Oh, I just LOVE everyone's posts. It's so great to see activity here again.
Welcome, Mr. D. My toe loop also seemed strange after 30+ years off the ice, but then it came back with a vengeance (see below).
GREAT job, everyone else, on all the merry things. It's so inspirational to see everyone's progress.
Merry Merry (and not at all Contrary): I had such an awesome skating practice this morning that I am practically pinging off the walls in excitement. First of all, it's the first lesson of my "new" life after testing adult FS gold. Some people's coaches would give them a little down time to just sort of screw off and wallow in self-congratulations, but not mine. Nosiree!
We hit the ground running today, starting off with axels, the hardest jump that I can do. Sheesh! Usually we start out with pimpy stuff and work our way up, but because I had already been practicing about 40 minutes before we started my lesson, she knew I was all warmed up, and that's where we started. And she wasn't content to just watch me do nice strong high ones; she decided axel/toe loops and axel/loops were on the menu.
I thought she might be slacking off when she asked me to do a salchow, but I saw immediately where she was heading when she asked for a salchow/loop. Sure enough, after two run throughs, I found myself working on the take-off timing for the 2sal and then the jumps themselves. I badly cheat-landed two of them, but I was kind of hunched over and didn't get much height. Technically it was really a 1.5sal. So we left it, me with lots and lots of stuff to work on.
So then she asks to see my toe loop and then toe loop/loop, the clue phone began ringing. Oh by the way, she says, do you feel like attempting the 2toe? Wink wink! So, of course, I just HAD to try it, and I'll be darned, even though I have not done one in 32 years, I came darned close! In fact, I landed two of them, only slightly cheated, so they were more like a 1.82toe than a 2toe, but honestly, everyone int he rink said the height was good and I was straight up in the air. I was just SO excited. This used to be my favorite double jump, and it was like my brain had been doing them for years. So we left it there because it's good to end things on a good note so your brain smiles about them when you attempt them the next day.
So we moved on to the flying camel. I can do these well about 50% of the time, so the point was to figure out what I'm doing wrong when I'm not, and then not do that anymore (duh). They were really fun.
Anyway, I worked myself into a froth before she let me go. I swear, the lesson lasted at least 45 minutes (usually they are 30), perhaps because she was feeling bad about blowing me off last week.
When we were done, she tells me that next week we are going to revamp my gold level test program so that it is suitable for competition. Now I'm thinking that she means that she is going to simplify it because it is just jam-packed with stuff and I need more "time" to be artistic. Instead, she says, so think about where you want to put the 2toe,
2sal
and flying camel, meaning that she is ramping up this baby BIG TIME
and that I have only 4 months to get these elements under my belt and do them well, in competition to boot. Yeegads, I can't even begin to tell you how AMBITIOUS this is!
And yet, I just LOVE her for pushing me so hard and "making" me whip myself into shape.
Gosh, I love skating!!!
.)
. You are welcome to my 2sal feeling, as long as you share it and don't keep it for a long term visit 
. All that I know about the doubles is that I am so glad that back ends slide on ice instead of sticking!
