It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Reposted from December 8, 2008, the first year I started this blog.  In case you didn't know, I was a big fan (AND STILL AM) of Brian Orser.  Enjoy!




ah Christmas ...

Maybe you heard the songs in the middle of October, but whenever I hear the Frankie Avalon - big band version - of that song, I think of sweat rolling down my face from a muggy afternoon in southern Japan.

That's right, two of the three amusement park shows I did in Kumamoto, Japan featured a Christmas production. In August. It's a strange association for me, but at least I can still tolerate the song.

I have a harder time with the music from the Nutcracker. I skated with two productions of Nutcracker and probably because the shows came along at Christmas time, I got so tired of the music. Years later if I heard that music in a department or grocery store, I would get nauseous and start counting in my head, as in "right-2-3-4, left-2-3-4."

The only songs I liked from the Nutcracker were the Arabian Dance - because the music's cool and dark and mysterious, the Waltz of the Flowers - because it is one of my all-time favorites and the final Pas De Deux - because it was Brian Orser's big finale (and the show was almost over by then).

But time heals everything and this year I'm taking my kid to see the Nutcracker. Alas, it is the ballet version, so it will be a lot stuffier than what the skaters did and there will be no Brian Orser. So instead I give you this ...



He's looking down in the photo because someone cracked a joke, but that's him.

The Skating Protocol - Judging the Judges

It's like my dreams have been answered.  Somebody is taking a serious look at the results by first checking the nationality of the judges with predictable results.  Or as the description for his Twitter handle says - sketchy.

And he's posting on Twitter and Instagram for all to see!

@SkatingProtocol is the Twitter handle for Mark Lee, whose personal Twitter account is @therealEmLeezy.  On Instagram - The Skating Protocol.

The Skating Protocol has only been around since October 2016, but I hope it will last for a long time.  Already I'm a HUGE fan.

There's a new kind of ice show and it's ...

Out Of This World

It's brought to you by the folks of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey (a.k.a. Feld Entertainment) and I'm so glad I'm not trying to keep a job as a performing figure skater anymore.  The competition out there is too tough.  Besides skating, now there's acrobatics.

Let's face it folks, we had to know something like this was coming.  Circus meets the ice.  In fact, Cirque du Soleil has their own circus meets skating thing up their sleeve and I'll keep an eye on that too.

But back to Ringling, the dates are set and they're traveling quite extensively on the East Coast this winter.  Click here for all of the information.

I won't lie

... I'm a bit discouraged with the outcome of the election.  I'm having the same emotions I did as when Princess Di died (and I can't quite explain why other than to say, random moments of sadness.)

One thing I was so excited to do (expecting a Hillary win) was post on Facebook, that we should have started a petition to have Michelle Kwan perform for the Inaugural.  Wouldn't that have been AMAZING!  Now, I don't think I can watch.

btw, isn't that an awesome photo?

Funny beats Sexy

... in my book.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I bet she had the best time inside the dinosaur costume.  I love that she's getting a lot of buzz on her choice for Halloween.  Haven't we had enough of the "sexy fill-in-the-blank" costume?

As thebiglead.com site proclaims, she WINS Halloween!

Dreams Tasting - Mark Your Calendar

... if you're in the Boston area or are planning a trip at the end of April!

This event is brought to you by an author/adult figure skater, Marci Nault, and it sounds fantastic.

From the press release:

Registration is Now Open!

Follow your heart, let go of fear, and put aside everything but your own needs for a day. The Dreams Tasting Conference gives you a "taste" of 50 different activities across 10 unique categories.

Try rock climbing, stand-up comedy, dancing, rhythmic gymnastics, bar tending, wine making, a musical instrument, walking the runway, and so much more. Dreams Tasting Events are also about the adventures you experience when you enrich your mind. Get over the first hurdle and enjoy guidance from expert creatives who will teach you the insider tricks of writing a novel, or creating a documentary, or even traveling the world.

Move Over Pumpkin Spice. It's THAT Time of Year Again!

Today was the most beautiful fall day, here in New Jersey.  It's safe to say summer is over, but is it really time outdoor ice skating already?  Yes.

The Rink at Rockefeller Center will be opening this Saturday and if you go to their website you'll see it might open today.  The official Opening Ceremony will be on Tuesday A.M. and feature the Ice Theatre of New York, Inc. and a very special guest.

They posted these hash tags as a clue ... #Shhhh #Secret #Insider.  

