Week's Summary

First, let's clarify the picture. While it may look to all the world that this is a fall, it was actually a practice run for my 2009 ISI World's dramatic program. We had decided I was going to "die" on the ice at the end of the program (this, by the way, is now not permitted in the ISU, I believe - not that I will ever have to worry about that!). But, one of the women I skate with told me, "Enough of dying on the ice already. Let's not do that again." She's right. It didn't work in the program in competition, but I like this picture because it looks like Coach J has beaten me into the ice - NOT!

Fast forward to present week. I continued to wrestle with these migraines for the last ten days. I am locked in mortal battle with them. Last weekend, I decided not to let them get the better of me, so I got up after having one in the morning on Saturday, did some minor things around the house, then got another one that night. So much for my theory that I could just power through them. Isn't going to happen. Taking my meds and going to bed is still the only way to manage them.

That said, I did manage to have lessons with Coach J and Coach C this week. Lesson with Coach J was spent working on FS3 program. I am finally getting a nice, long entry edge into my salchow (this has only taken 11 years :( ) and am able to properly hold the exit edge of the three-turn before the jump. Whoopee! Probably doesn't seem like much to most, but it's a big deal to me. Coach J was excited to see that I am getting the feeling of the proper position on the back spin and it is now a requirement for me to bring the left leg across on the change foot (the back spin portion). No negotiation about it. My BSB tells me this position actually is more stabilizing for the spin; as she has mastered the backspin, she knows from experience.

Lesson with Coach C was nothing less than hysterical. I really let my guard down when I have lessons with Chris. I think we spent a third of the lesson just laughing and sharing stories about our lives. He is very kind and patient with me. At one point at the very end of my lesson, I suggested he look at my change-edge spiral. His comment: "Nice spiral, but what is that you are doing with your hands? You look like you have paws!" Then he did this great imitation of my hands in their "paw position." It wasn't all fun and games, however. We worked on the Ten Fox (still and again and again) and decided to test the dance at the spring test session, which my BSB tells me is in May. We're going for it no matter what! We worked on the monster outside Mohawk in the dance and I really felt what it is supposed to be like. Whoa! Very different than the way I've been doing it.

I did manage to get some quilting done, but nothing worthy of bragging rights. I'm having some real problems with this Crystal Star I'm working on for a class I'm taking. Had a good class through the Roseville Guild and learned to sew curves. Now this is big news. I was going to post a picture of the quilt top that uses the technique I learned in class, but it just doesn't photograph well.

The weather here is dreary, raining and not good for my head. Spring, where are you? I want it to be here for more than a week at a time. Have enjoyed the Olympics, particularly watching JoAnnie Rochette's programs after the horrible loss of her mother to a heart attack in the Olympic Village. Canada can certainly be proud of this young lady. To pull oneself together to skate the way she did is simply amazing.

The Big Dig at our house is nearly over. The bathroom re-model is all but over; just the painting now, which is projected to be done by Tuesday of next week. The room truly looks spectacular and, in the end, was worth all the dust, dirt, noise, strangers in the house, etc., etc. I'm very glad it is done!

Onward we go!

Stop Reading Here If You Don't Already Know Who Snagged the Gold!

I didn't get to watch the men's free skate live so I went online immediately this morning to find out who won. I was thrilled to see the results - Team USA snags another Gold with Evan Lysacek's performance.

Good for Evan for taking the "high road" and not doing a quad. Leave that to Plushy! Eight triples though is nothing to sneeze at. He played his cards perfectly, from all accounts. I can't wait to see his skate later today.

On another skating note, I am picking up my Klingbeils from the cobbler today. I'm excited to see them looking brand new again, as they have been re-dyed. Also decided to keep my SP-Teri boots as a back-up pair, so will get them from Coach today.

Here is the one of the media summaries of our Gold medalist's performance. Go Evan!

Feb 18, 2010

Vancouver (AFP) - Reigning world champion Evan Lysacek gave the United States their first Olympic men's figure skating title in 22 years with a risk-free performance on Thursday.

