Sectionals today. I got third. I was so exhausted even before I performed, for no good reason. I made sure I got 12 hours of sleep, not counting the drive yesterday. Driving tires me out, basically because I sleep the whole time, but I did it yesterday plus slept at night, so I should’ve been okay, right? I guess that came off in my routine. I didn’t tell my mom that I was feeling so tired because I think she would’ve flipped. Coach OH! noticed and said maybe she was overworking me at practice. She made a good point. I’m keeping the same schedule I did before I went Venturing, but I also haven’t been skating for a good 6 months so I should be sore and exhausted. The best thing really is to stick with it, though. At least I still qualified, so I’m not totally out of it, but seriously, after sweeping Skate America, I thought for sure I’d take sectionals as well. Maybe I was too overconfident. Maybe I won’t die alone…
I’m just a stranger, even to myself.
November 11, 2008 at 1:28 am (Skating)
Tags: "Die Alone", bronze, Coach OH!, Ingrid Michaelson, Mom, music, road trip, Sectionals, Skate America, venturing
I’m Elegant (and I mean it)
November 9, 2008 at 5:25 pm (Skating)
Tags: Coach OH!, Long Program, Sectionals, In the Mood, skating costume, music, Vanessa Carlton, "Annie", sewing
I just wanted to take this post to rave about my newest skating costume. In two days I am going to sectionals with the In the Mood routine we developed last spring. It’s totally beautiful. The leotard is a turtleneck and it has long sleeves but a cute flouncy skirt. It’s made out of purple sparkly material with silver edging. It’s pretty simple, but I love it to death! 
(Plus Coach OH! and I made it together, so I’m pretty proud of it. This is the first costume I made mostly myself.)
I Don’t Really Wanna Be the Queen
October 25, 2008 at 9:20 pm (College, My Lovely Life, Random, Skating)
Tags: "Meet Virginia", Coach OH!, Forks, music, Olympics, Sectionals, Skate America, stress, Train, Twilight, Vancouver
We’re 3 hours, 31 minutes away from Forks, in case you were wondering!
Did I say I was going to enjoy Skate America? Well, I am enjoying SA actually, because I get to see all my skating girls who live in different parts of the country. But maybe I forgot how intense competition gets!
I love it, on top of how stressed I am. I really do love it. I think I strive on being stressed. That means I’m Type A, I think, and I’m prone to heart attacks and strokes and like everything that can go wrong in one’s later life. (Not like I’m not at risk for anything right now, haha, that was supposed to be sarcastic.) Anyway, I got the title from my favorite song, “Meet Virginia” by Train. The girl in that song is so badass and I feel like I just want to be her, even though she obviously sucks at life. The song is basically saying that all you need to be in life is badass, and if you totally fail, there are still about 50,000 things that are awesome about you. She always contradicts herself and the guy things that’s cool. And you don’t even have to want to be on top – you can be totally happy with your life just because you like it. And maybe she’s being forced into being “the queen” by her parents or social pressure and she has to realize that’s not for her. (Politics aren’t for everyone, haha.) So there are some good messages in there, lol.
In other news, I pretty much finished my profile for OWT, so it should be on their website soon. When it’s up there, I’ll post a link in my “Who Am I?” section. (By the way, on the Train cd that has “Meet Virginia” on it, there’s a song called “I Am” and I just randomly thought of it, lol.)
Also relating to “Meet Virginia”, it kind-of goes in with how my parents thought I’d be a pro Irish Dancer instead of a figure skater. I fell in love with skating and they couldn’t pull me away. It’s a gooooood thing! We did our short programs today and GUESS WHO’S IN FIRST PLACE?!?!?!?!?!?!
ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I about fell over. I was sitting, but I totally almost fell off the couch and Coach OH! had to catch me. It was INSANE. I guess I am skilled. That sounds conceited, I know, but I have been out of skating for 6 months, so it surprised me, if you couldn’t tell.
So why did I title this entry “I Don’t Really Wanna Be the Queen”, if I’m totally elated about my win? (Although that’s a technical win so I had it going for me because technique comes back to me before style, as witnessed in regionals, but STILL. And I can’t be too hopeful of course, we still have LPs tomorrow!) Because I’m stressed and I was flipping out about Vancouver. Could I handle all the stress of the Olympics? Even though I LOVE being stressed? Because I also have to get my things ready for college, and pack and stuff and I found out I’m going to get there a week late because of nationals (in CLEVELAND, I think I mentioned that earlier… v. bitter). I don’t know if I can commit. Well, I mean I have to because skating is my life and my deferred admission would be totally wasted, not to mention I would hate myself, but I’m still kind-of doubting myself. I mean, I’m missing a week right off the bat and I’m not even sick. That’s a first for me, LOL! (I was homeschooled so taking a week off for nationals or whatever before was NEVER a big deal.)
