Another great trip to Oshkosh...

It was awesome long weekend at AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. Several days with my eyes to the sky...

One of my favorite things about Oshkosh is sitting down and leaning back along the flight line to watch and listen as a variety of planes fly overhead.

I can hardly wait to get up there and fly myself.

On Thursday & Friday, I got to spend time with my good friend Erik. We had such fun hanging out and catching up. It's inspiring to hear about all the things he's working on as well as his new projects in development. There's a really cool one currently in the works and I look forward to seeing it come to fruition and supporting his efforts. Many thanks to him for some amazing Oshkosh memories.

Spent Friday afternoon at the Sea Plane Base - a peaceful little oasis on the shores of Lake Winnebago where you can sit by the water and watch the Sea Planes fly-in and fly-out. Apparently, it's the custom for base visitors to climb the tent pole. Well, I didn't want to appear ungracious...and it was a Friday.

Prepped and ready...

Climbing up...

At the top...

Showcasing a trick or two that I learned at Crunch Fitness...

Heading down.

What happens at Oshkosh stays at Oshkosh...out of respect for the privacy of others, I won't be sharing anything more.

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to hear my hero, General Chuck Yeager, speak on Saturday.


I could sit and listen to him tell his stories all day long. He reminds me so much of my Grandpa. The way they relay a story - both straight shooters and calling it like they see it. Kind of all over the place at times but always captivating. And they have the same kind of hands. Mechanical engineer's hands - big, somewhat clumsy with little things like watch dials but safe and strong and able to fix just about anything. For a little over an hour while sitting in that pavilion, it felt as if the heartbreaking distance separating Heaven and Earth just disappeared; sensing a closeness to Grandpa that I only ever feel while I'm on horseback in the Sonoran Desert watching the sun rise over the Catalina Mountains. It was really great.

I enjoyed the rest of my day walking the grounds, making friends, learning so much from fellow aviation enthusiasts and picking out my favorite plane. This sweet little vintage 1947 model 35 Bonanza caught my eye...

It's likely no surprise to anyone that I fell for this classic...I'm a girl who loves shiny things.

Another highlight was watching the F-22 Raptor make several flybys in the afternoon airshow. I was on my cell catching up with my friend Angie during the demonstration but managed to take some video for her sons, my little nephews, Benjamin & Cameron. Boys, we'll keep working on your Mom & Dad and maybe next year you can join me here. In the meantime, these clips are for you...

Listen closely near the middle of this next clip and you can hear me tell Ang, "God, I love this!!!"

Now if all that weren't enough to make the weekend memorable my boys, Murray (left) & Ira (right), had a nice little message waiting for me when I arrived home...

No doubt pet sitter Robin helped them with construction. A great big "thank you" to her for always taking such good care of my little love bugs while I travel.

No trapeze tonight. Our class was canceled due to rain.

"Throw your Heart over the bar...

...and your body will follow!" - Trapeze Artist name unknown

In my last post I mentioned the Pullover Shoot. This was my "Go To" trick last Summer and it took me a good 10 weeks (and a lot of bruising) to finally nail it. When done well, it is really quite elegant. I threw it best at the September 2006 show...soaring three feet over the bar.

I don't have that clip available. So to show you what the trick looks like, here's one from our trapeze getaway weekend in Kent, CT last August. Throwing to catcher Randy, our timing is near perfect. Watch how smooth our catch and apron work is...

High Energy!!!

The next time I mention losing my "PEP", just remind me to head on over to "Club Beautiful" (SCLA-61) for Grasshopper's class - 60 minutes of intense cardio and weight training. It's an absolute "sweat fest" but an amazing workout!!! Highly motivating and exactly what I needed!!!

Now before anyone (and you know who you are) says "Jennifer, why do you do that? Why do you let your body dictate how your mind feels?" I know. Let me just say that sometimes even Ambassador's of Fitness have moments of weakness.

Amanda & me

The 2007 Sunday Night IFW lives up to the reputation set last year for this time slot...good fun, great friends and lots of laughter!

Me, Amanda & Judy

It was a beautiful night to fly. Temperatures in the 70's, no humidity and clear skies gave way to a beautiful sunset over the Hudson.

Many have asked, "Jen, I know you climb a ladder to get 35 feet up to the Board and then you jump. But how do you get down from the net?" Here are some shots of fellow flyer Colleen showing the process...

After we land into the net, we take off our safety lines and walk them over to the area under the Board.

Here's instructor Jeff S. on the Board fishing up the safeties with next up Doe "LISTO" (i.e., ready) to fly.
Then it's our Rollover off the net. Here's instructor Hal spotting Colleen.

