The Marker of Doom. Mark II

Miss Bianca reaches into her pocket and pulls out here coach's marker.

You may have read how I feel about these here.

"Show me your 3 turn," she says.

I pop one out. Nice point, good shape.

Tiny.

Miss Bianca says, "Do you want me to draw you an arc?" Oh, the voice is sweet and nice. But deep underneath is a threat...'make it bigger'.

"No," I say in a little voice.

I want to hide when the marker comes out

 Miss Bianca draws an arc anyway. I know what's she's thinking...

Well, uh, falling....

Relearning FI3

Madam Mim is working on my FO3 checks. While my turns are fine, I have issues in checking w/ my shoulder, so I end up making a turn that is heart shaped.

Madam Mim says it's 'butt shaped'.  Well, that's some negative motivation.

Then she says, "Let's work on your inside 3's."

To my surprise, residual skating memory works. I recover my okay beginner FI3 inside a few minutes.

Then I'm directed to work on my checks.

First try, I haul the leading shoulder back, going deep in the knee as I come out of the turn and glide for about 6 feet.

On the wrong edge.

Madam Mim takes out her Marker of Doom and sketches out the turn.

"Perfect rocker," she says.

First thought through my mind:

My three turn's crap

Then a second later...

Oh, delight! I have a rocker!

It's like losing your virginity. Accident or not, it counts!

"Oh, good," Madam Mim says, " I think that means you're ready for back 3s. Let's start."

ooooh noooo

The Magic Marker of Doom

Why is it that when any coach brings out the Magic Marker of Doom, do I know I'm going to have a bad 10 minutes?

It all starts so innocently. Coach reaches into his/her pocket and pulls something out. It's never candy or gum. It's always that stupid magic marker with the ultra broad tip. You know the kind, it's used for making posters in elementary schools, and for coaches to outline something new and difficult on the ice.

Moves coach is all motivated to get me to do three turns on a bigger circle. Out comes the marker. On the ice is drawn a gentle curve for me to do a 3 turn on. I do my 3 turn and because I have a bad habit of pre-rotating the turn, I'm on a much smaller circle. I hate this exercise. I just got my 3 turns solid this year. I'm still having fun doing them pre-rotation and all. Making them on a better shape curve seems like real work. I just want to play with them the way a kitten plays with a ball.  Threes in a circle, alternating 3s, 3s to landing position. But it's back to work on big girl 3 turns. Urgh.

Dance coach will pull his marker out (where do they come from? Is there a special coach's store?)  and draws small dance patterns on the ice. He's got the patterns in his head. I can't remember them for more than 30 seconds.  I need a Heads Up Display, and laser pattern projections on the ice to get a dance pattern the first time.  It took me two months to learn the Dutch Waltz and Canasta Tango and that was with carrying printouts of patterns  so I could consult them when I got dance lost. With my memory, Coach needs to draw the whole pattern on the ice the first time for me. Ahhh! That would be perfect.

At what point do I get good enough skills that the marker never leaves the pocket? It has to happen sometime. Does Igor Shpilband carry one in his pocket and draw on the ice for Davis and White? Doubt it.