But I talked to Coach OH! about how stressed I was, and I felt much better. I guess I just had to talk about it.
Then she thinks about her scene, pulls her hair back as she screams
I JUST REALLY WANNA BE THE QUEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!
When the stars have all gone out
October 15, 2008 at 4:21 pm (My Lovely Life, Skating)
Tags: "Answer", Dr. Kolberts, Facebook, Kira, Maine Medical Center, Mom, music, nationals, Olympics, OWT, OWT College Connections, regionals, Sarah MacLachlan, Sectionals, Worlds
I hate to bitch about my medical issues so much on here, but this whole thing with Dr. K. not wanting me to skate is driving me NUTS, so I guess it applies. I had to go back today to do more tests and her verdict was basically that I definitely should not be skating and that I need to get some things taken care of first.
DR K.! This is the qualifying season! If I don’t get to sectionals, there’s no Nationals, and if I don’t get to Nationals, there’s no Worlds, and if I don’t get to Worlds there are absolutely positively no Olympics. So what did I do? I said “Thank you for your time and opinion” and walked straight out of that stupid hospital. Mom finally caught up to me and was beyond pissed. I think I was pretty justified. Maybe Dr. K. just doesn’t understand that skating is my LIFE. I told my mom I had to get to practice. Ugh, and I’m not even looking forward to Nationals, they are in Ohio, and I dunno, Ohio seems really boring. I guess I can’t say anything, though, because I live in a ridiculously small town. But still. I kind-of hate Maine Medical Center at the moment and am not planning on going back there anytime soon.
To piss me off even more, a friend-who-shall-remain-nameless is suddenly in a bad mood 24/7. I don’t think she’s mad at me, she’s just taking it out on me and it’s annoying!
Also, the OWT packet asked me if I would send a profile to a girl named Kira. It’s kind-of like a Facebook profile but a little different. It’s for their website. I’m excited because it really means I’m part of the group now! I’m filling it out this very moment.
Basically My Entire Week
October 14, 2008 at 11:42 am (College, My Lovely Life, Skating)
Tags: Christmas, Coach OH!, Dr. Kolberts, enthusiasm, Grand Prix, nationals, nosebleed, Olympics, OWT, OWT College Connections, Paris, regionals, Sectionals, Skate America, South Korea, Vancouver, venturing, Worlds
Let’s start off with lovely Dr. K. on Thursday. I went in today for a checkup after my lovely nosebleed disaster, and she was like, oh, let’s do some more tests. I said no, I feel fine, I don’t think you need to. She insisted on doing the standard blood tests and everything, so I was really mad because I was supposed to be practicing for Skate America and Coach OH! was going to kill me. We had to wait for the blood labs and then go back and by that time Dr. K. was supposed to be with another patient so we ended up waiting for an extra hour.
Dr. K. was like, I don’t think it’s a great idea to be skating right now. I said that was stupid, this is a key qualifying season for me because Nationals and Worlds are going to determine the Olympic team and you have got to be kidding me. So I’m skating but she’s not happy.
I am so pumped for Skate America though! It’s next Thursday and Coach OH! and I are going crazy over it. I kind-of flopped at regionals (for me, but not for not skating) and she really wants me to place in Skate America if I want to move up and get on the team for Vancouver. Um, yeah! Also, we would love for me to get 1st (and MAYBE 2nd) so I can go on to the Grand Prix in SOUTH KOREA!!! How cool would that be?! Plus it would be great for my records. I love how they were complaining about me not being enthusiastic. The minute things get competitive, the minute I start loving it. Maybe I was just worn out from the venturing trip and all the drama that went on with it. And I missed skating but was totally thrown back into it which was miserable. But I love it now!
On 11/11 I am looking forward to Sectionals and I NEED a 1st place in that competition.
On the OWT front. Saturday, I got a call from “Miss B.” who was like, “I heard you were skeptical at being accepted, congratulations, you are! We can’t wait to meet you in person!” So I guess I’m in! Guess who is really flying on a private plane to Paris over Christmas! Little old me! Well, not old, haha. I got my confirmation packet too. I’m really excited about this but I hope the girls are nice… otherwise it wouldn’t really be worth it, although I guess it’s not really costing me anything. I’m kind-of nervous! Imagine, me nervous!
