OK, Kwanophiles, how are you going to get

[kwanette]

ready for Nationals? With whom do you watch the comp? Any special rituals? Do you like to know the sp results ahead of time? Lucky charms? What do you do when MK skates...live? Talk to her? Pray? Please share....

[Karin]

When I watch MK live...I um... hahaha... hold my breath for 4minutes!!!...until I know she has won!!!... then breathe easy Karin!!!... Actually...I say "sh"!!! "Shhhhh"!!! "Shhhhhhh"!!! to everyone around me if they aren't already quiet!!! I am very lucky to live with my friend and family who are also MK fans...so we actually all do our "shhhh!!!"... And my heart would go lub dub lub dub lub dub lub dub super fast when MK goes into a jump...!!! When MK finishes her program...I'll jump up (nearly hitting my head on the ceiling LOL)...and scream "she won she won!!!" Then just before the marks and ordinals appear on the TV screen...my bp elevates and elevates and elevates until I see the: 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 and the 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 And my boyfriend and friends all know not to call during those minutes!!! I don't want to say "MK bring home the gold bla bla bla..." this time...I just want MK to have fun!!! But I do wish her luck in skating all her elements perfectly!!! Kwanette...I must confess...and I hope no MK fan gets mad at me...(because I'm hoping you know what an enthusiastic MK fan I am!!!)...but I kinda want SH to win!!! Then I hope MK can come back and win it next year and the next...and the 2002 Olympic gold medal too!!! OK...me running...

[lavender]

I'm surprised and confused. I thought that you were rooting for michelle all the way.

[barang]

i can see your point and no arguement here.

[barang]

i'll be watching it downstairs by myself while the other member of the family watch it upstairs. moment like this, i don't want any interruption because my eyes will be glued to the screen and my heartbeat will beat 1000mph. i wish her all the best and will pray for her as usual.

[Cherie]

I'm going to be holding my breath and crossing my fingers and praying all over the place, that my cable doesn't go out like it did 2 years ago, the night of the ladies long program. What a nightmare. I didn't have a computer back then, so I didn't know the results ahead of time. I was able to hook up a small 13" T.V. with rabbit ears. It didn't come in very good at all, but it was better than not seeing it at all. I'm really hoping that never happens again. So I'll be sitting here with my remote control in hand, oblivious to everything else around me. That's pretty much how I am whenever there's any skating on. And when there is, everyone in my family knows it's best not to bother me.

[kwanette]

wait by the pc until the results of the sp are known......then Sat night I will be here alone, but will probably be on the phone with my friend Cindy during Michelle.She tends to have a calming effect on me.I usually talk to the TV when she skates live..."Come on, Michelle, come on my Angel" silly things like that.I usually tape the whole show in one room and hand tape her..interviews, performance in the other. By Saturday, I will be a nervous wreck. No, Karin, I am not mad, just mildly puzzled.I think the majority of the kwanophiles wish Sarah well. I like her...but as I said before...it's always Michelle first.

[Ice Butterfly]

I don't have any special rituals. However, I've noticed I can tell the "state" of her mind right before she starts. Her expression right before her opening pose seems to set the "tone" for her performance. I know this sounds corny, but right before her skate at the 1998 Nationals I was so nervous. When she took the ice however, she just had the warmest most genuine smile ever. Her smile immediately put me at ease. She looked so relaxed, more so than ever, and it resulted in her best skate ever!

[eilaram]

Well, if it goes like other years... First I'll warn my brother that its going to be on because he usually avoids it, but if he does not know that its on and comes into the room, he watches at least one skater and chants "fall" no matter who they are because that's the only time he finds it exciting. I will take the blanket of the sofa and sit on the floor in front of the tv waiting for her to skate. When she steps unto the ice I will get chills and shiver and have to wrap the blanket around my shoulders. I will hold my breath and be so tense that I nearly shake until its finally over. At which time my mom will start talking loudly about the performance causing me to hold my hand up so I can hear the commentators. If it is a thrilling performance, about that time I will hear my dad snore because he always falls asleep during skating. If it is a wonderful performance with great scores, then I will so excited that I get up and take off the blanket and start walking around. If it is a flawed performance or bad scores and there are skaters after her, I will get up with the blanket still wrapped around me and pace around until the competition is over. Around the time commercials come on, my sister will come downstairs and laugh at my pacing or walking happily about and ask me how she skated and I will tell her and she'll say "oh" and leave the room. That really is what usually happens.

[Rene]

Wow Karin, you must REALLY want Sarah to win because I think this is the 3rd post I've read about that! I hope Sarah does well. I have to know the results before I watch. I get too sick to my stomach and can't concentrate if I don't. I don't want anyone else to win Nationals until MK retires. It will be hard for me if she ever loses that title. Of course I will shoo everybody out of the room and of course they will decide that they just HAVE to be near me at the exact moment Michelle is skating. I think they have Michelle radar. Ever since '97 Nationals they are not allowed in the room when Michelle skates. I didn't know the results ahead of time and just because they think they're cute they were chanting "FALL" when Michelle started. We all know what happened...I've blamed it all on a couple of 12 and 6 year old boys! BTW, they felt really bad after she DID fall.

