Just in the nick of time

Hi everyone!

I've been fairly busy recently, undertaking some of my final shifts at work (the absolute final one is next Monday, wooo!), and cubing lots and lots and lots.

Yes, for German Cube Day is just around the corner (April 21st-22nd, OK so not really a day, but the competition is so popular, with 49 competitors from 11 countries they have to spread it over two days!), and I have finally got my butt into gear as regards my practice regime.

It started out the other day by just playing with my 5x5x5 cube. Now I haven't touched this puzzle for ages, and the times when I have touched have been few and far between. As a consequence the puzzle still feels quite stiff and new. My best friend from the Netherlands, Joel van Noort told me recently some good places to make cuts with a sharp knife to make the puzzle move more smoothly, by taking away some of the plastic. After cutting 1 of the 24 pieces required, I got fed up, so as a result the puzzle is still stiff and new :( Anyway, to cut a long story short, I have been practicing hard at the 5x5x5 to lower my times, and it is having a good effect on my motivation to practice the other puzzles. I have improved already on the 4x4x4, and only today I managed a 16.78 average of 10 3x3x3 cubes.

It's just in the nick of time really. I still have a lot of practice to do if I want to be in good shape for Germany. But the significant thing is that for the first time in quite a while, and just in the nick of time really, I actually feel as though I WANT to practice. I am pretty sure that I won't win anything, but I still want to do the best I can. And most importantly, I want to have fun and enjoy myself, which may be quite tough if I don't do as well as I know I should.

I am registered in 9 events for the cube competition, including the big puzzles such as Megaminx and 5x5x5, and also blindfold 3x3x3. I have never made a successful attempt in a competition yet, I got close at the World Championships when I solved the cube to a state where only two edges were flipped. So it is one of my main goals to make a successful attempt at the German Open!

I am really looking forward to the cube day, not only will I get to take part in the competition, but I will also get to once again meet and socialise with the great deal of close friends that I have made all over Europe through speedcubing. It surely will be a trip to remember :)

I will of course, post all results as they become available, here in my blog :)

Keep cubing!

Danneh