A new Competive Year

The word the kids use around the rink to describe really good skating, or being in the zone, or overpowering - is BEAST. If you are a good skater, you are a BEAST! Today, in the short program, our dear Gabby was The Beast. No, not just Beast, THE Beast. Gabby skated a very good and smooth program. I believe that she really stood out from the pack with her first performance. She actually pumped the air when she finished! I've only seen her do that once before in her career. She was the beast today. Sure, it was 3rd place. It was a good 3rd place out of 9 other skaters in Intermediate.

Tomorrow, is another day. The same group of girls, the same sheet of ice and a different set of music. The long program. Gabby says it's not her best and she is nervous. I recall hearing that earlier today as well. Whatever happens I know that she will have skated her best. This is the first competition of the season and so we have a long way to go and lots of room for improvement. It is, however, a good start and puts her name out. A new Beast is loose.

J.

Summary of the last 6 Months

You know the thing about blogs and why they are important is tht they keep a sort of diary or a log on all the things that go on around here. I noted that I have been away from updating Gabby's log and I am really bummed about that. The good news is that I will probably go back an update the events as soon as I get some time. However, before I do that I really should give all the top events in the past 6 months.

December- Gabby and Bobby made it to the final round and skated to 11th overall in pairs. They made it past the first round, made some adjustments to the program with ehlp from Gray and Dorothy and did very well. Not bad for the kiddos in their first Junior Nationals.

April - Gabby and the Gang of 3 - Sarah, Wuwu, and Gabby celebrated Gabby's birthday by staying at a swanky Marriott Galleria hotel. Robes, pool time, steam baths - the works and then dressing up to go to the Melting Pot for a very nice dinner. The moms slept on the floor while the girls piled up on the royal bed. Life is good.

June - Gabby skated in the Bluebonnet Open and really did well. She skated to a Gold medal in the short program and a silver in the long program. Woohoo! Sam and Gabby went to Fiesta Texas to celebrate.

End of June - Big decision time. Changed coaches from Dorothy to Kitty. Dorothy has just been wonderful to get Gabby this far in her career. Thank you!

July - 4th of July fun! Gabby is working very very hard with Kitty. Her jumps are getting cleaner and smoother. She is really enjoying skating. B.L. is working with Gabby on her stroking and the speed and power are really going up. Gabby is just flying around the ice.

August - Hmmm..well, here we are. Watching the Olypics and cheering Michael Phelps and the rest of the US Swim team just give it their all.

First Day

The first day here at Junior Nationsls! Junior N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L-S! Wow. We can NOT believe it. After so much hard work by Gabby and Bobby the end of their journey is almost at end. The getting up early and trudging to the rink, all the homework, all the conditioning, all the pain and agony of learning new footwork and new sequences and working through muscle pain and stress - all that is about to pay off. The kids are getting their first look at the competition. I can't tell if Gabby is nervous, but she seems to be having a good time. We went to the official jacket vendor earlier but they were sold out of her size. Uh oh. We're going to have to order it. We were planning on getting it earlier but the kids had to practice on the ice. Gabby said she LOVED the ice. It was smooooth and silky and she glided across it effortlessly.
We met up with Dorothy and Gray and Kim at the rink and broke over to Three Cafe's for lunch. Nice place with an italian bread that was just outstanding!
Still no snow...and kinda warm.

