So let me start off this entry with what happened this morning. I decided to get in an early session because of a dentist’s appointment later in the morning. I was the only one on the ice for a while, and became preoccupied with trying to get my legs aligned, and my left shoulder in a good position on the back inside edge, and finding a good song to play instead of that annoying morning talk radio, and all that good stuff.

So about a half hour later in walk Ari and Maddie and some guy I didn’t know, and Ari says, “I want to introduce you to Ben.” So I shake hands with Ben, and say something like “Oh, are you visiting? Where are you from?” You know, pleasant, nice-to-meet-you-at-the-rink, have-a-nice-day kinda stuff. And then I go back to working on my back inside three turns, and Ben starts skating around and I realize, that’s Ben Agosto.

You know, Ben Agosto, the ice dance silver medalist at the 2006 Olympics.

So because I was not all there, just kinda there, I missed my chance for a selfie with Ben Agosto. Rats! And now I have to try to google image myself a picture of Mr. Agosto that looks like what he looked like today (short hair, clean-shaven, wearing Ari’s jacket, and giving a lesson on the Golden Waltz, which I swear looks like one of the most beautiful and diabolical dances ever invented). And I can’t find one, which means I have to substitute a picture of him with Tanith Belbin from 2009.

We all have times when what we did seemed like the right thing to do, but as it turns out it pales in comparison to what we should have done.

The more I think about it, the more I can compare my “Ben Agosto moment” to things like my left inside three, or some of my half-hearted pushes, or the alignment on my left side. Sorta there–but sorta doesn’t really work.

Sometimes sorta can be funny, like this pair of socks I bought some months ago when I was feeling a little vague about whatever. Sometimes sorta can be uncanny, like this rock I found when digging up my garden. It looks just like a potato, doesn’t it?

But in skating, sorta has to take that giant leap out of the “maybe” zone. Luckily, I have a do-over chance tomorrow. Maybe Ben Agosto will be back!