On the edge: Rubik's Cube measured times

(tags telephone card, kawaii, Rubik's Cube, times)

This week I was able to pick up the Gamers point exchange card for 2008/01. It's a Christmas theme, and Dejiko and Puchiko look good with their new eye colors. I forgot the exchange day was on Monday, so I raced to the shop on Tuesday evening. They don't publish the availability but they do show that they have it in the glass cabinets. "Only 2 to a customer". Yes, please enforce that rule.

This evening on the way back home I was feeling pretty good with my Cube. I was walking around from my train to my bus through the anime and manga shops, twisting my Cube two-handed. I can't stop twisting it, it's so fun. I even did a one-handed solve, but the time is nothing interesting, probably more than 4 minutes. On the bus too, I was really burning up (subjectively). So I decided to measure again.

----- JNetCube Best Average for Thu Jan 24 21:09:13 GMT+09:00 2008 -----

Average: 59.14 (1:06.13 -6.99 last time)

Fastest Time: 0:50.12 (0:42.03 8.09 last time)
Slowest Time: 1:18.70 (1:29.61)
Standard Deviation: 05.26 (11.15)

Individual Times:
1:18.70 L' R' F R2 D L' U F2 U' B D2 R L2 D' R2 D F D' F2 B U' B' U2 D B
0:57.39 B F2 L2 U2 B2 L2 F U L2 U' L F' U2 D2 R' L' D U2 L B2 F' L U' L' B2
0:57.73 R' B R' L2 B' U' B' U' F2 D2 F D L' F D R F L' D R' B2 D B' F' U2
0:50.61 L D B2 F U' D B2 R' U2 L' U2 B D' U' L U R U' L R' F2 B R U F
0:55.17 F2 B L' B2 F2 U2 F' R2 B2 L2 B' L2 D' R D2 L2 R' D R D B' F' D' U R
0:57.78 U2 F' R2 F B D' U' F2 B R L' U2 L U B2 L2 B2 R2 U2 D R' U' F' U R
1:05.47 L D' R U2 R2 U' R2 F' R' B' R F' U2 B L D2 B' U F D' R D2 B' D U
1:03.48 F2 L B R2 B2 R U D B L' F2 B' U F U2 L R D' B F D2 U' B2 U2 B2
1:08.54 D' B' R' D2 R2 B' F2 D B L' R' F' L2 B' L' D L2 R' B L D2 U2 R' L2 F'
0:56.79 F2 U2 D L' U2 D' L' U' B' R L' U2 B U' D F U B2 D2 B2 F' D L' D R
0:58.42 F D L' F2 L U2 D' B' R2 B' U D F' D' B2 F R2 L2 F' U2 B D2 L' U' L2
0:50.12 U2 B' R2 U D B' R B2 F2 L F L2 R' D2 R2 U' L' B' D B2 R2 U F R B

I barely squeaked by my goal of a 60 second average solve. I suppose I can say I can solve the Cube in a minute (on a good day). My cube feels really light, but on the last solves I feared that it would POP. It feels kinda loose and fragile now.

What should be my new goal? Sub 55 on two measurements? Change the orientation while doing F2L? I'm going to just keep on walking around with my Cube in hand. It's just too fun.