I'm A Cosmopolitan Sophisticate Of Culture And Intelligence

It is Tuesday afternoon. This morning, I took a short trip to the United States.

Yes, gentle readers, you heard right. I needed to visit the U.S. Embassy here in London to get some papers notarized for the refinancing of the Event Horizon. It was weird to walk off the streets of London and be back in the United States again, including paying for things in dollars (and needing my passport to get in!). I took the underground from Imperial College to the Embassy, but walked back. Oddly enough, the return trip, on foot, was shorter than the outbound one!

It is Tuesday afternoon. Since Monday morning, I have:

• Found a new flat for cheshcat and I to move into
• Had a follow-up meeting at the hospital with cheshcat's surgeon[*]
• Gotten Peter the Red Rover through his MOT, making him legal to drive for another year
• Gone ice skating
• Visited the Embassy to finish the final (?) papers needed for refinancing the house
• lots of other little niggly bits, like arranging cat care for our upcoming trip to the States, that I won't bore anyone with here[**]

Whew! Good thing for those super powers, or I might be feeling a bit worn out after all that!

Right. Back to work then. Let's see if we can't get some physics done before it is time to pack up for the day and head back to Oxford for tonight's ice skating lesson...

---

[*] There was some good news to be had there! I won't discuss it, as it is Chesh's to tell, but good news should be acknowledged!

[**] I realise that this journal is boring enough of late already, seeing as I have not jumped out of any planes, walked on hot coals, climbed the ruins of a Norman castle, witnessed any exploding Time Machines, danced round any seven story bonfires, visited any extreme geographic locations, attended any historic concerts, or mudwrestled since the end of August. [Note to new readers: The above paragraph is the summary version of my July and August] Ah, Summer, old friend! How I do miss thee!

I'm A Cosmopolitan Sophisticate Of Culture And Intelligence

It is Tuesday afternoon. This morning, I took a short trip to the United States.

Yes, gentle readers, you heard right. I needed to visit the U.S. Embassy here in London to get some papers notarized for the refinancing of the Event Horizon. It was weird to walk off the streets of London and be back in the United States again, including paying for things in dollars (and needing my passport to get in!). I took the underground from Imperial College to the Embassy, but walked back. Oddly enough, the return trip, on foot, was shorter than the outbound one!

It is Tuesday afternoon. Since Monday morning, I have:

• Found a new flat for cheshcat and I to move into
• Had a follow-up meeting at the hospital with cheshcat's surgeon[*]
• Gotten Peter the Red Rover through his MOT, making him legal to drive for another year
• Gone ice skating
• Visited the Embassy to finish the final (?) papers needed for refinancing the house
• lots of other little niggly bits, like arranging cat care for our upcoming trip to the States, that I won't bore anyone with here[**]

Whew! Good thing for those super powers, or I might be feeling a bit worn out after all that!

Right. Back to work then. Let's see if we can't get some physics done before it is time to pack up for the day and head back to Oxford for tonight's ice skating lesson...

---

[*] There was some good news to be had there! I won't discuss it, as it is Chesh's to tell, but good news should be acknowledged!

[**] I realise that this journal is boring enough of late already, seeing as I have not jumped out of any planes, walked on hot coals, climbed the ruins of a Norman castle, witnessed any exploding Time Machines, danced round any seven story bonfires, visited any extreme geographic locations, attended any historic concerts, or mudwrestled since the end of August. [Note to new readers: The above paragraph is the summary version of my July and August] Ah, Summer, old friend! How I do miss thee!

Sometimes I Feel As Though I'm Running On Ice

I PASSED LEVEL SIX!!!!!

Ahem. Tonight, I had originally intended to have a social night, either at either the London Poly MeetUp or at Coffe, Cake and Kink. Those plans got the axe, however, on account of the need for an additional ice skating lesson.

Yesterday was week five of my Level Six course. At the end of it, I had passed three of the four skills for this level: a two-foot slalom, backwards chasses around a circle (both directions), and turning from backwards to forwards on one leg. I had not yet passed the "forward three-turn" -- a maneuver wherein one begins by skating forward, raises one leg, pivots to backwards on the other leg, and ends in a backwards glide on one foot. To pass Level Six, it was necessary to do the move on either leg. My turns weren't bad, but I found it difficult to end in a one foot backwards glide; the second foot kept coming down too soon.

Normally, this would not be a problem. After all, there is one week left in the course. However, I leave for the States (and P**T***!) on Thursday and will miss the final week. Whoops. To make up for the loss of a thirty minute group lesson, I sprung for a fifteen minute private lesson tonight. I would have preferred a different evening, to preserve the social night. Alas, this was the only evening that my instructor had available.

In any case, I am very glad that this worked out. We got me through the three-turn relatively quickly... so I am now certified as a Level Six NISA skater! We also had time to start looking at one of the Level Seven skills for next term: Backwards crossovers. Astoundingly enough, my first attempts at them were not bad!

Oh, my goodness. Eight months ago, I could barely stand up on the ice. Tonight, I just did backwards crossovers.

I can't wait to get to Rockefeller Center in December!!!

Sometimes I Feel As Though I'm Running On Ice

I PASSED LEVEL SIX!!!!!

Ahem. Tonight, I had originally intended to have a social night, either at either the London Poly MeetUp or at Coffe, Cake and Kink. Those plans got the axe, however, on account of the need for an additional ice skating lesson.

Yesterday was week five of my Level Six course. At the end of it, I had passed three of the four skills for this level: a two-foot slalom, backwards chasses around a circle (both directions), and turning from backwards to forwards on one leg. I had not yet passed the "forward three-turn" -- a maneuver wherein one begins by skating forward, raises one leg, pivots to backwards on the other leg, and ends in a backwards glide on one foot. To pass Level Six, it was necessary to do the move on either leg. My turns weren't bad, but I found it difficult to end in a one foot backwards glide; the second foot kept coming down too soon.

Normally, this would not be a problem. After all, there is one week left in the course. However, I leave for the States (and P**T***!) on Thursday and will miss the final week. Whoops. To make up for the loss of a thirty minute group lesson, I sprung for a fifteen minute private lesson tonight. I would have preferred a different evening, to preserve the social night. Alas, this was the only evening that my instructor had available.

In any case, I am very glad that this worked out. We got me through the three-turn relatively quickly... so I am now certified as a Level Six NISA skater! We also had time to start looking at one of the Level Seven skills for next term: Backwards crossovers. Astoundingly enough, my first attempts at them were not bad!

Oh, my goodness. Eight months ago, I could barely stand up on the ice. Tonight, I just did backwards crossovers.

I can't wait to get to Rockefeller Center in December!!!