Proud to be Canadian!

Well, as the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end".

Today, Day 17, is the last day of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. It's bittersweet, I have really enjoyed watching various events over the last seventeen days, but, it will be nice to start going to bed on time again!

I guess it means I can take this down...



This is the giant, 2 foot by 3 foot, Olympic schedule that Curt printed at work.

I know that I will always remember certain parts of these Olympic Games, and they will be good memories. Four years ago, the Olympics were hosted by Turin, Italy...I know that Jeffrey Buttle won bronze in Men's Figure Skating (the only Canadian medal in Figure Skating), but I have no memory of his skate. And then there was Salt Lake City, eight years ago. Unfortunately, the only memory I have of those games is an embarrassment to Figure Skating. A major judging scandal saw Canadian Pairs team, Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, robbed of their gold medal! It was obvious, even to people who knew nothing about figure skating, that they deserved the gold...but, it was awarded to a Russian pair. The ISU, in a lame attempt to rectify the situation, awarded Sale and Pelletier a second gold medal...so they shared with the Russians.

My top three Vancouver memories...

#1. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir winning Gold in Ice Dance!!!
#2. Joannie Rochette winning Bronze, skating only days after her mothers sudden death

and

#3. Watching the Men's Hockey Team defeat the USA for gold. I know, you're surprised one of my top three memories has to do with hockey :) It's hard to ignore the hockey fever though...and, we had six friends over the watch the game, so it was FUN times! I have to say though, I wish Iginla had scored the winning goal...or, anyone other than Sidney Crosby (I have managed to avoid 'Sid the Kid' fever).

Coming into these games, we heard a lot about the 'Own the Podium' campaign; the goal was to bring home the most medals of the games. Technically, that goal was not met, Canada coming in third in the medal standings (behind the US and Germany), BUT we have plenty to be proud of! Most notably, the fact that we set a new record for the number of GOLD medals won by a country...we won 14 GOLD medals...yup, that's FOURTEEN!!!

With results like that, we will anxiously await the Sochi (Russia) Winter Olympics ...too bad we have to wait until 2014 :)

Olympic Highlight

Monday, February 22nd was the eleventh day, and the BEST day, of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Our Canadian Ice Dance team of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won the GOLD medal!!!



They were second after the compulsory dance on Friday, moved into first after the original dance on Sunday, and easily stayed in first (5.83 points ahead, to be exact!) after the free dance on Monday.

I was really impressed with Scott and Tessa after their Original Dance, a Spanish Flamenco - I felt that they were one of only a few teams who were there to skate; many of the other pairs looked like they should have been at a Halloween party based on their CRAZY costumes. I normally don't like it when non-skaters refer to the skaters dresses as 'costumes', but in this case, that's exactly what they were! Other pairs seemed more interested in acting than skating.



Their Original Dance.

Watching their Free Dance on Monday brought me to tears...it was BEAUTIFUL! By the end of the program I was on my feet (in my living room), clapping (quietly, Curt was in bed) and crying. They needed 104.60 to win, so when their mark of 111.15 was announced, I was jumping up and down and trying not to scream out loud. It was pretty clear at that point that the last two pairs would be unable to catch them. And, they didn't!



The reaction to the marks.



On the podium, looking PROUD, as they should be!



With their medals.



Celebrating during their victory lap! So nice to see that Canadian flag.

Scott and Tessa winning GOLD is awesome in itself...but, making it even more special is the fact that this is the first time anyone from North America has won the Olympic Gold in Ice Dance! And, Scott and Tessa are the youngest team to ever win Olympic Gold in Ice Dance! Wow!

I hate to admit this, because it makes me jealous, but Curt has actually met Scott Moir...but, I haven't. One of Curt's good friends, Brian (one of his groomsmen in our wedding), is from Ilderton, ON...that's Scott's hometown! Brian is friends with Scott's family, and while Curt was visiting Brian, they ended up at a party that Scott was at, too. We may have to give Brian a call in a few weeks, it may be time to visit him in Ilderton ;)

Me + Snowboarding = Pain

On Sunday, Curt and I went to Calabogie Peaks, just outside Ottawa, to go snowboarding. This was the fourth time I've tried snowboarding, but the first time in two years. Curt, he's been snowboarding for awhile, so it's like riding a bike for him.