Goodbyes, Good Lucks, and Blessings

The last day with the Murphys started off with a classic, big breakfast courtesy of David and Donna. Even DeeDee make some hot chocolate. The plan was for all of us, well, most of us to go to Mass. I was not sure if I wanted to go. We had stayed up late the night before, and Gabby had put on a short skating clinic at the Cottonwood Rec Center. We called it Gabby's rink just because they kept it open for her. Which reminds me, I really need to say Thank You to the crew out there. They were very accomodating and kind to let us skate for awhile after they closed.
So, the good thing about eating a great breakfast is that it puts you in a good frame of mind. One feels energetic, bright, and ready to go. So, we all loaded up the van and headed off to church. Oh, did I forget to mention we left a little late? Oh yeah. For me, it's normal. Good thing Donna knew the backway into the church so the congregration didn't see us pulling up in a our party van right before Mass started. As it was, we were lucky enough to get seats. Better yet, they were in the last row. The penalty for getting to Mass late at St. John Fisher in Richmond, is to sit up front. Front row. You had to do that little 'perp' walk and feel like the eyes of everyone is watching you shuffle to the front. Heh,heh. I sang in the choir so I got to see the look of horror as the ushers invited the late arrivals to the front. What are you going to say? No? Anyway, I digress - as usual - when blogging in the middle of the night. I found out that Father Dave is a Packers fan. Oh yes! And, he tossed a few prayers our way. Which were very much appreciated. I should have taken pictures of the church. There is something about going to Mass that gets me all gitty. No matter where one goes in the world, the Mass is the same. It's like coming home.
The rest of the day was spent driving up into more mountains and looking at different sites. We spotted some really huge mansions that Gabby thought were just outstanding and snapped a few pictures.
The day started winding down faster than we all expected. Our time to leave the Murphys and check into the team hotel was coming up and it would soon be time to start focusing on the competition. It has been a really great and relaxing time to catch up with family and see a part of the city that I had not seen. My mom (the DeLao part of the family) and dad had sent their well wishes to Donna and her family and big hugs were exchanged all the way around. They promised to visit and we promised to come back. It was sad and exciting to finally head into the city where the olympic ice and competition rinks were waiting. This is the ice that had carried Emily Hughes, and Apollo Anton Ono to Gold. And, soon, very soon, we would all be there.

Headings to the mountains!

The strange thing, for me, a flat lander from Texas...are these things called basements. Laugh all you will, but you know we don't have these back home. It was new to all of us. It worked out great as it was really roomy and quite warm. Our trip started out at the base of the mountain and we managed to make it up all the way to Alta, Snowbird, and the Brightons. Again, it was cold but no snow - yet. Snow would be a few days away yet. I snapped a few pictures and sent them to friends and family back home.


The other interesting things about driving through the canyons on our way up the mountain was how quickly it got dark on us. In the flat lands, you can see the sun going down. Here, the sun ducks behind a mountain, and you're done. It's dark. Time to switch on the lights and meander down the mountain. This is the part where it gets scary. I keep thinking Moose (and squirrel) is going to jump out and mess up my day.

However, we managed to make it up and down the mountain and play in some of the snow that was along the road. Gabby and Donna and the rest of the crew couldn't resist to get out and run around. Me? I stayed in the van. I like it warm and toasty.



All in all, it was a very busy day, capped off by Gabby giving a personal concert with her viola. Come to think about it, it was her first concert for anyone! I feel special. It's really cool to set around the piano, play some music, get jolly, and hang with family. It's in our blood!

Hello from Salt Lake City!

Well, here we are - in Salt Lake City finally! We arrived today a few days ahead of the competition to relax and get our bodies used to the altitude. It's working! I'm now huffing-and-puffing around with every step. I think I was doing that at sea level anyway - especially after that GREAT Thanksgiving dinner at Ma's. The great thing about Thanksgiving is that it gives us a chance to pig out (oink, oink) and catch up with the family. They all wished us well on our trip here.

So, we are all here in SLC - more accurately - Cottonwood Heights. My cousin, Donna Murphy, and her family have been gracious enough to open their lovely home to us. This is quite a treat in light of staying in yet another drab hotel room. Her husband, David, russeled up some home cooking for us when we arrived and put us in a good spirits. We had a chance to connect with her daughters - my long lost relatives - Deedee, Darika, and Danielle. It was great and we all had a great dinner.

Donna, whom was also working to volunteer to organize a banquet fundraiser for the catholic church, found the time to show us around her favorite parts of the mountains and canyons. With a phone in one ear and a constant flow of conversations and directions and ooh-and-aahs we were off to the mountains.
We first made a stop by one of her favorite haunts - La Calle - a french cateau styled restaurant. We were able to tour the restaurant before they opened through Donna's connections and a very friendly ghost who left a door open for us. Now THAT is cool. Did I mention the Cat? Gabby made friends with a very cool cat that wanted to come home with us. I don't think Gabby has ever met an animal that she didn't want to bring home. So, after touring the ski centers. At this point in our trip, very little snow had fallen. This was an odd year as there is usually a few feet of snow on the ground by Thanksgiving. I've sprinkled in a few pictures of the gorgeous mountains.

