So cold!

Ah, the joys of winter. The temperature has PLUMMETED over the last few days, and waiting for buses to hoik me back to Kentish Town just isn't fun!

It was a relatively quiet patch tonight for my lesson, and I was taught some new exercises as well.

Perimeter Stroking: Not bad. At last, my foot is falling in the right direction (some of the time) on the FXO's. Thinking of my knee pointing in the right direction didn't really help (yes, I have feet that can turn quite a way independently of my knees!), so now I think of rotating the whole leg in from the hip and that seems to help.
FXO's fig 8 to BXO's fig 8: Okay, can't do mohawks at speed at all. In fact, more than about a snail's pace! Other than that, not bad. The glide in between the BXO's is feeling much better and BXO's are feeling much smoother and getting a little faster. We worked on me keeping my inside shoulder and hip pushed back so I can keep control of my direction.
BXO's - landing position: Again, not bad. I need more power in my BXO's now so the glide can be held for longer.
FO & FI Edges: Outsides - my leg needs to be better timed as I bring it through. Insides - I am still hooking round on the inside edge, but D told me to keep the free hip pushed further back. Something to work on, but I can feel the difference. I also need to stop sticking my backside out!
Forward & Backward Crossrolls: Forward didn't feel too bad. Backwards still need help, but I am feeling how to transfer the weight onto the foot, so I think these have potential!
"A FO3 exercise" (aka, no idea what this is called): On a circle, do a LFO3 following the circle. bring feet together briefly and push back into a RBO landing position, then bring the free foot down (not on the ice) and step from back to forward . . . into your next LFO3! To my immense surprise, I really enjoyed this exercise! It is stronger on my right FO3 side than my left, but it is only really the step from front to back that is unsteady.
"A FI Mohawk exercise" (aka, another exercise that I don't know a name for!): Didn't like this one quite so much - like I said before, mohawks at anything above crawling pace just aren't happening atm. But, two strokes L & R, LFI mohawk (urgh),step back onto left foot and weight over left leg, push over onto right leg into a LBXO, step from back to front with right foot. All not bad . . . . but for the mohawk. I really need to get more comfortable with these at speed.
Novice Foxtrot: Improvement. Now need to work (on this and all dances) on speed of weight transfer and change of direction.
Canasta Tango: Another improvement (working on patterns yesterday paid off). I need to stop sticking my bum out on the slip chasses, but the swingy crossy thing is not being forgotten now. Apparently my arms were good too - no floaty bits this week :)
Dutch Waltz: Again, improved. Yay! Same things to work on as the others really - speed of weight transfer / direction change. D has given me an exercise to work on to practice this, so I can work on this.

A good lesson - now defrosting at home! I am back at home next week, so a much easier journey to both rinks (one bus, as opposed to three!). I do have a half day on Friday, and I will go straight to the rink from work for the last half of the morning session (I have to start very early, but that does mean I can leave very early too!) and I have Monday off too, so will try and make the morning session then.