BTW, I did not know that you can get VIP skating access.  For a (no small) fee of course, you can get instant access to the ice, free rentals if you need them and cookies!  For $60 off season, that doesn't sound too bad.

Will Figure Skating Ever Make it to the Small Screen?

It got me thinking as I was watching the Emmy's yesterday.  While there have been more than a handful of figure skating movies out there, there haven't been many television shows - certainly no sitcoms or dramas in a series.

Perhaps no cast or crew wants to spend hours a day filming in an ice rink.  That would be a cold that seeps deep into the bones.  Ask any skating coach and they'll tell you - it's damn cold.

But that's the beauty of one of the two shows that are currently in the works.  Somewhere in the pilot phase, Caitlin McCarthy's "Free Skate" taps into both the competitive and ice show side of skating.

Any plot on figure skating has to have some element of the Olympics because that's what the general public thinks of when they think of figure skating.  But with the ice show aspect as well, much of the filming could be "backstage" or on tour buses or in hotels.  These would be easy sets to use and much warmer for everyone filming.

I would really love to see Free Skate make it to the networks!

The other television show, with Tara Lipinski producing, looks like a reality tv show in the same vein as the 2006 TLC Ice Diaries. That show featured the skaters Bebe Liang, Alissa Czisny, Danielle Kahle and Sandra Rucker trying to make the 2006 US Olympic team.  That was a fascinating series and I think having one of the two new faces of figure skating attached will bring in young viewers.  It could do really well.

But if you, like me, can't wait for either of these shows to land in your Netflix queue, I strongly recommend you start watching Dance Academy! 

Five Celebrities You Didn't Know Were Skaters

... in alphabetical order, since I couldn't think of a better way ...

1.   Uzo Aduba - a.k.a. "Crazy Eyes" from the Netflix television series - Orange Is The New Black.  Crazy as that may sound, Uzo grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts and skated for ten years.  According to this article by Lizzie Widdicombe in New Yorker, "I could do a triple Salchow, a double Axel, a triple flip. No triple loop—that was always my worst jump, that inside edge.”

 
2. Condoleezza Rice - the former U.S. Secretary of State trained in Denver, Colorado starting at the age of twelve.  She skated competitively but also enrolled at Denver University at fifteen and graduated by nineteen as an accomplished pianist as well!  She claims she had a failed career in figure skating, but passing up to her pre-silver dances, I would not call that a failure.  From Jo Ann Scneider Farris's article on Figure Skating at About.com, “I believe I may have learnt more from my failed figure-skating career than I did from anything else. Athletics gives you a kind of toughness and discipline that nothing else really does."

3. Nicole Ritchie - the adopted daughter of Lionel Ritchie skated as a kid and credits a Vera Wang (also on the list!) dress worn by Nancy Kerrigan in the Olympics with her introduction into the world of fashion.

4. Patrick Swayze - who sadly passed away on September 14, 2009, was an accomplished dancer, athlete and movie star.  So it is no surprise that he also mastered figure skating enough to skate with Ice Capades.  What is surprising is that it wasn't noted in his obituaries and has only a brief mention on his wiki page.

5. Vera Wang - designed the famous white dress for Nancy Kerrigan, but also skated in the 1968 US Figure Skating Championship in Pairs with her partner James Stuart.  That's a seriously accomplished skater, but she says she felt like a failure for not making the Olympic team and thus quit.  Luckily, she went into the fashion industry from there and things have since worked out very well.

Summer's Over

This is always a sad feeling for me ... when summer if over.  Now I know it's not technically over until September 22 on the first day of fall, but come on people, doesn't it feel like fall today?

The kids have gone back or just went back to school today.  I don't know where you live, but the weather here is fifteen degrees cooler than last week and pools and amusement parks start shutting down or altering the schedule.

And that is where my feeling of sadness comes in - amusement parks closing or altering the schedule.  For many years, I existed on summer skating jobs to earn enough to go back to school, pay for school, or keep me doing something besides school and they usually ended in September.

It's been over twenty years since I skated in one of those shows - three of them were in southern Japan at Mistui Greenland - but I still remember the pit in my stomach the day the show was over.

It was different for touring shows like Capades or Holiday or Disney.  When they had there last show it was considered a break until next year and most skaters planned to come back.  That a different feeling.  That's a good feeling.