Train, Prepare, Train, Prepare, Train

So, here we are...the final days before the junior nationals. Things are stepping up around the home. Gabby and Bobby have been training non-stop since passing the test in September. The only breaks have been for weekends. This past weekend the Gabby, Bobby, Joel, and I got some quality time to beat the living crap out of each other on video games. Heh,heh. Somehow beating your partner on Guitar Hero is a lot of fun. :) I guess the point is that we don't forget to have fun. Kids and Kids at heart.

Although the tension is pretty high around the house, Gabby doesn't complain too much. It's a lot to put up when you're only 11. However, she's still snippy and she gets grouchy and she doesn't want to do this or that. It's normal for a pre-teen I suppose and a girl in the middle of the pressure of being just a normal kid. She has her friends and her friends outside of skating. I think having both has really helped keep her grounded. She talks to her friends from school and they kid around and talk about boys, but they may not understand skating. The skating friends understand the training schedule and the drama that is skating. Sometimes there is more drama at the rink than on TV.

So, we're all packing. Buying new shoes, new jackets, unpacking . It's going to be REALLLLLY cold in Utah. I can't wait and wow...only a few days away. Nine whole days on the road. Yikes. Seems like a LOOOONG time. At least some of my best friends will be there as well. It's one thing to be on the road alone, quite a bit different when one is traveling with friends and family. It's nice.

So, here we go - Thanksgiving coming up. A day to give thanks for everything. Our family is so blessed. Mom and Dad will be with us this year. That is wonderful.

Galleria Tree Lighting - Part 2

So, the show was just fantastic! All of our girls from the Texas Gulf Coast FSC did very well and we are sooooo proud of them. What is even more important than the show, I think, was the support the kids have for each other. They were all cheering the loudest whether they were cheering the reindeer (Brandee, Allison, Sabrina and Lauren), Gabby and Bobby, Kim and Gray, or the Christmas Tree Princess (Melissa). After the show, the kids all stood in line to visit with and take their picture with the star of the show, Nancy Kerrigan. Not everything worked out they would liked in that department. Too many people all wanting to see Nancy made it pretty tough. No matter though - after the show we *all* went out to eat dinnder at Canyone Cafe. It was fun walking from the hotel to the restaurant - about 2 blocks. Two loooong blocks and it was just about right. To say how lucky we were - I called the restaurant and requested a reservation for 7 people, which grew to 10, when grew to 15 and then 30. I called the restaurant thinking - oh, no way they were going to fit us in. However, I am glad to report here that not only was the restaurant not too crowded, but a reservation for 20 people fell through for another group. This meant that we could walk right in and have a table waiting for us. This is exactly what we did. Can you imagine a gang of skater girl (and boy) thugs walking down the street? It was a hoot and a lot of fun. I think these are the memories that the kids will remember.

So we all descended on the restaurant...a nice and quiet restaurant - until we got there. Uh-oh. :) We had our own little room in the back. There were some other nice couples in there but it was mostly us. Eventually, the other people left. I'm not sure if they were finished or we scared them off. Ha, ha. It was great from the food throwing that scored two points thanks to a bank shot from Bobby to Gray to Michelle for a score. It was SOOOO funny I thought Gray was going to split a stitch. You HAD to be there. :) Howard and I were just rolling on the floor laughing. It was a great ol' time with the gang from Sugar Land.

And, now... it gets serious and Bobby and Gabby are focusing on Junior Nationals. I know they will do great and I am so proud of them. Heidi has her work cut out for her. What, with signs to be made...limos to organize. HA,HA. Did I mention Heidi is the president of the fan club? Oh yes she is and she will be travelling with us to Salt Lake City. It less than 3 weeks away - AAAHHHHH!!!

Till next time,

Joe.

Wrapping up the Galleria Tree Lighting Show - Part 1

In a word - Wow. In two words: Wow, wow.