Defending champion Yevgeny Plushenko of Russia had to settle for silver with Daisuke Takahashi giving Japan their first ever Olympic men's podium finish taking bronze after the free skate final.

Lysacek, 24, finished just 1.31 points ahead of three-time world champion Plushenko whose shaky landing on several jumps ended his gold-medal challenge.

"That's my best free programme this season," said Lysacek. "I've been waiting for a clean free skate all season."

"I tried not to get too excited after each jump. I wanted to pump my fist every time."

Lysacek becomes the first American to win the title since Brian Boitano at the 1988 Calgary Games, and breaks an 18-year Russian domination in the event.

Takahashi finished over ten points behind the winner after falling on his opening quadruple jump.

Plushenko, 27, had led the short programme but with less than 0.60 points separating him from Lysacek and Takahashi it was a virtual tie going into the free skate final.

Lysacek threw down the challenge with a flawless performance to Sheherazade.

The 24-year-old did not include a quadruple jump, perferring eight triples including an opening triple-triple combination and two axels.

He scored 167.37 for the free skate and 257.67 overall.

Now for the Men (Olympic News)

If you didn't watch the men's short programs, you really missed something. Plushenko was brilliant, in a kind of "take no prisoners" way. I did enjoy watching his program and believe he deserves his standing after the short program yesterday. Below is some of the official news from the media:

VANCOUVER - If there were any question about who rules over men's figure skating at the Olympic Games, that debate was answered Tuesday night within 15 seconds of Evgeny Plushenko's short program.

The Russian effortlessly nailed a perfect quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination at the start of his short program, laying down the athletic standard for those who would come much later. That quad would be the difference between first and second place again, as Plushenko led Evan Lysacek - Mr. Triple Jump - by .55 points going into Thursday's free skate.

Plushenko's quad was soaring, his spins more than good enough, his footwork acceptable. After a triple axel, he even threw in a fancy kick for transitional purposes, hoping to quiet his critics a bit. All done, he kissed an imaginary sword and returned it to the scabbard.

"I'm going to take any result I get," insisted Plushenko, who earned a 90.85 for his short program. "I have a history. I already have gold and silver. I won Europeans. I skated not a bad season."

Plushenko, 27, may deny it, but he is out to make significant history here. He won a silver medal in Salt Lake, a gold in Turin and is now trying to become the first back-to-back Olympic men's champion since Dick Button in 1952 and 1956. You wouldn't know it, but Plushenko insisted yesterday he was jittery and aching before his routine.

Shen, Zhao claim China's first figure skating gold

In case you haven't been watching the Olympic figure skating - or have been living under a rock - here is news you can use at the water cooler today . . .

Vancouver (AFP) - Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo gave China their first ever Olympic figure skating title when they won gold in the pairs event in Vancouver on Monday.

The husband-and-wife team led a Chinese 1-2 ahead of teammates Pang Qing and Tong Jian with Germany's reigning two-time world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy taking bronze after the free skating final.

Shen, 31, and Zhao, 36, had returned after retiring for two years in their bid to claim gold after winning bronze at the past two Olympics.

But they faced a tense wait to see if they had secured the title following a stunning free skate by Pang and Tong to the music Impossible Dream giving which gave them a new world record mark of 141.81 in the free skate.

Pang and Tong, the 2006 world champions, surged from fourth after the short programme with an overall 213.31.

Shen and Zhao scored second highest in the free skate after errors in their routine to Adagio in G Minor by Tomaso Albinoni but it was enough to secure victory with 139.91 and 216.57 overall for a new world record score.

The Germans dropped to third after Szolkowy fell on a double axel in their routine to the soundtrack Out of Africa, giving them 134.64 for the programme and 210.60 overall.

Chef Ken's Valentine Surprise

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting the premier gourmet restaurant in our area - Chef Ken's, located in Loomis, CA. This full-time litigator has turned part-time chef and has made a great start at a brilliant third-life stage career. This exclusive, quaint little venue is not to be missed. Don't expect to snag a reservation anytime soon as seating is limited to two.