[Joshua]

Whenever I watch important competitions, I have to do it alone. I don't like watching it with people who don't share my enthusiasm. I don't think I have developed any outlandish rituals, but I do pray, not for MK to win, but that she does her best...though deep down I hope that she will forever dominate each and every competition she enters.

[Beth2000]

I always give fair warning to my husband and son that skating is on and it is my TV. Then as Michelle takes the ice I cross my fingers and hold my breath until she does her first jump. After that every jump she takes I am always saying "go Shelley go". My husband always looks at me and says "you know she is going to win so what are you afraid of, she never falls." And I am always telling him "I know but shhhhh!, so I can listen". He looks at me and laughs and says "why so you can hear Dick Button always making snide remarks about her skating and the other skaters skating?" I tell him "no, saw I can just watch Michelle do her thing. I don't care what Dick Button has to say b/c he can't get out there and do those jumps himself at his age." I to wish Sarah Hughes the best, but I still want Michelle to win!

[dreamr]

I think I am going to try the chicken sacrifice thing. :) Capt Canada's chicken recipe looks really good! :) My experience with wanting someone to win in sports is this...I want someone to win and they lose! It is always this way! I am not lying people. In 96 I wanted Shannon Miller to take the all around gold. She was first until she stepped out on floor and did overotated a move an stepped out, which cost her. In the inagural MLS championship, I was rooting for Galaxy to take the win, and they LOST! They were ahead at the half and they still lost! The dodgers only need to win 1 game against the Padres one year I remember, and I thought, YES ITS IN THE BAG! Wrong! They lost! 98 Olympics we all know what happened there don't we. 98 my high school football team was the best in the league and they were playing someone really bad, I thought yes we will win, WRONG! 99 Worlds, we all know what happened there! 99'gymnastics Worlds and Nationals, I wanted Vannessa Atler to win and she lost! 2000 GPF we all know what happened their don't we. This is just a few, that I can think of at this point. So this year I am anit-Kwan! Hopefully I won't jinx her!

[Beth2000]

Okay dreamr your job is, not to watch MK! Just kidding! It has nothing to do with you at all. It has to do with the ice and how the skaters are feeling at the time they are skating.

[FlashOBlue]

I always try and watch the competitionon on TV, before I go on line to check things out. But, I usually can't wait. If I watch Michelle LIVE I can't sit or be still. I pace and pray, pace and pray, usually with my back to the TV. I take an ocassional glance at the screen. My heart pounds and there's a burning sensation in my throat. Then as the scores are announced I cry...for happiness or sadness or in anger. If Michelle wins I jump around the room and do a little dance. Then the phone rings and my friend, Jen, another Michelle lover says, "Your girl did GREAT!" Then I cry (sob) until all the emotion is finally out. My husband sits on the couch and watches. He yells things like, "You can do it, Michelle!" "Yes! Yes! Yes!" "Great, just hold on -- it's almost over!" "Beautiful!" "Wonderful!" "Look at THAT! Fabulous!" He also asks the commentators be quiet, get a grip, give the kid a break, or shut the h--- up! Since I live in California the "live" telecast isn't "live" here -- it's 3 hours old -- so it's difficult not going on line to find out what happened. This year I'm going to try and hold out for the televised show. It's much more fun and exciting to watch the thrill of the win unfold, even if I do lose a few pounds pacing!

[skatingfan]

If it is not live, I always check the net for the result first. So I will be doing that for the sp. I will watch the sp Fri pm in my brothers house and try to convince my little nephew to watch with me. Saturday I will watch Tiger Woods - in the afternoon, he is favored to win, and hopefully watching Tiger will calm my nerves a bit. Saturday night with the live broadcast, I will watch alone, holding my breath and eat a lot of junk food b/c of nervousness.

[Karin]

Honestly???...I hope you didn't misunderstand me...or I hope I didn't come across the wrong way!!! I will always be MK's fan...MK will always and forever be my all-time favourite skater...MK will always and forever be my hero!!!... Now...that doesn't mean that I think she should win everytime...although I do wish it that way!!! :-) Only thing is...really???...I'm sure most of us MK fans want MK to win every single competition!!!...me too...BUT what is the probability of that???...High I'm sure...but I think in reality...MK will be beaten some day in some competition... So my theory is...better now than later when it's closer to the Olympics like next year or the next!!! But then again my thinking is kinda odd sometimes...hahaha!!! That said...I do wish all the skaters luck!!!...the competition would be more exciting if everyone skates clean!!! Go MK!!!