But amusement park shows aren't as long and offer a skater has no idea if they'll be asked back or if they'll be skating somewhere else by the following year.  So in these shows, we knew the end was coming.  We often skated outdoors and as August wore on the night show got darker sooner and sooner.  We had more parties and our "we have to do this now or never" stunts pick up.  And let's get one thing straight - is there anything so cool as to actually live in an amusement park?  Go on the rides whenever you want?  That's a nine year old's dream come true!

And then September 1st - done.  No more.

No where was this change of schedule more abrupt than in Japan.  I skated in the Mitsui Greenland Amusement park three different years, but each time, after six weeks/four shows a day/ seven days a week on September 1 there was nothing.  No shows, nobody (okay a dozen people at most) visiting the park and a skeleton crew that looked like new staff.  Besides the sadness in saying goodbye to our park crew and fellow skaters, it probably meant I had no job to go home to.

That made my wallet sad too.

So where ever you are today and whatever situation, I hope it's not a sad one for you.  I know, I know, most people really like the start of fall with new goals and diets in mind, but give me one day to feel a little melancholy.   Again.

How about you?  Is there a particular day you feel this kind of melancholy?

Sun Valley 2016 Live Auditions and Workshop

Oh, how I wish I could get to Sun Valley one of these years ...

ProSkaters, the associations is holding auditions on the indoor rink from 6 pm until 8 pm on Monday, July 25.  There is no cost to audition.  However, you must be a member of ProSkaters and must be 16 or older to audition.

There would be no better way to see if you have the chops to perform, make connections, and skate in a beautiful environment (okay it's the indoor rink, but still).

The Workshop will begin at 4 pm on Tuesday, July 26 with an off-ice classes.  After a short break from 6:00 until 6:30 pm, The Workshop will continue on the ice from 6:45 pm until 8:45 pm on the indoor rink.  The cost is $50 for  members of ProSkaters or $110 for non-members.

Click here for more information and to sign up.
  

I told you he was that good!

U.S. Open Competition 2016 Results:  Rohene won!

And on August 12, 2015 I posted a very daring statement ... I called him the best skater in the world.  --cough, cough, Ms. Ice Charades pats herself on the back -- so I wasn't so far off then.

I'll let IceNetwork give you a more official report right here.  There were a lot of great performances and I for one am glad to see this article sharing space with amateur competition results on the IceNetwork website.

2016 U.S. Open Professional Skating Championshps

It's being held in Las Vegas next week and I really wish I could see it.  The 2016 U.S  Open Professional Skating Championships!

Presented by the Professional Skaters Association, this event will be held on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 from 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm at the SoBe Arena, North Las Vegas, NV.  The event is open to the public and admission is FREE!

I'll keep my eye on this to post results.  It would be wonderful for anyone in Vegas and it's FREE! 

I'm so excited for this!!!

Confession time - I really don't think I'm the target audience for the Australian teen-oriented television show Dance Academy - but I love this show.  I first saw it in Germany in German, so I had to watch the episodes a few times to get it.

Then I bought the DVD and watched them in English.  And I watched all of them.  Again and again.  And now they're making a movie! 

I promise you if you watch the first five to six episodes, you'll be hooked.  (And most fans will tell you season 2 is better than 1, so keep going!)

And if you end up going to the movie first, you'll want to go back and watch them all.  So strap in, either way, you're going to want to binge watch.

There is so much in this series that relates to skating.  It takes place at the prestigious national ballet school in Sydney, Australia.  Instead of going to high school, those that are good enough to get in, attend three years of schooling to prepare for life as a professional ballet dancer.

Whether it's an episode about crippling stage fright, lack of funds for training, performing while in pain, competing against the naturally talented, or wanting to quit -- any skater or fan of skating will relate.  I like that the actors are the dancers as well.  So very talented.

Have you seen the show?  Already a big fan?  Let me know.

I Saw #Worlds2016 on Twitter

How did you watch it?

I don't have a subscription to icenetwork.com, and I wasn't paying attention to the schedule until Saturday, so that meant the only skating I caught was the womens' free late on Saturday night.

My thoughts about that (and I am no journalist or skating expert btw) was how bummed I felt for Gracie, how excited I was for Ashley and how stunned I was with Mao.  (Is that under 140 characters?)  Stunned in a good way, that is.

Anyone else feel that way?  I'd love to hear it.


Now, on to what I learned by reading my twitter feed (and also a bit on FB) Sunday morning.  I know who won the mens, the pairs, not so much about ice dancing though.  I know how well # 2 and #3 skated in mens, womens, pairs, and I know what the crowd thought of each and every program.

Thanks to two blogger/tweeter/journos (Jackie Wong @rockerskating and Ollie Williams @OllieW) you'll get all the insight you could need.  Almost like being in the audience.

Check this out, Worlds 2016, a recap of everything - at Rocker by Jackie Wong.  You're welcome.  And Ollie had a handy chart for every skate that went something like this ...

     Judges
     Crowd
     Music
     Heat - as in Heat Maps!!  Yeah, I know.

I also follow Xanboni and Aaron (thanks guys) who live tweet like crazy.  They had a lot of great insight.  And there are others of course.  Sara on Skating, Inside Edge, and of course, Ryan at Skate Guard and others.  I swear, next year, I'll be on Twitter as the skaters take the ice.  It will be much more fun that way.

Attention Ballet Teachers - Repost

 I've seen so many FB posts on skaters and dance lately, I thought I'd repost this to help explain why skaters have the posture we do ...

  Jan 2010


I went to a ballet class yesterday for the first time in nineteen years. This time in a different country and a different language, but it's always the same thing. I got called out because my butt was sticking out.

Even though I don't know the Spanish words for "Tuck in your butt," I knew what the teacher was saying.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute, Ice Charades, back up. What were you doing in a ballet class? You don't even skate anymore, are you insane?

Why, yes, thanks for asking. A very nice gal from Ecquador talked me into taking classes with her, but she used to be a dancer. Not me. And you can tell when a skater takes ballet lessons.

We can't tuck in our butts, because we have sway backs. And the late, great choreographer Brian Wright, who experienced the same, drove the point home to me when doing this experiment.

Okay, skaters, get off the couch now and get into the landing position. A nice deep one, arms checked. See how your back sways to balance the stretch? Put your free leg down and slowly stand up keeping you back in the exact same position. Got it?

Unfortunately, that doesn't look good when doing a grand plie.

But you skaters need to know this if you take ballet classes (and you should take ballet classes.) If you don't have time to demonstrate this to your ballet teachers, tell them when you skate with blades that extend two inches past your heel, your center of balance has to shift to compensate.

I hope that will keep the teachers off your back, no pun intended, until you wow them with killer chaines turns.

7 Random Thoughts - The Oscars Edition

This seemed like the best time to slip in a few comments about the Oscars, some rants about figure skating, and a couple of quirky bits to boot.

Well, my random thoughts are exactly positive, but it's almost the weekend, so why not?  Here we go ...

1.     Why aren't actors who do Improv in movies (making up their lines as they go) get nominated for the Oscars?  Roles like Borat or any of the cast in Best of Show need to act AND react with their peers.  That seems much harder than just reciting your lines.

2.   If you watch footage of figure skating competitions from the 70s and 80s, the competitors skated straight to their opening pose when their name was called.  How is it that now skaters get to do laps, do jumps, stretch, even grab a cup of coffee on the way out on the ice?

3.   I've discovered scrunchies are like pajamas for your hair.

4.   Movies about skating ... are we done with the spotlights during competitions?

5.   I've said this before and I'll say it again, judge the judges.  Set a mandate that the international figure skating judges only keep their spots if their marks come closest to the actual results.  Any outliers and you're out.  Watch how fast the national bias disappears.  I bet the judges prefer the boondoggle of first class flights, cocktail parties to mingle with A-list skaters, and any other swag that comes their way.

6.   I need some kind of tranquilizer gun for domestic house cats.  And maybe for chickens.  I'm so tired of chasing them around before heading to the vet.

7.   I think the Oscars should take a page from the Grammys and include a Best Comedy in Film, Best Thriller, Best Childrens Movie, etc etc.  Hell, if the Grammys can have an award for Best Polka Album or Best Surround Sound Album, why not Best Chickflick?

Showgirls Go Extinct

It's sad that one of the last, old-fashioned, old school, good old showgirl extravaganza Jubilee! closed two weeks ago on the Vegas Strip after 34 years.  (See how I used 'old' three times in that sentence?) 

The Las Vegas Weekly's headline said it all - The Las Vegas Showgirl Goes Extinct.

It was the longest running show on the strip, opening in 1981, and closing February 11, 2016.  Here's some showbiz math for you, courtesy of the Las Vegas Sun's excellent article by Robin Leach - yes, that Robin Leach - Jubilee!'s fate.
 

When the show opened in July 1981, the average cost of one finale costume was $7,000 — or $21,000 now with inflation. More than 1,000 of them are worn during the show, many designed by Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee. The opening number cost $3 million to stage. There are 8,000 miles of sequins used on the costumes, enough to reach from the Strip to Place Pigalle and Montmartre in Paris where topless spectaculars premiered.
If all the jewelry worn by the gorgeous dancers was weighed, it would total 10,000 pounds. More than 1,000 dancers have worked in the show during its 34-year run. The showgirls in the stunning “Grand Jewel Box” show-stopping have to be able to wear the trademark feathered headdress, which weighs as much as 22 pounds.

A.  That's a lot of money for costumes and you haven't yet factored in paying the cast and crew.  B.  22 pounds on your head, blowing in the breeze, gives you one monster migraine ...

Yeah, excuse me Ice Charades, but what does this have to do with skating?

I'm so glad you asked.  What all the articles about Jubilee!'s closing hints at is this form of entertainment may be dead.  If not dead, surely on it's last, very long fishnetted legs.  AND the same may be said for Holiday On Ice.  Unlike Disney On Ice or the rivals to Disney, such as Ice Age on Ice, these shows are aimed at kids and will still have a paying audience (of the parents) willing to go to the shows because little Debby or Johnny want to see Anna and Olaf, the snowman.

But ice shows following the traditional path don't seem to have the same enthusiastic crowd.  HOI has further troubles with it's owner, Stage Entertainment.  Their main bread and butter is Broadway musicals, such as Der König der Löwen (The Lion King) and Starlight Express, are in deep financial trouble.  I also heard threw the grapevine in Hamburg that the dance school there, which trains and produces dancers for the shows, is closing.  Tough times indeed.

As I said in an earlier post, there are many reasons, the main one being are avenues of entertainment have never been more broad (I'm looking at you YouTube and I'm as guilty as anyone else) so these shows have to adapt or die.  Sorry Jubilee!.    But John Katsilometes of the Las Vegas Sun has a different take.  He thinks Jubilee! closed because the showgirl's allure is dying.  That could be.  Certainly Cirque du Soleil is doing extremely well on The Strip.  They have adapted from straight out circus fare to fairy tale extravaganzas to pop/rock tributes with flashy acrobats in amazing sets.  So far they seem to know what will please the crowd. 

From the article by John Katsilometes:

Though the cast was not told of any plans for Jubilee Theater after Feb. 11, there is word out of Caesars Entertainment that a new show is already in development.

Let's hope that show will have a new kind of showgirl, back from the brink of extinction, and ready to live a long time!  As for Holiday On Ice?  I suggest they take a good look at the new show to replace Jubilee.

33 Things That Make Touring Performers Very, Very Happy

 travel day in Holiday On Ice - luggage watch

I came across this post from June 2014 on Community on Buzzfeed that someone had shared in the HOI group on Facebook.


Still with me?

It was written by Gabrielle Mirabella, who apparently toured with Mama Mia in 2014.  I'm glad she used the word "performers" in her title, so this skater can glom on to her hard work of making lists.  I bet any of you lucky enough to go "on tour" would agree her list.

It's listed below in blue (minus pictures) and here is the original article on Buzzfeed.  I've added my own comments underneath in red italics.  My experiences go back 20 - 30 years ago, primarily touring Europe, but I'm throwing in a park or dinner show in the US and Japan too.

Guess what?  Some things never change (like #28 MAIL)!

1. Hotel rooms with kitchens  - we found one by surprise in our hotel in Zürich and were stoked!  We immediately made a list of all the "dinners" we were going to have that week.

2. Experiencing famous regional fast-food chains for the first time 

3. When really important people come to see your show 

4. Swing seats on the bus  - I think the Capades skaters may have started this, but I remember seeing skaters try to sleep in the overhead compartments on the bus.  Cramped for sure, but all the length you needed to stretch out.

5. Hotel massage-bar soap 

6. Hotel rooms with a view  - personally, I was always excited for a room with a nice breakfast!

7. Being a tourist - as a newbie to Holiday On Ice touring Europe, this was one of the main reasons for joining.  Hello - Paris for two months!

8. Hanging with the band  - how many skaters out there ever traveled with a band? *crickets* We had a drummer in HOI and in our dinner show in Japan.  As I recall, they didn't hang out with the skaters much, oh well.

9. Having a rental car for the week 

10. Skype sessions with loved ones  - obviously there was not Skype, no internet and long-distance calls were neither easy or cheap, but if you discovered the rare broken phone (both times in France) that felt like winning the lottery.  Free international calls!

11. Family members seeing your show…then taking you out to dinner  - having family travel to Europe or Japan to see you skate meant at least a week or two of free dinners!

12. When a fellow performer gets a new piece of clothing 

13. Avant-garde gas station decor 

14. New flavor additions to the coffee box 

15. Staying long enough in a city to actually use the closet  - see #7 above, we sublet a Parisian apt for two months and lived like locals (well, we tried anyway)

16. Finding a couch to nap on during 2-show days 

17. Hipster coffee shops  - there was one in Dubuque, Iowa that was the best. I think I held up the bus for a couple of minutes.  Worth it though.  Changed my entire opinion of Iowa.

18. Finding someone else on tour just as invested in your favorite TV show as you are  - there was a dancer in Atami, Japan whose mother taped EVERY episode of Days of Our Lives and mailed the videos over each month, she never missed a day's worth in six months

19. Golden Days 

20. Seeing other shows - the nice thing about seeing other shows when you're in a show, is you usually don't have to pay for the ticket, the worst thing is when other skaters come to see you skate - oooooh the pressure!

 21. Adding new states to your list 

22. When someone lets you stop and play with their dogs on the street 

23. Press days 

24. Homemade baked goods 

25. Signing autographs for young performers 

26. Weird gas station cuisine 

27. Playing “haunted” theaters  - I don't think this ever happened in the giant venues we skated in in HOI, but when rehearsing in Vegas, the guy that worked at the rink swore it was haunted - something about the mafia stashing bodies there in the thirties, hmmmm?

28. Mail! - especially before the days of internet and Skype, mail was the ONLY way to hear from family and friends, I was even excited when others got mail

29. Seeing your friend’s name on a wall tag 

30. Playing beautiful venues  - with Nutcracker On Ice, I got to skate in such landmark theaters as the Atlanta Fox Theatre and the Louisville Palace.  They were gorgeous theaters, built in '29 and '28 respectively, and I hope we didn't ruin the stage by putting a sheet of ice down.

31. Spotting your show on a new marquee  - or billboards in the metro will suffice

32. A travel buddy you can rest comfortably with  - in HOI, the better get was having a strong guy (adagio partner?) help you carry your suitcase up the stairs in the train stations (no elevators or escalators yet)

33. Playing a show in your hometown - unfortunately, this never happened for me, but I know others were so excited for this, it meant a huge crowd could come to see you skate

Thanks Gabrielle for your list!
 So, does anyone out there have any they'd like to add?

 

Did you know she can dance?

I knew she starred in "Sweet Charity" but I no idea how well Shirley MacLaine dances.  Check out this video ...

sorry about the subtitles

It's a little long, but the dancing is amazing.  She covers different choreographers such as Bob Fosse, Michael Kidd and others.  But mostly, I can't get over those legs!

Excuse me, Ice Charades, this isn't about skating.

Oh yeah, the reason I posted Ms. MacLaine is I think it's time for a skating version of this.  If you're to skate a new kind of program (and I think the tv audience would like to see something different) one could use skating choreographers or skaters themselves.

An amazing skater, Erik Larson, would entertain us back in the day with his parody of skating styles from Toller Cranston to Richard Dwyer, a.k.a. Mr. Debonair, to Gary Beacom and a few others thrown in.  It was hysterical and I would love to see someone try this again.

How about a Sonja Henie/Dorothy Hamill/Yuna Kim mash-up?  Button/Candeloro/Plushenko?  Or resurrecting some of the most memorable programs and putting them together?  Bolero/Nessum Dorum/Firebird?

Can you think of a mash-up you'd like to see? 

Happy 2016!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday!

Do you have any juicy resolutions for 2016?

I've given up on most diet/exercise-themed punishments goals long ago, but this year I resolved to eat more eggs, and with that, less meat.  Since we are the proud owners of six backyard chickens, four of whom are already laying, this shouldn't be too hard.

Writing goals?  Now that's different.  I'm determined to get the sequel to Ice Charades out THIS year.  It's close, it's pretty shined-up, but it's not quite ready yet.  THIS year, I promise.  Some of you, dear readers, have been asking and waiting patiently and some of you have probably forgot.

THIS year, I promise.  It takes place in Atami, Japan in 1989.  Good times.  We still didn't have credit cards or internet yet.  No TV in English, no decent bagels, unless one made a trip into Tokyo.  But we stayed in a Japanese resort town on the Pacific ocean with natural hot springs and lots of time on our hands.

If you want to read more about it, you won't have to wait any longer than 2016.