Chef Ken's memorable Valentine's dish (pictured here) was nothing less than a masterpiece. The succulent chicken, with a reduction sauce made with mushrooms, shallots, red wine, and fine herbs, was moist, tender and delicious. The perfect addition to the main attraction was rice pilaf, notable for its nutty, yet subtle, flavor.

To finish off the plate, fresh green beans were blanched, then sauteed with shallots, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Perfecto!

A memorable meal and a beautiful card too. How lucky can a girl get? Dear Husband (aka Chef Ken) never disappoints.

Art-in-Progress, A Confession and Other Matters

Someone sent me a post asking, "Why aren't you blogging?" Strange thing is I have no idea who this person is. That said, I realized I hadn't posted for a while, so here is a little update.

The picture shown here is my latest project - Sunday in the Park - in progress. Here you can see what a mess my sewing room is when I am down on the floor with my design wall putting a top together. This one is tricky; I have to really pay attention to what I am doing. Because I am recovering today from a migraine that struck yesterday minutes after I skated for only 45 minutes, I needed to be in a quiet place with no stress. Retreating into my sewing room is just what the doctor ordered. I sat on the floor, sipping tea, and put the quilt together. I am about 60% done with this part of the process, but as you may be able to see, I've run out of room on the wall as the quilt has two more entire rows on the right side and bottom to piece. So far this top is coming together well, although I won't know that for certain until I begin sewing it.

I had a wonderful day early in the week doing my volunteer work at the Source-of-Unconditional Love (S.O.U.L.) animal assisted therapy program at Catholic Healthcare West/Mercy Hospitals. I attended a hospice volunteer meeting for two hours in the morning, then went to a safety fair where S.O.U.L. volunteers and their therapy dogs were in attendance. The employees at the building love seeing the S.O.U.L. dog teams and learning about the program. I spent the rest of the day on administrative activities, like writing an article about the program for the volunteers' newsletter. I feel as though I am making a contribution to keeping this wonderful dog therapy program growing and assisting with the hospice volunteer work.

Now for the confession. This always gets attention, right? After trying to adjust to my new SP-Teri boots (and I truly have tried and thought I was making progress), I have officially thrown in the towel. This is a long story that would bore most non-skaters and even some of my skating friends also. The fact of the matter is that the SP-Teri boot is not cut for my very high-arched foot. There isn't enough material at the height of my arch on the top of the foot, so the sides of the boot do not come together well. It is a struggle even getting them laced, which takes at least 20 minutes. While they are comfortable, they are not doing my skating any good. On top of that, the left blade is a problem (I knew that from skating on these blades). This has been confirmed by an expert who knows about these things. He took one look at them and pronounced that blade "mis-mounted." I knew it, I knew it! I now must decide what to do with my new boots and blades. Because they are custom-made for me, selling them on eBay could be a problem. I will never recoup what I spent on the boots and blades, either. Big sigh. But, I have told Dear Husband who has been nothing short of a saint about this.

As I will return to my old Klingbeil boots. I took them to the cobbler (no one uses this term any more, but I love it) to have Sno Seal applied and to be re-dyed. Then I will send them back to Klingbeil (on the East Coast) to have the tongue and inner foam replaced. All together, this will be less than $150.00; a pittance compared to what I spent on my SP-Teri boots and blades. Finally, I will have the blades sharpened. Fortunately, these boots have not broken down; in fact, they don't even have one crease in the leather. And, at the end of the day, the model just fits my foot much better.

Now that my sights are set on passing FS3 (ISI) and Bronze Freestyle (USFSA) this year, I have selected new music and Coach J and I have set the program to "Gabriel's Oboe" from the movie "The Mission." I have always wanted to skate to this beautiful piece and am so glad I now have the chance. Things do work out in the end. Now I am looking for a dress that will fit this spectacular music.

I trust, Dear Readers, that you will be watching ice skating on the Olympics and rooting for our teams. We have an impressive line-up in our male and ice dance teams. I am interested to see what happens with our ladies and pairs teams. We've got our work cut off for us on those fronts.

Onward!