[Rene]

Karin, I think you're right...your thinking is kinda odd! LOL! (just kiding)

[maileng]

Hi everyone, I'm new. I've been coming to this forum for several months and now with Nationals approaching, I felt very compelled to join. I love watching Michelle skate. She is a true artist. I haven't seen any other female that I enjoy more. It was very uncomfortable for me when MK won the silver at GPF. So I'm going to get scared Friday all day. I'm so nervous about Friday already. Whenever I have felt this way about a competition MK entered she lost. For me this is not a good sign. But I'm with you all, I always enjoy MK skating even when of if she falls because I always remember what she says: 'It's how you get up.' And boy she is a fighter and artist. I feel like I want to watch Nationals with someone in case she doesn't get the gold medal. But I'm just like a couple you fans who say you would rather watch it alone. Figure skating has always been a sport where I need no company. I get so much joy out of watching it alone. Watching MK skate really entertains me and comforts me that doing some things alone is not a bad thing. So what I think I will do Friday is keep checking this forum to see what's MKFs are talking about. Some how coming to this forum makes everything alright when it comes to MK and her competitions. Because you all are such good fans. I'm going to try not to check the scores before watching it. But I will probably check it because I want her to win so bad. I hope I did alright with this being my first time. Maileng: Wishing Michelle and us Fans the best this weekend.

[tteller]

I usually watch with my wife as our 4 year old talks about Michelle's Disney "Mulan" special :). Both my wife and I hold our breath during the first couple of jumps. Just reading all of the above replys gives me a queasy feeling for this weekend. Somehow, us being there in person for the ladies competition (and men's LP)makes me feel somehow more nervous. I'm happy about MK's skating order. Not too soon. Not too late. I wish I'd have my computer along...but I won't be able to join in back here until Sunday P.M. Go Michelle!!!!!

[lavender]

Welcome maileng and I know how you feel. It's been a different kind of year and I've been a little angry, sad yet hopeful about some things I've read on chat boards since the and the media since gpf. I don't know what feeling to go with but I just have to let it ride and go with the flow. tteller-i hope you have fun and experience joy while your there. I feel we mkfans need it. There's been enough backlash.

[maileng]

Lavender thanks for welcoming me. You're right we just have to wait and see how it goes. One thing for sure, the closer and closer it gets to Nationals, the more excited I get about watching Michelle compete. I'm just for her all the way. I really feel that Michelle can handle this pressure. Maileng's Encouragement Statement: You can do this Michelle ... All of us here believe in you and we are with you.

[mano]

I'm going to take the advice I gave to Kwan in the "Good Luck At Nationals" topic started by Sahllah in the "Dear Michelle" section of MKF. I intend to drown myself in Espresso and stuff myself with some Biscotti through out this whole week. Maybe it's all the "chicken" sacrifices. It's making me chicken methinks. I say, let's go for broke and sacrifice a cow or something. How about have Tiger Wood's killer instinct rub off on MK, yeah, that would be cool.

[Kiana]

I don't like any distractions during Nationals so I turn off my ringer on my phone. I sit infront of the TV and turn up the volume. I hold my breath whenever I know she will be doing a difficult jump. The anticipation of waiting is the worst. I think that I nearly make myself sick. During warm-up for the long and short programs my eyes are just focused on Michelle. Then, there is the nervousness right before she skates her program. I have to take a deep breathe and say "relax." As long as she skates clean, I will be happy. More than anything, I want her to be the National, World, and Olympic Champion. It would be a shame if she does not win 2002. She is so talented. I often think back to Nagano in 1998, and I say to myself "What were those judges thinking?"

[thumpers]

I Love/Hate watching skating live! I love it because you know right away what is going on but I hate it when somebody falls down! I don't have any rituals but I just hope Michelle skates her best and is happy with her skate regardless of where the judges put her. I also hope all the up and comers skate well and especially Sarah. She really derserves a medal this year.

[littlepebbles1]

First of all, I will be eating lots of chicken this week. Plus I'll be getting my lucky rock ready. It let me down at GPF and I have informed it that if it lets me down at Nationals, it will be ground into dust. I'm chanting my Kwanorian chants, praying toward CA, etc. Last but not least, as I type, I am burning 3 candles. They are Lyra Angelica blue, Ariane lavender, and Red Violin burgundy/maroon and they are on the table in that order. No kidding. GO MICHELLE!!!!

[Karin]

what happened to red for Romanza or ADITL, and ... :-) Just thinking about watching it LIVE makes my heart pound!!!... 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0

[ML]

I need something more to tranquil my nervous system and perhaps M.K's and all you Kwanophiles --- here is some bright Arizona sunshine and red rock vertexs to cheer myself and Y'all especially for Meno :) Please click the below URL, which is the first rays of sun strike Chathedral Rock: <A HREF=http://www.swparks.com/picsbig/sedona3.jpg >http://www.swparks.com/picsbig/sedona3.jpg </A> Could you feel the vibrate energy?! Greetings to M.K. & Y'all from Sedona, AZ with Love :)

[littlepebbles1]

I just asked my Magic 8 ball if Michelle would skate well this week. The answer was "Outlook good". So I have some hope. I also asked if Michelle would win, but it said "Better not tell you now". It always says that when I ask if she will win.