Gabby and Bobby skated very well and their part in the show was just fabulous! I have never see the Galleria full of soooo many people. We got there early in the day so that we could check in the hotel, drop our bags and enjoy some chill time before the craziness started. The day started off pretty cloudy and we were slowly - slowly - making our way to the hotel. The lines of cards were building up early with the regular weekend crowds starting to build up in anticipation of the holiday season. Brother Joel was following us to the hotel. Joel came out to support his sister. He was also going to watch the house and take care of the cat and dog while we stayed overnight at the hotel. YEA! Joel! I'm glad to have come home and proud to see the home standing in one piece. Ha,ha! So, back to the hotel. We got there early - too early - and our room was not ready. Uh oh. LUCKY for us Howard and Michelle - and daughter Brandee were already checked in. I called Dorothy and we were on our way up to the suite. Sharon and her daughter Sabrina were already there and the whole gang was just chilling. Calming the nerves before the really big shoo. Howard was a gracious host and order food for the girls to snack on to keep their strength ready. Gabby and Sally were getting dressed as there was not much time before Bobby and Gabby and the rest of the gang were to make their way to the ice and start warm ups.

So, back to the show. Let me tell you (again). It was PACKED. Our support group from Sugar Land was there. Sally's family was there. We had a ton of people there to cheer on all the skaters. All that support really came in handy as we were nervous. I think the only person not nervous was Gabby. She and Bobby went out and did their program with nary a problem. In the program, they skated with Kim and Gray whom also did the opening number. The program was set to the music of Josh Groban, "Believe" - from the movie "Polar Express". The program was dramatic as it was thrilling. Gabby and Bobby had a low spin (airplane) in their program, as well as a back-flip, a headbanger, and soaring lifts. Kim and Grey added a hand-stand to their program while Gabby and Bobby did a flip-lift. It brought the crowd to their feet with cheers and clapping. Once the program finished, we were able to breathe again. That was an exciting show and just sooo much to take in.

Getting ready for Junior Nationals

We are almost there... Junior Nationals. As you may recall, Bobby and Gabby are going to Junior Nationals at the end of November, beginning of December. Actually, all the pairs teams from our home rink are going. We have Joseph and Briana, Taylor and Sarah, and Bobby and Gabby. Also included in the picture are B.J. and Nina. They did very well at regionals and get to go to Junior Nationals.

We have other skaters at the rink that have to make a stop at Mids on their way to Nationals. Mids this year are being held at Rochester, Michigan. Who says our kids don't travel! I can already start adding up the number of air miles we have accumulated this year. So far this year, Gabby has been to New York, Boston, Cape Cod, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Antonio. I guess we if we REALLY counting cities, we would have to include Salem, Mass, Plymouth , Mass. and Atlantic City. Wow. I had not considered all those cities of travel. It's a good thing we are not collecting refridgerator magnets from every city. The whole door would be one giant magnet. Speaking of door magnets. We have one from USFSA (Heidi). I think it's probably a collectable now. We also have the Olympic training center on a magnet. The one I like? Hmm... I have the one from the Bermuda...oh and an old one from Astroworld with the 4 worlds. THAT is a classic.

Oh, and TONIGHT, I got to watch Bobby and Gabby practice at the Galleria for the upcoming Tree Lighting on November 10th. That promises to be an exciting show and we all can't wait. BG have been working, in addition to preparing for JNs, on the program for the tree lighting.

2007 Southwest Regionals

Well, we are finally back from the Southwest Regionals held in Grapevine, TX. Yes, this is the big "shoe" - to quote a famous showman. Again, I met the family in Dallas on the final leg of a business trip. Thank goodness, Dorothy was there to help drive the family in the good ol' Lexus. Pack it up and hit the road girls!

I'm very proud of Gabby as she got first place and got a nice gold medal in the Qualifying round. Her program was clean and her jumps as high as I have seen them. She skated to "Patch Adams" and her speed across the ice was very good. She really "looks" the part and brought several of the parents to tears. Not me. I'm immune to them now - well, not really. She has a way of looking the part and bringing the song out when she skates. Dorothy did a really great job of choreography in the program.

