This is the weirdest "sickness" I've ever had and maybe the most frustrating. I feel basically normal just that I'm soooo run down. It is truly and genuinely boring to sit here like a couch potato and watch time fly by, missing workout after workout, thinking about my skates, just waiting until this weird thing clears from my system. I really do assure you I have realized that I am not the only person in the world with a small problem, but I do wish this would hurry up and pass so that I could get back on the road to Sochi, 2014.

I'm watching Forest Gump - well - really, I'm watching commercials with a little bit of thee movie thrown in, but it really is a good movie. I like it a lot better seeing it again.

Last night i watched a craaaaazy movie called Hard Candy with the girl from Juno as a truly psycho 14 year old girl. ummm, not for the faint of heart.

So with Ingmar in the house, there have been lots of conversations about skating obviously. Last night we had a heated debate with the whole family about Apolo. Apparently all or most of the skaters don't like how he skates. He is a dirty skater. So we all debated the famous 1000m race from salt lake. Good stuff.

So I've been told by many people that custom skates are actually extremely frustrating and painful. So far that is true. Yesterday I skipped stair training in the morning because i came down with something the night before. I would not have gone to training that night either but I received my skates ! as was documented yesterday. So I showed up to skating, didn't even warm up or stretch and got on the ice with a sore throat, head-ache, upset stomach, and a general run-down feeling. So with that said, one can imagine how it was hard enough to motivate myself to skate. The new skates are sooooo tight. especially on the right foot, it feels like a wrench clamped around my heel and if I try to lift up, it feels like my heel is suctioned to the boot. I could hardly do anything last night. I did get to watch Jeff Simon again though, which is pretty cool. The great part of last night is I had gotten a response from the Craig's List ad and I actually scheduled a lesson for this sunday!!! This morning I was still feeling under the weather but I did all I could do on the ice and was actually skating on the new skates! Although they are still intensely painful, I was able to really understand what I'm looking at down the road. These things are like platforms to jump off they are so sturdy. I think they also kind of force you into the right position. Towards the end of the practice, I was pushing it with the pain and the fatigue and I fell for the first time. It was a pretty good fall. It was loud. I think it was a combo of the skates and the tiredness. Also, we were doing sprint work this morning which is not exactly ideal for adjusting to new skates. I got off after the fall and somehow got my poor feet out of their vices and then watched the guys do a relay, just one team, all out, 1.5 laps each. It was pretty cool. Viktor was cranking out 8.9s and 8.8s by the end and Jeff was doing 9.0s with two arms on his back on terrible ice at the end of a 2 hour practice. Pretty inspiring to watch. I really hope this thing goes away so I can get serious again and really get used to my new babies.

We were going to go to the X-games after practice today, but Ingmar decided he was too tired and it was better to chill.

got it out!! I had to pull each toe out before i could get my heel out. wow, what a fit. Holy @#$%

ok so, three times was the charm. After the third try, I got my right foot into the boot without the laces... now i cannot for the life of me gett it out!!

So, about the bed switch... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh nevermind! My skates are here!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yo yo! As if a magician rolled through this house and swept his wand, I somehow am writing this laying on my own full size bed again though Ingmar is here too. Last night just did not go well. We both slept badly especially me. There just wasn't enough room. This is america after all. Things are supposed to be big and spaced out here, right? I'll describe the details of the switch another time. Now, I have to get some rest - today was tough. I just wanted to write that this morning, the first day back on the ice after the 5 day break was revolutionary for me. My legs felt like feathers. wilma said they looked bigger than when i arrived already! We did 15 minute, two-man relays, 5 laps each partner 3 times and 2x3 lap accels in between.

That was abrupt but i'm out!

WOW. I have been playng the cello a lot today ( not in front of anybody or for any financial gains unfortunately - it just hasn't worked out yet - ) and I just stunned myself. That last movement sounded so good. I love the cello. period. I can forget everything when i play it. Thanks mom for all those days you forced me to play and for sharing your musicality with me. I'm lucky to have the cello.

Anyway... whats new... Training starts again tommorow so i made sure to be ready mostly by preparing my mind and skates too. I went for an hour jog today and was really feeling it by the end. ( don't tell Wilma but i had a huge hot fudge sunday last night and i think i felt it today running). The sun was hot though. That's my public excuse. lol.

Ingmar's back in town. In fact he's now in the same bed as me!!! we went out and got a mattress for a great deal apparently. It's a pillow top, which basically means there's a whole layer of cushion and we got it for $200 - 1benjamin each. It is a queen size and actually is quite comfortable, however, i have never slept with a guy before...especially not one who wears tight pink underwear. Well, he told me to slap him if i find him thinking i'm his girlfriend in the night. whatever...rolling with the flow. It's cool.

I realised recently that I don't talk about my host parents nearly enough on here. They are so awesome! I mean, soe of the most selfless, most generous people i've met. Plus they have great taste in music. They also like a lot of the same tv shows, such as the Chapelle Show, SNL, Chris Rock, and obviously they are older so they've been introducing me to some old school west side rap which is cool. I love them. I don't know how they do it. They have really good values and everything. The mom ( Alexandria has won two EMY awards and one Peabody for tv producing and the father is an Engineer. Getaneh is fully Ethiopian and Alex is part Ethiopian. They are cool enough that we can really share some good laughs together and generally have a good time.

That's all for now

Goodnight.

Yesterday I took a super hot 20 min. bath and then did yoga. I had tried following a yoga dvd that the family owns the night before but it had nothing on the stuff Gary taught me. The only thing is it does get hard to remember all the moves and to know the best order and everything but it was good.

I took a jog after and took a shower then Sammy picked me up and we went to the beach party at the same place as last time. It was super windy and cold but i still went in after a while and it was so nice. The water was soooo warm but when i got out it was sooooo cold. However i was prepared. I got my warm clothes on and sat around the fire with my new club conversing jovially with the vermillion sun hovering over the water and slowly sinking. (lol)

Apparently the skates are on their way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The 5 star Ritz-Carlton at Laguna Beach behind on the hill where my dad was lucky enough to stay on a photoshoot once. Too bad it got overcast basicly as soon as we got to the beach because it was coooold.