Hello Friends, 

Well, life after competitive skating that is. My days have been a flurry of activity in the last 4 1/2 months since Nationals in St. Louis. When I came home in January I decided to walk through a new gate on my Life's Road that revealed a plethora of options. My first decision was to join the full time coaching brigade at the World Arena.

Le' me tell ya, that business took off much faster than I expected. In fact, I still feel like I'm being pulled behind a speed boat and it's a challenge to keep up! Before I began coaching in February I figured out a budget and determined how many lessons I would need to teach each day to pay my bills, etc. I was a bit concerned since my accounts were in the red after last season and I was totally on my own for the first time financially. Low and behold, my first week I reached my quota and I've left that in the dust ever since! Earning money is still a bit of a novelty for me. It is a great feeling having a full time income for the first time in my life. The challenge of producing results in others is something I find very captivating. I really enjoy how problems reveal themselves while coaching and that it is up to me to figure out how to surpass them. When I do, my satisfaction soars and when I don't, the responsibility is all mine. Kind of like the life I've been living for the last 21 years with a new twist:-)

Assisting other coaches has consumed the bulk of my working day up until now. Fortunately, I've been trained very well and given specific talents that have enabled me to teach freestyle, choreograph programs, improve edges, teach field moves, and arrange program music. Since I'm the jack-of-all-trades I am finding my time in high demand. This is a mixed blessing because I haven't figured out how to say, "No" yet. A tactful way of saying that would be nice but I'm accepting any applicants at the moment. When someone asks me for my help I'm still
at the stage where I get really excited and think "aww shucks, really?" I find myself slowing but steadily approaching the pain-pleasure threshold where the pain of not sleeping or having enough personal time will surpass the pleasure I receive from feeling useful/successful/ productive and earning money. Joy, joy, the rat race at its finest!

My coach of 21 years, Diana Ronayne, recently left Colorado Springs to accept a sweet position as Skating Director at the Shattuck-St.Mary's School in Fairbault, MN. SSM is a gorgeous private boarding school whose campus reminds me of the Harry Potter or Dead Poet's Society movies. In fact, the school actually offered Diana the job two years ago but she put them on hold so that she could guide my skating career to the finish line in Colorado Springs. For that I am very grateful. The school is a perfect match for her talents and she is already doing great things there. Believe it or not I'm typing this manifesto from a dorm room at the Shattuck-St. Mary's school. I brought several students to the first week of the training camp that Diana has produced here. This place is truly fantastic and you are certain to hear more about it in the future.

With becoming primary coach for several of Diana's students will adding those of my own, the lineup of my skaters rivals the VonTrapp family from The Sound of Music. (I'd hate to hear them sing but their sizes fit the part.) This is a fantastic responsibility that I look forward to with anticipation. Have I done it before? No. Have I surpassed equally daunting tasks? Without a doubt. I'm sure I'll do just fine.

So if that's not enough I'm also subjecting myself to the harassment of the local university again. Just kidding, I am looking forward to completing my college degree. I brushed off seven years of dust from my transcripts and sent them to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. I decided to forego the stethoscope from my Pre-med days back in Detroit and have traded it in for a calculator. I was accepted into the School of Business Administration as a Finance major. It gets even better.... Since my transcripts are really good and my income has been really low I was offered a full ride scholarship covering tuition
and books for the first year. The only catch (and it's a really BIG catch) is that I have to go to school full time. How am going to do this? By God's grace. (Also see the above paragraph on saying "NO".)

Since Nationals I've skated performances in Washington, D.C., South Dakota, Detroit, Chicago, and South Carolina. I think I need to have a burial ceremony for my luggage when I get home. My large suitcase has accompanied me to Japan, China three times, Canada twice, Europe multiple times, and has crisscrossed the United States. Please join me in a moment of silence................................................. Thank you. (sniffle, sniffle). The reality is that I'm the one who is feeling broken. The tendonitis in my left knee has managed to get worse since Nationals. Skating less ironically made things worse since my muscles and nervous system were not as finely tuned. My plan is to not skate sessions myself all summer and heal up from several nagging things. One of the reasons I stopped competitive skating is that I'm tired of skating through pain everyday. Now that I have a choice I'm sure not going to do it now.

Oh yeah, I was also elected by the athletes to be one of three athlete representatives to the 15 person U.S. Figure Skating Board of Directors. So I'll help manage a $50 million organization in my free time. If all goes well I'll be able to stir up the pot a little bit.

So where does that leave my skating? Time will tell. I still have the desire to perform yet do not want to go on tour. I'm keeping my eligible status so I can always go back if I want (though I have no plans or current desire to do that.) "The updates?" you say? They may be even fewer and farther between (if that is possible:-) My marriage? I'm still in love with my bride and we just celebrated our 4th anniversary on June 1. (How could you have forgotten? GUILT TRIP, GUILT TRIP.)

Well, thank you for letting me entertain myself with this letter.