The final round, which took place the next day, did not go as planned. Gabby did not have a good warm up and it kind of went down from there. She was just out of whack. It's tough this skating thing. That's why it's called skating I guess.

If anything, it was a good experience for her. She had some setbacks and next time those happen again she'll know how to deal with them.

I am also very proud of her. She was one of the very few in our club who made it past the first round. A lot of our skaters did not make it past qualifying so not too shabby for her first regional competition.

The next events coming up are going to only get harder. Gabby and Bobby will be skating the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Houston Galleria on November 10th at 6:30pm. Then, Gabby and Bobby will be skating in the Junior Nations in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Go Gabby Go! We believe in you!

Dad.

Two for TWO!!!!

Gabby and Bobby passed the 2nd test and are ready to go to Junior Nationals!!!! Woohooo!

This was the first time that I actually saw them skate through their program and I can't say it enough - they continue to amaze me. It really looks like they've been skating together than they actually have.

Don't believe me? Have a look at the video here from our friends over at YouTube. I edited a little bit - changed the music. I only changed the music because I did not have the jazzy music they skated to so I had to improvise. I slowed the video down and added some faded cuts and voila! I set the program to "Fields of Gold". It was Gabby's VERY first skating program music and one of my favorites.

To join the BGs Fanclub...write to Heidi and she'll get you setup. We have T-shirts, mugs, hats, coozies. JUST KIDDING!!!

Dad.

And then there were TWO!

Hi All,

I'm very proud to let everyone now that Gabby has added PAIRS to her skating ability. Yes, Dorothy was approached by Kim and Gray Johnson this past week. They had been watching Gabby skating for awhile and Gray had been helping Gabby with her jumps. They asked if Gabby would like to trial skate with their son, Bobby, and see if they were a good match.

I can let you know that things have gone very well. They play off each other and they truly enjoy skating together. Gabby is a bundle of energy and willing to learn and fearless. Bobby is your typical skateboard dude, gamer, and HIM fan. He also happens to be a very good pairs skater, experienced, strong, and sure footed. All important qualifications when lifting 80 lbs of Gabby in the air. Yikes!

I've been watching them all week and they have two critical tests to pass and if they get past THOSE, they'll be on their way to Junior Nationals in Salt Lake City, UT.

Those two - I tell you - are like brother and sister and they like a lot of the same things. Gaming, rock music, telling jokes, and of course, ice skating.

Heidi has taken a liking to the kids and is working up a fan club - herself as president - naturally. The working title for the group is "The BGs" - (BeeGees) - Bobby and Gabby. Ha,ha. It works for me.

One Test down - One to Go!

Gabby and Bobby passed their first pairs test today. They've only been skating a few days but they look like they've been skating together for years. It's truly amazing to watch those two go through the routine. They watch each other and they keep in sync. Who'd a thunk it?

Only one more test to go. Dorothy is going to try to arrange for the test during practice ice for the Skate Houston competition. It's their only and last chance to pass the second test. Let's see - one chance to pass the test - it's pass the test or wait until next year. Hmm, no pressure.

Gabby Captures the GOLD again!

Gabby bounced back from a fall during her program to capture the Gold in the Ladies Pre-Juv event on Saturday, July 21st, 2007 at 4:06pm. I have all the details from the official website - but I personally missed the competition. This is the *first* competition I've missed with Gabby and it was pretty tough to stay home away from Sally, Gabby and Dorothy. However, the rest of the crew was there - Rene, Catherine and all the rest of the "yahoos."

I think the best thing to remember after the competition is that: (1) even if you fall, you have a chance to recover; (2) the judges pay attention during warm ups and will have an idea on what you can do; (3) speed, speed, speed, and cover the ice; (4) extensions, artistry, and grace count; (5) forget points 1-4 and never, EVER, try to figure out the judging system. Ha, ha.

Truly though, Gabby has been skating non-stop since before summer started. Her off-ice conditioning is coming together and her muscle tone is really showing. She is working hard to build up her endurance and her jumping height. I think it will pay off when it gets to the double jumps.