NaTiredWriNi, juggling and handstands

[flexagon]

silentq's post about NaDruWriNi reminded me I haven't heard much NaNoWriMo buzz this year. What, has everyone gone sane on me all of a sudden? I admit, with Zillian biting my ass (or, more accurately, the ass of my ability to concentrate, and the ass of my free time), its existence didn't cross my mind until something like yesterday, at which point I laughed a bitter little laugh and sent that thought packing, back across my mind to where it came from.

I did not drink tonight, so I write from a position of tiredness instead. (Laugh away, monkey children, but doesn't it do some similar things to the writing brain?). Earlier today I was thinking of writing, more coherently than it will happen now, about how I'm all inspired to juggle regularly again. See, there's a friendly juggling club at work that will provide me an hour of practice per week, which is ever so fun and is also much more practice than I've been getting. More importantly, I am not the best in this club, I am an unequivocal third best with lots to learn from the two who are ahead of me. (I am a sexist juggler, apparently, by the way: I was shocked as all hell to not be the best woman in the group, and then shocked again for even having that thought.) One guy is really good at 441 (a 3-ball pattern I can't do) and the aforementioned girl-who-is-better-than-me can do a classic fountain pattern with four balls. Suddenly I really want to be able to do that! Also, people want to practice passing, which is all sorts of fun. Last Friday I spent quite a while doing the trick where two people stand side-by-side and juggle 3 balls using just their outside hands (operating, together, like one rather wide person normally would with one right and one left hand). Then I stood across from a guy and did classic passing between our two 3-ball cascades. Satisfying, how that feels.

I just learned, from searching around for all those links, that juggling is sometimes called "aerial sculpting". Hmm, makes me think of circus... and I haven't even touched on the fact that I had really good handbalance practice today at the gym (for me). Once I actually kicked up, balanced without ever touching the wall, and stayed there for a count of 20 or so. Might be my best ever. I improve painfully slowly, but I do improve... the tips I have finally taken to heart about tucking my tail as much as it can possibly tuck are definitely helping, though I think my tail still doesn't tuck too well.

Comments

[nevers.livejournal.com]

juggling club! that's so good.

[flexagon]

no comment on the handstands, huh? yeah, if I were you I'd have about given up on me by now :) there's actually some chance I may be able to go down to NYC on a business trip and catch a hs class at Lava... an outside chance, but it happened to heisenbug so I'm hoping!

[nevers.livejournal.com]

haha, that was one of those instances where i commented in my head but did not manage to commit it to livejournal. 20 seconds is FANTASTIC. you will be at a minute before you know it :). and tail-tucking is something i think i need to work on too. after my summer break i seem to ahve resumed hss with an ugly little pike in my hips that, in my imagination, makes me hollow, but on video clearly just makes me bent.

when would the business trip be?

[flexagon]

i don't know when it might be. Zillian sent heisenbug down to NYC for interview training, and maybe they would do that for me too (although they DO have it in boston now, it's not very frequent...) no idea. i'll try to figure that out sometime though.

i'm glad you think it's possible to go from 20 to 60 quickly. if only it was a consistent 20! it's still so very flaky! but, someday, as long as my shoulders don't give out.

someone at nimble/NECCA gave me a hollow-body exercise to do, rocking on the floor basically, and if you can roll smoothly with no bumping it means the tail is tucked enough. it's hard though; i have to lift my legs a fair amount to get that lack of bumping.