Flubbing!

Every once in a while, I flub something.

Flubbing is different than making a mistake. Flubbing is making a big, walloping mistake!

Examples:

1. Tripping on my toepicks--mistake; Tripping on coach's toepicks by stroking in the wrong direction in hold--flubbing

2. Going to the wrong starting point for a dance--mistake; Doing the Dutch Waltz steps to the Canasta Tango--flubbing

3. Falling backwards--mistake; Falling backward and toepicking Dance Coach in the 'inner thigh'--flubbing

 Did that hurt, Dance Coach? Sorry.

Sometimes, I flub and coaches see it coming. They can then use that as a 'teaching moment'. This week I had two occasions of that. I can only guess that they see a flub coming and don't say anything because they want to see how I get out of it.

With Coach Cruella, I'm working on big, sweepy FO3. So I set up in position with a deep knee-bend T-stroke, and promptly do a FI3. Cruella saw it coming. She could tell by my arm position I was cross wired. So, I stroke, and then realize I'm in FI3--fortunately, I don't panic. I keep going down in the knee and do one, with only a minimum of bobble. So, Cruella's not correcting me forced me to think about my skating and not just reflexively skate. A neat little lesson.

In lesson with Dance Coach, he has me doing FO3 to landing position.  I do the troika, a big sweepy one, switch feet and skate backwards on the outside edge. Dance Coach is behind me someplace and I'm not looking. I don't have much control going backwards, so I ram blade first into Dance Coach somewhere between the knee and the thigh. Since I'm not looking behind me, I don't know where I hit--and I don't want to know. I put my free foot down, turn, and say accusingly, "You're supposed to move."

What I should have said

Dance Coach appears to be uninjured since I have no speed. He says nothing.  If he was off-ice he'd stalk to the new location and glare. Instead he skates in a rather ostentatious manner to a point in front of me and says in his glarey voice. "Do again, you were on the flat."

"Was not."

"Was. Do again."

The bickering balance of the universe restored, I do it again.

Why didn't he move? What lesson was I supposed to learn? Look behind me? Meh. I haven't got the control yet. Was he looking away for an instant and didn't see me coming? No idea. So this was a time where a flub may have been double flub! One for me and one for him. If I work hard enough I can do a flub that involves me, Dance Coach, and another skater. Trifecta!

Although ramming into your coach twice with your blade must be some kind of record.