Hal is about 5'5" maybe 5'6" so you can see that the net is about 9 1/2'-10' above the ground. You may remember last year...for the longest time, I couldn't figure out why I had bruises on my hip bones. (This was well before I started working my pullover shoot which left me bruised from midriff to thighs.) Well, they were from the Rollover.

An added bonus of Trapeze...changing clothes at home after class and spotting all the bruises. It's a game trying to figure out WHEN and HOW you managed to get a bruise THERE!!! Arnica gel surely helps.

Another sure thing in Trapeze...the RIP. A RIP occurs when the skin on the palm of our hands literally rips open; often a result of blistering and usually happens while working our swing. Our little Amanda got her first rips tonight. Here's Nurse Judy tending to them with tape from my First Aid/Emergency Pack - fully stocked including: tape, wraps, Arnica gel, ice packs, antibiotic creams, BandAids, alcohol swabs, gauze, etc...

Here's Mike, Amanda and Judy making fun of me and my First Aid/Emergency pack which is located in the front pocket of my flight bag.

Given to me during my first Zero G mission; it's a great bag...lots of pockets for "stuff". The middle pocket is used for a clean change of clothes and snacks. While the rear pocket is the place to store my safety belt, towel and trapeze slippers (i.e., I'll take things that might be smelly for $100, Alex). Always organized and always prepared....I am my Grandy's & Grandpa's granddaughter!!!

Special thanks to instructor Jeff S. for the amazing shoulder stretches. I've been having a lot of trouble with my right shoulder but his advice has proved very helpful in improving my flexibility.

The sun is setting earlier each week. We may not have many more videos of our catches. But I think this one, being in silhouette, looks pretty cool. There was time for only one catch tonight, it's my "Go To" split catch to Jeff S. I'm holding good position to make the return but no bar was thrown.

Thanks to fellow flyer Rachel for taking tonight's video (and cheering).

It was a great night of flying!

Sunday July 15 IFW Update - A bad day on the Trapeze is still better....

...than a good day doing just about anything else!!!

I'm not sure what was going on today. It could have been an adrenaline crash; past few days have been REALLY COOL!!! Or it could have been because I've strayed from my meal & supplement plan; not properly fueled. All I know is I looked everywhere but I just couldn't find my "PEP". My flying was completely FLAT. I was loose throughout most of my swings and really struggled to hold my positions, a sure sign of fatigue.

TSNY Catcher's Trap

Both Jeff S. and Hal spent time up in the Catcher's Trap. A huge bonus as we usually get just 2 catch attempts. Today we got 4! And on the Board, TSNY staffer Ross is learning how to throw us the return bar. So while we practiced our return positions, he practiced his throw timing.

Here's my "Go To" trick, a Split catch to Jeff S....



Our Catch timing is improving but we're still working our Apron and Return timing. Defn: The Apron is the area at the far end of the net where the flyer and catcher swing out over as one. Of course, it didn't help that my Apron work is really sloppy here, very loose. And we call that move at the end "Floppy Girl".

We finally figured out our timing and caught my Whip but the safety lines snagged and slowed us down. It happens.

Then it was time to change Catchers. Jeff S. came down and our beloved Hal took his place. Others simply climb a rope to get to the Catcher's Trap, but not our Hal...

He's such a Rock Star!!!

The Catcher transfer took place just as Judy, my sister by heart, was on Board awaiting her next turn. Here she is waving to us all on the ground.

Thankfully it was Judy and not me stuck up there for 10 minutes. To this day, I still hate climbing that ladder and waiting on the Board to take off. I tolerate the climb because I know that I must in order to fly...but I don't have to like it. Judy absolutely loves it up there. She's much braver than me and would hang out there all day - and on the fifth rise no less - if they'd let her. Judy's dusted off her Set Split and it's looking really great...



Next up, I threw my Whip to Hal...



Timing is everything. It takes a while for a Catcher and Flyer to really sync up. This is the first time I've thrown this trick to Hal and we're figuring it out as we go.



I didn't have anything left to give on this jump. But we're still tweaking things here and there and always moving forward.

A parting shot...

"Friends are Angels who lift us up to our feet when our own wings have trouble remembering how to Fly"

Friday, July 13 - I love days like this!!!

G Force One was in town looking absolutely gorgeous. I had the great privilege of spending my day "floating" with my Zero G friends and an awesome group of flyers - smart, interesting, enthusiastic and fun; they were so much fun!

I may be a little "Mama Bear" biased but my Blue team totally rocked! They were flipping and flying and spinning and soaring like absolute pros. I love guiding my teams as they transform from nervous and somewhat reserved to giggling with smiles as big as the sky.

It brings me such joy to be a part of this experience. A thousand thank you's to my dear friend Peter and his team; whose vision, diligence, hard work and sense of adventure makes this all possible.

