mile route starting and ending in Hershey. Our friend April works for Hershey as a food scientist and she asked for help on this event. The Smiths came out in full force and the cyclists were pretty entertained. It's a pure riot when the triplets and Roy all get together. There is no political correctness to be had. Roy's nieces, Kierstin and Lexi, were also there. My nieces were supposed to come out but they had a violin performance at church so they couldn't make it.



Tour Map. We were stationed in Bainbridge (bottom left) which is about the halfway point for the 65 mile route and the start of the extra 35 mile loop for those doing the 100 miles.


Volunteering is fun.


There were lots of volunteers so we started a bike valet and held bikes up for people. Most of the road bikes don't have kickstands so we made ourselves useful.

No spandex zone!

The Triplets (Karen, Karla, Kay) and April. You might see April driving the Kiss Mobile around town. 
There was no sunshine this weekend but the rain stayed away for the most part. Karla flew in from Kentucky and we celebrated her graduation from college on Friday night. On Saturday morning we sold some stuff at the Annual Mount Joy community yard sale at Karen's house. She sold her famous egg rolls again and sold out by 11 am. She only made about 200 this time. How was your weekend?

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Skating Update


I haven't written about skating much since synchro ended but it's been keeping me pretty busy. I decided to kick it up a notch this spring and devote more time and effort to improving my overall figure skating skills. More time however means more money but I must say it's been worth it so far and I'm getting results.

In addition to the 90-minute group lessons I take on Monday and Saturday, I added a 30-minute private lesson on Thursday mornings (at 6:45 AM!) which started at the end of March. Private lessons are quite pricey ($1/minute) but my skating has improved remarkably. Before private lessons, I couldn't for the life of me get a handle on one foot spins without traveling (spins should stay centered and in one place) but now I'm able to do a scratch spin (really fast spin), sit spin and camel spin (arabesque position). They all need lots of work still but I'm happy I can finally spin correctly. I can also do a loop jump but I'm still trying to figure out the flip. As an added bonus, my weight has dropped a few pounds and I can feel my body getting tighter. The rink is the best gym ever. It never feels like working out. Getting fitter and adding a coach has helped my skating tremendously.

There's a 60-minute Friday night elite class I might also go to from now on. It's a more intensive group lesson. My niece is in that class so it'll be nice to see her there every week. Our rink doesn't have any adult-only classes (yet) so I've immersed myself among the tweens and teens. I often get asked what school I go to. Once, I asked this little girl to guess how old I was instead of just telling her and she replied, "10?" I've gotten 23, 18, 16, but 10!? Ugh, I'm never wearing my Justin Bieber shirt again. Like ever. LOL.

Four times a week would be a good amount of skating although I would love to add another early morning practice, maybe on Tuesday. I think that would help me drop more weight and I like exercising in the morning. There's also little traffic going to the rink. I might need a part-time job just to keep up my gym membership! (Maybe I should work at the rink.. Zamboni driver?) But since I'm doing all this skating, I decided to do skills testing and the first one is scheduled for June. Figure skating testing is kind of like karate where you get tested on specific skills by a panel of judges and earn belts or, in this case, a certificate. For adults, the testing levels are Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. There's various categories like Moves in the Field, Free Skate, Dance and Pairs. Once I pass a level, I would be able to compete with others in the same level. But me, compete!? Alone? Ha. I don't know about all that... I would need a cool name like Chazz Micheal Michaels and some campy performance dresses if I want to start competing.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Derby Day

A friend had tickets to a charity event this past Saturday called Derby Day. Derby Day benefits Jumpstreet, an organization that focuses on the arts, and it's held in conjunction with the running of the Kentucky Derby. On Friday night, Roy and I went up to Hollywood Casino to place some bets for the race. Of course he ran into eight people he knew there. There was a good band playing and we played some roulette.

On Saturday morning after skating, I scrambled to put together a derby hat to wear to the event. Here's how it came out:



I thought it came out alright for the amount of time I had. I felt like it needed a big black bow next to the big white poof but after a few attempts at making a fancy bow, I gave up.

The event took place at a private residence. They had a huge pond. There was a silent and live auction, live music, hat contest, drinks and the food was really good. We entered the $10,000 raffle but didn't win.

 The Re/Max Hot Air Balloon was being prepared to launch and Roy was watching intently...

... but it never got up. I think it was too windy out.

Our friend ended up picking the winning horse and won $55 after splitting 50% of the total pot with other winners. I had picked Normandy Invasion. At Hollywood I picked Charming Kitten and Itsmyluckyday, but it apparent was not! Roy picked Revolutionary at the event. He almost hit his trifecta box bet from Hollywood but the wrong "Golden" got in there (it was Soul, not Cents). Overall, It was a good time. I think we will try to go next year if we can. Roy is already thinking about making me a hat that has motorized little horses running around it.

On Sunday, Roy went to work and I spent the afternoon potting some plants. Later that evening we went for a bike ride and visited a friend down the street. While we were chatting outside we heard this screech and then a crash. Then we heard the sirens coming from all directions. It was obviously an accident and it was close by. Roy and I biked up the street and a cop stopped us and asked if we saw a white man wearing a Steelers shirt. We hadn't. We biked up some more and went up around the corner where all the flashing lights were. A man had crashed his car into someone's house and then fled the scene! We live right at the end of mile long bridge and there's an exit ramp onto a residential street and it's a pretty sharp exit (we live on the on-ramp side of the bridge). You have to have your foot on the brake way before you exit to make it, and surprisingly this guy missed the telephone pole and ran right into the corner of the porch. Luckily no one was hurt, except maybe him. They eventually found the guy and I hope he had fun wherever he was for Cinco de Mayo because now he's probably going to be in jail for awhile. Crazy things have been happening in our little town lately. This happened not long ago too.

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