Chasing Two Stars

This may sound hypocritical given that I've previously said that chasing BCU stars is silly for recreational sea kayakers, but I really wanted to nail my BCU 2 Star assessment.
Last summer I took a 2 Star training with H. Greg Paquin was doing a series of 2 Star trainings and a number of the RICKA sea kayakers took the training over the course of the summer. It is a good overview of basic boat control skills. H and I can always use a brush up on basic skills.
Greg, and his partner Paula, do a great job teaching people across various levels of experience and skills. Both H and I enjoyed the class and got a lot out of it.
At the end of the day, Greg offered us the chance to assess for the 2 Star award. The RICKA paddlers who taken earlier sessions had all taken the assessment and passed, so I figured I should take it as well. I also figured it shouldn't be too difficult to pass....
Well, at the time I choked and didn't pass. I spent the winter and part of the summer smarting from that. I know that I've got the same basic skill level as the paddlers who passed the assessment, but just couldn't get my act together enough to assess. Getting the 2 Star became important As a point of personal pride.
So, I practiced the basic skills whenever I had the chance. When Greg offered me a chance to assess this past weekend, I jumped at it. I was a little worried that I'd choke again, but was willing to take the chance. One thing I had going for me was that I was too tired, babies are not conducive to sleeping, to over think things.
Greg ran me through the paces and this time I passed. One of the nice parts of the assessment is that it is more than a test. Greg pointed out areas where I can improve my skills throughout the exercise. For example, he pointed out that I don't consistently face my work.
Now that I've assessed for the 2 Star, I'm actually thinking about taking the 3 Star assessment..... After taking the training again.