Today was a really great day!!!

FIVE TIMES BIGGER!!!

Another great night at our little rig in Brooklyn...

After two decent half-turns but no success getting back on the Board, Dino pulled me aside and said "Jen, whatever you think you need to do to mount that Board...do it FIVE TIMES BIGGER. Exaggerate your movements and get there!" Here's what happened next...



That's what I needed to hear...thanks Dino! Listen, you can hear me tell Manny "That was Awesome!" And hear Jeff yell up from the ground that I should have reached across my body (with my right arm) to grab the left cable. And if you look closely at the end you'll see my "Happy Dance". It felt so easy, so smooth, so natural. As if it were meant to be.

Thanks to fellow flyer Maryam for shooting the video.

Happy Birthday TSNY!!!

This week marks the fifth year anniversary of the Trapeze School of New York's grand opening. The video highlights the beauty of the rig in her new location - high atop Pier 40, along the Hudson River. It's my split catch to Hal; no return bar (newbie working the Board).

I am forever grateful to TSNY for creating a place where fears are conquered, dreams are realized, and wonderful friendships are made. Here are some shots from our 2007 Sunday Night IFW taken during the first two classes...

First class of the Season - Judy, Amanda & me

2006 Sunday IFW "Leftover Ladies" - Rachel, Amanda, me & Judy

Our #1 Supporter is Amanda's Dad Mike - Amanda, Mike, me & Judy


"Goofy Faces" - Instructor Hal, me & Lidia

Cool Cousin Jenny goes to Kentucky...

Kayla, Cool Cousin Jenny & Cody

I spent a wonderful, relaxing weekend in northern Kentucky with Kim, Scott, Cody & Kayla. The kids taped a special message to Great Grandma Betty and Aunt Sue...

We also ate lots of veggies and Scott was our "Grill Master". Here's a photo of the kids in the pool before Kimmy and I joined them.

It's the perfect size for Cody and Kayla to learn the basics of swimming in a safe, healthy environment but things sure got a little crowded once us big kids jumped in.

Sunkissed cheeks & noses

On Saturday, we took Cody to buy his new school uniform. He'll start first grade this Fall. He is so proud of his bright white shirt, crisp navy pants and new navy belt. He's got a pretty proud Mommy too! He was just the cutest little boy; walking around that store in his brand new uniform with a swagger!!!

Kayla didn't enjoy the experience quite as much. We tried to get her to try on her little first grade, navy plaid jumper (so adorable) but she wouldn't go near it. It's a good thing she's still got a full year to get used to the idea of wearing a skirt everyday.

Kimmy, Scott and I caught up on each other's lives relaxing on the deck watching the fireflies and fireworks. And every night before bed, me and the kids each made a wish on the "Wishing Star" (Venus); keeping it in our hearts so that someday it will come true.

The kids had a blast (and are really good at) taking pictures...here are Kayla's candids...

Cody

Super Hero Cody & me

Me & Cody

"Froggy" Cody

Kimmy

Bandit waits for the Family

Here are Cody's candids...

Kayla & me

"Froggy" Kayla

Me & Kayla

Cody asked a million questions about the times I went "floating" (Zero G) and can hardly wait until he's big enough to join me. He loves rockets and will someday make an awesome Zeronaut!!! He and Kayla can recite all the planets but they disagree on the status of Pluto. And when we saw the moon in the sky at 11:00 AM, they taught me the Mr. Moon song.

(There are a few things I do well...working the video on my digital camera...is not one of them. Still, it's a really cute clip.)

It was a wonderful weekend!!!

Feelin' the Love...

I absolutely love Thursday nights!!! I am so fortunate to get to fly on a little rig in Brooklyn with my "Ultimate Instructor Dream Team".

Jeff, Dino, me, Manny

Jeff - wicked smart and as determined (some call it stubborn) as me. I often refer to him as "the man in my life who calls me on all my sh**". He won't let me get away with anything - I can't be lazy, I can't be scared, I can't be a big baby. He yells at me all the time; pointing out all my flying flaws. Yet every week, I rush back for more. I wouldn't want him any other way.

Dino - my "Lucky Charm". Every time I fly with Dino, I attain the goal I've set for myself. He was an instructor the very first time I flew. In fact, that's him on the board (right) in the photo from the July 1st post. I remember telling him that I was scared and he just said "Don't be scared. You can do this." In fact every week, he's still telling me just that. It is such an amazing feeling to have someone stand behind me and say "Jen, you can do this. It's all you. I'm just here for moral support." I carry this with me throughout my week.

Manny - strong, quiet and always asking "Jen, why are you getting frustrated, this is the first time you tried this skill? Be patient, Rome wasn't built in a day." To which I respond, "That's because I wasn't there to get it done!" And sweet Manny just rolls his eyes and smiles, no doubt thinking "this crazy, American girl."

