Sur La Glace...

Every time I've ever gone to Canadians, I come home feeling like I can speak French. It's a true fact. I can say things like "sur la glace" and "la deuxieme place" (I know those words have accents on the e's - too bad). I could also tell you how to say representing, falls, the judges, and assistant technical specialist among others. I mean, I did take grade 12 French and I believe I even got an A...but man, my skating French is definitely A+.

End tangent.

I am home from Brampton (well I got home yesterday, but I was way too tired to coherently type) and what an experience!!! I don't even know how to express it...and I was only a trial judge!!! Since the majority of my blog readers aren't synchro skaters (I don't think - hehe!) I won't get into the incredible details that are floating in my head, but I do want to touch on a few points:

-We live in a nation that is deep in talent in synchronized skating. Given our size (versus a country like the United States for example), we truly have talent that is beyond words. If you're at all interested I recommend going to Skate Buzz and then pulling up the archives from the weekend. Specifically watch our top Senior and Junior teams...and the top Novice, Open, and Intermediate teams if you're hardcore. It's an unbelievable sport.

-Please don't shoot me...but I am truly seeing some sense in what is the LTAD (long-term athlete development) model. I know. This same girl who was whining and complaining about Adults being kicked out of Nationals. While I'm still torn about it, I get it. The LTAD needs to be pushed, emphasized, and explained to synchro skaters in BC. Perhaps then it'll make more sense.

-I am going out on a limb here...how risky of me (haha)...but somehow, some way, BC needs to have a big synchro push. Please brainstorm for me. I have my own ideas, but we have far too much talent in this province and it needs to be pushed. It would appear that synchro (actually skating in general, except maybe dance) is back to its old ways - the top are from Quebec and Ontario and the west is left in the dust. It shouldn't be this way. It absolutely SHOULD NOT be this way...there is no one to blame, but change needs to happen - and not only in BC, but Alberta too.

-I think I have enough trialing now to put in for my Junior promotion come September (you can only put in for this level of promotion twice a year - March and September). Seeing as though I won't have my reports back in time for March 15th, September it is. Which is fine. Synchro is done for the year. I look forward to working on my Senior promotion and one day my Canadian level exam too!!!

And that's it. I ended this blog mid sentence earlier today. I'm not sure really where I was going.

But I thought I should hit post instead of save to add to my collection.
So I leave you with Nexxice Short. Brilliant.

kortney elise xoxo

You Should See the Number of...

Not quite finished drafts I have sitting on Blogger. I think I'm up to six. Seriously.

My bad.

I just haven't had time to blog - I wish I could blog in the shower. Seriously - I come up with good posts while I'm in there. But until that's possible...you'll have to suffer.

I did think you deserved one update though.

A quick one to expand on a previous mention in the post below.

I leave for Brampton, Ontario tomorrow for the Canadian Synchronized Skating Championships.  This is like SO exciting for me. Seriously. I'm peeing my pants. Well, not really. Anyways. I'm going to participate in the trial judge program there. This is how it goes in judging:

• Take a course for your level. 
• Get some experience judging the levels you are qualified for. 
• Trial the next level. 
• Get already qualified judges to write you reports on your actual judging experience, as well as for how well you'd do if your marks were real at the next level. 
• Send them in.
• Get promoted and qualify for the next level. 
• Repeat. 

Sounds easy enough right?

It is.

In Singles. And in BC, maybe in Dance.

But in synchro and pairs? Not so much. You see - you need to HAVE teams to judge at the next level in order to qualify. And in synchro it's an even bigger pain in my rear. Here's how THAT goes (I think - haha - they even have me confused!):

• I have my Novice promotion. I can judge all the little categories (Novice and below, plus Adult I, II, and III). 
• In order to get my Junior promotion, I need to hand in a couple of things. The first is judging reports at the Novice or Adult I level (they are considered equal). Two problems exist - I have a major conflict with Adult I (read - I bodyfill on an Adult I team and my best friends skate on the team). I won't be judging this level for a few years or ever. Okay, so why not judge Novice? Well, we have NO Novice teams in BC and just one in Western Canada (it's not an "event" if there's only 1 team). Great. Screwed x1.
• Next you have to trial judge at the Intermediate and Junior levels. Let's discuss. NO Intermediate teams in BC, 2 in Alberta (one of which isn't quite in the right category), and no Junior teams in Western Canada. Like in a lot of years. A LOT of years. 

So how does one get their Junior promotion (we won't even talk about Senior)???? Well. The only option is to go to Canadians.

However, trialing is generally on your expenses.

Nationals will not be in BC until...well, forever. It will be somewhere in Western Canada in four years. FOUR years. And that could be considered Manitoba if they put in a bid. So the next time it's in BC...well, I might be dead.

