New Boots!

It has been many days since I have blogged, but for good reason.  I have been practicing for my pre-pre test and getting up a 5am every morning to go to the Lloyd Center and Mountain View Ice Arena to learn from Diana.  It has been a lot of work, but I am happy with the results.  The days have been long, too.
My poor dad has only been getting like 4 hours of sleep every night because he has coworkers in China and he gets up early to take me to the rink.  My mom has been a huge help, too. She went with me today to get my new boots and blades!  The boots are baked on so they are an exact fit.  They were really hot when they came out of the oven, but when they cooled down they felt really nice.  They're very tight in the heal so that I can skate better and do jumps better.  What a difference!
Of course, I won't wear them until after I am done with my test. They will take some getting used to.
Look for videos later this week of me doing spins (including sit-spin!) and generally having an awesome time on the ice.  Oh, and my old program will be reworked, too.

At Home & Giveaway!!

Today I wasn't able to go the rink because my Mom threw out her back and it was really hard for her to move at all.  (Mom is a little better, moving around now, but what a pain for her!  I'm sorry Mom!)  So, I did a bunch of off-ice exercises to fill in the time.  Mostly, I focused on jump-arounds and pilates exercises.
I'm thinking of cutting my hair (sort of).  Well, it would be easier to manage - put it up, keep it out of my face, stop whipping people who stand next to me when I turn my head.  :)
In other news...I am happy to announce that I will be doing our first giveaway!
Anyone who knows Lovejoy Bakers in Portland, OR knows how awesome their breads and other baked goods are.  They even have sandwiches and other nice things to eat for lunch & dinner. They are one of my favorite places to eat in Portland!  From now until Friday August 12th at noon Pacific Time, any new followers of my blog will be entered to win a $20 gift certificate to Lovejoy Bakers!  As always, donations are also always welcome.  Join my team, donate today!  Thanks for your support. Every bit helps.

All the best,
Bonnie

It hurts to smile :|

I mentioned earlier that I had some bad mosquito bites. Now you know what I mean.  Please tell me no jokes.  My cheeks just can't hack it right now.  Kthxbai.

Long, long day

So here is the deal friends: it has been a super long day. I'm beginning to think that the mosquito bites on my face and foot were actually spider bites. Yuck! they are weeping a little bit, but they're starting to get better.  Diane gave me something like peppermint oil (?) to help draw the poison out, or whatever it is that makes them itch, etc. It's working.  Thank you, Diane! Too much information?  My daddy says what everyone really wants is to read about what's going on day to day. So now you know. :)
I'm working on edges and footwork, getting ready for testing.  I'm also working on spins and jumps, but most of the time is all spent on edges right now.  First things first. Time for sleep.

All my best,

Bonnie

Axels, Axels, Axels!

Today, during practice, I landed a ton of axels, more than my mom could count.  I even over-rotated on one of them.  In case you're wondering, an axel is when I spin one and a half times in the air and land backwards.
Mosquito bites are bugging me big-time now.  On my right foot and on my cheek, of all places.  It itches like crazy, but my dad keeps telling me not to mess with them.
It's time for a late snack: saltines and ice water.  Mid-afternoon snack of champions.
Daddy tells me we will have a raffle/giveaway coming soon.  Look for more info right here in the next week or so.

All the best,

Bonnie

New Skates!!!

Today, I went to the rink with my Mom and Mary and Samuel (my youngest siblings).  Mary is 4 and Samuel is 2.  They all skated, which was great.  I worked on my spins - camel spin, back spin, scratch spin, and sit spin - getting them faster and cleaning up my technique.  I got a couple of them really, really fast, which made me really dizzy.  It was kind of scary on some of them because they were so fast and not always centered, so they went a little... all over the place.  But I got a couple of them super-centered and the feeling was awesome!!!
My mom says they were really strong spins and the exits were nice.
After our time at the Lloyd Center, I went to Sherwood to meet with Jim and Diane to get my feet measured and pick out new skates.  I'm super excited about the new skates because there is a cut-out in the back that makes it much easier to point my toes and bend my knees.  The boots are really pretty too.
They're similar to what one of Diane's other students is using right now.  I want to send out a great big thank you to everyone who donated so that I could get these new skates.  I would especially like to mention my Grandma and Grandpa Allred, Grandma Hanks, Aunt Christie, and Aunt Kristin.
I'm also excited because I will be getting new blades too.  We haven't figured out which ones we will get to pair with the new boots yet, but they will have Huge toepicks, great for jumping.  The gold seal blades have the perfect rocker which makes it easier to rotate on a spin, but a little harder to balance, so we might go with those.
In other news, my foot still hurts from a mosquito bite I got.  The bump there is getting huge and it makes everything just a weensy bit harder.  That will pass.  Dishes are also bugging me a lot day to day, but that too, will pass.  Onward and upward.

Happy Birthday, Auntie Joanne!

Love, Bonnie :)

Ice and Rest

So yesterday was the seminar with Randy Gardner and Tiffany Crosswhite.  I did 2 hours of off-ice work with Tiffany that included Pilates (killer!) and something like a ballet exercise that was supposed to help strengthen our calf muscles.  With Randy we worked on weight change, and crossovers together, and individually we worked on jumps and spins, where we got scored.
I took a bit of a hard fall on my left knee and I am still trying to recover. Time for a good rest.
Samuel (my littlest brother) is making me laugh. Ouch!!! My tummy muscles are sore too, from the big Pilates session.  My daddy keeps giving me my ice pack and saying Ad astra per aspera (he spelled it for me too). Gonna have to look that one up.

All the best,

Bonnie

Vulcan Ice Academy

Working on jumps again today.  High fives from Diane on my lutz!
The Lloyd Center ice is packed.  Lots of people here that I don't normally see.  Randy Gardner is here this morning.  He is giving a seminar over the weekend that I'll be taking part in, at least the Saturday part.  My dad says the arena reminds him of the Vulcan school from Star Trek 2009.  He's such a nerd! That is actually a good thing tho.

Wow! Thank You!!!

Got to the arena really, really early today.  Diane has me warming up with toe loop, salchow, loop, axel and lots of backspin when I land so I can prep for double jumps.  After that, I worked on my forward and backward camel and sit spin so I can start pop-over and jump spins.  Exciting stuff!  I am so stoked!
I can hardly believe the huge outpouring of help that has come from my family and friends to help pay for equipment and testing.  Thank you all so, so much.  Please feel free to share my blog with everyone you know.  Every donation helps a ton.  More updates to come, as often as I can get them here.

All the best,

Bonnie

Seattle Ice Fest & Thanks!

Hi Friends,

Here are some pictures of me at the Seattle Ice Fest.  Enjoy!
https://picasaweb.google.com/Shannon.Perez/BonnieAtSeattleIceFest2011

Best,
Bonnie
P.S.  Thanks to everyone who has already donated.  Your generosity is inspiring!

It's been a while!

Well everyone, it's been a long time since I've put an entry in this blog.  My dad says it's about time.
For those of you who haven't heard, I took first in the Seattle Ice Fest at Olympicview Ice Arena at Mountlake Terrace, WA.  That was at the Freestyle 2 level, but I am gearing up to compete at a higher level.
This August, I am planning on doing the U.S. Figure Skating pre-pre testing.  I have also been blessed to have a new, awesome member of my coaching team: Tiffany Allred from Allentown, PA.  Tiffany is an expert in human movement and physical fitness.  She is also my aunt! :)
I want to thank everyone who has made or will make donations to help me continue my skating career.  I appreciate all you are doing and I promise to work hard to put every penny to great use on the ice.
I'll check in again soon.

All the best,
Bonnie