The first time I tried was with Curt, and it was when we had only been dating for a few years. I was so glad that I had worn sunglasses that day, because I definitely shed some tears! It was so painful...I think the falls I took that day were worse then all my skating falls, combined!

The following year Curt and I, with some good friends, Chris and Karen, went to New York to go snowboarding. Karen was also new to the sport, so the two of us took a lesson together while Chris and Curt went and did their thing. The lesson helped, and when we tried a few runs ourselves things went much better. I still fell, but I felt like I was starting to get it. At the end of that winter, I even bought my own board when they went on sale.

Two years ago, Curt and I went to nearby Devil's Elbow for our yearly snowboarding trip. I only have vague memories of this trip; I know I had a few good runs towards the end of the day, only falling once or twice during each run! I also remember that I was starting to get the hang of turning on those last few runs; I still favoured turning one way over the other, but I had managed a few clean turns the tricky way.

We didn't get a chance to go last winter; so when I tried it again a few days ago, it was as painful as that first time! I was pretty intimidated when we arrived, Calabogie is quite a bit larger then the other places I have been. And, sure enough, it seemed to take forever to get to the bottom of the hill on that first run. I fell...A LOT! I was in tears...not so much because of the falling, more because of the fear of the unknown (I couldn't see the bottom of the hill, which was new to me...and, there was more than one trail to get to the bottom, and if I chose the wrong way down, I would end up on a much more difficult run).







Even though these are still pictures, not video, you can probably still tell how ugly I am on a snowboard. ha! I have no style AT ALL! I was just trying to get down the hill without falling, so I wasn't doing anything the 'right way'.

I have decided that, next time, I am going to try skiing instead of snowboarding! Snowboarding requires things that are exactly opposite of what I have done for years as a figure skater...most importantly, putting all my weight on my toes and heels, which you never want to do on skates! I think skiing will be easier as it is more like skating.

I'll wait and see how skiing goes, but something tells me, I'll be selling my snowboard and boots this time next year!

While I was Away...

I returned from Ottawa on Saturday evening, and Curt had a nice surprise for me!

A few weeks ago I posted about some projects I was taking on around the house; I have already blogged about the first one, painting our office, and shown before and after pictures. I mentioned that the second project was a little more labour intensive, and then I was really sick for a week, so it's taken awhile to complete. But, it's all finished and I'm ready to tell everyone about it.

I, with a ALOT of help from Curt, put up a backsplash up in our kitchen!

Some 'before' pictures...







Getting started....



When I left for the competition, the tile work and grout was done, but there were some finishing touches that would really complete the job. Months ago, Curt had put in about half of the toe-kick and light rail, but hadn't finished the job. The under-cabinet lighting was also missing. So, these were jobs that Curt needed to work on - I hadn't asked him to do them right away though, I was happy with the backsplash and was enjoying that. So, when I walked in and saw that ALL of those little jobs had been completed, I was a VERY HAPPY girl! Also, we have a half-wall between our kitchen and living room, and Curt had stained a piece of maple to match our cupboards, and placed that on top of the half-wall, and I think it looks amazing!

Some 'after' pictures...



A close-up of the tiles...



Showing the new maple on the half-wall...





So, there it is!

Like I said, this job required a lot of help from Curt...he had to give me a little lesson before I could get started, he laid out all the small-rectangular tiles for me (those tiles came in a one-foot by one-foot square, so Curt cut them into strips and then figured out a pattern so they fit together), and he cut all the necessary tiles. I am really lucky to have such a handy husband! And one that is patient enough to show me how to do these projects, and then tolerate the messy kitchen while I worked on it. Thanks, Curt!

EOSIC 2010

This past weekend I was in the Ottawa area for another competition, the Eastern Ontario STARSkate Invitational Championship (EOSIC). The last competition I wrote about, Shining Waters, is for younger skaters who are still in the CanSkate program (just starting to learn the basics of Figure Skating). EOSIC, on the other hand, is for more advanced skaters, ranging from Pre-Preliminary to Gold levels. Shining Waters is a competition for a small group of eleven clubs in our immediate area; EOSIC is open to every club in the Eastern Ontario Section, that's ninety clubs! The level of competition at EOSIC can be quite intense; the girls, even at the lower levels, are well trained and look like little Olympians. Curt was with me last year at EOSIC and he felt that it was like 'Toddlers & Tiaras on Ice' (his words)...and he's right, it's a lot like the TLC show!

I'm making it sound bad, it's not though, it's a great experience for the skaters. They work hard all year, and this is their chance to show-off their accomplishments. It's also great for their confidence; whether they place first or last, going out and skating in front of the judges and the audience takes courage, and they grow from that.

This year, two of my Tweed skaters, Leah and Kate, competed. This was the third time Leah competed at EOSIC, and Kate's first. Leah competed at the Pre-Preliminary level, while Kate skated at the Preliminary level.

Due to the girls skating times, their parents were unable to attend, so we made it a girls weekend. The three of us left on Thursday night after our practice in Tweed; after getting lost, we arrived at our hotel around 10:30pm.

Leah skated on Friday, and although she skated well, she didn't place well, coming in last in a flight of 11. I didn't see anyone else in her flight, so I can't really say whether or not this was fair. She was pretty disappointed, and I thought she may get upset and end up wanting to go home immediately (her parents mentioned she gets homesick, and that if that happened, they would come and pick her up). So, to prevent that from happening we went out for lunch and I let her order a nice big chocolate milkshake!

Kate didn't skate until Saturday, so we had the afternoon to be tourists in Ottawa - and, what would be better for a group of three figure skaters then skating on the Rideau Canal! None of us had ever had the chance to do this, so it was pretty exciting. We ended up skating about 11km (5.5km one way, and then back).



Kate, Leah and I on the canal.

It was the last weekend of Winterlude while we were there, so we got to check out some of the ice sculptures, too!



Not the best picture, but this one was our favourite - a fire-breathing dragon.

It was back to the rink on Saturday for Kate's turn on the ice! I just started coaching Kate this year, and I am really happy with the progress she has made. We just started working on her axel, a jump that some people won't even land the first season, and she is already landing it! She went out on the warm-up and did a beautiful axel, one of the best I've seen her do! When it came to her solo, she fell on the first axel in her program, but landed her second one in combination. A great accomplishment! Unfortunately, she ended up placing eleventh in a flight of twelve...and I saw everyone else in her flight, and I really feel like this was an unfair result. I don't think she should have been first...or even in the top five...but, I don't think she should have been lower than eighth.

After these results, I'm really looking forward to next year when the new judging system will be used at all levels (I think). This means that following their event, they will receive a 'report card' from the judges...it will have a detailed breakdown of their marks, and what elements they gained, or lost, marks on. Currently, at Leah and Kate's levels, all the skaters get to see is their final standings.

*I wish I had more pictures of the girls skating. I had Kate take pictures while Leah was on the ice, but they are taken from too far away, and didn't turn out. And I forgot to give my camera to Leah to take pictures of Kate, but they probably wouldn't have turned out either.

Vancouver 2010

They're finally here...the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games!!!



I L.O.V.E. watching the Olympics...especially the Winter Games...and obviously the Figure Skating events are my favourite! These games are especially exciting to watch because they are here in Canada; obviously I am miles away from Vancouver, but it's still special. I know of a few people who are actually going to the games, so that's neat. One is a member at the golf course I work at, he's a police officer with the City of Belleville and he was chosen to do security at the games. Another is Curt's uncle, and he entered a contest through work and ended up winning...his trip is being looked after by a sponsor, and includes tickets a Canadian Men's Hockey Game!

The opening ceremonies were on Friday night, and like many, I stayed up late to watch to the end. There was a lot of hype about who was going to light the Olympic torch, and of course that's the last thing to happen. I thought the whole program was really well done, even if it was a little long.

I think my favourite part of the whole thing was when the official Olympic flag was carried in. I was really impressed with the people who were selected to carry the flag, or most of them anyway - Betty Fox, Donald Sutherland, Jacques Villeneuve, Barbara Ann Scott, Anne Murray, Romeo Dallaire, Bobby Orr and Julie Payette. (the names in bold are my favourites!). When a young girl I didn't recognize came on to sing the national anthem, I actually commented that Anne Murray should have been chosen :) Can you tell I grew up listening to Anne?!? My mom, and Nana, are big fans!