So now what?

Well I have a GREAT section who supports judges. SO. Longish story short? They're sending me (and another judge...who is GREAT and happens to be my roomie!!!) to Brampton this year to participate in the fabulous trial judge program they have there. I'll start working on all my papers for my Senior promotion as well and I will be trialing every single program, except Open's first skate. And Novice. Because I don't need trial papers from Novice (I need "real" on the panel papers for Novice...which I may end up doing on video. I know, don't ask. Even longer story).

Anyways. The point of this post which is much longer than intended is that I'm going to Brampton tomorrow.

And yes, I'm leaving my baby for a LOT of days. The only way I'll get through it is with skating. I'm SO sad and nervous already. Alexys and Jordon are going to Alberta for Johnny and Emily's wedding. I know she'll be fine and blah, blah, blah...but they leave tomorrow and don't get back until MONDAY. I get home Sunday morning. I'll have TWO days alone in my house.

I may lose my mind.

Perhaps I'll blog then.
kortney elise xoxo

These are my confessions...

• I bought Alexys McDonalds for lunch...but made the drink a Diet Coke and drank it myself. 
• I dragged Alexys to the rink this morning to watch skating just because (yes, I realize I had the weekend "off") and she was a good girl. 
• I signed up for an Adult skating competition in two weeks. I'm pretty sure I'm already so nervous I may start drinking tonight...14 days early. I don't promise I won't barf. I can't remember why I signed up to do this...it sounded like a fabulous idea and the challenge I needed at at the time. Actually, on second thought, I'm pretty sure I'm going to barf (sorry Colleen). 
• I thought knowing the judges well might make competing easier - pretty sure it'll have the most opposite effect ever. 
• I've never, ever been so torn about something in my life - I'm SO freaking excited to go to Nationals for synchro (that's another blog post perhaps...) - I'm going on an "all expenses paid" trip to Nationals in Brampton later this month (to judge). I leave Wednesday afternoon and get back Sunday morning. Not entirely that long...but Jordon is taking Alexys to Alberta during that time (for Jonnie's wedding and to visit the grandparents on the farm!). They leave Wednesday night and come back Monday night. I've never, ever left my baby so long and I feel so guilty and sick over it...and yet so excited for skating at the same time. 
• I've never been alone in my own house since Alexys was born overnight. That will be the first time (see above). 
• I dream about skating almost every night. I might be addicted. 
• I downloaded Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego for my phone. I've beat it. Twice. 
• Last night I stayed up until 1 a.m. drinking chicken broth and watching CNN on my laptop. 
• When I don't dream about skating, I dream about being president of the Glee club. I can't sing and I'm tone deaf. 
• I have to get blood tests done...but have avoided doing so because they need to take six vials. I will probably barf here also.
• I've been barfing a lot lately - I've taken three pregnancy tests and had an ultrasound confirming there is NO baby. I seem to have developed an overly sensitive stomach in the past six months. The thought of food before 10 a.m. will make me barf.  So does more than one glass of red wine the night before. I get a hangover without being drunk and morning sickness without being pregnant - does that make me lucky?
• I can gain and lose ten pounds up and down within three days. I go up and down like a yoyo. No really. Perhaps related to above. 
• There are adult growth charts and I'm in the 7th percentile for height.
• I'm avoiding typing a report right now. I really hate the doctor I'm typing for.

kortney elise xoxo

Day 6: Predict Medalists at 2011 Worlds

I had to do this one pretty darn quick or it'll be here in no time.

Disclaimer: The World Championships after the Olympic year are always a bit of a surprise I feel like - up and comers, those who didn't quite retire, etc. I started the year of great in Fantasy Skating (think Football), but have progressively gotten worse for most events (though I rocked the US Nationals predictions). I'm currently in 96th of 810 people. Not great. Not terrible. So without further ado:

Mens:

Gold: Patrick Chan (Canada)
Silver:  Daisuke Takahashi (Japan)
Bronze:  Takahiko Kozuka (Japan)
Love him or hate him, PChiddy has this title under his belt if he falls no less than twice. His Program Components combined with his new textbook +3 quad/triple are just too many points to contend with. However, if Daisuke skates clean AND lands the fabled quad flip...well, nah. I don't think it will happen. He hasn't had the best season so I think he'll come back with a vengeance at Worlds and prove everyone wrong - he is the defending champ after all. And while I'd prefer Kozuka for the silver, he's missing something right now. It's not his time yet.
Possible Screw Up Kortney's Podium B-Listers:
Brian Joubert
Michael Brezina
Tomas Verner (I almost have money on this...but if I choose him he doesn't do well. If I don't, he does).
Florent Amodio

Ladies: