I'm posting here b/c this is from a "cast member's experience..." If you want to just read about the elite skaters, you might want to skip the stuff after the Cast Party section...

Elite (and almost elite) skaters

The rewards of the hard work returned on the dress rehearsal day when I showed up not expecting Rudy, Surya and Caryn to show up 'til the day of the show and seeing instead TWO of our guest stars during rehearsal... (I will not publicly embarass the person who didn't show up. You know who you are.) It was weird... skating with the stage lights, the live singers and having to go thru costume changes (some very quick ones) and being backstage alongside the elite skaters.

Caryn did an elegant and graceful "Anyone Who Have a Heart." She did struggle with a double axel but seriously, she really didn't need to do one!!! Surya did two numbers: "One Day I'll Fly Away" and "I Will Survive" (Yes, THAT version!) She's ever the show girl with her acrobatic and skating talents on the ice! And despite her size (she's quite short!!!) she looks like one lady the hockey guys don't wanna mess with on the ice! (MUSCLES, man!!! MUSCLES!!!!) And what a sweetie!!! She and Rohene pose a picture with me!!! Rudy skating "Send In The Clowns" with a golden hula hoop!!! When we're not in awe of his skating, we're taking notes on the many ways you can skate to a program with a hula hoop as a prompt. And what a class act!!! Parts of my ensemble group and I got off stage quickly -- right thru the entrance door backstage to a cheering and clapping Rudy!!! I like him!!!

I personally think besides the elite skaters that the skater who stole the show was Rohene Ward!!! WHAT gorgeous lines, extensions and flexiblity!!! (The guy can rival SASHA COHEN in this area!!!) PLUS, he can jump AND spin in both directions too!!! And he's just one the nicest and most gracious skaters I've ever met. All I can say is (He got a good laugh coming off the ice to a bunch of us too!)

Justin Dillon - Nice and smooth!!! (And FAST too!!!)

When we were all out to take our bows on the ice (and yes, all the ensemble skaters were introduced by name), I was right smack on the "50 yard" line with our elite skaters RIGHT in front of me center ice!!! How KEWL is THAT!?!?!

Cast Party

Rudy had to go practice super early the next morning, so he bowed out of our cast party. Don't know why Caryn couldn't make it (she rushed out REAL fast after the finale) but she looks like a busy lady anyway. Surya DID make it to the cast party and signed autographs and had LOTS of adoring fans taking pictures of her with them! You're KEWL in my book Surya!!!

Hubby liked the wine and the good bar. Food is okay... but all those who have gone to restaurants that I recommend before know I can find better pot stickers! Party was alive and kickin' though! Hubby and I didn't stay long since it was way past bedtime for me and I was turning into a pumpkin!

Adult skaters

Century Leigh - Ever the classy show girl she is!!! LOVE her dress too!!! And WHAT a sweetie off ice too!!! I just LOVE her energy!!! (She strongly recommends I save up for Germany next year!)

Amy Entwistle - Also another gorgeous skater!!! Nice gal too!!!

Elizabeth Floriani - (yet another lovely skater!!!) skated to "Knowing When to Leave."

John Braun aka "Contessa de la Frommage" was such a hoot!!! Love him...er, her...er... (He had a lovely hair pin in his blond wig that I'd just LOVE to have!)

Our own "Lives To Skate", Burt Powley is definitely an attention getter with his gorgeous skating (including an EASY double flip and death drop) and his skating jacket and pants outfit. The closest way to describe it is that it reminds me of one of those 70's disco balls!!! There were quite a few spectators and kids who gravitated towards Burt either after the show or during intermission... not sure if it's more b/c of his skating or his outfit though!

And yes, folks!!! Now that I've met him myself... he's KEWL in my book!!! And if I was in his shoes and, at a time, was pretty much near death's door...only to come back to skate and win like he did at AN -- damn straight I'm gonna go celebrating my life now too!!! You GO, "Lives To Skate!!!" You GO!!!

Last but definitely NOT least... Edward Van Campen...kinda hard to decide whether you're an "almost elite skater" or one of the "adult skater" given (but choose to put him here b/c of his recent bronze medal at AN in the Championship Masters Men event!) WHAT a handsome matador he was as he's skating to Malaguena!!! MAJOR KUDOS for his figure loop, footwork and BIG split jumps in his program!!! Also a charmer off ice too!!! (Which, knowing my luck, probably means if you're one of his MITF students, you won't be "charmed" for long! )

Edward and I briefly talked backstage as well as at the cast party over some fried pot stickers and other fried appetizers. FrankR, if you are reading this, please tell your moves coach that he has a fan in SF and if he's ever back in SF again, I would love to take him out for some REALLY GOOD pot stickers -- worthy of this SF foodie too!!! Love to hear what his response is!

There are some of you I didn't get to see b/c of either costume change or just plain concentrating for the next group number. If I didn't mention you... I humbly apologize!!! I was changing for our next number and I really wished I had a chance to see your number.

General Notes:

First thing, it was a LOOOOONG night!!! Two sold out crowds! I didn't do much skating, but I still had to be in skates throughout the show b/c the ensembles are scattered throughout the shows. Each show was at least two hours!!! My feet are KILLING me!!! And I already turned into a pumpkin by the time the cast party was getting started!!! And when I got home I got about 45 bobby pins to secure the hair extension bun, which was also a pain to remove b/c of the stiff hair from the TON of hairspray my hairstylist put on my head... (but people loved my hair and makeup job!!!)

Second thing, it's been a while since I've worked on an ensemble number, never mind 3 numbers. And trust me, it's very scary to learn 3 synch skating number with 16 people who has no experience in synch skating, never mind various skating levels, in two months' time!!!

But we made it!!! Overall, it was a good experience to go thru! I learn a lot about skating with a group, formed some strong friendships and met some new friends!!! I loved the "hen party" (costume and makeup) ... and learn a lot about being part of a skating synch group. Not sure I want to do this again next year, though, admittedly!!! But I can now say that I've done something "interesting" in my skating life and have no regrets about the experience!!!

But would I do this again??? It's a great show experience and I love being around all these wonderful skaters. The show experience was great!!! However, I value my own training time more than ever. There's so much I need to work on in my skating and I really want to go to Adult Nationals sometime in my lifetime!!! I also value the autonomy of being a single skater, so unless things change, I plan on remaining a single skater.

Berkeley Iceland is NOT closing... for now!!!

From SFGate:

BERKELEY
Rink gets a month to modify ice making

A popular ice rink has received an extra month to improve an ice-making system that Berkeley fire officials have called "a distinct hazard to life or property."

The city had given Berkeley Iceland until Monday to remove 4,200 pounds of ammonia from its refrigeration system but has agreed to give the 65-year- old rink until Sept. 23 to install a temporary mobile refrigeration system that will allow it to operate during its hockey season.

Iceland hopes to have completed a major overhaul of its cooling system by the time the permit for that temporary system expires in April, said rink administrative manager Monte Tiedemann.

City officials threatened in December to close Iceland, at 2727 Milvia St. , because it had not improved its cooling system despite two documented leaks of toxic ammonia gas since 1998. The city later learned that the company was storing more than five times the 750 pounds of ammonia it had earlier reported.

The new mobile ice-making unit, which Tiedemann said will cost more than $100,000 to operate, will use about 800 pounds of ammonia, according to city officials. The firm renting the system to Iceland is Willy Bietak Productions Inc., which provided refrigeration for the 2002 Winter Olympic games in Salt Lake City.

The rink is a hangarlike building that opened in 1940 and covers almost a city block just west of Shattuck Avenue in South Berkeley. It is across the street from a day care center and numerous homes, and there is a high school less than a block away -- all reasons for concern by city officials.

WHEW!!! Another bullet from the city of Berkeley dodged!!! This is a big relief for me! Now I can quietly concentrate on Bronze moves! :) (I skate at this rink on weekends! It's just too DAMN crowded at all the other rinks during the week. I rely heavily on this rink for my training!)

Fire & Ice, The Reality Show...

Well, it's a week before our show... and to be frank, a lot of us are stressed and losing our normal patience. There are quite a few ummm...observations and my comments:

• There are people who think that everything is going too fast. (Here's your chance to challenge yourself!!!)
  
• There are people who think that the skater is too boring and non-challenging for them. (Sorry, but this is a group ensemble show and you need to work WITH the group! If you don't like working at anyone else's pace but your own, you should be working solo...)
  
• There are people who try to be a coach -- you know who you are! We know that you are much beter skaters than us and are trying to show us the ropes but... PLEASE take it up your issues with the other skaters with our choreographer!!! It's HER job to fix things!!! You will be frustrated if you try to do that. (Yes, do work with us on thing that you need from us to feel comfortable, but unless it impacts your skating, please leave our skating to our coaches! That's what we pay them to do!!!)
  
• I know we're pulling a LOT of hours, but please remember our choreographer and our producer of the show too! They pull in a LOT more hours than you and they definitely have a reason to be stressed!!! Please be patient with them, especially when they yell at you for no apparent reason.
  
• We got less than one week 'til the show happens!!! I can see our ensemble numbers coming together nicely! I recommend now to take a deep breath and enjoy the experience!!! Besides, how often do we skate in the SAME show as Surya Bonaly, Rudy Galindo, and Caryn Kavady altogether??? ;)
  
• And for those who can't appreciate the previous bullet point, look forward to that nice (albeit short) break afterwards from all those weekend rehearsals!!! *evil grin*
  

I'm tempted to say "break a leg." But since this is an ice skating show, I'll just say "good luck" to all the skaters in the show! We CAN do this!!!

Peter Jennings signs off permanently... :(

RIP, Mr. Jennings!!!

Fire & Ice, Part Quatre

HOLY BACKFLIPS!!! Surya Bonaly just got added into the cast for our show!!! =:-O

This should be interesting. I wonder how Thom is gonna put her into the show...

Ensembles rehearsal are coming along. We just started doing weekend rehearsals!!! And there's one more routine that the women ensemble group will have to learn. I still have to go shopping for a very bright shirt for one of the numbers.

Off Ice tickets are ALL SOLD OUT!!! We only have on ice tickets (i.e. NOT the cheap seats) available now... and that's also going fast too!

Saying goodbye to an old reliable friend...

Oh, dear... what can I say... it's almost time for me to say goodbye to my beautiful but very old purple Honda Civic. Just got the latest estimate on my car repair and to completely fix it would be twice as much as the Blue Book value of the car! I'm forced having to get a new car.... ASAP!!! (I can still drive it but only for shorter trips.)

Finance is gonna get tighter for me, so I'm force to have to say goodbye to my pilates session too, much to the chegrin of my secondary skating coach! I probably will have other difficult expenses that I need to cut out as well to make ends meet... but I have to do it! No, skating won't get cut, but there are other areas I will make cuts on.

I may also (long term) start my job search for a better salary job. I really can't afford living on this salary for very long...