I also have to say that I think those selected to light the torch were great choices. The silhouette of Rick Hansen wheeling into BC Place, with the torch attached to his wheelchair, was very memorable. The flame being passed from one great Canadian athlete to another was also memorable - Catriona Le May Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene, and Wayne Gretzky. Too bad there was a problem with the hydraulic system at this point. Oh well, it was handled well and the flame was lit.

As I'm writing this post, I'm watching the Pairs Short Program! And, news just broke that Canada has won our first GOLD medal of the Games!!! This is HUGE, and something that has been talked about for a long time...Canada has never won Olympic Gold when the Games where being hosted in Canada. YAH!!!

Hopefully that won't be the only Gold. I think the Canadian Dance Team of Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue have a really good chance of bringing home gold too!

Our 'New' Office

So, I haven't worked at my retail job since before Christmas :( It sucks, I thought I had a good job all lined up to keep me busy over the winter, and then this happened. The store is just not busy, so they have minimal staff in during the day (two full-time girls) and since I am only available during the day, and I'm a rookie, I haven't been getting hours.

Anyway, I decided to take advantage of all the time on my hands and do a few projects around the house that I have been thinking about for awhile now. The first project was to paint our office. Some people were surprised I would already be re-painting a room in this house since we've only lived here for two years, but, the colour was a mistake from the beginning! The colour on the little swatch was not at all what I expected when I saw it on the wall, so I've always wanted to change it.

Here is the before:



I didn't have a chance to take a picture before everything was cleared out of the way to paint, but this shows the OLD colour.

And, here is the after:



and



The first picture shows my favourite thing in that room, our HUGE world map (it's from IKEA). The second picture shows a big blank wall :) I have plans for that wall, but haven't gotten to it yet, so I'll do another post when I get it finished.

I'm really liking the new colour! And it was a great, and cheap, project that I could easily do on my own.

The second project is a little more labour intensive...and it's not done, so that's all I'm saying for now.

Shining Waters 2010

So, now that I have recovered from the event, it's time to blog about it! This competition is always a lot of fun, and I enjoy seeing my skaters compete, but it's also always a LONG day. I was at the arena for about 13.5 hours...and the majority of time is spent running around looking for kids, making sure they're ready to go on the ice, getting them to the right spot at the right time, etc.

This year I had 10 skaters competing at Shining Waters, five from Quinte FSC and five from Tweed & District FSC; and it was the first competition for two of my Quinte skaters. My 10 skaters competed in 33 events...and, brought home 23 medals! Yah! Four of my skaters medaled in every event they skated (three or four, depending on the skater)...one of these four not only medaled, but placed first, in all three of her events!

I experienced a first at this competition as well, I had to walk out onto the ice (coaches don't wear skates at competition, just like you see on TV, we work with our skaters from the boards during warm-up and then they go out and do their solo) to help one of my skaters off the ice. Once the announcer called her, she started skating out to her starting spot and tripped over her toe-pick...down she went, hitting her hip bone and elbow in the process. She burst into tears and couldn't even stand up :( So, she was supposed to have skated third, but took a few minutes to collect herself and dry her tears, and ended up skating at the end of the group...so, she still got to do her solo, which was good. I think she scared herself more then hurt herself, you don't expect to fall at that point.

A second skater also took a fall during her elements, and although there were some tears, she did manage to finish her last element. So, that wasn't as eventful.

Now for some pictures from the day...



Christina, Alex & Nicole (front to back)
Three of my Quinte skaters



Allyson, Alex, Taryn, Crystal & Christina (left to right)
Three of my Quinte skaters, and two fellow Quinte skaters, ready to compete in 'Team Elements' - they came in first!



A group of Advanced CanSkaters and Juniors from Tweed, ready to compete in 'CanSkate Showcase' - they came in third! They were a lot younger then skaters in the other groups.



Jillian & Britteny (left to right)
Two of my Tweed skaters, these two medaled in all four of their events. I think the most exciting medal for them was their third place finish in 'Similar Pairs'. This is the first time they competed in this event, and they were in a flight with ten other pairs, so there was some stiff competition.

Overall, it was a great day! I could tell my skaters had a lot of fun and they were all very happy with how they did. Days like these are another great part of coaching skating!