Jeff teaches me Strength. Dino teaches me Courage. Manny teaches me Patience. Each week I place my life in their hands and they help me to fly!!!

Great flying last night...

Fellow flyer Maryam and I both made progress on our 1/2 turn with force out over the board. We've each been really struggling with this skill for weeks.

A brief explanation of the skill - jump off the board, swing out, turn 180 degrees, regrip and swing back - feet first - towards the board (and the concrete wall directly behind it)...at what feels like 100 mph.

Last Thursday, I walked up to Dino before class and declared that I was "Over it!" I was going to nail my 1/2 turn. He just smiled. And smiled again later when I choked my first try. But then I did it! I finally poked a small, Jennifer-sized hole through the imaginary wall that was preventing me from completing the skill. I then proceeded to do it two more times to prove that I really had it.

No video yet because my form still really needs work. I'm piking my seven and not getting my derriere up high enough on my force out. But I'm getting better and last night I even planted my feet back on the board...a first step towards a full round trip. YEAH!!!

Maryam broke through her wall this past Tuesday! Here's a photo of us...

Turn Around Twins!!!

I practiced my backend whip, with the guys telling me to keep my legs parallel to the ground while in the pike. This is much harder to control in the pendulum and makes it a tougher catch. This is a "blind catch" which means, I release without spotting the catcher. It gets dicey, we get real close...arms, foreheads, noses. Last night Dino accidentally clocked me in the eye but I'm OK, it's just a little shiner. It's a good thing I live in a City where nobody questions "smokey" eye makeup at 9:00 AM.

Here's a video of Dino and I kinda catching my whip, notice me holding the position parallel to the mat...

(Thanks to Maryam for shooting these videos and cheering.)

Saving the best for last...here's Dino catching my split with a solid return and foot plant on the board! Notice Manny holding the lines really loose...this shows that I'm flying on my own power. I've been making solid returns on this trick for a month now but this is the first time I got it on video. Enjoy!

(Listen closely and you'll hear Jeff say "Good" and then tell me I "let go early" on the HEP to take the return bar.)

Ambassadors of Fitness

Paul, Jen & Nordine

Or as Paul, dear friend and business partner, likes to say...The BMC3!!!! (BMC is a reference to Miraval.) Although, I think that sounds more like we're a rap group than proponents of fitness and healthy, balanced living.

Nordine, my dear friend and fitness coach, was in town last week promoting his new book "Mind Over Body The Key to Lasting Weight Loss is All in Your Head". Paul and I each introduced Nordine to several new private clients. Together, we brainstormed new business opportunities over marathon meals (and long city walks) and set higher personal fitness goals. Amazing things are in the works.

It was an awesome week...Great Energy! Great Ideas! Great Inspiration! Great Friends!!!

Sunday July 1, 2007 - Anatomy of a new trick

If it's Sunday, you'll find me flying with friends along the Hudson River. Here's Judy, me and little Amanda. Amanda is the 12-year old girl I mentor and she, an accomplished swimmer, has graciously agreed to help me train for the swim portion of my August triathlon. It's very cool...the mentor becomes the mentee....once again reinforcing my belief that we've always something to learn from each other.


Along with Rachel (who wasn't in class tonight) we are the "leftover ladies" from the 2006 Sunday Night Intensive Flying Workshop (IFW). Here's a shot that includes newcomer Lidia and TSNY staffer Adam...

I learned a new trick tonight...a Backend Whip. I've wanted to try this ever since I saw Cirque du Soleil's "O" in Vegas earlier this year. There is a time in the show when all the flyers are throwing their Flexus on a ship suspended high above the stage/pool...the Whip position is somewhat similar. Dino deserves huge kudos for working the position on the low bar with me last Thursday and here's a video of my first attempt. As you'll see, I was very nervous and flying tentatively. There's very little "oomph" in my swing. Throwing a new trick is always really scary. I rushed it, totally wimped out my swing and footed my way into position. Basically, I was just glad to have the first time over and done.

My second try was better. I worked my swing this time and popped right into the position...

Enough practice, time to throw to our catcher, Jeff. We're still working our timing; late HEP on the first try and I don't know why we missed the second, we were right there...

Sadly, no catch for me tonight...I was all chalked up and no place to go!!!

No worries, there's always next week and best of all, our little group is quickly coming together. Here's the whole crew including Instructors Frederique & Hal (front row) and Catcher Jeff (center). It's going to be a fun Summer!

Where do I start? A favorite quote...

The Leap is so frightening between where I am and where I want to be...

Because of all I may become...

I will close my eyes...

and Jump!